أَرَبعَ البَلى إِنَّ الخُشوعَ لَبادِ

أَرَبعَ البَلى إِنَّ الخُشوعَ لَبادِ

عَليكَ وَإِنّي لَم أَخُنكَ وِدادي

عَليكَ وَإِنّي لَم أَخُنكَ وِدادي

O abode of decay, abasement is surely plain

Four times, no - submission is lost

O abode of decay, desolation hangs plain upon you, yet I have never betrayed you in my love.

Upon you; yet I have not betrayed you in my affection.

To you, though my affection has not betrayed you

Accept my excuse, for I see you held hostage by the winds and the lash of morning rain.

فَمَعذِرَةً مِنّي إِلَيكَ بِأَن تَرى

فَمَعذِرَةً مِنّي إِلَيكَ بِأَن تَرى

رَهينَةَ أَرواحٍ وَصَوبِ غَوادي

رَهينَةَ أَرواحٍ وَصَوبِ غَوادي

So accept my apology, for you are seen

So accept my apology, let it be

I possess no artifice to ward off your harm, nor can I bid fortune to return to these ruins.

A hostage to winds and the downpour of morning rainclouds.

That you see my soul held hostage, wandering in its valleys

If I am exiled from this courtyard, 'tis because the hand of Time has struck my heart with the bow of Death.

وَلا أَدرَأُ الضَرّاءَ عَنكَ بِحيلَةٍ

وَلا أَدرَأُ الضَرّاءَ عَنكَ بِحيلَةٍ

فَما أَنا مِنها قائِلٌ لِسُعادِ

فَما أَنا مِنها قائِلٌ لِسُعادِ

And I cannot ward adversity off you by any stratagem;

And I cannot ward off harm from you through any trick

Though you may have traded your squalor for grace, my eyes have swapped their slumber for stinging grit.

So what am I to tell Su'ad about it?

For I have no power over fate

I shall depart upon a brisk and noble steed, subdued to my will, needing no driver's song to haste.

وَإِن كُنتُ مَهجورَ الفِنا فَبِما رَمَت

وَإِن كُنتُ مَهجورَ الفِنا فَبِما رَمَت

يَدُ الدَهرِ عَن قَوسِ المَنونِ فُؤادي

يَدُ الدَهرِ عَن قَوسِ المَنونِ فُؤادي

And if my courtyard is deserted, it is because

And if devastated by death I am, by what aim

Born of the wind when still, yet when she storms, she lifts a head firm as an anvil, high and proud.

The hand of Time struck my heart with a shot from Death's bow.

Has the hand of fate from the bow of death released my heart

How many stones she shattered in the waste, surging through valleys like the Euphrates' flood.

وَإِن كُنتَ قَد بَدَّلتَ بُؤسي بِنِعمَةٍ

وَإِن كُنتَ قَد بَدَّلتَ بُؤسي بِنِعمَةٍ

فَقَد بُدِّلَت عَيني قَذىً بِرُقادي

فَقَد بُدِّلَت عَيني قَذىً بِرُقادي

And though you once exchanged my misery for bliss,

And if you have replaced my misery with bounty

Yet all this toil, beside the Prince and visiting him, weighs no more on my camel than a crawling tick.

Yet my eye has been given grit in place of my sleep.

Then my eyes have been replaced - specks for slumber

In Fadl I witness a spirit of such grace, it stirs eternal envy in all other generous souls.

سَأَرحَلُ مِن قودِ المَهاري شِمِلَّةً

سَأَرحَلُ مِن قودِ المَهاري شِمِلَّةً

مُسَخَّرَةً ما تُستَحَثُّ بِحادي

مُسَخَّرَةً ما تُستَحَثُّ بِحادي

I shall saddle a swift she-camel from the long-necked Mahri camels,

I will travel from the bondage of restrictions disheveled

A youth whose wealth is not consumed by wine, but by hands that give, and give again.

Docile, needing no camel-driver to urge her on.

Controlled, not to be hurried by any guide

You see the people flocking to his door, thick as swarms of locusts descending on the land.

مِنَ الريحِ ماقامَت وَإِن هِيَ أَعصَفَت

مِنَ الريحِ ماقامَت وَإِن هِيَ أَعصَفَت

نُهوزٌ بِرَأسٍ كَالعَلاةِ وَهادي

نُهوزٌ بِرَأسٍ كَالعَلاةِ وَهادي

She is of the wind whenever she rises, even when it blows fiercely,

By the wind - it stands still yet if it rages

A day to raise the pauper to the rank of kings, and a day to harvest necks in early light.

Quick to rise, with an anvil-like head and neck.

A bellowing she-camel, with a leader and guide

His bounty casts its shade on Nizar's tribes, and rises high over Himyar and Murad.

فَكَم حَطَّمَت مِن جَندَلٍ بِمَفازَةٍ

فَكَم حَطَّمَت مِن جَندَلٍ بِمَفازَةٍ

وَخاضَت كَتَيّارِ الفُراتِ بِوادِ

وَخاضَت كَتَيّارِ الفُراتِ بِوادِ

How many stones she has crushed in a desert,

How many hut made of branches in the desert

And should a wretch, betrayed by ill-starred luck, be fooled by false lightning or the thunder’s roar—

And plunged through a valley like the Euphrates' current!

It has destroyed, and plunged through the floods of Euphrates

Then Fadl ibn Yahya ibn Khalid strikes him down with sharp blades, proud in their long baldrics.

وَما ذاكَ في جَنبِ الأَميرِ وَزَورِهِ

وَما ذاكَ في جَنبِ الأَميرِ وَزَورِهِ

لِيَعدِلَ مِن عَنسي مَدَبَّ قُرادِ

لِيَعدِلَ مِن عَنسي مَدَبَّ قُرادِ

Yet none of that, compared with the prince and a visit to him,

And that is nothing compared to the Prince and his might

Leading a crimson host, vast and deep, like a tunic woven of war-steeds and spears.

Would equal a tick's crawling-space on my sturdy she-camel.

To equal an obstinate old she-camel from Unays

He is none other than Fate itself, descending with full force upon all who dare oppose him.

رَأَيتُ لِفَضلٍ في السَماحَةِ هِمَّةً

رَأَيتُ لِفَضلٍ في السَماحَةِ هِمَّةً

أَطالَت لَعَمري غَيظَ كُلَّ جَوادِ

أَطالَت لَعَمري غَيظَ كُلَّ جَوادِ

I saw in Fadl a resolve for generosity

I saw in generosity and magnanimity a zeal

Farewell to this world if we should lose you, O Sons of Barmak, you who come and go.

That, by my life, has prolonged every generous man's anger.

That enraged every noble horse

Through Fadl ibn Yahya, the paths of guidance shine, and through him, my Lord has quelled the fear of every land.

فَتىً لا تَلوكُ الخَمرُ شَحمَةَ مالِهِ

فَتىً لا تَلوكُ الخَمرُ شَحمَةَ مالِهِ

وَلَكِن أَيادٍ عُوَّدٌ وَبَوادِ

وَلَكِن أَيادٍ عُوَّدٌ وَبَوادِ

A young man—wine does not chew up the fat of his wealth,

A man whose fat is not melted by wine

So take this noble verse from me, O Fadl; it yields to you, though wild and hard to tame.

But favors do, repeated and newly bestowed.

Rather hands accustomed to generosity and grace

Perfect in meter as Khalil defined, precise as Qutrub's art—such gems are my armor before kings.

تَرى الناسَ أَفواجاً إِلى بابِ دارِهِ

تَرى الناسَ أَفواجاً إِلى بابِ دارِهِ

كَأَنَّهُمُ رَجلاً دَباً وَجَرادِ

كَأَنَّهُمُ رَجلاً دَباً وَجَرادِ

You see people thronging to the door of his house,

You see people in droves at the door of his abode

It suffers no shame that Jarwal wrote it not, nor Ka'b of the Muzani, nor the famed Ziyad.

As though they were swarms of locust nymphs and locusts.

As if they were one crawling creature and locusts

فَيومٌ لِإِلحاقِ اَلفَقيرِ بِذي الغِنى

فَيومٌ لِإِلحاقِ اَلفَقيرِ بِذي الغِنى

وَيومُ رِقابٍ بوكِرَت لِحَصادِ

وَيومُ رِقابٍ بوكِرَت لِحَصادِ

One day is for placing the poor among the wealthy,

A day to elevate the poor to the rich

And a day for necks, approached at dawn for reaping.

And a day of necks bowed down for the harvest

أَظَلَّت عَطاياهُ نِزاراً وَأَشرَفَت

أَظَلَّت عَطاياهُ نِزاراً وَأَشرَفَت

عَلى حِميَرٍ في دارِها وَمُرادِ

عَلى حِميَرٍ في دارِها وَمُرادِ

His gifts have shaded Nizar and risen

His gifts gave shade and excelled

Above Himyar in its homeland, and Murad.

Over the donkeys in their settlements

وَكُنّا إِذا ما الحائِنُ الجَدِّ غَرَّهُ

وَكُنّا إِذا ما الحائِنُ الجَدِّ غَرَّهُ

سَنى بَرقِ غاوٍ أَو ضَجيجُ رِعادِ

سَنى بَرقِ غاوٍ أَو ضَجيجُ رِعادِ

And among us, whenever a man of doomed fortune was beguiled

And whenever disaster's seriousness deluded him

By a deceiver's lightning flash or a thunderer's clamor,

The lightening of heavy clouds or roar of thunder swayed him

تَرَدّى لَهُ الفَضلُ اِبنَ يَحيى اِبنِ خالِدٍ

تَرَدّى لَهُ الفَضلُ اِبنَ يَحيى اِبنِ خالِدٍ

بِماضي الظُبى يَزهاهُ طولُ نِجادِ

بِماضي الظُبى يَزهاهُ طولُ نِجادِ

Fadl, son of Yahya, son of Khalid, would gird himself against him

Generosity sprawled out to serve him, son of Yahya, son of Khalid

With a keen-edged sword, its long baldric adorning him,

With the running of gazelles lengthening the lineage of glory

أَمامَ خَميسٍ أُرجُوانٍ كَأَنَّهُ

أَمامَ خَميسٍ أُرجُوانٍ كَأَنَّهُ

قَميصٌ مَحوكٌ مِن قَناً وَجِيادِ

قَميصٌ مَحوكٌ مِن قَناً وَجِيادِ

Before a crimson army, as though it were

Before a red Khamis that is as though

A tunic woven of spears and steeds.

A shirt woven from silk and horse hair

فَما هُوَ إِلّا الدَهرُ يَأتي بِصَرفِهِ

فَما هُوَ إِلّا الدَهرُ يَأتي بِصَرفِهِ

عَلى كُلِّ مَن يَشقى بِهِ وَيُعادي

عَلى كُلِّ مَن يَشقى بِهِ وَيُعادي

So he is nothing but Time, bringing its reversals

For it is nothing but time with its ups and downs

Upon all who suffer through him and oppose him.

Visiting misery and enmity upon all

سَلامٌ عَلى الدُنيا إِذا مافُقِدتُمُ

سَلامٌ عَلى الدُنيا إِذا مافُقِدتُمُ

بَني بَرمَكٍ مِن رائِحينَ وَغادِ

بَني بَرمَكٍ مِن رائِحينَ وَغادِ

Farewell to the world if ever you are lost,

Greetings upon the world when you are lost

Sons of Barmak, among those who go at evening and at dawn.

O children of the Barmuk, of basil and meadows

بِفَضلِ بنِ يَحيى أَشرَقَت سُبُلُ الهُدى

بِفَضلِ بنِ يَحيى أَشرَقَت سُبُلُ الهُدى

وَأَمَّنَ رَبّي خَوفَ كُلِّ بِلادِ

وَأَمَّنَ رَبّي خَوفَ كُلِّ بِلادِ

Through Fadl son of Yahya, the paths of guidance shone,

Through the generosity of the son of Yahya, the paths of guidance shone

And my Lord allayed the fear of every land.

And my Lord secured every city from fear

فَدونَكَها يا فَضلُ مِنّي كَريمَةً

فَدونَكَها يا فَضلُ مِنّي كَريمَةً

ثَنَت لَكَ عَطفاً بَعدَ عِزِّ قِيادِ

ثَنَت لَكَ عَطفاً بَعدَ عِزِّ قِيادِ

So take this noble poem from me, O Fadl:

So for you, O Generosity, from me as a precious gift

She has turned her flank toward you after resisting the rein.

Which has praised you after the glory of leadership

خَليلِيَّةٌ في وَزنِها قُطرُبِيَّةٌ

خَليلِيَّةٌ في وَزنِها قُطرُبِيَّةٌ

نَظائِرُها عِندَ المُلوكِ عَتادي

نَظائِرُها عِندَ المُلوكِ عَتادي

Khalilian in her meter, Qutrubian;

Khaliliya is its scale, Qutrubiya its peer

Her like are my equipment before kings.

The likes of them for kings are wishful thinking

وَما ضَرَّها أَن لا تُعَدَّ لِجَروَلٍ

وَما ضَرَّها أَن لا تُعَدَّ لِجَروَلٍ

وَلا المُزَني كَعبٍ وَلا لِزِيادِ

وَلا المُزَني كَعبٍ وَلا لِزِيادِ

And she is none the worse for not being credited to Jarwal,

It matters not that it be not counted for Jarwal

Nor to Ka'b al-Muzani, nor to Ziyad.

Nor Ka'b al-Muzani, nor for Ziyad