خُذي عَبَراتِ عَينِكِ عَن زَماعي

خُذي عَبَراتِ عَينِكِ عَن زَماعي

وَصوني ما أَزَلتِ مِنَ القِناعِ

وَصوني ما أَزَلتِ مِنَ القِناعِ

Keep your eye's tears away from my resolve,

Take the lessons of your eyes about my peers,

And safeguard the veil you have drawn aside.

And protect me from what I have uncovered of pretense,

أَقِلّي قَد أَضاقَ بُكاكِ ذَرعي

أَقِلّي قَد أَضاقَ بُكاكِ ذَرعي

وَما ضاقَت بِنازِلَةٍ ذِراعي

وَما ضاقَت بِنازِلَةٍ ذِراعي

Weep less: your weeping has strained my endurance,

Lessen your crying, it has constricted my patience,

Yet no calamity has ever cramped my arm.

And my arms did not narrow with degradation,

أَآلِفَةَ النَحيبِ كَمِ اِفتِراقٍ

أَآلِفَةَ النَحيبِ كَمِ اِفتِراقٍ

أَظَلَّ فَكانَ داعِيَةَ اِجتِماعِ

أَظَلَّ فَكانَ داعِيَةَ اِجتِماعِ

O you accustomed to sobbing, how many a parting

How often does the weeping of parting recur,

Has drawn near, then become a cause of reunion!

It lingered so it called for gathering,

وَلَيسَت فَرحَةُ الأَوباتِ إِلّا

وَلَيسَت فَرحَةُ الأَوباتِ إِلّا

لِمَوقوفٍ عَلى تَرَحِ الوَداعِ

لِمَوقوفٍ عَلى تَرَحِ الوَداعِ

And the joy of homecomings is only

And the joy of intimacy is not but

For one made to suffer the grief of farewell.

For one paused at the sadness of farewell,

تَوَجَّعُ أَن رَأَت جِسمي نَحيفاً

تَوَجَّعُ أَن رَأَت جِسمي نَحيفاً

كَأَنَّ المَجدَ يُدرَكُ بِالصِراعِ

كَأَنَّ المَجدَ يُدرَكُ بِالصِراعِ

She grieves at seeing my body thin,

It hurts her that she saw my body thin,

As though glory could be won by wrestling.

As if glory is attained through wrestling,

فَتى النَكَباتِ مَن يَأوي إِذا ما

فَتى النَكَباتِ مَن يَأوي إِذا ما

قَطَفنَ بِهِ إِلى خُلُقٍ وَساعِ

قَطَفنَ بِهِ إِلى خُلُقٍ وَساعِ

The man equal to calamities is he who takes refuge, when

The young man of misfortunes, where does he lodge when

They slow him down, in a magnanimous nature.

Destiny plucked him to nature and fickleness,

يُثيرُ عَجاجَةً في كُلِّ ثَغرٍ

يُثيرُ عَجاجَةً في كُلِّ ثَغرٍ

يَهيمُ بِهِ عَدِيُّ بنُ الرِقاعِ

يَهيمُ بِهِ عَدِيُّ بنُ الرِقاعِ

He raises a dust-cloud at every frontier

He stirs clamor in every cheek,

Where ʿAdi ibn al-Riqaʿ wanders in rapture.

Afflicted by the son of wretchedness,

أَبَنَّ مَعَ السِباعِ القَفرَ حَتّى

أَبَنَّ مَعَ السِباعِ القَفرَ حَتّى

لَخالَتهُ السِباعُ مِنَ السِباعِ

لَخالَتهُ السِباعُ مِنَ السِباعِ

He dwelt in the wasteland among the beasts until

He frequented the deserts with predators until

The beasts surely took him for one of their own.

The predators felt pity for him over predators,

فَلَبِّ الحَزمَ إِن حاوَلتَ يَوماً

فَلَبِّ الحَزمَ إِن حاوَلتَ يَوماً

بِأَن تَسطيعَ غَيرَ المُستَطاعِ

بِأَن تَسطيعَ غَيرَ المُستَطاعِ

So heed prudence, if one day you seek

So mind reason if you attempt one day

To accomplish what cannot be accomplished.

To undertake other than the feasible,

فَلَم تَرحَل كَناجِيَةِ المَهاري

فَلَم تَرحَل كَناجِيَةِ المَهاري

وَلَم تُركَب هُمومَكَ كَالزَماعِ

وَلَم تُركَب هُمومَكَ كَالزَماعِ

For you have saddled no mount like a swift Mahri she-camel,

You did not travel like the she-camel of the skilled,

And nothing rides down your cares like resolve.

And your worries were not ridden like the palms,

بِمَهدِيِّ بنِ أَصرَمَ عادَ عودي

بِمَهدِيِّ بنِ أَصرَمَ عادَ عودي

إِلى اِيراقِهِ وَاِمتَدَّ باعي

إِلى اِيراقِهِ وَاِمتَدَّ باعي

Through Mahdi ibn Asram, my branch returned

With Mahdi bin Asram my lute returned,

To putting forth leaves, and my reach grew longer.

To its pouring and my hand stretched,

أَطالَ يَدي عَلى الأَيّامِ حَتّى

أَطالَ يَدي عَلى الأَيّامِ حَتّى

جَزَيتُ صُروفَها صاعاً بِصاعِ

جَزَيتُ صُروفَها صاعاً بِصاعِ

He gave my hand power over the days, until

I stretched my hand over the days until

I repaid their reversals measure for measure.

I repaid the turns of fate, measure for measure,

إِذا أَكدَت سَوامُ الشِعرِ أَضحَت

إِذا أَكدَت سَوامُ الشِعرِ أَضحَت

عَطاياهُ وَهُنَّ لَها مَراعي

عَطاياهُ وَهُنَّ لَها مَراعي

When poetry's grazing herds find barren ground, there are

When the censors of poetry grew harsh, their gifts became

His gifts, serving as pastures for them.

Meadows for them and they are pastures for it,

رِياضٌ لا يَشِذُّ العُرفُ عَنها

رِياضٌ لا يَشِذُّ العُرفُ عَنها

وَلا تَخلو مِنَ الهِمَمِ الرِتاعِ

وَلا تَخلو مِنَ الهِمَمِ الرِتاعِ

Gardens from which kindness never strays,

Gardens from which manners do not depart,

Nor are they empty of aspirations grazing freely.

And which are not devoid of great ambitions,

سَعى فَاِستَنزَلَ الشَرَفَ اِقِتِداراً

سَعى فَاِستَنزَلَ الشَرَفَ اِقِتِداراً

وَلَولا السَعيُ لَم تَكُن المَساعي

وَلَولا السَعيُ لَم تَكُن المَساعي

He strove and, through his power, brought honor down to him;

He strove and drew honor by capability,

And without striving, there would be no achievements.

And without striving there would be no efforts,

أَمَهدِيّاً لَحَيتَ عَلى نَوالٍ

أَمَهدِيّاً لَحَيتَ عَلى نَوالٍ

لَقَد حُكتِ المَلامَ لِغَيرِ واعِ

لَقَد حُكتِ المَلامَ لِغَيرِ واعِ

Is it Mahdi you reproach for giving?

O Mahdi, you would live on bestowal,

Indeed, you have woven reproach for one who will not heed.

You have surely been blamed for one not alert,

أَرَدتِ بِحَيثُ لا تُعصى المَعالي

أَرَدتِ بِحَيثُ لا تُعصى المَعالي

بِأَن يُعصى النَدى وَبِأَن تُطاعي

بِأَن يُعصى النَدى وَبِأَن تُطاعي

You wished, where lofty deeds are never disobeyed,

You wanted what dignities cannot be disobeyed,

That generosity should be disobeyed, and you obeyed.

That bounty be disobeyed and you obeyed,

عَميدُ الغَوثِ إِن نُوَبُ اللَيالي

عَميدُ الغَوثِ إِن نُوَبُ اللَيالي

سَطَت وَقَريعُها عِندَ القِراعِ

سَطَت وَقَريعُها عِندَ القِراعِ

He is the pillar of succor if the nights' calamities

The champion of help, when the nights

Assail, and their match when blows are exchanged.

Spread out and their cold pierces in knocking,

كَثيراً ما تُشَوِّقُهُ العَوالي

كَثيراً ما تُشَوِّقُهُ العَوالي

وَهِمَّتُهُ إِلى العَلَقِ المُتاعِ

وَهِمَّتُهُ إِلى العَلَقِ المُتاعِ

Often the tall spears fill him with longing,

Often, the calamities provoke him

And his ambition is for the precious, choice prize.

And his zeal is to the honored, preserved wares,

كَأَنَّ بِهِ غَداةَ الرَوعِ وِرداً

كَأَنَّ بِهِ غَداةَ الرَوعِ وِرداً

وَقَد وُصِفَت لَهُ نَفسُ الشُجاعِ

وَقَد وُصِفَت لَهُ نَفسُ الشُجاعِ

As though he had a fever on the morning of terror,

As if meeting the fright in the morning is

With a brave man's soul already described to him.

A tryst prescribed for him, the valiant described,

لَحُسنُ المَوتِ في كَرَمٍ وَتَقوى

لَحُسنُ المَوتِ في كَرَمٍ وَتَقوى

أَحَبُّ إِلَيهِ مِن حُسنِ الدِفاعِ

أَحَبُّ إِلَيهِ مِن حُسنِ الدِفاعِ

Surely the beauty of death in nobility and piety

For dying with generosity and piety

Is dearer to him than skillful defense.

Is more beloved to him than excellence in defense,

وَنَغمَةُ مُعتَفٍ يَرجوهُ أَحلى

وَنَغمَةُ مُعتَفٍ يَرجوهُ أَحلى

عَلى أُذنَيهِ مِن نَغَمِ السَماعِ

عَلى أُذنَيهِ مِن نَغَمِ السَماعِ

And the voice of a suppliant who hopes in him is sweeter

And the tune of one hoping for death is sweeter

To his ears than the strains of music.

To his ears than the tune of musical instruments,

جَعَلتَ الجودَ لَألاءَ المَساعي

جَعَلتَ الجودَ لَألاءَ المَساعي

وَهَل شَمسٌ تَكونُ بِلا شُعاعِ

وَهَل شَمسٌ تَكونُ بِلا شُعاعِ

You have made generosity the radiance of noble endeavors;

You have made generosity the banners of efforts,

And can a sun exist without rays?

Can there be a sun without rays?

وَما في الأَرضِ أَعصى لِاِمتِناعٍ

وَما في الأَرضِ أَعصى لِاِمتِناعٍ

يَسوقُ الذَمَّ مِن جودٍ مُطاعِ

يَسوقُ الذَمَّ مِن جودٍ مُطاعِ

And nothing on earth more resists withholding

And nothing in the earth disobeys more stubbornly

That brings reproach than generosity whose command is obeyed.

Than bounty guiding to obedience,

وَلَم يَحفَظ مُضاعَ المَجدِ شَيءٌ

وَلَم يَحفَظ مُضاعَ المَجدِ شَيءٌ

مِنَ الأَشياءِ كَالمالِ المُضاعِ

مِنَ الأَشياءِ كَالمالِ المُضاعِ

And nothing has safeguarded neglected glory

And nothing preserves the yield of glory

Among all things, like squandered wealth.

Like wealth spent,

رَعاكَ اللَهُ لِلمَعروفِ إِنّي

رَعاكَ اللَهُ لِلمَعروفِ إِنّي

أَراكَ لِسَرحِ مالِكِ غَيرَ راعي

أَراكَ لِسَرحِ مالِكِ غَيرَ راعي

May God preserve you for beneficence; indeed, I

May God shepherd you to kindness, I see you

See you as no shepherd to the herd of your wealth.

As one not shepherding his own wealth,

فَما في الأَرضِ مِن شَرَفٍ يَفاعٍ

فَما في الأَرضِ مِن شَرَفٍ يَفاعٍ

سُبِقتَ بِهِ وَلا خُلُقٍ يَفاعِ

سُبِقتَ بِهِ وَلا خُلُقٍ يَفاعِ

For there is no towering honor on earth

And no glorious nobility you preceded with it,

In which you have been surpassed, nor any lofty virtue.

Nor nature you preceded with it,

لَعَزمُكَ مِثلُ عَزمِ السَيلِ شُدَّت

لَعَزمُكَ مِثلُ عَزمِ السَيلِ شُدَّت

قُواهُ بِالمَذانِبِ وَالتِلاعِ

قُواهُ بِالمَذانِبِ وَالتِلاعِ

Surely your resolve is like a torrent's resolve, strengthened

Your resolve is like the resolve of torrents, its

In its force by watercourses and ravines.

Strength by the valley's sides and twisting,

وَرَأيُكَ مِثلُ رَأيِ السَيفِ صَحَّت

وَرَأيُكَ مِثلُ رَأيِ السَيفِ صَحَّت

مَشورَةُ حَدِّهِ عِندَ المِصاعِ

مَشورَةُ حَدِّهِ عِندَ المِصاعِ

And your judgment is like a sword's judgment: proven sound

And your view is like the view of the sword, the

Is the counsel of its edge in combat.

Correctness of its edge at the trial,

فَلَو صَوَّرتَ نَفسَكَ لَم تَزِدها

فَلَو صَوَّرتَ نَفسَكَ لَم تَزِدها

عَلى ما فيكَ مِن كَرَمِ الطِباعِ

عَلى ما فيكَ مِن كَرَمِ الطِباعِ

So if you fashioned yourself, you could add nothing

So if you pictured yourself, you would not increase it

To the nobility of character already within you.

Beyond the nobility of nature in you.