أبى اللّهُ أن أسمو بغيرِ فضائلي

أبى اللّهُ أن أسمو بغيرِ فضائلي

إِذا ما سَما بالمالِ كلُّ مُسَوَّدِ

إِذا ما سَما بالمالِ كلُّ مُسَوَّدِ

God would not have me rise save through my virtues,

God did not allow me to rise except through my virtues,

When every chief rises through wealth.

When the ignoble rose through wealth.

وإن كَرُمَتْ قبلي أوائلُ أُسرتِي

وإن كَرُمَتْ قبلي أوائلُ أُسرتِي

فإني بحمدِ اللّه مبدأُ سُودَدِي

فإني بحمدِ اللّه مبدأُ سُودَدِي

And though my family's forebears were noble before me,

And if my forefathers were honored before me,

Yet I, praise be to God, am the source of my own eminence.

I am, praise be to God, the initiator of my nobility.

يُذَمُّ لأجلي الدهرُ إن يكْبُ مَرَّةً

يُذَمُّ لأجلي الدهرُ إن يكْبُ مَرَّةً

بجَدّي وإن ينهضْ بجَدِّيَ يُحْمَدِ

بجَدّي وإن ينهضْ بجَدِّيَ يُحْمَدِ

Time is blamed on my account if it once stumbles

The times vilify me if I stumble once,

With my fortune, and praised if it raises my fortune.

And praise me if I succeed through my effort.

وما مَنْصِبٌ إلا وقدريَ فوقَهُ

وما مَنْصِبٌ إلا وقدريَ فوقَهُ

ولو حُطَّ رحلي فوق نَسْرٍ وفرقدِ

ولو حُطَّ رحلي فوق نَسْرٍ وفرقدِ

And there is no rank but my worth stands above it,

There is no position above my destiny,

Even if my saddle were set above the stars Nasr and Farqad.

Even if my belongings were placed atop an eagle and a horse.

إِذا شَرُفَتْ نفسُ الفَتى زادَ قَدْرُهُ

إِذا شَرُفَتْ نفسُ الفَتى زادَ قَدْرُهُ

على كلِّ أسنَى منه ذِكراً وأمجدِ

على كلِّ أسنَى منه ذِكراً وأمجدِ

When a young man's soul is noble, his worth rises

When the soul of a young man is noble, his worth increases

Above all who are more renowned and glorious than he.

Above any contemporary, in renown and glory.

كذاكَ حديدُ السيفِ إن يَصْفُ جوهراً

كذاكَ حديدُ السيفِ إن يَصْفُ جوهراً

فقيمتُهُ أضعافُه وزنَ عَسْجَدِ

فقيمتُهُ أضعافُه وزنَ عَسْجَدِ

So too the iron of a sword, if pure in substance:

Thus is the steel of a sword—if its essence is pure,

Its value is many times its weight in gold.

Its value becomes multiples, like the weight of silver.

يُكاثِرُنِي من لا يُقاسُ نِجَادُهُ

يُكاثِرُنِي من لا يُقاسُ نِجَادُهُ

بشِسْعِي إِذا ما ضَمَّنا صدرُ مشهدِ

بشِسْعِي إِذا ما ضَمَّنا صدرُ مشهدِ

One vies with me in wealth whose sword-belt cannot compare

Those whose nobility cannot be compared to mine

With my sandal-strap, when we meet in an assembly's place of honor.

Envy me when we come together in an assembly.

وما المالُ إلا عارةٌ مستَردَّةٌ

وما المالُ إلا عارةٌ مستَردَّةٌ

فهلّا بفضلِي كاثروني ومَحْتِدِي

فهلّا بفضلِي كاثروني ومَحْتِدِي

And wealth is nothing but a loan to be reclaimed;

Wealth is nothing but a loan soon taken back,

Why, then, did they not vie with me in merit and lineage?

Why do they envy me for my merit rather than vie?

وإنّ أناساً صِرْتُ جارَ بيوتِهم

وإنّ أناساً صِرْتُ جارَ بيوتِهم

عباديدُ شَذْرٍ فُصِّلَتْ بزبرجَدِ

عباديدُ شَذْرٍ فُصِّلَتْ بزبرجَدِ

And indeed, the people whose homes I have come to neighbor

And there are people whose homes I've become a neighbor to

Are scattered beads of gold interspersed with chrysolite.

Like bits of glass next to Zabarjad gems.

يُسَرُّ بقربِي منهمُ كلُّ أصيدٍ

يُسَرُّ بقربِي منهمُ كلُّ أصيدٍ

ويكرَهُ كوني منهمُ كلُّ أنكَدِ

ويكرَهُ كوني منهمُ كلُّ أنكَدِ

Every proud noble among them rejoices in my nearness,

Every tender person is gladdened by my nearness

And every ill-natured man among them resents my presence.

And every sullen person dislikes my presence.

وأصحبُ منهمْ سائِساً غيرَ حازمٍ

وأصحبُ منهمْ سائِساً غيرَ حازمٍ

وأتبعُ منهم هادياً غيرَ مهتدي

وأتبعُ منهم هادياً غيرَ مهتدي

And among them I accompany a ruler who lacks prudence,

And I socialize with one of them—an imprudent leader,

And follow a guide among them who is himself unguided.

And follow one of them—an unguided guide.

إِذا لم يكنْ لي في الولاية بسطةٌ

إِذا لم يكنْ لي في الولاية بسطةٌ

يطولُ بها باعي ويسطُو بها يدي

يطولُ بها باعي ويسطُو بها يدي

If I have no ample authority in office,

If I had no power in office

By which my reach extends and my hand strikes with force,

To lengthen my arm and spread wide my hand,

ولا كان لي حُكمٌ مطاعٌ أُجِيزهُ

ولا كان لي حُكمٌ مطاعٌ أُجِيزهُ

فأُرغِمُ أعدائي وأكبُتُ حُسَّدِي

فأُرغِمُ أعدائي وأكبُتُ حُسَّدِي

And I have no decree to issue that is obeyed,

If I had no obeyed authority to execute

So that I humble my enemies and subdue my enviers,

So I could subdue my enemies and humble my enviers,

ولم يَغْشَ بابي موكبٌ بعدَ موكبٍ

ولم يَغْشَ بابي موكبٌ بعدَ موكبٍ

مَخافةَ إيعادٍ وتأميلَ موعِدِ

مَخافةَ إيعادٍ وتأميلَ موعِدِ

And procession after procession does not throng my door,

If no procession still came to my door after procession

In fear of a threat and hope of a promise,

Fearing a return or expecting a promise,

فأروَحُ لي منها اعتزالٌ يصونُني

فأروَحُ لي منها اعتزالٌ يصونُني

صِيانةَ مطرورِ الغِرارين مُغْمَدِ

صِيانةَ مطرورِ الغِرارين مُغْمَدِ

Then withdrawal is more restful for me than office, protecting me

Then I would keep my distance to protect myself

As a keen, double-edged sword is protected in its sheath.

Like a drawn sword, sheathed, guarded.

فأُعْذَرُ إن قصَّرْتُ في حقِّ مُجْتَدٍ

فأُعْذَرُ إن قصَّرْتُ في حقِّ مُجْتَدٍ

وآمنُ أن يعتادَني كيدُ معتدي

وآمنُ أن يعتادَني كيدُ معتدي

Thus I am excused if I fall short in my duty to a seeker of gifts,

So I'm excused if I fall short toward the pretentious

And I am safe from an aggressor's recurring schemes.

And safe from the cunning of the transgressor.

أَأُكفَى ولا أَكْفِي وتلك غَضاضَةٌ

أَأُكفَى ولا أَكْفِي وتلك غَضاضَةٌ

أرى دونَها وقعَ الحسامِ المُهَنَّدِ

أرى دونَها وقعَ الحسامِ المُهَنَّدِ

Am I to be provided for yet provide for no one? That is a disgrace;

Is it enough that I'm not enough? That’s an affliction—

I deem the blow of a keen Indian-forged blade less grievous than that.

I see the impact of the unsheathed sword below it.

ولولا تكاليفُ العُلى ومغارمٌ

ولولا تكاليفُ العُلى ومغارمٌ

ثِقَالٌ ودينٌ آخذٌ بالمقلَّدِ

ثِقَالٌ ودينٌ آخذٌ بالمقلَّدِ

And were it not for the demands of eminence and expenses

If not for the burdens of the eminent and costly

Heavy to bear, and debt that grips my neck,

Obligations, debts gripping the indebted,

وإشفاقُ نفسي من خِلافِ أعِزَّتِي

وإشفاقُ نفسي من خِلافِ أعِزَّتِي

وخوفيَ أعقابَ الأحاديثِ في غَدِ

وخوفيَ أعقابَ الأحاديثِ في غَدِ

And my soul's fear of opposing my loved ones,

And my soul’s dread of opposing my loved ones

And my fear of what talk may bring tomorrow,

And fearing the consequences of words tomorrow,

لأعطيتُ نفسي في التخلي مُرادَها

لأعطيتُ نفسي في التخلي مُرادَها

وذاكَ مُرادي مذ نشأتُ ومقصِدِي

وذاكَ مُرادي مذ نشأتُ ومقصِدِي

I would grant my soul its wish for seclusion,

I would have let my soul fulfill its wish

And that has been my wish and aim since my youth.

And that is what I’ve wanted since I was young.

من الحزمِ أن لا يَضْجَرَ المرءُ بالذي

من الحزمِ أن لا يَضْجَرَ المرءُ بالذي

يُعانيهِ من مكروههِ وكأن قَدِ

يُعانيهِ من مكروههِ وكأن قَدِ

It is prudent for a man not to fret over what

It is wise not to be bothered by what

He suffers of hardship—as though it had already [passed].

You suffer of hated things as if they were dear.

إِذا جلَدي في الأمرِ خان ولم يقمْ

إِذا جلَدي في الأمرِ خان ولم يقمْ

بنُصْرةِ عزمي نابَ عنه تجلُّدِي

بنُصْرةِ عزمي نابَ عنه تجلُّدِي

If my endurance fails me in a matter and does not rise

When my patience in the matter betrays me and does not

To support my resolve, my mustered endurance takes its place.

Assist my resolve, my composure takes its place.

ومن يستعِنْ بالصبرِ نالَ مُرادَهُ

ومن يستعِنْ بالصبرِ نالَ مُرادَهُ

ولو بعد حينٍ إنهُ خيرُ مُسْعِدِ

ولو بعد حينٍ إنهُ خيرُ مُسْعِدِ

And whoever seeks help from patience attains his desire,

Whoever seeks help through patience attains his wish,

Even if only after a while; it is the best of helpers.

Even if after some time. Verily, that is the best aid.