لَعَمرُكَ ما جَرَّ ذَيلُ الفَخا

لَعَمرُكَ ما جَرَّ ذَيلُ الفَخا

رِ إِلّا اِبنُ مُنجِبَةٍ باسِلُ

رِ إِلّا اِبنُ مُنجِبَةٍ باسِلُ

By your life, none has trailed the hem of glory

By your life! The train of glory is only led by the courageous son of Munjibah.

but a valiant son of a mother who bears noble offspring.

Brave is he whom his heart escorts, as this time escorted the active worker.

جَريءٌ يُشَيِّعُهُ قَلبُهُ

جَريءٌ يُشَيِّعُهُ قَلبُهُ

كَما شَيَّعَ اللَهذَمَ العامِلُ

كَما شَيَّعَ اللَهذَمَ العامِلُ

A daring man whose heart emboldens him,

He takes from satire what he desires, and from it the slender, bending palm branch takes.

as the shaft supports the keen spearhead.

And here I am with a purpose in time, which no reasonable being can get used to living.

يَنالُ مِنَ الطَعنِ ما يَشتَهي

يَنالُ مِنَ الطَعنِ ما يَشتَهي

وَيَأخُذُ مِنهُ القَنا الذابِلُ

وَيَأخُذُ مِنهُ القَنا الذابِلُ

He gains from thrusting what he desires,

And all the joy I see is but dye on my chewed robe.

and the slender lances take their share of him.

When I hope, time says: your rope has leafed out, O Roper!

وَها أَنا ذا غَرِضٌ بِالزَمانِ

وَها أَنا ذا غَرِضٌ بِالزَمانِ

فَلا عَيشَ يَألَفُهُ العاقِلُ

فَلا عَيشَ يَألَفُهُ العاقِلُ

And here I am, weary of Time,

A young man must have hope, and the mother of wishes is ever pregnant.

for there is no life the wise man finds congenial.

And time follows its events, as the shooter followed the fleet wild cow.

وَكُلُّ سُرورٍ أَرى أَنَّهُ

وَكُلُّ سُرورٍ أَرى أَنَّهُ

خِضابٌ عَلى لِمَّتي ناصِلُ

خِضابٌ عَلى لِمَّتي ناصِلُ

And every joy, I see, is

So is Abu Hasan in the elevated position, untouched by the questioner.

fading dye upon my locks.

A wretch who aspires to the heights, too proud for the hands of the attainer.

إِذا أَنا أَمَّلتُ قالَ الزَما

إِذا أَنا أَمَّلتُ قالَ الزَما

نُ أَورَقَ حَبلُكَ يا حابِلُ

نُ أَورَقَ حَبلُكَ يا حابِلُ

Whenever I hope, Time says:

The like of you, who is not deterred or dejected when the land is stripped bare by drought,

'Your snare has come up empty, O trapper!'

Whose abode is never scorned by guests, nor dispraised by the lodger.

وَلا بُدَّ مِن أَمَلٍ لِلفَتى

وَلا بُدَّ مِن أَمَلٍ لِلفَتى

وَأُمُّ المُنى أَبَداً حامِلُ

وَأُمُّ المُنى أَبَداً حامِلُ

A young man cannot do without hope,

The many ambitions you have, so lofty even the tall reddish mountain cannot reach them,

and the mother of wishes is ever pregnant.

The promises you incite with gifts, as the midwife incited the pregnant woman.

وَدَهرٌ يُتابِعُ أَحداثَهُ

وَدَهرٌ يُتابِعُ أَحداثَهُ

كَما تابَعَ الطَلَقَ النابِلُ

كَما تابَعَ الطَلَقَ النابِلُ

And Time sends its calamities in succession,

You anticipated them with your speech, though the slanderer already babbled.

as the archer sends shot after shot.

So he returned a throat lump, as the confounded one returned the camel’s saddle.

فَذاكَ أَبا حَسَنٍ في السَما

فَذاكَ أَبا حَسَنٍ في السَما

حِ مَن لا يُلِمُّ بِهِ السائِلُ

حِ مَن لا يُلِمُّ بِهِ السائِلُ

That one, Abu Hasan, in generosity,

Yours is the good, your promise will be fulfilled, even if some obstacle comes between.

is one no petitioner calls upon—

And no harm after the arrival of the clouds, even if the pouring rain is late.

لَئيمٌ تَلَمَّسَ مِنهُ العُلى

لَئيمٌ تَلَمَّسَ مِنهُ العُلى

وَيَأنَفُ مِن يَدِهِ النائِلُ

وَيَأنَفُ مِن يَدِهِ النائِلُ

a churl from whom high honors were sought,

The delay of the generous is brief, like the shade of clouds is vanishing.

while bounty disdains his hand.

And you - though you are the sea of glory - the best of your gifts are the immediate ones.

فَمِثلُكَ مَن لا يَني وَبلَهُ

فَمِثلُكَ مَن لا يَني وَبلَهُ

إِذا اِستَمطَرَ البَلَدُ الماحِلُ

إِذا اِستَمطَرَ البَلَدُ الماحِلُ

For one like you is he whose downpour never slackens

The truth of your promise is only like the necklaces around the neck of a noble woman, lying useless.

when the parched land asks for rain.

فَما هَزِئَت بِقِراكَ الضُيوفُ

فَما هَزِئَت بِقِراكَ الضُيوفُ

وَلا ذَمَّ مَنزِلَكَ النازِلُ

وَلا ذَمَّ مَنزِلَكَ النازِلُ

Guests have never mocked your hospitality,

nor has a lodger disparaged your dwelling.

وَكَم لَكَ مِن هِمَّةٍ يَستَطيلُ

وَكَم لَكَ مِن هِمَّةٍ يَستَطيلُ

بِها العَضبُ وَالأَزرَقُ العاسِلُ

بِها العَضبُ وَالأَزرَقُ العاسِلُ

And how many a resolve of yours gives greater reach

to the keen sword and the swaying blue spear!

وَوَعدٍ تُنَفِّرُهُ بِالعَطا

وَوَعدٍ تُنَفِّرُهُ بِالعَطا

ءِ كَالعامِ أَزعَجَهُ القابِلُ

ءِ كَالعامِ أَزعَجَهُ القابِلُ

And how many a promise you drive away by giving,

like a year driven away by the next.

وَأَفوَهَ بادَرتَهُ بِالمَقالِ

وَأَفوَهَ بادَرتَهُ بِالمَقالِ

وَقَد لَجَّجَ الذَرِبُ القائِلُ

وَقَد لَجَّجَ الذَرِبُ القائِلُ

And how many a loudmouth you forestalled with speech,

when the sharp-tongued speaker had grown obstinate.

فَرَجَّعَ في حَلقِهِ غُصَّةً

فَرَجَّعَ في حَلقِهِ غُصَّةً

كَما رَجَّعَ الجَرَّةَ البازِلُ

كَما رَجَّعَ الجَرَّةَ البازِلُ

So he rolled a choking lump in his throat,

as a mature camel rolls its cud.

لَكَ الخَيرُ وَعدُكَ لا يُقتَضى

لَكَ الخَيرُ وَعدُكَ لا يُقتَضى

وَإِن حالَ مِن دونِهِ حائِلُ

وَإِن حالَ مِن دونِهِ حائِلُ

Blessings on you! Your promise is not pressed for fulfillment,

even if an obstacle stands in its way.

وَلا ضَيرَ بَعدَ مَجيءِ الغَما

وَلا ضَيرَ بَعدَ مَجيءِ الغَما

مِ إِن أَبطَأَ الوابِلُ الهاطِلُ

مِ إِن أَبطَأَ الوابِلُ الهاطِلُ

And there is no harm, once the clouds have arrived,

if the heavy, pouring rain is late.

وَمَطلُ الكَريمِ سَريعُ الزَوا

وَمَطلُ الكَريمِ سَريعُ الزَوا

لِ كَالظِلِّ رَيعانُهُ زائِلُ

لِ كَالظِلِّ رَيعانُهُ زائِلُ

And a generous man's delay soon passes,

like shade, whose early fullness fades.

وَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ بَحرَ السَما

وَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ بَحرَ السَما

حِ فَخَيرُ مَواهِبِكَ العاجِلُ

حِ فَخَيرُ مَواهِبِكَ العاجِلُ

And though you are a sea of generosity,

the best of your gifts is the promptly given.

وَما صِدقُ وَعدِكَ إِلّا حُلى

وَما صِدقُ وَعدِكَ إِلّا حُلى

مُكَرَّمَةٍ جيدُها عاطِلُ

مُكَرَّمَةٍ جيدُها عاطِلُ

And the truth of your promise is but the jewels

of an honored lady whose neck is bare.