فَإِلّا تواتِ اليَومَ سَلمى فَرُبَّما

فَإِلّا تواتِ اليَومَ سَلمى فَرُبَّما

شَرِبنا بِحَوضِ اللَهوِ غَيرِ المُرَنَّقِ

شَرِبنا بِحَوضِ اللَهوِ غَيرِ المُرَنَّقِ

So if Salma does not oblige today, many a time

Unless Salma visits today, we may

we have drunk at pleasure's unclouded pool.

Drink from the bowl of playfulness, not being withdrawn

فَدَعها فَقَد أَعذرَت في ذِكرِ وَصلِها

فَدَعها فَقَد أَعذرَت في ذِكرِ وَصلِها

وَأَجرَيتَ فيها شأوَ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

وَأَجرَيتَ فيها شأوَ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

So leave her; you have done your utmost in telling of union with her,

So leave her be, for you have excused mentioning her visit

and ranged from west to east in speaking of her.

And discussed her situation, both east and west

وَلَكِن لِعَبدِ اللَهِ فاِنطِق بِمَدحَةٍ

وَلَكِن لِعَبدِ اللَهِ فاِنطِق بِمَدحَةٍ

تُجبِرُكَ مِن عُسرِ الزَمانِ المُطَبَّقِ

تُجبِرُكَ مِن عُسرِ الزَمانِ المُطَبَّقِ

But speak a song of praise for Abd Allah,

But for Abdullah, speak a praise

that relieves you of time's all-encompassing hardship.

That will heal you from the distress of pressing times

أَخٌ قُلتُ للأدنينِ لَمّا مَدَحتُهُ

أَخٌ قُلتُ للأدنينِ لَمّا مَدَحتُهُ

هَلُمُّوا وَساري اللَيلِ مِنَ الآنَ فاِطرُقِ

هَلُمُّوا وَساري اللَيلِ مِنَ الآنَ فاِطرُقِ

A brother—when I praised him, I told those nearest me:

I said to the nobles when praising him

“Come! And you, night-traveler, henceforth come calling!”

Come, pass the night from now on wakeful

شَديدُ التأنّي في الأُمورِ مُجَرِّبٌ

شَديدُ التأنّي في الأُمورِ مُجَرِّبٌ

مَتى يَعرُ أَمرُ القَومِ يَفرِ وَيَخلُقِ

مَتى يَعرُ أَمرُ القَومِ يَفرِ وَيَخلُقِ

Deeply deliberate in affairs, seasoned by experience,

Careful and prudent in matters, experienced

whenever the people's business arises, he cuts and measures.

When will the people’s affair show, then disperse and create

تَرى الخَيرَ يَجري في أَسِرَّةِ وجهِهِ

تَرى الخَيرَ يَجري في أَسِرَّةِ وجهِهِ

كَما لألأت في السَيفِ جَريَةُ رَونَقِ

كَما لألأت في السَيفِ جَريَةُ رَونَقِ

You see goodness flowing in the lines of his face,

You see good flowing in the secrets of his face

as a stream of lustre flashes along a sword.

As ornamentation flows on a sharpened sword

كَريمٌ إِذا ما شاءَ عَدَّ لَهُ أَباً

كَريمٌ إِذا ما شاءَ عَدَّ لَهُ أَباً

لَهُ نَسَبٌ فَوقَ السِماكِ المُحَلِّقِ

لَهُ نَسَبٌ فَوقَ السِماكِ المُحَلِّقِ

Noble—whenever he wishes, he can name a father

Noble, if he wishes, he counts as a father for him

whose lineage rises above the soaring al-Simak,

He has a lineage above the high-flying birds

وَأمّاً لَها فَضلٌ عَلى كُلِّ حُرَّةٍ

وَأمّاً لَها فَضلٌ عَلى كُلِّ حُرَّةٍ

مَتى ما تُسابِق بابنِها القَومَ تَسبِقِ

مَتى ما تُسابِق بابنِها القَومَ تَسبِقِ

and a mother who excels every freeborn woman:

And a mother who has virtue over every free woman

whenever she vies with the people through her son, she outstrips them.

Whenever her son competes with the people, he outpaces

حَلَلتَ مَحَلَّ القَلبِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

حَلَلتَ مَحَلَّ القَلبِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

فَعُشُّكَ مأوى بيضِها المُتَفَلِّقِ

فَعُشُّكَ مأوى بيضِها المُتَفَلِّقِ

You have taken the heart's place within the house of Hashim;

You have taken the place of the heart from the Hashimites

so your nest is a haven for its hatching eggs.

So your nest is a refuge for their cracking eggs

وَلَم تَكُ بالمُعزى إِلَيها نِصابهُ

وَلَم تَكُ بالمُعزى إِلَيها نِصابهُ

لِصاقاً وَلا ذا المَركَبِ المُتَعَلِّقِ

لِصاقاً وَلا ذا المَركَبِ المُتَعَلِّقِ

And you were not one whose stock was ascribed to it

You were not an aspirant to them, clinging

by mere attachment, nor one whose lineage merely clings to it.

Nor with a tethered ship, clinging

فَمَن مِثلُ عَبدِاللَهِ أَو مِثلُ جَعفَرٍ

فَمَن مِثلُ عَبدِاللَهِ أَو مِثلُ جَعفَرٍ

وَمِثلُ أَبيكَ الأريَحيِّ المُرَهَّقِ

وَمِثلُ أَبيكَ الأريَحيِّ المُرَهَّقِ

Who, then, is like Abd Allah, or like Jaafar,

So who is like Abdullah or like Ja'far

and like your openhanded father, thronged by supplicants?

And like your father, the exhausted flier