طُلُول لها بالأَبرقينِ دوارسُ

طُلُول لها بالأَبرقينِ دوارسُ

مَحَتْهَا السَّواري والرِّياحُ الرَّوامسُ

مَحَتْهَا السَّواري والرِّياحُ الرَّوامسُ

Her dwelling-traces at al-Abraqayn lie faded;

She had braids shining like lightning

Night-traveling rain clouds and dust-burying winds have erased them.

Erased by combs and winds that softly blow

فما لكَ منها اليومَ الا تذكرٌ

فما لكَ منها اليومَ الا تذكرٌ

كما تُذكرُ الأحلامُ وهي وساوسُ

كما تُذكرُ الأحلامُ وهي وساوسُ

Today you have nothing of them but remembrance,

So why do you today recall her only

As dreams are remembered, though they are mere fancies.

As dreams recalled though they are fleeting fancies

اذا لم تَزُرْ ذات السُّلوس ديارَها

اذا لم تَزُرْ ذات السُّلوس ديارَها

فلا زارَها من أَسحمِ الفيد راجِسُ

فلا زارَها من أَسحمِ الفيد راجِسُ

If the lady of necklaces does not visit her dwellings,

If you don’t visit the gentle lady’s abode

Then may no dark-tressed, rumbling cloud visit them.

Then neither will the dark knight ever visit

سقى اللهُ دهراً سالمتنا صروفُه

سقى اللهُ دهراً سالمتنا صروفُه

وعصراً لبِسْنَا عيشَه وهو ناعِسُ

وعصراً لبِسْنَا عيشَه وهو ناعِسُ

May God water an age whose turns of fortune made peace with us,

God watered the vines of our peace for an age

And a time whose life we wore while it lay drowsing,

And we wore the garb of ease while it slumbered

ونيلَ الأَماني بعدَ مَطلٍ وَلَيَّةٍ

ونيلَ الأَماني بعدَ مَطلٍ وَلَيَّةٍ

وهنَّ وانْ أسلَفْهَهُنَّ خَسائِسُ

وهنَّ وانْ أسلَفْهَهُنَّ خَسائِسُ

And the attainment of wishes after stalling and evasion.

But wishes were fulfilled after pleading and nightlong vigil

And they are trifles, even if you granted them in advance.

And joy however much the envious blamed it

اذا المرءُ لم يَشْكُمْكَ بالودِّ مِثْلَهُ

اذا المرءُ لم يَشْكُمْكَ بالودِّ مِثْلَهُ

وَقصَّرَ عمّا جئتَهُ فهو باخِسُ

وَقصَّرَ عمّا جئتَهُ فهو باخِسُ

If a man does not repay you with equal affection,

When a man doesn’t thank you with love like yours

And falls short of what you gave him, he withholds your due.

And falls short of what you gave, he is ungrateful

رأَيتُ أَبا الفضلِ اللبيب بكَيْسِهِ

رأَيتُ أَبا الفضلِ اللبيب بكَيْسِهِ

تناولَ مجداً لم تَنلْهُ الأَكايسُ

تناولَ مجداً لم تَنلْهُ الأَكايسُ

I saw discerning Abu al-Fadl, through his shrewdness,

I saw the clever Abu Al-Fadl in his wisdom

Attain a glory the shrewdest had not attained.

Achieve glory no contenders could attain

على حينَ لم يظفَر بحمدِك ظافرٌ

على حينَ لم يظفَر بحمدِك ظافرٌ

ولم يقتَبس من نَارِ ذَمِّكَ قابِسُ

ولم يقتَبس من نَارِ ذَمِّكَ قابِسُ

At a time when no victor had won your praise,

While no victor won your praise, you who are praised

Nor had any fire-seeker drawn a spark from the fire of your censure.

Nor kindled from the fire of your blame, any kindlers

رأى هِمةً فوقَ النجوم فقاسها

رأى هِمةً فوقَ النجوم فقاسها

بهمته اِنَّ الأُمورَ مَقايسُ

بهمته اِنَّ الأُمورَ مَقايسُ

He saw an ambition above the stars and measured it

He saw an ambition higher than the stars and gauged it

Against his own ambition: all things are judged by comparison.

By his ambition, indeed things are gauged by their like

تمهَّلَ قُدَّام السِّماكِ ولم يكنْ

تمهَّلَ قُدَّام السِّماكِ ولم يكنْ

تكِنَّةَ نجمٍ أردفته الفَوارسُ

تكِنَّةَ نجمٍ أردفته الفَوارسُ

He tarried ahead of al-Simak, and was not

He waited before lofty aspirations and did not behave

A shelter for a star followed by al-Fawaris.

Like an indifferent star followed by horsemen

وانَّ أَخي من لا يَمُلُّ خَليقَتي

وانَّ أَخي من لا يَمُلُّ خَليقَتي

ومن لا يَراني قائماً وهو جالسُ

ومن لا يَراني قائماً وهو جالسُ

And truly, my brother is one who never tires of my disposition,

My brother does not weary of supporting me

And will not see me standing while he sits,

And does not see me standing while he is seated

ومن هو في جِدّي وقيعةِ باطِلي

ومن هو في جِدّي وقيعةِ باطِلي

بَعيدٌ قَريبٌ ضاحكٌ مُتَشَاوِسُ

بَعيدٌ قَريبٌ ضاحكٌ مُتَشَاوِسُ

And who, in my earnestness and in attacks on my folly,

He is far, yet near, laughing, exchanging whispers

Is distant yet near, smiling yet glowering.

In my seriousness and jest, defeating all nonsense

فتىً ينْصِفُ الخُلاَّنَ في كلِّ مجلسٍ

فتىً ينْصِفُ الخُلاَّنَ في كلِّ مجلسٍ

له صدرُه والمجِلسُ المُتَقَاعِسُ

له صدرُه والمجِلسُ المُتَقَاعِسُ

A young man who treats friends fairly in every gathering:

A noble youth who treats boon companions courteously

Its place of honor is his, and so is its farthest seat.

While the gathering remains seated, he stands

كريمُ السَّجَايا لا يُنافِسُ في الغِنَى

كريمُ السَّجَايا لا يُنافِسُ في الغِنَى

ولكنَّه في المكْرُماتِ مُنَافِسُ

ولكنَّه في المكْرُماتِ مُنَافِسُ

Noble in character, he does not compete for wealth,

Generous of gifts, he does not compete in wealth

But he competes in noble deeds.

But in generous deeds, yes, he competes

أَبوكَ الذي لم ينقُضِ النَّاسُ فَتلَهُ

أَبوكَ الذي لم ينقُضِ النَّاسُ فَتلَهُ

ولم يَفترضْ منه الغَميرةَ لامِسُ

ولم يَفترضْ منه الغَميرةَ لامِسُ

Your father is the man whose twisted cord people never undid,

Your father whom the people did not undo his cords

Nor could any probing hand expose a weak spot in him.

And whom the biting blade did not touch

وحلَّ على كيدِ العِدى وهو أَعزلٌ

وحلَّ على كيدِ العِدى وهو أَعزلٌ

مَحلاًّ تَحاماه القَنا والفوارسُ

مَحلاًّ تَحاماه القَنا والفوارسُ

Despite his enemies' plots, he settled, unarmed,

He overcame the enemy’s plots, though without armor

In a station that spears and horsemen shunned.

With places the spear and horsemen protected

بنو حاجبِ النُّعمانِ صَحْبى وأُسرتي

بنو حاجبِ النُّعمانِ صَحْبى وأُسرتي

لكلِّ امريءٍ في صَحبهِ من يُجانسُ

لكلِّ امريءٍ في صَحبهِ من يُجانسُ

The sons of Hajib al-Nu'man are my companions and my kin;

The Banu Hajib al-Numan are my comrades and family

Every man has among his companions someone of his own kind.

For every man among his comrades there is an intimate

هُمُ مَنعوني من مخالبِ ضَيْغَمٍ

هُمُ مَنعوني من مخالبِ ضَيْغَمٍ

هِزَبْرٍ له غُلبُ الأُسودِ فَرائسُ

هِزَبْرٍ له غُلبُ الأُسودِ فَرائسُ

They protected me from the claws of a lion,

They prevented me from the claws of a calamitous

A mighty lion whose prey are thick-necked lions.

Snarling fate having the attack of lions as booty

وكَبتُ منالَ الكفِّ منه ففتُه

وكَبتُ منالَ الكفِّ منه ففتُه

وقد تحبسُ الشيءَ القريبَ الحبائسُ

وقد تحبسُ الشيءَ القريبَ الحبائسُ

And I was within his hand's reach, yet eluded him;

And I grasped the reach of the palm from it, so I rent it

Even what is close at hand can be held back by barriers.

Though things nearby may be held back by obstacles

أَخصُّكَ بالقولِ الذي أنتَ أهلُهُ

أَخصُّكَ بالقولِ الذي أنتَ أهلُهُ

وان رَغِمَتْ مما أَقولُ المَعَاطِسُ

وان رَغِمَتْ مما أَقولُ المَعَاطِسُ

I single you out for the words you deserve,

I address you with words you deserve

Even if noses are rubbed in dust by what I say:

Even if the spying slanderers spurn what I say

مَعَاطِسُ قومٍ يَحْوِطُوْنَ أَمامَه

مَعَاطِسُ قومٍ يَحْوِطُوْنَ أَمامَه

ولم يَحرسوا الوُدَّ الذي أَنتَ حَارسُ

ولم يَحرسوا الوُدَّ الذي أَنتَ حَارسُ

The noses of men who guard the space before him,

Slanderers who surround him in front

Yet never guarded the affection you guard.

Yet did not guard the affection which you guard

هُمُ حينَ يَدمى من أَديمكَ مُلدَغٌ

هُمُ حينَ يَدمى من أَديمكَ مُلدَغٌ

ذئابٌ على شَمِّ الدماءِ لَغَاوسُ

ذئابٌ على شَمِّ الدماءِ لَغَاوسُ

They, when a sting-wound on your skin bleeds,

When your skin is pierced by their bite

Are wolves, ravenous at the scent of blood.

They are wolves smelling blood, impetuous

يُعاطونَك البِشرَ الطليقَ وكلُّهم

يُعاطونَك البِشرَ الطليقَ وكلُّهم

بِجَنْبيهِ من داءِ العَدَواةِ نَاحِسُ

بِجَنْبيهِ من داءِ العَدَواةِ نَاحِسُ

They offer you an open, cheerful smile, yet every one of them

Showing you honest joy while each conceals

Harbors beneath his ribs a bane born of enmity's disease.

In his soul the sickness of enmity and spite