أنا بين أحشاء الليالي نار

أنا بين أحشاء الليالي نار

هي لي دخان والنجوم شرار

هي لي دخان والنجوم شرار

Within the innermost depths of night, I am a fire;

I am a fire within the entrails of the nights;

the nights are my smoke, and the stars my sparks.

they are my smoke, and the stars my sparks.

فمتى جلا فجر الفضاء ظلامها

فمتى جلا فجر الفضاء ظلامها

صليت بي الاقطار والامصار

صليت بي الاقطار والامصار

So when the dawn of open heaven dispels their darkness,

And whenever the sky's dawn dispels their darkness,

all lands and cities shall be seared by my flame.

the regions and cities are scorched by me.

بي تحلم الدنيا وبالخير الذي

بي تحلم الدنيا وبالخير الذي

لي منه بين ضلوعها اسرار

لي منه بين ضلوعها اسرار

Of me the world dreams, and of the good

The world dreams of me, and of the good

I hold for it—secrets hidden between its ribs.

of which I have secrets between her ribs.

فبكل مملكة علي تلهف

فبكل مملكة علي تلهف

وبكل معركة الي أوار

وبكل معركة الي أوار

In every kingdom there is yearning for me,

For in every kingdom there is longing for me,

and in every battle, a blaze calling me.

and in every battle, burning ardor toward me.

يا أهل ما شطت برحلي رحلة

يا أهل ما شطت برحلي رحلة

الا لتسفر عني الاسفار

الا لتسفر عني الاسفار

My people, no journey has borne my mount so far

O people, no journey has borne my saddle afar

but that travel might reveal who I am.

save that my travels might unveil me.

لي في ضمير الدهر سر كامن

لي في ضمير الدهر سر كامن

لا بد أن تستله الاقدار

لا بد أن تستله الاقدار

Within the heart of time, I have a hidden secret

In the heart of time, a hidden secret is mine,

which fate must surely draw forth.

which the fates must unsheathe.

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 spared the blood of noble virtues, since he became

His hands have spared the blood of noble deeds, ever since

the lifeblood of all they encompass—and he is mighty.

the blood of all they held came to be shed without redress.

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-edged sword

Muzaynah forged from him a keen sword that has no

that rests nowhere but upon the heads of lions.

resting place except in the heads of lions.

اراؤه بيض الظبا وحديثه

اراؤه بيض الظبا وحديثه

روض الربا ويمينه تيار

روض الربا ويمينه تيار

His counsels are gleaming sword-blades, while his speech

His judgments are gleaming sword-edges, and his speech

is a garden upon the hills, and his right hand a torrent.

the meadows of the hills, and his right hand a torrent.

ضمت على الدنيا بدائع لفظه

ضمت على الدنيا بدائع لفظه

فكأنها زند وهن سوار

فكأنها زند وهن سوار

The wonders of his words encircled the whole world,

The marvels of his words have encircled the world,

as though it were an arm and they its bracelets.

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

خصت به كل المكارم والعلا

خصت به كل المكارم والعلا

فكأنها حقا له أسوار

فكأنها حقا له أسوار

Every noble virtue and height of glory were made his alone,

All noble virtues and heights of glory were reserved for him,

as though, in truth, they were walls surrounding him.

as though they were truly his ramparts.

وإذا العلوم استبهمت طرقاتها

وإذا العلوم استبهمت طرقاتها

فذووه اعلام لها ومنار

فذووه اعلام لها ومنار

When the pathways of learning grow obscure,

And when the paths of the sciences grow obscure,

his kinsmen are its guiding landmarks and its beacon.

then his kin are their landmarks and beacons.

عزماتهم قضب وفيض اكفهم

عزماتهم قضب وفيض اكفهم

سحب وبيض وجوههم أقمار

سحب وبيض وجوههم أقمار

Their resolves are swords, and the bounty of their hands

Their resolves are keen swords, and the overflow of their palms

is rain clouds; their radiant faces are moons.

clouds, and their radiant faces are moons.

ختم الرياسة بالوزارة فيهم

ختم الرياسة بالوزارة فيهم

أسد له السمر الذوابل زار

أسد له السمر الذوابل زار

Among them, he crowned high command with ministerial office—

He crowned leadership among them with the vizierate—

a lion visited by slender, dusky spears.

a lion whose roar is the slender, dusky spears.

يا من إذا اطرى القبائل شاعر

يا من إذا اطرى القبائل شاعر

صلت على آبائه الاشعار

صلت على آبائه الاشعار

O you whose forefathers, whenever a poet praises the tribes,

O you, whenever a poet extols the tribes,

are blessed by poetry itself:

poems invoke blessings upon your forefathers.

فازحم بمنكبك السماء فما يرى

فازحم بمنكبك السماء فما يرى

لسواك في خطط النجوم جوار

لسواك في خطط النجوم جوار

jostle heaven with your shoulder—for none is seen

So jostle the sky with your shoulder, for there is no

beside you dwelling in the constellations' mansions.

place for anyone else in the precincts of the stars.

والارض ملكك والورى لك غلمة

والارض ملكك والورى لك غلمة

والدهر عبدك والعلا لك دار

والدهر عبدك والعلا لك دار

The earth is your realm, mankind your pages;

And earth is your possession, and humankind your servant boys;

time is your servant, and glory your abode.

and time your slave, and glory your home.

وخلائق كالخمر در فعاله

وخلائق كالخمر در فعاله

حبب لهن وما لهن خمار

حبب لهن وما لهن خمار

Noble qualities, like wine, have his deeds poured among them,

And his traits are like wine—the pearls of his deeds

making him beloved to them—yet they suffer no intoxication.

are their bubbles, yet they bring no hangover.

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 by which

Muhammad ibn Muhammad has a hand through which

hope is kept alive and hardship put to death.

hope is revived and poverty slain.