تركتُ التَّلَوُّمَ للفَاتِرِ

تركتُ التَّلَوُّمَ للفَاتِرِ

وشَمَّرتُ هَرْوَلَةَ الحَادِرِ

وشَمَّرتُ هَرْوَلَةَ الحَادِرِ

I left hesitation to the listless man,

I left complaining to the apathetic

and girded myself to trot like one going downhill.

And hurried the pace of departure

وما زلتُ أَرغبُ عن رغبةٍ

وما زلتُ أَرغبُ عن رغبةٍ

الى غيرِ ذِي الخُلقِ الوافِرِ

الى غيرِ ذِي الخُلقِ الوافِرِ

And I have always shunned any longing

I still desire to abandon one desire

toward anyone without abundant virtue.

For another of more virtuous moral

اذا لم أَجدْ ليدي مِنَّةً

اذا لم أَجدْ ليدي مِنَّةً

تَعَلَّقتُ بالنَّافِعِ الضّائِرِ

تَعَلَّقتُ بالنَّافِعِ الضّائِرِ

When I found my hand had no favor to bestow,

If I cannot find my hand grace

I clung to one who benefits and harms.

I hold fast to the harmful beneficial

لِخُرَّةَ فيْرُوْزَ يهدى الثَّناء

لِخُرَّةَ فيْرُوْزَ يهدى الثَّناء

وَمَنْ مِثلُه للفَتى الزائِرِ

وَمَنْ مِثلُه للفَتى الزائِرِ

To Khurra Firuz praise is offered,

To the excellence of Fīrūz he is guided praise

and who is his equal for a young visitor?

And who is like him to the visiting youth

أُؤملهُ لدفاعِ الخُطُوبِ

أُؤملهُ لدفاعِ الخُطُوبِ

وأَرجوهُ للزَّمنِ العاثِرِ

وأَرجوهُ للزَّمنِ العاثِرِ

I look to him to ward off calamities,

I hope in him to defend calamities

and hope in him when time stumbles.

And I wish for him in the stumbling time

وَصَدَّقَ ظَنّي بهِ خُبْرُهُ

وَصَدَّقَ ظَنّي بهِ خُبْرُهُ

ومنفعةُ الظنِّ للخَابِرِ

ومنفعةُ الظنِّ للخَابِرِ

And knowing him confirmed my opinion of him,

And his news verified my opinion of him

and conjecture benefits the experienced.

And the benefit of assumption to the experimenter

يُقصِّرُ عنهُ لِسانُ البليغِ

يُقصِّرُ عنهُ لِسانُ البليغِ

ويَفضُلُ عن مُقلةِ النَّاظِرِ

ويَفضُلُ عن مُقلةِ النَّاظِرِ

The eloquent man's tongue falls short of him,

The eloquent tongue falls short of it

and he exceeds what the beholder's eye can take in.

And excels the sight of the onlooker

جَريءُ الجَنانِ يُلاقي الحُسامَ

جَريءُ الجَنانِ يُلاقي الحُسامَ

بأكرمَ من حَدِّةِ البَاتِرِ

بأكرمَ من حَدِّةِ البَاتِرِ

Bold of heart, he faces the sword

Bold, he meets the swords

with mettle nobler than the cleaving blade's sharpness.

With a nobler than the sharpness of the cutting

لَوى قَسْطلَ الخيلِ عن أَرَّجَا

لَوى قَسْطلَ الخيلِ عن أَرَّجَا

نَ راضٍ بحكمِ القَنا الجَائِرِ

نَ راضٍ بحكمِ القَنا الجَائِرِ

He turned the horses' dust away from Arrajan,

He twisted his horse away from Arraja

content with the spears' unjust judgment.

Pleased with the rule of the unjust spear

بعيدُ الهُمُومِ يَسُومُ الجيادَ

بعيدُ الهُمُومِ يَسُومُ الجيادَ

معالجةَ الخِمْسِ في نَاجِرِ

معالجةَ الخِمْسِ في نَاجِرِ

Far-reaching in his ambitions, he makes his steeds endure

Far from worries, he leads the horses

the ordeal of fifth-day watering in Najir.

To deal with one-fifth in the purse

مَواقعُ آثارِهِ في البلادِ

مَواقعُ آثارِهِ في البلادِ

مَواقعُ سَيلِ الحَيا الماطِرِ

مَواقعُ سَيلِ الحَيا الماطِرِ

The sites of his traces throughout the lands

Places of his marks in the countries

are the sites reached by the torrent of pouring rain.

Are places of pouring heavy rain

يُنَازِعُكَ الملكَ مَنْ هَمُّهُ

يُنَازِعُكَ الملكَ مَنْ هَمُّهُ

مُلاعبةُ الصَّقْرِ للطَّائِرِ

مُلاعبةُ الصَّقْرِ للطَّائِرِ

You are challenged for kingship by one whose concern

He disputes you the kingdom whose concern

is a falcon's sport with a bird.

Is playing with the falcon and the bird

وَهُمْ حينَ تَطرُقُهُمْ مُويدٌ

وَهُمْ حينَ تَطرُقُهُمْ مُويدٌ

يَنامونَ عنْ ليلكَ السَّاهِرِ

يَنامونَ عنْ ليلكَ السَّاهِرِ

And they, when a dire calamity visits them by night,

And when they are distressed by death

sleep, heedless of your wakeful night.

They sleep through your sleepless night

أَبى ذاكَ نهضُكَ بالمثْقَلاتِ

أَبى ذاكَ نهضُكَ بالمثْقَلاتِ

تِ وصبرُك والكيدُ للصَّابِرِ

تِ وصبرُك والكيدُ للصَّابِرِ

Your shouldering heavy burdens rules that out,

That refused your waking with burdens

as does your patience: stratagem belongs to the patient.

By your patience and plotting for the patient

وأَنكَ لا تَرقدُ المطمئنْ

وأَنكَ لا تَرقدُ المطمئنْ

نَ الاَّ على سُنَّةِ الحَاذِرِ

نَ الاَّ على سُنَّةِ الحَاذِرِ

And you do not lie down at ease

You do not rest reassured

except in the manner of the wary.

Unless on the way of the cautious

وأَنتَ أَحَقُّ بأَهْوالِهَا

وأَنتَ أَحَقُّ بأَهْوالِهَا

اذا قيلَ هَلْ من فَتىً جَاسِرِ

اذا قيلَ هَلْ من فَتىً جَاسِرِ

And you are worthiest to face its terrors,

You are most deserving of its horrors

when it is asked, 'Is there a daring young man?'

If it is said, is there a daring youth?

وما الصبحُ أَسفرَ للناظرين

وما الصبحُ أَسفرَ للناظرين

بأَوضحَ من حَقِّكَ السَّافِرِ

بأَوضحَ من حَقِّكَ السَّافِرِ

Nor is dawn, when it brightens before the beholders,

The dawn did not shine clearer for the seers

clearer than your unveiled right.

Than your obvious right

اذا ما رأَيتُكَ فوقَ السَّيرِ

اذا ما رأَيتُكَ فوقَ السَّيرِ

ذكرتُ أَباكَ مع الذَّاكِرِ

ذكرتُ أَباكَ مع الذَّاكِرِ

Whenever I see you mounted on the march,

When I see you above the saddle

I recall your father with those who recall him.

I remember your father with the rememberer

كأَني أَرى عَضُدَ المكرمَا

كأَني أَرى عَضُدَ المكرمَا

تِ يَرْفُلُ في عِزِّهِ القَاهِرِ

تِ يَرْفُلُ في عِزِّهِ القَاهِرِ

As though I see the strong arm of noble deeds

It is as if I see the pillar of the generous

striding proudly in his overpowering glory,

Strutting in his overwhelming dignity

مكباً يُديرُ عَوِيْصَ الأُمو

مكباً يُديرُ عَوِيْصَ الأُمو

رِ كَيساً على كأْسِهِ الدَّائِرِ

رِ كَيساً على كأْسِهِ الدَّائِرِ

intent upon managing intricate affairs,

Inclined, steering the affairs of the nation

shrewd even over his cup as it passes round.

Discreet with his circulating cup

ويُخفي على الناسِ أَسْرَارَه

ويُخفي على الناسِ أَسْرَارَه

فما يَعْلَمونَ سِوى الظَّاهِرِ

فما يَعْلَمونَ سِوى الظَّاهِرِ

And he hides his secrets from the people,

And he hides from the people his secrets

so they know only the outward appearance

So they do not know except the obvious

لأَرْوَعَ يَرفَعُهُ الناسبون

لأَرْوَعَ يَرفَعُهُ الناسبون

الى الشَّمسِ والقَمرِ البَاهِرِ

الى الشَّمسِ والقَمرِ البَاهِرِ

of an awe-inspiring man whom genealogists raise

To the highest those descended from him raise him

to the sun and the dazzling moon.

To the shining sun and moon

فيا مَلِكَ الأرضِ لي حاجَةٌ

فيا مَلِكَ الأرضِ لي حاجَةٌ

نَداكَ على نيلِها ناصِري

نَداكَ على نيلِها ناصِري

So, O king of the earth, I have a need;

So O king of the earth I have a need

your bounty helps me attain it.

With you to support fulfilling it you are my aide

وأَنتَ مليءٌ بانْجَازِها

وأَنتَ مليءٌ بانْجَازِها

وما جادَ كالواجدِ القَادِرِ

وما جادَ كالواجدِ القَادِرِ

And you have ample means to fulfill it,

And you are full of fulfilling it

and none gives like one with wealth and power.

The able has never been stingy

وعَوَّدْتَنِي عادةً في اللقاءِ

وعَوَّدْتَنِي عادةً في اللقاءِ

من البِشرِ والكرمِ الغَامِرِ

من البِشرِ والكرمِ الغَامِرِ

And you have accustomed me, whenever we meet,

And you have accustomed me at the meeting

to good cheer and overflowing generosity.

To kindness and abundant generosity

اذا ما تأَمَّلَهَا الحَاسِدو

اذا ما تأَمَّلَهَا الحَاسِدو

نَ كَرّوا لها نَظْرَةَ الثْائِرِ

نَ كَرّوا لها نَظْرَةَ الثْائِرِ

When the envious contemplate it,

When the envious contemplate it

they look again at it with an avenger's gaze.

They deny it the gaze of the provoked

وكم لكَ عنديَ من نِعْمَةٍ

وكم لكَ عنديَ من نِعْمَةٍ

يُقَلَّصُ عنها مَدى الشَّاكِرِ

يُقَلَّصُ عنها مَدى الشَّاكِرِ

And how many a blessing of yours I have

And how many favors do you have with me

before which the grateful man's reach falls short!

That the reach of the grateful is deficient

مَلأتَ سَمائي وأَرضي بِهَا

مَلأتَ سَمائي وأَرضي بِهَا

فكنتَ بها غَيرَ مُسْتَأْثرِ

فكنتَ بها غَيرَ مُسْتَأْثرِ

You filled my sky and my earth with it,

You have filled my sky and earth with it

and did not claim it for yourself alone.

And were not thereby a hoarder