أَتَدري اللَّيالي أَيَّ خَصمٍ تُشاغِبُه

وَأَيَّ همامٍ بِالرَزايا تُواثبُهْ

Do you know what opponent the nights battle

And what worries leap at calamities?

تَجاهَلَ هَذا الدَهرُ بي فَتَكَتَّبت

عَلَيَّ بِأَنواعِ البَلايا كَتائبُهْ

Time ignored me, so it wrote

Upon me all types of afflictions in lines.

وَظَنَّ مُحالاً أَن أَدينَ لِحُكمِهِ

لِتَبكِ عَلى عَقلِ المُعنّى نَوادِبُهْ

And it wrongly thought I would submit

To its rule, so that elegies would cry over the mind's corpse.

وَإِنّي وَإِن أَبدى اِصعِراراً بِخَدِّهِ

وَأَوجَفَ بِي وَاِزوَرَّ لِلبُغضِ جانِبُهْ

And even if I show stubbornness in its face

And it frowned at me and inclined to hatred in its side,

لأُغضي عَلى بَغضائِهِ وَاِزوِرارِهِ

وَأَعجَبُ مِن حُرٍّ كَريمٍ يُعاتِبُهْ

I will forgive its hatred and leaning,

And be astonished at a free noble one it blames.

وَأَستَقبلُ الخَطبَ الجَليلَ بِثاقِبٍ

مِن العَزمِ يَعلو لاهِبَ النارِ لاهبُهْ

And I will face the great misfortunes with penetrating

Determination, flaming, flaming its fire,

وَرَأيٍ مَتى جَرَّدتُهُ وَاِنتَضَيتُهُ

وَجَدتُ حُساماً لَم تُفلَّل مَضارِبُهْ

And an opinion - when I unsheathe it and sharpen it -

I find a sword whose blades are not blunt.

وَلَستُ بِيَهفوفٍ يَرى رَأي عِرسِهِ

مَتى أَركَبتهُ مَركباً فَهوَ راكِبُهْ

And I am not spineless, who sees the view of his mare

Whenever he rides it, it becomes its rider.

يَظلُّ إِذا ما نابَهُ الأَمرُ مُحجَزاً

يُخاطِبُها في شَأنِهِ وَتُخاطِبُهْ

It remains when the matter turns away from it, prevented,

Addressing it regarding its affair, and it addresses it.

وَلا قائِلٍ لِلدَّهرِ رِفقاً وَقَد طَمَت

أَواذِيُّهُ شَرّاً وَجاشَت غَوارِبُهْ

And no one says gently to fate, and its

Harms have overflowed and its twists have boiled.

وَسيّانَ عِندي عَذبُهُ وَأَجاجُهُ

وَحاضِرُهُ فِيما يَشاءُ وَغائِبُهْ

Both its sweetness and bitterness are equal to me,

As are its presence regarding what it wills and its absence.

وَما الدَّهرُ خَصمٌ أَتَّقيهِ فَشَأنُهُ

حَربي فَلا عَزَّ اِمرؤٌ لا يُحارِبُهْ

And fate is no opponent I fear, so its matter

Is my war, and no man has honor who does not battle it.

سَلوا صَرفَهُ هَل راعَني أَو تَزَعزَعت

مَناكِبُ عَزمي حينَ مادَت مَناكِبُهْ

Ask its twists - did it watch over me or did

My determination waver when its determination firmed?

فَكَم غارَةٍ قَد شَنَّها بَعدَ غارَةٍ

عَلَيَّ وَفَرَّت مِن قِراعي مَقانِبُهْ

So how many raids has it launched, raid after raid,

Against me while its spears fled from my encounter?

وَإِنَّ جَليلَ الخَطبِ عِندي لَهَيِّنٌ

إِذا لَزِمت دارَ اِبن عَمّي عَقارِبُهْ

And great adversity is insignificant to me

If the pincers of the scorpion, my cousin's son, insist.

وَكَم قائِلٍ ماذا المقامُ وَإِنَّما

مَقامُ الفَتى المُستَهلِك المالَ عائِبُهْ

And how often is it said what's the use of staying

When the stay of the lost young man is blaming his money?

أَلَستَ تَرى أَنّ المُقِلَّ يَمُجُّهُ

أَخو الرَّحمِ القُربى وَتَبدو معايِبُه

Don't you see that shortage makes

A brother of womb and relatives find faults?

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَملُك مِنَ المالِ ثَروَةً

رَمَتهُ عِداهُ وَاِجتَوتهُ أَقارِبُهْ

When a man does not own wealth of money

His enemies cast him away and his relatives shun him.

وَمَن يَجعَلِ العَجزَ المَطِيَّةَ لَم يَزَل

يَمُرُّ عَلَيهِ الدَهرُ وَالفَقرُ صاحِبُهْ

And whoever makes incapacity his mount

Time and poverty will always accompany him.

فَقُم وَاِركَبِ الأَهوالَ جِدّاً فَطالَما

أَفادَ الغِنى بِالمَركَبِ الصَّعبِ راكِبُهْ

So stand and daringly ride the horrors, for long

Has wealth benefited the rider of the rugged ship.

وَلا تَقعُدَن لِلشامِتينَ فَكُلُّهُم

يُذَعلِبُ أَو تَأتيكَ جَهراً نَيادِبُهْ

And do not sit for gloaters, for all of them

Slander, or their cackling comes to you openly.

فَأَنت الفَتى حَزماً وَعَزماً وَلَم تَضِق

بِمِثلِكَ في كُلِّ النَواحي مَذاهِبُهْ

You are the young man, resolute and determined, and the likes of you

Do not find its paths crowded in any region.

فَما يَقطَعُ الصّمصامُ إِلّا إِذا اِنتَحى

عَن الغِمدِ لَو كانَت حِداداً مَضارِبُهْ

And the swords do not cut unless they unveil

Themselves from the sheath, even if their blades are Indian steel.

وَما دامَ لَيثُ الغابِ في الغابِ كامِناً

فَإِنَّ حَراماً أَن تُدَمّى مَخالِبُهْ

And the forest's lion remains harmless

As long as he lurks in the forest, his claws undyed with blood.

كَذا البَدرُ لَولا سَيرُهُ وَاِنتِقالُهُ

عَن النَقص لاِستَعلَت عَلَيهِ كَواكِبُهْ

Likewise is the moon - was it not for its course and transit -

Its planets would gain mastery over it.

وَأَنتَ مِنَ الفرعِ الَّذي فَخَرَت بِهِ

نِزارٌ وَسارَت في مَعَدٍّ مَناقِبُهْ

And you are from the branch over which

The glory of Nizar triumphed, its merits excelling.

سَما بِكَ بَيتٌ عَبدَليٌّ أحلَّهُ

ديار الأَعادي سُمرُهُ وَقواضِبُهْ

By you there is the Abdali house which he inhabited,

Whose deserts Murr watered and Qawadib irrigated.

وَعالي مَحَلٍّ مِن رَبيعَةَ أَشرَفَت

عُلُوّاً عَلى كُلِّ البَرايا مَراتِبُهْ

And the elevated place of Rabia they ennobled,

Rising high over all the lands in status.

فَشَمِّر وَسِر شَرقاً وَغَرباً فَقَلَّما

أَفادَ الغِنى مَن لَم تُشَمِّر رَكائِبُهْ

So roll up your sleeves and travel east and west, for rarely

Has wealth benefited one who did not roll up his sleeves.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ لا تَعجَلَن رُبَّ سَاعَةٍ

تُزيلُ عَن الأَيّامِ ما أَنا عاتِبُهْ

So I said to him, do not hurry, for many a time

An hour removes from the days what I blame it for.

فَفي عُقرِ داري مِن مُلوكِ بَني أَبي

هُمامٌ إِلى الخَيراتِ تَجري مَآرِبُهْ

In the middle of my house, of the Kings of Bani Abi,

Is a zeal which its kindnesses flow to me.

إِذا لَم أَنُط مُستَعصِماً بِرجائِهِ

رَجائي وَتَروي تُربَ أَرضي سَحائِبُهْ

If I do not seek refuge in its hopes

My hopes and the clouds will water the soil of my land.

فَأَيُّ مَليكٍ أَرتَضى وَتَؤمُّهُ

رِكابي وَأَمشي نَحوَهُ وَأُخاطِبُهْ

So which King do I accept and head

Towards and speak to?

وَمَن ذا الَّذي أَرضى عَطاياهُ أَو أَرى

يُزاحِمُني في سُدَّةِ البابِ حاجِبُهْ

And who is one I accept his gifts or I see

His chamberlain competing with me at the gate?

وَمَن مِثلُ مَسعودِ الأَميرِ إِذا غَدا

يَغُصُّ بِفَضلِ الرّيقِ وَالماءِ شارِبُهْ

And who is like Masoud the Prince when he sets out

Filling with the saliva of favor and the water of his drink?

سَلِ الخَيلَ عَنهُ وَالمَنايا كَأَنَّما

يُناهِبُها أَرواحَها وَتُناهِبُهْ

Ask the steeds about him, as if

He plunders their souls while they plunder him.

أَخُو الطَعنَةِ النَجلاءِ وَالنَقعُ ساطِعٌ

وَوَقعُ المَذاكي يَملَأُ الطَرفَ حاصِبُهْ

The brother of glorious stabbing, and the shining swords,

And the impact of spears that fill the eyes with terror.

وَضَرَّابُ هامِ الدَارِعينَ إِذا اِستَوَت

أسودُ الشَرى في مَوجِهِ وَثَعالِبُهْ

The striker of the thick armor, when

The black fates align in its surge and billows.

وَمَنّاعُ أَعقابِ اللَّيالي إِذا اِغتَدَت

تَعاطى وَواراها مِنَ النَقعِ ثائِبُهْ

The defender of the nights' heels when they go too far,

Curbing them with the spears that pierce.

وَسَلّابُ أَرواحِ الكُماةِ لَدى الوَغى

وَلَكِن مُرجِّيهِ لَدى السِّلمِ سالِبُهْ

And the capturer of the champions' souls in battle

While their savior in peace gently captures them.

وَحَمّالُ ما لا يَستَطيعُ تَثَبُّتاً

بِهِ حَضَنٌ إِلّا وَمادَت شَناخِبُهْ

And the bearer of what no chest can endure

Unless its shoulders extend and stretch.

سَليلُ عُلاً ما زالَ يُخشى وَيُرتَجى

فَتُخشى مَوَاضيهِ وَتُرجى مَواهِبُهْ

The descendant of glory always feared and hoped for,

So his resting grounds are feared and his gifts hoped for.

وَتَرّاكُ ما لَو أَنَّ قَيسَ بنَ عاصِمٍ

أُصيبَ بِبَعضٍ مِنهُ أَورَت حُباحِبُهْ

And the splitter - if Qais bin Aasim was struck

By some of it, it would tear open his enclosures.

كَثيرُ سُهادِ العَينِ لا في مَكيدَةٍ

يُكابِدُ عُقبى شَرِّها مَن يُصاحِبُهْ

Of much clear sightedness - not in a scheme

Does he endure its evil consequence, whoever accompanies him.

جَريٌّ إِذا لَم يَبقَ لِلطِّرفِ مَسلَكٌ

وَصَمَّ حَصى الجَبّارِ لِلخَوفِ جالِبُهْ

Flowing, when no path remains for the eye

And the pebbles of the tyrant silence it in fear.

إِذا صالَ قالُوا هَل لَهُ مِن مُصاوِلٍ

وَإِن قالَ قالوا هَل همامٌ يُخاطِبُهْ

When he is silent, they say does he have someone to converse with?

And if he speaks, they say does he have ambitions that speak to him?

أَبو ماجِدٍ تِربُ العُلى وَربيبُها

أَبوهُ الَّذي تهدي السَّرايا مَقانِبُهْ

Father of Majid, the soil of glory and its foster child,

His father who the horses of good lead to.

وَتَلقى عَلِيّاً جَدَّهُ خَيرَ مَن حَدَت

إِلَيهِ المَطايا وَاِلتَقتها رَغائِبُهْ

And his grandfather Ali met - the best who

Galloped to him while his desires met them.

مُهينُ العِدى أَيّامَ تَعدو حُمولُها

وَفي العقبِ مِنها خَيلهُ وَنَجائِبُهْ

The humbler of enemies on days their burdens pass

While in the future are his horses and his virtues.

وَإِن يَفتَخِر بِالفَضلِ فَضلُ بنُ عَبدَلٍ

فَيا بِأَبي أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُهْ

And if he boasts of superiority, the superiority of Ibn Abdil

Is — by my father — his veins and his qualities!

همامٌ حَمى البَحرَينِ سَبعاً وَمِثلَها

سِنينَ وَسارَت في الفَيافي مَواكِبُهْ

A zeal that protected the two seas seven and likewise

Years, while its processions walked the deserts.

وَلم يَرعَ مِن ثاجٍ إِلى الرَملِ مُصرِمٌ

عَلى عَهدِهِ إِلّا اِستُبيحَت حَلائِبُهْ

And no boat beside sand dunes sailed during his time

Except its milk was made permissible to drink.

زَمانَ يَقولُ العامِريُّ لِمَن غَدا

يُحَدِّثُهُ عَنهُ وَذو الحُمقِ غالِبُهْ

An era when Ameri says to one who sets out

Conversing with him while the ignoramus overcomes him:

مَتى يَلتقي مَن نارَبَردَ مَحَلُّهُ

وَآخرُ سَودِيٌّ بَعيدٌ مَذاهِبُهْ

When will one whose abode the Naibard firebrand burned

Meet one whose ways are distant and black?

فَلَم يَستَتِمَّ القَولَ حَتّى إِذا بِهِ

يُسايِرُهُ وَالدَهرُ جَمٌّ عَجائِبُهْ

He had not finished his words when there he was,

Accompanying him while time's wonders overwhelmed him.

فَقالَ لَهُ الآن اِلتَقَينا فَأَرعَدَت

فَرائِصُهُ وَالجَهلُ مُرٌّ عَواقِبُهْ

So he said to him, now we have met and his

Composure thundered while ignorance is bitterness' consequence.

وَمَن تلكُمُ آباؤُهُ وَجدودُهُ

فَمَن ذا يُسامي فَخرَهُ أَو يُقارِبُهْ

And who are those, his forefathers and ancestors?

For who can equal his pride or draw near him?