شكا ما شكوتُ الرُّمحُ والنصلُ والسهمُ

شكا ما شكوتُ الرُّمحُ والنصلُ والسهمُ

سلاحُكَ مجموعاً يُؤلفُهُ نظمُ

سلاحُكَ مجموعاً يُؤلفُهُ نظمُ

The spear, the blade, and the arrow complained of what I complained of;

I did not complain of the spear, the sword, or the arrow;

Your gathered weaponry is bound together by order.

Your weapons altogether compose a system.

أخوكَ الذي تحنُو عليكَ ضُلُوعُهُ

أخوكَ الذي تحنُو عليكَ ضُلُوعُهُ

وما عِندَهُ ممَّا علمتَ لهُ علمُ

وما عِندَهُ ممَّا علمتَ لهُ علمُ

Your brother, whose ribs bend tenderly toward you,

Your brother whose ribs ache for you

And who has no knowledge of what you have known,

And who has no knowledge, as you know, of knowledge,

سوى أن أحسسَّت ما بنفسكَ نفسُهُ

سوى أن أحسسَّت ما بنفسكَ نفسُهُ

ودُونَكُما البيداءُ والأجبلُ الشُّمُّ

ودُونَكُما البيداءُ والأجبلُ الشُّمُّ

Save that his soul sensed what was within yours,

Except that he felt what was in your soul in his own,

Though between you two lie the desert and lofty mountains.

While between you lies the desolate wilderness and the lofty mountains.

ألا هكذا فيسعدِ الصنوُ صِنوَهُ

ألا هكذا فيسعدِ الصنوُ صِنوَهُ

فذا سيِّدٌ ندبٌ وذا سيدٌ قَرمُ

فذا سيِّدٌ ندبٌ وذا سيدٌ قَرمُ

Behold, thus should a brother aid his brother!

Lo, thus the thorn bushes defend their thorn bushes,

For this one is a gallant lord, and that one a lord, a mighty chief.

So one chief is summoned and another chief wounds.

ولم يشكُ ذا حتى شكا ذاكَ قبلَهُ

ولم يشكُ ذا حتى شكا ذاكَ قبلَهُ

وعاودَ ذا ممَّا تطرَّقَ ذا سُقمُ

وعاودَ ذا ممَّا تطرَّقَ ذا سُقمُ

And this one did not complain until that one had complained before him;

And this one did not complain until that one complained before him,

And an illness that had visited one returned to afflict the other.

And this returned to what had caused that one sickness.

ألا انظر إلى الأشياءِ كيفَ تنازَعَت

ألا انظر إلى الأشياءِ كيفَ تنازَعَت

وكيفَ يدقُّ الفهمُ عنهنَّ والوهمُ

وكيفَ يدقُّ الفهمُ عنهنَّ والوهمُ

Behold, look at things—how they pull at one another,

Lo, observe how the things contend with each other

And how understanding and imagination fall short of them.

And how the understanding and the guess miss them.

وما افترقا حتَّى يُقالَ تشابَهَا

وما افترقا حتَّى يُقالَ تشابَهَا

بلِ امتزَجَ التركيبُ والدَّمُ واللحمُ

بلِ امتزَجَ التركيبُ والدَّمُ واللحمُ

Nor were they distinct enough to be called alike;

And they did not separate until it was said they resembled each other,

Rather, their bodily makeup, blood, and flesh have mingled.

Rather, the composition, blood, and flesh mingled.

وما هو إلا شقَّةٌ منكَ إن شكا

وما هو إلا شقَّةٌ منكَ إن شكا

شكوتَ على هذا جرى القدرُ الحتمُ

شكوتَ على هذا جرى القدرُ الحتمُ

And he is only a part of you: if he complains,

It is nothing but a compartment of you if he complained;

You complain; this is the course inexorable fate has taken.

You complained about this - destiny's course is compulsory.

ولا عجبٌ من كونِ ذا واتفاقهِ

ولا عجبٌ من كونِ ذا واتفاقهِ

فروحاكما رُوحٌ وجسماكُمَا جِسمُ

فروحاكما رُوحٌ وجسماكُمَا جِسمُ

Nor is there any wonder in this occurrence and its coincidence,

And it is no wonder that this one agrees with him,

For your two souls are one soul, and your two bodies one body.

For both your spirits are one spirit and both your bodies one body.

إذا شِدتَ مَجداً شادَهُ وأتَمَّهُ

إذا شِدتَ مَجداً شادَهُ وأتَمَّهُ

وَمِثلُكَ بانٍ لَيسَ يَخلِفُهُ هَدمُ

وَمِثلُكَ بانٍ لَيسَ يَخلِفُهُ هَدمُ

When you build glory, he builds it and completes it;

When you seek glory, he seeks it and perfects it,

And a builder like you is never followed by ruin.

And the like of you, when he rises, no destruction makes him collapse.

ألا بِكُمُ يَسمُو إلى العُلو من سما

ألا بِكُمُ يَسمُو إلى العُلو من سما

وأنتُم نظامُ المُلكِ ما طَلَعَ النجمُ

وأنتُم نظامُ المُلكِ ما طَلَعَ النجمُ

Behold, through you whoever rises ascends to the heights,

Lo, through you noble deeds rise to the heights,

And you are the bond of the realm as long as the star rises.

And you are the system of the kingdom since the star rose.

بكم يُتأسَّى في العُلا وإليكُمُ

بكم يُتأسَّى في العُلا وإليكُمُ

يُشَارُ وعنكُم يُؤخَذُ العَزمُ والحَزمُ

يُشَارُ وعنكُم يُؤخَذُ العَزمُ والحَزمُ

You are emulated in greatness, and toward you

Through you consolation is sought in the heights, and to you

People point; from you resolve and prudence are learned.

Appeal is made, and through you firmness and resolve are taken.

فلا بَرَقَت أيدي الحوادثِ بَينَكُم

فلا بَرَقَت أيدي الحوادثِ بَينَكُم

ولا جازَ للدُّنيا على حُكمِكُم حَكمُ

ولا جازَ للدُّنيا على حُكمِكُم حَكمُ

So may the hands of misfortune never flash between you,

So the hands of misfortunes have not flashed between you,

Nor may the world have an arbiter above your rule.

Nor has the world with its ruling had power over your rule.