مالي أُسَلُّ من القِراب وأُغمدُ

مالي أُسَلُّ من القِراب وأُغمدُ

لِمَ لا أُجرَّدُ والسيوفُ تجرَّدُ

لِمَ لا أُجرَّدُ والسيوفُ تجرَّدُ

Why am I drawn from the scabbard, only to be sheathed again?

Why am I drawn from the scabbard and then sheathed?

Why am I not bared, when swords are bared?

Why am I not unsheathed while the swords are unsheathed?

لِمَ لا أجرَّبُ في الضرائب مرة

لِمَ لا أجرَّبُ في الضرائب مرة

يا للرجال وإنني لَمُهندُ

يا للرجال وإنني لَمُهندُ

Why am I not drawn amid the sword-strokes, just once—

Why am I not tested once in dealing blows?

O men!—when I am surely an Indian-tempered blade?

O men, to the rescue! I am indeed a sword of Indian steel.

بل قد حكى التجريبُ أني صارم

بل قد حكى التجريبُ أني صارم

ذَكَرٌ فلِمْ أُلْقَى ولا أُتقلَّدُ

ذَكَرٌ فلِمْ أُلْقَى ولا أُتقلَّدُ

Indeed, experience has shown that I am a keen-edged sword;

Indeed, testing has shown that I am a keen blade,

they have acknowledged it—so why am I cast aside and never girded on?

Of hard steel—so why am I cast aside and not girded on?

لم لا أُحلَّى حليةً أنا أهلُها

لم لا أُحلَّى حليةً أنا أهلُها

فيُزان بي بَطَلٌ ويُكْفَى مشهدُ

فيُزان بي بَطَلٌ ويُكْفَى مشهدُ

Why am I not adorned with my own ornament, when I am worthy of it,

Why am I not adorned with an ornament I deserve,

so a hero may be graced by me, and I may suffice him in battle?

So that a hero is graced by me and a battle's needs are met?

إن الحُلَى عند الحسام وديعةٌ

إن الحُلَى عند الحسام وديعةٌ

ليست تضيع لديه لكن توجدُ

ليست تضيع لديه لكن توجدُ

Jewels upon a sword are but a trust:

For ornaments in a keen blade's keeping are a trust:

they are not lost in its keeping, but are there to be found.

They are not lost in its keeping, but are found there.

عرِّج أبا موسى عَليَّ فإنني

عرِّج أبا موسى عَليَّ فإنني

فيمن تليه ومن يليك مردَّدُ

فيمن تليه ومن يليك مردَّدُ

Introduce me to Abu Musa, for I am

Turn aside to me, Abu Musa, for I

shuttled between those you answer to and those who answer to you.

Am shuttled between those you oversee and those who oversee you.

أنا من علمتَ مكانه وابنُ الذي

أنا من علمتَ مكانه وابنُ الذي

ما زال فيكم يُستعان فيُحْمَدُ

ما زال فيكم يُستعان فيُحْمَدُ

I am the man whose station you know, and the son of one

I am the man whose standing you know, and the son of him

who among you was ever called upon for help, and praised.

Who has always been called upon among you, and so praised.

لا تبتروا عندي وعند أبي يداً

لا تبتروا عندي وعند أبي يداً

بيضاء ما جُحدَتْ وليست تجحدُ

بيضاء ما جُحدَتْ وليست تجحدُ

Do not sever, in me and in my father, a beneficent hand—

Do not sever the hand you have extended to me and my father,

a white hand never denied, nor ever to be denied.

A white hand of kindness, never denied and never disowned.

إن الأياديَ لا تُجَدُّ لديكُمُ

إن الأياديَ لا تُجَدُّ لديكُمُ

لكنْ تُدرَّعُ عندكم وتُعضَّدُ

لكنْ تُدرَّعُ عندكم وتُعضَّدُ

Favors are not severed in your keeping;

For hands of bounty are not cut off in your keeping,

with you they are armored and strengthened.

But are armored in your keeping and strengthened.

أولوا وليكُم حديثاً مثله

أولوا وليكُم حديثاً مثله

يصل القديم وتُسْتَتمُّ به اليدُ

يصل القديم وتُسْتَتمُّ به اليدُ

Bestow upon your loyal servant a new favor like the old:

Bestow upon your loyal friend a new favor like it,

it will join the old and make the benefaction complete.

That joins the old and through which the hand of bounty is made whole.

يثمرْ لكم حَمدين حمداً منكُم

يثمرْ لكم حَمدين حمداً منكُم

لهما وحمداً منهما لا ينفدُ

لهما وحمداً منهما لا ينفدُ

It will yield you two praises: one from you

It will yield you two praises: praise from you

for the two of them, and one from them that never runs dry.

For them both, and praise from them both that never runs dry.

لا بل دعونا وانظروا لصنيعكم

لا بل دعونا وانظروا لصنيعكم

فينا فلم يك مثله يُستفسَدُ

فينا فلم يك مثله يُستفسَدُ

No—leave us be, and look upon your handiwork

No—rather, leave us aside and look to your own good work

in us: nothing like it should be allowed to vanish.

Toward us; such kindness should never be spoiled.

أرعوا زروعكمُ عيونَ تَعهُّدٍ

أرعوا زروعكمُ عيونَ تَعهُّدٍ

منكم فمثلُ زروعكم تُتَعَهَّدُ

منكم فمثلُ زروعكم تُتَعَهَّدُ

Set watchful eyes of care from you over your crops;

Tend your crops with watchful eyes

crops like yours must surely be tended.

Of your own, for crops such as yours should be tended.

لا تُبرئوا داءَ الحسود بجفْوةٍ

لا تُبرئوا داءَ الحسود بجفْوةٍ

مسَّتْ أخاً لَكُمُ عليكمْ يُحسَدُ

مسَّتْ أخاً لَكُمُ عليكمْ يُحسَدُ

Do not heal the envier’s sickness with a cold rebuff

Do not cure an envier's sickness with a rebuff

that strikes a brother of yours, envied on your account.

That has touched a brother of yours, envied on your account.

ما بال عزمك حين تنظُر نظرةً

ما بال عزمك حين تنظُر نظرةً

في باب مصلحتي يُحَلُّ ويُعقَدُ

في باب مصلحتي يُحَلُّ ويُعقَدُ

Why does your resolve, whenever it turns one glance

Why is your resolve, whenever you cast a glance

toward my welfare, come unbound and then be bound?

At my welfare, untied and tied again?

ما هذه الوقفات فيما تَرْتَئي

ما هذه الوقفات فيما تَرْتَئي

ولك البصيرةُ والزِّماعُ الأرْشَد

ولك البصيرةُ والزِّماعُ الأرْشَد

What are these pauses in what you intend,

What are these hesitations in your deliberations,

when yours are clear sight and the soundest resolve?

When you possess insight and the soundest resolve?

فَكِّرْ لَقيتَ الرشْدَ فيَّ فلم يزل

فَكِّرْ لَقيتَ الرشْدَ فيَّ فلم يزل

لك رأيُ صدقٍ في الأمور مسدَّدُ

لك رأيُ صدقٍ في الأمور مسدَّدُ

Then reconsider me—may you find right guidance! For in my case

Consider my case—may you find right guidance—for you have always

your true judgment in affairs has never ceased to be unerring.

Had sound judgment, well directed in affairs.

أأجور عن رَشَدي وشيْبي شامل

أأجور عن رَشَدي وشيْبي شامل

وقد اهتديتُ له ورأسي أسودُ

وقد اهتديتُ له ورأسي أسودُ

Could I stray from rectitude now that gray has covered me,

Would I stray from my right path when gray hair covers me,

when I had found its path while my head was black?

Though I found my way to it when my head was black-haired?

أني وكيف تُضلُّني شمسُ الضحى

أني وكيف تُضلُّني شمسُ الضحى

قصدي ويهديني الظلامُ الأربدُ

قصدي ويهديني الظلامُ الأربدُ

How could the noonday sun lead me astray,

How could that be? How could the midmorning sun lead me astray

when it is my goal, and pitch-black night guides me?

From my course, when murky darkness guides me?

أنا من عرفتَ وفاؤه وصفاؤه

أنا من عرفتَ وفاؤه وصفاؤه

وولاءه إياكَ مذ هو أمردُ

وولاءه إياكَ مذ هو أمردُ

I am the man whose loyalty and purity you have known,

I am the man you have known for his faithfulness and sincerity,

and whose devotion to you dates from his beardless youth.

And his devotion to you since he was a beardless youth.

فاسعدْ بفضل أمانتي وكفايتي

فاسعدْ بفضل أمانتي وكفايتي

ونصيحتي مع أنَّني بك أسعدُ

ونصيحتي مع أنَّني بك أسعدُ

Prosper through the merit of my trustworthiness and competence,

So prosper through the merit of my integrity and competence,

and through my counsel—though I am happier still in you.

And my sincere counsel, though I am more fortunate through you.

إن لا أكن في كلِّ ذلك أوحَداً

إن لا أكن في كلِّ ذلك أوحَداً

فَرْداً فإني في المودة أوحدُ

فَرْداً فإني في المودة أوحدُ

Though I may not stand peerless in all those virtues,

If I am not in all those things unrivaled

in affection, at least, I stand alone.

And peerless, then in affection I am unrivaled.

هبني امرءاً ليستْ له بك حرمةٌ

هبني امرءاً ليستْ له بك حرمةٌ

تُرْعَى أما لي زَلَّةٌ تُتَغَمَّدُ

تُرْعَى أما لي زَلَّةٌ تُتَغَمَّدُ

Suppose me a man with no claim upon you to be honored—

Suppose I were a man with no claim upon you

have I not one slip that may be sheathed in forgiveness?

To be respected—have I not a lapse that might be pardoned?