بعزم يراه السَّيف أولى بغِمدِهِ

بعزم يراه السَّيف أولى بغِمدِهِ

إذا سلَّ لم يظفر به كفّ غامد

إذا سلَّ لم يظفر به كفّ غامد

With a resolve the sword deems worthier of its sheath:

With a resolve the sword deems worthier of its sheath,

when it is drawn, no swordsman’s hand can master it;

once drawn, no sheathing hand can lay hold of it;

وطالع سعد لو تحرَّى عطارد

وطالع سعد لو تحرَّى عطارد

مطالعه احتراق عطارد

مطالعه احتراق عطارد

and with a fortunate ascendant—had Mercury sought

and a fortunate ascendant—were Mercury to seek

its rising places, Mercury would have burned.

its rising places, Mercury would burn.

فما زلتَ تَعلو والسعادةُ والعُلا

فما زلتَ تَعلو والسعادةُ والعُلا

دليلاك حتى فُتَّ قدر التحاسُدِ

دليلاك حتى فُتَّ قدر التحاسُدِ

You have never ceased to rise, while good fortune and loftiness

So you have never ceased to rise, with good fortune and eminence

were your two guides, until you surpassed the reach of envy;

your two guides, until you surpassed the reach of mutual envy;

وحتى أتاك الحمدُ من كلِّ حاسدٍ

وحتى أتاك الحمدُ من كلِّ حاسدٍ

وحتى أتاك العُذرُ من كلِّ حامد

وحتى أتاك العُذرُ من كلِّ حامد

until praise came to you from every envier,

and until praise came to you from every envious person,

and excuses came to you from everyone who praised you.

and until an apology came to you from everyone who praised you.

بعدت ولم يبعد فؤاد خَتَمتَه

بعدت ولم يبعد فؤاد خَتَمتَه

برقٌ أياديك البوادي العوائد

برقٌ أياديك البوادي العوائد

You journeyed far, yet a heart did not grow distant that was sealed

I went far away, but a heart you sealed did not grow distant;

by the lightning of your favors—favors first bestowed and ever renewed.

your favors, first bestowed and renewed, are lightning.

أروح وأغدو في ذراك وإن ثوى

أروح وأغدو في ذراك وإن ثوى

بحيث التقى السدَّان رحلي وقائدي

بحيث التقى السدَّان رحلي وقائدي

I come and go beneath your protection, though my baggage and my guide

I go at dusk and dawn beneath your shelter, even if there dwell

remain where the two barriers meet.

where the two barriers meet, my saddle and my guide.

ولما دعاني الشَّوقُ لَبَّيتُ واغتدى

ولما دعاني الشَّوقُ لَبَّيتُ واغتدى

أمامي عزمٌ عالمٌ بالمراشدِ

أمامي عزمٌ عالمٌ بالمراشدِ

When longing called me, I answered, and there went forth

And when longing called me, I answered, and at dawn there set out

before me a resolve well versed in the paths of righteousness,

before me a resolve well versed in the right paths.

يُكلِّفني الإسراعَ حتى كأنَّني

يُكلِّفني الإسراعَ حتى كأنَّني

نوالُك أو حَتفُ العدوِّ المعاند

نوالُك أو حَتفُ العدوِّ المعاند

urging me to hasten, until I seemed to be

It bids me hasten, until it is as though I were

your bounty itself, or the death of the defiant foe.

your bounty, or the death of your defiant enemy.

أفدَّى طريقاً أهتدي بمناره

أفدَّى طريقاً أهتدي بمناره

وأرشُفُ مهجورً الثرى والجلامد

وأرشُفُ مهجورً الثرى والجلامد

I would ransom a road whose beacon guides me,

I would give myself as ransom for a road whose beacon guides me,

and sip its forsaken dust and stones;

and sip its forsaken soil and boulders.

وألثم أخفافَ الَمطِيِّ لأنَّني

وألثم أخفافَ الَمطِيِّ لأنَّني

أرى كُلَّ ما أدنى إليك مساعدي

أرى كُلَّ ما أدنى إليك مساعدي

I kiss the feet of the riding camels, because

And I kiss the padded hooves of the riding camels, because I

I regard everything that draws me nearer to you as my helper.

see all that brings me nearer to you as my helper.

ولو لم يكن حَظرُ الشريعةِ لم نَسِر

ولو لم يكن حَظرُ الشريعةِ لم نَسِر

نَؤُمُّك إلا بالجباه السواجد

نَؤُمُّك إلا بالجباه السواجد

Were it not forbidden by sacred law, we would travel

And were it not for sacred law's prohibition, we would not journey

toward you on nothing but prostrate brows.

to seek you except on foreheads bowed in prostration.

أتيتُ بها جهد الُمقِلِّ ولا أرى

أتيتُ بها جهد الُمقِلِّ ولا أرى

أحقَّ بحسن البَسط من عذر جاهد

أحقَّ بحسن البَسط من عذر جاهد

I have brought this poem as the utmost effort of one with little, and I see

I brought it with a poor man's utmost effort, and I see nothing

nothing more deserving of gracious acceptance than the excuse of one who strove.

more deserving of gracious generosity than a striving man's excuse.

ولي فيك ما لو أنصفَ الشِّعرُ لاغتدت

ولي فيك ما لو أنصفَ الشِّعرُ لاغتدت

معانيه كُحلاً في عيونِ القصائدِ

معانيه كُحلاً في عيونِ القصائدِ

I cherish thoughts of you which, had poetry judged fairly,

And I have such thoughts of you that, were poetry to do them justice,

would make their meanings kohl in the eyes of poems.

its meanings would become kohl in the eyes of odes.

وما أدَّعي الإحسانَ لكن أظُنُّها

وما أدَّعي الإحسانَ لكن أظُنُّها

ستعذُبِ في الأفواهِ عند التناشُد

ستعذُبِ في الأفواهِ عند التناشُد

I do not claim excellence, but I think these verses

And I do not claim excellence, but I think it

will taste sweet upon the lips when recited to one another.

will be sweet on the lips as people recite it to one another.

وما أعجبتني قَطّ دعوى عريضةٌ

وما أعجبتني قَطّ دعوى عريضةٌ

ولو قام في تصديقِها الفُ شاهدِ

ولو قام في تصديقِها الفُ شاهدِ

Never have I admired an extravagant claim,

And no grandiose claim has ever pleased me,

even if a thousand witnesses rose to attest it.

even if a thousand witnesses stood to confirm it.

ولستُ أحبُّ المدحَ تُحشَى فصولُه

ولستُ أحبُّ المدحَ تُحشَى فصولُه

بقولٍ على قدرِ العقيدةِ زائدِ

بقولٍ على قدرِ العقيدةِ زائدِ

Nor do I care for praise whose passages are stuffed

And I do not love praise whose sections are stuffed

with words exceeding the true measure of conviction.

with words exceeding the measure of conviction.

وما المدح إلا بالقلوبِ وإنَّما

وما المدح إلا بالقلوبِ وإنَّما

يُتّمِّمُ حُسنَ القولِ حُسنُ العقائدِ

يُتّمِّمُ حُسنَ القولِ حُسنُ العقائدِ

Praise exists only in the heart; indeed,

And praise comes only from hearts, and only

the beauty of convictions completes the beauty of words.

the goodness of convictions perfects the beauty of speech.