لهفي لشرخ شبيبتي وزماني

لهفي لشرخ شبيبتي وزماني

وتروحي لفتوة وطعان

وتروحي لفتوة وطعان

Alas for the bloom of my youth and for my days,

How I mourn the prime of my youth and my days,

and for my venturing forth to chivalry and combat—

And my eagerness for youthful valor and spear-fighting!

أيام لا أعطي الصبابة مقودي

أيام لا أعطي الصبابة مقودي

أنفا ولا يثني الغرام عناني

أنفا ولا يثني الغرام عناني

days when I never yielded my bridle to longing,

Days when I would not give love's longing my leading-rein,

ever, nor did passion bend my rein;

Out of pride, nor let passion turn my rein;

وإذا اللواحي في تقحمي الردى

وإذا اللواحي في تقحمي الردى

لا في المدام ولا الهوى تلحاني

لا في المدام ولا الهوى تلحاني

when reproachers rebuked me for plunging into death—

And when the reproving women, for my plunging into death—

not for wine, nor for amusement, did they rebuke me;

Not for wine or love—would rebuke me;

وإذا الكماة على يقين أنهم

وإذا الكماة على يقين أنهم

يلقى الردى في الحرب من يلقاني

يلقى الردى في الحرب من يلقاني

when warriors knew with certainty that

And when the armored warriors knew for certain

whoever met me in war would meet his death.

That whoever met me in war would meet death,

اعتدهم وهم الأسود فرائسي

اعتدهم وهم الأسود فرائسي

فهم دريئة صارمي وسناني

فهم دريئة صارمي وسناني

I counted them—lions though they were—as my prey;

I reckoned them, lions though they were, my prey:

they were targets for my sword and spear.

They were targets for my cutting sword and spear-point.

والأسد تلقى مثلها مني إذا

والأسد تلقى مثلها مني إذا

لاقيتها بقوى يد وجنان

لاقيتها بقوى يد وجنان

And lions, too, found their like in me whenever

And lions found their match in me when

I faced them with strength of hand and heart.

I met them with strength of hand and heart.

كم قد حطمت الرمح في لباتها

كم قد حطمت الرمح في لباتها

فتركتها صرعى على الأذقان

فتركتها صرعى على الأذقان

How many spears I shattered in their breasts,

How often I shattered the spear in their breasts,

leaving them felled upon their chins—

And left them slain upon their chins!

حتى إذا السبعون قصر عشرها

حتى إذا السبعون قصر عشرها

خطوي وعاث الضعف في أركاني

خطوي وعاث الضعف في أركاني

until seventy, with its decade, shortened

Until the decade of my seventies shortened

my stride, and weakness ravaged my limbs.

My stride, and weakness ravaged my body's pillars.

أبلتني الأيام حتى كل عن

أبلتني الأيام حتى كل عن

ضرب المهند ساعدي وبناني

ضرب المهند ساعدي وبناني

The days wore me down until my arm and fingers

The days wore me down until

grew weary of striking with the Indian blade.

My forearm and fingers tired of striking with the Indian blade.

هذا وكم للدهر عندي نكبة

هذا وكم للدهر عندي نكبة

في المال والأهلين والأوطان

في المال والأهلين والأوطان

And how many blows of fate have fallen upon me

Besides this, how many calamities fate has dealt me,

in wealth, family, and homelands!

In wealth, kinsfolk, and homelands!

نوب يروض بها إباي وقد عسا

نوب يروض بها إباي وقد عسا

عودي فما تثنيه كف الحاني

عودي فما تثنيه كف الحاني

Calamities with which fate disciplines my pride—yet my wood has hardened,

Calamities with which it would tame my defiance; yet hardened

and no tender hand can bend it.

Is my wood: no bender's hand can bend it.

لا أستكين ولا ألين وقد بلا

لا أستكين ولا ألين وقد بلا

فيما مضى صبري على الحدثان

فيما مضى صبري على الحدثان

I neither submit nor soften, though

I do not submit or soften; already it has tested

past adversities have tested my patience.

My patience in times past against misfortune.

فالآن يطمع في اهتضامي إنه

فالآن يطمع في اهتضامي إنه

قد رام أمرا ليس في الإمكان

قد رام أمرا ليس في الإمكان

Now fate aspires to humble me; indeed,

Now it hopes to humble me; indeed it

it has attempted something impossible.

Has sought a thing beyond possibility.

والناصر الملك المتوج ناصري

والناصر الملك المتوج ناصري

وعلاه قد خطت كتاب أماني

وعلاه قد خطت كتاب أماني

But al-Nasir, the crowned king, is my champion,

And al-Nasir, the crowned king, is my champion;

and his eminence has inscribed my charter of safety.

His exalted glory has written my charter of safety.

قد كنت أرهب صرف دهري قبله

قد كنت أرهب صرف دهري قبله

فأعاد صرف الدهر من أعواني

فأعاد صرف الدهر من أعواني

Before him, I feared the reversals of time,

Before him I used to fear the turns of my fate,

but he made time’s reversals my allies.

But he made the turns of fate my allies.

أنا جاره ويد الخطوب قصيرة

أنا جاره ويد الخطوب قصيرة

عن ان تنال مجاور السلطان

عن ان تنال مجاور السلطان

I am his neighbor; adversity’s hand is too short

I am his neighbor; the hand of calamity is too short

to reach one who shelters beside the sultan.

To reach one sheltered by the sultan.

ملك يمن على أسارى سيبه

ملك يمن على أسارى سيبه

فيعيدهم في الأسر بالإحسان

فيعيدهم في الأسر بالإحسان

A king who shows favor to the captives of his sword,

A king who frees the captives of his bounty,

then through kindness takes them captive anew.

Then restores them to captivity through kindness.

خضعت له صيد الملوك فمن برى

خضعت له صيد الملوك فمن برى

أقلامه غرر على التيجان

أقلامه غرر على التيجان

The proud among kings submit to him; from the sharpening of

The haughty kings bowed to him; from the shavings of

his pens come white marks of glory upon crowns.

His pens come bright adornments upon crowns.

ملأ القلوب محبة ومهابة

ملأ القلوب محبة ومهابة

فخلت من البغضاء والشنآن

فخلت من البغضاء والشنآن

He filled hearts with love and awe,

He filled hearts with love and awe,

leaving them free of hatred and rancor.

So they were emptied of hatred and rancor.

لي منه إكرام علوت به على

لي منه إكرام علوت به على

زهر النجوم ونائل أغناني

زهر النجوم ونائل أغناني

From him I have honor by which I rose above

From him I have honor that raised me above

the radiant stars, and bounty that enriched me.

The bright stars, and bounty that enriched me.

قرن الكرامة بالنوال مواليا

قرن الكرامة بالنوال مواليا

فعجزت عن إحصاء ما أولاني

فعجزت عن إحصاء ما أولاني

He joined honor to largesse, granting both continually,

He joined honor to gifts, bestowing them continually,

until I could no longer reckon all he bestowed.

So I could not count all he bestowed on me.

فناده أخلف ما مضى من ثروتي

فناده أخلف ما مضى من ثروتي

وبقاؤه عن أسرتي أسلاني

وبقاؤه عن أسرتي أسلاني

His generosity replaced the wealth I had lost,

So his bounty replaced what had gone of my wealth,

and his presence consoled me for my family.

And his continued life consoled me for my family.

فلأهدين إلى علاه مدائحا

فلأهدين إلى علاه مدائحا

تبقى على الأحقاب والأزمان

تبقى على الأحقاب والأزمان

So I shall dedicate praises to his highness

So I shall surely offer his exalted glory poems of praise,

that endure through epochs and ages—

To endure through ages and times:

مدحاً أفوق بها زهيرا مثلما

مدحاً أفوق بها زهيرا مثلما

فاق المليك الناصر ابن سنان

فاق المليك الناصر ابن سنان

praises in which I surpass Zuhayr, just as

Praise by which I surpass Zuhayr, just as

the victorious king surpassed Ibn Sinan.

The sovereign al-Nasir surpassed Ibn Sinan.

يا ناصر الإسلام حين تخاذلت

يا ناصر الإسلام حين تخاذلت

عنه الملوك ومظهر الإيمان

عنه الملوك ومظهر الإيمان

O defender of Islam, when

O champion of Islam, when it was abandoned

its kings failed it, and revealer of the faith:

By kings, and you who made faith manifest!

بك قد أعز الله حزب جنوده

بك قد أعز الله حزب جنوده

وأذل حزب الكفر والطغيان

وأذل حزب الكفر والطغيان

through you God exalted the host of His soldiers

Through you God has exalted the host of His soldiers,

and humbled the party of unbelief and tyranny.

And humbled the host of unbelief and tyranny.

لما رأيت الناس قد أغواهم ال

لما رأيت الناس قد أغواهم ال

شيطان بالإلحاد والعصيان

شيطان بالإلحاد والعصيان

When you saw that the people had been led astray by

When you saw the people led astray by the

the Devil into heresy and rebellion,

Devil into impiety and disobedience,

جردت سيفك في العدا لا رغبة

جردت سيفك في العدا لا رغبة

في الملك بل في طاعة الرحمن

في الملك بل في طاعة الرحمن

you drew your sword against the enemy, not from desire

You drew your sword against the foes, not from desire

for kingship, but in obedience to the All-Merciful.

For kingship, but in obedience to the All-Merciful.

فضربتهم ضرب الغرائب واضعا

فضربتهم ضرب الغرائب واضعا

بالسيف ما رفعوا من الصلبان

بالسيف ما رفعوا من الصلبان

You struck them with wondrous blows, laying low

So you beat them as stray camels are beaten, bringing down

with the sword what they had raised of crosses.

With the sword the crosses they had raised.

وغضبت لله الذي أعطاك فص

وغضبت لله الذي أعطاك فص

ل الحكم غضبة ثائر حران

ل الحكم غضبة ثائر حران

You grew angry for God, who granted you decisive

And you raged for God, who granted you decisive

judgment—with the wrath of a blazing avenger.

Judgment, with an avenger's burning wrath.

فقتلت من صدق الوغى ووسمت من

فقتلت من صدق الوغى ووسمت من

نجى الفرار بذلة وهوان

نجى الفرار بذلة وهوان

You killed those who stood true in battle and branded whoever

So you killed those who stood firm in battle, and branded those

escaped in flight with shame and humiliation.

Whom flight had saved—with abasement and disgrace.

وبذلت أموال الخزائن بعدما

وبذلت أموال الخزائن بعدما

هرمت وراء خواتم الخزان

هرمت وراء خواتم الخزان

And you spent the wealth of the treasuries after

And you lavished the treasuries' wealth after it had

it had grown old behind the treasurers’ seals,

Grown old behind the treasurers' seals,

في جمع كل مجاهد ومجالد

في جمع كل مجاهد ومجالد

ومبارز ومنازل الأقرام

ومبارز ومنازل الأقرام

to gather every holy warrior and hardened fighter,

To muster every fighter for the faith and swordsman,

every duelist and challenger of champions—

And every duelist and challenger of champions:

من كل من يرد الحروب بأبيض

من كل من يرد الحروب بأبيض

عضب ويصدر وهو أحمر قان

عضب ويصدر وهو أحمر قان

each one who enters war with a white,

Each man who enters war with a white blade,

keen blade and returns with it crimson-red;

Keen-edged, and comes out with it deep blood-red;

ويخوض نيران الوغى وكأنه

ويخوض نيران الوغى وكأنه

ظمآن خاض موارد الغدران

ظمآن خاض موارد الغدران

who plunges into the fires of battle as though

And wades through the fires of battle as though

a thirsty man were entering watering pools.

A thirsty man wading into pools at their watering places.

قوم إذا شهدوا الوغى قال الورى

قوم إذا شهدوا الوغى قال الورى

ماذا أتى بالاسد من خفان

ماذا أتى بالاسد من خفان

A people who, when they enter battle, make mankind say:

Men who, when they join battle, make all people say:

“What has brought the lions from Khafan?”

What brought the lions from Khaffan?

لو أنهم صدعوا الجبال لزعزعوا

لو أنهم صدعوا الجبال لزعزعوا

أركانها بالبيض والخرصان

أركانها بالبيض والخرصان

If they were to split the mountains, they would shake

Were they to cleave the mountains, they would shake

their foundations with swords and lances.

Their foundations with white blades and spearheads.

فهم الذخيرة للوقائع بالعدا

فهم الذخيرة للوقائع بالعدا

ولفتح ما استعصى من البلدان

ولفتح ما استعصى من البلدان

They are the reserve for clashes with the enemy

They are the treasure reserved for battles against the foes,

and for conquering lands resistant to conquest.

And for conquering lands that have resisted.

واسعد بشهر الصوم فهو مبشر

واسعد بشهر الصوم فهو مبشر

لعلاك بالتأييد والغفران

لعلاك بالتأييد والغفران

Rejoice in the month of fasting, for it heralds

And rejoice in the month of fasting, for it heralds

to your highness divine aid and forgiveness,

Support and forgiveness for your exalted glory,

في دولة عمت بنائلها الورى

في دولة عمت بنائلها الورى

فدعا لها بالخلد كل لسان

فدعا لها بالخلد كل لسان

within a realm whose bounty has encompassed all mankind,

In a reign whose bounty has embraced all people,

so every tongue has prayed for its immortality.

So every tongue prayed for it to endure forever.