إِذا عَنَّ مَجدٌ أَو تَعَرَّضَ سُؤدُدٌ

إِذا عَنَّ مَجدٌ أَو تَعَرَّضَ سُؤدُدٌ

تَسامى لَهُ ضَخمُ الهُمومِ هُمامُ

تَسامى لَهُ ضَخمُ الهُمومِ هُمامُ

When glory appears, or high honor presents itself,

When glory appears or eminence presents itself,

a high-minded man of mighty aspirations rises to meet it.

A valiant man of vast ambitions rises to meet it.

إِذا اِهتَزَّ لِلهَيجاءِ فَهوَ مُهَنَّدٌ

إِذا اِهتَزَّ لِلهَيجاءِ فَهوَ مُهَنَّدٌ

أَوِ اِهتَزَّ لِلإِفضالِ فَهُوَ غَمامُ

أَوِ اِهتَزَّ لِلإِفضالِ فَهُوَ غَمامُ

When he stirs for battle, he is a sword of India;

When he stirs for battle, he is a sword of Indian steel;

and when he stirs to bestow favors, he is a rain cloud.

Or stirs to bestow bounty, he is a raincloud.

تَواضَعَ وَهوَ النَجمُ عِزّاً وَرِفعَةً

تَواضَعَ وَهوَ النَجمُ عِزّاً وَرِفعَةً

وَخَفَّ عَلى الأَرواحِ وَهُوَ شَمامُ

وَخَفَّ عَلى الأَرواحِ وَهُوَ شَمامُ

He is humble, though a star in honor and eminence,

He was humble, though a star in honor and loftiness,

and gentle upon souls, though he is a towering mountain.

And weighed lightly on souls, though he was Mount Shamām.

أُرَجّيهِ يَوماً أَو أُلاقيهِ ساعَةً

أُرَجّيهِ يَوماً أَو أُلاقيهِ ساعَةً

فَيَخصُبُ لي عامٌ وَيَمرَأُ عامُ

فَيَخصُبُ لي عامٌ وَيَمرَأُ عامُ

Whether I place my hope in him for a day or meet him for an hour,

I place my hopes in him for a day, or meet him for an hour,

a year grows fertile for me, and a year becomes pleasant.

Then a year becomes fruitful for me, and a year becomes pleasant.

يُريدونَ مِنهُ أَن يَضِنَّ وَإِنَّما

يُريدونَ مِنهُ أَن يَضِنَّ وَإِنَّما

أَرادوا جُمودَ الغَيمِ وَهُوَ رُكامُ

أَرادوا جُمودَ الغَيمِ وَهُوَ رُكامُ

They wish him to be stingy, but they merely

They want him to be miserly, but they have only

wish a massed rain cloud to withhold its rain.

Wished for a cloud to withhold its rain while it is piled high.

وَلا عَيبَ فيهِ غَيرَ أَنَّ ذَوي النَدى

وَلا عَيبَ فيهِ غَيرَ أَنَّ ذَوي النَدى

خِساسٌ إِذا قيسوا بِهِ وَلِئامُ

خِساسٌ إِذا قيسوا بِهِ وَلِئامُ

There is no fault in him, except that men of generosity

And he has no fault, save that generous men

seem mean and ignoble when measured against him.

Are base and mean when measured against him.

بَلَغتَ مِنَ العَلياءِ ما فاتَهُم مَعاً

بَلَغتَ مِنَ العَلياءِ ما فاتَهُم مَعاً

كَأَن لَم يَروموا ما بَلَغتَ وَراموا

كَأَن لَم يَروموا ما بَلَغتَ وَراموا

You have reached heights that all of them together failed to attain,

You have attained heights that eluded them all,

as though they had never sought what you reached—though seek it they did.

As though they never sought what you attained—yet they did.

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي الأَكارِمَ أَنَّهُم

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي الأَكارِمَ أَنَّهُم

إِذا اِستَيقَظوا لِلمَكرُماتِ نِيامُ

إِذا اِستَيقَظوا لِلمَكرُماتِ نِيامُ

Who will convey from me to the noble that they,

Who, then, will tell the noble on my behalf that they

when they awaken to noble deeds, are asleep?

Are asleep whenever they awaken for noble deeds?