إِثلِث فَإِنّا أَيُّها الطَلَلُ

نَبكي وَتُرزِمُ تَحتَنا الإِبلُ

One third, for lo! O ruins

Join us as a third, O scattered ruin,

We weep while the camels kneel beneath us

For we are weeping, and the camels groan beneath us.

أَولا فَلا عَتبٌ عَلى طَلَلِ

إِنَّ الطُلولَ لِمِثلِها فُعُلُ

Firstly, no reproach upon a ruin

Or if you refuse, no blame falls on a remnant trace,

For the like of it, the mature ones did

For it is the nature of ruins to remain silent in their deeds.

لَو كُنتَ تَنطِقُ قُلتَ مُعتَذِراً

بي غَيرُ ما بِكَ أَيُّها الرَجُلُ

If you could speak, you would say excusing me

If you could speak, you would answer with an excuse:

Nothing in me but what in you, O man

"I do not suffer what you suffer, O man.

أَبكاكَ أَنَّكَ بَعضُ مَن شَغَفوا

لَم أَبكِ أَنِّيَ بَعضُ مَن قَتَلوا

You weep that you are part of those who were passionate

You weep because you are of those who loved,

I do not weep that I am part of those who were killed

I weep not, for I am but the wreckage they destroyed."

إِنَّ الَّذينَ أَقَمتَ وَاِحتَمَلوا

أَيّامُهُم لِدِيارِهِم دُوَلُ

Those who stayed and endured

Those for whom you stayed while they journeyed on,

Their days in their lands alternate

Their days are but fleeting dynasties over their homes.

الحُسنُ يَرحَلُ كُلَّما رَحَلوا

مَعَهُم وَيَنزِلُ حَيثُما نَزَلوا

Beauty moves on whenever they moved

Beauty departs whenever they strike their tents,

With them and settles wherever they settled

And where they alight, there Beauty alights as well.

في مُقلَتي رَشَأٍ تُديرُهُما

بَدَوِيَّةٌ فُتِنَت بِها الحِلَلُ

In my eyelids a Bedouin girl stirs them

In the eyes of a gazelle, which she turns about,

Who was tempted by the ornaments

Is a Bedouin maid by whom even ornaments are charmed.

تَشكو المَطاعِمُ طولَ هِجرَتِها

وَصُدودِها وَمَنِ الَّذي تَصِلُ

The abodes complain of the length of their abandonment

Even nourishment complains of her long abstinence,

And their remoteness, and who shall they visit?

Her refusal to feast—so with whom does she unite?

ما أَسأَرَت في القَعبِ مِن لَبَنٍ

تَرَكَتهُ وَهوَ المِسكُ وَالعَسَلُ

She left no milk curdled in the waterskin

The remnants of milk she leaves within the cup,

Which was musk and honey

She transforms, leaving behind both musk and honey.

قالَت أَلا تَصحو فَقُلتُ لَها

أَعلَمتِني أَنَّ الهَوى ثَمَلُ

She said: Will you not wake? And I said to her

She asked, "Will you not sober up?" and I replied,

You have taught me that passion is fruitless

"It was you who taught me that love is a wine."

لَو أَنَّ فَنّاخُسرَ صَبَّحَكُم

وَبَرَزتِ وَحدَكِ عاقَهُ الغَزَلُ

If the steeds of Fanakhas had neighed at you

If Fanna Khusraw were to come upon you at dawn,

And she went out alone, the spinning would entangle her

And you appeared alone, mere love-talk would halt him.

وَتَفَرَّقَت عَنكُم كَتائِبُهُ

إِنَّ المِلاحَ خَوادِعٌ قُتُلُ

And his hordes had dispersed from you

His great battalions would scatter before your face,

Verily the sailor folk are perfidious, killed

For beautiful women are deceivers and deadly slayers.

ما كُنتِ فاعِلَةً وَضَيفُكُمُ

مَلِكُ المُلوكِ وَشَأنُكِ البَخَلُ

You would not have done it, and your guest

What would you do when your guest is the King of Kings,

Is the king of kings, yet you are stingy

While stinginess remains your custom and your way?

أَتُمَنِّعينَ قِرىً فَتَفتَضِحي

أَم تَبذُلينَ لَهُ الَّذي يَسَلُ

Will you forbid food and so disgrace yourself

Would you deny him hospitality and face disgrace,

Or will you give that which he requests?

Or would you grant him all that he demands?

بَل لا يَحُلُّ بِحَيثُ حَلَّ بِهِ

بُخلٌ وَلا جَورٌ وَلا وَجَلُ

But it is not fitting where he has settled

Nay, for wherever he settles, there cannot dwell

Stinginess, injustice or fear

Stinginess, nor injustice, nor any fear.

مَلِكٌ إِذا ما الرُمحُ أَدرَكَهُ

طَنَبٌ ذَكَرناهُ فَيَعتَدِلُ

A king whom, when the spear reaches him

A King—if the spear-shaft finds itself bent or crooked,

Is a straight, upright branch we have mentioned

We but mention his name, and it straightens itself out.

إِن لَم يَكُن مَن قَبلَهُ عَجَزوا

عَمّا يَسوسُ بِهِ فَقَد غَفَلوا

If those before him did not refrain

If those who came before him were not incapable

From that which troubles him, then they were heedless

Of his manner of rule, then surely they were negligent.

حَتّى أَتى الدُنيا اِبنُ بَجدَتِها

فَشَكا إِلَيهِ السَهلُ وَالجَبَلُ

Until the son of her youth came to the world

Until the true master of the world arrived within it,

And the plain and mountain complained to him

And to him both the plains and the mountains complained.

شَكوى العَليلِ إِلى الكَفيلِ لَهُ

أَن لا تَمُرَّ بِجِسمِهِ العِلَلُ

The sick man's complaint to the guarantor,

Complaining as a sick man to the one who guarantees

That no illnesses will pass through his body

That no sickness shall ever course through his frame.

قالَت فَلا كَذَبَت شَجاعَتُهُ

أَقدِم فَنَفسُكَ ما لَها أَجَلُ

His courage did not lie when it said

Courage spoke—may its promise never prove false—

Go forward, your soul has no term

"Advance! For your soul is bound by no mortal time."

فَهُوَ النِهايَةُ إِن جَرى مَثَلٌ

أَو قيلَ يَومَ وَغىً مَنِ البَطَلُ

For it is the conclusion, if a parable runs

He is the ultimate limit whenever a proverb is cited,

Or it is said, on the day of battle, who is the hero?

Or when they ask in the heat of battle: "Who is the hero?"

عُدَدُ الوُفودِ العامِدينَ لَهُ

دونَ السِلاحِ الشَكلُ وَالعَقلُ

The number of delegations coming to him

The gear of the delegations journeying toward him,

Without arms, is the form and the mind

Is not weaponry, but tethering ropes and hobbles.

فَلِشُكلِهِم في خَيلِهِ عَمَلٌ

وَلِعُقلِهِم في بُختِهِ شُغُلُ

So their form in his horses finds work

For their hobbles find use upon his mighty steeds,

And their mind in his fortune finds occupation

And their ropes find employment upon his camels.

تُمسي عَلى أَيدي مَواهِبِهِ

هِيَ أَو بَقِيَّتُها أَوِ البَدَلُ

You rouse because of his gifts

By evening, in the hands of his boundless generosity,

Either it or its remainder or the substitute

Are the ropes themselves, or their remnants, or replacements.

يَشتاقُ مِن يَدِهِ إِلى سَبَلٍ

شَوقاً إِلَيهِ يَنبُتُ الأَسَلُ

From his hand he yearns for paths

His hand yearns to pour forth a rain of bounty,

A yearning for him the thorns grow

A yearning toward which the very spear-shafts grow.

سَبَلٌ تَطولُ المَكرُماتُ بِهِ

وَالمَجدُ لا الحَوذانُ وَالنَفَلُ

Paths which his gifts grow long by

A rain that causes noble deeds and glory to flourish,

And glory not the gifts and gratuities

Not merely the desert clover or the wild weeds.

وَإِلى حَصى أَرضٍ أَقامَ بِها

بِالناسِ مِن تَقبيلِها يَلَلُ

And to the pebbles of a land where he stayed

And to the pebbles of a land where he has dwelt,

The people kiss it from venerating it

Which the people have worn smooth with their kissing.

إِن لَم تُخالِطهُ ضَواحِكُهُم

فَلِمَن تُصانُ وَتُذخَرُ القُبَلُ

If his laughter does not mix with them

If their smiling lips do not touch that ground,

Then for whom is the kiss guarded and stored?

For whom, then, are their kisses saved and stored?

في وَجهِهِ مِن نورِ خالِقِهِ

قَدَرٌ هِيَ الآياتُ وَالرُسُلُ

In his face from the light of his Creator

In his face shines a light from his Creator,

Is a measure, these are the signs and messages

A destiny manifest in signs and messengers.

وَإِذا القُلوبُ أَبَت حُكومَتَهُ

رَضِيَت بِحُكمِ سُيوفِهِ القُلَلُ

And when hearts refuse his rule

If hearts should ever refuse his governance,

The blades of his swords are content with ruling

Then heads will bow to the judgment of his swords.

وَإِذا الخَميسُ أَبى السُجودَ لَهُ

سَجَدَت لَهُ فيهِ القَنا الذُبُلُ

And when the unruly refuses to bow to him

And if a mighty army refuses to prostrate before him,

The supple spears in it bow down

The slender spears within its ranks shall bow down.

أَرَضيتَ وَهشُوَذانُ ما حَكَمَت

أَم تَستَزيدُ لِأُمِّكَ الهَبَلُ

Are you pleased, while Khosrow is not

Are you satisfied, O Hashwadhan, with what fate decreed?

Or will more madness come to your mother?

Or do you seek more? May your mother be bereaved!

وَرَدَت بِلادَكَ غَيرَ مُعمَدَةٍ

وَكَأَنَّها بَينَ القَنا شُعَلُ

Your lands have returned without being acutely ill

His forces entered your lands without support needed,

As if they were the blossoms among the spears

Blazing like flames amidst the forest of spears.

وَالقَومُ في أَعيانِهِم خَزَرٌ

وَالخَيلُ في أَعيانِها قَبَلُ

And the people in their chiefs are verdant

The men looked on with eyes askance in fear,

And the horses in their chiefs are lively

While the horses charged with focused, squinting gaze.

فَأَتَوكَ لَيسَ بِمَن أَتَوا قِبَلٌ

بِهِم وَلَيسَ بِمَن نَأَوا خَلَلُ

So they came to you, not like those who came before

They came to you—an unstoppable force in their approach,

Among them, nor those who kept away, blend in

While those who stayed behind left no gap in the ranks.

لَم يَدرِ مَن بِالرَيِّ أَنَّهُمُ

فَصَلوا وَلا يَدري إِذا قَفَلوا

Whoever is at the meadows does not know

Those in Rayy knew not when the army marched forth,

That they have parted, or when they departed

Nor were they aware when the victors returned.

فَأَتَيتَ مُعتَزِماً وَلا أَسَدٌ

وَمَضَيتَ مُنهَزِماً وَلا وَعِلُ

You came resolved and not a lion

You came with resolve—no lion seemed so bold,

You left defeated and not a hyena

But fled in defeat—no mountain goat so swift.

تُعطي سِلاحَهُمُ وَراحَهُمُ

ما لَم تَكُن لِتَنالَهُ المُقَلُ

You give their weapons and relief

You surrendered to their hands and weapons,

What the wretched were unable to attain

Spoils that the eyes had never dared to hope for.

أَسخى المُلوكِ بِنَقلِ مَملَكَةٍ

مَن كادَ عَنهُ الرَأسُ يَنتَقِلُ

The most generous of kings in transferring kingship

The most generous king in handing over a kingdom

Nearly lost his head over it

Is he whose own head was nearly severed from him.

لَولا الجَهالَةُ ما دَلَفتَ إِلى

قَومٍ غَرِقتَ وَإِنَّما تَفَلوا

If not for ignorance, you would not have entered among

Had it not been for ignorance, you would not have marched

A people you drowned while they only spit

Against a people whose mere spit caused you to drown.

لا أَقبَلوا سِرّاً وَلا ظَفِروا

غَدراً وَلا نَصَرَتهُمُ الغِيَلُ

They did not come secretly or gain treacherously

They did not advance in secret, nor triumph by deceit,

Nor did darkness aid them

Nor did they rely on treachery or ambush for aid.

لا تَلقَ أَفرَسَ مِنكَ تَعرِفُهُ

إِلّا إِذا ضاقَت بِكَ الحِيَلُ

You will not meet a horse of yours that recognizes you

Do not face a knight superior to yourself,

Except when ruses narrow for you

Unless all your tricks have failed and you are trapped.

لا يَستَحي أَحَدٌ يُقالُ لَهُ

نَضَلوكَ آلُ بُوَيهِ أَو فَضَلوا

No one is ashamed whom they call

No man should feel shame if it is said to him:

The Buyids surpassed you or excelled

"The House of Buyeh defeated you and excelled."

قَدَروا عَفَوا وَعَدوا وَفَوا سُئِلوا

أَغنَوا عَلَوا أَعلَوا وَلَو عَدَلوا

They judged, pardoned, numbered, and if asked

They conquered and pardoned; promised and fulfilled;

They enriched, exalted, exalted even if they were just

Were asked and enriched; rose high and raised others up.

فَوقَ السَماءِ وَفَوقَ ما طَلَبوا

فَإِذا أَرادوا غايَةً نَزَلوا

Above the sky and above what they sought

They soar above the heavens and beyond all desire,

So when they wanted an aim they descended

So when they seek a goal, they must descend to reach it.

قَطَعَت مَكارِمُهُم صَوارِمَهُم

فَإِذا تَعَذَّرَ كاذِبٌ قَبِلوا

Their virtues cut through their blades

Their noble virtues blunt the edge of their swords,

So if a liar found it difficult, they accepted

So if a liar pleads an excuse, they accept it.

لا يَشهُرونَ عَلى مُخالِفِهِم

سَيفاً يَقومُ مَقامَهُ العَذَلُ

They do not brandish over their opponent

They do not unsheathe a sword against a foe,

A sword, its place is taken by forbearance

If a mere word of reproach will serve the same end.

فَأَبوا عَلِيٍّ مَن بِهِ قَهَروا

وَأَبو شُجاعٍ مَن بِهِ كَمَلوا

They refused Ali, through whom they conquered

Thus, through Abu Ali did they achieve their conquest,

And Abu Shuja, through whom they perfected

And through Abu Shuja' was their glory made complete.

حَلَفَت لِذا بَرَكاتُ غُرَّةِ ذا

في المَهدِ أَن لا فاتَهُم أَمَلُ

The blessings of the first of this one swore

The blessings of the one's brow swore to the other,

In the cradle that no hopes escaped them

While still in the cradle, that no hope would ever escape them.