مُحَمَّدَ بنَ سَعيدٍ أَرعِني أُذُناً

مُحَمَّدَ بنَ سَعيدٍ أَرعِني أُذُناً

فَما بِأُذنِكَ عَن أُكرومَةٍ صَمَمُ

فَما بِأُذنِكَ عَن أُكرومَةٍ صَمَمُ

Muhammad, son of Sa'id, lend me an ear,

Muhammad son of Sa'id, lend me an ear

For your ear is not deaf to an act of generosity.

For you are not deaf to virtuous deeds

لَم تُسقَ بَعدَ الهَوى ماءً عَلى ظَمَإٍ

لَم تُسقَ بَعدَ الهَوى ماءً عَلى ظَمَإٍ

كَماءِ قافِيَةٍ يَسقيكَها فَهِمُ

كَماءِ قافِيَةٍ يَسقيكَها فَهِمُ

After love, you have been given no water in thirst

You have not yet quenched with love a thirst

Like the water of a rhyme a discerning man gives you to drink.

Like the water of rhyming couplets that understanding gives you to drink

مِن كُلِّ بَيتٍ يَكادُ المَيتُ يَفهَمُهُ

مِن كُلِّ بَيتٍ يَكادُ المَيتُ يَفهَمُهُ

حُسناً وَيَحسُدُهُ القِرطاسُ وَالقَلَمُ

حُسناً وَيَحسُدُهُ القِرطاسُ وَالقَلَمُ

From each verse that even the dead could almost understand,

In every verse the meaning is almost grasped by the dead

For its beauty—and paper and pen envy it.

For its beauty, envied by paper and pen

مالي وَمالَكَ شِبهٌ حينَ أُنشِدُهُ

مالي وَمالَكَ شِبهٌ حينَ أُنشِدُهُ

إِلّا زُهَيرٌ وَقَد أَصغى لَهُ هَرِمُ

إِلّا زُهَيرٌ وَقَد أَصغى لَهُ هَرِمُ

You and I have no match when I recite it,

What resemblance is there between me and you when I recite it

Except Zuhayr, with Harim listening attentively to him.

Except Zuhayr who listened to it in his old age

بِكُلِّ سالِكَةٍ لِلفِكرِ مالِكَةٍ

بِكُلِّ سالِكَةٍ لِلفِكرِ مالِكَةٍ

كَأَنَّهُ مُستَهامٌ أَو بِهِ لَمَمُ

كَأَنَّهُ مُستَهامٌ أَو بِهِ لَمَمُ

With each penetrating rhyme that masters the mind,

With every thought-path fully under control

As though it were love-crazed or touched by madness.

As if perfectly guided or prevented from error

لآِلِ سَهلٍ أَكُفٌّ كُلَّما اِجتُدِيَت

لآِلِ سَهلٍ أَكُفٌّ كُلَّما اِجتُدِيَت

فَعَلنَ في المَحلِ ما لا تَفعَلُ الدِيَمُ

فَعَلنَ في المَحلِ ما لا تَفعَلُ الدِيَمُ

The house of Sahl has hands that, whenever petitioned,

The family of Sahl, whenever called upon, act

Do in drought what steady rains cannot do.

With a generosity that ordinary people cannot match

قَومٌ تَراهُم غَيارى دونَ مَجدِهِمُ

قَومٌ تَراهُم غَيارى دونَ مَجدِهِمُ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ المَعالي عِندَهُم حُرَمُ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ المَعالي عِندَهُم حُرَمُ

A people you see jealously guarding their glory,

They are a people you see jealous of their glory

So much so that lofty honors seem to them like their womenfolk.

As if eminence for them were inviolable territory

إِنَّ الزَمانَ اِنثَنى عَنّي بِغُمَّتِهِ

إِنَّ الزَمانَ اِنثَنى عَنّي بِغُمَّتِهِ

وَصَدرُ حَسرَتِهِ يَغلي وَيَضطَرِمُ

وَصَدرُ حَسرَتِهِ يَغلي وَيَضطَرِمُ

Indeed, Time has turned away from me with its gloom,

Time has indeed turned away from me in its sadness

And the breast of its regret seethes and blazes.

And its breast of sorrow boils and blazes

ما زالَ يَخضَعُ مُذ أَورَقتَ لي عِدَةً

ما زالَ يَخضَعُ مُذ أَورَقتَ لي عِدَةً

فَكَيفَ يَصنَعُ لَو قَد أَثمَرَت نَعَمُ

فَكَيفَ يَصنَعُ لَو قَد أَثمَرَت نَعَمُ

It has kept bowing since you put forth a promise's leaves for me;

It has continued to submit to me since first you produced for me a few leaves

How, then, would it act if your 'yes' truly bore fruit?

So what will it do if they were to bear fruit, blessings?

فَأَيقِظِ الفِعلَ يَقضِ القَولُ نَومَتَهُ

فَأَيقِظِ الفِعلَ يَقضِ القَولُ نَومَتَهُ

وَقَد حَكى سوءُ ظَنٍّ أَنَّ ذا حُلُمُ

وَقَد حَكى سوءُ ظَنٍّ أَنَّ ذا حُلُمُ

So awaken action, and let speech sleep its fill;

Awaken action to end the sleep of words

And mistrust has already claimed that this is a dream.

When evil suspicion relates that the forbearing are thus

وَلا تَقُل قِدَمٌ أَزرى بِحاجَتِهِ

وَلا تَقُل قِدَمٌ أَزرى بِحاجَتِهِ

لَيسَ العُلا طَلَلاً يُزري بِهِ القِدَمُ

لَيسَ العُلا طَلَلاً يُزري بِهِ القِدَمُ

And do not say, 'Age has diminished his request's worth';

And do not say, when you are in need, that the noble spirit

High honor is no ruined dwelling that age can diminish.

Loathes solicitation - nobility is no encumbrance to the steps