أَمّا ظُباكَ فَقَد دانَت لَها الأُمَمُ

أَمّا ظُباكَ فَقَد دانَت لَها الأُمَمُ

فَما تُخالِفُها عُرب وَلا عَجَمُ

فَما تُخالِفُها عُرب وَلا عَجَمُ

As for your blades, the nations have submitted to them;

Your beauty has subdued all nations

So neither Arabs nor non-Arabs defy them.

Arabs and non-Arabs alike surrender to it

يَجري القَضاء بِما تَهوى فَإِن جَمَحَت

يَجري القَضاء بِما تَهوى فَإِن جَمَحَت

عَنها القُلوبُ أَطاعَت أَمرَها القِمَمُ

عَنها القُلوبُ أَطاعَت أَمرَها القِمَمُ

Fate runs as they desire; and if rebellious

Judgment runs according to your desires - if hearts

Hearts turn from them, heads obey their command.

Stray from it, the summits obey your command

تُروي وَتُحيي نُفوسَ العائِذينَ بِها

تُروي وَتُحيي نُفوسَ العائِذينَ بِها

فَعِندَها نِعَمٌ في طَيِّها نِقَمُ

فَعِندَها نِعَمٌ في طَيِّها نِقَمُ

They quench and revive the souls of those seeking refuge in them;

It revives and gives life to the souls of those who seek refuge in it

For with them are blessings whose folds hold vengeance.

With you there is bounty, though your folds conceal adversity

كَأَنَّما هِيَ لِلأعمارِ مالِكَةٌ

كَأَنَّما هِيَ لِلأعمارِ مالِكَةٌ

فَمِن مَضارِبِها تُعطي وَتَختَرِمُ

فَمِن مَضارِبِها تُعطي وَتَختَرِمُ

As though they held dominion over lifespans,

As if it holds the lifespans in its grasp

So from their cutting edges they grant life and cut it short.

And from its dwellings gives and takes away

نادَت نُمَيرٌ فَلَبَّتها وَقَد لَؤمَت

نادَت نُمَيرٌ فَلَبَّتها وَقَد لَؤمَت

فيها الكِرامُ وَماتَت دونَها الهِمَمُ

فيها الكِرامُ وَماتَت دونَها الهِمَمُ

Numayr called, and they answered her, though baseness had overtaken

Numayr called and it answered, though there cowardice and valor perished

Her nobles, and lofty aspirations had died before reaching her.

Fear was kept from it while still sheathed

فَضارَبَ الخَوفُ عَنها وَهيَ مُغمَدَة

فَضارَبَ الخَوفُ عَنها وَهيَ مُغمَدَة

وَلَيسَ كُلُّ ضِراب أَن يُراقَ دَمُ

وَلَيسَ كُلُّ ضِراب أَن يُراقَ دَمُ

So fear fought on their behalf while they lay sheathed;

Not every unsheathing means blood is spilled

And not every clash of swords means blood is spilled.

Your book sufficed over an army you would prepare

أَغنى كِتابُكَ عَن جَيشٍ تُجَهِّزُهُ

أَغنى كِتابُكَ عَن جَيشٍ تُجَهِّزُهُ

وَوَقَّرَ السَّيفُ لَمّا أَقنَعَ القَلَمُ

وَوَقَّرَ السَّيفُ لَمّا أَقنَعَ القَلَمُ

Your letter sufficed in place of an army you would equip;

And the sword acquiesced when the pen was satisfied

And the sword rested when the pen persuaded.

O ambition! The glory of Islam carried thanks to you

يا هِمَةً حَمَلَ الإِسلامُ مِنَّتَها

يا هِمَةً حَمَلَ الإِسلامُ مِنَّتَها

وَنِعمَةً صَغُرَت في جَنبِها النِّعَمُ

وَنِعمَةً صَغُرَت في جَنبِها النِّعَمُ

O lofty resolve, whose favor Islam bears as a debt,

And the blessings, next to it, seemed small

And blessing, beside which blessings grow small!

Is there, by the grave of Shabib, any acquaintance of yours?

هَل عِندَ قَبرِ شَبيبٍ مِنكَ مَعرِفَةٌ

هَل عِندَ قَبرِ شَبيبٍ مِنكَ مَعرِفَةٌ

فَرُبَّما صَنَعَت ما تَصنَعُ الدِّيَمُ

فَرُبَّما صَنَعَت ما تَصنَعُ الدِّيَمُ

Is there at Shabib's grave some token of your regard?

Sometimes one does what condolences do

For it may do what the steady rains do.

His virtue and the earth between you called you

دَعَتكَ رِمَّتُهُ وَالتُّربُ بَينَكُما

دَعَتكَ رِمَّتُهُ وَالتُّربُ بَينَكُما

وَمِن فُروضِ العُلى أَن تَسمَعَ الرِّحَمُ

وَمِن فُروضِ العُلى أَن تَسمَعَ الرِّحَمُ

His remains called you, with the earth between you both;

And it is the duty of the exalted to heed family ties

And among the duties of nobility is that kinship should listen.

You had no reticence in what he said

فَلَم يَكُن بِكَ فيما قالَهُ حَصَرٌ

فَلَم يَكُن بِكَ فيما قالَهُ حَصَرٌ

وَلا بِسَمعِكَ عَمّا قالَهُ صَمَمُ

وَلا بِسَمعِكَ عَمّا قالَهُ صَمَمُ

So you were not tongue-tied at what he said,

Nor deafness to what he spoke

Nor was your hearing deaf to what he said.

The disdain of a people whose pride you brought

أَعراضُ قَوم أَفادوكَ الفَخارَ بِها

أَعراضُ قَوم أَفادوكَ الفَخارَ بِها

فَإِن دَعوا بِكَ تَحميها فَما ظَلَموا

فَإِن دَعوا بِكَ تَحميها فَما ظَلَموا

The honor of a people who gave you glory through it—

If they call you to protect it, they have done no wrong

So if they call on you to protect it, they have done no wrong.

They died but live on through mention of them

ماتوا وَلَكِنَّهُم أَحيا بِذِكرِهِم

ماتوا وَلَكِنَّهُم أَحيا بِذِكرِهِم

إِنَّ الثَّناء وجُودٌ ما لَهُ عَدَمُ

إِنَّ الثَّناء وجُودٌ ما لَهُ عَدَمُ

They died, yet are more alive through remembrance of them;

For praise is generosity that has no end

Indeed, praise is existence that admits no nonexistence.

Your swords revived the dead honor of Mudar

أَحيَت سُيوفُكَ مَيتَ العِزِّ في مُضَرٍ

أَحيَت سُيوفُكَ مَيتَ العِزِّ في مُضَرٍ

وَأَسفَرَت بِسَناها عَنهُم الظُّلَمُ

وَأَسفَرَت بِسَناها عَنهُم الظُّلَمُ

Your swords revived dead glory in Mudar;

And with their flashing dispelled the darkness

And by their radiance, darkness lifted from them.

For them there was one proof of glory

كانَت لَهُم آيَةً في الفَخرِ واحِدَة

كانَت لَهُم آيَةً في الفَخرِ واحِدَة

حَتّى خُلِقتَ فَصارَ الدِّينُ وَالكَرَمُ

حَتّى خُلِقتَ فَصارَ الدِّينُ وَالكَرَمُ

They had a single mark of glory,

Until you were created and religion and nobility became two

Until you were created; then they had faith and generosity.

Your enemies said the paths of glory were obscure

قالَت عداتُكَ طُرقُ المَجدِ خافِيَةٌ

قالَت عداتُكَ طُرقُ المَجدِ خافِيَةٌ

وَما عَلَيكَ إِذا أَبصَرتَها وَعَموا

وَما عَلَيكَ إِذا أَبصَرتَها وَعَموا

Your enemies said, 'The paths to glory are hidden';

And it matters not if you see them while they are blind

And what harm is that to you, if you see them while they are blind?

How often have they who envied you concealed

كَم خُلَّةٍ لَكَ راموا سَترَ شارِفها

كَم خُلَّةٍ لَكَ راموا سَترَ شارِفها

حَتّى رَأوهُ صَباحاً لَيسَ يَنكَتِمُ

حَتّى رَأوهُ صَباحاً لَيسَ يَنكَتِمُ

How many a virtue of yours—they sought to conceal its prominence,

The mantle of a towering one until morning unveiled him

Until they saw it as a morning that cannot be hidden.

You have made rise from it undying suns

أَطلَعتَ مِنها شُموساً غَيرَ آفِلَةٍ

أَطلَعتَ مِنها شُموساً غَيرَ آفِلَةٍ

وَعانَدوكَ فَقالوا إِنَّها شِيَمُ

وَعانَدوكَ فَقالوا إِنَّها شِيَمُ

You made suns rise from them that never set;

And they opposed you saying it was their nature

And they stubbornly opposed you, saying, 'They are traits.'

They assented to no wondrous thing from a stranger

ما أَيقَنوا لِغَريبٍ مِن بَدائعِها

ما أَيقَنوا لِغَريبٍ مِن بَدائعِها

إِلّا وَقَد جَهِلوا فَوقَ الَّذي عَلِموا

إِلّا وَقَد جَهِلوا فَوقَ الَّذي عَلِموا

They never grasped one rarity among their marvels,

Unless they already in their ignorance exceeded what they knew

Without being ignorant of more than they knew.

Nor obeyed you until after realizing

وَلا أَطاعوكَ إِلّا بَعدَ مَعرِفَةٍ

وَلا أَطاعوكَ إِلّا بَعدَ مَعرِفَةٍ

بِأَنَّ مِثلَكَ لا يَعصيهِ مِثلَهُمُ

بِأَنَّ مِثلَكَ لا يَعصيهِ مِثلَهُمُ

And they obeyed you only after realizing

That the likes of them cannot disobey the likes of you

That the likes of you are not defied by the likes of them.

Your swords healed an illness rooted in their disloyalty

شَفَت سُيوفُكَ داء مِن عُقوقِهِمُ

شَفَت سُيوفُكَ داء مِن عُقوقِهِمُ

لَها وَرُبَّ شِفاء كُلُّهُ سَقَمُ

لَها وَرُبَّ شِفاء كُلُّهُ سَقَمُ

Your swords cured a sickness born of their ingratitude

And every healing, however complete, leaves a scar

Toward them; and many a cure is wholly sickness.

O son of the lofty, they suckled contrary to the dew and grew

يا ابنَ الأُلى رَضَعوا خَلفَ النَّدى فَربوا

يا ابنَ الأُلى رَضَعوا خَلفَ النَّدى فَربوا

بِدرِّهِ ثُمَّ ماتوا قَبلَ ما فُطِموا

بِدرِّهِ ثُمَّ ماتوا قَبلَ ما فُطِموا

O son of those who suckled at generosity's teat and grew

On its pearls then died before they were weaned

On its milk, then died before they were weaned.

Do not grieve for their death when they go

لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِمَوتاهُم إِذا ذَهَبوا

لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِمَوتاهُم إِذا ذَهَبوا

فَما مَضى أَحَدٌ مِنهُم وَأَنتَ هُمُ

فَما مَضى أَحَدٌ مِنهُم وَأَنتَ هُمُ

Do not grieve for their dead when they are gone;

For none of them died while you are they

For not one of them has passed away, while you are they.

What informs people of a folk whose remainder

ما يُخبِرُ النّاسُ عَن قَوم بَقِيَّتُهُم

ما يُخبِرُ النّاسُ عَن قَوم بَقِيَّتُهُم

أَبو سَلامَةَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم سَلِموا

أَبو سَلامَةَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم سَلِموا

People report nothing of a people whose surviving member is

Is Abu Salama except that they are at peace

Abu Salama, except that they have survived unscathed.