إمَّا تقومونَ كذا أو فاقعدوا

إمَّا تقومونَ كذا أو فاقعدوا

ما كلّ من رام السماءَ يَصعدُ

ما كلّ من رام السماءَ يَصعدُ

Either rise like this, or sit down.

Rise and strive, or else just sit still,

Not everyone who aims for the sky ascends.

Not all who seek the heights their hopes fulfill,

نامَ على الهُونِ الذليلُ ودرَى

نامَ على الهُونِ الذليلُ ودرَى

جفنُ العزيزِ لِمَ بات يَسهَدُ

جفنُ العزيزِ لِمَ بات يَسهَدُ

The abject slept upon humiliation, while

The coward slept on down, ashamed to yield,

the nobleman's eyelid knew why it spent the night awake.

While the valiant's eyes no rest or slumber filled.

أخفُّكم سعياً إلى سودَدِه

أخفُّكم سعياً إلى سودَدِه

أحقُّكم بأن يقالَ سيِّدُ

أحقُّكم بأن يقالَ سيِّدُ

The swiftest of you in striving for his eminence

Whose zeal to serve his lord knows least repose,

is most deserving of being called a lord.

Most rightly of that band the chieftain goes.

عن تعبٍ أُورِدَ ساقٌ أوّلاً

عن تعبٍ أُورِدَ ساقٌ أوّلاً

ومَسحَتْ غرَّةَ سَبَّاقٍ يدُ

ومَسحَتْ غرَّةَ سَبَّاقٍ يدُ

Through toil a leg was first brought to water,

First the leg that toils the throne attains,

and a hand stroked a winning steed's blaze.

While hands that grasp from toil bear honored stains.

لو شرُفَ الإنسان وهو وادعٌ

لو شرُفَ الإنسان وهو وادعٌ

لقطعَ الصمصامُ وهو مغمَدُ

لقطعَ الصمصامُ وهو مغمَدُ

Had a man become noble while at ease,

If man's esteem came with mere ease and calm,

the keen sword would have cut while sheathed.

The sword would rest unblooded in its sheath embalmed.

هيهات أبصرتَ العلاءَ وعشَواً

هيهات أبصرتَ العلاءَ وعشَواً

عنه فضلُّوا سُبلَه وتَجِدُ

عنه فضلُّوا سُبلَه وتَجِدُ

Far from it! You saw high honor, while they were blind

Ah, you have seen the heights, but from them strayed,

to it; they lost its paths, while you find them.

Lost from the paths by night's own shadows swayed!

يا عمدةَ الملكِ وأيُّ شرفٍ

يا عمدةَ الملكِ وأيُّ شرفٍ

طالَ ولم ترفعه منكم عَمَدُ

طالَ ولم ترفعه منكم عَمَدُ

O mainstay of the realm! What honor

O pillar of the kingdom - yet what fame

has risen without pillars among you raising it?

Have you upheld that time will not defame?

للّه هذا اليومُ يوماً أنجز ال

للّه هذا اليومُ يوماً أنجز ال

دهرُ به ما كان فيه يَعِدُ

دهرُ به ما كان فيه يَعِدُ

God be praised for this day—a day when

This day God has decreed we must prevail,

Time fulfilled through it what it had promised for it.

And turn to truth what dreaming hopers hail.

لما طَلعتَ البدرَ من ثَنِيَّةٍ

لما طَلعتَ البدرَ من ثَنِيَّةٍ

تُجلَى بها عينٌ وعَينٌ تَرمَدُ

تُجلَى بها عينٌ وعَينٌ تَرمَدُ

When you rose, a full moon, from a mountain pass,

When you appeared, radiant as the moon

where one eye is brightened and another grows sore,

That dims all stars beside it, late or soon,

من شَفَقِ الشمسِ يُسَدَّى ثوبُها

من شَفَقِ الشمسِ يُسَدَّى ثوبُها

وتُلحَمُ الجوزاءَ أو تُعَمَّدُ

وتُلحَمُ الجوزاءَ أو تُعَمَّدُ

its robe is warped from the sun's twilight glow,

The sun himself draws in his robes of light,

with Orion as its weft—or as its pillars.

And cold stars cluster in the vault of night.

دقَّ وجلَّ فهو إن لامستَهُ

دقَّ وجلَّ فهو إن لامستَهُ

سَبْطٌ وإن مارسته مُجَعَّدُ

سَبْطٌ وإن مارسته مُجَعَّدُ

Fine yet grand: if you touch it,

Prance lightly by, he quivers all compact,

it is smooth, but if you test it, rough.

Charge, and those hooves will drum the field impact.

متوَّجاً عمامةً وإنما

متوَّجاً عمامةً وإنما

عمامةُ الفارس تاجٌ يُعقدُ

عمامةُ الفارس تاجٌ يُعقدُ

Crowned with a turban—for, after all,

Crowned with a turban, though it were more meet

a horseman's turban is but a crown tied on.

Upon a warrior's head to bind a crown complete.

ممتطياً أتلعَ لو حبستَهُ

ممتطياً أتلعَ لو حبستَهُ

تحتك قيل فَدَنٌ مُشَيَّدُ

تحتك قيل فَدَنٌ مُشَيَّدُ

Riding a long-necked steed which, if you held it still

Held in by you, though that same steed would race

beneath you, would be called a lofty palace.

Free, and men call him charger held in place!

مناقلاً بأربعٍ كأنّما

مناقلاً بأربعٍ كأنّما

يلاطم الجليدَ منها جَلْمَدُ

يلاطم الجليدَ منها جَلْمَدُ

Alternating its four legs, as though

Transfer him back and forth twixt stall and field,

a boulder among them were battering the ice.

As though you shifted ice, and ice would yield.

وقَّرها خوفُك فهو مطلَقٌ

وقَّرها خوفُك فهو مطلَقٌ

يَنقُلُها كأنّه مقيَّدُ

يَنقُلُها كأنّه مقيَّدُ

Awe of you steadied them; though it is unbound,

Your awe has gentled him - now he will go

it moves them as though fettered.

Light as if haltered, yet allowed free flow.

خَفَّ بطبع عِتقِه وآده

خَفَّ بطبع عِتقِه وآده

ثِقلُ الحُلَى فمشيهُ تأوُّدُ

ثِقلُ الحُلَى فمشيهُ تأوُّدُ

Its noble breeding made it nimble, but it was weighed down

The weight of gems gives way before the grace

by heavy ornaments, so its gait sways.

Of his smooth neck, gliding as if time could erase.

مقلَّداً مهنّداً ما ضمَّه

مقلَّداً مهنّداً ما ضمَّه

قبلَك إلا خافه مقَلَّدُ

قبلَك إلا خافه مقَلَّدُ

Girded with an Indian-forged blade that no wearer clasped

Caparisoned and saddled, though before

before you without fearing it.

Your hand none rode him, saddleless he bore.

أبيض لا يعطيك عهداً مثلُه

أبيض لا يعطيك عهداً مثلُه

إذا أخوك حالَ عمّا تَعهَدُ

إذا أخوك حالَ عمّا تَعهَدُ

A bright blade: none can match its pledge to you,

A white without peer, pledges never given

when your brother changes from the man you knew.

Save to a brother, loyal as you've striven.

إذا ادرعتَ في الدجى فقَبَسٌ

إذا ادرعتَ في الدجى فقَبَسٌ

وإن توسّدتَ الثرى فعضُدُ

وإن توسّدتَ الثرى فعضُدُ

When you don armor in darkness, it is a firebrand;

By night a campfire, or a saddlebed,

and if you pillow yourself upon the earth, a supporting arm.

By day the earth's broad carpet 'neath us spread.

ما اعتدتَ كسبَ العزِّ إلا مَعَهُ

ما اعتدتَ كسبَ العزِّ إلا مَعَهُ

والمرء مَشَّاءٌ وما يُعَوَّدُ

والمرء مَشَّاءٌ وما يُعَوَّدُ

You are accustomed to winning glory only with it,

You granted me the glory that I know,

and a man walks according to what he is used to.

And man can thrive on what familiar grows.

ما زال فخر المُلك في أمثالها

ما زال فخر المُلك في أمثالها

يرشُدُ في آرائه ويسعدُ

يرشُدُ في آرائه ويسعدُ

Fakhr al-Mulk has always, in such matters,

The kingdom's pride in men like you holds fast,

been right in his judgments and fortunate.

Guided aright, till envious time has passed.

فكيف لا وأنت من فؤاده

فكيف لا وأنت من فؤاده

عزّاً وعينيه المكانُ الأسودُ

عزّاً وعينيه المكانُ الأسودُ

How could he not, when you are, in honor, to his heart

And how not so, when from your heart of hearts

and eyes their dark center?

Flows the black spring of honors set apart?

ولو ركبتُ أرحلاً لكان لي

ولو ركبتُ أرحلاً لكان لي

فيك بُراقٌ بالمنى مزوَّدُ

فيك بُراقٌ بالمنى مزوَّدُ

And were I to ride on camel saddles, I would have

Had I the means, I'd journey but to be

in you a Buraq provisioned with hopes.

Your pilgrim guest, and share your dignity.

أنت الذي جمعتَني من معشرٍ

أنت الذي جمعتَني من معشرٍ

شملُ العلاء بينهم مبدَّدُ

شملُ العلاء بينهم مبدَّدُ

You are the one who gathered me from a company

You who could gather what was sought before

among whom the unity of high honor lies scattered.

By me in fragments, make my quest no more,

كأنني آخذُ ما أُعطيهُمُ

كأنني آخذُ ما أُعطيهُمُ

من مِدَحي إذا نطقتُ أُنشِدُ

من مِدَحي إذا نطقتُ أُنشِدُ

It is as though I take back what I give them

As though all I could wish before were brought,

of my praises, whenever I speak in recitation.

And made a whole, when you yourself have wrought.

أبحتَني مجدَك إذ أرحتني

أبحتَني مجدَك إذ أرحتني

ممّن أذمُّ منهُمُ وأحمَدُ

ممّن أذمُّ منهُمُ وأحمَدُ

You opened your glory to me when you freed me

You bid me glory in your name; you grieve

from those among them whom I blame and whom I praise.

To hear me praise, or scornfully take leave.