خَلِيلَيَّ مِنْ علْيَا لُؤيِّ بنِ غَالِبِ

خَلِيلَيَّ مِنْ علْيَا لُؤيِّ بنِ غَالِبِ

أمَدَّكُمَا ربِّي بأسْنَى المَوَاهِبِ

أمَدَّكُمَا ربِّي بأسْنَى المَوَاهِبِ

My two friends, of the noblest stock of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib,

My two dear friends from the eminent family of Lu’ayy bin Ghalib

May my Lord endow you both with the finest gifts.

My Lord has endowed both of you with the finest gifts

ولا زِلتُمَا خِدْنَي سمُوٍّ ورِفْعَةٍ

ولا زِلتُمَا خِدْنَي سمُوٍّ ورِفْعَةٍ

تَنِيفُ علَى هَامِ النُّجُومِ الثَّوَاقِبِ

تَنِيفُ علَى هَامِ النُّجُومِ الثَّوَاقِبِ

And may you both ever remain companions of loftiness and eminence

You have always been my intimate friends, lofty and noble

That towers above the heads of the piercingly bright stars.

Soaring high above the summit of the piercing stars

ألاّ أبْلِغَا عَنِّي خميسَ بنَ نَاصرٍ

ألاّ أبْلِغَا عَنِّي خميسَ بنَ نَاصرٍ

مقالَ امْرئٍ في وِدِّهِ غَيرِ كاذِبِ

مقالَ امْرئٍ في وِدِّهِ غَيرِ كاذِبِ

Pray, convey on my behalf to Khamis ibn Nasir

Please convey my message to Khamis bin Nasir

The words of a man whose affection is not false:

The words of a man who is no liar in his affection

لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الأعْدَاءُ عَنِّي بِفرْيةٍ

لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الأعْدَاءُ عَنِّي بِفرْيةٍ

ولَسْتُ لَهَا ما دُمْتُ حَيّاً بِصَاحِبِ

ولَسْتُ لَهَا ما دُمْتُ حَيّاً بِصَاحِبِ

The enemies have indeed brought you a fabrication about me,

Indeed my enemies have come to you with vicious lies about me

And I have no part in it, so long as I live.

As long as I live, I shall have none of that

ومَا ذَاكَ إلاّ أنَّني كُنْتُ غَائِباً

ومَا ذَاكَ إلاّ أنَّني كُنْتُ غَائِباً

وما حَاضِرٌ عِندَ الخُصُومِ كَغَائِبِ

وما حَاضِرٌ عِندَ الخُصُومِ كَغَائِبِ

And that was only because I was absent;

It is only because I was absent

One present before adversaries is not like one absent.

While one who is present is not like one who is absent

ولَو شَاهَدُوني لَمْ يَفيضُوا بِكِلْمةٍ

ولَو شَاهَدُوني لَمْ يَفيضُوا بِكِلْمةٍ

وللأُسْدِ خَوفٌ في قُلُوبِ الثَّعَالبِ

وللأُسْدِ خَوفٌ في قُلُوبِ الثَّعَالبِ

And had they seen me, they would not have let a single word flow;

Had they seen me, they would not have uttered a word

For fear of lions dwells in the hearts of foxes.

For lions strike fear into the hearts of foxes

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الحُسَّادَ فِيَّ فإنَّمَا

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الحُسَّادَ فِيَّ فإنَّمَا

أَتَوكَ بِأقْوَالٍ كَرُمْتَ كَوَاذِب

أَتَوكَ بِأقْوَالٍ كَرُمْتَ كَوَاذِب

So do not heed the envious about me, for they have only

So do not believe the envious ones about me

Brought you lying words—may you be honored.

They only came to you with words you deemed lies

فَمَا ذَمُّ أوغَادِ الرِّجَالِ بِشِيمَتي

فَمَا ذَمُّ أوغَادِ الرِّجَالِ بِشِيمَتي

فَكيفَ بأرْبَابِ العُلاَ والمَنَاصِب

فَكيفَ بأرْبَابِ العُلاَ والمَنَاصِب

For disparaging even the vilest of men is not my nature;

How can the slander of ignoble men affect my reputation?

How, then, could I disparage men of eminence and rank?

Let alone the masters of supremacy and high office!

إذَا أنَا لَمْ أكْسُ الرِّجَالَ مَدَائِحي

إذَا أنَا لَمْ أكْسُ الرِّجَالَ مَدَائِحي

فَلَسْتُ بِكاسِيهمْ كَرُمْتَ مَثَالبي

فَلَسْتُ بِكاسِيهمْ كَرُمْتَ مَثَالبي

If I do not clothe men in my praises,

If I have not lavished the men with praise

Then I do not clothe them—may you be honored—in my censures.

I have not disparaged them – I refuse allegations

ألَستَ الذي قَوَّمْت سِكَّةَ دَارِنَا

ألَستَ الذي قَوَّمْت سِكَّةَ دَارِنَا

وقد رُمِيَتْ مِمَّنْ يَقُضُّ بِخَاصِبِ

وقد رُمِيَتْ مِمَّنْ يَقُضُّ بِخَاصِبِ

Are you not the one who set our land's coinage right,

Are you not the one who set right the course of our house

When it had been assailed by one who shatters with [perhaps a pelting storm]?

When it was slandered by those who judge with passion?

فَبَارَتْ فَمَا المَرْزوقُ مِنهَا بِظَافِرٍ

فَبَارَتْ فَمَا المَرْزوقُ مِنهَا بِظَافِرٍ

وهَانَتْ فَمَا المحْرُومُ منْهَا بِخائِبِ

وهَانَتْ فَمَا المحْرُومُ منْهَا بِخائِبِ

It fell out of use, so whoever received it gained nothing;

Thus those favored by it succeeded

And it grew worthless, so whoever was denied it was not disappointed.

While those deprived of it were denied

فَلَوْ أُلْقِيتْ يَوماً علَى الطُرْقِ لَمْ تَكُنْ

فَلَوْ أُلْقِيتْ يَوماً علَى الطُرْقِ لَمْ تَكُنْ

لِتلْحظَ من زُهْدٍ بِمقلَةِ رَاغِبِ

لِتلْحظَ من زُهْدٍ بِمقلَةِ رَاغِبِ

So, if it were thrown upon the roads one day, it would not

If it were to be cast onto the roads one day

Draw a glance from a longing eye, so little was it prized.

It would not glance with the eye of an aspiring ascetic

فَأكْملتَهَا من بَعْدِ نُقْصَانِ وَزْنِهَا

فَأكْملتَهَا من بَعْدِ نُقْصَانِ وَزْنِهَا

وسَيَّرْتَهَا في شَرقِها والمَغَارِبِ

وسَيَّرْتَهَا في شَرقِها والمَغَارِبِ

Then you restored it to fullness after its weight had fallen short,

You then completed its deficiency in weight

And set it circulating in our land's east and the western regions.

And sent it on its course east and west

وأَنتَ الذي لَولاَ سَمَاحةُ كَفِّهِ

وأَنتَ الذي لَولاَ سَمَاحةُ كَفِّهِ

لما مُدَّ في المَعْروفِ رَاحَةُ طَالِبِ

لما مُدَّ في المَعْروفِ رَاحَةُ طَالِبِ

And you are he without whose hand's generosity

And were it not for the generosity of your palm

No petitioner's palm would be stretched forth for a favor.

The seeker would not find comfort in kindness

فَقَد جَاءَنِي عَنْكَ المُكَرَّمُ جمعةٌ

فَقَد جَاءَنِي عَنْكَ المُكَرَّمُ جمعةٌ

أخُو الفَضْلِ والإحْسَانِ في زيِّ عَاتِبِ

أخُو الفَضْلِ والإحْسَانِ في زيِّ عَاتِبِ

For the esteemed Jum'a came to me on your behalf,

So the honorable Jum’ah has come to me from you

A man of virtue and kindness, in a reproacher's guise.

The brother of excellence and benevolence in the guise of a reproacher

فَهذَا اعْتذارٌ جَاءَ من غَيرِ مُذْنِبٍ

فَهذَا اعْتذارٌ جَاءَ من غَيرِ مُذْنِبٍ

ولَو كَانَ حَقّاً جَاءَ من عندِ تَائِبِ

ولَو كَانَ حَقّاً جَاءَ من عندِ تَائِبِ

So this is an apology from one who has done no wrong;

And even if it were true, it would come from a penitent

And were the charge true, it would come from one repentant.