قَليلٌ إِلى غَيرِ اِكتِسابِ العُلى نَهضي

قَليلٌ إِلى غَيرِ اِكتِسابِ العُلى نَهضي

وَمُستَبعَدٌ في غَيرِ ذَيلِ التُقى رَكضي

وَمُستَبعَدٌ في غَيرِ ذَيلِ التُقى رَكضي

Little do I stir for anything but the pursuit of glory,

My ambition for glory is little without earning distinction,

and galloping beyond piety's hem is unthinkable for me.

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

فَكَيفَ وَلي عَزمٌ إِذا ما اِمتَطَيتُه

فَكَيفَ وَلي عَزمٌ إِذا ما اِمتَطَيتُه

تَيَقَّنتُ أَنَّ الأَرضَ أَجمَعَ في قَبضي

تَيَقَّنتُ أَنَّ الأَرضَ أَجمَعَ في قَبضي

How then, when I have a resolve that, whenever I mount it,

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

I know for certain that all the earth is in my grasp?

Be sure the whole earth is grasped in my fist?

وَمالِيَ لا أَغشى الجِبالَ بِمِثلِها

وَمالِيَ لا أَغشى الجِبالَ بِمِثلِها

مِنَ العَزمِ وَالأَنضاءِ في وَعرِها أُنضي

مِنَ العَزمِ وَالأَنضاءِ في وَعرِها أُنضي

And why should I not brave the mountains with their like

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

in resolve, wearing out gaunt mounts on their rugged ground?

With determination and vigor in their ruggedness I confront?

عَلى أَنَّ لي عَزماً إِذا رُمتُ مَطلَباً

عَلى أَنَّ لي عَزماً إِذا رُمتُ مَطلَباً

رَأَيتُ السَما أَدنى إِلَيَّ مِنَ الأَرضِ

رَأَيتُ السَما أَدنى إِلَيَّ مِنَ الأَرضِ

Moreover, I have a resolve that, when I seek a goal,

Indeed, I have a resolve when seeking something -

I see the sky nearer to me than the earth.

I see the sky closer to me than the ground.

أَبَت هِمَّتي لي أَن أَذُلَّ لَنا كِثٍ

أَبَت هِمَّتي لي أَن أَذُلَّ لَنا كِثٍ

عَرى العَهدِ أَو أَرضى مِن الوِرد بِالبَرضِ

عَرى العَهدِ أَو أَرضى مِن الوِرد بِالبَرضِ

My ambition forbids me to bow to one who breaks

My pride refused to let me humiliate

the covenant's bonds, or settle for a trickle at the watering place,

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

وَأُصبِحُ في قَيدِ الهَوانِ مُكَبَّلاً

وَأُصبِحُ في قَيدِ الهَوانِ مُكَبَّلاً

لَدى عُصبَةٍ تُدمي الأَنامِلَ بِالعَضِّ

لَدى عُصبَةٍ تُدمي الأَنامِلَ بِالعَضِّ

and become shackled in the fetters of humiliation

And spend mornings in the shackles of disgrace,

before a band that bites its fingertips bloody.

Bound before a horde that gnaws fingers with biting.

وَلَكِنَّني أَرضى المَنونَ وَلَم أَكُن

وَلَكِنَّني أَرضى المَنونَ وَلَم أَكُن

أَغُضُّ عَلى وَقعِ المَذَلَّةِ أَو أُغضي

أَغُضُّ عَلى وَقعِ المَذَلَّةِ أَو أُغضي

But I accept death, and I have never been one to

But I accept death and have not been

lower my gaze at humiliation's blow or turn a blind eye.

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

أَقي النَفسَ بِالأَموالِ حَيثُ إِذا وَقَت

أَقي النَفسَ بِالأَموالِ حَيثُ إِذا وَقَت

كُنوزُ اللُهى نَفسي وَقيتُ بِها عِرضي

كُنوزُ اللُهى نَفسي وَقيتُ بِها عِرضي

I protect my life with wealth, so that, when

I protect myself with wealth, so when

hoards of bounty protect my life, I protect my honor with that life.

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

وَلا أَختَشي إِن مَسَّني وَقعُ حادِثٍ

وَلا أَختَشي إِن مَسَّني وَقعُ حادِثٍ

فَتِلكَ يَدٌ جَسَّ الزَمانُ بِها نَبضي

فَتِلكَ يَدٌ جَسَّ الزَمانُ بِها نَبضي

And I do not fear if the blow of a misfortune touches me:

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

for that is a hand with which Time has felt my pulse.

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

فَواعَجَبا يَسعى إِلى مِنَنِ العِدى

فَواعَجَبا يَسعى إِلى مِنَنِ العِدى

لِيُدرِكَ كُلّي مَن يُقَصِّرُ عَن بَعضي

لِيُدرِكَ كُلّي مَن يُقَصِّرُ عَن بَعضي

How astonishing! He seeks the enemies' favors

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

to rival all of me—he who falls short of even a part of me.

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

وَيَقصِدُني مَن لَو تَمَثَّلَ شَخصُهُ

وَيَقصِدُني مَن لَو تَمَثَّلَ شَخصُهُ

بِعَينِ قَذىً ما عاقَ جَفني عَنِ الغَمض

بِعَينِ قَذىً ما عاقَ جَفني عَنِ الغَمض

And one assails me whose person, if it took shape

And seeks me out, if his persona took shape

as a speck in an eye, would not keep my eyelid from closing.

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

نَصَبتُ لَهُم صَدرَ الجَوادِ مُحارِباً

نَصَبتُ لَهُم صَدرَ الجَوادِ مُحارِباً

لِأَرفَعَ ذِكري عِندَما طَلَبوا خَفضي

لِأَرفَعَ ذِكري عِندَما طَلَبوا خَفضي

I turned my steed's breast toward them, waging war,

I erected for them the chest of a steed in battle

to raise my renown when they sought to bring me low.

To raise my reputation when they sought my lowering.

إِذا ما تَقَلَّدتُ الحُسامَ لِغارَةٍ

إِذا ما تَقَلَّدتُ الحُسامَ لِغارَةٍ

وَلَم تُرضِهِ يَومَ الوَغى فَلِمَن تُرضي

وَلَم تُرضِهِ يَومَ الوَغى فَلِمَن تُرضي

When I gird on the sword for a raid,

When I adorn myself with a sword for a raid

and you fail to satisfy it on battle's day, whom, then, will you satisfy?

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

سَأَلبَسُ جِلبابَ الظَلامِ مُنَكِّباً

سَأَلبَسُ جِلبابَ الظَلامِ مُنَكِّباً

مَرابِضَ أَرضٍ طالَ في غابِها رَبضي

مَرابِضَ أَرضٍ طالَ في غابِها رَبضي

I shall don the cloak of darkness, turning away from

I will wear the robe of darkness, hunched over

the lairs of a land in whose thickets I have lain so long.

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

فَإِن أَحيَ أَدرَكتُ المُرامَ وَإِن أَمُت

فَإِن أَحيَ أَدرَكتُ المُرامَ وَإِن أَمُت

فَلِلَّهِ ميراثُ السَمَواتِ وَالأَرضِ

فَلِلَّهِ ميراثُ السَمَواتِ وَالأَرضِ

If I live, I shall attain my goal; and if I die,

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

to God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth.

To God belong the inheritance of the heavens and earth.

صَبِرنا عَليهِم وَاِقتَضَبنا بِثارِنا

صَبِرنا عَليهِم وَاِقتَضَبنا بِثارِنا

وَنَصبِرُ أَيضاً لِلجَميعِ وَنَستَقضي

وَنَصبِرُ أَيضاً لِلجَميعِ وَنَستَقضي

We bore with them and swiftly took our revenge;

We had patience over them and picked our revenge,

and we shall bear with them all again, and demand our due.

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

غَزاهُم لِساني بَعدَ غَزوِ يَدي لَهُم

غَزاهُم لِساني بَعدَ غَزوِ يَدي لَهُم

فَلا عَجَبٌ أَن يَستَمِروا عَلى بُغضي

فَلا عَجَبٌ أَن يَستَمِروا عَلى بُغضي

My tongue assailed them after my hand's assault on them,

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

so no wonder they persist in hating me.

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

فَإِن أَمِنوا كَفّي فَما أَمِنوا فَمي

فَإِن أَمِنوا كَفّي فَما أَمِنوا فَمي

وَإِن ثَلِموا حَدّي فَما ثَلِموا عِرضي

وَإِن ثَلِموا حَدّي فَما ثَلِموا عِرضي

If they are safe from my hand, they are not safe from my mouth;

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

and if they have chipped my edge, they have not marred my honor.

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

وَإِن قَصَّروا عَن طولِ طَولِهِمُ يَدي

وَإِن قَصَّروا عَن طولِ طَولِهِمُ يَدي

فَما أَمِنوا في عَرضِ عِرضِهِمُ رَكضي

فَما أَمِنوا في عَرضِ عِرضِهِمُ رَكضي

And if they have kept my hand from the full reach of their bounty,

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

they are not safe from my galloping across the breadth of their honor.

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

تَقولُ رِجالي حينَ أَصبَحتُ ناجِياً

تَقولُ رِجالي حينَ أَصبَحتُ ناجِياً

سَليماً وَصَحبي في إِسارٍ وَفي قَبضِ

سَليماً وَصَحبي في إِسارٍ وَفي قَبضِ

My men say, when I have escaped

My men say when I became a survivor in the morning

unharmed, while my companions are in bonds and captivity:

Unharmed, while my comrades are captive and imprisoned:

حَمِدتُ إِلَهي بَعدَ عُروَةَ إِذ نَجا

حَمِدتُ إِلَهي بَعدَ عُروَةَ إِذ نَجا

خَراشٌ وَبَعضُ الشَرِّ أَهوَنُ مِن بَعضِ

خَراشٌ وَبَعضُ الشَرِّ أَهوَنُ مِن بَعضِ

"I praised my God after 'Urwah, when

“I praised my God after the time of distress when

Kharash escaped; some evils are lighter than others."

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

وَأَصبَحتُ في مُلكٍ مُفاضٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

وَأَصبَحتُ في مُلكٍ مُفاضٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

مَنيعاً وَطَرفُ الدَهرِ عَنِّيَ في غَضِّ

مَنيعاً وَطَرفُ الدَهرِ عَنِّيَ في غَضِّ

And I have become, amid ample dominion and blessing,

And I became in secure, copious rule, and bounty

unassailable, while Time lowers its gaze away from me,

Inaccessible, and the days from me are in withdrawal.

لَدى مَلِكٍ فاقَ المُلوكَ بِفَضلِهِ

لَدى مَلِكٍ فاقَ المُلوكَ بِفَضلِهِ

وَطالَهُمُ طَولَ السَماءِ عَلى الأَرضِ

وَطالَهُمُ طَولَ السَماءِ عَلى الأَرضِ

in the presence of a king who surpasses kings in his excellence,

With a king who surpasses kings in his merit

and towers above them as the sky towers above the earth.

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

هُوَ المَلِكُ المَنصورُ غازي اِبنُ أُرتُقٍ

هُوَ المَلِكُ المَنصورُ غازي اِبنُ أُرتُقٍ

أَخو النائِلِ الفَيّاضِ وَالكَرَمِ المَحضِ

أَخو النائِلِ الفَيّاضِ وَالكَرَمِ المَحضِ

He is King al-Mansur, Ghazi ibn Artuq,

He is the victorious King Ghazi son of Ortuq,

a man of overflowing bounty and pure generosity.

Brother of the bestowing winner and pure perfect generosity.

مَليكٌ يَرى كَسبَ النُضارِ نَوافِلاً

مَليكٌ يَرى كَسبَ النُضارِ نَوافِلاً

بِعَينٍ تَرى بَذلَ الهِباتِ مِنَ الفَرضِ

بِعَينٍ تَرى بَذلَ الهِباتِ مِنَ الفَرضِ

A king who sees acquiring gold as an optional observance,

A king who sees the fruits of floweriness as supererogation

with an eye that sees bestowing gifts as an obligation.

With an eye that sees bestowal of gifts as obligation.

حَباني بِما لَم يوفِ جُهدي بِشُكرِهِ

حَباني بِما لَم يوفِ جُهدي بِشُكرِهِ

وَأَنجَدَني وَالدَهرُ يَجهَدُ في رَفضي

وَأَنجَدَني وَالدَهرُ يَجهَدُ في رَفضي

He bestowed on me what my efforts could not repay in gratitude,

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

and came to my aid while Time strove to cast me aside.

And helped me while fate insisted on refusing me.

فَبُعداً لِأَمنٍ صَدَّني عَن جِنابِهِ

فَبُعداً لِأَمنٍ صَدَّني عَن جِنابِهِ

وَيا حَبَّذا خَوفٌ إِلى قَصدِهِ يُفضي

وَيا حَبَّذا خَوفٌ إِلى قَصدِهِ يُفضي

So away with the safety that kept me from his court,

So away with security that barred me from his side,

and how welcome the fear that leads me to seek him!

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