يا مَنْ أغارُ عليه من غلائِله

يا مَنْ أغارُ عليه من غلائِله

ومَنْ أرِقُّ عليه من خلاخلِهِ

ومَنْ أرِقُّ عليه من خلاخلِهِ

O you whose very undergarments stir my jealousy,

O you whom I envy for his intimacies,

and you whom I pity even for your anklets,

And for whom I stay awake because of his worries,

أما تغار على ودِّي لصحبتهِ

أما تغار على ودِّي لصحبتهِ

أما ترقُّ لقبي من بلابلِهِ

أما ترقُّ لقبي من بلابلِهِ

will you not jealously guard my love for the companionship it gives?

Do you not envy my devotion to his companionship?

Will you not pity my heart [apparently intended] for its torments?

Do you not stay awake for fear over what might befall me?

ظبيٌ يرى كُلَّ وجهٍ من مَخاتلنا

ظبيٌ يرى كُلَّ وجهٍ من مَخاتلنا

ونَدَّريه فنعْمى عن مَخاتِلِهِ

ونَدَّريه فنعْمى عن مَخاتِلِهِ

A gazelle who sees every aspect of our stratagems,

A gazelle who sees the faces of our hunters from all sides,

while we stalk him, blind to his own.

And we drive it until it surrenders itself to them,

نحتالُ فيه فينجو من حبائلنا

نحتالُ فيه فينجو من حبائلنا

ونحن نَنْشَبُ تترى في حَبائلِهِ

ونحن نَنْشَبُ تترى في حَبائلِهِ

We devise tricks against him, but he escapes our snares,

We outwit it until it escapes our snares,

while we fall, one after another, into his.

While we get tangled up in its traps.

فظٌّ نُميط الأذى عنه فيُتعسنا

فظٌّ نُميط الأذى عنه فيُتعسنا

وليس في السيفِ عفوٌ عن صياقلِهِ

وليس في السيفِ عفوٌ عن صياقلِهِ

Harsh: we remove harm from him, yet he makes us miserable;

A fierce one who wards off harm from it, so he angers us,

a sword has no mercy for its polishers.

The sword has no pardon for those it strikes.

لا تعجبا أن دمعاً فاض عن حُرَقِ

لا تعجبا أن دمعاً فاض عن حُرَقِ

ماء أفاضته نارٌ من مراجلِهِ

ماء أفاضته نارٌ من مراجلِهِ

Do not marvel, you two, that tears flow from burning anguish:

No wonder a tear poured down from burning,

water that fire has poured from its cauldrons.

Water poured out by a fire from its boiler.

أراق دمعي هوى ظبيٍ أراق دمي

أراق دمعي هوى ظبيٍ أراق دمي

يا للقَتيل بكى منْ حُبِّ قاتلِهِ

يا للقَتيل بكى منْ حُبِّ قاتلِهِ

Love of a gazelle who shed my blood has shed my tears.

My tear flowed from the love of a gazelle, my blood

Ah, the slain man who weeps for love of his killer!

By the slain, who cried for the love of his killer!

ما للمُعنَّى مُلَقّىً من عَواذِله

ما للمُعنَّى مُلَقّىً من عَواذِله

ما يستحقُّ المُعَنِّي من عَواذلهِ

ما يستحقُّ المُعَنِّي من عَواذلهِ

Why must the tormented lover endure from his reproachers

The meaning has no gifts to match its virtues,

what the tormentor deserves from his own?

Just as the conveyor does not merit gifts equal to it.

إن الوزيرَ غدا وَصّالَ قاطِعِه

إن الوزيرَ غدا وَصّالَ قاطِعِه

فاعمدْ إليه ودعْ قطّاع واصلِهِ

فاعمدْ إليه ودعْ قطّاع واصلِهِ

The vizier has become a devoted friend to whoever forsakes him;

When the vizier comes to visit tomorrow, head to him

so turn to him, and leave the habitual forsaker of whoever befriends him.

And leave those who sever ties and their causes.

يَمِّم أبا الصقرِ إن اللَّه فَضَّلَهُ

يَمِّم أبا الصقرِ إن اللَّه فَضَّلَهُ

وفات كل نظيرٍ في فضائلِهِ

وفات كل نظيرٍ في فضائلِهِ

Seek Abu al-Saqr: God has favored him,

Aim Abu al-Saqr, for God has graced him,

and he has surpassed every peer in his virtues,

And he surpasses all peers in his virtues.

من كُلّ طُولٍ وطَوْلٍ في شمائله

من كُلّ طُولٍ وطَوْلٍ في شمائله

وكلّ جودٍ وجَوْدٍ في أناملِهِ

وكلّ جودٍ وجَوْدٍ في أناملِهِ

with every loftiness and bounty in his character,

In every long and extended line of his features,

and every generosity and downpour in his fingertips.

And all generosity and open-handedness of his fingers,

إذا ارتدى السيف لم يُمسكْ بقائمهِ

إذا ارتدى السيف لم يُمسكْ بقائمهِ

ليستقلَّ ولم يخططْ بسافلِهِ

ليستقلَّ ولم يخططْ بسافلِهِ

When he dons a sword, he does not grasp its hilt

When he dons the sword, he does not grasp its sheath,

to lift it, nor furrow the ground with its lower end.

He rises without needing to gird it round his waist.

سيفٌ تردّاه سيفٌ غيرُ ذي طَبَعٍ

سيفٌ تردّاه سيفٌ غيرُ ذي طَبَعٍ

كأنما الرمحُ يمشي في حمائلِهِ

كأنما الرمحُ يمشي في حمائلِهِ

A sword donned by a sword untainted by rust,

A sword he unsheathes, unlike an unrefined sword,

as though a spear were walking in his sword-belts.

As if the spear walks amongst its litter.

لا شيءَ أقربُ حَيناً من مُناضِلِه

لا شيءَ أقربُ حَيناً من مُناضِلِه

أو من مُطاعنه أو من منازلِهِ

أو من مُطاعنه أو من منازلِهِ

Nothing is nearer death than his rival in archery,

Nothing is closer at times than his opponent,

or his opponent with the spear, or his challenger in combat.

Or his thrusts or his assaults.

من لا يرى المال إلا هَمَّ خازنهِ

من لا يرى المال إلا هَمَّ خازنهِ

ولا يرى الزادَ إلا ثِقْل آكلِهِ

ولا يرى الزادَ إلا ثِقْل آكلِهِ

He who sees wealth as nothing but its keeper's worry,

One who sees wealth only as a worry for its keeper,

and provisions as nothing but their eater's burden.

And food only as a burden upon its consumer,

مما حفظناه من أمثال حكمتِه

مما حفظناه من أمثال حكمتِه

لن يملكَ المال إلا كفُّ باذلِهِ

لن يملكَ المال إلا كفُّ باذلِهِ

Among the maxims of his wisdom we have memorized:

Of the wisdoms we have retained,

Only the hand that gives wealth away will possess it.

Only the palm of the giver owns wealth.

مَنْ كُلُّ كُفءٍ فقيرٌ من فضائلهِ

مَنْ كُلُّ كُفءٍ فقيرٌ من فضائلهِ

وكل عافٍ غنيٌّ من فواضلِهِ

وكل عافٍ غنيٌّ من فواضلِهِ

He whose every peer lacks his virtues,

Everyone lacking in merit is poor in virtue,

while every supplicant is enriched by his bounty.

While the chaste is wealthy in overflowing virtue.

خِرْقٌ يشحُّ على صُغَرى محامِدِهِ

خِرْقٌ يشحُّ على صُغَرى محامِدِهِ

كيما يشح على كُبرى طوائلِهِ

كيما يشح على كُبرى طوائلِهِ

A noble man, jealous of even his smallest merits,

A stingy one who is miserly with the smallest of his praise,

that he may jealously guard his greatest achievements.

As he is miserly with the greatest of his treasures.

غيرانُ حينَ يحامي عن مكارمهِ

غيرانُ حينَ يحامي عن مكارمهِ

كالليث كادحَ ليثاً عن حلائلِهِ

كالليث كادحَ ليثاً عن حلائلِهِ

Fiercely protective when he defends his noble qualities,

Protective when defending his noble deeds,

like a lion clawing another lion away from his mates.

Like a lion defending its cubs.

تلقاه عند مُبارة النظير له

تلقاه عند مُبارة النظير له

كالسّيلِ دافعَ سيلاً عن مَسايلِهِ

كالسّيلِ دافعَ سيلاً عن مَسايلِهِ

When a peer vies with him, you find him

You will find him, when competing with a peer,

like a torrent driving another torrent from its channels.

Like a torrent driving back a torrent from its course.

مُنابذٌ لأعاديه وثروتِه

مُنابذٌ لأعاديه وثروتِه

كلا الفريقين يُرمَى في مَقاتلِهِ

كلا الفريقين يُرمَى في مَقاتلِهِ

At war with both his enemies and his wealth,

Turning away from his enemies and wealth—

each of the two sides is struck in its vital spots.

Both groups are discarded in his battles.

يُكشّفُ الدهرَ عنه في تصرُّفِه

يُكشّفُ الدهرَ عنه في تصرُّفِه

عن مُنصُلٍ قَلَعيٍّ من مناصِلِهِ

عن مُنصُلٍ قَلَعيٍّ من مناصِلِهِ

Time, through its changing ways, reveals him

Fate exposes him in his disposition,

as a Qal‘i blade among its blades.

Like an Indian sword freed from its scabbard.

كأنه بين أحوالٍ تَدَاوَلُهُ

كأنه بين أحوالٍ تَدَاوَلُهُ

بدرٌ تهاداه شتّى من مَغازلِهِ

بدرٌ تهاداه شتّى من مَغازلِهِ

As though, amid the fortunes that pass him among themselves,

As if he is passed between conditions that take turns with him,

he were a full moon passed as a gift among its varied spindles.

Like a full moon courted from all its stages.

أحيا به اللَّهُ قوماً بعد هُلكهمُ

أحيا به اللَّهُ قوماً بعد هُلكهمُ

وأهلك اللَّه قوماً في غوائلِهِ

وأهلك اللَّه قوماً في غوائلِهِ

Through him God revived a people after their ruin,

God gave life through him to a people after their destruction,

and God destroyed another people amid his deadly assaults.

And God destroyed a people through their own transgressions.

كالبحرِ أروى بني الدنيا وأغرقهم

كالبحرِ أروى بني الدنيا وأغرقهم

فهم رِواءٌ وغَرْقى في سواحلِهِ

فهم رِواءٌ وغَرْقى في سواحلِهِ

Like the sea, he quenched the thirst of the world's people and drowned them;

Like the sea, he quenched the people of the world, and drowned them—

they are well-watered and drowned along his shores.

They are given drink, while drowned in its coasts.

أضحى الملوكُ وأضحينا نحمّلُهُ

أضحى الملوكُ وأضحينا نحمّلُهُ

تحميل منْ ليس يُخشى وهْيُ كاهلِهِ

تحميل منْ ليس يُخشى وهْيُ كاهلِهِ

Kings, and we too, have come to heap burdens upon him,

Kings have become guests, and we are the hosts who burden him

as on one whose shoulders are never feared to weaken.

With the burdening of one whose shoulder strength is never feared.

عليه أثقالُ أمرِ اللَّهِ يحملُها

عليه أثقالُ أمرِ اللَّهِ يحملُها

والناس يا لَكَ من عبءٍ وحاملِهِ

والناس يا لَكَ من عبءٍ وحاملِهِ

Upon him lie the burdens of God's affairs, which he carries,

Upon him are the heavy burdens of God's command that he carries,

and the people's—what a burden, and what a bearer!

While people say, "What a burden upon its carrier!"

كأنه وحدَه جيشٌ له لَجَبٌ

كأنه وحدَه جيشٌ له لَجَبٌ

صواهل الأرض شتى من صواهلِهِ

صواهل الأرض شتى من صواهلِهِ

As though he alone were an army with a mighty din;

It is as if he alone is an army, one with ferocious courage,

the earth's neighing steeds are but scattered groups of his.

As if all of earth’s plains shook from his ferociousness.

فللرعاة أَحاظٍ من نصائحِهِ

فللرعاة أَحاظٍ من نصائحِهِ

وللرعايا أَحاظٍ من نوافِلِهِ

وللرعايا أَحاظٍ من نوافِلِهِ

So rulers have their shares of his counsel,

So the shepherds have shares of his advice,

and subjects their shares of his gifts.

And the flock have shares of his voluntary good deeds.

ترى دعاويَ قومٍ فوق حاصلِهِم

ترى دعاويَ قومٍ فوق حاصلِهِم

وما دعاويه إلا دونَ حاصلِهِ

وما دعاويه إلا دونَ حاصلِهِ

You see some people's claims surpass their achievements,

You see the claims of people above their worth,

but his claims fall short of his own.

While his claims are only below his worth.

للأريحية مشيٌ في مفاصلِه

للأريحية مشيٌ في مفاصلِه

وليس للراح مشيٌ في مفاصلِهِ

وليس للراح مشيٌ في مفاصلِهِ

Generous ardor courses through his joints,

For the gentle is a gait in their joints,

but wine does not course through his joints.

While the lame has no gait in their joints.

ذو الفضلِ في دهرِه لا عند ناقصهِ

ذو الفضلِ في دهرِه لا عند ناقصهِ

بل عندَ كامِله بل عندَ فاضلِهِ

بل عندَ كامِله بل عندَ فاضلِهِ

Excellent in his age—not merely among its lesser men,

The virtuous one in his time, not with the deficient,

but among its accomplished men, indeed among its finest.

But with the perfect, or rather the superior.

يا كوكبَ الدهر قِدْماً في غياهبه

يا كوكبَ الدهر قِدْماً في غياهبه

يا مَعْلمَ الدهر قدْماً في مَجاهلِهِ

يا مَعْلمَ الدهر قدْماً في مَجاهلِهِ

O star of the age, from of old amid its deep darkness,

O star of time, step forth into its darkness,

O landmark of the age, from of old amid its unknown regions,

O landmark of time, step forth into its ignorance.

أصبحتَ في الذروةِ العلياء من شرفٍ

أصبحتَ في الذروةِ العلياء من شرفٍ

منازلُ الناسِ شتّى في أَسافلِهِ

منازلُ الناسِ شتّى في أَسافلِهِ

you have risen to the loftiest summit of honor;

You have reached the highest pinnacle of glory,

people's stations lie scattered on its lower slopes.

While the dwellings of people are diverse in its lowlands.

فَهم أنابيبُ رُمحٍ أنت عاملُهُ

فَهم أنابيبُ رُمحٍ أنت عاملُهُ

لا بل سنانُ طرسٍ فوقَ عاملِهِ

لا بل سنانُ طرسٍ فوقَ عاملِهِ

They are the sections of a spear, and you its forward shaft—

For they are like the tubes of a spear while you are its worker—

no, rather the spearhead of a 'writing sheet' above its forward shaft [text unclear].

No, but the blade of a lance above its worker.

يا مَعْقِلاً غيرَ مخشيٍّ غوائلُهُ

يا مَعْقِلاً غيرَ مخشيٍّ غوائلُهُ

لمنْ أتته الدواهي من معاقلِهِ

لمنْ أتته الدواهي من معاقلِهِ

O refuge whose hidden dangers are not feared,

O unassailable refuge for whom dangers approached

for one whom calamities have reached from his own strongholds,

From his shelters when disasters came to him from his shelters!

أنت المخاطبُ لا يُهدي لسائلِهِ

أنت المخاطبُ لا يُهدي لسائلِهِ

سُوءَ استماع ولا يصغي لعاذلِهِ

سُوءَ استماع ولا يصغي لعاذلِهِ

you are the one I address: you offer your petitioner no

You are the one addressed—he does not meet a questioner’s plea improperly,

ungracious hearing, and heed no reproacher.

Nor listen to one who reproaches improperly.

أما ترى الدهرَ قد ألقى كلاكله

أما ترى الدهرَ قد ألقى كلاكله

على امرئٍ بينكم مُلْقَى كلاكلِهِ

على امرئٍ بينكم مُلْقَى كلاكلِهِ

Do you not see that Time has laid its heavy breast

Do you not see that fate has cast all its burdens

upon a man among you, the resting-place of that breast?

Upon a man among you, thrown all its burdens?

يا آلَ هَمّامِهِ يا آلَ مُرَّتِهِ

يا آلَ هَمّامِهِ يا آلَ مُرَّتِهِ

يا آلَ شيبانه يا آلَ وائلِهِ

يا آلَ شيبانه يا آلَ وائلِهِ

O kin of Hammam, O kin of Murra,

O family of his worries, O family of his firmness,

O kin of Shayban, O kin of Wa'il,

O family of his white hair, O family of his virtues!

مالي حُرِمتُ وحُظَّ الناسُ كلُّهُمُ

مالي حُرِمتُ وحُظَّ الناسُ كلُّهُمُ

ممن ذنوبيَ خيرٌ من وسائلِهِ

ممن ذنوبيَ خيرٌ من وسائلِهِ

why am I denied, while all the people are favored,

Why am I forbidden the fortune and share of all the people,

even those whose claims to favor are less worthy than my sins?

When my sins are better than their methods?

أُعيذُ عدلك أن يُلفَى بحضرتِه

أُعيذُ عدلك أن يُلفَى بحضرتِه

خصمي وحقِّيَ مغلوبٌ بباطلِهِ

خصمي وحقِّيَ مغلوبٌ بباطلِهِ

I seek protection for your justice, lest in its presence be found

I seek the justice of your rule, that my opponent not be found

my adversary, with my rightful claim defeated by his falsehood.

In your presence, while my truth is defeated by his falsehood.

ما حَقُّ ميدانِ مجدٍ أنتَ صاحبُهُ

ما حَقُّ ميدانِ مجدٍ أنتَ صاحبُهُ

إجراءُ ناهقِهِ قُدّامَ صاهِلِهِ

إجراءُ ناهقِهِ قُدّامَ صاهِلِهِ

It is not fitting for a field of glory that you command

The field of glory is not deserving that you own it,

to run its braying donkey ahead of its neighing horse.

Parading his neighing horse in front of one who brays.

سائلْ بيَ الشعرَ إني من مَصاعبهِ

سائلْ بيَ الشعرَ إني من مَصاعبهِ

فإن أبيتَ فهبني من أَزامِلِهِ

فإن أبيتَ فهبني من أَزامِلِهِ

Ask Poetry about me: I am one of its untamed mounts;

Ask poetry of me, I am bound up in its difficulties,

but if you refuse, then count me among its throngs.

But if you refuse, then grant me some of its tools.

أُعيذُ مُزنَك أن يشقَى ببارقهِ

أُعيذُ مُزنَك أن يشقَى ببارقهِ

شَيْمي وتسعدُ أقوامٌ بوابِلِهِ

شَيْمي وتسعدُ أقوامٌ بوابِلِهِ

I seek protection for your rain-clouds, lest their lightning torment

I seek refuge in your glory, that its lightning not strike

my watching for rain, while others prosper in their downpour.

My audacity, while people prosper through its rain.