بَرى اللهُ وهباً يومَ صوّرَ خَلْقَهُ

بَرى اللهُ وهباً يومَ صوّرَ خَلْقَهُ

نهاية آمالي وأقصى مآرِبي

نهاية آمالي وأقصى مآرِبي

God fashioned Wahb, on the day He shaped His creation,

God created Wahb, on the day He fashioned his form,

as the furthest reach of my hopes, the utmost of my desires.

as the fulfillment of my hopes and the utmost of my desires.

ولولاهُ ما لبيتُ دعوةَ ماجدٍ

ولولاهُ ما لبيتُ دعوةَ ماجدٍ

ولا كنتُ أرضى غايةً في المَطالِبِ

ولا كنتُ أرضى غايةً في المَطالِبِ

Were it not for him, I would never have answered a noble man’s summons,

And were it not for him, I would not have answered a nobleman's call,

nor would I have accepted any limit to my quests.

nor would I have been content with any goal in my pursuits.

رَدَدْتَ صروفَ الدّهْرِ عني ذليلةً

رَدَدْتَ صروفَ الدّهْرِ عني ذليلةً

تُقلِّبُ أطرافاً بغيرِ مَخالِبِ

تُقلِّبُ أطرافاً بغيرِ مَخالِبِ

You turned the vicissitudes of time away from me, abased,

You drove time's vicissitudes away from me, humbled,

flailing their limbs, bereft of claws.

flailing limbs without claws.

وعلّمتني من أينَ يُكتَسَبُ الغِنى

وعلّمتني من أينَ يُكتَسَبُ الغِنى

ومن أينَ كانت حِرفَتي في المكاسِبِ

ومن أينَ كانت حِرفَتي في المكاسِبِ

You taught me where wealth is gained

And you taught me where wealth is acquired,

and where my craft of earning lay.

and whence came my ill fortune in earning a living.

وكثرتَ إخواني وكنتُ مسافراً

وكثرتَ إخواني وكنتُ مسافراً

غريبَ الهَوى في بلدتي وأقارِبي

غريبَ الهَوى في بلدتي وأقارِبي

You multiplied my brothers, though I was a traveler,

And you multiplied my brothers, though I had been a traveler,

a stranger to affection in my own town and among my kin.

a stranger at heart in my own town and among my kin.

فزِدني نُهى قاضي القُضاةِ ووُدَّهُ

فزِدني نُهى قاضي القُضاةِ ووُدَّهُ

ورودَ العِطاشِ الهيمِ صفوَ المشارِبِ

ورودَ العِطاشِ الهيمِ صفوَ المشارِبِ

So grant me still more of the Chief Judge’s wisdom and affection,

So enrich me with the chief judge's wisdom and his affection,

and lead the thirst-maddened camels to pure watering places.

as parched, thirst-maddened camels come to clear watering places.

أقولُ له إذْ شردَ الجورَ عدلُه

أقولُ له إذْ شردَ الجورَ عدلُه

هذاذيك يا ربَ الهُمومِ الغَرائبِ

هذاذيك يا ربَ الهُمومِ الغَرائبِ

I say to him, when his justice drives oppression away:

I say to him, when his justice has driven oppression away:

“Keep on thus, O master of extraordinary aims!”

Hasten, ever hasten, O master of extraordinary ambitions!

أفادَ عقولَ الناسِ صحّةُ رأيِه

أفادَ عقولَ الناسِ صحّةُ رأيِه

فلم يُبقِ نفْعاً يُرْتَجى في التّجارِبِ

فلم يُبقِ نفْعاً يُرْتَجى في التّجارِبِ

The soundness of his judgment enriched the minds of men,

His sound judgment has enriched people's minds,

leaving no benefit still to be hoped for from experience.

leaving no further benefit to be hoped for from experience.

وقورٌ ولو دارتْ رَحا الحربِ حولَه

وقورٌ ولو دارتْ رَحا الحربِ حولَه

وهبتْ أعاصيرُ القَنا والقواضبِ

وهبتْ أعاصيرُ القَنا والقواضبِ

Composed, though the millstone of war should turn around him

Composed, even if war's millstone turns around him

and whirlwinds of spears and cutting swords should blow.

and whirlwinds of spears and keen-edged swords blow.

أتَتْهُ على قربِ المزارِ ركائبي

أتَتْهُ على قربِ المزارِ ركائبي

تخبُّ بولهانِ المودةِ خاطِبِ

تخبُّ بولهانِ المودةِ خاطِبِ

My riding beasts came to him, though the place of visiting was near,

My riding camels came to him, though he was near at hand,

trotting with a suitor distraught by affection.

trotting with a suitor distraught with affection.

فلا تَحرمنّي وُدَّهُ إنّ وُدَّهُ

فلا تَحرمنّي وُدَّهُ إنّ وُدَّهُ

ليرفعُ من بدرِ الدُّجى والكواكبِ

ليرفعُ من بدرِ الدُّجى والكواكبِ

Do not deny me his affection—for his affection

So do not deprive me of his affection: truly, his affection

surely raises one above the full moon of darkness and the stars.

surely lifts one above the full moon of night and the stars.

أخافُ إذا جئتُ العُلا أنْ يقولَ لي

أخافُ إذا جئتُ العُلا أنْ يقولَ لي

رجعتَ ولم تُبصِر نظامَ المناقِبِ

رجعتَ ولم تُبصِر نظامَ المناقِبِ

I fear that, once I reach the heights, he may say to me:

I fear, when I reach glory's heights, that he will say to me:

“You returned without beholding the ordered strand of virtues.”

“You returned without beholding the necklace of virtues.”

فَيا وهبُ لَبّس أحبُلي بحِبالهِ

فَيا وهبُ لَبّس أحبُلي بحِبالهِ

تكن نعمةً أنعمتَها في النّوائبِ

تكن نعمةً أنعمتَها في النّوائبِ

So, Wahb, entwine my cords with his cords;

So, O Wahb, entwine my cords with his cords;

let that be a favor you bestow amid adversity.

it will be a blessing you have bestowed amid calamities.

فأنتَ شِهابي في الخطوبِ إذا دَجَتْ

فأنتَ شِهابي في الخطوبِ إذا دَجَتْ

وغيثي إذا جفّتْ جُفونُ السّحائبِ

وغيثي إذا جفّتْ جُفونُ السّحائبِ

For you are my blazing meteor when calamities grow dark,

For you are my meteor amid ordeals when they grow dark,

and my rain when the eyelids of the clouds run dry.

and my rain when the eyelids of the clouds run dry.