لَقَدْ جاوَزَتْ فِيكَ مِقْدارَها
خُطُوبٌ قَضَتْ مِنْكَ أَوْطارَها
You have endured tribulations beyond your limit,
Afflictions that have exhausted your patience.
وَكَيْفَ تَرَقَّتْ إِلى مُهْجَةٍ
يَوَدُّ الرَّدى لَوْ غَدا جارَها
How far did ambition reach,
Yearning were time to restore it.
سَمَتْ هَمَّةُ الْخَطْبِ حَتّى إِلَيْكَ
لَقَدْ عَظَّمَ الدَّهْرُ أَخْطارَها
The resolve of glory aimed straight at you,
Time has magnified its perils.
وَمَنْ ذا الَّذِي يَأْمَنُ النّائِباتِ
وَقَدْ أَنْشَبَتْ فِيكَ أَظْفارَها
Who can feel safe from vicissitudes
When their claws have sunk into you?
سَماحُكَ أَثْكَلَها صَرْفَها
فَجاءَتْكَ طالِبَةً ثارَها
Your generosity burdened it beyond its capacity,
It has come seeking vengeance.
سَتَبْكِيكَ إِذا عُمِّرَتْ دَوْلَةٌ
دَعَتْكَ الْمَكارِمُ مُخْتارَها
It will make you weep if an empire endures,
The noble traits have chosen you.
فَمَنْ لِحِماها إِذا ما الْعَدُ
وُّ أَمَّتْ كَتائِبُهُ دارَها
Who will protect it when legions
Mobilize and besiege its abodes?
وَمَنْ يَشْهَدُ الْحَرْبَ غَيْرُ الْجَبانِ
إِذا الْخَوْفُ غَيَّبَ أَنْصارَها
Who will witness war but the valiant
When fear makes its supporters vanish?
وَمَنْ يَجْعَلُ السَّيْفَ مِنْ دُونِها
حِجاباً يُمِيطُ بِهِ عارَها
Who will make his sword a barrier,
To veil its disgrace?
وَمَنْ ذا يُكَثِّرُ حُسّادَها
وَمَنْ ذا يُقَلِّلُ أَنْظَارَها
Who will multiply its enviers
And diminish its beholders?
وَمَنْ لِلأُمُورِ إِذا أُورِدَتْ
فَلَمْ يَمْلِكِ الْقَوْمُ إِصْدارَها
Who can restrain it when matters require
The people cannot articulate them?
وَمَنْ ذا يُطِيلُ قِراعَ الْخُطُو
بِ حَتّى يُقَصِّرَ أَعْمارَها
Who will prolong the striking of swords
Until he shortens their lives?
سَقى اللهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ ثَراكَ
حَياءَ السَّماءِ وَأَمْطارَها
May God water your soil each day
With the sky's shyness and its rains.
تَوَلّى كَما أَقْلَعَتْ دِيمَةٌ
وَأَوْدَعَتِ الأَرْضَ آثارَها
It turned away just as the rain clouds dissipated
Entrusting the land with their traces.
مَضَتْ وَاقْتَضَتْ شُكْرَ آلائِها
نَسِيمَ الرِّياضِ وَنُوّارَها
It passed, fulfilling thanks for its blessings—
The breeze of meadows and their lights.
خَلائِقُ إِنْ بانَ مِنْها الْعِيانُ
رَوَتْنا الصَّنائِعُ أَخْبارَها
O people, if the truth becomes clear,
Skills have apprised us of its chronicles.
أَرى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الْحادِثاتِ
لَنا وَقْعَةً نُصْطَلِي نارَها
Each day I see incidents befall us—
For which we kindle fires.
فَيا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي وَما نَفْعُ لَيْتَ
مَتى تَضَعُ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزارَها
Oh, how I wish—though wishing is futile—
When will war relieve its burdens?
وَحَتّامَ ذِمّةُ هذِي الْجُسُو
مِ لا يَرْهَبُ الْمَوْتُ إِخْفارَها
The duty of this intrepid hero is inviolable;
Death does not intimidate his determination.
تُفِيتُ الْمَقادِيرُ أَرْواحَها
وَتُبْلِي عَلَى الدَّهْرِ أَبْشارَها
Fates claim their souls
And inform fate of their good news.
هَرَبْنا بِأَنْفُسِنا وَالْقَضا
ءُ يَسْبِقُ بِالْمَشْي إِحْضارَها
We fled with ourselves while destiny
Precedes in bringing them.
وَما اعْتَرَفَتْ أَنْفُسٌ بِالْحِما
مِ لَوْ كانَ يَقْبَلُ إِنْكارَها
No selves have recognized protection
If they could refuse it.
إِذا أَقبَلَتْ بِالْفَتَى عِيشَةٌ
تَوَقَّعَ بِالْمَوْتِ إِدْبارَها
When fortune comes to a youth,
He anticipates its retreat with death.
وَكَيْفَ يُحاوِلُ صَفْوَ الْحَيا
ةِ مَنْ لَيْسَ يُمْنَحُ أَكْدَارَها
How can one whose share of life
Is not rewarded taste its purity?
وَما عُمْرُ مَنْ أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْوَفا
ةُ إِلاّ كَمَرْحَلةٍ سارَها
The life of one whom loyalty befriended
Lasts but a stage he traveled.
