بِأَيِّ نُجومِ وَجهِكَ يُستَضاءُ

بِأَيِّ نُجومِ وَجهِكَ يُستَضاءُ

أَبا حَسَنٍ وَشيمَتُكَ الإِباءُ

أَبا حَسَنٍ وَشيمَتُكَ الإِباءُ

By which stars of your face may one find light,

With what stars of your face is light sought,

O Abu Hasan, when proud refusal is your nature?

Abu Hasan, and your noble manners fatherhood,

أَتَترُكُ حاجَتي غَرَضَ التَواني

أَتَترُكُ حاجَتي غَرَضَ التَواني

وَأَنتَ الدَلوُ فيها وَالرِشاءُ

وَأَنتَ الدَلوُ فيها وَالرِشاءُ

Will you leave my need a target for delay,

Will you leave my need to the pretexts of procrastination

when you are its bucket and its rope?

While you are the bucket in it and the rope?

تأَلَّف آلَ إِدريسَ بنِ بَدرٍ

تأَلَّف آلَ إِدريسَ بنِ بَدرٍ

فَتَسبيبُ العَطاءِ هُوَ العَطاءُ

فَتَسبيبُ العَطاءِ هُوَ العَطاءُ

Win over the family of Idris ibn Badr,

Get close to the family of Idris ibn Badr,

for bringing about a gift is itself a gift.

For the cause of generosity is generosity itself.

وَخُذهُم بِالرُقى إِنَّ المَهاري

وَخُذهُم بِالرُقى إِنَّ المَهاري

يُهَيِّجُها عَلى السَيرِ الحُداءُ

يُهَيِّجُها عَلى السَيرِ الحُداءُ

And captivate them with spells; for Mahri camels

And take them gently, for the skilled ones

are roused to travel by the camel-driver's song.

Stir it into flowing freely.

فَإِمّا جازَ مِنّي الشِعرُ فيهِم

فَإِمّا جازَ مِنّي الشِعرُ فيهِم

وَإِمّا جازَ مِنكَ الكيمِياءُ

وَإِمّا جازَ مِنكَ الكيمِياءُ

So either my poetry will take effect on them,

Either my poetry succeeded regarding them,

or your alchemy will take effect.

Or the alchemy succeeded from you.

وَقُل لِلمَرءِ عُثمانٍ مَقالاً

وَقُل لِلمَرءِ عُثمانٍ مَقالاً

يَضيقُ بِلَفظِهِ التَلِدُ الفَضاءُ

يَضيقُ بِلَفظِهِ التَلِدُ الفَضاءُ

And say to the man Uthman words

And say to the man Uthman words

whose utterance makes the age-old expanse grow narrow:

That are too constricted by their utterance for the spacious sky.

أَلَم يَهزُزكَ قَولُ فَتىً يُصَلّي

أَلَم يَهزُزكَ قَولُ فَتىً يُصَلّي

لِما يُثني عَلَيكَ بِهِ الثَناءُ

لِما يُثني عَلَيكَ بِهِ الثَناءُ

Has not a young man's speech stirred you—one who runs second

Does not the saying of a youth who prays for you

to that with which Praise itself extols you—

With the praise he lavishes on you make you tremble?

فَتَفعَلَ ما يَشاءُ المَجدُ فيهِ

فَتَفعَلَ ما يَشاءُ المَجدُ فيهِ

فَإِنَّ المَجدَ يَفعَلُ ما يَشاءُ

فَإِنَّ المَجدَ يَفعَلُ ما يَشاءُ

so that you do for him what Glory wills?

So do what glory wills regarding him,

For Glory does whatever it wills.

For glory does what it wills.

وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَعشَقُهُ المَعالي

وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَعشَقُهُ المَعالي

وَيَحكُمُ في مَواهِبِهِ الرَجاءُ

وَيَحكُمُ في مَواهِبِهِ الرَجاءُ

And you are the man whom lofty honors love,

And you are the man whom glories love,

and hope governs his gifts.

While hope rules regarding his gifts.

فَإِنَّكَ لا تُسَرُّ بِيَومِ حَمدٍ

فَإِنَّكَ لا تُسَرُّ بِيَومِ حَمدٍ

شُهِرتَ بِهِ وَمالُكَ لا يُساءُ

شُهِرتَ بِهِ وَمالُكَ لا يُساءُ

For you find no joy in a day of praise

For you are not made happy by a day of praise

through which you gain renown while your wealth goes unscathed.

You became famous for, while your wealth is not diminished

وَإِنَّ المَدحَ في الأَقوامِ ما لَم

وَإِنَّ المَدحَ في الأَقوامِ ما لَم

يُشَيَّع بِالجَزاءِ هُوَ الهِجاءُ

يُشَيَّع بِالجَزاءِ هُوَ الهِجاءُ

And praise of men, unless

And praise among people, if not

accompanied by reward, is satire.

Accompanied by reward, is but lampooning.