جَلَّ واللهِ ما دهاك وَعَزَّا

جَلَّ واللهِ ما دهاك وَعَزَّا

فعزاءً إن الكريمَ مُعَزَّى

فعزاءً إن الكريمَ مُعَزَّى

By God, what has befallen you is grave and grievous.

By God, he was not lacking in consolation and honor

So take comfort: the noble man is given consolation.

For the noble one is consoled with honor

والحصيفُ الكريم من إن أصابت

والحصيفُ الكريم من إن أصابت

نكبةٌ بعد ما يَعزُّ يُعَزَّى

نكبةٌ بعد ما يَعزُّ يُعَزَّى

And the discerning, noble man is one who, when struck

And the wise honorable one, if struck

by calamity, accepts consolation after resisting.

By misfortune, after being honored, is consoled

هي ما قد عَلِمتَ أحداثُ دَهرٍ

هي ما قد عَلِمتَ أحداثُ دَهرٍ

لم تدع عُدَّةً تُصانُ وكَنزا

لم تدع عُدَّةً تُصانُ وكَنزا

These, as you know, are the blows of time,

These are events of fate that you knew

which spare no guarded reserve or treasure.

Left no family to be protected and treasure to be stored

قصدت دولةَ الخلافةِ جَهراً

قصدت دولةَ الخلافةِ جَهراً

فأبادت عمادَها والمعزا

فأبادت عمادَها والمعزا

They openly assailed the caliphate's realm,

You headed purposefully to the caliphate

and destroyed its pillar, ʿImād, and al-Muʿizz.

So you destroyed its pillars and glory

وقديماً أَفنَت جَديساً وطَسماً

وقديماً أَفنَت جَديساً وطَسماً

حفَّزَتهُم إلى المقابرِ حَفزا

حفَّزَتهُم إلى المقابرِ حَفزا

Long ago they annihilated Jadīs and Ṭasm,

Long ago, it destroyed Jadis and Tasm

driving them forcefully to their graves.

Inciting them to the graves, incited

أصغ والحظ ديارهم هل ترى من

أصغ والحظ ديارهم هل ترى من

أَحَد منهُمُ وتَسمَعُ رِكزا

أَحَد منهُمُ وتَسمَعُ رِكزا

Listen, and look upon their dwellings: do you see

Listen and observe their abodes - do you see any

any one of them, or hear a faint sound?

One of them, or hear a whisper?

ذهبَ الطِّرفُ فاحتسِب وتَصَبَّر

ذهبَ الطِّرفُ فاحتسِب وتَصَبَّر

للرَّزايا فالحرُّ من يتعزَّى

للرَّزايا فالحرُّ من يتعزَّى

The noble steed is gone; seek divine recompense and stand firm

The eyes are gone, so be patient and stoic

against calamities: the freeborn man is he who takes comfort.

To calamities, for the free one is consoled

فعلى مِثله استُطِير فؤادُ الحا

فعلى مِثله استُطِير فؤادُ الحا

زمِ للنَّدبِ حسرةً واستُفزَّا

زمِ للنَّدبِ حسرةً واستُفزَّا

For his like, the resolute man's heart was distraught,

So keep the heart of the saddened refugee

and, in anguish, stirred to lamentation.

Lamenting in sorrow, and provoked

لم يَكُن يَسمحُ القيادَ على الهو

لم يَكُن يَسمحُ القيادَ على الهو

نِ ولا كان نافراً مُشمَئِزَّا

نِ ولا كان نافراً مُشمَئِزَّا

He never yielded to the rein in abasement,

He did not allow the leader to be dishonored

nor was he skittish and recoiling.

And was not averse, disgusted

رُبَّ يومٍ رأيتُه بينَ جُردٍ

رُبَّ يومٍ رأيتُه بينَ جُردٍ

تتقفَّاه وَهوَ يجمِزُ جَمزا

تتقفَّاه وَهوَ يجمِزُ جَمزا

Many a day I saw him among sleek steeds

Many a day I saw him among the bare hills

following him, while he bounded at a gallop.

With him fending them off, resisting

وكأن الأبصارَ تعلق منه

وكأن الأبصارَ تعلق منه

بِحُسام يُهزُّ في الشَّمسِ هزَّا

بِحُسام يُهزُّ في الشَّمسِ هزَّا

It was as though the eyes, gazing at him, clung

As if sights were fixed on him

to a sharp sword brandished in the sun.

With a sword brandished, waving in the sun

وتراه يُلاعبُ العَينَ حَتَّى

وتراه يُلاعبُ العَينَ حَتَّى

تَحسَبَ العينُ أَنَّه يَتَهَزَّا

تَحسَبَ العينُ أَنَّه يَتَهَزَّا

You saw him toy with the eye until

You’d see him playing with the eyes until

the eye thought he was mocking it.

The eyes thought he was jesting

وسواءٌ عليه هجَّر أو أَس

وسواءٌ عليه هجَّر أو أَس

رى أو انحَطَّ أو تَسنَّمَ نَشزَا

رى أو انحَطَّ أو تَسنَّمَ نَشزَا

It was all one to him whether he traveled at noon or

And it was all the same if he shunned or captured,

at night, descended, or crested a height.

Lowered or elevated himself, exalted

وكأن المِضمَارَ يبرُزُ منه

وكأن المِضمَارَ يبرُزُ منه

مَتنُ حِسي يَنِزُّ بالماءِ نزَّا

مَتنُ حِسي يَنِزُّ بالماءِ نزَّا

It was as though from the racecourse there emerged

As if the racecourse sprang from him

the surface of a sandy spring, oozing water.

A Hisan steed gushing water, spurting

استراحت منه الوحوشُ وقد كا

استراحت منه الوحوشُ وقد كا

ن يَرَاها فلا ترى منه حِرزا

ن يَرَاها فلا ترى منه حِرزا

The wild beasts have respite from him; once,

The beasts rested from him though he would see them

if he sighted them, they found no refuge from him.

And not see any caution from him

كم غَزالٍ أنحى عليه وعَير

كم غَزالٍ أنحى عليه وعَير

نالَ منه وكم تَصَيَّدَ فَزَّا

نالَ منه وكم تَصَيَّدَ فَزَّا

How many a gazelle he bore down on, and a wild ass

How many gazelles tilted toward him and he struck them

he caught; how many a young antelope he hunted!

And how much game he hunted and startled!

وصرُوفُ الزمانِ تَقصِدُ فيما

وصرُوفُ الزمانِ تَقصِدُ فيما

يستفيدُ الفتى الأعزُّ الأعزَّا

يستفيدُ الفتى الأعزُّ الأعزَّا

Time's vicissitudes target, among all

The turns of fate seek what profits the noble youth, the most noble

the noblest man acquires, what he holds dearest.

So if you find any anguish in heart and self from the blow

فإذا ما وَجَدتَ من جزعِ النَّك

فإذا ما وَجَدتَ من جزعِ النَّك

بَة في القَلبِ والجوانح وَخزَا

بَة في القَلبِ والجوانح وَخزَا

So if, from anguish at misfortune, you feel

Remember bygones - he of noble manner would be consoled

a stabbing pang in your heart and ribs,

When praised

فتَذَكَّر سَوَابقاً كان ذا الطَّ ر

فتَذَكَّر سَوَابقاً كان ذا الطَّ ر

ف إليهنَّ حين يُمدحُ يُعزَى

ف إليهنَّ حين يُمدحُ يُعزَى

recall the champion steeds to whom this horse

Where are Shaqq and Dahis and Dubaib

was likened whenever he was praised.

Struck by the occurrences of fate, struck?

أين شقٌ وداحسٌ وضبيبٌ

أين شقٌ وداحسٌ وضبيبٌ

غَمَزتها حوادتُ الدَّهرِ غَمزا

غَمَزتها حوادتُ الدَّهرِ غَمزا

Where are Shaqq, Dāḥis, and Ḍabīb?

Galn the generous, and it chipped away

Time's calamities pressed them hard.

At Zurb, al-Lizaz and al-Sakib, chipped

غُلنَ ذا اللِّمَّةِ الجواد ولَزَّت

غُلنَ ذا اللِّمَّةِ الجواد ولَزَّت

ظرباً واللِّزَازَ والسَّكبَ لَزَّا

ظرباً واللِّزَازَ والسَّكبَ لَزَّا

They slew Dhū al-Limma, the fleet steed, and bore down

It truly humbled al-Wajeeh and Maqtoum

hard on Ẓarib, al-Lizāz, and al-Sakb.

The clan of A’sar and crooked Auj, humbled

ولقد بَزَّتِ الوجيهَ ومكتُو

ولقد بَزَّتِ الوجيهَ ومكتُو

م بَنى أعصرٍ وأعوجَ بزَّا

م بَنى أعصرٍ وأعوجَ بزَّا

They also carried off al-Wajīh and Maktūm,

And it confronted the unified so it threw him

of Banī Aʿṣur, and Aʿwaj, seizing them outright.

And Gharib, Zuhdum - so it provoked

وتَصَدَّت للاحقٍ فَرَمَته

وتَصَدَّت للاحقٍ فَرَمَته

وغرابٍ وزهدَمٍ فاستَفَزَّا

وغرابٍ وزهدَمٍ فاستَفَزَّا

They turned on Lāḥiq and struck him down,

So thank God that the slightest loss you suffered

and Ghurāb and Zahdam, sweeping them away.

Is what you were consoled for

فاحمدِ الله إنَّ أهونَ تُر

فاحمدِ الله إنَّ أهونَ تُر

زأُ ما كنتَ أنتَ فيه الُمعزَّى

زأُ ما كنتَ أنتَ فيه الُمعزَّى

So praise God: the lightest loss you suffer

We have eulogized and not fallen short, and went far,

is one in which you yourself receive consolation.

And in some, what sufficed him and fulfilled him

قد رَثَينا ولم نُقَصِّر وبالغ

قد رَثَينا ولم نُقَصِّر وبالغ

نا وفي البعض ما كفَاه وأجزى

نا وفي البعض ما كفَاه وأجزى

We have elegized, fallen short in nothing, and gone

It is just to reward Abu Eisa

to great lengths; even a part would have sufficed him and served.

Based on what we did and were rewarded

ومن العدلِ أن تُثابَ أبا عي

ومن العدلِ أن تُثابَ أبا عي

سى على قَدرِ ما فعلنا ونُجزى

سى على قَدرِ ما فعلنا ونُجزى

It is only just that you be rewarded, Abū ʿĪsā,

in proportion to what we have done, and that we be recompensed.