حقُّ الأديب لازمٌ لذي الكرَمْ

حقُّ الأديب لازمٌ لذي الكرَمْ

فإن تناسى حقَّه فقد ظلَمْ

فإن تناسى حقَّه فقد ظلَمْ

The man of letters' due is binding on the generous.

The right of the literary man is owed to the generous

So if he feigns forgetting his due, he has done wrong.

If he forgets his right then he has wronged

أما رآه لم يزل أعنَى الخَدمْ

أما رآه لم يزل أعنَى الخَدمْ

بالأدبِ الشعريِّ طوراً والحِكمْ

بالأدبِ الشعريِّ طوراً والحِكمْ

Has he not seen him always the most toil-worn of servants,

Has he not seen that he continues to serve

In poetic learning at times, and in wise sayings,

With literary knowledge, wisdom, and poetry

مستملياً من عَرَب ومن عجمْ

مستملياً من عَرَب ومن عجمْ

مُنحرِفاً عن كلّ كسبٍ يُغتنمْ

مُنحرِفاً عن كلّ كسبٍ يُغتنمْ

Seeking dictation from Arabs and non-Arabs,

Deriving from Arabs and non-Arabs alike

Turning away from every gain that could be seized?

Deviating from any profitable pursuit

حتَّى إذا ما قام في شخصٍ عَمَمْ

حتَّى إذا ما قام في شخصٍ عَمَمْ

من أدبٍ ذي قيمةٍ تعلو القيمْ

من أدبٍ ذي قيمةٍ تعلو القيمْ

Until, when in a man of full stature there arose

Until when one endowed with valued literature arises

Learning of a worth surpassing every other worth,

With wisdom surpassing all values

باتَ الخليُّ نائماً ولم ينمْ

باتَ الخليُّ نائماً ولم ينمْ

فتّاق أرتاقٍ وغوَّاصَ حُوَمْ

فتّاق أرتاقٍ وغوَّاصَ حُوَمْ

The carefree man spent the night asleep, while he did not sleep—

The unwise remains asleep and does not sleep

A splitter of closed seams, a diver into deep waters.

A digger and diver into worries and sorrows

بل بات يمري فكره تحت الظُّلمْ

بل بات يمري فكره تحت الظُّلمْ

مريَ أنوف البهم أطراف الحُلَمْ

مريَ أنوف البهم أطراف الحُلَمْ

Rather, he spent the night milking his thought beneath the darkness,

Rather he spends the night with thoughts in darkness

As lambs' noses coax milk from the tips of teats,

The thoughts of the perplexed, the edges of dreams

بمِدَحٍ أحسن من نشر الرممْ

بمِدَحٍ أحسن من نشر الرممْ

أو من شباب ناشئ بعد هرمْ

أو من شباب ناشئ بعد هرمْ

With praises lovelier than reviving mouldering bones,

With praise better than the diffusion of defects

Or than youth springing up after old age,

Or the rise of youth after old age

أو من شفاء طاردٍ ضيفَ سقمْ

أو من شفاء طاردٍ ضيفَ سقمْ

أو نعمٍ ملبوسة بعد نقمْ

أو نعمٍ ملبوسة بعد نقمْ

Or than healing that drives out sickness, that guest,

Or the healing that dispels the guest of illness

Or blessings donned after afflictions,

Or blessings worn after curses

أو من ثغورٍ واضحات تبتسمْ

أو من ثغورٍ واضحات تبتسمْ

أو من صدور كاعبات تُلتزَمْ

أو من صدور كاعبات تُلتزَمْ

Or than radiant mouths that smile,

Or from blossoming borders that smile

Or than the bosoms of budding maidens clasped in embrace,

Or from disciplined chests that are restricted

أو من ثُدِيّ ناهداتٍ تُستَلمْ

أو من ثُدِيّ ناهداتٍ تُستَلمْ

أو من تناغي النَّقرات والنغمْ

أو من تناغي النَّقرات والنغمْ

Or than swelling breasts that are touched,

Or from supple breasts that are received

Or than the interplay of plucked notes and melodies,

Or from the melody of starlings and tunes

بين رياض أقلعتْ عنها دِيَمْ

بين رياض أقلعتْ عنها دِيَمْ

وأعقبتْها بعدها عُقبى رَهَمْ

وأعقبتْها بعدها عُقبى رَهَمْ

Among gardens from which steady rains had withdrawn,

Among gardens that have abandoned rain

And afterward a succession of gentle showers followed them.

And were succeeded after it by torrents of desolation

أَرضعَ فيها الغيثُ شتّى ونظمْ

أَرضعَ فيها الغيثُ شتّى ونظمْ

بكى على عابسها حتى ابتسمْ

بكى على عابسها حتى ابتسمْ

There the rain suckled scattered growth and strung it together;

In which the rain nursed various compositions and rhythms

It wept upon their frowning face until it smiled,

He cried over its frown until it smiled

ذو غُمة ضامنةٍ كشفَ الغُممْ

ذو غُمة ضامنةٍ كشفَ الغُممْ

مُتَّصل الإيماض رجَّاس الهزمْ

مُتَّصل الإيماض رجَّاس الهزمْ

Bearing cloud-gloom that promised to dispel sorrows,

The frown guaranteed to uncover the frowns

Ceaseless in flashing, roaring in thunder.

Continuous winking, energetic in defeat

قصائد نُظمْن كالدُّر التُّوَمْ

قصائد نُظمْن كالدُّر التُّوَمْ

مثلَ التلاقي واقعاً بعد الندمْ

مثلَ التلاقي واقعاً بعد الندمْ

Poems strung like paired pearls,

Poems composed like precious pearls

Like reunion coming after regret,

As true as reconciliation after regret

أو من هُدوّ بعد إقلاقٍ ألمّْ

أو من هُدوّ بعد إقلاقٍ ألمّْ

كأنها من كلّ قلبٍ تُنتظمْ

كأنها من كلّ قلبٍ تُنتظمْ

Or than calm after a distress that had struck,

Or like guidance after disturbing adversity

As though they were strung from every heart;

As if it were the heart's compositions

يخْترمُ الدهر وليست تُختَرمْ

يخْترمُ الدهر وليست تُختَرمْ

ألَّفها ذو طَبن وذو فَهَمْ

ألَّفها ذو طَبن وذو فَهَمْ

Time destroys, yet they are not destroyed.

It defeats time and is not defeated

Their composer possessed discernment and understanding,

Composed by one of insight and wisdom

وسُهمة في الفكر ليست كالسُّهَمْ

وسُهمة في الفكر ليست كالسُّهَمْ

مُؤتَمنٌ في علمه لامتّهمْ

مُؤتَمنٌ في علمه لامتّهمْ

And a share in thought unlike other shares;

With an acumen in thought unlike arrows

Trusted in his knowledge, not under suspicion,

Trustworthy in his knowledge, not accused

يُلقَى إليه سَلَمٌ بعد سلمْ

يُلقَى إليه سَلَمٌ بعد سلمْ

مُعوّلاً على كريم ذي نعمْ

مُعوّلاً على كريم ذي نعمْ

He is offered submission after submission,

Upon whom greetings of peace continue

Relying on a generous man rich in blessings,

Relying upon the generous one of bounty

متَّكلاً فيما بنى وما نظمْ

متَّكلاً فيما بنى وما نظمْ

وما رجا من الأُحاظي والقِسمْ

وما رجا من الأُحاظي والقِسمْ

Trusting, in what he built and what he composed,

Trusting in what he has built and composed

And in the good fortunes and allotted shares he hoped for,

And hoping for destiny’s fortunes and fate

على كريمِ حرب لا سلمِ نَغَمْ

على كريمِ حرب لا سلمِ نَغَمْ

مُستحسنِ الشاهد محمود الشّيمْ

مُستحسنِ الشاهد محمود الشّيمْ

On a noble man of war, not of peaceful song,

From the generous one whose war is not the tunes of passivity

Of pleasing appearance and praiseworthy character,

Appreciating the example, praised for his virtues

منخفضِ النظرة طمَّاحِ الهممْ

منخفضِ النظرة طمَّاحِ الهممْ

حلاَّه من جوهره الغالي القيمْ

حلاَّه من جوهره الغالي القيمْ

Humble in gaze, soaring in aspiration.

Lowering his gaze, ambitious in his aspirations

He adorned him with his own costly, precious jewels—

His adornment is from his precious essence

وهّابُ أمداحٍ لوهَّاب نعمْ

وهّابُ أمداحٍ لوهَّاب نعمْ

يأمُل أن ترعَى له تلك الحُرَمْ

يأمُل أن ترعَى له تلك الحُرَمْ

A lavish giver of praises to a lavish giver of blessings.

Bestower of praises to the Giver of bounty

He hopes those inviolable claims will be honored for him,

Hoping that those sanctuaries would care for him

وأن تثاب بالغنى منه القدمْ

وأن تثاب بالغنى منه القدمْ

ما حقُّ هذا دفعهُ إلى العدمْ

ما حقُّ هذا دفعهُ إلى العدمْ

And that his past service will be rewarded with wealth from him.

And that his feet would be rewarded with wealth

This man's due is not to be driven into destitution.

Is not this right to save him from nothingness?

حكَّمتُ فيه قاسماً نعم الحَكمْ

حكَّمتُ فيه قاسماً نعم الحَكمْ

بَخْبِخ لشمس الأوْج لا نارِ الظُّلمْ

بَخْبِخ لشمس الأوْج لا نارِ الظُّلمْ

I appointed Qasim arbiter in this—an excellent judge!

I judged him as an excellent judge

Hail the sun at its zenith, not the fire of darkness!

Searcher of the sun of glory, not the fire of injustice