هل مُجيرٌ من غصّةٍ ما تقضّى

هل مُجيرٌ من غصّةٍ ما تقضّى

أو شفيعٌ في حاجةٍ ليس تقُضى

أو شفيعٌ في حاجةٍ ليس تقُضى

Is there a protector from a choking grief that never passes,

Is there any refuge from the anguish of fate

or an intercessor for a need that is never fulfilled?

Or any intercessor for a need that will not be granted

يا خليلي أنِخْ بشرقيِّ سابا

يا خليلي أنِخْ بشرقيِّ سابا

طَ مُناخاً على الرّكائب دَحْضا

طَ مُناخاً على الرّكائب دَحْضا

My friend, make your mount kneel east of Sābāṭ,

O my friend, pitch camp in my East

at a halting-place slippery for riding beasts.

A shelter on litters lowered down

وتلفّتْ فيما بنى آل ساسا

وتلفّتْ فيما بنى آل ساسا

نَ عفاهُ الزّمانُ ثَلْماً ونقضا

نَ عفاهُ الزّمانُ ثَلْماً ونقضا

And look about at what the house of Sāsān built:

And look around at what the family of Sasan built

time has effaced it, breaching and dismantling it.

Time has caused it to decay and ruin

عرصاتٌ أصبحن وهي سماءٌ

عرصاتٌ أصبحن وهي سماءٌ

ثمّ أمسين بالحوادث أرضا

ثمّ أمسين بالحوادث أرضا

Courtyards that at dawn were sky,

Courtyards that were like the sky

then, through calamities, became earth by evening.

Then brought down by events into ruins

وثرىً يُنبتُ النّعيمَ إذا أنْ

وثرىً يُنبتُ النّعيمَ إذا أنْ

بتَ تُرْبُ البلاد عُشباً وحَمْضا

بتَ تُرْبُ البلاد عُشباً وحَمْضا

And soil that brings forth luxury, when

And land that grows lush greenery when

the soil of other lands brings forth grass and saltwort.

The soil of the country rains and is irrigated

قد رأينا الإيوانَ إيوانَ كسرى

قد رأينا الإيوانَ إيوانَ كسرى

فرأينا كالطّوْدِ طولاً وعُرضا

فرأينا كالطّوْدِ طولاً وعُرضا

We have seen the hall—the hall of Kisrā—

We saw the Arch of Khusraw

and found it mountain-like in height and breadth,

Looking like a giant in height and width

أو جَلالَ جَلَنْفَعٍ صَحِبَ الأي

أو جَلالَ جَلَنْفَعٍ صَحِبَ الأي

يامَ حتّى أَعَدْنَه اليومَ نِقْضا

يامَ حتّى أَعَدْنَه اليومَ نِقْضا

or a huge, burly camel that kept company with the days,

Or the glory of Jalanifu, lord of the

until today they left it a worn-out beast.

Ages until today we see it demolished

أثّر الرَّحلُ في قَراهُ نُدوباً

أثّر الرَّحلُ في قَراهُ نُدوباً

نِلْنَ منه بعضاً وأعفَيْنَ بعضا

نِلْنَ منه بعضاً وأعفَيْنَ بعضا

The saddle has scored scars upon its back,

Travel has marked its towns with scars

affecting parts of it and sparing others.

Some effaced, some still visible

فهو يلقاك بادناً بعدما أبْ

فهو يلقاك بادناً بعدما أبْ

لى كُرورُ الأيّامِ منه وأنضى

لى كُرورُ الأيّامِ منه وأنضى

It meets you still stout, after

So it meets you in a state of decay after

the circling days have worn parts away and wasted it.

The days have worn it down and made it old

عَرَقَ الدّهرُ لحسنَهُ وهْو باقٍ

عَرَقَ الدّهرُ لحسنَهُ وهْو باقٍ

كالمُدى تعرُقُ التَّريبةَ نَحْضا

كالمُدى تعرُقُ التَّريبةَ نَحْضا

Time has gnawed at its beauty, yet it remains,

Time has labored over its beauty yet it remains

as knives strip a chest bone of flesh.

Like a necklace that glistens with sweat

فترى العينُ فيه أُبَّهَةَ المُلْ

فترى العينُ فيه أُبَّهَةَ المُلْ

كِ وعيشاً لأهله كان خَفْضا

كِ وعيشاً لأهله كان خَفْضا

The eye sees in it the splendor of kingship,

So the eye sees in it the magnificence of

and the easy life its people once enjoyed.

Kings and life its people once enjoyed

فهْيَ تَغشاهُ بالتّنكّرِ وحْشاً

فهْيَ تَغشاهُ بالتّنكّرِ وحْشاً

خَلَقاً ثُمّ بالتّذكّرِ غَضّا

خَلَقاً ثُمّ بالتّذكّرِ غَضّا

It beholds it in its changed state, desolate

But now it overwhelms it with estrangement and dread

and worn; then, through remembrance, fresh.

A creation, then with remembrance, mellowness

وَمَشينا في عَرْصةٍ لَم تزلْ في

وَمَشينا في عَرْصةٍ لَم تزلْ في

ها أُمورُ الملوكِ تُمضى وتقُضى

ها أُمورُ الملوكِ تُمضى وتقُضى

And we walked through a courtyard where ceaselessly

We walked in a courtyard where the

the affairs of kings were enacted and decided.

Affairs of kings are ordered and granted

كلُّ قَرْمٍ كاللّيث إنْ هجهجوه

كلُّ قَرْمٍ كاللّيث إنْ هجهجوه

عن صريعٍ له أزمَّ وأغضى

عن صريعٍ له أزمَّ وأغضى

Every chieftain was like a lion: if they shouted to drive him

Every group of warriors, if they growl over

from his fallen prey, he bit down and narrowed his eyes.

A slain foe, stiffens then calms down

لَبِسَ الملكَ يافعاً ووليداً

لَبِسَ الملكَ يافعاً ووليداً

واِرتَقاه شدّاً إليه ورَكْضا

واِرتَقاه شدّاً إليه ورَكْضا

He donned kingship as a youth and as an infant,

The boy wore the crown vigorous and keen

and ascended to it, hastening and racing toward it.

He climbed its ranks unfaltering and swift

وَجَثا ناشئاً على خشب الملْ

وَجَثا ناشئاً على خشب الملْ

ك فأرجا في العالمين وأمضى

ك فأرجا في العالمين وأمضى

While young, he knelt upon kingship's wooden throne,

Bowed as a youth on the throne of kingship

then deferred and enacted decisions among all peoples.

Bringing hope to all people and fulfilling promise

وعرانينُ لا يطورُ بها الرّغْ

وعرانينُ لا يطورُ بها الرّغْ

مُ وأيدٍ يطلْنَ بسطاً وقبضا

مُ وأيدٍ يطلْنَ بسطاً وقبضا

And proud noses that humiliation never approached,

The destitute whose rags the windstill stirs

and hands far-reaching in giving and withholding.

And hands outstretched either grasping or relaxed

ورؤوسٌ بين الأنامِ رؤوسٌ

ورؤوسٌ بين الأنامِ رؤوسٌ

وجسومٌ غُذِينَ بالعزِّ مَحْضا

وجسومٌ غُذِينَ بالعزِّ مَحْضا

And heads that were heads among humankind,

Heads among the people, some heads

and bodies nourished on pure glory.

Bodies nourished on glory alone

ولَقد مَضّنِي هجومي على الدّا

ولَقد مَضّنِي هجومي على الدّا

ر بلا آذنٍ على الدّارِ مضّا

ر بلا آذنٍ على الدّارِ مضّا

And indeed, it pained me to burst into the dwelling,

My assault on the house took me past

without an usher there—pained me bitterly—

Any asking permission to enter the house

مَرِحاً أسحبُ الإزارَ على أجْ

مَرِحاً أسحبُ الإزارَ على أجْ

ردَ ينزو طَوْراً ويقبض قبضا

ردَ ينزو طَوْراً ويقبض قبضا

merrily trailing my robe upon a sleek horse

I glided in, dragging my robe

that now bounds, now tightly gathers its limbs,

Over smooth marble, clinging then releasing

حيث كانت ضلوعُ من وَلَجَ الأبْ

حيث كانت ضلوعُ من وَلَجَ الأبْ

وابَ يُنْفَضْنَ بالمخافةِ نَفْضا

وابَ يُنْفَضْنَ بالمخافةِ نَفْضا

where the ribs of those who entered the gates

Where ribs of those who entered the gates

were shaken violently with fear.

Shook and shuddered in fright

ورِباعٌ كانت غُيوضَ أُسودٍ

ورِباعٌ كانت غُيوضَ أُسودٍ

أصبحتْ للضّباعِ مأوىً ومَغْضى

أصبحتْ للضّباعِ مأوىً ومَغْضى

And dwellings that were thickets for lions

Enclosures that were lairs of lions

have become a shelter and resting-place for hyenas.

Are now dens for predators to lurk and rest

ومُناخٌ للجودِ يَحظى ويَرضى

ومُناخٌ للجودِ يَحظى ويَرضى

فيه مَن لم يكنْ على الدّهر يرضى

فيه مَن لم يكنْ على الدّهر يرضى

And a halting-place of bounty, where favor and contentment

A refuge for generosity that pleases and satisfies

are found by one who had never been content with fate.

Whoever was not content with fate

عَقَروا عندهُ المطيَّ وألْقَوا

عَقَروا عندهُ المطيَّ وألْقَوا

وَقَدِ اِستَوطنوا نجاداً وغَرْضا

وَقَدِ اِستَوطنوا نجاداً وغَرْضا

They slaughtered their riding camels there and cast aside,

They unsaddled their horses and stayed

having settled there, sword-belts and girths,

Putting down roots of tenure and settlement

بين قومٍ يزيدهمْ عذلُ اللّو

بين قومٍ يزيدهمْ عذلُ اللّو

وامِ في المكرُماتِ حثّاً وحَضّا

وامِ في المكرُماتِ حثّاً وحَضّا

among a people whom the reproaches of blamers

Among a people whom the disgrace of poverty

only urge and spur further toward noble deeds.

Spurs on to glorious deeds and enterprise

سكنوا جانبَ المدائنِ في أبْ

سكنوا جانبَ المدائنِ في أبْ

يَضَ كالشّمس يوسعُ العينَ ومْضا

يَضَ كالشّمس يوسعُ العينَ ومْضا

They dwelt beside al-Madāʾin, in a white palace,

They settled on the edge of cities in clearings

sunlike, lavishing flashes of light upon the eye.

Like the sun, giving joy to eyes and delight

يأخذون الأموال بالسّيف حتَّى

يأخذون الأموال بالسّيف حتَّى

يهبوها الرّجالَ نَفْلاً وفَرْضا

يهبوها الرّجالَ نَفْلاً وفَرْضا

They take wealth by the sword, only

Seizing wealth by the sword until

to give it to men as voluntary gifts and assigned dues.

Men cede it freely, a gift not tribute

كلّما أتلفوا أخلفوا كوَفِيِّ ال

كلّما أتلفوا أخلفوا كوَفِيِّ ال

قومِ أمَّ الغِنى ليقضِىَ قَرْضا

قومِ أمَّ الغِنى ليقضِىَ قَرْضا

Whenever they spend, they replenish, like a faithful man of the people

However much they destroy, they replace

who sought wealth to repay a loan.

Like the rain clouds of spring come to pay a debt

ومهيبون يُحسَبُ الأمنُ مِن مَوْ

ومهيبون يُحسَبُ الأمنُ مِن مَوْ

لاهُمُ الخوفَ والمحبّةُ بُغضا

لاهُمُ الخوفَ والمحبّةُ بُغضا

And awe-inspiring men: safety from their lord

Formidable, their power is the source

is reckoned fear, and love hatred.

Of dread, yet also of love and attraction

وَجليدُ الرّجال إنْ واجهوه

وَجليدُ الرّجال إنْ واجهوه

غَبِن اللّحْظَ من حِذارٍ وغضّا

غَبِن اللّحْظَ من حِذارٍ وغضّا

And even the stoutest man, if they faced him,

When the bold faced them, their gaze

would be robbed of his glance by fear, and lower his eyes.

Shifted from caution to wonder and awe

كيف أرضى عن الزّمان وما أرْ

كيف أرضى عن الزّمان وما أرْ

ضى كريماً قبلي الزّمانُ فأرضى

ضى كريماً قبلي الزّمانُ فأرضى

How can I be content with time? It has never pleased

How can I be content with the times when no

a noble man before me, that I might be content.

Noble before me was so with the times and satisfied

نقتريهِ جدْباً وبيئاً ونَمرِي

نقتريهِ جدْباً وبيئاً ونَمرِي

هِ ضبيعاً ونَرْتَعِي منه بُرْضا

هِ ضبيعاً ونَرْتَعِي منه بُرْضا

We explore it, barren and pestilential, and milk

We experience it as barren, waterless, and pass

it as a camel in heat, grazing its scant herbage.

Through it arid, grazing on it meagerly

لَيس يُبقِي إلّا وَيُفنِي ولا يُعْ

لَيس يُبقِي إلّا وَيُفنِي ولا يُعْ

لى قليلاً حتّى يطأطئَ خَفْضا

لى قليلاً حتّى يطأطئَ خَفْضا

It preserves only to destroy, and never raises anything

It leaves nothing unless it destroys everything and lifts

even a little without bringing it low.

None high unless to bring them suddenly low

سُنَّةُ اللّيثِ كلّما همّ أنْ يُب

سُنَّةُ اللّيثِ كلّما همّ أنْ يُب

عدَ وَثْباً زاد اِنحطاطاً ورَبْضا

عدَ وَثْباً زاد اِنحطاطاً ورَبْضا

The lion's way: whenever it intends to leap

The way of the lion, whenever resolved to pounce

far, it sinks still lower and crouches.

Grows only weaker, slower, and more tame

وَلفكري فيمن يساق إلى المو

وَلفكري فيمن يساق إلى المو

تِ مَدا الدّهر كيف يَطعَمُ غُمضا

تِ مَدا الدّهر كيف يَطعَمُ غُمضا

And my mind, pondering those driven toward death

And my thoughts of one led to his death

throughout time—how can it taste sleep?

How the days have nourished him only bitterness