قَليلٌ إِلى غَيرِ اِكتِسابِ العُلى نَهضي

وَمُستَبعَدٌ في غَيرِ ذَيلِ التُقى رَكضي

My ambition for glory is little without earning distinction,

And my running is impossible without following piety's trail.

فَكَيفَ وَلي عَزمٌ إِذا ما اِمتَطَيتُه

تَيَقَّنتُ أَنَّ الأَرضَ أَجمَعَ في قَبضي

So how could I, when I am determined, and once I have mounted it,

Be sure the whole earth is grasped in my fist?

وَمالِيَ لا أَغشى الجِبالَ بِمِثلِها

مِنَ العَزمِ وَالأَنضاءِ في وَعرِها أُنضي

And why can't I cover mountains with the likes of it,

With determination and vigor in their ruggedness I confront?

عَلى أَنَّ لي عَزماً إِذا رُمتُ مَطلَباً

رَأَيتُ السَما أَدنى إِلَيَّ مِنَ الأَرضِ

Indeed, I have a resolve when seeking something -

I see the sky closer to me than the ground.

أَبَت هِمَّتي لي أَن أَذُلَّ لَنا كِثٍ

عَرى العَهدِ أَو أَرضى مِن الوِرد بِالبَرضِ

My pride refused to let me humiliate

The bonds of kinship, or accept petals instead of roses.

وَأُصبِحُ في قَيدِ الهَوانِ مُكَبَّلاً

لَدى عُصبَةٍ تُدمي الأَنامِلَ بِالعَضِّ

And spend mornings in the shackles of disgrace,

Bound before a horde that gnaws fingers with biting.

وَلَكِنَّني أَرضى المَنونَ وَلَم أَكُن

أَغُضُّ عَلى وَقعِ المَذَلَّةِ أَو أُغضي

But I accept death and have not been

One to ignore the impact of humiliation or close my eyes.

أَقي النَفسَ بِالأَموالِ حَيثُ إِذا وَقَت

كُنوزُ اللُهى نَفسي وَقيتُ بِها عِرضي

I protect myself with wealth, so when

The treasures of desires are my soul, I protected my honor with them.

وَلا أَختَشي إِن مَسَّني وَقعُ حادِثٍ

فَتِلكَ يَدٌ جَسَّ الزَمانُ بِها نَبضي

And I do not fear if the impact of events touches me

For that is a hand the times have pulsed with its rhythm.

فَواعَجَبا يَسعى إِلى مِنَنِ العِدى

لِيُدرِكَ كُلّي مَن يُقَصِّرُ عَن بَعضي

So strange is one who strives to reach the kindness of foes

To attain all of me, he who falls short of some of me.

وَيَقصِدُني مَن لَو تَمَثَّلَ شَخصُهُ

بِعَينِ قَذىً ما عاقَ جَفني عَنِ الغَمض

And seeks me out, if his persona took shape

As a speck in the eye, my eyelids would not refrain from blinking.

نَصَبتُ لَهُم صَدرَ الجَوادِ مُحارِباً

لِأَرفَعَ ذِكري عِندَما طَلَبوا خَفضي

I erected for them the chest of a steed in battle

To raise my reputation when they sought my lowering.

إِذا ما تَقَلَّدتُ الحُسامَ لِغارَةٍ

وَلَم تُرضِهِ يَومَ الوَغى فَلِمَن تُرضي

When I adorn myself with a sword for a raid

And the day of clash does not please it, then whom does it satisfy?

سَأَلبَسُ جِلبابَ الظَلامِ مُنَكِّباً

مَرابِضَ أَرضٍ طالَ في غابِها رَبضي

I will wear the robe of darkness, hunched over

Lairs of a land whose dwelling in its thickets lasted long.

فَإِن أَحيَ أَدرَكتُ المُرامَ وَإِن أَمُت

فَلِلَّهِ ميراثُ السَمَواتِ وَالأَرضِ

So if I live, I will attain the goal, and if I die

To God belong the inheritance of the heavens and earth.

صَبِرنا عَليهِم وَاِقتَضَبنا بِثارِنا

وَنَصبِرُ أَيضاً لِلجَميعِ وَنَستَقضي

We had patience over them and picked our revenge,

And we will also have patience for all and take our rest.

غَزاهُم لِساني بَعدَ غَزوِ يَدي لَهُم

فَلا عَجَبٌ أَن يَستَمِروا عَلى بُغضي

My tongue invaded them after my hand’s invasion of them

So it is no wonder they persist in their hatred of me.

فَإِن أَمِنوا كَفّي فَما أَمِنوا فَمي

وَإِن ثَلِموا حَدّي فَما ثَلِموا عِرضي

If they feel secure from my palm, they do not feel secure from my mouth,

And if they dodge my wit, they do not dodge my honor.

وَإِن قَصَّروا عَن طولِ طَولِهِمُ يَدي

فَما أَمِنوا في عَرضِ عِرضِهِمُ رَكضي

And if they fall short of reaching their utmost reach of my hand,

They do not feel safe from the blow of my honor's galloping.

تَقولُ رِجالي حينَ أَصبَحتُ ناجِياً

سَليماً وَصَحبي في إِسارٍ وَفي قَبضِ

My men say when I became a survivor in the morning

Unharmed, while my comrades are captive and imprisoned:

حَمِدتُ إِلَهي بَعدَ عُروَةَ إِذ نَجا

خَراشٌ وَبَعضُ الشَرِّ أَهوَنُ مِن بَعضِ

“I praised my God after the time of distress when

Deliverance came, and some woes are lighter than others.”

وَأَصبَحتُ في مُلكٍ مُفاضٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

مَنيعاً وَطَرفُ الدَهرِ عَنِّيَ في غَضِّ

And I became in secure, copious rule, and bounty

Inaccessible, and the days from me are in withdrawal.

لَدى مَلِكٍ فاقَ المُلوكَ بِفَضلِهِ

وَطالَهُمُ طَولَ السَماءِ عَلى الأَرضِ

With a king who surpasses kings in his merit

And whom exceeded the sky’s height over the earth.

هُوَ المَلِكُ المَنصورُ غازي اِبنُ أُرتُقٍ

أَخو النائِلِ الفَيّاضِ وَالكَرَمِ المَحضِ

He is the victorious King Ghazi son of Ortuq,

Brother of the bestowing winner and pure perfect generosity.

مَليكٌ يَرى كَسبَ النُضارِ نَوافِلاً

بِعَينٍ تَرى بَذلَ الهِباتِ مِنَ الفَرضِ

A king who sees the fruits of floweriness as supererogation

With an eye that sees bestowal of gifts as obligation.

حَباني بِما لَم يوفِ جُهدي بِشُكرِهِ

وَأَنجَدَني وَالدَهرُ يَجهَدُ في رَفضي

He favored me with what my efforts did not thank enough,

And helped me while fate insisted on refusing me.

فَبُعداً لِأَمنٍ صَدَّني عَن جِنابِهِ

وَيا حَبَّذا خَوفٌ إِلى قَصدِهِ يُفضي

So away with security that barred me from his side,

And oh how splendid is fear that leads to seeking him!