أعاتب دهري أم لنفسي أعاتب

أعاتب دهري أم لنفسي أعاتب

وثوقي بمن قد لاحقته التجارب

وثوقي بمن قد لاحقته التجارب

Do I reproach my age, or do I reproach myself

Do I reproach my fate, or reproach myself

Shall I blame my fate or myself shall I blame

for trusting one whom experience has already exposed?

for trusting one whom trials have already overtaken?

And trust in one who trials have pursued

فكم صاحب أرجوه عند ملمة

فكم صاحب أرجوه عند ملمة

سداداً لها فازددن منه المصائب

سداداً لها فازددن منه المصائب

How many a friend I hoped, when calamity struck,

How many a friend I look to in calamity

How many a friend I hoped for at adversities

would set it right—only for the calamities to multiply through him.

as a remedy for it, only for misfortunes to multiply through him!

As a support, yet more troubles accrued

فما أكثر الأصحاب حين تعدّهم

فما أكثر الأصحاب حين تعدّهم

وما قلهم إن حاولتك النوائب

وما قلهم إن حاولتك النوائب

How numerous friends are when you count them,

How numerous friends are when you count them,

So many friends when you count them

and how few they are when adversities assail you.

and how few they are when calamities assail you!

Yet how few when calamities intrude

وكم صاحب أملته أن يعينني

وكم صاحب أملته أن يعينني

فكان كبرق لاح لي وهو خالب

فكان كبرق لاح لي وهو خالب

How many a friend I hoped would aid me,

And how many a friend I hoped would help me,

Many a friend I hoped would help me

but he was like a lightning flash that gleamed for me from a rainless cloud.

yet he was like lightning flashing before me that brought no rain.

Yet he was like a lightning that flashed and fled

رأيت سراباً لاح لي فطننته

رأيت سراباً لاح لي فطننته

شراباً وغرّتني الظنون الكواذب

شراباً وغرّتني الظنون الكواذب

I saw a mirage shimmering before me and thought it

I saw a mirage gleaming before me and thought it

I saw a mirage appear and knew

a drink, deceived by lying suppositions.

water to drink; false conjectures deceived me.

It was but phantom hopes that misled

وكم من فتى أرجو مواهب برّه

وكم من فتى أرجو مواهب برّه

وقد صار بالضدّ المواهب ناهب

وقد صار بالضدّ المواهب ناهب

How many a young man I looked to for the gifts of his kindness,

And how many a young man whose kindly gifts I hoped for,

Many a youth I hoped would grace me with kindness

only for him, by stark reversal, to become a plunderer of gifts:

yet, to the contrary, he became a plunderer of gifts.

Yet with harm he graced me instead

فدعوا بلا صدق ومنّ بلا عطا

فدعوا بلا صدق ومنّ بلا عطا

فخيب آمالي به وهو خائب

فخيب آمالي به وهو خائب

claims without truth, reminders of favors without giving—

So, claims without truth, and vaunted favors without giving—

With lies he promised, with stinginess he gave

he dashed my hopes in him, himself a failure.

he dashed my hopes in him, himself a failure.

So failed my hopes and himself misled

ويطمع فيما لا يكون نخاسة

ويطمع فيما لا يكون نخاسة

ويوعد وعدا وهو في الوعد كاذب

ويوعد وعدا وهو في الوعد كاذب

In his baseness, he covets what can never be,

And he offers hopes of what cannot be, with a slave-dealer's guile,

He hopes for what will never be, so vile his greed

and makes promises, though false to every promise.

and makes a promise, though he lies in his promise.

With words he promises, yet his word is dead

فاعدمه لا تجعله حيا فانه

فاعدمه لا تجعله حيا فانه

وان كان شخصاً حاضراً فهو غائب

وان كان شخصاً حاضراً فهو غائب

Count him as nothing; do not reckon him alive, for

So deem him nonexistent; do not count him alive, for

Erase him, let him not live, for he

though bodily present, he is absent.

even if he is bodily present, he is absent.

Though present in form, in spirit has fled

فلولا الجنا ما عزّ أصل لمغرس

فلولا الجنا ما عزّ أصل لمغرس

ولولا الرغائب ما سعى قط راغب

ولولا الرغائب ما سعى قط راغب

Were it not for the fruit, no planted root would be prized;

Were it not for fruit, no root would be prized by a planter,

Without Paradise, roots would not thrive

were it not for desired ends, no seeker would ever strive.

and without desirable things, no seeker would ever strive.

Without hopes, none would strive

فكلّ حسود لا يسود محققا

فكلّ حسود لا يسود محققا

وكلّ كفور كفرته المذاهب

وكلّ كفور كفرته المذاهب

No envious man truly attains supremacy,

So no envious man ever truly attains eminence,

Every envious one fails to rise high

and every ingrate stands condemned by all creeds.

and every ingrate is judged faithless by the creeds.

Their envy condemned by creeds

وقوم يروا أن النفاق رجالة

وقوم يروا أن النفاق رجالة

وأن الدها حذقا فبئس المكاسب

وأن الدها حذقا فبئس المكاسب

Some people deem hypocrisy manliness,

And some people deem hypocrisy manliness,

Some pride themselves on hypocrisy

and cunning intelligence—wretched gains indeed!

and cunning skill—what wretched gains!

And reckon guile as a skill, ill gains indeed

ألا سلب اللَه النعيم من امرئ

ألا سلب اللَه النعيم من امرئ

جحود لما قد أمطرته الرواحب

جحود لما قد أمطرته الرواحب

May God strip every man of bliss

May God indeed strip a man of bliss

Lo, God denied bliss to the ungrateful soul

who ungratefully denies what the bountiful ones have showered upon him.

who is ungrateful for what bountiful hands have showered down.

Though clouds rained favors as their needs

وكم أمطرت منا الأيادي أيادياً

وكم أمطرت منا الأيادي أيادياً

تزيد على ما أمطرته السحائب

تزيد على ما أمطرته السحائب

How often our generous hands have showered favors—

And how many favors our hands have showered down,

Our hands have rained more rains than clouds

more than the clouds have ever poured down.

surpassing what the clouds have rained!

With good and ill, deeds suit their seeds

فكلّ إناء بالذي فيه راشح

فكلّ إناء بالذي فيه راشح

بخير وشرّ في الفعال مناسب

بخير وشرّ في الفعال مناسب

Every vessel seeps what it contains,

For every vessel seeps what it contains,

Mankind is but two kinds: a loyal ally

whether good or evil, each expressed in fitting deeds.

good or evil, correspondingly reflected in deeds.

Who walks the right path, and one who recedes

فما الناس إلا اثنان إما موالف

فما الناس إلا اثنان إما موالف

يسير به حقاً وإما مجانب

يسير به حقاً وإما مجانب

People are only of two kinds: either a congenial friend

People are but two kinds: either a companion

Such is time, so bear patiently

who walks with one in truth, or one who keeps apart.

with whom one truly walks, or one who keeps apart.

Now overcoming, now being defeated

وما الدهر إلا هكذا فاصطبر له

وما الدهر إلا هكذا فاصطبر له

تغالبه حينا وحينا يغالب

تغالبه حينا وحينا يغالب

Such alone is the way of time, so endure it patiently:

And time is nothing but this, so endure it patiently:

Though time betrays me and vexes me too

at times you master it, and at times it masters you.

you struggle against it at times, and at times it struggles against you.

My spirit cannot be defeated

فاني وان خان الزمان وان كبا

فاني وان خان الزمان وان كبا

فلى همة تنحطّ عنها الثواقب

فلى همة تنحطّ عنها الثواقب

As for me, though the age betray and stumble,

For I—even if time betrays me, even if it stumbles—

Though clouds shrouded our dawn

I possess an aspiration beneath which even the piercing stars fall short.

have resolve so lofty that the piercing stars sink beneath it.

Yet the Chosen One made our end most sweet

وان شا بنا عند ابتدا الأمر شائب

وان شا بنا عند ابتدا الأمر شائب

فبالمصطفى قد حسنتنا العواقب

فبالمصطفى قد حسنتنا العواقب

And though some blemish marred us at the affair’s beginning,

And though a blemish marred us at the matter's outset,

With my zeal, not armies, am I esteemed

through the Chosen Prophet our final outcomes have turned fair.

yet through the Chosen One, the outcomes have favored us.

Fine are our merits made complete

فاني بجدّي لا بجندي معزّز

فاني بجدّي لا بجندي معزّز

لقد حسنت منا وفينا المناقب

لقد حسنت منا وفينا المناقب

For I am strengthened by my forefather, not by my troops;

For I am made mighty by my grandfather, not my army;

Tell our foes, our tongues are blades

noble virtues have flourished from us and among us.

indeed, noble virtues have flourished from us and within us.

To those who warred, yet we sheathed our swords discreet

فقل لأعادينا بأنا أسنة

فقل لأعادينا بأنا أسنة

لمن سامنا حربا وإنا قواضب

لمن سامنا حربا وإنا قواضب

Tell our enemies that we are spearheads

So tell our enemies that we are spearheads

Warn him not to rouse what he cannot endure

against whoever imposes war on us, and we are cutting swords.

for whoever forces war upon us, and we are keen-cutting swords.

Tell him: if the lion roars, beware its leap

وحذره منا ما أطاق وقل له

وحذره منا ما أطاق وقل له

إذا ما أغظت الليث فالليث واثب

إذا ما أغظت الليث فالليث واثب

Warn him of us as fully as you can, and tell him:

And warn him of us as much as he can bear, and tell him:

Ask him, though ignorant of its might

when you provoke the lion, the lion springs.

If you enrage the lion, the lion will pounce.

How many fangs and claws make its enemies weep

فعنه فسل مهما جهلت ببطشه

فعنه فسل مهما جهلت ببطشه

فكم قد فرت أنيابه والمخالب

فكم قد فرت أنيابه والمخالب

Ask about him if you know nothing of his might:

So ask about him whenever you are ignorant of his fierce might:

From God, the Overseer, expect calamity

how often his fangs and claws have torn their prey!

for how often his fangs and claws have torn!

On the instant, abased is the conceited

توقع من الله المهيمن نكبة

توقع من الله المهيمن نكبة

على الفور هانا للرقيب مراقب

على الفور هانا للرقيب مراقب

Expect from God, the All-Watchful, a calamity

Expect a calamity from God, the All-Watchful,

A star of Saud, blissful our fate

at once—here I stand, watching for the Watcher’s decree.

at once; here I am, keeping watch for the Watcher.

When plots against us the fools seeded

فنجم سعودي للسعادة يا مكائدي

فنجم سعودي للسعادة يا مكائدي

لما أسهم فيمن رمينا صوائب

لما أسهم فيمن رمينا صوائب

The star of my fortune rises toward felicity, O you who plot against me,

For my star of good fortune favors happiness, O you who plot against me:

When in the dark they plotted snares

when my arrows strike true among those at whom we shoot.

we have arrows that strike true against whomever we shoot.

At dawn, the vultures lament defeated

إذا ما رمينا في الدياجي مكائدا

إذا ما رمينا في الدياجي مكائدا

تعاوت عليه في الصباح النوادب

تعاوت عليه في الصباح النوادب

When in the darkness we cast a plot against someone,

If, in the dark nights, we shoot at a schemer,

For we are the dawns when day breaks

the mourning women howl over him come morning.

by morning the mourning women howl together over him.

And we are the stars when night falls in greeting

فانا إذا جاء الصباح شموسه

فانا إذا جاء الصباح شموسه

وانا إذا جنّ الظلام الكواكب

وانا إذا جنّ الظلام الكواكب

When morning arrives, I am its suns;

For when morning comes, we are its suns,

We are lamps when darkness spreads

when darkness descends, I am the stars.

and when darkness falls, we are the stars.

Lighting the lost through the gloom retreating

وإنا مصابيح إذا حلك الدجى

وإنا مصابيح إذا حلك الدجى

فيهدى بنا من حيرته الغياهب

فيهدى بنا من حيرته الغياهب

We are lamps when the night grows black,

And we are lamps when night grows pitch-black,

O heart, befriend those true in affection

and through us one bewildered in the depths of darkness is guided.

so through us one bewildered by the deep darkness is guided.

With certainty, leave those of ways deceitful

فيا قلب صاحب من يصافيك ودّه

فيا قلب صاحب من يصافيك ودّه

يقينا ودع من قلبته القوالب

يقينا ودع من قلبته القوالب

O heart, keep company with one whose love is sincerely pure toward you,

So, heart, befriend one whose love for you is sincere,

Leave behind those of no faith or loyalty

and abandon one whom shifting molds have reshaped.

truly—and leave one whom the molds have transformed.

And take those whose gifts are bountiful

ودع عنك من لا دين فيه ولا وفا

ودع عنك من لا دين فيه ولا وفا

ولذ بالذي تأتيك منه المواهب

ولذ بالذي تأتيك منه المواهب

Leave behind whoever has neither faith nor fidelity,

And leave aside anyone with neither faith nor fidelity,

God alone - hope not in another truly -

and take refuge in Him from whom all gifts come to you.

and seek refuge in the One from whom gifts come to you.

And hold fast, the finest friend and peaceful

هو اللَه لا ترجو سواه حقيقة

هو اللَه لا ترجو سواه حقيقة

والزمه يا نعم الرفيق المصاحب

والزمه يا نعم الرفيق المصاحب

He is God—truly, hope in none but Him;

He is God; truly, hope in none but Him.

All mankind are gripped in His fist of power

cling to Him: how excellent a constant companion!

And cleave to Him—O, what an excellent friend and companion!

He steers as He wills, and He is victorious

فكلّ نواصي الخلق قبضة قهره

فكلّ نواصي الخلق قبضة قهره

يسخرها فيما يشا وهو غالب

يسخرها فيما يشا وهو غالب

The forelocks of all creation are held in the grip of His dominion;

For all creation's forelocks lie in the grasp of His overpowering might;

Complete with praise of God, and most pure prayers

He subjects them as He wills, and He is ever victorious.

He subjects them to whatever He wills, and He prevails.

Upon the one with whom the Lord of creation spoke

وتمت بحمد اللَه وازكى صلاته

وتمت بحمد اللَه وازكى صلاته

على من له ربّ البرية خاطب

على من له ربّ البرية خاطب

It is completed with praise of God, and may His purest blessing be

And it is finished with praise of God and His purest blessings

To the highest, most exalted place near Him

upon him whom the Lord of creation addressed,

upon him whom the Lord of creation called

None were barred by the Keeper of the Heavenly Cloak

إلى الرتبة العليا العلية عنده

إلى الرتبة العليا العلية عنده

وما ردّه من حضرة القدس حاجب

وما ردّه من حضرة القدس حاجب

raising him to the highest, most exalted rank with Him,

to the highest, exalted station in His presence;

and whom no veil barred from the Presence of Holiness.

and no gatekeeper turned him away from the Holy Presence.