أنا بين أحشاء الليالي نار

أنا بين أحشاء الليالي نار

هي لي دخان والنجوم شرار

هي لي دخان والنجوم شرار

I am a fire amid the entrails of the nights.

I am fire amid the bosom of nights,

They are my smoke, and the stars are sparks.

To me is their smoke, and stars are sparks,

فمتى جلا فجر الفضاء ظلامها

فمتى جلا فجر الفضاء ظلامها

صليت بي الاقطار والامصار

صليت بي الاقطار والامصار

So whenever the dawn of the heavens dispels their darkness,

So when the darkness of space shone its dawn,

the lands and cities are scorched by me.

The horizons and rains prayed through me,

بي تحلم الدنيا وبالخير الذي

بي تحلم الدنيا وبالخير الذي

لي منه بين ضلوعها اسرار

لي منه بين ضلوعها اسرار

The world dreams of me, and of the good

Through me the world dreams, and of the good

of which it keeps secrets for me within its ribs.

That is within its ribs, my secrets,

فبكل مملكة علي تلهف

فبكل مملكة علي تلهف

وبكل معركة الي أوار

وبكل معركة الي أوار

So in every kingdom there is yearning for me,

So every kingdom yearns for me

and on every battlefield, burning ardor for me.

And in every battle there are my signs,

يا أهل ما شطت برحلي رحلة

يا أهل ما شطت برحلي رحلة

الا لتسفر عني الاسفار

الا لتسفر عني الاسفار

O people, no journey has carried my saddle far

O people, I have not embarked on a journey

except that travel might make me known.

Except for the voyages to reveal their mysteries,

لي في ضمير الدهر سر كامن

لي في ضمير الدهر سر كامن

لا بد أن تستله الاقدار

لا بد أن تستله الاقدار

In the heart of time I have a hidden secret

I have within the conscience of time a latent secret

that the fates must draw forth.

That destinies must discover,

حقنت يداه دم المكارم مذ غدا

حقنت يداه دم المكارم مذ غدا

دم كل ما حوتاه وهو جبار

دم كل ما حوتاه وهو جبار

His hands have preserved the lifeblood of noble virtues, since

Since he became great, his hands shed the blood of gallantry,

the blood of all they held was left unavenged.

The blood of all that they contained and he is formidable,

طبعت مزينة منه عضبا ماله

طبعت مزينة منه عضبا ماله

في غير هامات الاسود قرار

في غير هامات الاسود قرار

Muzayna forged from him a keen sword, with no

I have adorned it with firmness that has no

resting place save in the heads of lions.

Settlement except in the foreheads of mighty lions,

اراؤه بيض الظبا وحديثه

اراؤه بيض الظبا وحديثه

روض الربا ويمينه تيار

روض الربا ويمينه تيار

His counsels are gleaming sword-edges, and his speech

His views are the whiteness of gazelles and his words

a meadow on the hills; his right hand is a torrent.

Are meadows and his right hand is a river,

ضمت على الدنيا بدائع لفظه

ضمت على الدنيا بدائع لفظه

فكأنها زند وهن سوار

فكأنها زند وهن سوار

The wonders of his speech have encircled the world,

His eloquent words embraced the wonders of the world

as though it were a wrist, and they a bracelet.

As if it is an ornament and they are bracelets

خصت به كل المكارم والعلا

خصت به كل المكارم والعلا

فكأنها حقا له أسوار

فكأنها حقا له أسوار

All noble virtues and glory are reserved for him,

I endowed him with all gallantry and loftiness

as though they were truly his ramparts.

As if they are truly his fences,

وإذا العلوم استبهمت طرقاتها

وإذا العلوم استبهمت طرقاتها

فذووه اعلام لها ومنار

فذووه اعلام لها ومنار

And when the paths of the sciences grow obscure,

And if sciences obscured their paths

his kinsmen are their guideposts and beacons.

Their people are flags and minarets for it,

عزماتهم قضب وفيض اكفهم

عزماتهم قضب وفيض اكفهم

سحب وبيض وجوههم أقمار

سحب وبيض وجوههم أقمار

Their resolves are swords; the outpourings of their palms

Their resolves are twigs and the outpouring of their palms

are clouds, and their bright faces are moons.

Are clouds, innocence, and their faces are moons,

ختم الرياسة بالوزارة فيهم

ختم الرياسة بالوزارة فيهم

أسد له السمر الذوابل زار

أسد له السمر الذوابل زار

Among them, leadership was crowned with the vizierate

The seal of leadership crowned them with ministry, among them

by a lion with slender brown spears for his thicket.

A lion whose duskiness the hyenas frequented,

يا من إذا اطرى القبائل شاعر

يا من إذا اطرى القبائل شاعر

صلت على آبائه الاشعار

صلت على آبائه الاشعار

O you—whenever a poet extols the tribes,

O you who when the tribes boasted a poet

the verses invoke blessings upon your forefathers.

Poems were bestowed upon his forefathers,

فازحم بمنكبك السماء فما يرى

فازحم بمنكبك السماء فما يرى

لسواك في خطط النجوم جوار

لسواك في خطط النجوم جوار

So jostle the sky with your shoulder, for no dwelling is seen

So shoulder the sky, for none is seen

for anyone but you in the precincts of the stars.

To be your neighbor amongst the lines of stars,

والارض ملكك والورى لك غلمة

والارض ملكك والورى لك غلمة

والدهر عبدك والعلا لك دار

والدهر عبدك والعلا لك دار

And the earth is your realm, and mankind your pages;

And the earth is your kingdom, the world your slave,

and time is your slave, and glory your home.

Time your servant, and knowledge your abode,

وخلائق كالخمر در فعاله

وخلائق كالخمر در فعاله

حبب لهن وما لهن خمار

حبب لهن وما لهن خمار

And his virtues are like wine: the pearls of his deeds

And people are like wine in his hands,

are their bubbles, yet they leave no hangover.

He made them infatuated, without veil,

لمحمد بن محمد كف بها

لمحمد بن محمد كف بها

يحيى الرجاء ويقتل الاعسار

يحيى الرجاء ويقتل الاعسار

Muhammad son of Muhammad has a hand through which

For Muhammad son of Muhammad, hands with which

hope is brought to life, and poverty is slain.

He brings life to hope and kills misery.