أَسَيفَ الهُدى وَقَريعَ العَرَب

أَسَيفَ الهُدى وَقَريعَ العَرَب

عَلامَ الجَفاءُ وَفيمَ الغَضَب

عَلامَ الجَفاءُ وَفيمَ الغَضَب

O sword of guidance and chief of the Arabs,

Sword of guidance and censor of Arabs

why this coldness, and why this anger?

Why this aloofness and wherefore the anger?

وَما بالُ كُتبِكَ قَد أَصبَحَت

وَما بالُ كُتبِكَ قَد أَصبَحَت

تَنَكَّبُني مَعَ هَذا النَكَب

تَنَكَّبُني مَعَ هَذا النَكَب

And what ails your letters, that they have come

Your letters have become

to shun me amid this misfortune?

Afflicting me with this adversity

وَأَنتَ الكَريمُ وَأَنتَ الحَليمُ

وَأَنتَ الكَريمُ وَأَنتَ الحَليمُ

وَأَنتَ العَطوفُ وَأَنتَ الحَدِب

وَأَنتَ العَطوفُ وَأَنتَ الحَدِب

You are generous, and you are forbearing,

Yet you are generous and forbearing

and you are compassionate, and you are caring.

Merciful and lofty

وَما زِلتَ تَسبِقُني بِالجَميلِ

وَما زِلتَ تَسبِقُني بِالجَميلِ

وَتُنزِلُني بِالجَنابِ الخَصِب

وَتُنزِلُني بِالجَنابِ الخَصِب

You have always been first to show me kindness,

You still precede me with kindness

and you lodge me in a fertile domain,

And honor me with fertile affection

وَتَدفَعُ عَن حَوزَتَيَّ الخُطوبَ

وَتَدفَعُ عَن حَوزَتَيَّ الخُطوبَ

وَتَكشِفُ عَن ناظِرَيَّ الكُرَب

وَتَكشِفُ عَن ناظِرَيَّ الكُرَب

and ward calamities off from my two domains,

You ward off troubles from my domain

and clear distress from my eyes.

And reveal to my eyes the alleviation of distress

وَإِنَّكَ لَلجَبَلُ المُشمَخِر

وَإِنَّكَ لَلجَبَلُ المُشمَخِر

رُ لي بَل لِقَومِكَ بَل لِلعَرَب

رُ لي بَل لِقَومِكَ بَل لِلعَرَب

And you are indeed the towering mountain,

Verily you are an imposing mountain

for me—rather, for your people, rather, for the Arabs.

Exalted for me, nay for your people, nay for the Arabs

عُلىً تُستَفادُ وَمالٌ يُفادُ

عُلىً تُستَفادُ وَمالٌ يُفادُ

وَعِزٌّ يُشادُ وَنُعمى تُرَب

وَعِزٌّ يُشادُ وَنُعمى تُرَب

High honors are gained, and wealth is bestowed,

Sublimity to be utilized, wealth to be benefited from

and glory is raised, and bounty is nurtured.

Power to be supported, bliss to be gained

وَما غَضَّ مِنِّيَ هَذا الإِسارُ

وَما غَضَّ مِنِّيَ هَذا الإِسارُ

وَلكِن خَلَصتُ خُلوصَ الذَهَب

وَلكِن خَلَصتُ خُلوصَ الذَهَب

This captivity has not diminished me,

This despair has not dimmed me

but I have been purified as gold is purified.

But I have attained the purity of gold

فَفيمَ يُقَرِّعُني بِالخُمو

فَفيمَ يُقَرِّعُني بِالخُمو

لِ مَولىً بِهِ نِلتُ أَعلى الرُتَب

لِ مَولىً بِهِ نِلتُ أَعلى الرُتَب

Why, then, am I reproached for obscurity

Why then do you reproach me with aloofness

by a patron through whom I attained the highest ranks?

For a master through whom I attained the highest stations?

وَكانَ عَتيداً لَدَيَّ الجَوابُ

وَكانَ عَتيداً لَدَيَّ الجَوابُ

وَلَكِن لِهَيبَتِهِ لَم أُجَب

وَلَكِن لِهَيبَتِهِ لَم أُجَب

And I had my answer ready,

I was prepared to answer

but out of awe for him I did not reply.

But did not for awe of him

أَتُنكِرُ أَنّي شَكَوتُ الزَمانَ

أَتُنكِرُ أَنّي شَكَوتُ الزَمانَ

وَأَنّي عَتَبتُكَ فيمَن عَتَب

وَأَنّي عَتَبتُكَ فيمَن عَتَب

Do you object to my complaining of Time,

Do you deny that I complained of time

and to my reproaching you among those who reproached you?

And that I reproached you for reproaching?

فَأَلّا رَجَعتَ فَأَعتَبتَني

فَأَلّا رَجَعتَ فَأَعتَبتَني

وَصَيَّرتَ لي وَلِقَولي الغَلَب

وَصَيَّرتَ لي وَلِقَولي الغَلَب

Then why did you not relent and make amends to me,

Why did you not return and reproach me

and give victory to me and to my words?

And make me and my words prevail?

فَلا تَنسِبَنَّ إِلَيَّ الخُمولَ

فَلا تَنسِبَنَّ إِلَيَّ الخُمولَ

عَلَيكَ أَقَمتُ فَلَم أَغتَرِب

عَلَيكَ أَقَمتُ فَلَم أَغتَرِب

So never ascribe obscurity to me:

So ascribe not to me inactivity

I stayed with you and did not go abroad.

For you I stood so I did not feel estranged

وَأَصبَحتُ مِنكَ فَإِن كانَ فَضلٌ

وَأَصبَحتُ مِنكَ فَإِن كانَ فَضلٌ

وَإِن كانَ نَقصٌ فَأَنتَ السَبَب

وَإِن كانَ نَقصٌ فَأَنتَ السَبَب

And I am of your making: if there is merit,

And I became through you so if there was merit

or if there is fault, you are the cause.

Or if there was defect, you were the cause

وَما شَكَّكَتنِيَ فيكَ الخُطوبُ

وَما شَكَّكَتنِيَ فيكَ الخُطوبُ

وَلا غَيَّرَتني عَلَيكَ النُوَب

وَلا غَيَّرَتني عَلَيكَ النُوَب

Calamities have not made me doubt you,

Neither troubles made me doubt you

nor have reversals changed my feelings toward you.

Nor wrongs made me change toward you

فَأَشكَرُ ماكُنتُ في ضَجرَتي

فَأَشكَرُ ماكُنتُ في ضَجرَتي

وَأَحلَمُ ماكُنتُ عِندَ الغَضَب

وَأَحلَمُ ماكُنتُ عِندَ الغَضَب

Thus I am most grateful in my vexation,

So I thank that which I was in my discontent

and most forbearing in anger.

And am forbearing for that which was in anger

وَإِنَّ خُراسانَ إِن أَنكَرَت

وَإِنَّ خُراسانَ إِن أَنكَرَت

عُلايَ فَقَد عَرَفَتها حَلَب

عُلايَ فَقَد عَرَفَتها حَلَب

And indeed, if Khurasan has denied

Verily Khorasan, if it denied

my eminence, Aleppo has indeed recognized it.

My status, Haleb has recognized it

وَمِن أَينَ يُنكِرُني الأَبعَدونَ

وَمِن أَينَ يُنكِرُني الأَبعَدونَ

أَمِن نَقصِ جَدٍّ أَمِن نَقصِ أَب

أَمِن نَقصِ جَدٍّ أَمِن نَقصِ أَب

And on what grounds do those farther away deny me?

How can the distant ones deny me?

For a flaw in my grandfather, or a flaw in my father?

Is it from lack of ancestry or lack of father?

أَلَستُ وَإِيّاكَ مِن أُسرَةٍ

أَلَستُ وَإِيّاكَ مِن أُسرَةٍ

وَبَيني وَبَينَكَ فَوقَ النَسَب

وَبَيني وَبَينَكَ فَوقَ النَسَب

Are we not, you and I, of one family?

Are not you and I of one family?

And between me and you, beyond kinship,

Between you and I, above lineage,

وَدادٌ تَناسَبُ فيهِ الكِرامُ

وَدادٌ تَناسَبُ فيهِ الكِرامُ

وَتَربِيَةٌ وَمَحَلٌّ أَشِب

وَتَربِيَةٌ وَمَحَلٌّ أَشِب

lies affection through which noble men become kin,

Is love where nobility is reciprocated

and nurture, and a closely knit household,

Upbringing, status and youthful vigor

وَنَفسٌ تَكَبَّرُ إِلّا عَلَيكَ

وَنَفسٌ تَكَبَّرُ إِلّا عَلَيكَ

وَتَرغَبُ إِلّاكَ عَمَّن رَغِب

وَتَرغَبُ إِلّاكَ عَمَّن رَغِب

and a soul that is proud toward all but you,

A soul that is too proud except to you

and, save for you, shuns whoever shuns it.

And desires none but you over whom it desires

فَلا تَعدِلَنَّ فِداكَ اِبنُ عَمِّ

فَلا تَعدِلَنَّ فِداكَ اِبنُ عَمِّ

كَ لابَل غُلامُكَ عَمّا يَجِب

كَ لابَل غُلامُكَ عَمّا يَجِب

So do not turn aside—may your cousin be your ransom,

So do not prefer over me, may I be sacrificed for you,

no, rather, your servant—from what is due.

The son of an uncle, nay your slave for what is due

وَأَنصِف فَتاكَ فَإِنصافُهُ

وَأَنصِف فَتاكَ فَإِنصافُهُ

مِنَ الفَضلِ وَالشَرَفِ المُكتَسَب

مِنَ الفَضلِ وَالشَرَفِ المُكتَسَب

And do justice to your young man, for justice to him

And be just to your devotee for his justice

is part of virtue and earned honor.

Is of grace, nobility and merit

وَكُنتَ الحَبيبَ وَكُنتَ القَريبَ

وَكُنتَ الحَبيبَ وَكُنتَ القَريبَ

لَيالِيَ أَدعوكَ مِن عَن كَثَب

لَيالِيَ أَدعوكَ مِن عَن كَثَب

And you were dear to me, and you were close,

You were the beloved and you were the close

on nights when I called to you from nearby.

My nights I called you from up close

فَلَمّا بَعُدتُ بَدَت جَفوَةٌ

فَلَمّا بَعُدتُ بَدَت جَفوَةٌ

وَلاحَ مِنَ الأَمرِ ما لا أُحِب

وَلاحَ مِنَ الأَمرِ ما لا أُحِب

But when I went far away, coldness appeared,

So when I became distant, aloofness appeared

and something I dislike came to light in the affair.

And the matter revealed what I do not love

فَلَو لَم أَكُن بِكَ ذا خِبرَةٍ

فَلَو لَم أَكُن بِكَ ذا خِبرَةٍ

لَقُلتُ صَديقُكَ مَن لَم يَغِب

لَقُلتُ صَديقُكَ مَن لَم يَغِب

So, had I not known you through experience,

If I did not have knowledge of you

I would have said: 'Your friend is the one who has not been away.'

I would say your friend is one who did not depart