إنِّي بِبابِكَ لا وُدِّيْ يُقَرِّبُني

إنِّي بِبابِكَ لا وُدِّيْ يُقَرِّبُني

ولا أَبي ولا نَسَبِي

ولا أَبي ولا نَسَبِي

I am at your door; my affection does not bring me near,

My love for you draws me not closer,

nor my father, nor my lineage.

Neither my father nor my lineage.

إِنْ كانَ عُرْفُكَ مَذْخُوراً لِذِي سَبَبٍ

إِنْ كانَ عُرْفُكَ مَذْخُوراً لِذِي سَبَبٍ

فاضْمُمْ يَدَيْكَ على حُرٍّ أَخي سَبَبِ

فاضْمُمْ يَدَيْكَ على حُرٍّ أَخي سَبَبِ

If your bounty is reserved for one with a claim,

If your kindness is reserved for one with reason,

then clasp your hands around a freeborn man with a claim.

Then withhold your hand from a free man, my brother by cause.

أَوْ كُنْتَ وافَقْتَهُ يَوْماً على نَسَبٍ

أَوْ كُنْتَ وافَقْتَهُ يَوْماً على نَسَبٍ

فاقْبِضْ يَدَيْكَ فإنِّي لَسْتُ بالعَرَبِيْ

فاقْبِضْ يَدَيْكَ فإنِّي لَسْتُ بالعَرَبِيْ

Or if you once agreed with him on lineage,

Or if you once agreed with him on lineage,

then close your hands, for I am not an Arab.

Then restrain your hands, for I am not an Arab.

إنِّي امْرُؤٌ بازِلٌ في ذُرْوَتَيْ شَرَفٍ

إنِّي امْرُؤٌ بازِلٌ في ذُرْوَتَيْ شَرَفٍ

لِقَيْصَرٍ ولِكِسْرَى مَحْتِدِي وأَبي

لِقَيْصَرٍ ولِكِسْرَى مَحْتِدِي وأَبي

I am a man in my prime, on the twin summits of nobility;

I am a man declining at the peaks of noble ranks,

to Caesar and Khosrow belong my roots and my father.

Defiant to Caesar and Chosroes alike.

فإنْ وتَحْظَ بها وإِنْ يَضِقْ

فإنْ وتَحْظَ بها وإِنْ يَضِقْ

لا يَضِقْ في الأَرْضِ مُضْطَرَبِيْ

لا يَضِقْ في الأَرْضِ مُضْطَرَبِيْ

So if ... and you gain it, and if it grows narrow,

If it pleases you, excellent, but if not,

my room to roam on earth will not grow narrow.

No shaken one in the land shall be confined.

حَرْفٌ أَمُونٌ ورَأْيٌ غَيْرُ مُشْتَرَكٍ

حَرْفٌ أَمُونٌ ورَأْيٌ غَيْرُ مُشْتَرَكٍ

وصَارِمٌ مِنْ سُيوفِ الهِنْدِ ذُو شُطَبِ

وصَارِمٌ مِنْ سُيوفِ الهِنْدِ ذُو شُطَبِ

A hardy, sure-footed she-camel, and a resolve shared with none,

A safeguarded letter, an opinion not shared,

and a keen sword from India's swords, bearing grooves,

And a blade from Indian swords full of decoration.

وخَوْضُ لَيْلٍ تَهابُ الجِنُّ لُجّتَهُ

وخَوْضُ لَيْلٍ تَهابُ الجِنُّ لُجّتَهُ

ويَنْطَويْ جَيْشُها عن جَيْشِه اللّجِبِ

ويَنْطَويْ جَيْشُها عن جَيْشِه اللّجِبِ

and wading through a night whose depths the jinn dread,

And the plunge at night that jinn fear its intensity,

and their host retreats before the night's clamorous host.

And their army recoils from its ferocious army.

ما الشّنْفَرَى وسُلَيْكٌ في مُغَيّبَةٍ

ما الشّنْفَرَى وسُلَيْكٌ في مُغَيّبَةٍ

إلا رَضِيعَا لِبَانٍ في حِمَىً أَشِبِ

إلا رَضِيعَا لِبَانٍ في حِمَىً أَشِبِ

Al-Shanfara and Sulayk, in a trackless wilderness, are nothing

What are acts of valor and daring in obscurity,

but two infants at the breast, in a densely wooded sanctuary.

Other than an infant crying in protected sanctuary?

واللّهِ رَبِّ النّبِيِّ المُصْطَفَى قَسَماً

واللّهِ رَبِّ النّبِيِّ المُصْطَفَى قَسَماً

بَرّاً وَحَقِّ مِنى والبَيْتِ ذِي الحُجُبِ

بَرّاً وَحَقِّ مِنى والبَيْتِ ذِي الحُجُبِ

By God, Lord of the chosen Prophet, I swear

By God, the Lord of the chosen Prophet I swear,

a true oath—and by the sanctity of Mina and the House with its veils,

My innocence and the house behind the veil.

والخَمْسَةِ الغُرِّ أصحابِ الكِسَاءِ مَعاً

والخَمْسَةِ الغُرِّ أصحابِ الكِسَاءِ مَعاً

خَيْرِ البَرِيّةِ مِنْ عُجْمٍ ومِنْ عَرَبِ

خَيْرِ البَرِيّةِ مِنْ عُجْمٍ ومِنْ عَرَبِ

and by the radiant five, the Companions of the Cloak, all together,

And the five elite, the People of the Cloak together,

the best of creation, among non-Arabs and among Arabs:

The best of mankind, non-Arab and Arab.

ما شِدَّةُ الحِرْصِ مِنْ شَأني ولا طَلَبي

ما شِدَّةُ الحِرْصِ مِنْ شَأني ولا طَلَبي

ولا المَكاسِبُ مِنْ هَمِّيْ ولا أَرَبِي

ولا المَكاسِبُ مِنْ هَمِّيْ ولا أَرَبِي

fierce greed is neither my way nor my pursuit,

Not for me is the severity of greed or request,

nor are gains my concern or my desire.

Nor profit my care or goal to reap.

لكِنْ نَوائِبُ نابَتْنِي وحادِثَةٌ

لكِنْ نَوائِبُ نابَتْنِي وحادِثَةٌ

والدهْرُ يَطْرُقُ بالأَحداثِ والنُّوَبِ

والدهْرُ يَطْرُقُ بالأَحداثِ والنُّوَبِ

But calamities have befallen me, and a misfortune,

But misfortunes have befallen me and tribulations,

and Time comes knocking with mishaps and calamities.

As fate strikes with ordeals and afflictions.

وليس يعرِفُ لي قَدْرِي ولا أَدَبي

وليس يعرِفُ لي قَدْرِي ولا أَدَبي

إلاّ امْرُؤٌ كانَ ذَا قَدْرٍ وذَا أَدَبِ

إلاّ امْرُؤٌ كانَ ذَا قَدْرٍ وذَا أَدَبِ

And no one recognizes my worth or my learning

None knows my worth or manners,

except a man possessed of worth and learning.

Except one himself of merit and manners.

لا يَفْتِنَنَّكَ شُكْرِي إِنْ ظَفِرْتَ بهِ

لا يَفْتِنَنَّكَ شُكْرِي إِنْ ظَفِرْتَ بهِ

فإنّها فُرْصَةٌ وافَتْكَ مِنْ كَثَبِ

فإنّها فُرْصَةٌ وافَتْكَ مِنْ كَثَبِ

Do not let my gratitude beguile you if you win it;

Let not my gratitude tempt you, if you gain it,

for it is an opportunity that has come to you close at hand.

For it is an opportunity that came to you unbidden.

واعلَمْ بأنّكَ ما أَسْديتَ مِنْ حَسَنٍ

واعلَمْ بأنّكَ ما أَسْديتَ مِنْ حَسَنٍ

عندي أَنا حَسَنٌ أَنْقَى مِنَ الذَّهَبِ

عندي أَنا حَسَنٌ أَنْقَى مِنَ الذَّهَبِ

And know that whatever kindness you have bestowed

And know that any kindness you have shown,

is, in my own eyes, kindness purer than gold.

To me is a kindness purer than gold.