حِمى الأمِيرِ أمانُ الخائفِ الوَجِلِ

حِمى الأمِيرِ أمانُ الخائفِ الوَجِلِ

وراحتاه حياةُ السَّهلِ والجَبلِ

وراحتاه حياةُ السَّهلِ والجَبلِ

The emir’s refuge is safety for the fearful and trembling;

The prince's sanctuary is safety for the fearful and trembling.

his two palms give life to plain and mountain.

And his two palms are life to plain and mountain.

هُوَ الجوادُ الذي لولا مكارمُه

هُوَ الجوادُ الذي لولا مكارمُه

لم يُعَرفِ الجُودُ في الدنيا ولم يُنَلِ

لم يُعَرفِ الجُودُ في الدنيا ولم يُنَلِ

He is the generous one whose noble gifts—were it not for them—

He is the generous one—were it not for his noble deeds,

would leave generosity neither known in this world nor attained.

Generosity would not be known in the world, nor received.

يا أوسعَ الناسِ صَدراً يومَ مَلحَمةٍ

يا أوسعَ الناسِ صَدراً يومَ مَلحَمةٍ

وأضربَ الناسِ فيها هامةَ البَطلِ

وأضربَ الناسِ فيها هامةَ البَطلِ

O broadest-breasted of all men on the day of battle,

O you, broadest of heart among men on a day of battle,

and hardest-striking among them at a champion’s crown!

And fiercest among men there in striking a champion's head!

فُصِدتَ والسعدُ في أعلى مطالِعه

فُصِدتَ والسعدُ في أعلى مطالِعه

مُقابلٌ منك سَعداً غيرَ مُنتقِلِ

مُقابلٌ منك سَعداً غيرَ مُنتقِلِ

You were bled while Fortune stood at the summit of its risings,

You were bled while the lucky star, at its highest rising,

facing in you a felicity fixed, never to depart.

Faced in you a fortune that never shifts.

يدُ السَّماحِ جَرى منها سَحَابُ دمٍ

يدُ السَّماحِ جَرى منها سَحَابُ دمٍ

وكم لها من سَحابٍ في النَّدى خَضِلِ

وكم لها من سَحابٍ في النَّدى خَضِلِ

The hand of largesse—from it flowed a cloud of blood;

From the hand of generosity flowed a cloud of blood,

and how many clouds has that hand, drenched in bounty’s dew!

And how many a cloud it has, drenched with bounty!

مُورَّدُ السَّيلِ يُضحي من تَنسُّمِه

مُورَّدُ السَّيلِ يُضحي من تَنسُّمِه

لطيبِه عن جَنِيِّ الوَردِ في شُغُلِ

لطيبِه عن جَنِيِّ الوَردِ في شُغُلِ

Rose-red runs the torrent; whoever breathes its fragrance

Its flow is rose-red; whoever breathes its scent becomes

is, for its sweetness, too engrossed to gather roses.

So absorbed by its fragrance that fresh-picked roses go unheeded.

كأنَّما خاضَتِ الريحُ العبيرَ به

كأنَّما خاضَتِ الريحُ العبيرَ به

أو صَافَحت زَهَرَ الحَوذانِ والنَّفَلِ

أو صَافَحت زَهَرَ الحَوذانِ والنَّفَلِ

It is as though the wind had waded with it through perfume,

As though the wind had waded through perfume with it,

or shaken hands with buttercup and clover blossoms.

Or shaken hands with buttercup and clover blossoms.

فإن يكُن نالَ منكَ الفَصدُ ما عَجِزت

فإن يكُن نالَ منكَ الفَصدُ ما عَجِزت

عنه الكُماةُ بحدِّ البِيضِ والأَسَلِ

عنه الكُماةُ بحدِّ البِيضِ والأَسَلِ

If bloodletting has obtained from you what warriors failed to take

So if bloodletting has drawn from you what

with the edges of bright swords and with spears,

Armored warriors could not with the edges of bright swords and spears,

فما على كَفِّك الآسي بِمبِضَعِه

فما على كَفِّك الآسي بِمبِضَعِه

أنحَى ولكنّه أنحَى على الأملِ

أنحَى ولكنّه أنحَى على الأملِ

the physician, with his lancet, did not bear down upon your palm;

It was not at your palm that the healer, with his lancet,

rather, he bore down upon Hope itself.

Struck; rather, he struck at hope.

وإن يكُن مسَّها من جرحِه أَلَمٌ

وإن يكُن مسَّها من جرحِه أَلَمٌ

فطالما أَلِمَت من كَثرةِ القُبَلِ

فطالما أَلِمَت من كَثرةِ القُبَلِ

And if his wound has caused that hand pain,

And if pain from his incision has touched it,

how often it has ached beneath the multitude of kisses!

It has so often ached from so many kisses.

لا تَكذِبنَّ فلو جاز الفِداءُ لها

لا تَكذِبنَّ فلو جاز الفِداءُ لها

من الحديدِ فدَاها الناسُ بالمُقلِ

من الحديدِ فدَاها الناسُ بالمُقلِ

Do not call this false: if that hand could be ransomed from iron,

Do not deny it: if it could be ransomed

people would ransom it with their very eyes.

From iron, people would ransom it with their eyes.

ما بالُ رسميَ من جَدْوى يَديك عَفا

ما بالُ رسميَ من جَدْوى يَديك عَفا

فصارَ أوضحَ منه دارسُ الطَّللِ

فصارَ أوضحَ منه دارسُ الطَّللِ

Why has my customary share of your hands’ bounty been effaced,

Why has my trace in the bounty of your hands faded,

until even the faded trace of a campsite is clearer than it?

So that a ruined dwelling's faded trace is clearer than it?

لقد تجاوزْتَ بي وقتي وأيُّ حياً

لقد تجاوزْتَ بي وقتي وأيُّ حياً

في غيرِ إبَّانِه يَشفي من الغَلَلِ

في غيرِ إبَّانِه يَشفي من الغَلَلِ

You have carried me past my appointed time—and what rain,

You have indeed carried me past my appointed time; and what rain

falling outside its season, can relieve burning thirst?

Outside its season can cure burning thirst?

وقد تَمَهَّلْتَ شَهراً بعدَه كَمَلاً

وقد تَمَهَّلْتَ شَهراً بعدَه كَمَلاً

وإنَّما خُلِقَ الإنسانُ من عَجَلِ

وإنَّما خُلِقَ الإنسانُ من عَجَلِ

You have delayed a full month beyond it,

And you have delayed a full month beyond it,

though humankind was created of haste.

And humankind was created of haste alone.