أنكروها غَوايةً من رشيد

أنكروها غَوايةً من رشيد

فغَدوا يهتفون بالتفنيدِ

فغَدوا يهتفون بالتفنيدِ

They condemned it as folly from a man of sound judgment,

They condemned it as folly in a wise man,

They denied her as an error from the righteous one

then went about clamoring in denunciation.

so they began clamoring in reproach.

So they began to proclaim the denial

ولقد صيِّر الوفاء من الغد

ولقد صيِّر الوفاء من الغد

رِ فكان الوفاءُ غدرَ الجودِ

رِ فكان الوفاءُ غدرَ الجودِ

Indeed, loyalty has been fashioned out of treach-

Indeed, loyalty was reckoned a kind of

And loyalty was certainly made from tomorrow

ery, until loyalty became generosity betrayed.

treachery; thus loyalty became a betrayal of generosity.

So loyalty became the betrayal of generosity

أيُّها المرتقي إلى ذِروة ال

أيُّها المرتقي إلى ذِروة ال

مَجد بعزمٍ مستفرغ المجهودِ

مَجد بعزمٍ مستفرغ المجهودِ

O you who ascend toward the summit of glo-

O you who ascend to the summit of

O you who climbed to the peak of glory

ry, with a resolve exerting its utmost effort,

glory, with resolve that expends the utmost effort,

With determined effort that exhausted the effort

قف فلم يبقَ من يُماريك فيها

قف فلم يبقَ من يُماريك فيها

حصل الصاعدون تحت الصعيدِ

حصل الصاعدون تحت الصعيدِ

halt—for no one remains to rival you there;

halt, for none remains to contend with you there:

Stop, for none remains to rival you in it

all who sought to climb now lie beneath the earth.

the climbers have ended up beneath the earth.

The climbers have reached below the ground

وتَماديتَ في العلوِّ ارتفاعاً

وتَماديتَ في العلوِّ ارتفاعاً

فادنُ منا تنلك أيدي القصيدِ

فادنُ منا تنلك أيدي القصيدِ

You have persisted in soaring ever higher;

And you kept rising ever higher;

And you persisted in the elevation of the height

draw near to us, that the hands of verse may reach you.

so draw near us, that the hands of verse may reach you.

So come closer to us, you will attain the hands of the poem

قال قومٌ بالعلم فيك وقومٌ

قال قومٌ بالعلم فيك وقومٌ

تبِعوهم في القول بالتقليدِ

تبِعوهم في القول بالتقليدِ

Some spoke of you from knowledge, while others

Some spoke of you with knowledge, and others

A people said about you in knowledge, and a people

followed them in what they said, merely imitating.

followed them in their words through imitation.

Followed them in words by imitation

يشهد الناسُ بعضهم عند بعضٍ

يشهد الناسُ بعضهم عند بعضٍ

كلّ يومٍ بفضلكَ المشهودِ

كلّ يومٍ بفضلكَ المشهودِ

People testify before one another

People bear witness before one another

People testify to each other every day

each day to your well-attested excellence.

every day to your well-attested excellence.

About your evident virtue

ولقد كان في المكارم قومٌ

ولقد كان في المكارم قومٌ

أخذوها بيضاً وجاؤا بسودِ

أخذوها بيضاً وجاؤا بسودِ

There were indeed some among the people of noble deeds

Indeed, there were people engaged in noble deeds,

And there were indeed some people in generosity

who received them white, yet came bearing black deeds.

who took them white and came bearing black ones,

Who took it white and brought it black

بعد ثقلٍ تحمَّلوهُ لكي تع

بعد ثقلٍ تحمَّلوهُ لكي تع

مُرَ أبوابُهم بوفد الوفودِ

مُرَ أبوابُهم بوفد الوفودِ

After shouldering a heavy burden, so that throngs might fre-

after a burden they bore, so that

After bearing a heavy burden so that

quent their doors—with the delegation of delegations.

their doorways might be thronged with arriving delegations.

Their doors may be frequented by the delegations of delegations