قَطَعتُ بسَيري كلَّ يهماءَ مفزَعِ

وجُبتُ بخيلي كلَّ صرماءَ بلقعِ

I have cut through every desolate wilderness,

I cut across every terrifying, trackless waste with my marching,

And crossed with my tribe every barren plain.

And roamed with my steeds through every waterless, barren void.

وثلَّمتُ سيفي في رؤوسٍ وأذرُعٍ

وحطّمتُ رمحي في نحورٍ وأضلُع

My sword has tasted the blood of heads and arms,

I blunted the edge of my sword against heads and arms,

And my spear has rent the breasts and ribs of foes.

And shattered the shaft of my spear within throats and ribs.

وصيّرتُ رأيي بعد عزميَ رائِدي

وخلّفت آراءً توالَت بمَسمَعي

After resolving, I guided my steed by my will,

I made my own judgment—backed by resolve—my sole guide,

And turned from the counsels that assailed my ears.

And cast behind me the opinions that clamored in my ears.

ولم أتَّرِكْ أمراً أخافُ اغتيالَه

ولا طمعَت نفسي إلى غير مطمَع

I feared not to undertake any dangerous act,

I never abandoned a course for fear of its betrayal,

Nor did my soul covet any but its own wish.

Nor did my soul ever covet what was unworthy of desire.

وفارقتُ مصراً والأُسَيْوِدُ عينُهُ

حذارَ مسيري تستهلُّ بأدمُع

I left Egypt when violence filled its eye,

I departed Egypt while the eye of that petty black slave

Fearing my journey would begin with tears.

Streamed with tears in dread of my departure.

ألم تفهم الخُنثى مقالي وأنَّني

أُفارقُ من أقلي بقلبٍ مُشَيَّعِ

Does not the effeminate being understand my words?

Did that effeminate creature not comprehend my words, and know

That I part with a farewell from a wrung heart,

That I leave the one I loathe with a heart full of resolve?

ولا أرعوي إلا إلى من يودّني

ولا يطّبيني منزلٌ غيرُ مُمرعِ

And incline only to one who loves me,

I turn my rein to no one but he who wishes me well,

And no home delights me save an abode of freedom.

And no abode tempts me save one of fertile bloom.

أبا النتنِ كم قيَّدتني بمواعِدٍ

مخافَة نظمٍ للفُؤادِ مُرَوِّع

O you who binds me with a pact

O Father of Stench! How often you shackled me with promises,

To fear a verse that shakes my heart!

In terror of a verse that would strike panic in your heart.

وقدَّرتَ من فرطِ الجهالة أنّني

أُقيمُ على كذبٍ رصيفٍ مُضَيَّعِ

You judged in the ignorance that holds you back,

You reckoned, in the excess of your ignorance, that I

That I still stand on a shore of lies,

Would remain for the sake of elaborate, wasted lies—

أقيمُ على عبدٍ خَصِيٍّ مُنافِقِ

لئيمٍ رديءِ الفعلِ للجودِ مُدّعي

That I dwell with a mutilated slave, a hypocrite,

Remain with a castrated, hypocritical slave,

Vile in acts, though posing as virtuous and liberal.

A base wretch of foul deeds who falsely claims nobility.

وأترُكُ سيفَ الدولَةِ الملِكَ الرضا

كريمَ المحيّا أروعاً وابنَ أروع

While I leave the sword of state and the pleasing king,

While I abandon Sayf al-Dawla, the well-pleasing King,

Most generous, of noblest line, and noblest descent,

Noble of countenance, magnificent, and son of the magnificent.

فتىً بحرُهُ عذبٌ ومقصِدُه غِنىً

ومَرتَعُ مرعى جودهِ خيرُ مرتَعِ

A sea whose water is sweet, and whose wealth is plenty,

A knight whose sea of bounty is sweet, whose goal is wealth,

The best pasture, the most excellent dwelling.

And the grazing ground of his generosity is the finest pasture.

تظَلُّ إذا ما جئتَهُ الدهرَ آمناً

بخيرِ مكانٍ بل بأشرَفِ موضعِ

If you come to him in time of need, you will shade yourself

If you come to him, you shall remain forever safe,

In the best refuge, nay, the most noble place.

In the best of places—nay, in the most honorable station.