قلتُ للخَفضِ والخُمولِ استَقيما

قلتُ للخَفضِ والخُمولِ استَقيما

لا علَت هِمَّةٌ تَجرُّ هُموما

لا علَت هِمَّةٌ تَجرُّ هُموما

I said to ease and obscurity, 'Hold steady.'

I said to sadness and despair: be upright

May no ambition rise that drags along sorrows.

No ambition draws worries

أيُّها القاعِدونَ عَنها اقعِدوني

أيُّها القاعِدونَ عَنها اقعِدوني

مَعكُم قَد سَئِمتُ مِن أَن أَقوما

مَعكُم قَد سَئِمتُ مِن أَن أَقوما

O you who sit aloof from it, seat me

O you who sit back from it, make me sit

with you; I have grown weary of rising.

With you, for I am tired of standing

يَسمَعُ الناسُ لي حَديثاً حَميداً

يَسمَعُ الناسُ لي حَديثاً حَميداً

أفَلا يُبصِرونَ عَيشاً ذَميما

أفَلا يُبصِرونَ عَيشاً ذَميما

People hear a praiseworthy account of me;

People hear good talk from me

do they not, then, see a wretched life?

Do they not see a miserable living?

وأَرى حالَتي تُصحِّفُ ما تَك

وأَرى حالَتي تُصحِّفُ ما تَك

تُبُه هِمَّتي نُحوماً نُجوما

تُبُه هِمَّتي نُحوماً نُجوما

And I see my circumstances changing the dots in what

And I see my state distorting what it writes

my ambition writes—turning stars into groans.

My ambition turns nights into stars

ثمَّ قالوا بَنَى لَه الشِّعرُ مَجداً

ثمَّ قالوا بَنَى لَه الشِّعرُ مَجداً

وأَطافَ الوَرى بِه تَعظيما

وأَطافَ الوَرى بِه تَعظيما

Then they said: poetry has built him glory

Then they said poetry built glory for him

and gathered humankind around him in reverence.

And esteem circulated him in the land

ولَو اسطَعتُ كلَّما قُلتُ بَيتاً

ولَو اسطَعتُ كلَّما قُلتُ بَيتاً

مادِحاً قُلتُ وليكُن مكتُوما

مادِحاً قُلتُ وليكُن مكتُوما

And if I could, whenever I recited a verse

And if I shone whenever I said a verse

of praise, I would say, 'Let it be concealed,'

Praising, I said - and let it be concealed

حِشمَة مِن جَميعِ ما سارَ عنِّي

حِشمَة مِن جَميعِ ما سارَ عنِّي

غيرَ ما كانَ في ابنِ إبراهيما

غيرَ ما كانَ في ابنِ إبراهيما

out of shame at all that has circulated from me,

A shyness from all that went from me

except what was about Ibn Ibrahim.

Other than what was in the son of Ibrahim

ما عَفت عِندَه ربوعُ المَعالي

ما عَفت عِندَه ربوعُ المَعالي

فَيُبينُ الثناءُ مِنها رُسوما

فَيُبينُ الثناءُ مِنها رُسوما

The abodes of greatness have not faded with him,

Its glories did not disappear from him

for praise to bring their traces to light.

So praise appears from them as landmarks

ذو غَناءٍ عَنِ الثَّناءِ فإِن جا

ذو غَناءٍ عَنِ الثَّناءِ فإِن جا

دَ عَلى المادِحينَ جادَ كَريما

دَ عَلى المادِحينَ جادَ كَريما

He has no need of praise; if he gives

One with singing voice above praise, so if he

to those who praise him, he gives out of generosity.

Gave to praisers, he gave generously

أيُّها المُدَّعي مكانَ أَبي عَم

أيُّها المُدَّعي مكانَ أَبي عَم

رٍو لَقَد عَزَّ ما تَرومُ مَروما

رٍو لَقَد عَزَّ ما تَرومُ مَروما

O you who claim the station of Abu Amr,

O you who claim the place of Abu Amr

the goal you seek is indeed hard to attain.

Indeed, what you seek is difficult to attain

ذاكَ يَلقَى جَور اللَّيالي خُصوصاً

ذاكَ يَلقَى جَور اللَّيالي خُصوصاً

ويُلاقي إنصافَهنَّ عُموما

ويُلاقي إنصافَهنَّ عُموما

That man meets the nights' injustice alone,

That one meets the injustice of nights, specifically

and meets their fairness in common with all.

And meets their justice generally

وإِذا ما لَقيتَه فتَعَلَّم

وإِذا ما لَقيتَه فتَعَلَّم

ربَّما تُؤخَذُ العُلى تَعليما

ربَّما تُؤخَذُ العُلى تَعليما

And whenever you meet him, learn;

And if you meet him, then learn

greatness may be gained through instruction.

Perhaps the heights are taken through teaching

وإِذا صُرِّفَت بَنانُ بَنانٍ

وإِذا صُرِّفَت بَنانُ بَنانٍ

في يَراعٍ فالصَّبر والتَّسليما

في يَراعٍ فالصَّبر والتَّسليما

And when Banan's fingers are put to work

And if the fingers of fingers are turned

with a reed pen—then patience and surrender!

In a pasture, then patience and resignation

فَهيَ لا تَبعَثُ الكلامَ عَلى مِث

فَهيَ لا تَبعَثُ الكلامَ عَلى مِث

لِكَ مِن حاسِدِيه إِلا كُلوما

لِكَ مِن حاسِدِيه إِلا كُلوما

For they send forth no words against the likes

So it does not provoke talk the like of

of you among his enviers, except as wounds.

From his enviers except silent

شِيَمٌ مِن أَبيكَ فيكَ أَبا عَم

شِيَمٌ مِن أَبيكَ فيكَ أَبا عَم

رٍو وقَد يلحقُ الحَديث القَديما

رٍو وقَد يلحقُ الحَديث القَديما

Your father's traits are in you, Abu Amr;

A manners from your father in you, father of Amr

and the new may well catch up with the old.

And sometimes old talk accompanies the new

أنا في السائِرينَ عنكَ وودِّي

أنا في السائِرينَ عنكَ وودِّي

في المُقيمينَ لا يَزالُ مُقيما

في المُقيمينَ لا يَزالُ مُقيما

I am among those departing from you, but my love

I am among those who went from you and my love

remains among those who stay, ever abiding.

In those who stayed does not cease to stay