يَا ذَا الذي أَلِفَ الثَّوَاءَ وذِكْرُهُ

يَا ذَا الذي أَلِفَ الثَّوَاءَ وذِكْرُهُ

قَطَعَ البِلادَ مُغَرِّباً ومُشَرِّقَا

قَطَعَ البِلادَ مُغَرِّباً ومُشَرِّقَا

O you who have grown accustomed to staying, while your renown

O you who is accustomed to praise and whose mention

Has crossed the lands, westward and eastward.

Has traversed the lands, traveling far and wide

أُهْدي إليكَ علَى الدُنُوِّ تحيةً

أُهْدي إليكَ علَى الدُنُوِّ تحيةً

أذكَى من المِسْكِ الفَتيقِ وأعْبَقَا

أذكَى من المِسْكِ الفَتيقِ وأعْبَقَا

I offer you, despite our nearness, a greeting

I send you the most fragrant greeting

More fragrant than blended musk, and more redolent.

More delightful than pure musk

وأُطيلُ عُتْبِي في تأخُّرِ مَوْعِدٍ

وأُطيلُ عُتْبِي في تأخُّرِ مَوْعِدٍ

لَكَ يا أبَرَّ القَائلينَ وأصْدَقَا

لَكَ يا أبَرَّ القَائلينَ وأصْدَقَا

And I prolong my reproach over a delayed promise

And I prolong my reproach for the delay

Of yours, O most faithful and truthful of speakers.

Of an appointment with you, O most truthful and virtuous one

أنفَقْتُ ما عندِي عَليهِ ومن أوَى

أنفَقْتُ ما عندِي عَليهِ ومن أوَى

يَوماً إلى الخَلَفِ المُعَجَّلِ أنفَقَا

يَوماً إلى الخَلَفِ المُعَجَّلِ أنفَقَا

I spent what I had, counting on it; whoever has sought refuge

I spent all I had on it and on one who sheltered

One day in prompt replenishment has spent freely.

For a day in hasty retreat they spent

حَاشَاكَ أنْ رَجَعَ امْرؤٌ أعْلقْتَهُ

حَاشَاكَ أنْ رَجَعَ امْرؤٌ أعْلقْتَهُ

حَبْلَ الرَّجَاءِ من المطَالِبِ مُخْفِقَا

حَبْلَ الرَّجَاءِ من المطَالِبِ مُخْفِقَا

Far be it from you that a man you have made cling

Far be it from you that a man whose hopes you’ve tied

To hope's rope should return empty-handed from his quests.

To the rope of hope returns broken and dejected

لا شَيءَ أبْرَحُ غُلَّةً من وَارِدٍ

لا شَيءَ أبْرَحُ غُلَّةً من وَارِدٍ

أدلَى بأدْوامِ الدِّلاءِ وما اسْتَقَى

أدلَى بأدْوامِ الدِّلاءِ وما اسْتَقَى

No thirst is more tormenting than that of a water-seeker

I obtain no profit from any source

Who lowers great buckets, yet draws no water.

That I milked dry with the buckets of pleading and gained nothing

فَوْتُ المطَالِبِ بَعد أنْ وقَفْتُ علَى

فَوْتُ المطَالِبِ بَعد أنْ وقَفْتُ علَى

حَدٍّ تَكادُ بِهِ المُنَى أن تَعْلقَا

حَدٍّ تَكادُ بِهِ المُنَى أن تَعْلقَا

The loss of my aims, after I had stood at

I’ve missed opportunities after standing at

A point where wishes were almost within reach—

A limit that almost engendered my demise

ما الثَّكلُ بالأبْنَاءِ حينَ تَتَابعُوا

ما الثَّكلُ بالأبْنَاءِ حينَ تَتَابعُوا

بأمَضَّ للأحْشَاءِ منهُ وأقْلقَا

بأمَضَّ للأحْشَاءِ منهُ وأقْلقَا

Not even bereavement of sons, one after another,

What is the agony of losing sons when they follow in succession

Is more piercing to the vitals, or more unsettling, than that.

More bitterly piercing the entrails than any arrow

مَنْ يَستعِنْ فيمَا يَرُومُ بِمَاجِدٍ

مَنْ يَستعِنْ فيمَا يَرُومُ بِمَاجِدٍ

لَمْ يَرْمِ حَاجَتَهُ بِسَهْمٍ أَفْوَقَا

لَمْ يَرْمِ حَاجَتَهُ بِسَهْمٍ أَفْوَقَا

Whoever seeks a noble man's help in what he pursues

One who seeks help from glories

Has not aimed at his goal with a broken-nocked arrow.

Will never accomplish his goal with a higher aim

هُو مَنْ لو اسْتَنضَى صَوَارمَ عَزْمِهِ

هُو مَنْ لو اسْتَنضَى صَوَارمَ عَزْمِهِ

ورمَى بِهَا صَرفَ القَضَاءِ لَطَبَّقَا

ورمَى بِهَا صَرفَ القَضَاءِ لَطَبَّقَا

He is one who, were he to unsheathe his resolve's keen swords

He is one who if he unsheathed the swords of his resolve

And strike fate's vicissitudes with them, would cleave them at the joints.

And cast them could divert even destiny’s decree

العَالِمُ العَلَمُ البَعيدُ المرتَقَى

العَالِمُ العَلَمُ البَعيدُ المرتَقَى

والمَورِدُ العذْبُ القَريبُ المُسْتقَى

والمَورِدُ العذْبُ القَريبُ المُسْتقَى

The scholar, the beacon, whose heights are hard to reach,

The learned scholar, the distant, lofty sign

And the sweet watering place, near at hand to draw from;

The sweet, nearby spring that is drawn clear

شَمسُ العُلاَ نَجمُ الهُدَى طَوْدُ النُّهَى

شَمسُ العُلاَ نَجمُ الهُدَى طَوْدُ النُّهَى

بَحرُ النَّدَى رُكنُ النَّجَا كَنزُ التُّقَى

بَحرُ النَّدَى رُكنُ النَّجَا كَنزُ التُّقَى

Sun of eminence, star of guidance, mountain of reason,

Sun of glory, star of guidance, pillar of prohibition

Sea of bounty, pillar of salvation, treasure of piety;

Ocean of dew, pillar of salvation, treasure of piety

ومُهَذَّبٌ لَو أنَّ مادحَهُ أتَى

ومُهَذَّبٌ لَو أنَّ مادحَهُ أتَى

في وَصْفِهِ بالمُستحيلِ لَصُدِّقَا

في وَصْفِهِ بالمُستحيلِ لَصُدِّقَا

And a man so refined that, were his praiser to utter

He is refined, and if one praising him

The impossible in describing him, he would be believed.

Spoke of the impossible in describing him, he would be believed

أثْنَى الثَّنَاءَ عَلِيَّ حينَ صَرَفتُهُ

أثْنَى الثَّنَاءَ عَلِيَّ حينَ صَرَفتُهُ

لأحَقِّ شَخْصٍ بالثَّنَاءِ وأخْلَقَا

لأحَقِّ شَخْصٍ بالثَّنَاءِ وأخْلَقَا

Praise itself praised me when I directed it

He praised me highly when I sent it to him

To the person most entitled to praise, and most deserving.

To the most deserving of praise and most virtuous

ما أُرْسِلَتْ خَيلُ الثَّنَاءِ إلى عُلاهُ

ما أُرْسِلَتْ خَيلُ الثَّنَاءِ إلى عُلاهُ

إلاّ وكُنَّ إلى عُلاَهُ أسْبقَا

إلاّ وكُنَّ إلى عُلاَهُ أسْبقَا

Never were the steeds of praise sent toward his heights

The horses of praise were never sent to his glory

But they were quicker still to reach his heights.

Except they were ahead of all others in the race to his glory

ذِكْرٌ جَرَى مَجْرَى الرِّياحِ وشُهْرةٌ

ذِكْرٌ جَرَى مَجْرَى الرِّياحِ وشُهْرةٌ

أخَذَتْ على القَمَرَينِ أن لا يُشْرِقَا

أخَذَتْ على القَمَرَينِ أن لا يُشْرِقَا

A renown that coursed like the winds, and a fame

A mention that flowed like the winds and fame

That bound the sun and moon not to shine.

That eclipsed even the two luminous ones from shining

وكَريمُ أصْلٍ ما تَمَسَّكَ مُنتَمٍ

وكَريمُ أصْلٍ ما تَمَسَّكَ مُنتَمٍ

يَوماً بِأَمْتَنَ من عُرَاهُ وأوثَقَا

يَوماً بِأَمْتَنَ من عُرَاهُ وأوثَقَا

And one of noble lineage: no one claiming descent has clung

And a generous soul never clung to a protector

Ever to bonds firmer or more secure than his.

More faithful to him than his own nakedness

يا مُنْتقِي الأخْلاقِ أَيُّ وسِيلةٍ

يا مُنْتقِي الأخْلاقِ أَيُّ وسِيلةٍ

أُدلي بِهَا بَعْدَ الكَلامِ المنْتَقَى

أُدلي بِهَا بَعْدَ الكَلامِ المنْتَقَى

O chooser of virtues, what means of appeal

O chosen one of traits, what means will I find

Can I put forward after carefully chosen words

To convey after these chosen words?

هذَا وأُقسِمُ بالمُثَوَّبِ غُدْوَةً

هذَا وأُقسِمُ بالمُثَوَّبِ غُدْوَةً

بأبِي المنَائِرِ دَاعِياً وأبِي اللِّقَا

بأبِي المنَائِرِ دَاعِياً وأبِي اللِّقَا

Like these? I swear by the prayer-caller at dawn,

I swear by the Rewarder at dawn

Calling at Abū al-Manāʾir and Abū al-Liqā:

The Caller to prayer, I swear by the Encounter

لَولاَ وِدَادٌ أُحكِمتْ أسْبابُهُ

لَولاَ وِدَادٌ أُحكِمتْ أسْبابُهُ

ما بينَنا ووَسَائلٌ لَنْ تَخْلَقَا

ما بينَنا ووَسَائلٌ لَنْ تَخْلَقَا

Were it not for affection whose bonds were made firm

If not for sincere friendship whose causes

Between us, and ties that will never wear out,

Were firmly established between us and channels created

ما فُهْتُ بالشَّكْوى إليكَ ولَمْ أكُنْ

ما فُهْتُ بالشَّكْوى إليكَ ولَمْ أكُنْ

يَوْماً بِحرفٍ في العِتَابِ لأنْطِقَا

يَوْماً بِحرفٍ في العِتَابِ لأنْطِقَا

I would not have voiced complaint to you, nor would I

I would not have complained to you, nor would I

Ever have uttered a single word in reproach.

Have ever uttered a word of reproach

قُمْ غَيْرَ مَأْمُورٍ عَلَيكَ وجُدَّ في

قُمْ غَيْرَ مَأْمُورٍ عَلَيكَ وجُدَّ في

تقصِيرِ عُمْرِ الوَعْدِ طَالَ لَكَ البَقَا

تقصِيرِ عُمْرِ الوَعْدِ طَالَ لَكَ البَقَا

Rise, with no command imposed on you, and strive to

Arise without being asked, make haste in

Shorten your promise's life—may you live long!

Cutting short the life of the promise, may you live long