عذيري من هم ابيت احاربه

عذيري من هم ابيت احاربه

وحيداً سوى عزم تسل قواضبه

وحيداً سوى عزم تسل قواضبه

Who will defend me against a care I battle all night,

My excuse to those I spent the night fighting,

alone, save for resolve whose keen blades are drawn?

Alone except for determination that smoothed its paths,

وماذا عسى ان يبلغ الضرب ساعدي

وماذا عسى ان يبلغ الضرب ساعدي

بلا مسعد والخصم تردي كتائبه

بلا مسعد والخصم تردي كتائبه

And how far can my arm strike,

And what can my arm's blow avail

without a helper, while the enemy's battalions charge?

Without support, while the enemy marshalls its troops?

كأن الدراري الزاهرات اسنة

كأن الدراري الزاهرات اسنة

لوامع في ليل تخب مقانبه

لوامع في ليل تخب مقانبه

As though the radiant stars were spearheads,

As if the blooming fortresses were flames,

gleaming in a night whose cavalry squadrons trot.

Gleaming in a night that conceals its features,

كأن سواد الليل صبغة غادر

كأن سواد الليل صبغة غادر

بعهد وداد من خليل يصاحبه

بعهد وداد من خليل يصاحبه

As though night's blackness were the stain of one faithless

As if the night's darkness was a treacherous dye

to a bond of affection from a friend who accompanies him.

With the fidelity of an intimate friend accompanying it,

كأن نجوم الأفق اخلاق ماجد

كأن نجوم الأفق اخلاق ماجد

سري من الفتيان زهر مناقبه

سري من الفتيان زهر مناقبه

As though the horizon's stars were a noble man's virtues,

As if the horizon's stars were the ethics of a glorious one,

a generous youth whose merits are radiant.

A secret of the youths, blossoms of his virtues,

كأن الثريا كف ابلج باسط

كأن الثريا كف ابلج باسط

إلى الوفد كفاً تستهل سواكبه

إلى الوفد كفاً تستهل سواكبه

As though the Pleiades were the hand of a bright-faced man extending

As if Aldebaran stretched out a palm as white as hailstones

a palm to the visitors, his showers pouring forth.

To the delegation, a palm that welcomes planets,

كأن سهيلا خافقاً متوقداً

كأن سهيلا خافقاً متوقداً

حشا عاشق بالوجد تذكو لواهبه

حشا عاشق بالوجد تذكو لواهبه

As though Suhayl, flickering and aflame,

As if Sirius ardently flickered,

were a lover's breast, its flames blazing with longing.

A lover's passion kindled by desire igniting it,

كأن السها اختار الخمول لعلمه

كأن السها اختار الخمول لعلمه

بأن نبيه الذكر جم متاعبه

بأن نبيه الذكر جم متاعبه

As though al-Suha chose obscurity, knowing

As if Suhail preferred laziness knowing

that a man of renown has many troubles.

That its reminder grieved the eminent Prophet,

وقد شمخ العيوق كبرا بانفه

وقد شمخ العيوق كبرا بانفه

فقل سناه عندما ازورّ جانبه

فقل سناه عندما ازورّ جانبه

And al-Ayyuq has raised its nose in pride,

And the old camel knelt with age in its knees,

so its radiance waned when it turned aside.

Saying its youth goodbye when I visited its side,

ارى القطب حرا في الكواكب ثابتاً

ارى القطب حرا في الكواكب ثابتاً

على مبدء تسمو سموا مراتبه

على مبدء تسمو سموا مراتبه

I see the Pole Star, a free soul among the stars, steadfast

I see the Pole fixed among the planets,

in principle, its ranks rising ever higher.

At the highest rank, lofty in its steps,

ولعت بهذا الليل اكلأ نجمه

ولعت بهذا الليل اكلأ نجمه

وارقبه والنجم عان مراقبه

وارقبه والنجم عان مراقبه

I am enamored of this night, keeping vigil over its star,

I fell for this night, tending each of its stars,

and I watch it, while the star's watcher is a captive.

Watching over it while the stars kept watch over me,

ولو لم يكن هم لأدراك شأوه

ولو لم يكن هم لأدراك شأوه

لما بت ارعى سيره واصاحبه

لما بت ارعى سيره واصاحبه

Were I not intent on attaining its height,

Had it not been for the anxiety to discover its glory,

I would not spend the night watching its course and keeping it company.

I would not have kept pace with it or accompanied it,

يقولون لي كم تركب الهول مقدماص

يقولون لي كم تركب الهول مقدماص

على الأمر لم تؤمن عليك عواقبه

على الأمر لم تؤمن عليك عواقبه

They say to me: How often you ride into terror, embarking

They say why do you confront horrors head on

on a venture whose consequences for you are uncertain!

Without believing its consequences will afflict you?

فقلت لهم كم يدرك الحتف وادعاً

فقلت لهم كم يدرك الحتف وادعاً

بخفض وقد ينجو من الحتف راكبه

بخفض وقد ينجو من الحتف راكبه

I said to them: How often death overtakes one at ease,

I said to them how can one meet doom serenely

in comfort, while one who rides into it may escape death!

While survival may come to the one who confronts it?

ويحيى بعز من يخوض غمارها

ويحيى بعز من يخوض غمارها

فذاك الذي تصفو وتحلو مشاربه

فذاك الذي تصفو وتحلو مشاربه

And he who plunges into its depths lives in honor;

And one with might lives through its perils,

he is the one whose draughts are clear and sweet.

That is the one whose paths are smooth and gentle,

وما سولت نفس الجبان فباطل

وما سولت نفس الجبان فباطل

تسول ان سدت عليه مذاهبه

تسول ان سدت عليه مذاهبه

Whatever the coward's soul suggests is false—

While the coward's soul suggests in vain,

it beguiles him if his paths are barred.

When its courses are blocked against it,

ويحمل مني الخطب والله عدتي

ويحمل مني الخطب والله عدتي

فتى لا تبالي بالخطوب مناكبه

فتى لا تبالي بالخطوب مناكبه

And I bear calamity—God is my strength—

Burdens of war I carry, and God as my witness,

a youth whose shoulders do not flinch at hardships.

A lad heedless of war's calamities on its roads,

وما ذل مني جانب لملمة

وما ذل مني جانب لملمة

إذا نزلت بالطود ذلت جوانبه

إذا نزلت بالطود ذلت جوانبه

No part of me has bowed to a calamity

No cowardice has lessened my fervor

that, befalling a mountain, would humble its flanks.

When I descended on the enemy, humbling their flanks,

وما الحر الا كالنضار وانما

وما الحر الا كالنضار وانما

تهذب في حر اللهيب شوائبه

تهذب في حر اللهيب شوائبه

A free man is just like pure gold; only

True heat is like mirror glass, and only

in the heat of flame are his impurities purged.

In the fire’s blaze are its impurities refined,

افدت من الأيام رأياً وحكمة

افدت من الأيام رأياً وحكمة

ومن ائبات الدهر تأتي رغائبه

ومن ائبات الدهر تأتي رغائبه

From the days I have gained judgment and wisdom,

From the days I have gleaned counsel and wisdom,

and from time's calamities come its cherished gifts.

And from time's tribulations come its inclinations,

إذا محكمات الرأي شاقتك فاتبع

إذا محكمات الرأي شاقتك فاتبع

هدى اشيب قد حنكته تجاربه

هدى اشيب قد حنكته تجاربه

If sound judgment draws you, follow

If the certain counsels burden you, then follow

the guidance of a gray-haired man seasoned by his experience.

The guidance of one aged whom experience has seasoned,

اراعك من شيبي سنا البرق في الدجى

اراعك من شيبي سنا البرق في الدجى

فما لشبابي لم ترعك غياهبه

فما لشبابي لم ترعك غياهبه

Has my gray hair's lightning-flash in the darkness startled you?

My white hair frightened you in the darkness,

Then why did the darkness of my youth not startle you?

While my youth, its darkness did not alarm you,

رقيت إلى أوج البهاء وهذه

رقيت إلى أوج البهاء وهذه

بقودي يا شمس الجمال كواكبه

بقودي يا شمس الجمال كواكبه

I have risen to the zenith of splendor, and these

I have ascended to the peak of glory, and these

at my temples, O sun of beauty, are its stars.

Are my planets, O sun of beauty, lit by my fire,

الفت مشيبي والخضاب خلابة

الفت مشيبي والخضاب خلابة

ومن حق الفي انني لا اخالبه

ومن حق الفي انني لا اخالبه

I have befriended my gray hair; dye is deceit,

My white hair and dyed locks are adornments,

and my companion has the right that I not deceive him.

And it is my right to have no qualms about them,

أكذب نفسي وهي جد عليمة

أكذب نفسي وهي جد عليمة

بأمري فما شأن البياض وخاضبه

بأمري فما شأن البياض وخاضبه

Would I deceive myself, when it knows so well

I lie to myself though it knows well

my condition? What business has white hair with its dyer?

My condition, so why complain of white and blackened hair?

وللدهر اطوار فبينا تسرنا

وللدهر اطوار فبينا تسرنا

بشائره عادت تسود نوادبه

بشائره عادت تسود نوادبه

Time has its changing phases: even as we are gladdened

Time has its phases, and while we delighted

by its good tidings, its mourners hold sway again.

In its tidings, its misfortunes returned,

ونهج المعالي واضح غير انه

ونهج المعالي واضح غير انه

مهيب ولم يبلغ من الفوز راكبه

مهيب ولم يبلغ من الفوز راكبه

The road to noble heights is clear, yet

The path to glory is obvious, except

it is daunting, and its rider has yet to attain success.

It is formidable, with none reaching it by riding,

أخذنا إلى المجد الأثيل سبيله

أخذنا إلى المجد الأثيل سبيله

فذلت لنا من بعد لأي مصاعبه

فذلت لنا من بعد لأي مصاعبه

We took its path toward deep-rooted glory,

We have taken the eternal glory's path,

and after toil its difficulties yielded to us.

And after, its challenges subsided before us,

ضربنا بسيف الحق من رد حكمه

ضربنا بسيف الحق من رد حكمه

وذلك سيف لا تفل مضاربه

وذلك سيف لا تفل مضاربه

We struck with the sword of right whoever rejected its judgment,

With the sword of truth we struck those who rejected its rule,

a sword whose cutting edges are never blunted.

A blade whose strikes never fail,

ارى الحق اقوى كل شيء وانما

ارى الحق اقوى كل شيء وانما

يعود ضعيفاً حين يضعف صاحبه

يعود ضعيفاً حين يضعف صاحبه

I see right as stronger than everything; it only

I see truth mightier than all things, but

becomes weak when its champion weakens.

It weakens when its people are frail,

على السيف ان يفري الضريبة ماضياً

على السيف ان يفري الضريبة ماضياً

وليس عليه ان يقصر ضاربه

وليس عليه ان يقصر ضاربه

The sword must cleave its target, keen-edged;

The sword must charge the enemy undaunted,

and it is not to blame if its wielder falls short.

Not held back because its wielder is timid,

إلى العز يا شعب العراق إلى العلى

إلى العز يا شعب العراق إلى العلى

إلى المجد تبدو شهبه وثواقبه

إلى المجد تبدو شهبه وثواقبه

To honor, O people of Iraq, to the heights!

To glory, O people of Iraq, to the sublime,

To glory, whose meteors and piercing stars shine forth!

To triumph, its meteors and planets shine,

إذا عضد الحق اتفاق تطلعت

إذا عضد الحق اتفاق تطلعت

لمن يبتغيه بالنجاح مطالبه

لمن يبتغيه بالنجاح مطالبه

When unity upholds right, there rise

If truth is reinforced by accord,

before its seeker his aims, promising success.

Its seekers’ hopes of success are revealed,

ويخضع للشعب القوي ارادة

ويخضع للشعب القوي ارادة

عدو يناويه وقرن يغالبه

عدو يناويه وقرن يغالبه

And to a people strong in will submit

And the strong people’s will prevails

the enemy who opposes them and the rival who contends with them.

Over the enemy plotting against it and resisting it,

وما لمبادي ولسن من ضمانة

وما لمبادي ولسن من ضمانة

لمتكل لا تستقل مآربه

لمتكل لا تستقل مآربه

And Wilson's principles offer no guarantee

My principles and unsheathed blade lack no defenses

to one dependent on others, unable to achieve his aims alone.

Against one whose schemes are not independent,

نريد وفاء بالعهود وإنما

نريد وفاء بالعهود وإنما

هي الرقم فوق الماء يعبث كاتبه

هي الرقم فوق الماء يعبث كاتبه

We want the pledges honored, yet

We want loyalty to covenants, which are only

they are writing on water, their writer idly playing.

Numbers on water the writer toys with,

أحب من الفتيان أروع ماجداً

أحب من الفتيان أروع ماجداً

عفيفاً شريف النفس تزكو ضرائبه

عفيفاً شريف النفس تزكو ضرائبه

Among young men, I love one splendid and noble,

Of the youth I love best the most valiant,

chaste, noble of soul, his innate traits pure.

Chaste, noble soul, his virtues proven,

إذا كان هم المكثرين اكتسابهم

إذا كان هم المكثرين اكتسابهم

فان المعالي همه ومكاسبه

فان المعالي همه ومكاسبه

When the wealthy are concerned with their gains,

If the pursuit of most is their gain,

noble achievements are his concern and his gains.

Then the lofty pursuit is glory and its spoils,

ويؤثر بالأخلاص صالح قومه

ويؤثر بالأخلاص صالح قومه

على النفس علماً ان ذلك واجبه

على النفس علماً ان ذلك واجبه

And with devotion he puts his people's welfare

And he prefers sincerely his people’s well-being

before himself, knowing that this is his duty.

Over himself, knowing this is his duty,

وللوطن المحبوب يبذل واهباً

وللوطن المحبوب يبذل واهباً

نفائس ما جادت عليه مواهبه

نفائس ما جادت عليه مواهبه

And to his beloved homeland he freely gives

And for the beloved nation he freely gives,

the treasures his talents have bestowed upon him.

The finest his talents have yielded,