قَلَّدْتُ جِيدَ الْمَعَالِي حِلْيَةَ الْغَزَلِ
وَقُلْتُ فِي الْجِدِّ مَا أَغْنَى عَنِ الْهَزَلِ
I adorned the neck of sublime thoughts with the necklace of poetry,
And spoke seriously what does not suffice without jest.
يَأْبَى لِيَ الْغَيَّ قَلْبٌ لا يَمِيلُ بِهِ
عَنْ شَرْعَةِ الْمَجْدِ سِحْرُ الأَعْيُنِ النُجُلِ
My obstinate heart refuses to incline towards folly,
The magic of lovely eyes cannot divert it from the path of glory.
أَهِيمُ بِالْبِيضِ فِي الأَغْمَادِ بَاسِمَةً
عَنْ غُرَّةِ النَّصْرِ لا بِالْبِيضِ فِي الْكِلَلِ
I wander in the dark nights with a cheerful face,
Not bothered by victory's first results or by darkness in anguish.
لَمْ تُلْهِنِي عَنْ طِلابِ الْمَجْدِ غَانِيَةٌ
فِي لَذَّةِ الصَّحْوِ مَا يُغْنِي عَنِ الثَّمَلِ
The pleasures of wakefulness in the morning do not distract me
From seeking glory - they do not suffice against craving.
كَمْ بَيْنَ مُنْتَدِبٍ يَدْعُو لِمَكْرُمَةٍ
وَبَيْنَ مُعْتَكِفٍ يَبْكِي عَلَى طَلَلِ
How different between one who woos for a reward
And one who weeps for ruins in solitude!
لَوَلا التَّفَاوُتُ بَيْنَ الْخَلْقِ مَا ظَهَرَتْ
مَزِيَّةُ الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ الْحَلْيِ وَالْعَطَلِ
If not for differences among people, the merit
Of distinction between the adorned and the bare would not appear.
فَانْهَضْ إِلَى صَهَوَاتِ الْمَجْدِ مُعْتَلِياً
فَالْبَازُ لَمْ يَأْوِ إِلَّا عَالِيَ الْقُلَلِ
So rise up to the lofty heights of glory, a climber,
For the falcon came only to the highest peaks.
وَدَعْ مِنَ الأَمْرِ أَدْنَاهُ لأَبْعَدِهِ
فِي لُجَّةِ الْبَحْرِ مَا يُغْنِي عَنِ الْوَشَلِ
And leave below what is lowly in the sea's depth -
It does not avail against feebleness in turmoil.
قَدْ يَظْفَرُ الْفَاتِكُ الأَلْوَى بِحَاجَتِهِ
وَيَقْعُدُ الْعَجْزُ بِالْهَيَّابَةِ الْوَكَلِ
The fierce attacker may attain his need
While the helpless sits in despair, crippled.
وَكُنْ عَلَى حَذَرٍ تَسْلَمْ فَرُبَّ فَتىً
أَلْقَى بِهِ الأَمْنُ بَيْنَ الْيَأْسِ وَالْوَجَلِ
And beware, take precautions, for many a youth
Was thrown by safety between despair and horror.
وَلا يَغُرَّنْكَ بِشْرٌ مِنْ أَخِي مَلَقٍ
فَرَوْنَقُ الآلِ لا يَشْفِي مِنَ الْغَلَلِ
And do not be deceived by affability from a smooth companion,
For kohl is similar in both eyes to kohl.
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمَرْءُ مَا فِي النَّاسِ مِنْ دَخَنٍ
لَبَاتَ مِنْ وُدِّ ذِي الْقُرْبَى عَلَى دَخَلِ
Beware of gossip and know that its speaker
Will make you suffer its harm, a fire without flames.
فَلا تَثِقْ بِوَدَادٍ قَبْلَ مَعْرِفَةٍ
فَالْكُحْلُ أَشْبَهُ فِي الْعَيْنَيْنِ بِالْكَحَلِ
How many slanders have cracked a kingdom's pillars
And tore apart the bond of love not yet disjoined!
وَاخْشَ النَّمِيمَةَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ قَائِلَهَا
يُصْلِيكَ مِنْ حَرِّهَا نَاراً بِلا شُعَلِ
So accept my advice and do not let any deviation
Turn you away from me - not all sons of Tha'lab are ideal.
كَمْ فِرْيَةٍ صَدَعَتْ أَرْكَانَ مَمْلَكَةٍ
وَمَزَّقَتْ شَمْلَ وُدٍّ غَيْرِ مُنْفَصِلِ
I am a man whom my forbearance has clothed and my manners educated,
The abhorrence of the new from the past and future.
فَاقْبَلْ وَصَاتِي وَلا تَصْرِفْكَ لاغِيَةٌ
عَنِّي فَمَا كُلُّ رَامٍ مِنْ بَنِي ثُعَلِ
I have never uncovered the mask of forbearance from folly
Or wiped the brow of honor of shame.
إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ كَفَّنِي حِلْمِي وَأَدَّبَنِي
كَرُّ الْجَدِيدَيْنِ مِنْ مَاضٍ وَمُقْتَبَلِ
I have milked half of this lifetime gaining experience
And tasted the honey and bitterness in it.
فَمَا سَرَيْتُ قِنَاعَ الْحِلْمِ عَنْ سَفَهٍ
وَلا مَسَحْتُ جَبِينَ الْعِزِّ مِنْ خَجَلِ
I have not found anything in days that remains
More delicious to the soul than freedom of action.
حَلَبْتُ أَشْطُرَ هَذَا الدَّهْرِ تَجْرِبَةً
وَذُقْتُ مَا فِيهِ مِنْ صَابٍ وَمِنْ عَسَلِ
But we are targets for evil in a time
When reasonable people obey the crooked.
فَمَا وَجَدْتُ عَلَى الأَيَّامِ بَاقِيَةً
أَشْهَى إِلَى النَّفْسِ مِنْ حُرِّيَّةِ الْعَمَلِ
A group of evil men has risen in it
More harmful to the soul than misery upon a bereaved woman.
لَكِنَّنَا غَرَضٌ لِلشَّرِّ فِي زَمَنٍ
أَهْلُ الْعُقُولِ بِهِ فِي طَاعَةِ الْخَمَلِ
Every morning, hands nearly push them away in hatred
And the office spits them out in boredom.
قَامَتْ بِهِ مِنْ رِجَالِ السُّوءِ طَائِفَةٌ
أَدْهَى عَلَى الْنَّفْسِ مِنْ بِؤْسٍ عَلَى ثَكَلِ
Through them Egypt was humiliated after honor
And the foundations of the kingdom were shaken until gaps appeared.
مِنْ كُلِّ وَغْدٍ يَكَادُ الدَّسْتُ يَدْفَعُهُ
بُغْضاً وَيَلْفِظُهُ الدِّيوانُ مِنْ مَلَلِ
The state of Fustat has become submissive
After pride, though it was the peak of states.
ذَلَّتْ بِهِمْ مِصْرُ بَعْدَ الْعِزِّ وَاضْطَرَبَتْ
قَوَاعِدُ الْمُلْكِ حَتَّى ظَلَّ فِي خَلَلِ
They frown with rage when they see me approaching
While their livers boil with hatred and malice.
وَأَصْبَحَتْ دَوْلَةُ الْفُسْطَاطِ خَاضِعَةً
بَعْدَ الإِبَاءِ وَكَانَتْ زَهْرَةَ الدُّوَلِ
If my merit has displeased them, no wonder -
The sun, though it gives light, harms the diseased eye.
قَوْمٌ إِذَا أَبْصَرُونِي مُقْبِلاً وَجَمُوا
غَيْظاً وَأَكْبَادُهُمْ تَنْقَدُّ مِنْ دَغَلِ
I have kept my soul from what they defile themselves with,
And the garden's palm tree refuses the traits of a jerboa.
فَإِنْ يَكُنْ سَاءَهُمْ فَضْلِي فَلا عَجَبٌ
فَالشَّمْسُ وَهيَ ضِيَاءٌ آفَةُ الْمُقَلِ
Evil kindred and evil is Egypt among lands
That have become a home for the dishonest and fraudulent.
نَزَّهْتُ نَفْسِيَ عَمَّا يَدْنَسُونَ بِهِ
وَنَخْلَةُ الرَّوْضِ تَأْبَى شِيمَةَ الْجُعَلِ
A land where injustice has taken root and from which
The lightning bolts of betrayal have flashed between plains and mountains.
بِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ وَبِئْسَتْ مِصْرُ مِنْ بَلَدٍ
أَضْحَتْ مُنَاخاً لأَهْلِ الزُّورِ وَالْخَطَلِ
And people have woken up in deep darkness
Where no man walks except stumbling.
أَرْضٌ تَأَثَّلَ فِيهَا الظُّلْمُ وَانْقَذَفَتْ
صَوَاعِقُ الْغَدْرِ بَيْنَ السَّهْلِ وَالْجَبَلِ
I do not know what humiliation has befallen heroes
After glory, and what flaws swords have,
وَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ فِي عَمْيَاءَ مُظْلِمَةٍ
لَمْ يَخْطُ فِيهَا امْرُؤٌ إِلَّا عَلَى زَلَلِ
Whether the trees of glory have withered
Or the treachery of cowardice, so that no man remains,
لَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حَلَّ بِالأَبْطَالِ مِنْ خَوَرٍ
بَعْدَ الْمِرَاسِ وَبِالأَسْيَافِ مِنْ فَلَلِ
Who will defend them even if dishonor reaches them,
Out of cowardice and frailty.
أَصَوَّحَتْ شَجَرَاتُ الْمَجْدِ أَمْ نَضَبَتْ
غُدْرُ الْحَمِيَّةِ حَتَّى لَيْسَ مِنْ رَجُلِ
They fear death, so they scheme, but do not know
That death does not retreat through tricks.
لا يَدْفَعُونَ يَداً عَنْهُمْ وَلَوْ بَلَغَتْ
مَسَّ الْعَفَافَةِ مِنْ جُبْنٍ وَمِنْ خَزَلِ
So why does man accuse his Creator
When each soul has a predetermined lifespan?
خَافُوا الْمَنِيَّةَ فَاحْتَالُوا وَمَا عَلِمُوا
أَنَّ الْمَنِيَّةَ لا تَرْتَدُّ بِالْحِيَلِ
Alas! The youth will not find safety to enjoy
Unless he plunges into a sea of horrors.
فَفِيمَ يَتَّهِمُ الإِنْسَانُ خَالِقَهُ
وَكُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَهَا قَيْدٌ مِنَ الأَجَلِ
Why do you not heal the injustice in yourselves
And your diseases do not disappear out of laziness?
هَيْهَاتَ يَلْقَى الْفَتَى أَمْناً يَلَذُّ بِهِ
مَا لَمْ يَخُضْ نَحْوَهُ بَحْراً مِنَ الْوَهَلِ
That is Egypt in which your ancestors' arms
Reaped the fruits of ascent through blood and hills.
فَمَا لَكُمْ لا تَعَافُ الضَّيْمَ أَنْفُسُكُمْ
وَلا تَزُولُ غَوَاشِيكُمُ مِنَ الْكَسَلِ
They attacked it with a raid whose terror threw
Safety between the wolf and the lamb.
وَتِلْكَ مِصْرُ الَّتِي أَفْنَى الْجِلادُ بِهَا
لَفِيفَ أَسْلافِكُمْ فِي الأَعْصُرِ الأُوَلِ
Until when it gained a formidable fortress
That drove away the invader's hand in boredom,
قَوْمٌ أَقَرُّوا عِمَادَ الْحَقِّ وَامْتَلَكُوا
أَزِمَّةَ الْخَلْقِ مِنْ حَافٍ وَمُنْتَعِلِ
Time betrayed its knights, so it became
Easy to access after being inaccessible.
جَنَوْا ثِمَارَ الْعُلا بِالْبِيضِ وَاقْتَطَفُوا
مِنْ بَيْنِ شَوْكِ الْعَوَالِي زَهْرَةَ الأَمَلِ
What disgrace you have brought through indifference
Upon the pride the sword erected upon Sagittarius!
فَأَصْبَحَتْ مِصْرُ تَزْهُو بَعْدَ كُدْرَتِهَا
فِي يَانِعٍ مِنْ أَسَاكِيبِ النَّدَى خَضِلِ
If the youth has no reason to live by,
Then he is only counted among the brainless.
لَمْ تَنْبُتِ الأَرْضُ إِلَّا بَعْدَمَا اخْتَمَرَتْ
أَقْطَارُهَا بِدَمِ الأَعْنَاقِ وَالْقُلَلِ
So take the initiative before it is too late
And seize the prize of excellence - the world passes quickly.
شَنُّوا بِهَا غَارَةً أَلْقَتْ بِرَوْعَتِهَا
أَمْناً يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَ الذِّئْبِ وَالْحَمَلِ
And entrust your affair to a courageous man of trust
Who will be a shield for you in formidable events.
حَتَّى إِذَا أَصْبَحَتْ فِي مَعْقِلٍ أَشِبٍ
يَرُدُّ عَنْهَا يَدَ الْعَادِي مِنَ الْمِلَلِ
Clear-sighted in strategy, gallant when views conflict
And the arrows of debate fly around.
أَخْنَى الزَّمَانُ عَلَى فُرْسَانِها فَغَدَتْ
مِنْ بَعْدِ مَنْعَتِهَا مَطْرُوقَةَ السُّبُلِ
When truth speaks, he obeys, and when a victor calls him,
He responds, and if resolved, he does not return fruitless.
فَأَيَّ عَارٍ جَلَبْتُمْ بِالْخُمُولِ عَلَى
مَا شَادَهُ السَّيْفُ مِنْ فَخْرٍ عَلَى زُحَلِ
He clarifies ambiguities in brief words when speech is difficult
And the arguments of debate run high.
إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْفَتَى عَقْلٌ يَعِيشُ بِهِ
فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مَعْدُودٌ مِنَ الْهَمَلِ
Do not persist when the right view shines upon you,
For persistence leads to failure.
فَبَادِرُوا الأَمْرَ قَبْلَ الْفَوْتِ وَانْتَزِعُوا
شِكَالَةَ الرَّيْثِ فَالدُّنْيَا مَعَ الْعَجَلِ
One may attain through planning what the brave failed in
And did not dare to attempt.
وَقَلِّدُوا أَمْرَكُمْ شَهْماً أَخَا ثِقَةٍ
يَكُونُ رِدْءاً لَكُمْ فِي الْحَادِثِ الْجَلَلِ
Alas! Victory lies not in loosing tongues but
In the power of thought the spear of heroes advances.
مَاضِي الْبَصِيرَةِ غَلَّابٌ إِذَا اشْتَبَهَتْ
مَسَالِكُ الرَّأْيِ صَادَ الْبَازَ بِالْحَجَلِ
And seek rights that have become prey
To every usurper, an arrow and a target.
إِنْ قَالَ بَرَّ وَإِنْ نَادَاهُ مُنْتَصِرٌ
لَبَّى وَإِنْ هَمَّ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ بِلا نَفَلِ
And do not fear reprisal in your place of origin -
The whale in the sea does not fear getting wet.
يَجْلُو الْبَدِيهَةَ بِاللَّفْظِ الْوَجِيزِ إِذَا
عَزَّ الْخِطَابُ وَطَاشَتْ أَسْهُمُ الْجَدَلِ
Life in the shadow of humiliation is a defect,
And death in honor is the pride of noble lords.
وَلا تَلجُّوا إِذَا مَا الرَّأْيُ لاحَ لَكُمْ
إِنَّ اللَّجَاجَةَ مَدْعَاةٌ إِلَى الْفَشَلِ
Do not abandon seriousness lest certainty becomes clear,
For seriousness is the key to the difficult goal.
قَدْ يُدْرِكُ الْمَرْءُ بِالتَّدْبِيرِ مَا عَجَزَتْ
عَنْهُ الْكُمَاةُ وَلَمْ يَحْمِلْ عَلَى بَطَلِ
One moment a struggle, another clever maneuvering -
The training of a skilful one between violence and gentleness,
هَيْهَاتَ مَا النَّصْرُ فِي حَدِّ الأَسِنَّةِ بَلْ
بِقُوَّةِ الرَّأْيِ تَمْضِي شَوْكَةُ الأَسَلِ
Until the sky of safety returns smiling
And justice promenades in a meadow of adornments.
وَطَالِبُوا بِحُقُوقٍ أَصْبَحَتْ غَرَضاً
لِكُلِّ مُنْتَزِعٍ سَهْماً وَمُخْتَتِلِ
This is the advice of one who does not seek a substitute for you,
And is there an alternative for one's people after all?
وَلا تَخَافُوا نَكَالاً فِيهِ مَنْشَؤُكُمْ
فَالْحُوتُ فِي الْيَمِّ لا يَخْشَى مِنَ الْبَلَلِ
I have lost sleep composing verses for you
That have no precedent in old poetry.
عَيْشُ الْفَتَى فِي فَنَاءِ الذُّلِّ مَنْقَصَةٌ
وَالْمَوْتُ فِي الْعِزِّ فَخْرُ السَّادَةِ النَّبَلِ
Like lightning in haste, thunder in zeal,
Rain in crescent moon, and floods in torrents.
لا تَتْرُكُوا الْجِدَّ أَوْ يَبْدُو الْيَقِينُ لَكُمْ
فَالْجِدُّ مِفْتَاحُ بَابِ الْمَطْلَبِ الْعَضِلِ
Magical, they captivate the ears in enchantment
And stun minds with their throbbing.
طَوْراً عِرَاكاً وَأَحْيَاناً مُيَاسَرَةً
رِيَاضَةُ الْمُهْرِ بَيْنَ الْعُنْفِ وَالْمَهَلِ
A rhyme conceived by a thought to which
Humans and genies surrendered in miracles.
حَتَّى تَعُودَ سَمَاءُ الأَمْنِ ضَاحِيَةً
وَيَرْفُلَ الْعَدْلُ فِي ضَافٍ مِنَ الْحُلَلِ
Its verses gleam in well-arranged halves
Like the Mashrafiyya adorned with trinkets.
هَذِي نَصِيحَةُ مَنْ لا يَبْتَغِي بَدَلاً
بِكُمْ وَهَلْ بَعْدَ قَوْمِ الْمَرْءِ مِنْ بَدَلِ
If the genius of poetry has declined, its style
Revives it with eloquent diction and unplagiarized meaning.
أَسْهَرْتُ جَفْنِي لَكُمْ فِي نَظْمِ قَافِيَةٍ
مَا إِنْ لَهَا فِي قَدِيمِ الشِّعْرِ مِنْ مَثَلِ
Souls perish while it remains fresh
Through ages, with the permanence of Sirius.
كَالْبَرْقِ فِي عَجَلٍ وَالرَّعْدِ فِي زَجَلٍ
وَالْغَيْثِ فِي هَلَلٍ وَالسَّيْلِ فِي هَمَلِ
غَرَّاءُ تَعْلَقُهَا الأَسْمَاع مِنْ طَرَبٍ
وَتَسْتَطِيرُ بِهَا الأَلْبَابُ مِنْ جَذَلِ
حَوْلِيَّةٌ صَاغَهَا فِكْرٌ أَقَرَّ لَهُ
بِالْمُعْجِزَاتِ قَبِيلُ الإِنْسِ وَالْخَبَلِ
تَلُوحُ أَبْيَاتُهَا شَطْرَيْنِ فِي نَسَقٍ
كَالْمَشْرَفِيَّةِ قَدْ سُلَّتْ مِنَ الْخِلَلِ
إِنْ أَخْلَقَتْ جِدَّةُ الأَشْعَارِ أَثَّلَهَا
لَفْظٌ أَصِيلٌ وَمَعْنىً غَيْرُ مُنْتَحَلِ
تَفْنَى النُّفُوسُ وَتَبْقَى وَهْيَ نَاضِرَةٌ
عَلَى الدُّهُورِ بَقَاءَ السَّبْعَةِ الطُوَلِ
