غَلَّسَ الشَيبُ أَو تَعَجَّلَ وِردَه

غَلَّسَ الشَيبُ أَو تَعَجَّلَ وِردَه

وَاِستَعارَ الشَبابَ مَن لا يَرُدُّهُ

وَاِستَعارَ الشَبابَ مَن لا يَرُدُّهُ

Gray hair came before dawn, or hastened its arrival,

Grey streaked or hastened its roses

And youth was borrowed by one who will not return it.

And borrowed youth from one who'll not restore it

لا تَسَلني عَنِ الصِبا بَعدَ ما صَوَّحَ

لا تَسَلني عَنِ الصِبا بَعدَ ما صَوَّحَ

رَوضُ الصِبا وَأَنجَزَ بُردُه

رَوضُ الصِبا وَأَنجَزَ بُردُه

Do not ask me of youth after the withering of

Ask me not of youth after its morn is past

Youth's garden and the wearing out of its mantle.

The meadows of youth and its cool are over

وَمَغاضُ المَشيبِ يَغدو فَيَستَخ

وَمَغاضُ المَشيبِ يَغدو فَيَستَخ

لِقُ مِن عَيشِنا الَّذي نَستَجِدُّهُ

لِقُ مِن عَيشِنا الَّذي نَستَجِدُّهُ

And the ebb brought by gray hair goes forth each morning to wear out

Though old age pretends morn and dons youthful garb

What we deem new in our life.

It is our new life which we still discover

قاتَلَ اللَهُ قاتِلاتِ الغَواني

قاتَلَ اللَهُ قاتِلاتِ الغَواني

بِالغَرامِ المُنبي عَنِ الغَيِّ رُشدُه

بِالغَرامِ المُنبي عَنِ الغَيِّ رُشدُه

May God smite the beauties who slay

God damn the killers of the dreamy heart

With passion whose guidance speaks of error,

Whose guidance from love turned youth astray

وَالعُيونِ المِراضِ يوقِدُ عَنهُنَّ

وَالعُيونِ المِراضِ يوقِدُ عَنهُنَّ

جَوىً يُمرِضُ الجَوانِحَ وَقدُه

جَوىً يُمرِضُ الجَوانِحَ وَقدُه

And languid eyes, from which flares up

And the sickly eyes whose flames kindled

A longing whose blaze sickens the breast;

A passion in hearts that fevered and burned them

وَالخُدودِ الحِسانِ يَبهى عَلَيها

وَالخُدودِ الحِسانِ يَبهى عَلَيها

جُلَنّارُ الرَبيعِ طَلقاً وَوَردُه

جُلَنّارُ الرَبيعِ طَلقاً وَوَردُه

And lovely cheeks, upon which glow

On the lovely cheeks the bloom of Spring

Spring's radiant pomegranate blossoms and its roses.

Scattered freely its roses and perfume

يَتَخَلّى السالي عَنِ الحُبِّ بِالشُغ

يَتَخَلّى السالي عَنِ الحُبِّ بِالشُغ

لِ وَيَغلو بِصاحِبِ الوَجدِ وَجدُه

لِ وَيَغلو بِصاحِبِ الوَجدِ وَجدُه

The untroubled man frees himself from love by keeping

The careless turns from love to friends

Busy, while the lover's passion drives him to excess.

And ardour for the friend fills his soul

وَمِنَ الضَيمِ في هَوى البيضِ عِندي

وَمِنَ الضَيمِ في هَوى البيضِ عِندي

أَن يَوَدَّ المَتبولُ مَن لا يَوَدُّه

أَن يَوَدَّ المَتبولُ مَن لا يَوَدُّه

And to me, an injustice in loving fair-skinned women

'Tis the wrong of the white hands I love

Is for the love-stricken to love one who does not love him.

That the estranged desires one who'll not love him

لي صَديقٌ أَعدَدتُهُ لِصُروفٍ

لي صَديقٌ أَعدَدتُهُ لِصُروفٍ

مِن زَمانٍ يُربي عَلى مَن يُعِدُّه

مِن زَمانٍ يُربي عَلى مَن يُعِدُّه

I have a friend whom I have readied for the vicissitudes

I have a friend I prepared for the days

Of an age that overmatches whoever prepares for it.

When time breeds disfavor for one who'd befriend him

سَيِّدٌ مِن بَني الحُسَينِ بنِ سَعدٍ

سَيِّدٌ مِن بَني الحُسَينِ بنِ سَعدٍ

شادَ بُنيانَهُ الحُسَينُ وَسَعدُه

شادَ بُنيانَهُ الحُسَينُ وَسَعدُه

A lord of the descendants of al-Husayn ibn Sa'd,

A lord of the Huseins, son of Saad

Al-Husayn and Sa'd raised his edifice.

Husein built his house and Saad founded it

وَهُوَ المَجدُ لَيسَ يَحويهِ مَن لَم

وَهُوَ المَجدُ لَيسَ يَحويهِ مَن لَم

يَتَقَدَّم فيهِ أَبوهُ وَجَدُّه

يَتَقَدَّم فيهِ أَبوهُ وَجَدُّه

And that is glory: none can possess it unless

Glory lies not in him who has not first

His father and grandfather preceded him in it.

Father and grandsire to precede and own it

ما نُبالي أَيَّ الحُظوظِ فَقَدنا

ما نُبالي أَيَّ الحُظوظِ فَقَدنا

ما تَراخى عَنّا فَأُمهِلَ فَقدُه

ما تَراخى عَنّا فَأُمهِلَ فَقدُه

We care not which blessings we have lost,

What's lost we'll not regret but what's left of

So long as losing him stays far from us and is deferred.

Chances we hold, though their loss we may suffer

لا تَقيسَنَّ حاتِمَ الجودِ في الجو

لا تَقيسَنَّ حاتِمَ الجودِ في الجو

دِ إِلَيهِ فَحاتِمٌ فيهِ عَبدُه

دِ إِلَيهِ فَحاتِمٌ فيهِ عَبدُه

Never compare Hatim the generous, in generosity,

Compare not Hatim's generosity

With him: for in that, Hatim is his slave.

For Hatim's slave serves in Hatim's footsteps

هَزلُهُ لِلسَماحِ شيمَتُهُ وَال

هَزلُهُ لِلسَماحِ شيمَتُهُ وَال

بَذلُ وَالحَزمُ وَالكِفايَةُ جِدُّه

بَذلُ وَالحَزمُ وَالكِفايَةُ جِدُّه

His playful disposition is toward generosity; and

Mirth is his manner, liberality, wisdom,

Giving, resolve, and competence are his earnest work.

Sufficiency, earnest his aims ever

تَتَكافا الحالانِ مِنهُ وَمَتنُ ال

تَتَكافا الحالانِ مِنهُ وَمَتنُ ال

سَيفِ سَيّانِ في الغِناءِ وَحَدُّه

سَيفِ سَيّانِ في الغِناءِ وَحَدُّه

His two states are equal, and the back of the

War and peace find him alike, the sword's edge

Sword and its edge are alike in usefulness.

In melody and in firmness rival him

لا يَزَل يُفتَدى بِقَومٍ أَراهُم

لا يَزَل يُفتَدى بِقَومٍ أَراهُم

غاضَ مَعروفُهُم وَأُترِعَ رِفدُه

غاضَ مَعروفُهُم وَأُترِعَ رِفدُه

May he ever be ransomed with men whom I see

Still he redeems a people whose worth

With their kindness drained away, while his bounty is brimful.

Though diminished remains a plenteous river

ما تَجارى الأَجوادُ إِلّا شَآهُم

ما تَجارى الأَجوادُ إِلّا شَآهُم

سابِقاً واحِدَ التَطَوُّلِ فَردُه

سابِقاً واحِدَ التَطَوُّلِ فَردُه

Whenever the generous race, he outstrips them,

The generous vie but their zeal furthers

Leading, unrivalled and alone in munificence.

One who excels them in lengthened endeavor

خَيرُ ما لِلمُطالِبينَ لَدَيهِ

خَيرُ ما لِلمُطالِبينَ لَدَيهِ

راحَةُ اليَأسِ مِن جَداهُم وَبَردُه

راحَةُ اليَأسِ مِن جَداهُم وَبَردُه

The best that petitioners can find with him

Better the hopeless from urgency turn

Is the relief and coolness of despairing of their bounty.

For peace of despair than his deafness trouble

مَن يُشِن وَعدَهُ المِطالُ يُناجِز

مَن يُشِن وَعدَهُ المِطالُ يُناجِز

مُنجِحاً أَو يُزانُ بِالنُجحِ وَعدُه

مُنجِحاً أَو يُزانُ بِالنُجحِ وَعدُه

He whose promise delay would tarnish acts at once,

Whose promises hope an equal favors

Granting success, or his promise is graced with fulfillment.

Or can hope overtake his favors' measure?

وَمِنَ الناسِ مَن يُناكِدُ حَتّى

وَمِنَ الناسِ مَن يُناكِدُ حَتّى

إِنَّ فَنّاً مِنَ النَسيئَةِ نَقدُه

إِنَّ فَنّاً مِنَ النَسيئَةِ نَقدُه

And among men is one so vexatious

Yet men will persist though art perish

That even his ready payment is a kind of deferment.

And slowness to pay be their only treasure

حادَ عَنهُ المُساجِلونَ وَهابوا

حادَ عَنهُ المُساجِلونَ وَهابوا

حَفلَةَ البَحرِ وَالبِحارُ تَمُدُّه

حَفلَةَ البَحرِ وَالبِحارُ تَمُدُّه

His rivals in generosity turned aside from him and feared

They turned from him while the envious crept

The sea's swelling fullness, with the seas replenishing it.

From his sea that will aye surge and spread