من المُحالِ اجتماعُ القُبح والحُسُنِ

من المُحالِ اجتماعُ القُبح والحُسُنِ

فالحمدُ للّه نافي الشَينِ عن حَسَن

فالحمدُ للّه نافي الشَينِ عن حَسَن

It is impossible for ugliness and beauty to coexist.

It is impossible for ugliness and beauty to coexist

So praise be to God, who banishes blemish from Hasan.

So praise be to Allah who removes evil from goodness

فالخَلقُ يحسن بالخُلق الجميل ولا

فالخَلقُ يحسن بالخُلق الجميل ولا

يُزيّنُ الخُلقَ خَلقٌ غير ذي حُسُنِ

يُزيّنُ الخُلقَ خَلقٌ غير ذي حُسُنِ

For outward form grows fair through beautiful character, and no

People behave well with good morals, not with

Form devoid of beauty adorns character.

Morals other than those with beauty

لِلّه يا من صَفَت منهُ مَوَدَّتُهُ

لِلّه يا من صَفَت منهُ مَوَدَّتُهُ

لأَنتَ آثرُ ما استأثرتُ في زَمَني

لأَنتَ آثرُ ما استأثرتُ في زَمَني

By God, O you whose affection is pure,

To you, O one whose affection came from Him

You are indeed the dearest I have kept for myself in my lifetime.

You are the best of what I gained in my time

بسطتُ نحوك آمالي تُقدِّمُني

بسطتُ نحوك آمالي تُقدِّمُني

اليك آونةً ثُمَّت تؤَخِرُني

اليك آونةً ثُمَّت تؤَخِرُني

I spread my hopes toward you; they draw me forward

I extended my hopes to you, to bring me forward

Toward you at times, then hold me back.

Then you delayed me for a period

فحُسنُ ظَبِّيَ في نُعماك يَجذُبُني

فحُسنُ ظَبِّيَ في نُعماك يَجذُبُني

وفرطُ إِجلال قدرٍ فيكَ يدفعني

وفرطُ إِجلال قدرٍ فيكَ يدفعني

For my gazelle's beauty amid your bounty draws me,

The beauty of my youth in your blessings pulls me

And excessive reverence for your stature drives me back.

And the utmost reverence for your worth pushes me away

وانتَ ادنى إلى المعروفِ شِنشِنةً

وانتَ ادنى إلى المعروفِ شِنشِنةً

من قابِ قوسينِ او عينٍ من الجفنِ

من قابِ قوسينِ او عينٍ من الجفنِ

And you are, by nature, closer to kindness

And you gently lean towards goodwill

Than two bows' span, or an eye is to its eyelid.

As much as two bow-lengths or an eyelid's blink

لولاكَ ما امتدَّ نحوي كفُّ مقتنصٍ

لولاكَ ما امتدَّ نحوي كفُّ مقتنصٍ

ولا تشفَّى ذووا الأَغراض والإِحَنِ

ولا تشفَّى ذووا الأَغراض والإِحَنِ

But for you, no hunter's hand would have reached toward me,

If not for you, no grasping hand would have reached for me

Nor would those with schemes and grudges have gloated.

Nor would those with needs and worries feel relief

حَسَبتُها من هِباتِ اللَه مفتقداً

حَسَبتُها من هِباتِ اللَه مفتقداً

فانهُ خيرُ وهَّابٍ وممتحنِ

فانهُ خيرُ وهَّابٍ وممتحنِ

I counted it among God's gifts, as one under His care,

I thought of them as gifts from Allah, though absent

For He is the best of givers and testers.

For He is the Best Giver and Tester

واللَهُ إِمَّا ابتلَى مَرءاً وجرَّبَهُ

واللَهُ إِمَّا ابتلَى مَرءاً وجرَّبَهُ

يُعِنهُ حقّاً وغيرُ اللَه لم يُعِن

يُعِنهُ حقّاً وغيرُ اللَه لم يُعِن

And when God afflicts a man and puts him to the test,

And Allah either tests a man and tries him

He truly helps him; none but God has helped.

Or truly helps him, for none save Allah helps

أَولَى بذي اللُبِّ ان ينحازَ عن وَطَنٍ

أَولَى بذي اللُبِّ ان ينحازَ عن وَطَنٍ

يَلقَى بهِ الجَورَ من جارٍ ومن سَكَنِ

يَلقَى بهِ الجَورَ من جارٍ ومن سَكَنِ

It is better for a man of reason to leave a homeland

It is best for one of intelligence to withdraw from a homeland

Where he meets oppression from a neighbor and a fellow dweller.

Where he faces injustice from a neighbor or resident

هل ضاقت الأرض عن حيٍّ وهل بَخُلَت

هل ضاقت الأرض عن حيٍّ وهل بَخُلَت

يوماً على ميّتٍ بالقبر والكفَن

يوماً على ميّتٍ بالقبر والكفَن

Has the earth grown too narrow for a living man, and has it begrudged

Has the earth narrowed for the living? Or has it

A dead man, even once, a grave and shroud?

Ever begrudged a grave and shroud for the dead?

ليَكلا اللَهُ أَعداءي فانهمُ

ليَكلا اللَهُ أَعداءي فانهمُ

قد قلَّدونيَ أطواقاً من المِنَنِ

قد قلَّدونيَ أطواقاً من المِنَنِ

May God preserve my enemies, for they

May Allah embarrass my enemies, for they

Have hung necklaces of favors around my neck.

Have collared me with chains of favors

راموا اقتناصي ورُمتُ الإِنقيادَ لهم

راموا اقتناصي ورُمتُ الإِنقيادَ لهم

واللَهُ يعدِلُ بالافعال ما يَزِنِ

واللَهُ يعدِلُ بالافعال ما يَزِنِ

They sought to capture me, and I sought to submit to them,

They wanted to trap me, but I refused to submit to them

And God judges justly the deeds He weighs.

And Allah makes straight what crooks weigh

والعدلُ بالحُكم زَينُ الحاكمينَ وما

والعدلُ بالحُكم زَينُ الحاكمينَ وما

سِواهُ يشناهُ عقلُ الحاذقِ الفَطِنِ

سِواهُ يشناهُ عقلُ الحاذقِ الفَطِنِ

Justice in judgment adorns rulers; whatever

Equity in judgment is the beauty of rulers, and nothing

Is otherwise is loathed by the skilled, discerning mind.

Else earns the contempt of the perceptive intellectual

قد يُخدَعُ المرءُ في الدنيا فيَحسَبُ ما

قد يُخدَعُ المرءُ في الدنيا فيَحسَبُ ما

يراهُ من وَرَمِ الأَجساد كالسِمَنِ

يراهُ من وَرَمِ الأَجساد كالسِمَنِ

A man may be deceived in this world, and think that what

One may be deceived in life, and think what

He sees of bodily swelling is plumpness.

He sees of bodily swelling is fat

فيحسبُ الشُهبَ نجماً وَهيَ ابخرةٌ

فيحسبُ الشُهبَ نجماً وَهيَ ابخرةٌ

تَفنَى سريعاً كأَن ما كانَ لم يَكُنِ

تَفنَى سريعاً كأَن ما كانَ لم يَكُنِ

He takes meteors for stars, though they are vapors

So he takes meteors for stars, though they

That quickly vanish, as though what was had never been.

Quickly vanish as if they never were

فكم قد احتُسِبَت بكراً مخدَّرةً

فكم قد احتُسِبَت بكراً مخدَّرةً

ما حالُها ثَيِّبٌ مُفتنَّةُ الفِتَنِ

ما حالُها ثَيِّبٌ مُفتنَّةُ الفِتَنِ

How often has a woman been thought a sheltered virgin,

How many presumed chaste were debauched,

Though really a previously married woman, adept in intrigues.

Seducers of seductions!

ما كل لامعةٍ عن ظاهرٍ ذَهَباً

ما كل لامعةٍ عن ظاهرٍ ذَهَباً

كلا ولا كلُّ مأمونٍ بمُؤتَمَنِ

كلا ولا كلُّ مأمونٍ بمُؤتَمَنِ

Not everything that glitters on the surface is gold,

Not all that glitters is gold,

No, nor is everyone deemed safe truly trustworthy.

Nor is every trusted one trustworthy

وذو البصيرةِ لن يغترَّ منخدعاً

وذو البصيرةِ لن يغترَّ منخدعاً

بمشبهِ الدُرّ او في خُضرة الدِمَنِ

بمشبهِ الدُرّ او في خُضرة الدِمَنِ

And one with discernment will not be taken in,

The discerning will not be fooled,

By what resembles pearls, or by greenery on dung-heaps.

Either by rhinestones or greenery from Yemen

فان اعجبَ ما تَلَقى وأَغرَبهُ

فان اعجبَ ما تَلَقى وأَغرَبهُ

من ليسَ يَفرُقُ بينَ التِبر والتبنِ

من ليسَ يَفرُقُ بينَ التِبر والتبنِ

For the most astonishing and strangest thing you encounter

For the most wondrous thing one encounters

Is one who cannot tell gold dust from straw.

Is one who cannot distinguish wheat from chaff

واشنعُ الحال ان يُلفَى الكريمُ بهِ

واشنعُ الحال ان يُلفَى الكريمُ بهِ

ما بالكرائِم من بُخلٍ ومن جُبُنِ

ما بالكرائِم من بُخلٍ ومن جُبُنِ

And the most shameful state is to find in a noble man

And most shameful is that the generous be wrapped in

The stinginess and cowardice found in noblewomen.

Stinginess and cowardice from generosity

كم سادَ في الناسِ واستولى زِمامهمُ

كم سادَ في الناسِ واستولى زِمامهمُ

مَن كان اليقَهم بالرحل والرَسَن

مَن كان اليقَهم بالرحل والرَسَن

How often has someone ruled the people and seized their reins

How many gained power over people

Who was best suited to a pack-saddle and a halter!

Who weren’t suited to a saddle or travel gear!

وكم ترفَّعَ بالاقدار منخفضٌ

وكم ترفَّعَ بالاقدار منخفضٌ

وكم تنصَّبَ بالاقدار قدرُ دني

وكم تنصَّبَ بالاقدار قدرُ دني

And how often has fate raised a lowly man,

And how the lowly have risen high in status

And how often has fate exalted a base man's standing!

As status of the noble fell low!

استغفرُ اللَه لولا اختشيهِ اذاً

استغفرُ اللَه لولا اختشيهِ اذاً

لقلتُ مستعجباً سُبحانَ كلّ غني

لقلتُ مستعجباً سُبحانَ كلّ غني

I seek God's forgiveness; were it not that I fear Him, then

I seek Allah's forgiveness - for if not for fear of Him

I would exclaim in wonder: 'Glory be to every rich man!'

I would exclaim in wonder, Glory to the All-Wealthy

من كل مستغرق التنكير عرَّفَهُ ال

من كل مستغرق التنكير عرَّفَهُ ال

دهرُ الذي نكَّرَ المعروفَ من يَمَنِ

دهرُ الذي نكَّرَ المعروفَ من يَمَنِ

Among all the utterly unknown, made known by the

From whom the ages have hidden his merits, though the

Age that made the renowned of Yemen unknown.

Era discredited the well-known from Yemen

خُذها اليكَ فَتاةً بنتَ ليلتها

خُذها اليكَ فَتاةً بنتَ ليلتها

تُجلى بلحن نِظامٍ جلَّ عن لَحَنِ

تُجلى بلحن نِظامٍ جلَّ عن لَحَنِ

Take her to yourself—a maiden born this very night,

Take it, a poem whose night is illuminated

Unveiled to a melody of verse too lofty for faulty speech.

With rhythmic verse far from meter

تنجابُ في يلمق التعريض من حَلَبٍ

تنجابُ في يلمق التعريض من حَلَبٍ

زَهَت وباهت خلنج الهِند واليَمَنِ

زَهَت وباهت خلنج الهِند واليَمَنِ

She emerges in a robe of allusion from Aleppo,

It whispers intimations in the lispings of eloquence

Resplendent, rivaling the variegated finery of India and Yemen.

Which outshone the finery of India and Yemen

ما لابنِ أَوسٍ مَرامٌ من بَلاغتها

ما لابنِ أَوسٍ مَرامٌ من بَلاغتها

لمَّا نَحَت بلِسان غير ذي لكنِ

لمَّا نَحَت بلِسان غير ذي لكنِ

Her eloquence lies beyond the reach of Ibn Aws,

The son of Aws has no need for its eloquence

As she expressed herself in a tongue free of impediment.

Since he sculpted with a tongue without lisp

لا نقدّ بمَهَرُها لكن رِضاكَ بها

لا نقدّ بمَهَرُها لكن رِضاكَ بها

فاستقبِلَنها بلا غَبنٍ ولا غَبَنِ

فاستقبِلَنها بلا غَبنٍ ولا غَبَنِ

No cash is her bridal dower, but your satisfaction with her;

I appraise not its bride-price, but your acceptance of it

So welcome her without shortchanging her or misjudging her.

So receive it without fraud or being defrauded