غَدَوتُ وَقَد أَزمَعتُ وَثبَةَ ماجِدٍ

غَدَوتُ وَقَد أَزمَعتُ وَثبَةَ ماجِدٍ

لِأَفدِيَ بِاِبني مِن رَدى المَوتِ خالِيا

لِأَفدِيَ بِاِبني مِن رَدى المَوتِ خالِيا

I set out in the morning, already resolved on a noble man's leap,

I set out at dawn, resolved like the intrepid Majid,

to ransom my maternal uncle from death's ruin with my two sons.

To ransom my son with my life from certain death.

غُلامٌ أَبوهُ المُستَجارُ بِقَبرِهِ

غُلامٌ أَبوهُ المُستَجارُ بِقَبرِهِ

وَصَعصَعَةُ الفَكّاكُ مَن كانَ عانِيا

وَصَعصَعَةُ الفَكّاكُ مَن كانَ عانِيا

A youth whose father's grave is sought as a refuge,

A boy whose father takes refuge in his grave,

and Sa'sa'ah, the liberator of whoever was captive.

While the knight redeemer relieves the distressed.

وَكُنتَ اِبنَ أَشياخٍ يُجيرونَ مَن جَنى

وَكُنتَ اِبنَ أَشياخٍ يُجيرونَ مَن جَنى

وَيُحيُونَ بِالغَيثِ العِظامَ البَوالِيا

وَيُحيُونَ بِالغَيثِ العِظامَ البَوالِيا

And you were the son of elders who shelter those who offend,

You were the son of elders who gave refuge

and revive decayed bones with rain.

And revived the withered bones with rain.

يُداوُونَ بِالأَحلامِ وَالجَهلِ مِنهُمُ

يُداوُونَ بِالأَحلامِ وَالجَهلِ مِنهُمُ

وَيُؤسى بِهِمصَدعُ الَّذي كانَ واهِيا

وَيُؤسى بِهِمصَدعُ الَّذي كانَ واهِيا

They heal with their forbearance and their fierceness,

They cured ignorance and delirium,

and through them the fracture of one who was frail is mended.

And gave solace to the ailing and frail.

رَهَنتُ بَني السيدِ الأَشائِمِ موفِياً

رَهَنتُ بَني السيدِ الأَشائِمِ موفِياً

بِمَقتولِهِم عِندَ المُفاداةِ غالِيا

بِمَقتولِهِم عِندَ المُفاداةِ غالِيا

I gave the ill-omened Banu al-Sid a pledge, making full recompense

I pledged my lord's ill-omened sons in surety

for their slain man at the ransom, at great cost.

For their slain, when ransomed, a precious prize.

وَقُلتُ أَشِطّوا يا بَني السيدِ حُكمَكُم

وَقُلتُ أَشِطّوا يا بَني السيدِ حُكمَكُم

عَلَيَّ فَإِنّي لا يَضيقُ ذِراعِيا

عَلَيَّ فَإِنّي لا يَضيقُ ذِراعِيا

And I said: Go to extremes, O Banu al-Sid, in your judgment

I said, "Judge me, o sons of my lord,

against me, for my arm will not fall short.

For my arms are not too narrow for your rule."

إِذا خُيِّرَ السيدِيُّ بَينَ غَوايَةٍ

إِذا خُيِّرَ السيدِيُّ بَينَ غَوايَةٍ

وَرُشدٍ أَتى السيدِيُّ ما كانَ غاوِيا

وَرُشدٍ أَتى السيدِيُّ ما كانَ غاوِيا

If a man of al-Sid is given a choice between error

When the noble must choose between sin and righteousness,

and right guidance, the man of al-Sid follows the misguided way.

He will come to what had been sinful.

وَلَو أَنَّني أَعطَيتُ ما ضَمَّ واسِطٌ

وَلَو أَنَّني أَعطَيتُ ما ضَمَّ واسِطٌ

أَبى قَدَرُ اللَهِ الَّذي كانَ ماضِيا

أَبى قَدَرُ اللَهِ الَّذي كانَ ماضِيا

And even if I had given all that Wasit contains,

Had I given what Waṣiṭ embraced,

God's irrevocable decree would still have denied it.

God's ordained fate which had passed would have refused.

وَلَمّا دَعاني وَهوَ يَرسُفُ لَم أَكُن

وَلَمّا دَعاني وَهوَ يَرسُفُ لَم أَكُن

بَطيئاً عَنِ الداعي وَلا مُتَوانِيا

بَطيئاً عَنِ الداعي وَلا مُتَوانِيا

And when he called me, shuffling in fetters, I was not

When he called me as he sped,

slow to answer the caller, nor remiss.

I was neither slow to respond, nor hesitant.

شَدَدتُ عَلى نِصفَي إِزاري وَرُبَّما

شَدَدتُ عَلى نِصفَي إِزاري وَرُبَّما

شَدَدتُ لِأَحداثِ الأُمورِ إِزارِيا

شَدَدتُ لِأَحداثِ الأُمورِ إِزارِيا

I tightened the two halves of my waistcloth, and often

I girded up my waistcloth, and sometimes

have I tightened my waistcloth for the turns of events.

I girded it up for the gravity of events.

دَعاني وَحَدُّ السَيفِ قَد كانَ فَوقَهُ

دَعاني وَحَدُّ السَيفِ قَد كانَ فَوقَهُ

فَأَعطَيتُ مِنهُ اِبنَي جَميعاً وَمالِيا

فَأَعطَيتُ مِنهُ اِبنَي جَميعاً وَمالِيا

He called me while the sword's edge was above him,

He called me while the blade of the sword was over him,

so I gave both my sons and my wealth in exchange for him.

So I gave him my son and all my money.

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلي إِذ يُنادى اِبنُ غالِبٍ

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلي إِذ يُنادى اِبنُ غالِبٍ

مُجيباً وَلا مِثلَ المُنادي مُنادِيا

مُجيباً وَلا مِثلَ المُنادي مُنادِيا

And I have seen none like me, when Ibn Ghalib is called,

I saw none like me called, "Son of Ghalib,"

in answering, nor any caller like the one who called.

Responding, nor any caller calling like him.

فَما كانَ ذَنبي في المَنِيَّةِ إِن عَصَت

فَما كانَ ذَنبي في المَنِيَّةِ إِن عَصَت

وَلَم أَتَّرِك شَيئاً عَزيزاً وَرائِيا

وَلَم أَتَّرِك شَيئاً عَزيزاً وَرائِيا

What, then, was my fault in death, if it defied me,

So what was my crime against death if it disobeyed,

when I left nothing precious behind me?

When I left nothing precious behind me?