لَعَمرُكَ ما جَرَّ ذَيلُ الفَخا
رِ إِلّا اِبنُ مُنجِبَةٍ باسِلُ
By your life! The train of glory is only led by the courageous son of Munjibah.
Brave is he whom his heart escorts, as this time escorted the active worker.
جَريءٌ يُشَيِّعُهُ قَلبُهُ
كَما شَيَّعَ اللَهذَمَ العامِلُ
He takes from satire what he desires, and from it the slender, bending palm branch takes.
And here I am with a purpose in time, which no reasonable being can get used to living.
يَنالُ مِنَ الطَعنِ ما يَشتَهي
وَيَأخُذُ مِنهُ القَنا الذابِلُ
And all the joy I see is but dye on my chewed robe.
When I hope, time says: your rope has leafed out, O Roper!
وَها أَنا ذا غَرِضٌ بِالزَمانِ
فَلا عَيشَ يَألَفُهُ العاقِلُ
A young man must have hope, and the mother of wishes is ever pregnant.
And time follows its events, as the shooter followed the fleet wild cow.
وَكُلُّ سُرورٍ أَرى أَنَّهُ
خِضابٌ عَلى لِمَّتي ناصِلُ
So is Abu Hasan in the elevated position, untouched by the questioner.
A wretch who aspires to the heights, too proud for the hands of the attainer.
إِذا أَنا أَمَّلتُ قالَ الزَما
نُ أَورَقَ حَبلُكَ يا حابِلُ
The like of you, who is not deterred or dejected when the land is stripped bare by drought,
Whose abode is never scorned by guests, nor dispraised by the lodger.
وَلا بُدَّ مِن أَمَلٍ لِلفَتى
وَأُمُّ المُنى أَبَداً حامِلُ
The many ambitions you have, so lofty even the tall reddish mountain cannot reach them,
The promises you incite with gifts, as the midwife incited the pregnant woman.
وَدَهرٌ يُتابِعُ أَحداثَهُ
كَما تابَعَ الطَلَقَ النابِلُ
You anticipated them with your speech, though the slanderer already babbled.
So he returned a throat lump, as the confounded one returned the camel’s saddle.
فَذاكَ أَبا حَسَنٍ في السَما
حِ مَن لا يُلِمُّ بِهِ السائِلُ
Yours is the good, your promise will be fulfilled, even if some obstacle comes between.
And no harm after the arrival of the clouds, even if the pouring rain is late.
لَئيمٌ تَلَمَّسَ مِنهُ العُلى
وَيَأنَفُ مِن يَدِهِ النائِلُ
The delay of the generous is brief, like the shade of clouds is vanishing.
And you - though you are the sea of glory - the best of your gifts are the immediate ones.
فَمِثلُكَ مَن لا يَني وَبلَهُ
إِذا اِستَمطَرَ البَلَدُ الماحِلُ
The truth of your promise is only like the necklaces around the neck of a noble woman, lying useless.
فَما هَزِئَت بِقِراكَ الضُيوفُ
وَلا ذَمَّ مَنزِلَكَ النازِلُ
وَكَم لَكَ مِن هِمَّةٍ يَستَطيلُ
بِها العَضبُ وَالأَزرَقُ العاسِلُ
وَوَعدٍ تُنَفِّرُهُ بِالعَطا
ءِ كَالعامِ أَزعَجَهُ القابِلُ
وَأَفوَهَ بادَرتَهُ بِالمَقالِ
وَقَد لَجَّجَ الذَرِبُ القائِلُ
فَرَجَّعَ في حَلقِهِ غُصَّةً
كَما رَجَّعَ الجَرَّةَ البازِلُ
لَكَ الخَيرُ وَعدُكَ لا يُقتَضى
وَإِن حالَ مِن دونِهِ حائِلُ
وَلا ضَيرَ بَعدَ مَجيءِ الغَما
مِ إِن أَبطَأَ الوابِلُ الهاطِلُ
وَمَطلُ الكَريمِ سَريعُ الزَوا
لِ كَالظِلِّ رَيعانُهُ زائِلُ
وَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ بَحرَ السَما
حِ فَخَيرُ مَواهِبِكَ العاجِلُ
وَما صِدقُ وَعدِكَ إِلّا حُلى
مُكَرَّمَةٍ جيدُها عاطِلُ
