تهْvaunt yourself علىabove النجمthe star والمحلand the station الأثيرِthe exalted
تهْ على النجم والمحل الأثيرِ
فلقدfor indeed حزتَyou attained كلall خيرٍgoodness وخيرِand nobility
فلقد حزتَ كل خيرٍ وخيرِ
Exult above the star and the exalted station!
You rise above the stars and the eternal spheres,
For you have gained all goodness and nobility.
For you have attained all good and goodness,
ونظمتَand you strung together العلياءَhigh honors وهيwhile it was بديداscattered (start)
ونظمتَ العلياءَ وهي بديدا
تٌplural ending of 'scattered' كنظمِlike the stringing of الأيامِthe days عقدَthe necklace of الشهورthe months
تٌ كنظمِ الأيامِ عقدَ الشهور
And you strung high honors together, though they lay scattered,
And you have composed the most sublime verses,
as the days string the necklace of months.
Like the composition of days in a necklace of months.
لوif تطيقُcould manage النجومthe stars زارتكwould visit you والـand the
لو تطيقُ النجوم زارتك والـ
ـمزنُrain clouds لجادتwould surely give freely باللؤلؤwith pearls المنثورscattered
ـمزنُ لجادت باللؤلؤ المنثور
Had the stars the power, they would visit you; and the
If only the stars could bear it, they would visit you,
rain clouds would lavish scattered pearls.
And the rain clouds would give freely scattered pearls,
ولسارتand would journey إلىto ذراكyour heights بلادthe lands of الأرthe earth (start)
ولسارت إلى ذراك بلاد الأر
ضearth (end) شوقاًin longing لولاwere it not for امتناعُthe impossibility of المسيرtravel
ض شوقاً لولا امتناعُ المسير
And the lands of the earth would journey to your heights,
The lands of earth would journey to your abode,
in longing, were travel not impossible.
Yearning, were it not for the inability to voyage.
ماwhat الذيis it that تدَّعيclaim أعاديهhis enemies فيin النـthe assembly (start)
ما الذي تدَّعي أعاديه في النـ
ـاديassembly (end) وعندand at الندىgenerosity ويومand on the day of الزئيرroaring
ـادي وعند الندى ويوم الزئير
What is it his enemies claim in the assembly,
What do your enemies claim in the dwellings,
when gifts are given, and on the day of roaring?
At the meadows, and on the day of wailing?
حسنهhis beauty فيin العيونthe eyes أمor رفدهُhis gifts الجزلُlavish
حسنه في العيون أم رفدهُ الجزلُ
فيin الأيديthe hands أمor خوفهُfear of him فيin الصدورthe breasts
في الأيدي أم خوفهُ في الصدور
His beauty in the eyes, or his lavish gifts
Is it your beauty in their eyes, your bounty at hand,
in the hands, or fear of him in the breasts?
Or your awe implanted in their hearts?
كلevery يومٍday يومُthe day of الحمامdeath إذاwhen
كل يومٍ يومُ الحمام إذا
يسطوhe strikes فإنbut if جادhe gives generously فهوthen it is يومthe day of النشورresurrection
يسطو فإن جاد فهو يوم النشور
Every day is the day of death when
Each day is the day of doves taking wing,
he strikes; but if he gives, it is the day of resurrection.
Giving freely - it is the day of resurrection,
ياO مجيبanswerer of الداعيthe caller وياand O خاذلthwarter of
يا مجيب الداعي ويا خاذل
العاديthe assailant وفكَّand freeing العانيthe captive وجبرand mending الكسيرthe broken one
العادي وفكَّ العاني وجبر الكسير
O answerer of the caller, O thwarter of
O answerer of supplication and frustrator of enemies,
the assailant, freer of the captive and mender of the broken!
Reliever of distress and mender of rifts!
لكyours is رأيٌjudgment لوif ادَّعاهhe claimed it قصيرٌQasir
لك رأيٌ لو ادَّعاه قصيرٌ
رامhe would seek نيلto reach السهىal-Suha بباعٍwith an arm-span قصيرshort
رام نيل السهى بباعٍ قصير
Yours is a judgment that, had Qasir claimed it,
You have wisdom - were it claimed by an insignificant man
he would have sought to reach al-Suha with a short arm-span.
Seeking to attain glory by meager means -
وابتسامand a smile حيثwhere السيوفthe swords بواكٍweeping
وابتسام حيث السيوف بواكٍ
ونسورand the hoof-frogs of الجيادthe steeds فوقabove النسورthe vultures
ونسور الجياد فوق النسور
And yours is a smile where swords are weeping,
Smiling amidst swords by tears,
and the steeds' hoof-frogs are above the vultures.
And hawks above hawks.
والغبارand the dust المثارstirred up فيin وضحthe brightness of الصـthe morning (start)
والغبار المثار في وضح الصـ
ـبحmorning (end) كمسكٍlike musk يفتُّis crumbled فيin كافورcamphor
ـبح كمسكٍ يفتُّ في كافور
And the dust stirred up in the brightness of morning
The dust swirling at dawn is like musk
is like musk crumbled into camphor.
Opened and dispersed in camphor,
كسبتgained ظلمةthe darkness of الزمانthe age بأياthrough days (start)
كسبت ظلمة الزمان بأيا
مكyour days (end) نوراًa light سماrose علىabove كلّevery نورlight
مك نوراً سما على كلّ نور
The darkness of the age gained, through your days,
You have illuminated the darkness of time,
a light that rose above every light.
With a light that glowed above all lights.
واللَّمىand the lips' dark hue لمnot تكنwould be لتحمدهto praise it الألـthe tongues (start)
واللَّمى لم تكن لتحمده الألـ
ـسنُtongues (end) جمعاًall together لولاwere it not for بياضthe whiteness of الثغورthe teeth
ـسنُ جمعاً لولا بياض الثغور
And the dusky hue of lips would not be praised by tongues,
Beauty would not have praised you unanimously,
all together, but for the whiteness of teeth.
Were it not for the whiteness of your front teeth,
وبياضand the whiteness of الوجوهِthe faces ماnot زالceased يستحـis admired (start)
وبياض الوجوهِ ما زال يستحـ
ـسنُis admired (end) منfor أجلهits sake سوادُthe blackness of الشعورthe hair
ـسنُ من أجله سوادُ الشعور
And the whiteness of faces—still held beautiful
And the whiteness of your face is still enhanced
for its sake is the blackness of hair.
By the blackness of your hair.
لوif يباريكrivals you عدَّwould be counted فيin المجدglory والسؤand lordship (start)
لو يباريك عدَّ في المجد والسؤ
ددlordship (end) أهلthe people of القصورpalaces أهلthe people of القصورshortcoming
دد أهل القصور أهل القصور
Were they to rival you, in glory and lordship,
If the palace folk competed with you in glory and joy,
palace-dwellers would be counted among those who fall short.
The palace folk would be outdone.
صغرتbecame small عندكbeside you الهداياthe gifts الجليـmagnificent (start)
صغرت عندك الهدايا الجليـ
ـلاتُmagnificent (end) فملناso we turned إلىtoward اليسيرthe little الحقيرthe lowly
ـلاتُ فملنا إلى اليسير الحقير
Even magnificent gifts seem small beside you,
Grand gifts seem paltry to you,
so we turned to the little and lowly.
We are inclined to the insignificant and petty,
وكذاكand likewise الذُّبالlamp-wicks يعشوseeks a guiding light لهtoward it السـthe night-traveler (start)
وكذاك الذُّبال يعشو له السـ
ـاريnight-traveler (end) إذاwhen فاتهeludes him ضياءthe radiance of البدورthe full moons
ـاري إذا فاته ضياء البدور
Likewise, the night-traveler seeks the glow of wicks,
Just as the moth lives for the lantern,
when the radiance of full moons eludes him.
When it misses the glow of lightning.
ولوand even if أنيthat I بعثتُsent نحوكtoward you بالدنياwith the world
ولو أني بعثتُ نحوك بالدنيا
لكانتit would be كقطرةlike a drop فيin البحورthe seas
لكانت كقطرة في البحور
And even if I sent the world to you,
If I were to send the world itself to you,
it would be like a drop in the seas.
It would be but a drop in the sea.
رقتَyou were gentle صفحاًin pardon ورعتand you struck terror حداًin sharpness
رقتَ صفحاً ورعت حداً
فماso how أشبهكَlike you are الآنnow بالحسامto the keen sword الشهيرunsheathed
فما أشبهكَ الآن بالحسام الشهير
Gentle in pardon, you strike terror with your edge;
You have forgiven fully and shown piety,
how like an unsheathed sword you are now!
Now you are like the famed swift sword,
وتساويand are equal بكthrough you الورىhumankind فقويٌso the strong
وتساوي بك الورى فقويٌ
كضعيفٍlike the weak وموسرand the wealthy كفقيرlike the poor
كضعيفٍ وموسر كفقير
And through you all people are equal: the strong
The creation equals you - the strong like the weak, the rich like the poor,
are as the weak, and the wealthy as the poor.
You have, in your two states, the justice of fate,
لكyours is فيin حالتيكyour two states عدلjustice قضاءِof judgment
لك في حالتيك عدل قضاءِ
واجبٌobligatory عندهbefore it قضاءfulfillment of النذورvows
واجبٌ عنده قضاء النذور
In both your states, yours is a just judgment,
A duty with which prayers are fulfilled.
before which the fulfillment of vows is a duty.
No army has harmed a city where you reside,
لمnot يضرْharms بلدةًa town تكونyou are بهاin it فقـloss (start)
لم يضرْ بلدةً تكون بها فقـ
ـدانُloss (end) جيشٍan army ولاnor تهدُّمcollapse of سورa wall
ـدانُ جيشٍ ولا تهدُّم سور
A town where you dwell is not harmed by the loss
Nor a wall been demolished.
of an army, nor by the collapse of a wall.
Its night is like the Night of Power,
ليلهاits night مثلُlike ليلةthe Night of القدرDecree
ليلها مثلُ ليلة القدر
والأيامand the days أيامdays of غبطةٍbliss وحبورand joy
والأيام أيام غبطةٍ وحبور
Its night is like the Night of Decree,
Its days are days of bliss and joy.
and its days are days of bliss and joy.
Do you see your white battleships? They thought
أترىdo you think بيضكyour white swords القواضبthe cleaving ones ظنَّتsupposed
أترى بيضك القواضب ظنَّت
سدclosing ثلمٍbreaches in الثغورthe frontier defenses لثمkissing ثغورmouths
سد ثلمٍ الثغور لثم ثغور
Do you think your white, cleaving swords mistook
To mend a breach, but breached a breach.
closing breaches in frontier defenses for kissing mouths?
Or did they think the spears were the reddish poles
أمor حسبنthey thought الرماحَthe spears سمرtawny قدودٍforms
أم حسبن الرماحَ سمر قدودٍ
رقصتdanced والدّماءَand the blood مثلlike الخمورwine
رقصت والدّماءَ مثل الخمور
Or did they deem the spears tawny forms
Of tents, swaying, and the blood like wine?
that danced, and the blood like wine?
So they came in their haste trembling,
فأتتso they came فيin جفوهاtheir sheaths (apparently intended) راجفاتٍtrembling
فأتت في جفوها راجفاتٍ
مثلlike أحشاءthe entrails of عاشقٍa lover مهجورforsaken
مثل أحشاء عاشقٍ مهجور
So they came trembling in their sheaths,
Like the heart of an abandoned lover,
like the entrails of a forsaken lover.
Scattering inspiration about you, composing praise,
تنثرُthey scatter الهامَheads فيكfor you أوor تنظمstring together الحمـpraise (start)
تنثرُ الهامَ فيك أو تنظم الحمـ
ـدpraise (end) فخلso leave them فيto تنظيمهاtheir stringing والنثيرand scattering
ـد فخل في تنظيمها والنثير
They scatter heads for you, or string together praise;
Then excuse my composition and scattering.
so leave them to their stringing and scattering.
So welcome the little, extend the pardon,
فأقبلso accept النزرthe little وابسطand extend العذرthe pardon وأغـand win (start)
فأقبل النزر وابسط العذر وأغـ
ـنمwin (end) فيهماthrough both of them مدحةthe praise of المحبّthe loving admirer الشكورgrateful
ـنم فيهما مدحة المحبّ الشكور
So accept the little, grant ample pardon, and win
And thereby enrich the poem of the grateful admirer.
through both the praise of a loving, grateful admirer.
Partial English translation: 55 of 56 Arabic lines translated.