ما حطَّمتْ جَلَدي يدُ النُوَبِ

ما حطَّمتْ جَلَدي يدُ النُوَبِ

لكنْ تَحَطَّمتِ النوائبُ بي

لكنْ تَحَطَّمتِ النوائبُ بي

The hand of calamities did not shatter my endurance,

The hardships did not break my skin,

but calamities shattered against me.

Rather, the hardships were broken by me.

قل للخطوبِ إليكِ فابتعدي

قل للخطوبِ إليكِ فابتعدي

ألمَستِ بي ضَعفْاً لتقترِبي

ألمَستِ بي ضَعفْاً لتقترِبي

Tell adversities, “Away with you—keep your distance!”

Tell troubles to move away from you,

Have you sensed weakness in me, that you draw near?

You felt me weak so you would come near.

هتفت لي الأهوال تطلُبني

هتفت لي الأهوال تطلُبني

فبرزتُ حراً غيرَ منتقِب

فبرزتُ حراً غيرَ منتقِب

Horrors called out to me, seeking me,

Disasters called out demanding me,

so I stepped forth free, unveiled.

So I came out free, not wearing a veil.

أنا صخرةٌ ما إن تخوِّفُني

أنا صخرةٌ ما إن تخوِّفُني

هذي الرياحُ الهوجُ بالصَخَب

هذي الرياحُ الهوجُ بالصَخَب

I am a rock, never frightened

I am a rock, I cannot be scared

by these raging winds and their clamor.

By these raging winds making noise.

إن الليالي حاوَلَت ضَرعَي

إن الليالي حاوَلَت ضَرعَي

فوجدْنَني مُتعسَّرَ الحَلَب

فوجدْنَني مُتعسَّرَ الحَلَب

Indeed, the nights tried my udder,

The nights tried to milk my wrists,

and found me difficult to milk.

But found them to be dry and not flowing.

وحَمِدْنَ غَرْبَ شَكيمةٍ عَسرَتْ

وحَمِدْنَ غَرْبَ شَكيمةٍ عَسرَتْ

عن أن تُنال بعُنف مغتصِب

عن أن تُنال بعُنف مغتصِب

And they praised a curb-bit’s sharp edge, too unyielding

And the stubbornness of the west was thankful

to be seized by a usurper’s violence.

That it could not forcibly take me.

ومهدِّدي بالشرِّ يُنذرني

ومهدِّدي بالشرِّ يُنذرني

إن لم أُطِعْه بسوءِ مُنقلَب

إن لم أُطِعْه بسوءِ مُنقلَب

And he who threatens me with evil warns me,

And those threatening me with evil warn me

if I do not obey him, of a wretched outcome.

That if I don’t obey them I will be overturned.

أخْجَلتُه بالضِحك أحسَبهُ

أخْجَلتُه بالضِحك أحسَبهُ

كمُخوِّفٍ للنَبع بالغَرَب

كمُخوِّفٍ للنَبع بالغَرَب

I shamed him with laughter, thinking him

I shamed them with laughter, thinking of them

like one threatening a nabaʿ tree with willow wood.

As someone trying to scare a spring in the field.

قلتُ اطَّلِعْ فلقد ترىَ عَجَباً

قلتُ اطَّلِعْ فلقد ترىَ عَجَباً

فيه ، فقالَ وأعجَبَ العَجَب

فيه ، فقالَ وأعجَبَ العَجَب

I said, “Look within; you may indeed see a wonder

I said look and you will truly see

in it.” He said—wonder of wonders!—

A wonder in it, and he said the most amazing wonder

إني أرىَ قلباً يدورُ على

إني أرىَ قلباً يدورُ على

جَيش كموجِ البحر مُضطرِب

جَيش كموجِ البحر مُضطرِب

“I see a heart revolving upon

Is that I see a heart revolving over

a surge, turbulent as the sea’s waves.”

An army like the waves of the troubled sea

ومُناشِدي نَسَباً أمُتُّ به

ومُناشِدي نَسَباً أمُتُّ به

لم يدرِ ما حَسَبي وما نَسَبي

لم يدرِ ما حَسَبي وما نَسَبي

And he who asked about the lineage to which I belong

And my challenger attributes to me a lineage

did not know my honor or my descent.

That he does not know what my lineage or ancestry is.

عندي من الأمواتِ مفخرةٌ

عندي من الأمواتِ مفخرةٌ

شمّاء مُريبةٌ على الطَلَب

شمّاء مُريبةٌ على الطَلَب

I have among the dead a source of pride,

I have from the dead a glorious pride

lofty, disquieting when called upon.

A high scent that seeks the heights.

لكن أنِفتُ بأنْ يعيدَ فمي

لكن أنِفتُ بأنْ يعيدَ فمي

للناس عهدَ الفَخر بالعَصَب

للناس عهدَ الفَخر بالعَصَب

But I disdained having my mouth revive

But I refused that my mouth repeats

for people the age of boasting of clans.

To people the old pride of ancestry.

حسبي تجاريبٌ مَهَرتُ بها

حسبي تجاريبٌ مَهَرتُ بها

وإلى البلايا السودِ مُنتسَبي

وإلى البلايا السودِ مُنتسَبي

My honor lies in experiences through which I gained skill,

It is enough for me the trials that I was skilled in

and to black afflictions I trace my descent.

And attributed to confronting the black afflictions.

وبذي وتلك كِفايتي شَرَفاً

وبذي وتلك كِفايتي شَرَفاً

يُرضِي العُلا ويَسُرَّ قبرَ أبي

يُرضِي العُلا ويَسُرَّ قبرَ أبي

In this and that I have honor enough

And that is enough honor for me

to satisfy greatness and gladden my father’s grave.

To please the high status and gladden my father’s grave.

هذا التعنُّتُ في تَبصُّرِه

هذا التعنُّتُ في تَبصُّرِه

متوقّداً كتوقُّ اللَهَب

متوقّداً كتوقُّ اللَهَب

This obstinacy, as one beholds it

This stubbornness in his perception

blazing like a flame’s yearning—

Burning like the burning of flames

إذ لا يلائمُ مَعدِني بَشَرٌ

إذ لا يلائمُ مَعدِني بَشَرٌ

ما لم يكُنْ من معدِنٍ صُلُب

ما لم يكُنْ من معدِنٍ صُلُب

for no mortal suits my mettle

As no human suits my essence

unless he is of hard metal—

Unless he is from a firm essence.

الفَضلُ فيه لمَلْبَسٍ خَشِنِ

الفَضلُ فيه لمَلْبَسٍ خَشِنِ

عُوِّدتُه ولمَطعَم جَشِب

عُوِّدتُه ولمَطعَم جَشِب

the credit for it goes to coarse clothing

The excellence in it is rough clothing

I was accustomed to, and to coarse food,

That I was accustomed to and bitter food.

ولوالدٍ وُرِّثْتُ من دَمِه

ولوالدٍ وُرِّثْتُ من دَمِه

محضَ الإباء وسورةَ الغَضَب

محضَ الإباء وسورةَ الغَضَب

and to a father from whose blood I inherited

And a father I inherited from his blood

pure defiance and the surge of wrath.

Pure dignity and the aspect of anger.

عندي من الجَبَروت أصدقُه

عندي من الجَبَروت أصدقُه

أُبديه للمتُجبِّرِ الكَذِب

أُبديه للمتُجبِّرِ الكَذِب

I possess the truest kind of might,

I have from arrogance its most truthful

which I show to the sham tyrant.

That I show to the arrogant liar.

لا أبتغي خصمي أُناشده

لا أبتغي خصمي أُناشده

عَفْواً ولو أطوي على سَغَب

عَفْواً ولو أطوي على سَغَب

I do not seek my adversary to implore him

I do not ask my opponent to call on him

for pardon, even if I go hungry.

For forgiveness even if I fold over thorns.

حربٌ لذي صَلَف . وذو أدب

حربٌ لذي صَلَف . وذو أدب

سهلُ القِياد لكلِّ ذي أدَب

سهلُ القِياد لكلِّ ذي أدَب

I am war to the arrogant, yet a man of courtesy,

It is war against the one obstinate and rude.

easily led by anyone courteous.

And the well-mannered is easy to lead for the well-mannered.

ولقد أرى في مدح مُنتَقِصي

ولقد أرى في مدح مُنتَقِصي

لرغيدِ عيش أحسَنَ السَبَب

لرغيدِ عيش أحسَنَ السَبَب

And I see in praising my detractor

And I do see praising those belittling me

the best means to a life of ease,

Is the best reason for the pleasure of an easy life

ليُحِلَّني من بَعد مَسغَبةٍ

ليُحِلَّني من بَعد مَسغَبةٍ

في ذي زُروع مُعشِبِ خَصِب

في ذي زُروع مُعشِبِ خَصِب

so that he may settle me, after starvation,

To make me, after hardship,

in a lush, fertile land full of crops.

In one with vegetation and green fertile land.

فتلوحُ لي نَفسْي تهدِّدُني

فتلوحُ لي نَفسْي تهدِّدُني

أشباحُها بالويلِ والحَرب

أشباحُها بالويلِ والحَرب

Then my soul appears before me, and I am threatened

So my soul appears threatening me

by its phantoms with woe and war.

With its ghosts of ruin and war.

فأعودُ أدراجي أرى سَعَةً

فأعودُ أدراجي أرى سَعَةً

وعِمارةً في عُشِّيَ الخَرب

وعِمارةً في عُشِّيَ الخَرب

So I retrace my steps and see spaciousness

So I return regretting, seeing prosperity

and a flourishing dwelling in my ruined nest.

And construction in the evening of ruin.

إني بلَوتُ الدهرَ أعذَبَه

إني بلَوتُ الدهرَ أعذَبَه

وأمَرَّ ه الروَح والنَصَب

وأمَرَّ ه الروَح والنَصَب

I have tested time, its sweetest

I have tasted the sweetest of life

and its bitterest—ease and toil.

And its most bitter, O soul and adversity.

فوجدتُني أدْنى إلى ضَجَر

فوجدتُني أدْنى إلى ضَجَر

لكليهما وأحبَّ للوَصَب

لكليهما وأحبَّ للوَصَب

So I found myself more prone to weariness

So I found myself closer to boredom

with both, and fonder of suffering.

Of both and more loving of original nature.

ما بَينَ جنبَّي اللذينِ هُما

ما بَينَ جنبَّي اللذينِ هُما

قَفَصُ الهموم ومَجمَع الكُرَب

قَفَصُ الهموم ومَجمَع الكُرَب

What lies between my two sides, which are

Between my two sides, which are

a cage of cares and a gathering-place of sorrows,

The cage of worries and place of sorrows,

قلب يَدُقُّ إلى العَنا طرَباً

قلب يَدُقُّ إلى العَنا طرَباً

ويحن مشتاقاً الى التَعَب

ويحن مشتاقاً الى التَعَب

is a heart that beats joyfully toward hardship

A heart that pounds with disturbance to care

and yearns longingly for toil.

And yearns longingly to fatigue.

وأخٍ تلائمُني مشاربُه

وأخٍ تلائمُني مشاربُه

وطباعُه في الجدِّ واللَعِب

وطباعُه في الجدِّ واللَعِب

As for a brother whose tastes suited mine,

And a brother whom I get along with in tendencies

and whose nature matched mine in earnestness and play—

And nature, in seriousness and play.

انكَرتُ ضَعفاً في شكيمتِه

انكَرتُ ضَعفاً في شكيمتِه

ومرونةً تدعو إلى الرِيَب

ومرونةً تدعو إلى الرِيَب

I condemned a weakness in his resolve

I denied any weakness in his determination

and a pliancy that invites suspicion.

And flexibility that calls for doubt.

فطرَحْتُه أخشَى على شَمَمي

فطرَحْتُه أخشَى على شَمَمي

عَدوى ليانٍ منهُ مُكتَسَب

عَدوى ليانٍ منهُ مُكتَسَب

So I cast him off, fearing my proud spirit might suffer

So I discarded him, fearing the purity

the contagion of softness acquired from him.

Of my instincts would be infected from him.

ودفنتُه لا القَلبُ يُنشده

ودفنتُه لا القَلبُ يُنشده

أسفاً ولا دَمْعي بمنسَكِب

أسفاً ولا دَمْعي بمنسَكِب

And I buried him; my heart does not seek him

And I buried him without my heart seeking him

in sorrow, nor do my tears flow.

Regretfully and without my tears pouring.