تَمَنّى رِجالٌ نَيلَها وَهيَ شامِسُ
وَأَينَ مِنَ النَجمِ الأَكُفُّ اللَوامِسُ
A man wished to attain it, while it was unreachable
And where is the palm compared to the distant star?
وَإِنَّ المَعالي عَن رِجالٍ طَلائِقٌ
وَهُنَّ عَلى بَعضِ الرِجالِ حَبائِسُ
Indeed glory is beyond some men’s grasp
While for others it remains confined
وَلَم أَرَ كَالعَلياءِ تُرضى عَلى الأَذى
وَتُهوى عَلى عِلّاتِها وَهيَ عانِسَ
Never have I seen the exalted pleased with harm
Or attracted to her equals, while she is aloof
فَقُل لِلحَسودِ اليَومَ أَغضِ عَلى القَذى
فَما كُلَّ نارٍ أوقِدَت أَنتَ قابِسُ
So say to the envious today: overlook the motes
Not every lit fire have you kindled as torchbearer
وَما لَكَ وَالإِقدامَ بِالخَيلِ وَالقَنا
وَحَظُّكَ عَن نَيلِ العُلى مُتَقاعِسُ
Why bother with daring horsemanship and spears
When your lot is to miss attaining the heights, complacent
وَهَل نافِعٌ يَوماً وَجَدُّكَ راجِلٌ
إِذا قَيلَ يَومَ الرَوعِ إِنَّكَ فارِسُ
Of what use one day is your fervor as a footman
When the heat of battle comes, and you’re called horseman?
فَطِب عَن بُلوغِ العِزِّ نَفساً لَئيمَةً
فَما لِلعُلى إِلّا النُفوسُ النَفائِسُ
Despair of an ignoble soul attaining glory
Only the pure souls reach such lofty heights
وَإِنَّ قِوامَ الدينِ مِن دونِ ثَغرِها
لَهُ ناظِرٌ يَقظانُ وَالنَجمُ ناعِسُ
Without her vigilance, the faith’s pillars
Would have overseers sleeping, while the stars keep watch
رَعاها بِهَمٍّ لا يَمَلُّ وَهِمَّةٍ
إِذا نامَ عَنها حارِسٌ قامَ حارِسُ
She watched over it, tirelessly and dutiful
If one guardian slept, another stood guard
أَخو الحَربِ ذاقَ الرائِعاتِ وَذُقنَهُ
وَنالَ وَنالَتهُ القَنا وَالفَوارِسُ
War's brother endured raids and their bitterness
And spear points reached him, as did horsemen's charge
يُغاديكَ يَومَ السَلمِ طَلقاً وَفِكرُهُ
يُمارِسُ حَدَّ الرَوعِ فيما يُمارِسُ
In peace he may dismiss you graciously, but his thoughts
Practice war's heat while he makes casual chat
كَأَنَّ مُلوكَ الأَرضِ حَولَ سَريرِهِ
بُغاثٌ وُقوفٌ وَالقَطامِيُّ جالِسُ
As though earth's kings stand around his throne
Parthians, Khazars, and the Qatamite sits
إِذا رَمَقوهُ وَالجُفونُ كَواسِرٌ
عَلى غَيرِ داءٍ وَالرِقابُ نَواكِسُ
When they look on him, stoic despite the pain
With no illness, yet heads bowed down
يُحَيّونَ وَضَاحاً كَأَنَّ جَبينَهُ
سَنا قَمَرٍ ما غَيَّرَتهُ الحَنادِسُ
They greet Al-Wahhāb radiant, as if his brow
Were a full moon that scimitars didn't mar
تُصَرَّفُ أَعناقُ المُلوكِ لِأَمرِهِ
وَتُستَخدَمُ الأَعضاءُ وَالرَأسُ رائِسُ
The necks of kings obey his command
And the members and head obey, preeminent
مِنَ القَومِ حَلّوا بِالرُبى وَأَمَدَّهُم
قَديمُ المَساعي وَالعَلاءُ القَدامِسُ
Among the people some came with their goods
Brought by efforts of old and recent
تُحِلُّهُمُ دارَ العَدُوِّ شِفارُهُم
وَتُرعيهِمُ الأَرضَ القُنِيُّ المَداعِسُ
Their swords give them passage to enemy lands
And shepherd them on the soft meadows
بَهاليلُ أَزوالٌ بِكُلِّ قَبيلَةٍ
مَلاذِعُ مِن نيرانِهِم وَمَقابِسُ
Flaming meteors in every tribe
Striking with their fires, tending the hearths
وَما جالَسوا إِلّا السُيوفَ مُعَدَّةً
لِيَومِ الوَغى وَالمَرءُ مِمَّن يُجالِسُ
They only gathered with swords at the ready
For days of calamity, while a man keeps his company
إِذا أَخطَأوا مَرمىً مِنَ المَجدِ أَجهَشوا
زَئيرَ الضَواري أَفلَتَتها الفَرائِسُ
If they miss a path to glory, they roar
Like predators slipped loose from the huntsman's bonds
فَمِن خائِضٍ غَمرَ الرَدى غَيرَ ناكِصٍ
وَمِن صافِقٍ يَومَ النَدى لا يُماكِسُ
One plunges deep into the fray, never retreating
Another on the day of trial, never ducking the blow
إِذا ما اِجتَداهُ المُجتَدونَ عَلى الطَوى
يَبيتُ رَطيبَ الكَفِّ وَالبَطنُ يابِسُ
When the energetic ones come upon him on the hill
His hand is gentle, while his belly remains empty
لَهُ في الأَعادي كُلُّ شَوهاءَ يَهتَدي
بِتَهدارِها طُلسُ الذِئابِ اللَعاوِسُ
Among the enemy, every disgrace finds its way
To his threshold, like ravenous wolves guided
وَنَشاجَةٌ تَحتَ الضُلوعِ مُرِشَّةٌ
كَما هاعَ مَملوءٌ مِنَ الخَمرِ قالِسُ
And in his chest, a sagacity imbued
Like a filled wineskin, well aged
مُطَرَّقَةُ الجالَينِ هَطلى كَأَنَّما
إِزارُ الفَتى فيها مِنَ الدَمِّ وارِسُ
The legs of his swift steed, gift of the Majestic
As if the warrior's robe were dyed crimson in blood
أَلا رُبَّ حَيٍّ مِن رِجالٍ أَعِزَّةٍ
أَسالَت بِهِم مِنكَ الغَمامُ الرَواجِسُ
Oh how many valiant men fierce enemies
Had hopes of, which passing clouds disappointed!
أَرادوكَ بِالأَمرِ الجَليلِ فَرَدَّهُم
عَلى عِوَجِ الأَعقابِ جِدٌّ مُمارِسُ
They wanted you for the great cause, but serious will
Turned them back, feet stumbling away
تُطاعِنُهُم عَنكَ السُعودُ بِجَدِّها
وَلا يَتَّقي طَعنَ المَقاديرِ تارِسُ
Good fortune's blades turn away from you
No shield can stop the stab of destiny's spears
إِذا أَفلَتوا طَعنَ الرِماحِ رَمَتهُمُ
بِطَعنِ عَواليها النُجومُ الأَناحِسُ
When they evade the spear points, the stars
Impale them with their inauspicious piercing rays
سَلَبتَهُمُ عِزَّ الثَراءِ فَلَم تَدَع
لَهُم ما يَرى مِنهُ العَدوُّ المُنافِسُ
You stripped them of wealth’s glory, leaving
Nothing for their rival’s eyes to envy
فَما لَهُمُ غَيرَ الشُعورِ عَمائِمٌ
وَلا لَهُمُ غَيرَ الجُلودِ مَلابِسُ
They have naught but head-cloths
No robes for their bodies
وَعَمَّتهُمُ مِن حَدِّ بَأسِكَ سَطوَةٌ
بِها اِجتُدِعَت أَعناقُهُم لا المَعاطِسُ
The might of your assault overwhelmed them
Bringing together necks, beyond coughs or sneezes
فَما جازَها في ذُروَةِ النيقِ صاعِدٌ
وَلا فاتَها في لُجَّةِ الماءِ قامِسُ
None climbing the peak of glory escapes it
Nor one diving deep in the water's recess
وَلا ناطِقٌ لِلخَوفِ إِلّا مُخافِتٌ
وَلا ناظِرٌ لِلذُلِّ إِلّا مُخالِسُ
None can speak of fear but in hushed tones
None behold humiliation but abject
تَرى الأَبَ يَنبو عَن بَنيهِ وَيَتَّقي
أَخاهُ الفَتى وَهوَ القَريبُ المُؤانِسُ
You see the father deny his sons and avoid
Even his own dear brother, once intimate
وَليسَ يُحَيّا مِنهُمُ اليَومَ طالِعٌ
هَواناً وَلا يُجدي إِذا اِعتامَ بائِسُ
Today none greets with humiliation, once exalted
No use in crying when fate darkens, anguished
تَمَلَّسُ أَعوادُ القَنا مِن أَكُفِّهِم
وَيَنفُضُهُم مِن عَن قَطاها العَوانِسُ
Palm branches slip from their incapable hands
And the little girls shake them off in disgust
يَكونُ مَزَرُّ المَرءِ غُلّاً لِعُنقِهِ
مِنَ الخَوفِ حَتّى يَنزِعَ الثَوبَ لابِسُ
A man's food becomes a noose around his neck
From fear, until the garment is cast off
إِذا ضَرَبوا في الأَرضِ فَهيَ مَهالِكٌ
وَإِن أَوطَنوا الأَبياتِ فَهيَ مَحابِسُ
If they travel the land, it destroys them
If they settle the abodes, then those become prisons
وَعاطِسُهُم في الحَفلِ غَيرُ مُشَمَّتٍ
فَكَالنابِحِ العاوي مِنَ القَومِ عاطِسُ
A sneeze in their company elicits no blessing
Like a howl in the night from the tribe, a sneeze
وَأَطرَقَ شَيطانُ الغَوايَةِ مِنهُمُ
فَلَم يَبقَ مِن نَعّابَةِ الغَيِّ نابِسُ
And Satan, the misguider, bowed away from them
No crooked deception of sin left standing
وَعِندَ طَبيبِ المُعضِلاتِ شِفاؤُهُم
إِذا عادَ مِن داءِ العَداوَةِ ناكِسُ
When the healer of quandaries is sought, their cure is:
Once the disease of enmity goes into remission
فَيَوماهُ يَومٌ بِالمَواهِبِ غائِمٌ
عَلَينا وَيَومٌ بِالقَواضِبِ شامِسُ
A day of bounty laden with gifts is his
And a day of canopies streaming daylight
سَجِيَّةُ بَسّامٍ يَقولُ عَدُوُّهُ
أَهَذا الَّذي يَلقى الوَغى وَهوَ عابِسُ
The smile of a cheerful man - his enemies say:
"Is this the one who meets calamity with a frown?"
نُذادُ وَيَروى الأَبعَدونَ بِمائِكُم
وَنَحنُ عَلى العِردِ الظِماءُ الخَوامِسُ
We pine while the distant ones enjoy your waters
And we are the ones thirsty, drinking little sips
وَتَندى لِقَومٍ آخَرينَ سَحابُكُم
وَنَحنُ مَناشي أَرضِكُم وَالغَرائِسُ
Your clouds give others shade, while we
Are the sheep grazing your land, mere beasts
رَجَوتُكَ وَالعُشرونَ ما تَمَّ عِقدُها
فَلِم أَنا مِن بَعدِ الثَلاثينَ آيسُ
I hoped for twenty that would be fulfilled
So why am I the one losing hope after thirty?
وَلي خِدمَةٌ قَدَّمتُها لِتُعِزَّني
وَلَولا الجَنى ما رَجَّبَ الفَرعَ غارِسُ
I had rendered a service to elevate me
Without any yield, no farmer plants a seed
وَما هِمَّتي إِلّا المَعالي وَإِنَّني
عَلى المَرءِ بِالعَلياءِ لا المالِ نافِسُ
My only ambition is glory - and for a man, I rival
In greatness, not wealth or possessions
وَقَد غارَ حَظٌّ أَنتَ ثاني جِماحِهِ
وَتُقدَعُ مِن بَعدِ الجِماحِ الشَوامِسُ
But a rival reaped the harvest of your bounty
And fortunes fade after the initial shock
عَسى مَلِكُ الأَملاكِ يَنتاشُ أَعظُماً
بَرَتهُنَّ ذُؤبانُ اللَيالي النَواهِسُ
Perhaps the King of Kings may grant greater fortune
Stripped bare by nights' ravenous wolves
وَقَد كُنتُ شِمتُ العِزَّ مِنكَ وَجادَني
بِغَيظِ الأَعادي ماطِرٌ مِنهُ راجِسُ
I used to envy the glory you bestowed, but then
The enemies' hatred rained on me heavily
فَباعَدَني مِن صَوبِ مُزنِكَ حاسِدٌ
يُضاحِكُ ثَغري وَالجَنانُ مُعابِسُ
An envier pushed me from your palace gates
Smiling at my face, while both our souls resented
يُريني حَناناً وَهوَ يُضمِرُ بَغضَةً
كِلا ناظِرَينا مِن قِلىً مُتَشاوِسُ
He feigns affection, while hiding hatred
Both our gazes wary, exchanging accusations
فَجَدِّد يَداً عِندي يُرَفُّ لِباسُها
فَقَد أَخلَقَت تِلكَ الأَيادي اللَبائِسُ
So renew a hand that ennobles me again
Those hands once adorned me, now make me indigent
وَبابُكَ أَولى بي مِنَ الأَرضِ كُلِّها
فَحَتّامَ لي عَن قَرعِ بابِكَ حابِسُ
Your door suits me more than all the lands
A doorman bars me from knocking at your door
وَأُقسِمُ لَولا أَنَّ دارَكَ فارِسٌ
لَما اِنتَصَفَت مِن أَرضِ بَغدادَ فارِسُ
I swear - if not for you valiantly guarding
No vengeance would be sought for Baghdad's people
