أَمِنَ الغيورُ وكفَّ عنّا العاذلُ

أَمِنَ الغيورُ وكفَّ عنّا العاذلُ

وهُدى الرّقيب وخُفّف المتثاقِلُ

وهُدى الرّقيب وخُفّف المتثاقِلُ

The jealous man grew secure, and the reproacher left us alone.

The jealous one has given up on blaming us,

And the watcher was guided, and the laggard relieved,

The guard has been guided, the sluggish relieved,

مذ زالت البُرَجاء وازدَجر الهَوى

مذ زالت البُرَجاء وازدَجر الهَوى

وصَحَا الغويُّ واقصرَالمتجاهِلُ

وصَحَا الغويُّ واقصرَالمتجاهِلُ

Since the wide-eyed beauty departed and passion was checked,

Since far-fetched hopes faded and passion subsided,

And the wayward man sobered, and the willfully heedless desisted.

The heedless sobered up, the oblivious shortened,

وغدا أخو الحاجات من متع الهوى

وغدا أخو الحاجات من متع الهوى

قد عاقه عنها المشيب الشاملُ

قد عاقه عنها المشيب الشاملُ

And he who desired the delights of love now finds

The companion of pleasures became, due to old age,

That all-encompassing gray hair keeps him from them.

Averse to them as gray hair spread.

والمُلْهياتِ كأنهنَّ بقلبهِ

والمُلْهياتِ كأنهنَّ بقلبهِ

وبناظريه قذىً وحزنُ داخلُ

وبناظريه قذىً وحزنُ داخلُ

And diversions seem to be, within his heart

It seems as if pleasures in his heart

And his eyes, grit and inward sorrow.

And sight are now distress and sorrow.

وكأنّما النّغمَاتُ زجرُ روابع

وكأنّما النّغمَاتُ زجرُ روابع

وكأنّما الصّهباء سمٌ قاتلُ

وكأنّما الصّهباء سمٌ قاتلُ

And melodies seem like shouts driving camels to their fourth-day watering,

It seems as if melodies are howling winds,

And tawny wine seems a deadly poison.

And beauties poison that kills.

من بعد ما كانت مجالس أُنسهِ

من بعد ما كانت مجالس أُنسهِ

وهواه وهي بزائريه أواهلُ

وهواه وهي بزائريه أواهلُ

After his gatherings of companionship

After being the places of his intimacy, joy, and love,

And love had been thronged with those who visited him,

The first resort for meeting.

يعتاده ندماءُ صدقٍ فيهم

يعتاده ندماءُ صدقٍ فيهم

للْمُكرمات عوائد وشمائلُ

للْمُكرمات عوائد وشمائلُ

True boon companions would frequent him, men whose

He now frequents remorseful gatherings of true friends,

Habits and dispositions favored noble deeds.

Habits and natures change with honoring.

وتزوره بيضَ أَوانس كالدّمى

وتزوره بيضَ أَوانس كالدّمى

غيد كواعب في الخدور بَهاكلُ

غيد كواعب في الخدور بَهاكلُ

And fair, amiable maidens like statues would visit him,

And white-faced visitors like statues visit him,

Graceful, round-breasted, full-bodied women in curtained chambers.

Shy gazelles with languid eyes.

تزهو بهنَّ مطارفٌ ومجاسد

تزهو بهنَّ مطارفٌ ومجاسد

وقلائد وأَساور وخلائِلُ

وقلائد وأَساور وخلائِلُ

They lend splendor to bordered robes and saffron-dyed garments,

Flaunting with coy glances and wrists,

And to necklaces, bracelets, and dress-pins.

Necklaces, bracelets, anklets and rings,

من كل واضحة الجَبين كأنّها

من كل واضحة الجَبين كأنّها

قَمرالدّجُنّة لوَّحته غلائِلُ

قَمرالدّجُنّة لوَّحته غلائِلُ

Each with a radiant brow, as though she were

Each with a clear forehead as if she were

The moon of dark night, revealed by sheer robes.

A rising full moon veiled by tresses.

فهي الغزالُ بمقلتيها والحشى

فهي الغزالُ بمقلتيها والحشى

والجيد إلا أن ذلك عاطِلُ

والجيد إلا أن ذلك عاطِلُ

She is a gazelle in her eyes and waist

She is a gazelle with her glances and slender waist,

And neck, except that the gazelle wears no ornaments.

A doe except her traits are futile.

ولها قوام كالقضيب ورِدفها

ولها قوام كالقضيب ورِدفها

مثل الكثيب وخصرها متماحلُ

مثل الكثيب وخصرها متماحلُ

And her figure is like a slender branch, while her hips

She has a figure straight like a rod, and hips

Are like a sand dune, and her waist is long and slender.

Like a sand dune with a swaying waist.

وكأنّما هي غصنُ بانٍ ناعم

وكأنّما هي غصنُ بانٍ ناعم

من تحته دِعصٌ عليه عَثاكلُ

من تحته دِعصٌ عليه عَثاكلُ

And she seems a tender branch of the bān tree,

As if she is a soft flexible branch,

With a sand mound beneath it, and fruit clusters upon it.

Under which lies kindling upon ashes.

وكأنّما أهدت إلى لحظاتَها

وكأنّما أهدت إلى لحظاتَها

ولهاتها سحراً وخمراً بابلُ

ولهاتها سحراً وخمراً بابلُ

And as though there had been bestowed upon her glances

As if she gifted her glances and whispers

And her uvula, magic and wine by Babylon.

Magic and wine of Babel.

هيهات أَيامُ الصّبا وعُهودهُ

هيهات أَيامُ الصّبا وعُهودهُ

والشيب في دار الشبيبة نازلُ

والشيب في دار الشبيبة نازلُ

Far away are youth's days and seasons,

Alas the days of youth are gone,

And gray hair has taken lodging in the house of youth.

And gray hair has settled in the abode of youth.

هل آن يوما أن يجدَّ مقصِّرٌ

هل آن يوما أن يجدَّ مقصِّرٌ

ويؤوبَ غاوٍ أَو يذكِّرَ غافلُ

ويؤوبَ غاوٍ أَو يذكِّرَ غافلُ

Has the day come for the negligent to grow earnest,

Will the neglectful ever be alert,

And the errant to return, or the heedless to take heed?

The misguided corrected or the inattentive reminded?

إنَّ الزّمان لقد يروح ويغتدي

إنَّ الزّمان لقد يروح ويغتدي

بالحادثاتِ فكيف يلهو العاقلُ

بالحادثاتِ فكيف يلهو العاقلُ

Indeed, time goes forth at evening and at dawn

Time does go by with events,

Bearing calamities; how then can the wise man make merry?

So how can the wise be heedless?

أم كيف يأمن بالزَّمان وصرفه

أم كيف يأمن بالزَّمان وصرفه

فيما يحاوله لبيبٌ فاضلُ

فيما يحاوله لبيبٌ فاضلُ

Or how can one feel secure with time and its vicissitudes,

Or feel safe from time’s changing hands,

A discerning, virtuous man, in all he undertakes?

While the intelligent try to resist it?

فاقفُ الهدي واعمل لنفسك صالحاً

فاقفُ الهدي واعمل لنفسك صالحاً

كلُّ امرئٍ رهن بما هو عاملُ

كلُّ امرئٍ رهن بما هو عاملُ

So follow guidance and do good for yourself;

Hold on to guidance and work for your soul righteousness,

Every person is held in pledge for what he does.

Each person is hostage to their deeds.

وانظر إلى نعم الإله كثيرةً

وانظر إلى نعم الإله كثيرةً

يمضي عليك بها ضحىً وأصائلُ

يمضي عليك بها ضحىً وأصائلُ

And look upon God's many blessings:

And look to the abundant gifts of God

Forenoons and late afternoons pass over you bearing them.

That pass you in the mornings and evenings.

وعليٌّ ابن أبي المعمَّر ذو الحجى

وعليٌّ ابن أبي المعمَّر ذو الحجى

والمجد والفرعُ الأثيل الشَّاملُ

والمجد والفرعُ الأثيل الشَّاملُ

And Ali, son of Abi al-Mu‘ammar, is possessed of wisdom

And Ali son of Abi Talib, the wise and glorious,

And glory—a noble, deep-rooted, far-reaching branch.

The lofty branch and all-encompassing lineage.

ينهى ويأْمرُ لا يُطاقُ خلافُه

ينهى ويأْمرُ لا يُطاقُ خلافُه

ولديهِ ذو حَذرٍ وآخر آملُ

ولديهِ ذو حَذرٍ وآخر آملُ

He forbids and commands; opposition to him cannot be endured.

He commands and prohibits, defying him unbearable,

And before him are one wary man and another hopeful.

Near him one is cautious, another hopeful.

وإذا استجار به الطّريد أجاره

وإذا استجار به الطّريد أجاره

جبلٌ اشمٌ له ذُرىً ومعاقلُ

جبلٌ اشمٌ له ذُرىً ومعاقلُ

And when the fugitive seeks his protection, he shelters him:

If the outcast seeks refuge through him, he gives it,

A lofty mountain, with summits and strongholds.

A fierce mountain with folds and strongholds.

وإذا أَلمَّ به السؤال تبيّنت

وإذا أَلمَّ به السؤال تبيّنت

في البشر منه للنجاح مخائلُ

في البشر منه للنجاح مخائلُ

And when petitioners come to him, there appear

And if he is tested with a question, qualities emerge in people,

In the cheer he shows, signs promising success.

Due to him, conducing to success.

لعليٍّ ابن أبي المعمّر أَنعمٌ

لعليٍّ ابن أبي المعمّر أَنعمٌ

متظاهراتٌ في الرّقاب مَواثِلُ

متظاهراتٌ في الرّقاب مَواثِلُ

Ali, son of Abi al-Mu‘ammar, has favors

For Ali son of Abi Talib there are favors

Heaped together, standing plainly upon people's necks.

Apparent on necks like rain-drops.

وكأنَّ راحتَه الغمامُ وصَوبُها

وكأنَّ راحتَه الغمامُ وصَوبُها

من خالص الذّهب المُلثُّ الوابلُ

من خالص الذّهب المُلثُّ الوابلُ

And his palm seems a raincloud, its downpour

As if his rest is the clouds and their pouring

Of pure gold, unceasing and torrential.

Is pure gold, refined and torrential.

الفائض الغمرُ الجوادُ المرتّضَى

الفائض الغمرُ الجوادُ المرتّضَى

والّلوذعيُّ الشَمَّريّ الباسِلُ

والّلوذعيُّ الشَمَّريّ الباسِلُ

The overflowing giver, bountiful, generous, esteemed,

The abundant rain, the open-handed, the agreeable,

And keen-witted, energetic, and valiant.

The courageous, valiant and audacious.

وله على شرف المجرة همّةٌ

وله على شرف المجرة همّةٌ

علياءُ يقصر دونها المتطاولُ

علياءُ يقصر دونها المتطاولُ

And his ambition stands upon the Milky Way's height,

He aspires on the crest of glory,

So lofty that one striving upward falls short of it.

Lofty ambitions beyond the pretentious.

أبقى له عمر أَبوه مَذهباً

أبقى له عمر أَبوه مَذهباً

يَجري عليه فما لذلك ناقلُ

يَجري عليه فما لذلك ناقلُ

Umar, his father, left him a path,

May his father’s lifetime give him longevity,

Which he follows, and none can change that course.

Flowing through him, none can transport it.

يا ابنَ الملوك السّابقين تقدّمت

يا ابنَ الملوك السّابقين تقدّمت

لهُم سوابقُ في العُلى وأوائِلُ

لهُم سوابقُ في العُلى وأوائِلُ

O son of the kings of old, already they had

O son of past kings who preceded,

Precedence and first honors in the heights of glory.

With precedence in sublimity and beginnings.