ياراكِباً سَنَنَ الطَريقِ اللاحِبِ

ياراكِباً سَنَنَ الطَريقِ اللاحِبِ

وَمُقَلقِلاً خوصَ المَطِيِّ اللاغِبِ

وَمُقَلقِلاً خوصَ المَطِيِّ اللاغِبِ

O rider along the course of the well-trodden road,

O rider of the paths of love unabating

and jolting onward the narrow-eyed, weary riding camels,

And stirrer of the obedient steed unhesitating

إِن كُنتَ مُطَّلِعَ الثُغورِ فَحَيِّ ما

إِن كُنتَ مُطَّلِعَ الثُغورِ فَحَيِّ ما

خَلَفَ القُصَيرُ وَدونَ دَربِ الراهِبِ

خَلَفَ القُصَيرُ وَدونَ دَربِ الراهِبِ

If you visit the frontier towns, then greet what lies

If you are scanning the horizons then greet, what lies

beyond al-Qusayr and this side of Darb al-Rahib.

Beyond the short and below the monk's road

وَاخصُص عِراصَ الهاشِمِيِّ فَإِنَّها

وَاخصُص عِراصَ الهاشِمِيِّ فَإِنَّها

حِلَلٌ لِأَبيَضَ كَالحُسامِ القاضِبِ

حِلَلٌ لِأَبيَضَ كَالحُسامِ القاضِبِ

And single out al-Hashimi's courtyards, for they

And single out the family of Hashim for they are

are dwellings of a fair, noble man, like a cleaving sword.

Adornments for the valiant white swords decisive

يَصفو لَهُ وُدّي وَتَرجُفُ دونَهُ

يَصفو لَهُ وُدّي وَتَرجُفُ دونَهُ

كَبِدي وَتَنبو عَن أَذاهُ مَضارِبي

كَبِدي وَتَنبو عَن أَذاهُ مَضارِبي

My affection is pure for him, and before him trembles

My affection flows for him and my inner self trembles for him

my liver; my sword-edges recoil from harming him.

And my wrists ward off harm from him

إيهاً أَبا العَبّاسِ إِنّي مُلحِقٌ

إيهاً أَبا العَبّاسِ إِنّي مُلحِقٌ

بِكَ خُلَّتي وَمُلَيِّنٌ لَكَ جانِبي

بِكَ خُلَّتي وَمُلَيِّنٌ لَكَ جانِبي

Enough, Abu al-Abbas! I am binding

Alas O Abbas I am joining

my friendship to you, and softening my side toward you,

My family to you and inclining my side to you

شَغَفاً بِقُربِكَ دونَ رَأيِ المُرتَئي

شَغَفاً بِقُربِكَ دونَ رَأيِ المُرتَئي

وَمَوَدَّةً لَكَ فَوقَ حَسبِ الحاسِبِ

وَمَوَدَّةً لَكَ فَوقَ حَسبِ الحاسِبِ

out of passion for your nearness, without a deliberator's judgment,

Yearning for your nearness beyond the opinion of the hesitant

and affection for you beyond a reckoner's reckoning.

And affection for you above the account of the calculator

وَإِخالُني مُتَقَرِّباً مِن شاسِعٍ

وَإِخالُني مُتَقَرِّباً مِن شاسِعٍ

بِوِدادِهِ وَمُواصِلاً لِمُجانِبِ

بِوِدادِهِ وَمُواصِلاً لِمُجانِبِ

And I think myself drawing near to one far away

And let me draw near to the generous

in his affection, and maintaining ties with one who keeps aloof.

With his affection and join the aloof

أَرعى الأَمانَةَ لِلمُضيعِ وَأَبتَغي

أَرعى الأَمانَةَ لِلمُضيعِ وَأَبتَغي

حُسنَ الأَمانَةِ مِن مُوَلٍّ ذاهِبِ

حُسنَ الأَمانَةِ مِن مُوَلٍّ ذاهِبِ

I keep faith with one who neglects it, and seek

I tend to loyalty for the negligent and seek

good faith from one who turns away and departs.

Good loyalty from the departing master

وَأَصَبُّ مِنكَ عَلى البِعادِ إِلى أَخٍ

وَأَصَبُّ مِنكَ عَلى البِعادِ إِلى أَخٍ

حُرِّ الضَميرِ مِنَ الصَبابَةِ شائِبِ

حُرِّ الضَميرِ مِنَ الصَبابَةِ شائِبِ

And despite the distance, I yearn more than you for a brother

And I pour from you in distance to a brother

noble of heart, grown gray from ardent longing.

Free of conscience from any blemish

أَبلِغ أَميرَكَ وَهوَ غايَةُ كُلِّ ذي

أَبلِغ أَميرَكَ وَهوَ غايَةُ كُلِّ ذي

أَمَلٍ وَمَورِدُ كُلِّ عافٍ قارِبِ

أَمَلٍ وَمَورِدُ كُلِّ عافٍ قارِبِ

Convey to your prince—he is the goal of everyone with

Inform your commander, for he is the goal of every

hope, and the watering place of every approaching suppliant—

Hopeful and the destination of every impending success

لايَكثُرَنَّ عَلَيكَ أَمري إِنَّني

لايَكثُرَنَّ عَلَيكَ أَمري إِنَّني

لا أَجعَلُ الإِفضالَ ضَربَةَ لازِبِ

لا أَجعَلُ الإِفضالَ ضَربَةَ لازِبِ

(Do not let my affair burden you; I

Let not my matter burden you, I do not

do not make generosity an inescapable obligation.)

Make favor a blow of reproach

عَن صاحِبِ السَبَبِ القَوِيِّ وَناشِدِ ال

عَن صاحِبِ السَبَبِ القَوِيِّ وَناشِدِ ال

حَقِّ المُؤَكَّدِ وَالذِمامِ الواجِب

حَقِّ المُؤَكَّدِ وَالذِمامِ الواجِب

on behalf of one with a strong bond, who also claims the

From the companion of strong cause, and the demander of

established right and the binding pledge of protection:

The assured right, and the guarantor of duty

إِمّا تَعَذَّرَ نائِلٌ مِن مُنعِمٍ

إِمّا تَعَذَّرَ نائِلٌ مِن مُنعِمٍ

لَم أَنصَرِف عَنهُ اِنصِرافَةَ عاتِبِ

لَم أَنصَرِف عَنهُ اِنصِرافَةَ عاتِبِ

If a gift from a benefactor proves unattainable,

Rarely is a seeker deprived by a benefactor

I would not turn away from him in reproach.

That I turn away from him in withdrawal of blame

ما كُنتُ بِالجَشِعِ المُلِحِّ فَأَمتَري

ما كُنتُ بِالجَشِعِ المُلِحِّ فَأَمتَري

كَدَرَ البَخيلِ وَلا السَئولِ الطالِبِ

كَدَرَ البَخيلِ وَلا السَئولِ الطالِبِ

I have never been greedy and insistent, so as to milk

I am not of the insistent greedy, so I haggle

a miser's dregs, nor an incessantly asking petitioner.

Like the stingy, nor the begging questioner

لَكِنَّني مُهدي عُلاً وَمَكارِمٍ

لَكِنَّني مُهدي عُلاً وَمَكارِمٍ

وَمُعيرُ حَظِّ مَآثِرٍ وَمَناقِبِ

وَمُعيرُ حَظِّ مَآثِرٍ وَمَناقِبِ

But I am a giver of high honor and noble qualities,

Rather I give merit and virtues

and a lender of a share in glorious deeds and virtues.

And I lend a share of glories and excellences

فَلَئِن قَبِلتَ لَقَد سَمِعتَ ضَرورَةً

فَلَئِن قَبِلتَ لَقَد سَمِعتَ ضَرورَةً

وَرَأَيتَ كَيفَ سَوائِري وَغَرائِبي

وَرَأَيتَ كَيفَ سَوائِري وَغَرائِبي

So if you accept, you must indeed have heard

So if you accept, you have heard my necessity

and seen what my far-traveling verses and rarities are like.

And seen how I fare and my wonders

وَإِنِ امتَنَعتَ فَقَد رَأَيتَ تَصَرُّفي

وَإِنِ امتَنَعتَ فَقَد رَأَيتَ تَصَرُّفي

وَبَعيدَ هَمّي وَاِتِّساعَ مَذاهِبي

وَبَعيدَ هَمّي وَاِتِّساعَ مَذاهِبي

And if you refuse, you have seen my versatility

And if you refuse, you have seen my conduct

and the far reach of my ambition and the breadth of my paths.

And distant worries and breadth of my ways

لا أَتبَعُ الطَمَعَ القَليلَ وَلا أُرى

لا أَتبَعُ الطَمَعَ القَليلَ وَلا أُرى

شَرِهاً إِلى الأَمَلِ الضَعيفِ الكاذِبِ

شَرِهاً إِلى الأَمَلِ الضَعيفِ الكاذِبِ

I do not pursue petty hopes, nor am I seen

I do not follow little ambition or see

hungering for a feeble, lying hope.

Evil in weak deceitful hope

وَإِذا مَسِستُ بِجَفوَةٍ مِن زاهِدٍ

وَإِذا مَسِستُ بِجَفوَةٍ مِن زاهِدٍ

عَدَّيتُ عَنهُ نَحوَ آخَرَ راغِبِ

عَدَّيتُ عَنهُ نَحوَ آخَرَ راغِبِ

And when I am met with coldness from one uninterested,

And if I sense aloofness from an ascetic

I turn away from him toward another who is eager.

I turn from him to another desirous

وَالأَكرَمونَ وَإِن نَأَت أَسبابُهُم

وَالأَكرَمونَ وَإِن نَأَت أَسبابُهُم

فَهُمُ ذَوُو وُدّي وَأَهلُ مَناسِبي

فَهُمُ ذَوُو وُدّي وَأَهلُ مَناسِبي

And the noblest men, even if their ties are distant,

And the generous, even if their means are scarce

are those I love, and are kin to me.

They are my beloved and people of my suitability

شِعرٌ لَقيتُ بِهِ العُداةَ أَصادِقي

شِعرٌ لَقيتُ بِهِ العُداةَ أَصادِقي

وَالأَبعَدينَ مِنَ الرِجالِ أَقارِبي

وَالأَبعَدينَ مِنَ الرِجالِ أَقارِبي

Poetry through which I found enemies to be my friends,

Poetry I faced enemies with, my true friends

and the most distant of men to be my kin.

And the furthest of men, my closest kinsmen

فَاقضِ القَضاءَ فَأَنتَ جِدُّ مُحَكَّمٍ

فَاقضِ القَضاءَ فَأَنتَ جِدُّ مُحَكَّمٍ

في العُذرِ عِندي وَالثَناءِ الراتِبِ

في العُذرِ عِندي وَالثَناءِ الراتِبِ

So pronounce judgment, for you are truly an empowered arbiter

So judge the judgment, for you are a serious arbitrator

in my eyes, concerning excuse and enduring praise.

Of apology to me, and lasting praise