تَطاطَ لَها فَيوشِكُ أَن تُجَلّى

تَطاطَ لَها فَيوشِكُ أَن تُجَلّى

وَوَلِّ جُنونَ دَهرِكَ ما تَوَلّى

وَوَلِّ جُنونَ دَهرِكَ ما تَوَلّى

Bend before it, for it is about to be dispelled.

She treads delicately, and soon she will unveil herself,

And let the madness of your age rule whatever it has undertaken.

And turn away the madness of your time that turned away.

وَلا تَكِلِ الزَمانَ إِلى عِتابٍ

وَلا تَكِلِ الزَمانَ إِلى عِتابٍ

فَلا يَدري الزَمانُ أَساءَ أَم لا

فَلا يَدري الزَمانُ أَساءَ أَم لا

And do not subject Time to reproach,

Do not blame time for reproach,

for Time does not know whether it has done wrong or not.

For time knows not if it did wrong or right.

خَبوطٌ بِاليَدَينِ يُشِتُّ شَملاً

خَبوطٌ بِاليَدَينِ يُشِتُّ شَملاً

جَميعاً بِالنَوى وَيُلِمُّ شَملا

جَميعاً بِالنَوى وَيُلِمُّ شَملا

It flails with both hands, scattering a fellowship

Groping with hands that seek to mend rifts,

once united, through separation, and gathering another.

Bringing all together in purpose and mending rifts.

يُعَرّي الغارِبَ الأَعلى وَيُحذي

يُعَرّي الغارِبَ الأَعلى وَيُحذي

عَظيمَ العِزِّ وَالخَطَرَ الأَظَلّا

عَظيمَ العِزِّ وَالخَطَرَ الأَظَلّا

It strips the loftiest withers bare, and bestows

It strips the lofty of their garb and divests

great honor and eminence upon the camel's sole.

The mighty of their glory and their perilous attire.

فَقَدتُكَ مِن زَمانٍ كُلَّ فَقدٍ

فَقَدتُكَ مِن زَمانٍ كُلَّ فَقدٍ

وَفِعلُكَ ما أَخَسَّ وَما أَذَلّا

وَفِعلُكَ ما أَخَسَّ وَما أَذَلّا

May I be utterly rid of you, Time!

I have missed you for a time of every absence,

And your conduct—how vile, how base!

And your deeds, however abject or lofty.

أَمِثلي يُستَضامُ وَما تَرى لي

أَمِثلي يُستَضامُ وَما تَرى لي

إِذا عَرَضَ العَيانُ بَنيكَ مِثلا

إِذا عَرَضَ العَيانُ بَنيكَ مِثلا

Is one like me to be wronged, though you see no equal to me

The likes of me is wronged, and yet you see me not,

when your sons are displayed in plain sight?

When the eyes alight, showing your likes as exemplars.

فَحَسبُكَ قَد حَمَلتَ عَلى مُطيقٍ

فَحَسبُكَ قَد حَمَلتَ عَلى مُطيقٍ

شَآكَ تَجَلُّداً وَشَجاكَ حَملا

شَآكَ تَجَلُّداً وَشَجاكَ حَملا

Enough, then! You have burdened one who can bear it,

It suffices you, you shouldered a burden commensurate

who has outstripped you in endurance and vexed you by bearing it.

With your resilience, and your resilience bore.

مُحَمَّدُ طالَ ما شَمَّرتَ فيها

مُحَمَّدُ طالَ ما شَمَّرتَ فيها

فَدونَكَ فَاِسحَبِ الذَيلَ الرِفَلّا

فَدونَكَ فَاِسحَبِ الذَيلَ الرِفَلّا

Muhammad, long have you toiled within it, your skirts tucked up;

Muhammad, long have you remained therein obstinate,

so go ahead: trail the long, flowing hem.

So lower your train that drags behind you.

وَنَم مُستَودَعاً صَوناً وَأَمناً

وَنَم مُستَودَعاً صَوناً وَأَمناً

فَقَد أَسلَفتَها جَزَعاً وَذُلّا

فَقَد أَسلَفتَها جَزَعاً وَذُلّا

And sleep, placed in safekeeping and security,

And sleep, guarded and safe and secure,

for you have paid it anguish and humiliation beforehand.

For already you cowered before it fearful and debased.

فَإِن أَتبَعتَ هَذا الأَمرَ لَهفاً

فَإِن أَتبَعتَ هَذا الأَمرَ لَهفاً

فَإِنَّكَ أَعزَبُ الثَقَلَينِ عَقلا

فَإِنَّكَ أَعزَبُ الثَقَلَينِ عَقلا

For if you follow this affair with lamentation,

If you pursue this matter craving,

then you are the most bereft of reason among humans and jinn.

You would be, of the wise, utterly mindless.

يَراهُ المُستَغِرُّ عَلَيَّ طَوقاً

يَراهُ المُستَغِرُّ عَلَيَّ طَوقاً

فَيَغبِطُني بِهِ وَأَراهُ غُلّا

فَيَغبِطُني بِهِ وَأَراهُ غُلّا

The schemer against me sees it as a necklace,

The deluded see it on me as a necklace,

and envies me for it, while I see it as a fetter.

And envy me it, while I see it as a shackle.

وَما حَطَّ الأَعادي لي مَحَلّا

وَما حَطَّ الأَعادي لي مَحَلّا

وَلَكِن حَطَّ عَنّي الدَهرُ كَلّا

وَلَكِن حَطَّ عَنّي الدَهرُ كَلّا

And my enemies have not lowered my station;

Not my enemies made it my station,

rather, Time has lifted a burden from me.

Nay, time itself let me down completely.

فَإِن أَخَذوا الأَقَلَّ مِنَ المَعالي

فَإِن أَخَذوا الأَقَلَّ مِنَ المَعالي

فَقَد تَرَكوا مِنَ الصَونِ الأَجَلّا

فَقَد تَرَكوا مِنَ الصَونِ الأَجَلّا

For if they have taken the lesser part of high honors,

If they take the meanest of glories,

they have left the nobler part: preserved dignity.

Then they have left the most guarded of honors.

خُذوا مِنّي بِذي جَلَبٍ ثُقالٍ

خُذوا مِنّي بِذي جَلَبٍ ثُقالٍ

بَعيدٍ أَن يَخِفَّ وَأَن يَزِلّا

بَعيدٍ أَن يَخِفَّ وَأَن يَزِلّا

Take me as a clamorous man of weight,

Take from me one heavy-laden, remote

far from growing light or slipping.

From lightening his load or slipping down.

هَوَت أُمُّ الخُطوبِ إِلى التَساقي

هَوَت أُمُّ الخُطوبِ إِلى التَساقي

وَقَد أَفنَيتُها نَهلاً وَعَلّا

وَقَد أَفنَيتُها نَهلاً وَعَلّا

The mother of calamities plunged into an exchange of cups,

The mother of sorrows collapsed intoxicated,

and I drained her dry with first draughts and second.

And I had sapped her, drink by drink, and ascent by ascent.

وَكَيفَ يُضائِلُ الحِدَثانُ مِنّي

وَكَيفَ يُضائِلُ الحِدَثانُ مِنّي

وَقَد ضاءَلتُهُ حَتّى اِضمَحَلّا

وَقَد ضاءَلتُهُ حَتّى اِضمَحَلّا

And how can Time's adversity diminish me,

How can the two novice poets belittle me

when I have diminished it until it vanished?

When I have belittled him until he withered away?

سَجِيَّةُ مُستَميتٍ لا يُبالي

سَجِيَّةُ مُستَميتٍ لا يُبالي

مِنَ العَليا يُعَطَّلُ أَم يُحَلّى

مِنَ العَليا يُعَطَّلُ أَم يُحَلّى

Such is the nature of one ready to die, who does not care

The nature of one bent on dying heedlessly

whether he is stripped of high honors or adorned with them.

Cares not if he is exalted or brought low.

أَنا الرَجُلُ الَّذي عَلِمَت نِزارٌ

أَنا الرَجُلُ الَّذي عَلِمَت نِزارٌ

أَجَلَّ مَغارِساً وَأَعَزَّ نَجلا

أَجَلَّ مَغارِساً وَأَعَزَّ نَجلا

I am the man whom Nizar has known

I am the man Nizār came to know

as noblest in roots and mightiest in offspring.

As one who planted firmly the most glorious saplings.

أَمُرُّ عَلى لُهى الأَضدادِ طَعماً

أَمُرُّ عَلى لُهى الأَضدادِ طَعماً

وَأَنفُذُ في طُلى الأَعداءِ نَبلا

وَأَنفُذُ في طُلى الأَعداءِ نَبلا

I am bitterest in taste to my adversaries' palates,

I pass by the falsehoods of foes tasting,

and most penetrating with arrows in my enemies' throats.

And I aim at the rabble of enemies arrows.

أَلَيسَ أَبي أَبي حَسَباً وَفَخراً

أَلَيسَ أَبي أَبي حَسَباً وَفَخراً

وَباعاً واسِعاً وَعُلىً وَنُبلا

وَباعاً واسِعاً وَعُلىً وَنُبلا

Is not my father truly my father, in lineage and glory,

Is not my father sufficient pride and glory,

and in far-reaching prowess, high rank, and nobility?

Amplitude, loftiness, and nobility for me?

وَقَبلَكَ أَوقَرَ الأَيّامَ مَجداً

وَقَبلَكَ أَوقَرَ الأَيّامَ مَجداً

وَأَوضَعَ بِالعُلى حَتّى أَكَلّا

وَأَوضَعَ بِالعُلى حَتّى أَكَلّا

And before you, he loaded the days with glory,

And before you he honored the days with glory

and sped with high honors until he was weary.

And lowered with loftiness until he ate.

فَإِن يَقعُد فَقَد طَلَبَ المَعالي

فَإِن يَقعُد فَقَد طَلَبَ المَعالي

فَعُلِّقَها وَأَوصَلَها وَمَلّا

فَعُلِّقَها وَأَوصَلَها وَمَلّا

If he now rests, he has indeed sought high honors,

If he sits back he has sought glories,

became enamored of them, joined them together, and tired of them.

So he hung them up and connected them and fulfilled them.

وَنَفسي ما عَلِمتَ وَلي جَنانٌ

وَنَفسي ما عَلِمتَ وَلي جَنانٌ

أَبى لي أَن أُهانَ وَأَن أُذَلّا

أَبى لي أَن أُهانَ وَأَن أُذَلّا

And my spirit is as you know it; I have a heart

And my soul, you know I have no wings,

that has refused to let me be dishonored or abased.

That refused me to be disgraced or debased.

فَلِم آسي وَقَد أَحرَزتُ مَجداً

فَلِم آسي وَقَد أَحرَزتُ مَجداً

كَفاني ما يُبَلِّغُني المَحَلّا

كَفاني ما يُبَلِّغُني المَحَلّا

So why should I grieve, when I have won glory

Why then do I grieve when I have gained glory

enough to bring me to my station?

That gives me all that conveys me to glorious stations?

إِذا خَلَتِ المَنازِلُ لِلمُوَلّي

إِذا خَلَتِ المَنازِلُ لِلمُوَلّي

فَيا سِرعانَ ما عُزِلَ المُوَلّى

فَيا سِرعانَ ما عُزِلَ المُوَلّى

When the posts are left at the appointer's disposal,

When the seats became vacant for the loyalist,

how swiftly the appointee is dismissed!

How soon was the loyalist deposed!

وَبَينا أَن يَقولوا قَد تَمَلّى

وَبَينا أَن يَقولوا قَد تَمَلّى

بِها حَتّى يَقولوا ما تَمَلّى

بِها حَتّى يَقولوا ما تَمَلّى

And scarcely do they say, 'He has long enjoyed

And while they say, “He has wearied of it,”

it,' before they say, 'He did not enjoy it long.'

Until they say, “He did not weary of it.”

بِمالِكَ نِلتَها وَكَفاكَ عاراً

بِمالِكَ نِلتَها وَكَفاكَ عاراً

فَأَلّا نِلتَها بِالمَجدِ أَلّا

فَأَلّا نِلتَها بِالمَجدِ أَلّا

You gained it with your money—shame enough for you!

With your wealth you attained it, and it sufficed you of shame,

So why did you not gain it through glory—why not?

You attained it through glory, indeed you attained it!

فَمَن وَجَدَ الطَريقَ إِلَيَّ صَعباً

فَمَن وَجَدَ الطَريقَ إِلَيَّ صَعباً

فَقَد وَجَدَ الطَريقَ إِلَيكَ سَهلا

فَقَد وَجَدَ الطَريقَ إِلَيكَ سَهلا

So whoever has found the road to me difficult

Whoever found the path to me difficult

has indeed found the road to you easy.

He finds the path to you easy.

وَهَل في ذاكَ إِلّا أَن يَقولوا

وَهَل في ذاكَ إِلّا أَن يَقولوا

تَسَبُّبُ مُكثِرٍ غَلَبَ المُقِلّا

تَسَبُّبُ مُكثِرٍ غَلَبَ المُقِلّا

And is there anything in that except their saying,

What is that but for them to say,

'A rich man's maneuvering overcame one of little means'?

“One who makes much effort beats one who makes little.”

وَما لَكَ مَطعَمٌ فيها لِأَنّي

وَما لَكَ مَطعَمٌ فيها لِأَنّي

تَرَكتُ عَلَيكَ فَضلاً قَد أَظَلّا

تَرَكتُ عَلَيكَ فَضلاً قَد أَظَلّا

And there is nothing for you to savor in it, for I

You have no place in it because I

have left above you a superiority that casts its shadow.

Left upon you a surplus that gave you shade.

تَهَلَّلَ إِذ أَصَبتُ بِها حَبيبي

تَهَلَّلَ إِذ أَصَبتُ بِها حَبيبي

وَلَو غَيري أُصيبَ بِها اِستَهَلّا

وَلَو غَيري أُصيبَ بِها اِستَهَلّا

My dear one beamed when I was stricken by it,

It exulted when I attained it, my beloved,

though anyone else so stricken would have wailed.

And had another attained it, it would have slipped away.

شَفى بِلِباسِها غِلّاً قَديماً

شَفى بِلِباسِها غِلّاً قَديماً

وَعُدتُ بِنَزعِها فَشَفَيتُ غِلّا

وَعُدتُ بِنَزعِها فَشَفَيتُ غِلّا

By wearing it, he healed an old rancor;

It healed an old wound with its dress,

and I, in turn, took it off and healed a rancor.

And when I removed it, I was healed of my wound.

فَإِن يَكُ نالَها فَلَقَد أَنِفنا

فَإِن يَكُ نالَها فَلَقَد أَنِفنا

فَأَرخَصنا بِقيمَتِها وَأَغلى

فَأَرخَصنا بِقيمَتِها وَأَغلى

For if he has gained it, we have indeed disdained it,

If he gains it, we disdained it and underestimated

so we priced it low, while he priced it high.

Its value, and overrated its price.

فَلَم يَكُ جودُهُ في ذاكَ جوداً

فَلَم يَكُ جودُهُ في ذاكَ جوداً

وَلَم يَكُ بُخلُنا في ذاكَ بُخلا

وَلَم يَكُ بُخلُنا في ذاكَ بُخلا

So his generosity in that was no generosity,

His munificence was in that no munificence,

and our stinginess in that was no stinginess.

And our stinginess was in that no stinginess.

فَما المَغبونُ إِلّا مَن تَوَلّى

فَما المَغبونُ إِلّا مَن تَوَلّى

وَما المَغبوطُ إِلّا مَن تَخَلّى

وَما المَغبوطُ إِلّا مَن تَخَلّى

So the cheated one is none but he who takes office,

None is duped but one who assumed control,

and the one to be envied is none but he who relinquishes it.

And none fortunate but one who relinquished.