جلَّت مساعيّ عن الفخرِ

جلَّت مساعيّ عن الفخرِ

فهي نجوم الأَنجم الزُهْرِ

فهي نجوم الأَنجم الزُهْرِ

My endeavors are too lofty for boasting;

My strivings transcend boasting,

for they are the stars among the radiant stars.

They are the brightest of the bright stars.

وكيف يحصي الفخرُ تعديد ما

وكيف يحصي الفخرُ تعديد ما

أَحْوِي وقد زاد على القَطْر

أَحْوِي وقد زاد على القَطْر

And how can boasting reckon the sum of what

How can boasting enumerate what I contain,

I possess, when it outnumbers the raindrops?

When what I hold has surpassed drops of rain?

من فضل نوري نورُ شمس الضحى

من فضل نوري نورُ شمس الضحى

ومن سَنَا عِرضي سنا البدر

ومن سَنَا عِرضي سنا البدر

From the surplus of my light comes the forenoon sun's light,

From the grace of my light is the morning sun’s light,

and from the radiance of my honor, the full moon's glow.

And from my elevation is the full moon’s loftiness.

أيُّ كريمٍ لم يشِمْ شِميتي

أيُّ كريمٍ لم يشِمْ شِميتي

وأيُّ عافٍ لم يَرِد بَحري

وأيُّ عافٍ لم يَرِد بَحري

Which noble man has not discerned my character?

What noble one has not smelled my fragrance?

And which seeker of bounty has not come to my sea?

And what sound person has not come to my ocean?

وأيُّ مجد لم أَلِجْ بابَه

وأيُّ مجد لم أَلِجْ بابَه

وأيُ علمٍ لم يلِجْ صدري

وأيُ علمٍ لم يلِجْ صدري

And what glory have I not entered through its gate?

What glory have I not opened its door?

And what knowledge has not entered my breast?

And what knowledge has not entered into my chest?

يفتخر الفضلُ بكَسْبي له

يفتخر الفضلُ بكَسْبي له

وتسمع الأيّام من أمري

وتسمع الأيّام من أمري

Excellence takes pride in my acquiring it,

Merit prides itself on my achievements,

and the days hear of my deeds.

And time hears about my affairs.

كم أنزل المقدارُ عن قدره

كم أنزل المقدارُ عن قدره

من جهِلتْ فطنتُه قدري

من جهِلتْ فطنتُه قدري

Many a man has Fate cast down from his rank—

How much fate has lowered from its position,

one whose discernment failed to recognize my worth.

When my discernment raised its value.

فحسب مَن قاطعني أنه

فحسب مَن قاطعني أنه

بات عدوّاً فيّ للدهر

بات عدوّاً فيّ للدهر

So it is enough for whoever breaks with me that he

So it suffices whoever has opposed me,

has become, on my account, an enemy of Time.

That he has spent the night an enemy to me forever.

كم مظهِرٍ لي في الورى غدره

كم مظهِرٍ لي في الورى غدره

رماه عني الدهر بالغدر

رماه عني الدهر بالغدر

Many a man has shown his treachery toward me among humankind;

How many betrayers I have for me in the world,

Time struck him with treachery on my behalf.

Time has cast them away from me out of betrayal.

وظالمٍ لم يألُ في ظلمه

وظالمٍ لم يألُ في ظلمه

عوقِب بي من حيث لا يدري

عوقِب بي من حيث لا يدري

And many an oppressor who spared no effort in his oppression

And how many oppressors who did not cease in their oppression,

was punished on my account from an unsuspected quarter.

Were punished by me without their knowing.

فمنهمُ مَن ذاق كأس الردى

فمنهمُ مَن ذاق كأس الردى

مختَرَماً قبل مدى العمر

مختَرَماً قبل مدى العمر

So some of them tasted the cup of death,

Among them is he who tasted the cup of misery,

cut down before their span of life was complete.

Shattered before the passage of time.

ومنهمُ من شَتَّتَتْ شملَه ال

ومنهمُ من شَتَّتَتْ شملَه ال

أَيامُ بعد الجَمْع والوَفْر

أَيامُ بعد الجَمْع والوَفْر

And some of them had their company scattered by the

And among them is he whose unity time has scattered,

days, after togetherness and abundance.

After gathering and abundance.

ومنهمُ من حُطَّ عن عِزّه

ومنهمُ من حُطَّ عن عِزّه

فعاش في ذلّ وفي ذُعْر

فعاش في ذلّ وفي ذُعْر

And some of them were cast down from their glory,

And among them is he who was lowered from his glory,

so they lived in humiliation and terror.

And lived in humiliation and dread.

قل لبني اللَّخناء ذي آيةٌ

قل لبني اللَّخناء ذي آيةٌ

واضحةُ الإسرار والجهر

واضحةُ الإسرار والجهر

Tell the sons of the foul-smelling woman: this is a sign,

Say to the people of villainy, as a clear sign,

plain in private and in public.

Revealing the hidden and the open:

وهكذا يُخْذَل في دهره

وهكذا يُخْذَل في دهره

كلُّ دعِيٍّ صَدّ عن نصري

كلُّ دعِيٍّ صَدّ عن نصري

And thus, in his lifetime, is forsaken

“Thus is every obstinate opponent humiliated in his time,

every man of false lineage who turned away from aiding me.

Who blocked my aid.”

أقسِم بالبيت ومَنْ حجَّه

أقسِم بالبيت ومَنْ حجَّه

والركنِ والمشعَرِ والحِجْر

والركنِ والمشعَرِ والحِجْر

I swear by the House and whoever has made pilgrimage to it,

I swear by the House, and whom has made pilgrimage to it,

and by the Corner, the Sacred Site, and the Hijr:

And the Corner, and the Station, and the Stone.

لو أَضْمرتْ لي الشمسُ في جوّها

لو أَضْمرتْ لي الشمسُ في جوّها

سُوءاً لراحت وهْيَ لا تجري

سُوءاً لراحت وهْيَ لا تجري

if the sun, in its sky, harbored toward me

If the sun concealed within its sphere any evil against me,

ill intent, it would depart without running its course.

It would cease its course, unable to complete it.

وكلُّ مَنْ أبغضني إنّه

وكلُّ مَنْ أبغضني إنّه

يموت أو يحيا على صُغْر

يموت أو يحيا على صُغْر

And whoever hates me—indeed, he

And everyone who hates me, he will surely

will die or live in abasement.

Die or live in pettiness.