دَعوتُكَ لِلجَفنِ القَريحِ المُسَهَّدِ

لَدَيَّ وَلِلنَومِ القَليلِ المُشَرَّدِ

I called you to the drowsy eyelid and scattered little sleep,

Not out of stinginess with life, which is the first thing offered to the first guest.

وَما ذاكَ بُخلاً بِالحَياةِ وَإِنَّها

لَأَوَّلُ مَبذولٍ لِأَوَّلِ مُجتَدِ

My troubles are not because their burden weighs heavily on me,

Nor are my worries things I would say to him.

وَما الأَسرُ مِمّا ضِقتُ ذَرعاً بِحَملِهِ

وَما الخَطبُ مِمّا أَن أَقولَ لَهُ قَدي

I have not stopped being a person exposed

To the arrows of enemies - if they miss, it's as if they hit.

وَما زَلَّ عَنّي أَنَّ شَخصاً مُعَرَّضاً

لِنَبلِ العِدى إِن لَم يُصَب فَكَأَن قَدِ

But I choose the death of the sons of my father

Over the neighing of horses with no pillow.

وَلَكِنَّني أَختارُ مَوتَ بَني أَبي

عَلى صَهَواتِ الخَيلِ غَيرِ مُوَسَّدِ

And I refuse and refuse to die pillowed

By the hands of the Christians, a death that pales the liver.

وَتَأبى وَآبى أَن أَموتَ مُوَسَّداً

بِأَيدي النَصارى مَوتَ أَكمُدَ أَكبَدِ

I have worn the robe of my torment for days,

But I have not worn the robe of perseverance.

نَضَوتُ عَلى الأَيّامِ ثَوبَ جَلادَتي

وَلَكِنَّني لَم أَنضَ ثَوبَ التَجَلُّدِ

I am but between two opposites

Renewed for me every day.

وَما أَنا إِلّا بَينَ أَمرٍ وَضِدَّهُ

يُجَدَّدُ لي في كُلِّ يَومٍ مَجَدَّدِ

So, promise me safety with good patience

And threaten me with destruction and betrayal.

فَمِن حُسنِ صَبرٍ بِالسَلامَةِ واعِدي

وَمِن رَيبِ دَهرٍ بِالرَدى مُتَوَعَّدي

I turn my eyes between a shackled prisoner

And an ally in chains.

أُقَلِّبُ طَرفي بَينَ خِلٍّ مُكَبَّلٍ

وَبَينَ صَفِيٍّ بِالحَديدِ مُصَفَّدِ

I called you while the doors rattled around us

So be the best guest and most generous helper.

دَعَوتُكَ وَالأَبوابُ تُرتَجُ دونَنا

فَكُن خَيرَ مَدعُوٍّ وَأَكرَمَ مُنجِدِ

One like you is called for every glory,

And one like me is ransomed for every misery.

فَمِثلُكَ مَن يُدعى لِكُلِّ عَظيمَةٍ

وَمِثلِيَ مَن يُفدى بِكُلِّ مُسَوَّدِ

I call you - not because I fear destruction

Nor because I expect the delay of a day until tomorrow,

أُناديكَ لا أَنّي أَخافُ مِنَ الرَدى

وَلا أَرتَجي تَأخيرَ يَومٍ إِلى غَدِ

The archer has been broken and the enemy subdued

And the awe of the honored one cast down,

وَقَد حُطِّمَ الخَطِّيُّ وَاِختَرَمَ العِدى

وَفُلَّلَ حَدُّ المَشرَفيِّ المُهَنَّدِ

But I refused to die in a foreign land

By the hands of the Christians - the death of pale liver.

وَلَكِن أَنِفتُ المَوتَ في دارِ غُربَةٍ

بِأَيدي النَصارى الغُلفُ ميتَةَ أَكمَدِ

So do not leave the enemies to rejoice around me

Or cut off asking about me and sit.

فَلا تَترُكِ الأَعداءَ حَولي لِيَفرَحوا

وَلا تَقطَعِ التَسآلَ عَنّي وَتَقعُدِ

Do not sit while my ransom is permitted

For you are not one who avoids noble deeds.

وَلا تَقعُدَن عَنّي وَقَد سيمَ فِديَتي

فَلَستَ عَنِ الفِعلِ الكَريمِ بِمُقعَدِ

How much gratitude and bounty from me

Raised my worth and increased my enviers!

فَكَم لَكَ عِندي مِن إِيادٍ وَأَنعُمٍ

رَفَعتَ بِها قَدري وَأَكثَرتَ حُسَّدي

Take hold of it boldly before losing it

And rise sincerely to save me and sit.

تَشَبَّث بِها أُكرومَةً قَبلَ فَوتِها

وَقُم في خَلاصي صادِقَ العَزمِ وَاِقعُدِ

For if you die after today, my destruction reproaches you -

The perdition of sanctuaries, the loss of the worshipped one.

فَإِن مُتَّ بَعدَ اليَومِ عابَكَ مَهلَكي

مَعابَ النِزارِيِّنَ مَهلَكَ مَعبَدِ

They have withheld his ransom and so they became

Mockers of the intended rhyme.

هُمُ عَضَلوا عَنهُ الفِداءَ فَأَصبَحوا

وَهُذّونَ أَطرافَ القَريضِ المُقَصَّدِ

Nor was his death novel, but that they

Reproach when the ransom was permitted and not paid.

وَلَم يَكُ بِدعاً هُلكُهُ غَيرَ أَنَّهُم

يُعابونَ إِذ سيمَ الفِداءُ وَما فُدي

Was not even the Roman dog kinder than you

And more desirous of earning enduring praise?

فَلا كانَ كَلبُ الرومِ أَرأَفَ مِنكُمُ

وَأَرغَبَ في كَسبِ الثَناءِ المُخَلَّدِ

Nor have the enemies managed to clash

While you sit back from this outstanding one.

وَلا بَلَغَ الأَعداءُ أَن يَتَناهَضوا

وَتَقعُدَ عَن هَذا العَلاءِ المُشَيَّدِ

Have they become accustomed to hold me captive

While you are not accustomed to hold them captive?

أَأَضحَوا عَلى أَسراهُمُ بِيَ عُوَّداً

وَأَنتُم عَلى أَسراكُمُ غَيرُ عُوَّدِ

When will the days bring forth someone like me,

Long of generous sword and broad of authority?

مَتى تُخلِفُ الأَيّامُ مِثلي لَكُم فَتىً

طَويلَ نِجادِ السَيفِ رَحبَ المُقَلَّدِ

When will the days give birth to someone like me for you,

Hard against adversity and not twisted?

مَتى تَلِدُ الأَيّامُ مِثلي لَكُم فَتىً

شَديداً عَلى البَأساءِ غَيرَ مُلَهَّدِ

For if you ransom me, you ransom the honor of highness

And the swiftest helper accustomed to it,

فَإِن تَفتَدوني تَفتَدوا شَرَفَ العُلا

وَأَسرَعَ عَوّادٍ إِلَيها مُعَوَّدِ

And if you ransom me, you ransom for your highness

An unwavering youth of tongue or hand,

وَإِن تَفتَدوني تَفتَدوا لِعُلاكُم

فَتىً غَيرَ مَردودِ اللِسانِ أَوِ اليَدِ

Who defends your reputation with his tongue

And strikes for you with the sharpened blade.

يُدافِعُ عَن أَعراضِكُم بِلِسانِهِ

وَيَضرِبُ عَنكُم بِالحُسامِ المُهَنَّدِ

Not everyone who desired glory attained it,

Nor is every traveller guided to glory.

فَما كُلُّ مَن شاءَ المَعالي يَنالُها

وَلا كُلُّ سَيّارٍ إِلى المَجدِ يَهتَدي

Save me from the stumbling of fate - it

Struck me with an arrow, sure and aimed!

أَقِلني أَقِلني عَثرَةَ الدَهرِ إِنَّهُ

رَماني بِسَهمٍ صائِبِ النَصلِ مُقصِدِ

Had my soul not gained your loyalty, I would not

Have led it into supporting you at every opportunity,

وَلَو لَم تَنَل نَفسي وَلاءَكَ لَم أَكُن

لِؤورِدَها في نَصرِهِ كُلَّ مَورِدِ

Nor would I have met a thousand flashing-eyed warriors

With seventy among them, each more bitter than vinegar.

وَلا كُنتُ أَلقى الأَلفَ زُرقاً عُيونُها

بِسَبعينَ فيهِم كُلَّ أَشأَمَ أَنكَدِ

No! By the one whose arms are like no arms!

No! By the one whose lords are like no lords!

فَلا وَأَبي ما ساعِدانِ كَساعِدٍ

وَلا وَأَبي ما سَيِّدانِ كَسَيِّدِ

No! By the one who rips open the days, so he climbs them

Only by accurate command!

وَلا وَأَبي ما يَفتُقُ الدَهرُ جانِباً

فَيَرتُقُهُ إِلّا بِأَمرٍ مُسَدَّدِ

You are the Master I follow,

You are the star by which I am guided.

وَإِنَّكَ لِلمَولى الَّذي بِكَ أَقتَدي

وَإِنَّكَ لِلنَجمِ الَّذي بِكَ أَهتَدي

You are the one who introduced me to the ways of glory,

You are the one who guided me to every goal.

وَأَنتَ الَّذي عَرَّفتَني طُرُقَ العُلا

وَأَنتَ الَّذي أَهدَيتَني كُلَّ مَقصَدِ

You are the one who elevated me to every rank

I walked to over the necks of my enviers.

وَأَنتَ الَّذي بَلَّغتَني كُلَّ رُتبَةٍ

مَشيتُ إِلَيها فَوقَ أَعناقِ حُسَّدي

O dresser of favors too mighty to appreciate fully,

Those clothes have certainly brought splendor!

فَيا مُلبِسي النُعمى الَّتي جَلَّ قَدرُها

لَقَد أَخلَقَت تِلكَ الثِيابُ فَجَدِّدِ

Do you not see that through you I have grasped their limit

And through you I have drunk death undiverted?

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي فيكَ صافَحتُ حَدَّها

وَفيكَ شَرِبتُ المَوتُ غَيرَ مُصَرَّدِ

They say, "Abandon a habit you have known

That is hard on man if he's not accustomed."

يَقولونُ جَنِّب عادَةً ما عَرَفتَها

شَديدٌ عَلى الإِنسانِ مالَم يُعَوَّدِ

So I said, no - by God, will any sayer say

I witnessed a painful spectacle of war for him?

فَقُلتُ أَما وَاللَهِ لاقالَ قائِلٌ

شَهِدتُ لَهُ في الحَربِ أَلأَمَ مَشهَدِ

Rather, I will meet it - either it is death,

Which I suspect, or established mighty empire.

وَلَكِن سَأَلقاها فَإِمّا مَنِيَّةٌ

هِيَ الظَنُّ أَو بُنيانُ عِزٍّ مُوَطَّدِ

I did not know fate counted my enemies

And the black fates cast from the hand,

وَلَم أَدرِ أَنَّ الدَهرَ في عَدَدِ العِدى

وَأَنَّ المَنايا السودَ يَرمَينَ عَن يَدِ

You remain protected from harm, son of Abdullah

Ransomed by a lord after lord from us,

بَقيتَ اِبنَ عَبدِ اللَهِ تُحمى مِنَ الرَدى

وَيَفديكَ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ بَعدَ سَيِّدِ

With the life of Masoud and the days of Salem

And the bounty of the fortunate and state of the envied!

بِعيشَةِ مَسعودٍ وَأَيّامِ سالِمٍ

وَنِعمَةِ مَغبوطٍ وَحالِ مُحَسَّدِ

May God not deprive me of your companionship - it

Is what I want from this world, my fortune and pillar!

وَلا يَحرَمَنّي اللَهُ قُربَكَ إِنَّهُ

مُرادي مِنَ الدُنيا وَحَظّي وَسُؤدَدي