يا حارِ إنَّ أمانةً مَعصُوبةً

يا حارِ إنَّ أمانةً مَعصُوبةً

بك تَستهِلُّ بها على أهل الحِمى

بك تَستهِلُّ بها على أهل الحِمى

O Har, a trust has been laid

O hot wind, a trust bound to you

Upon you: to shower it upon the people of the protected land,

Calls upon the people of passion through you

شُكراً كما انبعَث النَّسيمُ بِسُحرةٍ

شُكراً كما انبعَث النَّسيمُ بِسُحرةٍ

وأقامَ في زهر الرُّبا مُتَلَوِّما

وأقامَ في زهر الرُّبا مُتَلَوِّما

In gratitude, as the breeze arose at early dawn

Thanks, as the breeze emerged at dawn

And settled among the hills' blossoms, lingering awhile,

And dwelt in the flowers' nectar lamenting

مُتَزيّداً من بِشرها متزوداً

مُتَزيّداً من بِشرها متزوداً

من نَشرِها متخيّراً مُتَحكما

من نَشرِها متخيّراً مُتَحكما

Taking more of their cheer, laying in provisions

Increasing from its good tidings, taking provision

From their fragrance, choosing and ruling at will,

From its diffusion, selective, in control

حتّى إذا سلبَ الحدائقَ طِيبَها

حتّى إذا سلبَ الحدائقَ طِيبَها

وافى فعاجَ على الدِّيارِ وسَلّما

وافى فعاجَ على الدِّيارِ وسَلّما

Until, when it had robbed the gardens of their perfume,

Until it robbed the gardens of their fragrance

It arrived, turned aside toward the dwellings, and offered greetings.

And came upon the homes, bidding farewell

لِلّهِ درهم وليسَ لغيرهِ

لِلّهِ درهم وليسَ لغيرهِ

بهم الهياج الفارجون المُبهَما

بهم الهياج الفارجون المُبهَما

God be praised for their excellence! None but He

For God, a dirham, and none but Him

Can challenge them—those who unravel the obscure.

Possess, excite, and confuse the minds

من كُل ماضٍ قد تردَّى مثله

من كُل ماضٍ قد تردَّى مثله

حَذواً فلا يدرى المُهندُ منهما

حَذواً فلا يدرى المُهندُ منهما

Each a keen warrior who has donned his equal,

Of all the past that has crumbled like it

So perfectly alike that one cannot tell which of the two is the Indian blade.

So the inspired one knows not which of the two

قومٌ إذا صَفِرَ الزَّمانُ من النَّدى

قومٌ إذا صَفِرَ الزَّمانُ من النَّدى

مَلؤُوا الزَّمان سماحةً وتكرُّما

مَلؤُوا الزَّمان سماحةً وتكرُّما

A people who, when the age is empty of generosity,

A people, when the time yellows from dew

Fill the age with open-handedness and noble giving.

Filled time with generosity and nobility

متأخّر عن كلّ موقفِ سُبَّةٍ

متأخّر عن كلّ موقفِ سُبَّةٍ

وإذا تعرَّضَهُ الوشيجُ تَقدّما

وإذا تعرَّضَهُ الوشيجُ تَقدّما

Each hangs back from every shameful stand,

Delaying at every position of disgrace

And when the spears confront him, he advances.

And if faced with vileness, stepping forward

تِربُ القناةِ السَّمهَرِيّة بسطةً

تِربُ القناةِ السَّمهَرِيّة بسطةً

وتَأوُّدا وتأيّداً وتحطّما

وتَأوُّدا وتأيّداً وتحطّما

The peer of the Samhari spear in stature,

The clay of the dovelike canal spread

And in suppleness, strength, and shattering.

With affection, support, and crumbling

مُتسابقون إلى العُلا فكأنهمذ

مُتسابقون إلى العُلا فكأنهمذ

في حلبةٍ رفعت قَتاما أدهما

في حلبةٍ رفعت قَتاما أدهما

Racing one another toward high honors, as though they were

Competing to the heights as if they

On a racecourse that raised a black cloud of dust.

Were in an arena that raised darkness and redness

في قمةِ المجدِ الأثيلِ وإنَّهم

في قمةِ المجدِ الأثيلِ وإنَّهم

لأَعَزُّ من شُهبِ الكواكب مُنتمى

لأَعَزُّ من شُهبِ الكواكب مُنتمى

At the summit of deep-rooted glory, and indeed they

At the peak of eternal glory, they indeed

Are nobler in lineage than the shining stars.

Are nobler than the comets' tails, affiliated

أسباطُ مَلحَمةٍ دَعائمٌ سُؤددٍ

أسباطُ مَلحَمةٍ دَعائمٌ سُؤددٍ

حازُوا المآثِرَ والفَخارَ الأقدما

حازُوا المآثِرَ والفَخارَ الأقدما

Scions of battle, pillars of lordship,

Clans of an epic, pillars of felicity

They have amassed noble deeds and the most ancient glory.

Who attained glories and ancient pride

جَرَت السوانح لي بِيُمنِ لقائهم

جَرَت السوانح لي بِيُمنِ لقائهم

فسريت لا ألوي على من عَتَّما

فسريت لا ألوي على من عَتَّما

Favorable omens came my way through the blessing of meeting them,

Circumstances brought me, by their meeting’s blessing

So I journeyed by night, not turning back for those who tarried.

So I walked not leaning on the one veiled in darkness

فتَحسَّسُوا من وجهَتي وتنسَّمُوا

فتَحسَّسُوا من وجهَتي وتنسَّمُوا

أمري فقلتُ لهم سَقطتُ مَع السَّما

أمري فقلتُ لهم سَقطتُ مَع السَّما

So they probed whence I came and sought to scent out

They felt my direction and sniffed

My business; I told them, 'I fell with the rain.'

My matter, so I said to them, “I fell with the rain”

ما زلتُ أخدعُهم وينخدِعُونَ لي

ما زلتُ أخدعُهم وينخدِعُونَ لي

ويَرونَ تَقدِيمَ الصَّنائِع مَغنَما

ويَرونَ تَقدِيمَ الصَّنائِع مَغنَما

I kept beguiling them, and they fell for my guile,

I kept deceiving them and they kept being deceived by me

And they reckoned bestowing favors a gain.

And they saw presenting my talents as profitable

فظللتُ أحصبُ بالمطارفِ واللُّهى

فظللتُ أحصبُ بالمطارفِ واللُّهى

أرأيتَ مُرتَجِس السَّحاب إذا هَما

أرأيتَ مُرتَجِس السَّحاب إذا هَما

So I kept being pelted with fine cloaks and lavish gifts.

So I remained gathering with wit and amusement

Have you seen a thunderous cloud when it pours?

Have you seen the rain clouds when they intend

وكأنّما أنهابُهم وثِيابُهُم

وكأنّما أنهابُهم وثِيابُهُم

نَفَلٌ أفاءَتهُ الجيوشُ لِيُقسِما

نَفَلٌ أفاءَتهُ الجيوشُ لِيُقسِما

And it was as though their spoils and their garments

As if their gifts and their clothes

Were booty brought back by armies to be divided.

Were war spoils for them to distribute

فَصَدَرت عنهم بالّتي في بَعضِها

فَصَدَرت عنهم بالّتي في بَعضِها

ما يُحسِبُ النفسَ اللَّجُوجَ وما ومَا

ما يُحسِبُ النفسَ اللَّجُوجَ وما ومَا

So I left them with bounty, even a fraction of which

So I went forth with that which in some of it

Satisfies the importunate soul—and more, and more.

The stubborn soul counts not, nor refuses

فَلأُلبِسَنَّهمُ ثَناءً خالِداً

فَلأُلبِسَنَّهمُ ثَناءً خالِداً

يَبقى على عَقبِ الزَّمانِ مُنَمنَما

يَبقى على عَقبِ الزَّمانِ مُنَمنَما

So I shall surely clothe them in undying praise,

I will clothe them with lasting praise

That endures, finely embroidered, in time's wake.

That remains at the heel of time embroidered