مَن كان فوق سَراةِ المجدِ مُعتلِياً

مِن أين يَغْشاهُ صَرْفُ الدَّهرِ معتَرِيا

He who ascends the heights of glory

How can the turns of fate assail him as he goes?

يا مُشتكَي كُلِّ حُرٍّ رابَه زَمنٌ

لا روَّع الحُرَّ أن يَلقاكَ مُشتكيا

You who complain of the injustice every freeman suffers -

It does not unsettle the freeman to find you complaining

إنّ العُلا صَعبةٌ أعيى تَسنُّمها

وما بَرِحْتَ لها في الدّهرِ ممتَطيا

Loftiness is hard to climb - it has wearied those who would ascend;

Yet you never ceased in your lifetime to be a climber.

قالوا قد اختلَفتْ منه الخُطا خطأً

فقلتُ حاشا العُلا ما خَطْوهُ خَطيا

They said, "He has slipped and fallen into error" -

But I said, "Far be it that the sublime should stray!"

قُلْ رام في دَرَجٍ للقَصْرِ مُنحَدِراً

وكانَ في درَجٍ للمجد مُرْتَقيا

Say he sought a palace stair but started descending

While he was climbing the stairway to glory.

فلم تُطِقْ في زمانٍ واحدٍ قَدَمٌ

إن كان مُستَفِلاً فيه ومُعتَليا

So one foot could not at a single time

Be slipping down while the other was rising aloft.

ألا فدُمْ لثنايا المَجْدِ تَطلُعها

فمِثلُ سَعيِك في العَلْياء ما سُعيا

Come now, press on to the folds of glory revealed -

Your striving after supreme heights is the best striving!

لازِلتَ في بُردةٍ للعَيشِ ضافيةٍ

تُفْني عِداك وتَبْقَى الدَّهرَ ما بَقِيا

You have wrapped yourself always in the cloak of life

To waste your enemies and remain throughout time.

على المَجرّةِ جَرّارُ الذيُّول لها

والثُّريّا لنَعْلِ الفَخرِ مُحتذِيا

The praised stars in their orbits are harnessed

While the Lesser Bear circles around the Pivot of Pride.

يا ماجداً لو قَضَوْا حقّاً لأخمصِه

لم يَعْدُ في النّاس بالأحْداقِ أن وُقيا

My glorious friend - had they but done you justice,

Your very heel would no longer be gazed on by people!

لو يَفرُشُ النّاسُ ديباجَ الخدودِ له

ما كان إلاّ أقَلُّ الحقِّ قد قُضيا

Were people to spread out the carpets of their cheeks before him,

It would only be the least he deserves that was rendered.

أكرِمْ بغُصْنِ ندىً مالَ الثّمارُ به

حتّى أَرَينَك منه العِطْفَ مُنثنيا

Honor him with a moist branch hung thick with fruit

Till I see you bending its boughs in graciousness!

نأى عُلُوّاً أو أدناهُ تَكرُّمُه

مِن كَفِّ مَن يَجْتني منه ليَجْتنيا

His loftiness or his coming down in bounty -

Neither the open nor the tight fist can diminish.

وزعزعتْه رِياحُ الأريحيّةِ إذ

مَدَّ المُلمَّ إليه الكَفَّ مُجتديا

The winds of happiness once shook him

When the suppliant stretched out a hand toward him.

ماذا يَقولُ حَسودٌ أن تَزلَّ له

نَعْلٌ بها مَنْكِبُ الجَوزاءِ قد وُطيا

What can the envious say if his sandal should slip,

Upon which rests the shoulder of the Greater Bear?

إن زَلَّ نَعْلٌ فيأْبَى أن يَزِلَّ به

جَدٌّ له في المعالي طالما رَقيا

If a sandal slips, its noble wearer refuses to slip -

He whose climb to the heights has never ceased.

في كُلِّ يومً خطابٌ للخُطوبِ معي

فيمَنْ أَكونُ له بالنّفْسِ مُفْتَدِيا

Each day there are messages from battles around me -

For whom will I risk my soul in ransom?

بُليتُ بالدّهرِ تَعْروني حَوادثُه

والدَّهرُ أيضاً بصَبْري فيه قد بُليا

I am worn by time - its events expose me,

While time in its turn is worn down by my patience!

يا غُربةً أغْرَبتْ لي في عَجائِبها

وبَيّتتْني بنارِ الهَمِّ مُصْطَليا

O loneliness that has exiled me in its strange events,

And sheltered me with the fires of anxiety!

قد مَرَّ بي فيك ما مِنّي بأيْسَرِهِ

قدِ اشْتَفَى زَمني إن كان مُشتفيا

There has passed me in you what was easiest for me -

My times have yearned for it, if only they were quenched!

قلبي مُقيمٌ بأرضٍ لا يُفارِقُها

هوىً ونِضْوي إلى أقصى المدَى حُديا

My heart has settled in a land it will never leave,

Infatuated, drawn to the farthest end of the range.

كأنّني فَتْحُ بَركارٍ لدائرةٍ

أضحَى المُديرُ بتَسْديدٍ له عُنيا

I am like the pointer of a compass describing a circle -

The guide has become intent on aligning it.

فشَطْرُه في مكانٍ غيرِ بَارحِه

وشَطرُه يَمسَحُ الأطرافَ مُرتميا

So its shaft is not in the place it was last night,

And its point sweeps over the edges as it swings.

قد كان نِضْوي بباقي البِيدِ آونةً

حتّى وَصلْنا فأفناها وقد فَنِيا

Once it coincided with the rest of the needles for a while,

Until we met and it effaced them, for now they are gone.

لولا العدا والعَوادي كنتُ ذا وطنٍ

بكَسرةٍ وبكِسْرٍ فيه مُكتَفيا

Were it not for enemies and fickle times, I would have a land

In which I could rest and be content.

حَتّامَ سَيْري إلى دُنْياي مُعتَسفاً

هل آن سَيْري إلى عُقْبايَ مُنْزَويا

My journey nears its close - shall I ever again

Make the journey back to my beginning in withdrawal?

أمَا تَراني لظَهْري داعِماً بِيَدي

إذا مشيتُ ولو قارَبْتُ خُطْوتيا

Do you not see me propping my back with my hands

When I walk, even drawing near my last steps?

هل بعدَ إصباحِ لَيلِ الرّأسِ من عُذُرٍ

ألا أرَى هادياً للسُّبْلِ مُهْتَديا

After the night of old age's darkness, what excuse remains

That I do not see a guide to the roads before me?

هَبِ السَّوادَ الّذي أبلَيتُ كنتُ له

مُجَدِّداً بِبَياضٍ بَعْده غَشِيا

The blackness of my hair that I dyed - I renewed it

With whiteness again after it had faded.

هل من لباسٍ سوى غَبراءَ مُظلمةٍ

إذا البياضُ الّذي جَدَّدْتُه بَلِيا

Is there any robe but the dusty ragged one

When the whiteness I renewed has worn away?

وقد علَتْ غُبرةُ الشَّيبِ الشَّبيبةَ لي

فبِتُّ للأجَلِ المكْتوبِ مُكْتَليا

The dust of white hair covers over my youth

And I sleep wrapped in the written fate.

كتابُ عُمْري اللّيالي تَرّبتْه وما

أدنَى المُترَّبَ أن تَلْقاه مُنْطَويا

The book of my life - its pages are yellowed with nights,

And the yellowed cannot be rolled up again.

أبتْ دَريئةُ لَهْوٍ أن يكونَ لها

إصابةٌ بقَنا قَدٍّ إذا حُنِيا

The glancing blow of a whim will not strike

Straight as an arrow if the bow is bent.

أنا ابْنُ دَهرٍ جَفاني فيه كلُّ أخٍ

إلى بُنوَّته قد راحَ مُنْتَميا

I am the son of a time that has abandoned me -

All my brothers have gone to claim its sons.

أمّا الكِبارُ فما يَخْفَى جَفاؤهمُ

ولم أكنْ لصِغارِ النّاسِ مُرتَجيا

The great ones - their abandonment is not concealed,

And I was not hoping for help from the insignificant.

لكنْ جَميعُ ذنوبِ الدَّهرِ مُغْتَفَرٌ

وعن صَحيفةِ قلبي ذِكرُها مُحِيا

However, all the sins of time are pardoned,

And the mention of them erased from my heart's page.

صَفْحُ الزّمانِ له عن عَثْرةٍ بدَرَتْ

بالصَّفْحِ عن عَثَراتِ الدَّهْرِ قد جُزيا

Time overlooks a stumble here and there -

It has rewarded me for overlooking its stumbles.

أقالَ حتّى أقَلْنا مقتدينَ به

ولم أكنْ قبلَها بالدَّهْرِ مُقتَديا

It asked my pardon until I pardoned, following its example,

When before I had never pardoned time.

مَن كان يَبْرأُ من ذَمّي له زَمني

فقد بَرِئتُ من الشَّكْوى وقد بَرِيا

If someone disowns me for my time's accusation of him,

I am cleared of complaint, and we are quits!

سلامةٌ سَلمَ المُلكُ العقيمُ بها

وأوجبَتْ شُكرَ دَهْرٍ طالما شُكيا

I have safety, though the barren reign is safeguarded by it,

Compelling thanks for a time so long complained of.

فقُلْ لدَهْرك يَستأنِفْ له عَمَلاً

فعَن مَواضيهِ مُذْ عوفيتَ قد عُفيا

So say to your fate as it takes up work again -

For its resting places, it has been granted amnesty!

يا مَن به تَحفَظُ الدُّولاتُ صِحَّتَها

إذا شُفِيتَ فقلْ كلُّ الورى شُفيا

O you in whom the health of realms resides -

When you are healed, say all the world is healed!

لولا ذِمامٌ للدّهْرِ أنت عاقِدُه

ما كنتُ عن ذمّهِ ما عشْتُ مُنْتَهيا

Were it not for your restraint of fate,

Never would I cease accusing it while I live.

أصْبحتَ للدّهر عُذراً صادقاً فغَدا

لذكْرِه كلُّ ذنبٍ سابقٍ نُسيا

You have given fate a true excuse -

The mention of it erases every former sin.

فخُذْ إليك الّذي لا أرتَضيه وإن

أصبحْتَ من كرمِ الأخلاقِ مُرتَضيا

Take to yourself one I would not approve, though

You have attained the noblest of moral traits.

إنّي لَمِنْ سالفِ التّقصير مُعتَذِرٌ

بما يُضاعِفُ تَخْجيلي إذا تُليا

I am one who apologizes for past shortcomings,

Which redouble my shame when repeated.

وكيف أَغدو منَ التّقصيرِ مُعتذِراً

ونَفْسُ عُذْريَ تَقصيرٌ إذا رُئيا

But how can I apologize for shortcomings

When my apology itself is a shortcoming?

يا كاملاً فيه أشتاتُ العُلا جُمعَتْ

فراحَ للفَضْلِ والإفضالِ مُحتويا

O perfect one in whom the scattered heights are gathered -

And who has set out to virtue and virtue's increase!

مازال مِن لينِ أخلاق كرُمْنَ لَه

لفاسدٍ الخِلّ بالإصلاحِ مُعْتَنيا

He is never done gently reforming a corrupt nature -

Evil turns good under the touch of his reform!

مهما اعتذَرْتُ بعُذْرٍ لي أكونُ له

في النّاسِ مطرِقَ طَرْفِ العين مستَحيا

However much I make excuses, I remain

Bowing my eyes to the ground in shame before people.

أخذْتَ عذْريَ مُعوَجّاً وتَعرِضُه

على الورى مُستقيماً حيثُما اجْتُليا

You take my twisted excuse and straighten it out

Displaying it evenly to the world wherever it is cited.

كالشّمعِ يَقبلُ نقْشَ الفَصّ مُنعكساً

مَكتوبهُ ليُريهِ النّاسَ مُسْتَويا

Like wax taking the impression of a seal -

Its writing is reversed so people can read it clear.

شِعْرِي وأنتَ له الرّاوي لرفعتِه

شِعْرَى وشِعرِيَ شِعْرَى حيثُما رُويا

My poetry - and you are its narrator - is raised up by your voice.

My poetry and your poetry wherever they are recited!

والبَحرُ يَلفِظُ دُرّاً كان واقِعُه

في أُذْنِ أصنافهِ قَطْراً إذا وُعيا

The sea casts up pearls that once lay hidden

In the ears of its oysters when they were aware.

حَبٌّ لمُزْنٍ غَدا حَبّاً بلُجّته

ودُرُّ سُحْبِ غدا دُرّاً كما حُكِيا

You are the sea, indeed, of bliss and dew

When you come forth to us flowing freely!

فالبَحرُ أَنت لعَمْري من نُهىً وندىً

إذا طلَعْتَ لنا في الحَيِّ مُنتَدِيا

It is as if you are gentleness and generosity -

A cloud wrapped in kindness and lent to the clouds.

كأنّما أنت من حِلْمٍ ومن كرمٍ

طَودٌ بجودٍ غدا للسُّحْبِ مُرتَديا

Be joyous! - Time's bounty and you are its bridegroom.

What great fortune you have had from it - you have been fortunate!

إسْعَدْ بجَدِّ الزّمان أنت غُرّتُه

بأيِّ حَظٍّ كبيرٍ منْك قد حَظيا

All of time has joined together for you in its beauty,

Ugly things hidden in its beauty and obscured.

تَنظَّمَتْ لك ملْء الدّهرِ واتّصلَتْ

مَحاسنٌ قُبحُهُ في حُسْنِها خَفيا

Sublimity is the necklace - you who wear it!

Yet your time has adorned itself using you as jewelry!

إنّ المَعالي لَحَلْيٌ أنت لابسُه

لكنْ زمانُك تَطفيلاً به حَليا

The excellent cannot wear the string of pearls fit for it

In jewelry until the wire supporting it is also jeweled.

والجِيدُ لا يَكْتسي العِقدَ النَظيمَ له

في الحَلْيِ حتّى يكونَ السِّلكُ مكتَسِيا

O skilled composer in diffuse and compact words,

In excellent action customary or newly undertaken!

يا مُبدعَ القَولِ مَبْسوطاً ومُخَتصراً

ومُحسِنَ الفِعلِ مُعتاداً ومُبْتَديا

When what you have done becomes beautiful, we say

By your deeds you have accumulated expertise.

لمّا غدا حَسناً ما أنت فاعِلُه

قُلنا بفِعلكِ قد أصبَحْتَ مكتَنيا

If you wish to look at the world's happiness,

Then gaze upon your face in the mirror!

إذا أردتَ إلى سَعدِ الوَرى نَظَراً

فكنْ لوَجْهِك في المِرآةِ مُجتليا

And if the night of grave affairs has no dawn,

Then be its dawn by the light of your discernment!

وإنْ دَجا ليلُ خطبٍ لا صباحَ له

فكنْ لرأيك في داجِيه مُنتَضيا

Loyal ones have turned to you from time's caprice -

When it went tyrannically wrong in days before.

تابَ النَّصوحُ إليك الدّهرَ من زَلَلٍ

منه تَقَدَّمَ لمّا جارَ مُعتَديا

Victory is always guaranteed by the Lord of the Throne

To the one tyrannized without cause.

والنَصرُ مازال رَبُّ العَرْشِ ضامِنَه

لِمنْ عليه بلا اسْتحقاقِه بُغياً

May he who has turned tyrannical toward the rank

Sublime, though he falls short of deserving it, be ransomed!

فِداؤه مَن مع التَّقْصيرِ عنه غَدا

بَغْياً لرُتْبته العَلْياء مُبْتَغِيا

Their advancing him was meant to draw him nearer,

While their preparing you was meant to destroy him.

قد كان تَقْديمُهمْ إيّاهُ مقتَرِباً

وكان إعدادُهمْ إيّاكَ مُنتَسيا

Like an arrow its eager shooter brings closer to thrust far,

Or a sword its zealous bearer draws near to unsheathe.

كالسَّهْم قَرَّبَه رامٍ ليُبْعِدَه

والسّيفِ يَقْرُبُه حامٍ ليَنْتضيا

Let gladness and ease return to people - the beloved bough

Of a generous brother's tree whose gifts are hoped for!

فَلْيَهنأ النّاسَ عَوْدٌ من أخي كرمٍ

عُداتُه اليومَ تَرجو كلَّ من خُشيا

His splendor has returned to the sultan's court -

The eyelid separates only so the two can meet!

عادتْ إلى حضرةِ السُّلطانِ طَلعتُه

والجَفْنُ لم يَفترِقْ إلاّ لَيلْتقيا

He has completed the treasured gift by giving generously,

As the bough only adorns itself when it is stripped bare.

وأتلفَ المُقتنَى جُوداً فأخلفَه

والغُصْنُ لا يَكْتسي إلاّ إذا عَريا

May he remain ever the pillar of the radiant state,

Made its guide, set upright, advancing with integrity!

فدام للدّولةِ الغَرّاءِ مُعتَمَداً

مُسدَّداً رائحاً بالنُّصْح مُغْتديا

He it is who never ceased to build for glory,

Bending to great deeds or accumulating praise.

فهْو الّذي لم يزَلْ للمجدِ مُبتَنيا

طَوْعَ المكارمِ أو للحَمْدِ مُقْتنيا

From his subtlety come breaths which, if exhaled,

Can bring dead bone to life again for the valiant one.

له من اللُّطْفِ أنفاسٌ إذا نفحَتْ

رَميمَ عظْمٍ رَجاءً للفتَى حَييا

Until God has cleared aside the obstruction,

He was the sickness in my heart seeking its edges.

قد كان حتّى أماطَ اللهُ عارِضَه

مريضُ قلبي منَ الأطرافِ مُحتَميا

So redeem him from the blows of fate descending,

My intertwining - he is more worthy than any ransomed!

فلْتَفدِه من خُطوبِ الدّهرِ نازلةً

حُشاشتي وهو أَولَى من بها فُدِيا

He brings my distant goals closer when they are far,

Just as he answers my call for victory when invoked.

فهْو المُقرِّبُ أغراضي إذا بَعُدَتْ

وهْو المُجيبُ إلى نَصْري إذا دُعيا

His breast is bursting with seas - were the earth's oceans

Poured into him, still they could not quench his thirst!

وكاشحٌ صَدرُه مَلآنُ من غُلَلٍ

فلو سقَوْهُ بحارَ الأرضِ ما رَويا

Wisdom will sustain him in the dearth his folly causes -

How many a gush of ignorant passion restrains him!

يُبْقيهِ حِلْمٌ ستُغْنيهِ مَغبّتُه

كم سقْطِ جَهْلٍ به زَنْدُ الحِجاوَريا