إليك وإلا ضيع الحزم أَهله

إليك وإلا ضيع الحزم أَهله

ويحمل عبء الأَمر من لا يقلهُ

ويحمل عبء الأَمر من لا يقلهُ

To you I turn; otherwise prudence would fail its people,

To you, lest resolution's people lose it,

and one unable to bear it would shoulder the burden of the task.

And the burden of command is borne by the unfit,

فدتك رجالٌ عن مساعيك قصرت

فدتك رجالٌ عن مساعيك قصرت

ويكفيك داء من يباريك جهلهُ

ويكفيك داء من يباريك جهلهُ

May men whose efforts fall short of yours be your ransom;

For your deeds men's efforts fell short,

the ignorance of whoever rivals you is affliction enough.

And the sickness of your rival's ignorance suffices you,

تغال ببذل النفس في طلب العلا

تغال ببذل النفس في طلب العلا

ومن ذا الذي يدنو إلى النفس بذلهُ

ومن ذا الذي يدنو إلى النفس بذلهُ

You lavish your life in pursuit of eminence;

Aspire to sacrifice yourself pursuing glory,

and whose giving could approach the gift of a life?

And who dares sacrifice himself thus?

ويحمل نفساً لا تقاس بغيرها

ويحمل نفساً لا تقاس بغيرها

على كل ما تخشى على النفس مثلهُ

على كل ما تخشى على النفس مثلهُ

And he drives a soul incomparable to any other

Who bears a soul none can match,

into all whose like you would fear for a soul.

Against all the soul fears and its equal?

لعمرك لم تترك صديقاً إذا روى

لعمرك لم تترك صديقاً إذا روى

يحمحم عنك القول حين يملهُ

يحمحم عنك القول حين يملهُ

By your life, you have left no friend who, when recounting,

By your life, no friend you left unsatisfied,

mumbles the account of you when he tires of it.

Prattling of you, when it wearied him.

ولكن تلاقي الحاسدين بمنطقٍ

ولكن تلاقي الحاسدين بمنطقٍ

ذليقٍ بوصف بشره لا يملهُ

ذليقٍ بوصف بشره لا يملهُ

But you confront the envious with speech

But you meet the envious with elegant speech,

fluent in describing his cheerfulness, which he never tires of.

Befitting the description of their evil, unwearied.

تمنت رجال منزلا ما رضيته

تمنت رجال منزلا ما رضيته

وما كلَّ مرمى ذو التمنى يحلهُ

وما كلَّ مرمى ذو التمنى يحلهُ

Men have wished for a station you were not content with,

You wished for men a rank you wouldn't accept,

yet a man of wishes does not reach every goal.

Not every fancy's aim attains it.

فمن شاء فلينظر يرى ما يعزه

فمن شاء فلينظر يرى ما يعزه

وإلا فليرى ما يذلهُ

وإلا فليرى ما يذلهُ

Let whoever wishes look: he will see what honors him;

So let him look, see what ennobles him,

otherwise, let him see what humiliates him.

Or else see what debases him.

يظل وخوف من وراء يسوقه

يظل وخوف من وراء يسوقه

وموت يوليه وجيش يفلّهُ

وموت يوليه وجيش يفلّهُ

He goes on, fear driving him from behind,

He lives in fear from behind driving him,

death putting him to flight, and an army routing him.

And death turning him, and an army routing him,

وبطشةُ قاسٍ تحتها قلبُ راحمٍ

وبطشةُ قاسٍ تحتها قلبُ راحمٍ

ووثبةُ ليْثٍ قبل عدواه فضلهُ

ووثبةُ ليْثٍ قبل عدواه فضلهُ

And a ruthless man's blow, with a merciful heart beneath it,

And the blow of a tyrant, beneath whom a merciful heart,

and a lion's leap, his bounty preceding his onslaught,

And the leap of a lion, swifter than his enemies,

وعزمة فتاك إذا خال فرصةً

وعزمة فتاك إذا خال فرصةً

من الأمر وأتى يسبق العزم فعله

من الأمر وأتى يسبق العزم فعله

and a deadly warrior's resolve: when he senses an opening

And a resolute decision, when chance is empty

in the affair and comes forward, his deed outstrips his resolve.

Of events, and deed outstrips intent,

ينفذ في الأَعداء أمر رماحه

ينفذ في الأَعداء أمر رماحه

ويحكم فيهم الذي شاء نصلهُ

ويحكم فيهم الذي شاء نصلهُ

His spears' command is carried out against his enemies,

To wreak havoc among enemies with his spear,

and his blade decrees for them whatever it wills.

And decree their fate however he wills by its blade.

إِذا سارَ حفتْهُ الكتائب واغتدت

إِذا سارَ حفتْهُ الكتائب واغتدت

سحائبُ نصرِ الله فيها تظلّهُ

سحائبُ نصرِ الله فيها تظلّهُ

When he marches, battalions surround him, and at dawn there come

When columns march around him, massed,

clouds of God's victory, shading him among them.

The clouds of God's victory shadow him.

فلا رعبَ الا ما بقلب عدوهِ

فلا رعبَ الا ما بقلب عدوهِ

إِذا لم يجد للسلم هادٍ يدلُّه

إِذا لم يجد للسلم هادٍ يدلُّه

There is no terror except that in his enemy's heart

No fear but what fills his enemy's heart,

when he finds no guide to lead him to peace.

When he finds no guide to peace showing him.

تعالى على في المعالي بنفسهِ

تعالى على في المعالي بنفسهِ

وفاق الذي فاقت به الناس أهلهُ

وفاق الذي فاقت به الناس أهلهُ

Ali rose by himself to the heights of honor,

Rise high in glories through your soul,

and surpassed the man through whom his kin surpassed all others.

Surpassing what people attained through birth.

فتى عمر السامي الوزير الذي لهُ

فتى عمر السامي الوزير الذي لهُ

مآثر تنبي أنه طابَ أصلُهُ

مآثر تنبي أنه طابَ أصلُهُ

The son of Umar, the exalted vizier, whose

Young man, exalted minister, of pure origin,

illustrious deeds proclaim that his lineage is noble.

Your achievements show your line was virtuous.

فيكفي فخراً أَن ذاك أبٌ له

فيكفي فخراً أَن ذاك أبٌ له

ويكفي أبوه أَن ذا الليث شبلُهُ

ويكفي أبوه أَن ذا الليث شبلُهُ

So it is glory enough that that man is his father,

It suffices as pride that he was your father,

and enough for his father that this lion is his cub.

And your father sufficient that you were his cub.

بنفسي ومن أهوى على فإن من

بنفسي ومن أهوى على فإن من

إليه اعترى ميلي على النجم رجلهُ

إليه اعترى ميلي على النجم رجلهُ

With my life and those I love I would ransom Ali, for the one

By my life, by my love, bias to you

toward whom my affection has turned has his foot upon the star.

Clung to me, like the vine clings to the tree.

وأني به أسطو وأرمي وأتقى

وأني به أسطو وأرمي وأتقى

فمن ذا يناديني وحبلي حبلهُ

فمن ذا يناديني وحبلي حبلهُ

And through him I attack, shoot, and defend myself.

By you I rise and cast and take heed,

Who, then, would call me out, when my rope is his?

So who shall call me, when you hold my rope?

أيا عضدي في النائبات وساعدي

أيا عضدي في النائبات وساعدي

ومعتمدي فيما عراني ثَقلِهُ

ومعتمدي فيما عراني ثَقلِهُ

O my upper arm in calamities, and my forearm,

My aid in disasters, my arm in need,

and my support in whatever has weighed heavily upon me.

My reliance in what weighed heavy on me.

محبك إسماعيل بل عبدك الذي

محبك إسماعيل بل عبدك الذي

دنا عقله لما دنوتم وعقلهُ

دنا عقله لما دنوتم وعقلهُ

Your lover Ismail—rather, your servant, whose

Your lover Isma'il - nay, your slave, whose mind

mind drew near when you drew near, and his reason too.

Approached, as you drew near, and his mind.

تذكّر وعَداً أنت أوفى بمثله

تذكّر وعَداً أنت أوفى بمثله

ومثلك من يرجو أياديه مثلهُ

ومثلك من يرجو أياديه مثلهُ

Remember a promise, the like of which you fulfill most faithfully;

Remember a promise you were truest to,

and a man like you is one whose favors his equal hopes to receive.

None hopes in hands like yours save their likeness.

أيظلمني من يختشى كلَّ صيحةٍ

أيظلمني من يختشى كلَّ صيحةٍ

ويفزعه قلباً من الجبن ظلُّهُ

ويفزعه قلباً من الجبن ظلُّهُ

Would one who fears every shout wrong me,

Will he wrong me, who dreads each outcry,

and whose own shadow frightens his heart through cowardice,

And is panicked by a cowardly heart's shadow?

وقد زلزلت شم الذرا منك هيبةً

وقد زلزلت شم الذرا منك هيبةً

وضاقت بمن ناواك في الأرض سبلُهَ

وضاقت بمن ناواك في الأرض سبلُهَ

when towering summits have trembled in awe of you,

I shook the Pleiades' assemblage with your awe,

and paths on earth have narrowed for whoever opposed you?

And narrowed for those who betrayed you their paths.

ولي منك من مالي ملازم خدمة

ولي منك من مالي ملازم خدمة

وأسداء معروف وفضل تعلهُ

وأسداء معروف وفضل تعلهُ

And I have from you, from my wealth, a constant attendant in service [wording unclear],

Yet I have from you, of my property, lasting service,

and kindness bestowed, and bounty you renew.

And intimacy, kindness, and overflowing favor.

فلازلتَ من ترنو بطرفك نحوَه

فلازلتَ من ترنو بطرفك نحوَه

يساعده عقدُ الزمانِ وحلُّهَ

يساعده عقدُ الزمانِ وحلُّهَ

May you always be such that whoever you turn your gaze toward

So you continued glancing toward him hopefully,

is aided by time's binding and unbinding.

Aided by the knotting of time and its solutions.