إذا خانتكَ مَوهبِةٌ فحقُّ

إذا خانتكَ مَوهبِةٌ فحقُّ

سبيل العيشِ وَعْرٌ لا يُشَقُّ

سبيل العيشِ وَعْرٌ لا يُشَقُّ

If your gift betrays you, look closely

If a gift betrays you, then truly

at the road to a livelihood—a lifetime cannot be divided.

the path of life is rugged and impassable.

وما سهلٌ حياةُ اخي شُعورٍ

وما سهلٌ حياةُ اخي شُعورٍ

من الوجدان ينبُضُ فيه عِرق

من الوجدان ينبُضُ فيه عِرق

Never easy is the life of one possessed by feeling,

Nor is life easy for one endowed with feeling,

with a vein pulsing in his innermost soul.

in whom a vein throbs with emotion.

أحلَّتْهُ وداعتُه محيطاً

أحلَّتْهُ وداعتُه محيطاً

حَمَتْه جوارحٌ للصيد زُرق

حَمَتْه جوارحٌ للصيد زُرق

His gentleness turned him into an ocean;

His gentleness has placed him in a world

his faculties bore him forth to hunt the blue.

guarded by blue-eyed birds of prey poised to hunt.

تفيض وضاحةً والعيشُ غِشٌ

تفيض وضاحةً والعيشُ غِشٌ

سلاحك فيه أن يعلوك رَنْق

سلاحك فيه أن يعلوك رَنْق

His candor overflows, while life is deceit;

You overflow with candor, while life is deceit;

your weapon in it is to let its murk envelop you.

your weapon there is to let murk shroud you.

وتحمل ما يحلّ من الرزايا

وتحمل ما يحلّ من الرزايا

قُواكَ وقد تخورُ لما يَدِقّ

قُواكَ وقد تخورُ لما يَدِقّ

Bear whatever calamities befall—

And whatever calamities befall are borne

your strength may fail you before the subtlest things.

by your powers, though they may falter at something slight.

يظُن الناسُ أنّك عُنجهُيُّ

يظُن الناسُ أنّك عُنجهُيُّ

وأنتَ وَهُم بما ظَنّوا مُحِقّ

وأنتَ وَهُم بما ظَنّوا مُحِقّ

People think you arrogant,

People think you arrogant,

and both you and they are justified in what they think.

and you are justified—as are they in what they think.

قليلٌُّ عاذروكَ على انقباضٍ

قليلٌُّ عاذروكَ على انقباضٍ

أحب الناسِ عند الناسِ طَلْق

أحب الناسِ عند الناسِ طَلْق

Few will excuse your reserve;

Few excuse your reserve;

the person people love most is open and affable.

the person people love most is the cheerful one.

ووجهٍ تُقطُر الأحزانُ منه

ووجهٍ تُقطُر الأحزانُ منه

على الخُلَطاء مَحمِلُه يشِقّ

على الخُلَطاء مَحمِلُه يشِقّ

His face drips sorrow,

And a face from which sorrows drip

and bearing him weighs hard upon companions.

is hard for companions to bear.

شريكُكَ في مِزاجك من تُصافي

شريكُكَ في مِزاجك من تُصافي

له شِقٌ وطوعُ يديك شِق

له شِقٌ وطوعُ يديك شِق

The companion you sincerely befriend is congenial to your nature:

Whoever you befriend shares in your disposition:

half is his own nature, and half the shaping of your hands.

one half is his, and one half is at your hands' command.

وقبلاً قال ذو أدَب ظريفٍ

وقبلاً قال ذو أدَب ظريفٍ

قِرى الأضياف قبلَ الزاد خُلْق

قِرى الأضياف قبلَ الزاد خُلْق

Before you, a witty man of letters said:

Long ago, a man of refined manners said:

The first hospitality offered guests, before food, is gracious character.

Guests' first fare, before food, is good manners.

وعذرُك أنت آلامٌ ثِقالٌ

وعذرُك أنت آلامٌ ثِقالٌ

لهنَّ بعيشةِ الأدباء لَصق

لهنَّ بعيشةِ الأدباء لَصق

Your excuse is that you bear heavy pains

And your own excuse is weighty suffering,

to which—by your life—men of letters cling.

which clings to the lives of writers.

أحقُّ الناس بالتلطيف يغدو

أحقُّ الناس بالتلطيف يغدو

وكل حياتِه عَنَتٌ وزَهْق

وكل حياتِه عَنَتٌ وزَهْق

Most deserving of gentle treatment is one who rises each morning

The one most deserving of kindness lives,

when all his life is suffering and exhaustion.

yet his whole life is hardship and exhaustion.

تسير بك العواطفُ للمنايا

تسير بك العواطفُ للمنايا

وعاطفةٌ تسوءُ الظُفرَ حُمق

وعاطفةٌ تسوءُ الظُفرَ حُمق

Passions lead you toward deadly ends;

Emotions carry you toward death,

a passion that wrongs even the forgiving is folly.

and an emotion that harms success is folly.

وحتى في السكوت يُرادُ حزمٌ

وحتى في السكوت يُرادُ حزمٌ

وحتى في السلامِ يُرادُ حِذق

وحتى في السلامِ يُرادُ حِذق

Even in silence, resolve is required,

And even in silence, prudence is required;

and even in greeting, tact is required.

and even in greeting, skill is required.

يريد الناسُ أوضاعاً كثاراً

يريد الناسُ أوضاعاً كثاراً

وفيك لما يُريدُ الناسُ خَرق

وفيك لما يُريدُ الناسُ خَرق

People demand a multitude of postures,

People demand many conventions,

yet whatever people demand meets awkwardness in you.

and you are inept at what people demand.

خضوعُ الفرد للطبقاتِ فَرضٌ

خضوعُ الفرد للطبقاتِ فَرضٌ

وقاسيةٌ عقوبةُ من يَعِقّ

وقاسيةٌ عقوبةُ من يَعِقّ

The individual's submission to society's ranks is compulsory,

The individual's submission to the classes is a duty,

and harsh is the punishment of whoever disobeys.

and harsh is the punishment of whoever disobeys.

نسيجٌ من روابطَ محكماتٍ

نسيجٌ من روابطَ محكماتٍ

شذوذُ العبقريةِ فيه فَتْق

شذوذُ العبقريةِ فيه فَتْق

They are a fabric of tightly woven bonds;

A fabric of tightly woven bonds:

the singularity of genius tears a rent in it.

the eccentricity of genius is a tear in it.

وعندّكَ قوَّةُ التعبير عما

وعندّكَ قوَّةُ التعبير عما

تُحسُّ ، وميزةُ الشُعَراء نُطْق

تُحسُّ ، وميزةُ الشُعَراء نُطْق

You possess the power to express what

And you have the power to express what

you feel; the poets' distinction is utterance.

you feel; what distinguishes poets is speech.

حياتُك أن تقولَ ولو لهاثاً

حياتُك أن تقولَ ولو لهاثاً

وحُكمٌ بالسكوت عليك شَنْق

وحُكمٌ بالسكوت عليك شَنْق

Your life is to speak, though you speak panting;

Your life is to speak, even in gasps,

to be sentenced to silence is hanging for you.

and sentencing you to silence is hanging you.

فما تدري أتطلق من عنان القريحةِ

فما تدري أتطلق من عنان القريحةِ

أم تُسفُّ فتُستَرَقّ

أم تُسفُّ فتُستَرَقّ

You do not know whether to free yourself from inspiration's rein

So you do not know: should you loosen the reins of inspiration,

or stoop low and become enslaved.

or stoop low and be enslaved?

فان لم تُرضِ أوساطاً وناساً

فان لم تُرضِ أوساطاً وناساً

ولم تكذِبْ وحُسْنُ الشعرِ صِدق

ولم تكذِبْ وحُسْنُ الشعرِ صِدق

If you do not please the mediocre and the common crowd,

For if you do not please circles and people,

and will not lie—for poetry's excellence is truth—

and do not lie—for poetry's beauty is truth—

ولم تقلِ الشريفُ أبو المعالي

ولم تقلِ الشريفُ أبو المعالي

وتَعلَمُ أنه حمَقان مَذْق

وتَعلَمُ أنه حمَقان مَذْق

do not call the supposed nobleman “father of lofty deeds”

and do not say, 'The noble lord is Abu al-Ma'ali,'

when you know him to be a foolish fraud;

though you know he is a fool and a fraud;

ولم تمدحْ مؤامرةً وحُكما

ولم تمدحْ مؤامرةً وحُكما

بأنهما لميلِ الشَعب وَفق

بأنهما لميلِ الشَعب وَفق

and if you do not praise his noble deeds and judgments

and do not praise a conspiracy and a government

because they conform to the people's inclination,

as both conforming to the people's wishes,

دُفِعتَ الى الرعاع فكان شتمٌ

دُفِعتَ الى الرعاع فكان شتمٌ

ورحتَ إلى القضاء فكان خَنْق

ورحتَ إلى القضاء فكان خَنْق

you are thrust among the rabble—and that is abuse;

you are thrust among the rabble, and there is abuse;

then you go to the courts—and that is strangulation.

and you turn to the courts, only to be strangled.

بقاءُ النوع قال لكلِّ فرد

بقاءُ النوع قال لكلِّ فرد

" أُحطُّ شمائلي عَدل ورِفق "

" أُحطُّ شمائلي عَدل ورِفق "

The survival of the species said to every individual:

The survival of the species said to every individual:

“I have girded my ways with justice and gentleness.

“My basest traits are justice and gentleness.

قلوب صِحابتي غُلْفٌ ووِرْدي

قلوب صِحابتي غُلْفٌ ووِرْدي

لمن لم يعرف التهويش طَرْق

لمن لم يعرف التهويش طَرْق

My companions' hearts are sealed; yet to my watering place

My companions' hearts are sealed, and my draught

there are paths for one who knows nothing of clamorous jostling.

is fouled water for whoever has not learned to bluster.

وصارمةٌ نواميسي وعندي

وصارمةٌ نواميسي وعندي

لمن لا يسحَقُ الوجدانَ سَحق

لمن لا يسحَقُ الوجدانَ سَحق

My laws are my sharp sword, and in my realm

My laws are stern, and I have

whoever does not crush feeling is himself crushed.

crushing for anyone who does not crush conscience.

وإني لاحبٌ بالظلم سهلٌ

وإني لاحبٌ بالظلم سهلٌ

ومنحدِرٌ لصافي القلب زَلْق

ومنحدِرٌ لصافي القلب زَلْق

Through oppression I pave an easy road,

And I am a broad, easy road for injustice,

a slippery descent for the pure of heart.”

and a slippery slope for the pure of heart.”

غريبٌ عالم الشعراء تقسو

غريبٌ عالم الشعراء تقسو

ظروفهم والسنُهم تَرِق

ظروفهم والسنُهم تَرِق

Strange is the poets' world: their circumstances grow harsh,

Strange is the poets' world: harsh grow

while their tongues grow delicate.

their circumstances, while their tongues grow tender.

كبعضِ الناس هُمْ فاذا استُثيروا

كبعضِ الناس هُمْ فاذا استُثيروا

فبينهم وبين الناس فَرْق

فبينهم وبين الناس فَرْق

They are like other people, but once aroused,

They are like some other people; but when stirred,

between them and other people lies a difference.

then there is a difference between them and other people.

شذوذُ الناس مُختَلَق ولكنْ

شذوذُ الناس مُختَلَق ولكنْ

شذوذُ الشاعر الفَنّان خَلْق

شذوذُ الشاعر الفَنّان خَلْق

People's singularities vary, but

People's eccentricity is contrived, but

the artist-poet's singularity is his very nature.

the poet-artist's eccentricity is inborn.

وإن تعجَبْ فمن لَبِقٍ أريبٍ

وإن تعجَبْ فمن لَبِقٍ أريبٍ

عليه تساويا سَطْحٌ وعُمْق

عليه تساويا سَطْحٌ وعُمْق

And if you marvel, marvel at a clever, discerning man

And if you marvel, marvel at a tactful, clever man

in whom surface and depth have become equal.

for whom surface and depth are alike.

تضيق به المسالكُ وهو حُرٌّ

تضيق به المسالكُ وهو حُرٌّ

ويُعوِزُهُ التقلُّب وهو ذَلْق

ويُعوِزُهُ التقلُّب وهو ذَلْق

The paths close in upon him, though he is free;

The paths close in on him, though he is free,

adaptability fails him, though he is eloquent.

and he lacks adaptability, though he is eloquent.

وسرُّ الشاعرية في دِماغٍ

وسرُّ الشاعرية في دِماغٍ

ذكيٍ وهو في التدبير خَرْق

ذكيٍ وهو في التدبير خَرْق

The secret of poetry lies in a brain

And the secret of poetic genius lies in a brain

intelligent, yet inept at practical management.

keen, though he is inept at managing affairs.

تَخبَّط في بسائِطهِ وحَلَّت

تَخبَّط في بسائِطهِ وحَلَّت

على يَدهِ من الأفكار غُلْق

على يَدهِ من الأفكار غُلْق

It flounders in the simplest matters, yet its hand

He blundered in its simplest matters, yet unlocked

unlocks for it what is closed among ideas.

with his own hand the mysteries of thought.

مشاهيرٌ وما طَلَبوا اشتهاراً

مشاهيرٌ وما طَلَبوا اشتهاراً

مَشَتْ بُرُدٌ بهم وأُثيرَ بَرق

مَشَتْ بُرُدٌ بهم وأُثيرَ بَرق

Famous, though they never sought fame—

Famous, though they never sought fame,

postal dispatches carried their news, and the telegraph flashed.

robes bore them along, and lightning was stirred.

ومَرموقونَ من بُعدٍ وقُربٍ

ومَرموقونَ من بُعدٍ وقُربٍ

لَهمْ أُفُقٌ وللقمرين أُفْق

لَهمْ أُفُقٌ وللقمرين أُفْق

Admired from afar and near,

And admired from far and near,

they have one horizon, while sun and moon have another.

they have their horizon, and the sun and moon theirs.

ومحسودونَ إن نَطَقوا وودُّوا

ومحسودونَ إن نَطَقوا وودُّوا

بشَدق منهُمُ لو خِيطَ شَدْق

بشَدق منهُمُ لو خِيطَ شَدْق

Envied whenever they speak, while others wish

And envied when they speak, while others wish

that one mouth of theirs—if only it were sewn shut.

that a mouth be stitched shut for every mouth of theirs.

يُعينُ عليهُمُ رَشْقُ البلايا

يُعينُ عليهُمُ رَشْقُ البلايا

من التنقيد والشتَمات رَشق

من التنقيد والشتَمات رَشق

A volley of afflictions aids the assault upon them,

The volley of calamities against them is reinforced

a volley of criticism and abuse.

by a volley of criticism and insults.

فاما جَنْبةُ التكريم منهم

فاما جَنْبةُ التكريم منهم

فبابٌ بعضَ أحيان يُدَقّ

فبابٌ بعضَ أحيان يُدَقّ

Their only refuge of honor

As for the matter of honoring them,

is some patron's door, knocked on now and then.

it is a door knocked on only now and then.

متى تُحسِن مدائحَهُمْ يَجِلّوا

متى تُحسِن مدائحَهُمْ يَجِلّوا

كما اشتُريِتَ لحُسن اللحن وُرْق

كما اشتُريِتَ لحُسن اللحن وُرْق

Whenever their panegyrics are finely wrought, a patron sends for them,

When their panegyrics excel, they rise in stature,

as silver buys the beauty of a melody.

as gray doves are bought for the sweetness of their song.

وإلا غُودِروا هَمَلا ضَياعاً

وإلا غُودِروا هَمَلا ضَياعاً

كما بَعدَ الشرابِ يُعاف زِقّ

كما بَعدَ الشرابِ يُعاف زِقّ

Otherwise they leave them neglected and lost,

Otherwise they are left neglected, lost,

as a wineskin is shunned once the drinking is done.

like a wineskin cast aside after drinking.

ورب مُضيَّع منهم هباءاً

ورب مُضيَّع منهم هباءاً

يَشيدُ بذكرهِ غَرب وشَرق

يَشيدُ بذكرهِ غَرب وشَرق

Many a poet among them is squandered into dust,

And many a one among them, wasted like dust,

though West and East proclaim his fame.

has his memory extolled by West and East.

تَزيَّنُ في الندى له دوَاةٌ

تَزيَّنُ في الندى له دوَاةٌ

ويُعرَض في المتاحف منه رَق

ويُعرَض في المتاحف منه رَق

At the gathering, an inkwell is adorned in his honor,

At the assembly, an inkwell is adorned for him,

and a manuscript of his is displayed in museums.

and a parchment of his is exhibited in museums.

فيا عجباً لمنبوذٍ كحَق

فيا عجباً لمنبوذٍ كحَق

يقدَّر من بديع نَثاه عِلْق

يقدَّر من بديع نَثاه عِلْق

What wonder if, from an outcast deemed worthless,

How strange that an outcast, like truth,

precious treasures of exquisite creation should be prized?

has a treasure from his wondrous words so prized!

وفي شتى البلاد يُرى ضريحٌ

وفي شتى البلاد يُرى ضريحٌ

عليه من نِثار الوَرد وَسق

عليه من نِثار الوَرد وَسق

Throughout far-flung lands one sees a tomb

And across various lands a tomb is seen,

heaped with a load of scattered roses.

with a load of scattered roses upon it.

يُجل رفات أحمدِه فرات

يُجل رفات أحمدِه فرات

وتَمسح قبرَ أحمدها دمشق

وتَمسح قبرَ أحمدها دمشق

The Euphrates venerates the remains of its Ahmad,

The Euphrates venerates the remains of its Ahmad,

and Damascus caresses the grave of her Ahmad.

and Damascus caresses the grave of its Ahmad.

ومفرق ذاك شُجَّ فلم يُعقِّب

ومفرق ذاك شُجَّ فلم يُعقِّب

وُروعٌ ذا وسد عليه رزق

وُروعٌ ذا وسد عليه رزق

Parting from that man is grief, though he left no heirs;

And that one's crown was split, and he made no reply;

while this living one trembles, his livelihood barred from him.

and this one was terrorized, his livelihood cut off.