نُجومُ العُلَى فيكُمُ تطلُعُ

نُجومُ العُلَى فيكُمُ تطلُعُ

وغائبُها نحوَكُمْ يرجِعُ

وغائبُها نحوَكُمْ يرجِعُ

The stars of greatness rise in you,

The stars of glory rise in you

and their absent star returns toward you.

And their absent ones return towards you

عُلىً تستقِلُّ ولا يَسْتَقرّ

عُلىً تستقِلُّ ولا يَسْتَقرّ

بها دونَ بابِكُمُ مضجَعُ

بها دونَ بابِكُمُ مضجَعُ

Greatness soars and finds no settled rest

Glory that ascends and does not settle

anywhere short of your gate.

Except at your door where it lays down

ومجدٌ أشمُّ بإقبالِكُمْ

ومجدٌ أشمُّ بإقبالِكُمْ

فإن هوَ فارقكُمْ أجدَعُ

فإن هوَ فارقكُمْ أجدَعُ

And glory holds its nose high through your favor;

And a glory I sense in your arrival

but if it parts from you, its nose is cut off.

If it leaves you, it withers away

له عندَكمْ صفحةٌ طلقَةٌ

له عندَكمْ صفحةٌ طلقَةٌ

وخدٌّ لدَى غيرِكمْ أضْرَعُ

وخدٌّ لدَى غيرِكمْ أضْرَعُ

With you it has a cheerful countenance,

It has with you an open page

and with others, an abased cheek.

And with others besides you a broken cheek

لواءٌ يُحَطُّ بأيدي الخُطوب

لواءٌ يُحَطُّ بأيدي الخُطوب

وألويةٌ غيرُه تُرفعُ

وألويةٌ غيرُه تُرفعُ

A banner is lowered by the hands of calamities,

A banner lowered by the hands of calamities

while other banners are raised.

While others' banners are raised

ففي رفعِها للعُلَى مضحكٌ

ففي رفعِها للعُلَى مضحكٌ

وفي حطِّها للنَّدَى مجزَعُ

وفي حطِّها للنَّدَى مجزَعُ

For their raising gives greatness cause to laugh,

In raising them to glory is mockery

and their lowering gives generosity cause to grieve.

And in lowering them to people is terror

ومرعىً تَعاوَرُهُ أزمَةٌ

ومرعىً تَعاوَرُهُ أزمَةٌ

فأصبحَ من بعدِها يُمْرِعُ

فأصبحَ من بعدِها يُمْرِعُ

And a pasture repeatedly ravaged by famine

And a pasture alternated by crisis

then grew lush after it had passed.

After which it grows barren

هو الدّوحُ تهصرهُ العاصِفات

هو الدّوحُ تهصرهُ العاصِفات

فينآدُ حيناً ولا يُقلعُ

فينآدُ حيناً ولا يُقلعُ

He is the spreading grove the tempests bend;

It is a tall palm tree battered by storms

it bends awhile, but is not uprooted.

It cries out at times but does not uproot

وأبيضُ قد أقلقتهُ الحروب

وأبيضُ قد أقلقتهُ الحروب

فقرَّ بِهِ غِمدُه الأمنعُ

فقرَّ بِهِ غِمدُه الأمنعُ

And a gleaming sword that wars had kept restless—

A white sword disturbed by wars

so its strongest sheath has found repose with it.

Sheathed by its impenetrable scabbard

ورأيٌ على عزمهِ مُجمعٌ

ورأيٌ على عزمهِ مُجمعٌ

وقلبٌ على هَمِّهِ أصمَعُ

وقلبٌ على هَمِّهِ أصمَعُ

And a judgment firmly set upon its resolve,

A purpose on which resolves are united

and a heart keenly intent on its purpose.

And a heart on its concerns deaf

وما غاب حتى عيونُ العُلَى

وما غاب حتى عيونُ العُلَى

تَفيضُ وأنفُسُها تهلعُ

تَفيضُ وأنفُسُها تهلعُ

And he was no sooner absent than the eyes of greatness

It had not gone away before the eyes of glory

overflowed, and its souls were seized with panic.

Overflow and their souls roar

وقلَّ المواسي فلا صرخةٌ

وقلَّ المواسي فلا صرخةٌ

تُجابُ ولا غُلَّةٌ تُنْقَعُ

تُجابُ ولا غُلَّةٌ تُنْقَعُ

And consolers grew few, so no cry

And few are the consolers so no scream

was answered, and no burning thirst was quenched.

Is answered and no grit is removed

فمن أدمعٍ حذفتْها العُيون

فمن أدمعٍ حذفتْها العُيون

يُقَرَّحُ من مثلِها المدمَعُ

يُقَرَّحُ من مثلِها المدمَعُ

So there were tears the eyes flung forth,

So from tears shed by the eyes

whose like would ulcerate the tear duct,

The like of them wound the tearful

ومن زَفرةٍ نفضتها الضُلو

ومن زَفرةٍ نفضتها الضُلو

عُ ترفَضُّ عن مثلِها الأضلعُ

عُ ترفَضُّ عن مثلِها الأضلعُ

and a sigh the ribs shook out,

And from sighs exhaled by the darkness of night

at whose like the ribs burst apart.

Ribs reject the like of them

فها هوَ حتَّى اطمأنَّ الشجون

فها هوَ حتَّى اطمأنَّ الشجون

وغاضتْ لأوبتِه الأدمعُ

وغاضتْ لأوبتِه الأدمعُ

So here he is, and the sorrows have grown calm,

Yet it came to pass that anguish is calmed

and the tears have ebbed at his return.

And tears ceased flowing for its loss

وقد غُمَّ نَهْجُ العُلَى بعدَهُ

وقد غُمَّ نَهْجُ العُلَى بعدَهُ

وقد لَحِبَ المنهجُ المَهْيَعُ

وقد لَحِبَ المنهجُ المَهْيَعُ

And the path of greatness had been obscured in his absence;

The path of glory gloomed after it

and now the broad highway has become clear.

And the fearful course became desolate

ولاحَ لنا من خِلال الخُطوبِ

ولاحَ لنا من خِلال الخُطوبِ

كما أخلصَ القُضُبُ اللُمَّعُ

كما أخلصَ القُضُبُ اللُمَّعُ

And he shone upon us from amid calamities,

To us it appeared through the calamities

like gleaming blades refined to purity.

As the polished wood appears

وقد حادَ عنهُ سِهامُ العِدَى

وقد حادَ عنهُ سِهامُ العِدَى

فلم يبقَ في قوسهم منزعُ

فلم يبقَ في قوسهم منزعُ

And the arrows of the foes have veered away from him,

And the arrows of enemies missed it

so no shot remains in their bow.

Leaving their bows without a notch

وباتَ الحسودُ على غيظهِ

وباتَ الحسودُ على غيظهِ

ينادمُ ناجذَهُ الإصْبَعُ

ينادمُ ناجذَهُ الإصْبَعُ

And the envious man spent the night in his rage,

And the envious spent the night in their displeasure

his finger keeping his molar company.

Biting their fingers in regret

ومن ليس تلحقهُ أعينُ ال

ومن ليس تلحقهُ أعينُ ال

عِدى كيف تلحَقُهُ الأذرعُ

عِدى كيف تلحَقُهُ الأذرعُ

And one beyond the reach of the eyes of the

He whom the eyes of enemies cannot reach

foes—how can their arms reach him?

How can their arms reach him?