لا يَمتَطي المَجدَ مَن لَم يَركَبِ الخَطَرا
وَلا يَنالُ العُلى مَن قَدَّمَ الحَذَرا
No glory can be mounted by one who never rides peril
No heights can be attained by one who always fears falling
وَمَن أَرادَ العُلى عَفواً بِلا تَعَبٍ
قَضى وَلَم يَقضِ مِن إِدراكِها وَطَرا
Those wanting glory without toil or pain,
Will never attain or even near achieving it.
لا بُدَّ لِلشَهدِ مِن نَحلٍ يُمَنِّعُهُ
لا يَجتَني النَفعَ مَن لَم يَعمَلِ الضَرَرا
The honey cannot be easily obtained,
Only through enduring many stinging pain.
لا يُبلَغُ السُؤلُ إِلّا بَعدَ مُؤلَمَةٍ
وَلا يَتِمُّ المُنى إِلّا لِمَن صَبَرا
No desires are ever fulfilled,
Except after much agonizing grief.
وَأَحزَمُ الناسِ مَن لَو ماتَ مِن ظَمَإٍ
لا يَقرَبُ الوِردَ حَتّى يَعرِفَ الصَدَرا
The best of men is he who, if dying of thirst,
Would not approach water until knowing it's source
وَأَغزَرُ الناسِ عَقلاً مَن إِذا نَظَرَت
عَيناهُ أَمراً غَدا بِالغَيرِ مُعتَبِراً
The wisest of all people is one who sees
An event, and considers its consequence on others
فَقَد يُقالُ عِثارُ الرِجلِ إِن عَثَرَت
وَلا يُقالُ عِثارُ الرَأيِ إِن عَثَرا
A man may stumble once or twice,
But fail in judgment continuously shows no wisdom.
مَن دَبَّرَ العَيشَ بِالآراءِ دامَ لَهُ
صَفواً وَجاءَ إِلَيهِ الخَطبُ مُعتَذِرا
One who plans his life thoughtfully will enjoy
Tranquility, with difficulties avoiding his abode.
يَهونُ بِالرَأيِ ما يَجري القَضاءُ بِهِ
مَن أَخطَأَ الرَأيَ لا يَستَذنِبُ القَدَرا
With wisdom, the harshness of fate is lessened,
While lack of it, none can blame their stars.
مَن فاتَهُ العِزُّ بِالأَقلامِ أَدرَكَهُ
بِالبَيضِ يَقدَحُ مِن أَعطافِها الشَرَرا
If honor avoids the works of your hands,
It will come to you from the sparks of your sword.
بِكُلِّ أَبيَضَ قَد أَجرى الفِرِندُ بِهِ
ماءَ الرَدى فَلَوِ اِستَقطَرتَهُ قَطَرا
With each flashing white blade the knight forced
The wine of destruction through bodies pouring forth.
خاضَ العَجاجَةَ عُرياناً فَما اِنقَشَعَت
حَتّى أَتى بِدَمِ الأَبطالِ مُؤتَزِرا
He entered the arena naked with no armor,
And came out wearing garb stained red with brave men's blood.
لا يَحسُنُ الحِلمُ إِلّا في مَواطِنِهِ
وَلا يَليقُ الوَفا إِلّا لِمَن شَكَرا
Clemency is only appropriate in the proper place,
Loyalty is only due to those who appreciate.
وَلا يَنالُ العُلى إِلّا فَتىً شَرُفَت
خِلالُهُ فَأَطاعَ الدَهرَ ما أَمَرا
Glory is only attained by the honorable ones
Who listened to what fate commands all to obey.
كَالصالِحِ المَلِكِ المَرهوبِ سَطوَتُهُ
فَلَو تَوَعَّدَ قَلبَ الدَهرِ لَاِنفَطَرا
So powerful in might is the great virtuous king,
If he threatens to break the universe - it would shatter.
لَمّا رَأى الشَرَّ قَد أَبدى نَواجِذَهُ
وَالغَدرَ عَن نابِهِ لِلحَربِ قَد كَشَرا
When he saw evil reveal its fangs,
And betrayal bare its teeth for war and conflict.
رَأى القِسِيَّ إِناثاً في حَقيقَتِها
فَعافَها وَاِستَشارَ الصارِمَ الذَكَرا
He saw the females as just females essentially,
And turned to the decisive male for counsel.
فَجَرَّدَ العَزمَ مِن قَتلِ الصَفاحِ لَها
مَلكٌ عَنِ البيضِ يَستَغني بِما شُهِرا
So he stripped mercy from his heart for their sake,
A king who sufficed with his white sword for protection.
يَكادُ يُقرَأُ مِن عُنوانِ هِمَّتِهِ
ما في صَحائِفِ ظَهرِ الغَيبِ قَد سُطِرا
You can almost read from his determination
What the unknown future has already written.
كَالبَحرِ وَالدَهرِ في يَومي نَدىً وَرَدىً
وَاللَيثِ وَالغَيثِ في يَومي وَغىً وَقِرى
Like the sea, fate can be kindness or evil,
And the lions and rain can be trouble or mercy.
ما جادَ لِلناسِ إِلّا قَبلَ ما سَأَلوا
وَلا عَفا قَطُّ إِلّا بَعدَما قَدَرا
He never gave people anything unless they asked first,
And did not forgive until determining the punishment.
لاموهُ في بَذلِهِ الأَموالَ قُلتُ لَهُم
هَل تَقدِرُ السُحبُ أَلّا تُرسِلَ المَطَرا
They blamed him for freely spending wealth. I said:
Can the clouds refrain from sending the rain?
إِذا غَدا الغُصنُ غَضّاً في مَنابِتِهِ
مَن شاءَ فَليَجنِ مِن أَفنانِهِ الثَمَرا
If branches are still young in their growth,
Let those who want enjoy picking the ripened fruits.
مِن آلِ أُرتُقٍ المَشهورِ ذِكرُهُمُ
إِذ كانَ كَالمِسكِ إِن أَخفَيتَهُ ظَهَرا
Among the famous family line of Urtuq
Once hidden, their fragrance still rises forth.
الحامِلينَ مِنَ الخَطِّيِّ أَطوَلَهُ
وَالناقِلينَ مِنَ الأَسيافِ ما قَصُرا
The farthest reaching ones of deep piercing words,
And the farthest carrying ones of sharp slicing swords.
لَم يَرحَلوا عَن حِمى أَرضٍ إِذا نَزَلوا
إِلّا وَأَبقَوا بِها مِن جودِهِم أَثَرا
Never leaving a land after staying at it
Without leaving vestiges of their generosity existent.
تَبقى صَنائِعُهُم في الأَرضِ بَعدَهُمُ
وَالغَيثُ إِن سارَ أَبقى بَعدَهُ الزَهرا
Their great works remain in this earth after them,
Just as the rain remains flowers after it's gone.
لِلَّهِ دَرُّ سَما الشَهباءِ مِن فَلَكٍ
فَكُلَّما غابَ نَجمٌ أَطلَعَت قَمَرا
Praise be to the starry cosmos’ lofty sphere,
For whenever a star disappears, the moon appears!
يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الباني لِدَولَتِهِ
ذِكراً طَوى ذِكرَ أَهلِ الأَرضِ وَاِنتَشَرا
O king, builder of his state and fame
Whose fame spread and surpassed all men’s names.
كا نَت عِداكَ لَها دَستٌ فَقَد صَدَعَت
حَصاةُ جَدِّكَ ذاكَ الدَستَ فَاِنكَسَرا
If any others reached out their hands against it,
Your grandfather shattered those hands striking the fists.
فَاِوقِع إِذا غَدَروا سَوطَ العَذابِ بِهِم
يَظَلُّ يَخشاكَ صَرفُ الدَهرِ إِن غَدَرا
So unleash the whip of torment on those who betrayed,
Dishonor itself will fear you if carrying treason again.
وَاِرعَب قُلوبَ العِدى تُنصَر بِخَذلِهِمُ
إِنَّ النَبِيَّ بِفَضلِ الرُعبِ قَد نُصِرا
And horrify the hearts of enemies – aided by their abandonment,
The prophet himself gained victory through projecting dread.
وَلا تُكَدَّر بِهِم نَفساً مُطَهَّرَةً
فَالبَحرُ مِن يَومِهِ لا يَعرِفُ الكَدَرا
Do not let them disturb a purified soul,
The sea never came to know turbidity or murk.
ظَنّوا تَأَنّيكَ عَن عَجزٍ وَما عَلِموا
أَنَّ التَأَنّي فيهِم يَعقُبُ الظَفَرا
They thought your hesitation was from inadequacy,
But never realized planning precedes triumph and victory.
أَحسَنتُمُ فَبَغَوا جَهلاً وَما اِعتَرَفوا
لَكُم وَمَن كَفَرَ النُعمى فَقَد كَفَرا
You treated them well, yet they were thankless in ignorance,
Whoever rejects blessings has rejected faith.
وَاِسعَد بِعيدِكَ ذا الأَضحى وَضَحِّ بِهِ
وَصِل وَصَلِّ لِرَبِّ العَرشِ مُؤتَمِرا
Celebrate your Eid through charity and connect
Bonds and pray to Lord of the Throne reverently.
وَاِنحَرعِداكَ فَبِالإِنعامِ ما اِنصَلَحوا
إِن كانَ غَيرُكَ لِلأَنعامِ قَد نَحَرا
Slaughter your sacrifice. For only with your favors
Will they fix themselves, if others already made sacrifice.
