مَنْ كانَ يَبغي عُلُوَّ الذِّكْرِ والشَّرَفا

مَنْ كانَ يَبغي عُلُوَّ الذِّكْرِ والشَّرَفا

أو يَبتغي عَطْفَ دَهْرِ قد نَبا وَجفا

أو يَبتغي عَطْفَ دَهْرِ قد نَبا وَجفا

Whoever seeks exalted renown and honor,

Whoever yearns for glory and renown

or seeks the favor of time that has turned away and grown harsh,

Or craves the fickle world's esteem

أو كانَ يأمَلُ عِندَ اللهِ منزِلَةً

أو كانَ يأمَلُ عِندَ اللهِ منزِلَةً

تُنيلُهُ قُرَبَ الأبرارِ والزَّلَفا

تُنيلُهُ قُرَبَ الأبرارِ والزَّلَفا

or hopes for a station with God

Or hopes from God a lofty station

that grants him the righteous ones' closeness and nearness to Him,

That grants him nearness to the righteous and the dear

أو كان يطلُبُ ديناً يستقيمُ بهِ

أو كان يطلُبُ ديناً يستقيمُ بهِ

ولا يرى عِوَجاً فيهِ ولا جَنَفا

ولا يرى عِوَجاً فيهِ ولا جَنَفا

or seeks a faith by which to live uprightly,

Or seeks true faith to guide his way

and sees in it neither crookedness nor deviation,

With no crookedness or deviance therein

أو كانَ ينشدُ ممَّا فاتَهُ خَلَفاً

أو كانَ ينشدُ ممَّا فاتَهُ خَلَفاً

فلْيَخدم المَلِكَ العَدْلَ الرَّضِيَّ خَلَفا

فلْيَخدم المَلِكَ العَدْلَ الرَّضِيَّ خَلَفا

or seeks a replacement for what has passed him by,

Or longs to regain what he has lost

let him serve the just and worthy king, Khalaf,

Then let him serve this just king as a loyal heir

الوارِثَ العَدْلَ والعَلْياءَ من سَلَفٍ

الوارِثَ العَدْلَ والعَلْياءَ من سَلَفٍ

حَثَوا بعَليائِهِمْ في وَجهِ مَنْ سَلَفا

حَثَوا بعَليائِهِمْ في وَجهِ مَنْ سَلَفا

who inherited justice and lofty glory from forebears

The heir of justice and nobility from ancestors

who flung their lofty glory in the face of those who came before;

Who spurred their nobleness despite whoever came before

المُؤثِرَ القَصْدِ في أنحاءِ سؤدُدِهِ

المُؤثِرَ القَصْدِ في أنحاءِ سؤدُدِهِ

فإنْ أرادَ عَطاءَ آثَرَ السَّرَفا

فإنْ أرادَ عَطاءَ آثَرَ السَّرَفا

who favors moderation in the various aspects of his lordship,

The one who favors moderation in all his rules

but when he intends to give, he favors extravagance.

If he wishes to give, he prefers extravagance

إذا التوى عُنُقٌ ولَّى حكومَتَهُ

إذا التوى عُنُقٌ ولَّى حكومَتَهُ

سيفاً إذا ما اقتضى حَقَّاً لهُ انتَصَفا

سيفاً إذا ما اقتضى حَقَّاً لهُ انتَصَفا

When a neck twists in defiance, he entrusts its judgment

When a neck turns stubborn, his rule turns it

to a sword that exacts redress whenever it claims his due.

To a sword if a right of his calls for vengeance

وإن بدا كَلَفٌ في وجهِ مكرُمَةٍ

وإن بدا كَلَفٌ في وجهِ مكرُمَةٍ

جلا بلا كُلَفٍ عَن وَجهِهِ الكَلَفا

جلا بلا كُلَفٍ عَن وَجهِهِ الكَلَفا

And if a blemish appears on the face of a noble deed,

And if reluctance shows in an honored face

he clears the blemish from its face without trouble.

He swiftly removes it without hesitation or pause

رضاهُ يصرفُ عمَّنْ يستجيرُ بهِ

رضاهُ يصرفُ عمَّنْ يستجيرُ بهِ

صَرفَ الزَّمانِ إذا ما نابُهُ صَرَفا

صَرفَ الزَّمانِ إذا ما نابُهُ صَرَفا

His favor wards off, from whoever seeks refuge with him,

His pleasure turns away from whoever seeks his refuge

the ravages of time, whenever its fang gnashes.

Like time turns away whenever it shifts course

إذا اقشَعرَّ زَمانٌ من جُدوبَتهِ

إذا اقشَعرَّ زَمانٌ من جُدوبَتهِ

أغنى الورى وكفى جودٌ له وَكَفا

أغنى الورى وكفى جودٌ له وَكَفا

When time shudders from its barrenness,

When a time recoils from its own barrenness

his streaming bounty enriches all people and meets their needs.

His generosity enriches the land and suffices, no less

بسخطِه يدَعُ الأفلاكَ خائفَةً

بسخطِه يدَعُ الأفلاكَ خائفَةً

والشَّمسَ حائرَةً والبَدْرَ مُنْكَسِفا

والشَّمسَ حائرَةً والبَدْرَ مُنْكَسِفا

By his wrath he leaves the celestial spheres afraid,

His wrath leaves the stars in fear

and the sun bewildered and the full moon eclipsed.

The sun bewildered, the moon eclipsed

يرى التَّوقُّفَفي يَومَيْ وغى ونَدى

يرى التَّوقُّفَفي يَومَيْ وغى ونَدى

وَصْماً فإنْ عنَّ رأيٌ مُشكِلٌ وَقَفا

وَصْماً فإنْ عنَّ رأيٌ مُشكِلٌ وَقَفا

He deems hesitation on days of battle and bounty

He sees caution on days of zeal and fervor

a blemish; but if a perplexing question of judgment arises, he pauses.

And fasting, though if an intricate view appears, he pauses

لله نَصْلٌ ضئيلٌ في أنامِلِهِ

لله نَصْلٌ ضئيلٌ في أنامِلِهِ

أعادَ حَظِّي سَميناً بَعدَ ما نَحفا

أعادَ حَظِّي سَميناً بَعدَ ما نَحفا

God be praised for the slender blade in his fingers,

God's blade in his fingers is thin

which made my fortune plump again after it had grown lean!

Yet he returned my fortune robust after it grew weak

يهينُ أموالَهُ كي يَستفيدَ بِها

يهينُ أموالَهُ كي يَستفيدَ بِها

عِزَّاً يُؤَثِّلُ في أعقابِهِ الشَّرفا

عِزَّاً يُؤَثِّلُ في أعقابِهِ الشَّرفا

He holds his wealth cheap, that through it he may gain

He debases his riches to profit from them

honor that firmly roots nobility in his descendants.

Honor that proliferates in its footsteps

والمَرءُ لِلَّومِ في أحوالِهش هَدَفٌ

والمَرءُ لِلَّومِ في أحوالِهش هَدَفٌ

إنْ لم يكُنْ مالُهُ مِن دُونِهِ هَدَفا

إنْ لم يكُنْ مالُهُ مِن دُونِهِ هَدَفا

And a man, in his affairs, is a target for blame,

And man is a target for blame in his states

unless his wealth is a target set before him.

If his wealth is not beneath him, a target

لا يلحقُ الواصِفُ المطريُّ معانيَهُ

لا يلحقُ الواصِفُ المطريُّ معانيَهُ

وإن يكُنْ سابِقاً في كُلِّ ما وَصَفا

وإن يكُنْ سابِقاً في كُلِّ ما وَصَفا

No lavish eulogist can encompass his qualities,

The eulogizing poet al-Mutarri does not match his meanings

even if he is foremost in everything he describes.

Though he surpasses all he described