كُلَّما شاءَتِ الرُسومُ المَحيلَه

كُلَّما شاءَتِ الرُسومُ المَحيلَه

هَيَّجَت مِن مَشوقِ صَدرٍ غَليلَه

هَيَّجَت مِن مَشوقِ صَدرٍ غَليلَه

Whenever the timeworn traces wish,

Whenever the cruel fortunes willed,

they rouse a longing heart's burning thirst,

They stirred in a burning breast a raging passion;

وَدَخيلاً مِنَ الصَبابَةِ لا يَت

وَدَخيلاً مِنَ الصَبابَةِ لا يَت

رُكُ ماءَ الدُموعِ حَتّى يُسيلَه

رُكُ ماءَ الدُموعِ حَتّى يُسيلَه

and an inward pang of love that will not

And an ardent lover from youth would not

leave the tears' water until it makes it flow.

Cease shedding tears until they flowed.

قَد سَأَلنا سُعدى عَلى أَنَّ سُعدى

قَد سَأَلنا سُعدى عَلى أَنَّ سُعدى

بِالَّذي يَسأَلُ المُحِبُّ بَخيلَه

بِالَّذي يَسأَلُ المُحِبُّ بَخيلَه

We have entreated Su'da, though Su'da

We asked for happiness, for happiness is what

is miserly with what the lover asks.

An ardent lover asks of the miserly beloved.

حَلَأَتنا عَن زَورَةٍ في مَنامٍ

حَلَأَتنا عَن زَورَةٍ في مَنامٍ

مُبتَغاها وَحاجَةٍ مَمطولَه

مُبتَغاها وَحاجَةٍ مَمطولَه

She barred us from a visit—in a dream

Dreams of meeting disturbed our sleep,

we sought it—and from a need long deferred.

Seeking that meeting and prolonged desire.

شَدَّ ما تُخلِفُ الظُنونُ وَما يَك

شَدَّ ما تُخلِفُ الظُنونُ وَما يَك

ذِبُ وُدُّ الخَليلِ مِنّا خَليلَه

ذِبُ وُدُّ الخَليلِ مِنّا خَليلَه

How sorely expectations disappoint, and how

How much are hopes belied, and how much

a friend's love among us deceives his friend!

The love of a friend for us lies.

إِن تُجَرِّب بَني الزَمانِ تَجِدهُم

إِن تُجَرِّب بَني الزَمانِ تَجِدهُم

إِخوَةً فيهِ كَالشِفارِ الكَليلَه

إِخوَةً فيهِ كَالشِفارِ الكَليلَه

If you test the sons of the age, you find them

If you test the sons of time you’ll find them

brothers therein, like blunted blades.

Brothers in it, like flimsy blades of grass.

وَالفَتى كادِحٌ لِفِعلَةِ دَهرٍ

وَالفَتى كادِحٌ لِفِعلَةِ دَهرٍ

يَرتَضيها أَو عيشَةٍ مَملولَه

يَرتَضيها أَو عيشَةٍ مَملولَه

And a young man toils for some act of fate

And the youth struggles for acts of fate

that he finds pleasing, or for a wearisome life.

He approves or a prolonged livelihood.

خائِفٌ آمِلٌ لِصَرفِ اللَيالي

خائِفٌ آمِلٌ لِصَرفِ اللَيالي

وَاللَيالي مَخوفَةٌ مَأمولَه

وَاللَيالي مَخوفَةٌ مَأمولَه

Fearful and hopeful at the turns of the nights;

Fearful, hopeful for the nights to change,

the nights are dreaded and hoped for.

Yet the nights are fearful, hoped for.

راحَ أَهلُ الآدابِ فيها قَليلاً

راحَ أَهلُ الآدابِ فيها قَليلاً

وَحُظوظُ الأَقسامِ فيها قَليلَه

وَحُظوظُ الأَقسامِ فيها قَليلَه

Men of letters have grown few in them,

The people of refinement in it are few

and the allotted shares in them are scant.

And the lots of fates in it are few.

فَعَلَيكَ الرِضا بِما رَضيَتهُ

فَعَلَيكَ الرِضا بِما رَضيَتهُ

لَكَ هَذي المَطالِبُ المَرذولَه

لَكَ هَذي المَطالِبُ المَرذولَه

So be content with what has been chosen

So be content with what you have consented to,

for you by these contemptible pursuits.

These are the rejected demands.

لَن تُلاقي المَزوِيَّ عَنكَ بِتَدبي

لَن تُلاقي المَزوِيَّ عَنكَ بِتَدبي

رٍ وَلَن تَصعَدَ السَماءَ بِحيلَه

رٍ وَلَن تَصعَدَ السَماءَ بِحيلَه

You will not gain what is withheld from you through

You will not find the well-paced horse lagging,

planning, nor ascend to the sky by a stratagem.

Nor will guile make you ascend to the sky.

وَإِذا ما اِعتُبِرتُ ظاهِرَ إِمرِئٍ

وَإِذا ما اِعتُبِرتُ ظاهِرَ إِمرِئٍ

كانَ خَطباً مِنَ الخُطوبِ الجَليلَه

كانَ خَطباً مِنَ الخُطوبِ الجَليلَه

And whenever I examine a man's outward appearance,

And when I examine the state of a person,

it proves one of the great calamities.

It is concerns lofty from the lofty troubles.

أَطلُبُ المالَ في البِلادِ وَمالي

أَطلُبُ المالَ في البِلادِ وَمالي

في حَرورِيَّةِ اِبنِ طولونَ دولَه

في حَرورِيَّةِ اِبنِ طولونَ دولَه

I seek wealth throughout the lands, but have no

I seek wealth in the lands while my wealth

good fortune among Ibn Tulun's Harurites.

In Toulounid Egypt has declined.

ناقِهٌ لِلسَماعِ وَالغَبنُ مِنهُ

ناقِهٌ لِلسَماعِ وَالغَبنُ مِنهُ

حَشَفٌ رادِفٌ لَهُ سوءُ كيلَه

حَشَفٌ رادِفٌ لَهُ سوءُ كيلَه

He is discerning in what he hears, yet his cheating

A camel for listening while the fraud in it

is shriveled dates compounded by short measure.

Is a sinful bushel with evil measuring.

خُلُقٌ أَبقَتِ المَذَمّاتُ مِنهُ

خُلُقٌ أَبقَتِ المَذَمّاتُ مِنهُ

خُبثَ باقي الفَريسَةِ المَأكولَه

خُبثَ باقي الفَريسَةِ المَأكولَه

A character reduced by its faults

A nature the blames have left

to the foul remains of devoured prey.

The wickedness of torn prey.

كاثَرَت أُمُّهُ النُجومَ وَلَم تَر

كاثَرَت أُمُّهُ النُجومَ وَلَم تَر

ضَ بِضِعفٍ مِنها عِداداً بُعولَه

ضَ بِضِعفٍ مِنها عِداداً بُعولَه

His mother vied with the stars in number, and would not

His mother boasted of the stars yet was not

be content with twice their number of husbands.

Satisfied with some of them as husbands.

أَتَأَتّاهُ كَي يُنيبَ وَيَأبى ال

أَتَأَتّاهُ كَي يُنيبَ وَيَأبى ال

فَسلُ إِلّا خَساسَةً وَضُؤولَه

فَسلُ إِلّا خَساسَةً وَضُؤولَه

I coax him to repent, but the

I have advised him to repent but he refuses

base fellow insists on baseness and pettiness.

Except for despicable, fraudulent conduct.

كَم تَكَرَّهتُ غِبَّ أَمرٍ فَكانَت

كَم تَكَرَّهتُ غِبَّ أَمرٍ فَكانَت

عادَةُ الدَهرِ فيهِ عِندي جَميلَه

عادَةُ الدَهرِ فيهِ عِندي جَميلَه

How often I disliked a matter's aftermath, yet

How I have hated the absence of composure, yet

time's ways in it proved kind to me.

The way of fate in it has seemed beautiful.

لَيسَ إِلّا فَضلُ العَزيمَةِ تُمضي

لَيسَ إِلّا فَضلُ العَزيمَةِ تُمضي

ها وَإِلّا المَطِيَّةُ المَرحولَه

ها وَإِلّا المَطِيَّةُ المَرحولَه

There is only the virtue of resolve, which you carry

Only resolve takes you through,

through, and only a saddled mount.

While mounting the led horse comes to nothing.

ما أَرى الرَكبَ دونَ أَبَروجِردٍ

ما أَرى الرَكبَ دونَ أَبَروجِردٍ

نازِلي حِلَّةَ العَطايا الجَزيلَه

نازِلي حِلَّةَ العَطايا الجَزيلَه

I do not see the caravan, short of Abarujird,

I do not see the caravan without Abroujird

alighting in the encampment of lavish gifts.

Alighting the land of generous gifts.

باعَدَتنا مِنَ الغِنى بَعدَ قُربٍ

باعَدَتنا مِنَ الغِنى بَعدَ قُربٍ

نِيَّةٌ مِن أَبي عَلِيٍّ عَليلَه

نِيَّةٌ مِن أَبي عَلِيٍّ عَليلَه

We were driven far from wealth after being close,

An illness from Abi Ali has distanced us

by an ailing intention on Abu Ali's part.

From wealth after proximity.

لَم يَكُن دونَ ناجِزِ النُجحِ إِلّا

لَم يَكُن دونَ ناجِزِ النُجحِ إِلّا

جاهُهُ يَلتَقي وَجودُ حَمولَه

جاهُهُ يَلتَقي وَجودُ حَمولَه

Nothing stood between us and prompt success but

There was no achievement without his support

his influence joining with Hamula's generosity.

As his bounty meets resolve.

لَو تَرى المَرءَ مِنهُما لاتَراهُ

لَو تَرى المَرءَ مِنهُما لاتَراهُ

فائِتاً أَهلَ دَهرِهِ بِفَضيلَه

فائِتاً أَهلَ دَهرِهِ بِفَضيلَه

If you saw either man, you would not see him

If you see the person with them, you see him

surpassing the people of his age in excellence:

Surpassing the people of his time in merit,

مِن لِسانٍ إِلى البَيانِ طَويلٍ

مِن لِسانٍ إِلى البَيانِ طَويلٍ

وَيَمينٍ إِلى العُفاةِ طَويلَه

وَيَمينٍ إِلى العُفاةِ طَويلَه

a tongue far-reaching in eloquence,

With an eloquent tongue and a hand

and a right hand far-reaching toward petitioners.

That is generous to the impoverished.

نِعمَ عَونَي أَكرومَتَينِ فَهَذا

نِعمَ عَونَي أَكرومَتَينِ فَهَذا

عُمدَةٌ لِلنَدى وَذاكَ وَسيلَه

عُمدَةٌ لِلنَدى وَذاكَ وَسيلَه

Fine are the two helpers of two noble qualities: this one

Blessed are my two pillars, so this

is a mainstay of generosity, and that one a means to it.

Is the essence of companionship and that its means.

لَن يَبيتا إِلّا زَعيمَي ضَمانٍ

لَن يَبيتا إِلّا زَعيمَي ضَمانٍ

لِلَّذي يَضمَنُ السَماءَ المُخيلَه

لِلَّذي يَضمَنُ السَماءَ المُخيلَه

They will pass no night except as two sureties

They will not spend the night except as guarantors

for whoever guarantees the rain-promising sky.

Of security for the one who secures the intoxicated sky.

إِنَّ حَقّي رَغبُ النَوالِ وَحَقُّ ال

إِنَّ حَقّي رَغبُ النَوالِ وَحَقُّ ال

ناسِ أَن أَسلُكَ القَريضَ سَبيلَه

ناسِ أَن أَسلُكَ القَريضَ سَبيلَه

My right is to desire bounty, and the right of the

My right is to desire gifts, and the people’s right

people is that I lead poetry along its path.

Is that I follow poetry its course.

لَيتَ شِعري أَفاتَ نَصراً حِمامٌ

لَيتَ شِعري أَفاتَ نَصراً حِمامٌ

أَم تَأَتَّت لَهُ المَتالِفُ غيلَه

أَم تَأَتَّت لَهُ المَتالِفُ غيلَه

Would that I knew: has death overtaken Nasr,

I wonder, did some misfortune befall Nasr

or have deadly perils found their way to him by stealth?

Or did the flatterers set for him a trap?

يَنقَضي ذِكرُهُ فَلا خَيرَ عَن

يَنقَضي ذِكرُهُ فَلا خَيرَ عَن

هُ وَلا أَوبَةٌ تُدَنّي قُفولَه

هُ وَلا أَوبَةٌ تُدَنّي قُفولَه

His mention fades; no good comes from

His mention ends - no good comes from him

him, nor does any return bring his homecoming near.

Nor repentance to draw his return.

وَعَلَيكُم كَفالَةٌ أَن تُثيبوا

وَعَلَيكُم كَفالَةٌ أَن تُثيبوا

مُرسِلَ المَدحِ أَو تَرُدّوا رَسولَه

مُرسِلَ المَدحِ أَو تَرُدّوا رَسولَه

And you bear an obligation to reward

And it is up to you to reward

the sender of praise, or send his messenger back.

The sender of praise or return his messenger.