غَريب وَإِني في العَشيرة وَالأَهلِ

غَريب وَإِني في العَشيرة وَالأَهلِ

أَرى الخَصب مَمنوع الجَوانب مِن مَحلِ

أَرى الخَصب مَمنوع الجَوانب مِن مَحلِ

A stranger, though I am among my clan and kin.

Strange am I among kith and kin,

I see plenty barred on every side by drought.

I see lush pastures fenced off.

وَأَصدق مِن أَصفيهِ وَدي مَداهن

وَأَصدق مِن أَصفيهِ وَدي مَداهن

وَمَلعب طوقي مِنهُ في قَبضة النَصل

وَمَلعب طوقي مِنهُ في قَبضة النَصل

And the truest of those I give my pure affection is a dissembler.

More sincere than those I befriend,

And because of him my collar's playground lies in the blade's grip.

Yet my destiny's in the clutch of a sword.

وَإِني لَقَد جَرَبت دَهري وَأَهلَهُ

وَإِني لَقَد جَرَبت دَهري وَأَهلَهُ

لَعُمريَ حَتّى صرت أَنفُر مِن ظلي

لَعُمريَ حَتّى صرت أَنفُر مِن ظلي

And I have indeed tested my age and its people,

I've tested fate and tested men,

By my life, until I came to recoil from my own shadow.

Till I nauseate even my own shadow.

وَنازلت للأَيام كُل كَريهةٍ

وَنازلت للأَيام كُل كَريهةٍ

شَدائدها الجَلّاء تَعجب مِن حَملي

شَدائدها الجَلّاء تَعجب مِن حَملي

And I have battled every ordeal the days have dealt;

I've grappled with the days' every torment,

Their mighty hardships marvel at my endurance.

Its stark calamities astonish even me.

بَليت بِأَقوام إِذا ما اختَبَرتُهُم

بَليت بِأَقوام إِذا ما اختَبَرتُهُم

أَفضل مَشيي حافي الرَجُل عَن نَعلي

أَفضل مَشيي حافي الرَجُل عَن نَعلي

I have been afflicted with people; whenever I test them,

When tested, superior is going barefoot to wearing their shoes.

I prefer walking barefoot to wearing my sandal.

Never did I know a lion in its lair

وَما كُنت أَدري أَنَّ لَيث عَرينة

وَما كُنت أَدري أَنَّ لَيث عَرينة

يَخاف وَيَخشى البَطش مِن أَضعف النمل

يَخاف وَيَخشى البَطش مِن أَضعف النمل

And I never knew that a lion in its lair

Could fear and dread the sting of the feeblest ant.

Could fear and dread an assault from the weakest ants.

Poverty would not have come near me had I been content

وَما كانَ يَدنو الفُقر مني لَو أَنَّني

وَما كانَ يَدنو الفُقر مني لَو أَنَّني

رَضيت كَما تَرضى الأَسافل بِالبُخل

رَضيت كَما تَرضى الأَسافل بِالبُخل

Poverty would never have come near me, had I

To do as the lowly do, wallowing in greed.

Been content with stinginess, as the base are.

If my distinction barred what I sought,

لَئِن كانَ فَضلي مانِعي ما أَرومَهُ

لَئِن كانَ فَضلي مانِعي ما أَرومَهُ

هَدمت بِأَيدي الجَهل ما شادَهُ فَضلي

هَدمت بِأَيدي الجَهل ما شادَهُ فَضلي

If my merit keeps me from what I seek,

Then ignorance demolished what distinction built.

I would tear down with ignorance's hands what my merit built.

You assault us, Time, like a warrior,

تَصول عَلَينا يا زَمان مُحارِباً

تَصول عَلَينا يا زَمان مُحارِباً

كَأَنَّك مِن قَتل الأَماجد في حلّ

كَأَنَّك مِن قَتل الأَماجد في حلّ

You assail us, O Time, waging war,

As though the hero's death fulfilled you.

As though you were free of blame for killing the noble.

I speak though none like me is brought low,

أَقول وَما غَيري بِمُضع كَأَنَّني

أَقول وَما غَيري بِمُضع كَأَنَّني

عَلى صفحات الماءِ أَكتب ما أَمَلي

عَلى صفحات الماءِ أَكتب ما أَمَلي

I speak, but no one else [listens], as though I

Like one writing on water what occurs to him.

Write what I dictate on the water's pages.

How many a dear one whose promise I gained

وَكَم مِن حَبيب ما ظَفَرت بِوَعدِهِ

وَكَم مِن حَبيب ما ظَفَرت بِوَعدِهِ

إِذا لَم يُمُت بِالصَد يَقتل بِالذُل

إِذا لَم يُمُت بِالصَد يَقتل بِالذُل

And how many a beloved whose promise I never secured—

Died of affection if he escaped vilification.

If he does not kill by rejection, he kills by humiliation.

If by chance his phantom glided before my eyes,

وَإِن مَرَّ سَهواً بِالعُيون خَيالُهُ

وَإِن مَرَّ سَهواً بِالعُيون خَيالُهُ

أَبيت سَمير الهَجر في لَيلَةِ الوَصل

أَبيت سَمير الهَجر في لَيلَةِ الوَصل

And if his phantom passes by chance before my eyes,

I refused the night rapture during separation.

I spend the night as separation's companion, on a night of union.

You've despised me, my era, as you please,

عَدمت زَماني حَيث يَلعَب بي كَما

عَدمت زَماني حَيث يَلعَب بي كَما

يُريد وَلَم يُبصر بِأَبصر مِن مثلي

يُريد وَلَم يُبصر بِأَبصر مِن مثلي

May my time be no more, since it toys with me as

Not seeing the like of me with my vision;

It wishes, though it has never seen anyone more discerning than one like me.

Unknowing that justice descends on all,

وَلَم يَدرِ أَنَّ العَدل حَلَّ بِجِلَقٍ

وَلَم يَدرِ أَنَّ العَدل حَلَّ بِجِلَقٍ

وَأَنسي مُزيل وَحشة الكُل بِالكُل

وَأَنسي مُزيل وَحشة الكُل بِالكُل

Nor did it know that justice had settled in Jilliq,

My confidant banishes the gloom of all through all.

And my solace, who utterly dispels everyone's loneliness—

Noblest of chosen guides, fount of glory,

رَفيع الجَناب المُجتَبى وَأَبو النَدى

رَفيع الجَناب المُجتَبى وَأَبو النَدى

وَشَمس الهُدى الهادي إِلى أَقوم السُبل

وَشَمس الهُدى الهادي إِلى أَقوم السُبل

Exalted in dignity, the chosen one and father of bounty,

Sun of guidance leading to the most upright paths.

And the sun of guidance, who leads to the straightest paths.

You upheld the secure bond So perfidy retreated,

أَقام كَسبح الأَمن فَاِنهَزَم الرَدى

أَقام كَسبح الأَمن فَاِنهَزَم الرَدى

وَأَصبَحَت الأَهوال في ربض الذُلّ

وَأَصبَحَت الأَهوال في ربض الذُلّ

He stood like security's [unclear], so death was routed,

Terrors crouched in the dust at dawn.

And terrors came to dwell in the precincts of humiliation.

Highest ranking above all ranks,

لَهُ الرُتبة العُليا عَلى كُل رُتبَةٍ

لَهُ الرُتبة العُليا عَلى كُل رُتبَةٍ

لَهُ النعمة العُظمى عَلى كُل مَن يُدلي

لَهُ النعمة العُظمى عَلى كُل مَن يُدلي

His is the highest rank, above every rank;

Greatest blessing upon all who rely.

His is the greatest bounty to everyone who makes an appeal.

You've a nature that breathes gentleness

لَهُ خُلق يَحكي النَسيم وَراحة

لَهُ خُلق يَحكي النَسيم وَراحة

عَلى الشُح وَالأَمساك تَحكم بِالقَتل

عَلى الشُح وَالأَمساك تَحكم بِالقَتل

His is a disposition like the breeze, and a palm

While stinginess and hoarding deal in murder.

That sentences avarice and withholding to death.

You've ennobled the likes of me at your door.

وَقَد عظمت مثلي رِجال بِبابِهِ

وَقَد عظمت مثلي رِجال بِبابِهِ

وَكَم مِن غَريب الدار عَن أَهلِهِ يُسلى

وَكَم مِن غَريب الدار عَن أَهلِهِ يُسلى

And men like me have grown great at his door;

How many far from kith are consoled!

And many a stranger, far from home and family, is consoled.

My visits among the Europeans brought me pride,

وَكانَ اِجتِماعي فيهِ بِالروم رفعة

وَكانَ اِجتِماعي فيهِ بِالروم رفعة

أَسود بِهِ فَخراً عَلى كُل مِن قَبلي

أَسود بِهِ فَخراً عَلى كُل مِن قَبلي

And my meeting with him in Rum was an elevation;

I boasted of it over all who went before me.

Through him I rise in glory above all who came before me.

You governed praise until your banner

تَمَلك رق الحَمد حَتّى رايَتُهُ

تَمَلك رق الحَمد حَتّى رايَتُهُ

بِالسنة الإِجماع يَحمد بِالفعل

بِالسنة الإِجماع يَحمد بِالفعل

He has enslaved praise; even his banner

Was praised in fact by consensus.

Is indeed praised by the tongues of unanimous accord.

Endure for the world, supporting its people.

فَدامَ عَلى الدُنيا مُعَيناً لِأَهلِها

فَدامَ عَلى الدُنيا مُعَيناً لِأَهلِها

يفرّق لِلأَعدا وَيَجمَع لِلشَمل

يفرّق لِلأَعدا وَيَجمَع لِلشَمل

So may he endure in the world, a helper to its people,

Disjoin foes, bring kindred together.

Bringing division to enemies and restoring unity.

You are the hope for every dilemma,

فَذاكَ الَّذي يُرجى لِكُل مُلمَةٍ

فَذاكَ الَّذي يُرجى لِكُل مُلمَةٍ

فَيُعطى بِلا من وَيوسي بِلا كل

فَيُعطى بِلا من وَيوسي بِلا كل

For he is the one looked to in every calamity:

Giving without peer, enfolding without stint.

So he gives without reproach and consoles without weariness.