وَعَظَتكَ واعِظَةُ القَتيرِ

وَعَظَتكَ واعِظَةُ القَتيرِ

وَنَهَتكَ أُبَّهَةُ الكَبيرِ

وَنَهَتكَ أُبَّهَةُ الكَبيرِ

And gray hair's warning has admonished you,

The preacher's admonition preached you,

The warner of gray hair has admonished you,

and the dignity of age has restrained you;

And the old man's interdiction interdicted you,

And the dignity of old age has restrained you.

وَرَدَدتَ ما كُنتَ اِستَعَر

وَرَدَدتَ ما كُنتَ اِستَعَر

تَ مِنَ الشَبابِ إِلى المَعيرِ

تَ مِنَ الشَبابِ إِلى المَعيرِ

and you have returned what you had borrowed

You recanted what you borrowed

You have returned what you had borrowed

from youth to the lender.

Of youth, till you changed to decrepitude.

Of youth back to its lender.

وَلَقَد تَحُلُّ بِعَقوَةِ ال

وَلَقَد تَحُلُّ بِعَقوَةِ ال

أَلبابِ مِن بَقَرِ القُصورِ

أَلبابِ مِن بَقَرِ القُصورِ

Indeed, there settle in the precincts of

You used to consort with bright damsels

For you once alighted in the courtyards

minds, from the palaces' wild-cow beauties,

Inside the best houses,

Of hearts, among the gazelles of the palaces.

وَبِما تُواكِبُهُنَّ ما

وَبِما تُواكِبُهُنَّ ما

بَينَ الرُصافَةِ وَالجُسورِ

بَينَ الرُصافَةِ وَالجُسورِ

and through your accompanying them

And with them, between porch and wall,

How often you rode alongside them

between al-Rusafa and the bridges,

Were images to steal reason itself in man’s dress.

Between Al-Rusafa and the bridges:

صُوَرٌ إِلَيكَ مُؤَنَّظا

صُوَرٌ إِلَيكَ مُؤَنَّظا

تُ الدَلِّ في زِيِّ الذُكورِ

تُ الدَلِّ في زِيِّ الذُكورِ

forms turned toward you, [perhaps feminine]

The pleasure quarters and places of vines forget you,

Figures displaying their coquetry to you,

in coquetry, dressed as males.

And so do the battlements and the wickets.

Clad in the attire of men.

عُطلُ الشَوى وَمَواضِعِ ال

عُطلُ الشَوى وَمَواضِعِ ال

أَسوارِ مِنها وَالنُحورِ

أَسوارِ مِنها وَالنُحورِ

Their limbs are unadorned, as are the places

Languorous, pregnant, burdened camels forget you,

Their limbs bare of ornament, as are

for bracelets on them, and their throats.

As do the honor, the swords in the scabbards.

Their wrists and their throats.

أُرهِفنَ إِرهافَ الأَعِن

أُرهِفنَ إِرهافَ الأَعِن

نَةِ وَالحَمائِلِ وَالسُيورِ

نَةِ وَالحَمائِلِ وَالسُيورِ

They were made slender as

Their temples bend sideways,

They are slender, honed like reins,

reins, sword-slings, and straps,

Their mustaches smelling sweetly aromatic.

Like sword-belts and leather straps.

وَمُوَقَّراتٍ في القُرا

وَمُوَقَّراتٍ في القُرا

طِقِ وَالخَناجِرُ في الخُصورِ

طِقِ وَالخَناجِرُ في الخُصورِ

and stately in their

Like wild cows they passed into a garden,

Carrying themselves with dignity in tunics,

short tunics, with daggers at their waists.

Casting down pearls.

With daggers at their waists.

أَصداغُهُنَّ مُعَقرَبا

أَصداغُهُنَّ مُعَقرَبا

تٌ وَالشَوارِبُ مِن عَبيرِ

تٌ وَالشَوارِبُ مِن عَبيرِ

Their temple-locks are curled like scorpions,

A flower whose butterfly goes to and fro

Their sidelocks are curled like scorpion tails,

and their moustaches are made of perfume.

In profuse scattering and shedding.

And their mustaches are traces of perfume.

مِثلَ الظِباءِ سَمَت إِلى

مِثلَ الظِباءِ سَمَت إِلى

رَوضٍ صَوادِرَ مِن غَديرِ

رَوضٍ صَوادِرَ مِن غَديرِ

Like gazelles heading toward

Now I have turned to abstinence,

Like gazelles gazing up towards

a meadow, coming away from a pool:

And have tested the result of pleasures.

A meadow, returning from the stream.

زَهَرٌ يَطيرُ فَراشُهُ

زَهَرٌ يَطيرُ فَراشُهُ

كَتَساقُطِ الدُرِّ النَثيرِ

كَتَساقُطِ الدُرِّ النَثيرِ

blossoms whose butterflies fly

This in a sea of waves enclosing ships,

Blossoms whose petals take flight

like scattered pearls tumbling down.

In spaciousness and capacity to accommodate all.

Like the falling of scattered pearls.

فَالآنَ صِرتُ إِلى النُهى

فَالآنَ صِرتُ إِلى النُهى

وَبَلَوتُ عاقِبَةَ السُرورِ

وَبَلَوتُ عاقِبَةَ السُرورِ

So now I have turned to reason,

With a free genie in it

But now I have turned to wisdom

and experienced pleasure's aftermath.

Whose haunts are thronged.

And have learned the outcome of pleasure.

هَذا وَبَحرِ تَنائِفٍ

هَذا وَبَحرِ تَنائِفٍ

وَعرِ الإِجازَةِ وَالعُبورِ

وَعرِ الإِجازَةِ وَالعُبورِ

This—and a sea of desert wastes,

I have approached it because of its spaciousness

All this, plus a sea of desolate wastelands,

difficult to cross and traverse,

Seeking by means of the intrepid she-camel the noblest object of God's grace in the world.

Rugged to traverse and cross.

لِجِنِّ فيهِ حاضِرٌ

لِجِنِّ فيهِ حاضِرٌ

جَمَّ المَجالِسِ وَالسَميرِ

جَمَّ المَجالِسِ وَالسَميرِ

where the jinn have a settlement

O Excellence, you have surpassed range,

Where the Jinn have a settled presence,

full of gatherings and night-time company:

So you have transcended all comparison!

Crowding the assemblies and night-talks.

قارَبتُ مِن مَبسوطِهِ

قارَبتُ مِن مَبسوطِهِ

بِالعَنتَريسِ العَيسَجورِ

بِالعَنتَريسِ العَيسَجورِ

I made my way across its expanse

You are the magnified and the extolled

I shortened its vast expanse

on a powerful, swift she-camel,

In eyes and hearts.

Atop a sturdy, swift she-camel.

لِأَزورَ صَفوَ اللَهِ في ال

لِأَزورَ صَفوَ اللَهِ في ال

دُنيا مِنَ الكَرَمِ الخَطيرِ

دُنيا مِنَ الكَرَمِ الخَطيرِ

to visit God's elect in the

When minds contemplate you perspicaciously,

To visit God’s chosen one in this

world, for his exalted generosity.

They deem you generosity and prolific goodness itself.

World, of momentous generosity.

يا فَضلُ جاوَزتَ المَدى

يا فَضلُ جاوَزتَ المَدى

فَجَلَلتَ عَن شَبَهِ النَظيرِ

فَجَلَلتَ عَن شَبَهِ النَظيرِ

O Fadl, you have surpassed the utmost limit,

And when eyes consider you attentively,

O Fadl, you have surpassed the limit,

and risen beyond resemblance to any peer.

They deem you the essence of a discerning glance.

And act too grand to have any peer.

أَنتَ المُعَظَّمُ وَالمُكَب

أَنتَ المُعَظَّمُ وَالمُكَب

بَرُ في العُيونِ وَفي الصُدورِ

بَرُ في العُيونِ وَفي الصُدورِ

You are revered and

You remained mature in your reason

You are the one exalted and magnified

exalted in eyes and hearts.

While still in the period of immaturity,

In all eyes and in all hearts.

فَإِذا العُقولُ تَفاطَنَت

فَإِذا العُقولُ تَفاطَنَت

كَ عَرَضنَ في كَرَمٍ وَخيرِ

كَ عَرَضنَ في كَرَمٍ وَخيرِ

And whenever minds discern

Till opulent youth overtook you

When minds seek to comprehend you,

you, they range amid generosity and goodness;

And you put on the garment of scarcity.

They encounter only generosity and goodness.

وَإِذا العُيونُ تَأَمَّلَت

وَإِذا العُيونُ تَأَمَّلَت

كَ صَدَرنَ عَن طَرفٍ خَبيرِ

كَ صَدَرنَ عَن طَرفٍ خَبيرِ

and whenever eyes contemplate

Renounce familiar places and haunts,

And if eyes contemplate you,

you, they come away with a discerning gaze.

Instinct and conscience! By God,

They return with a knowing gaze.

ما زِلتَ في عَقلِ الكَبي

ما زِلتَ في عَقلِ الكَبي

رِ وَأَنتَ في سِنِّ الصَغيرِ

رِ وَأَنتَ في سِنِّ الصَغيرِ

You have always had an elder's mind

God distinguished the Caliphate for you

You have always possessed the elder's wisdom

while still being young in years,

So He chose you with clear-sightedness.

Even while you were young in years.

حَتّى تَعَصَّرَتِ الشَبي

حَتّى تَعَصَّرَتِ الشَبي

بَةُ وَاِكتَسَيتَ مِنَ القَتيرِ

بَةُ وَاِكتَسَيتَ مِنَ القَتيرِ

until your youth waned

When events perplexed you,

Until youth was wrung dry

and you clothed yourself in gray hair.

You sufficed to settle matters.

And you were clothed in gray hair.

عَفُّ المَداخِلِ وَالمَخا

عَفُّ المَداخِلِ وَالمَخا

رِجِ وَالغَريزَةِ وَالضَميرِ

رِجِ وَالغَريزَةِ وَالضَميرِ

Upright in your comings and

You surpassed the tribe absolutely

Virtuous in your dealings,

goings, your nature and conscience.

As Thursday surpasses the rest of the week.

In nature and in conscience.

وَاللَهُ خَصَّ بِكَ الخَلي

وَاللَهُ خَصَّ بِكَ الخَلي

فَةَ فَاِصطَفاكَ عَلى بَصيرِ

فَةَ فَاِصطَفاكَ عَلى بَصيرِ

And God specially favored, through you, the

Whoever compares others with you

God has specially favored the Caliph with you,

caliph; he chose you with discernment.

Compares the insignificant with the immense.

Choosing you with divine insight.

فَإِذا أَلاثَ بِكَ الأُمو

فَإِذا أَلاثَ بِكَ الأُمو

رَ كَفَيتَهُ قُحَمَ الأُمورِ

رَ كَفَيتَهُ قُحَمَ الأُمورِ

And when he entrusts to you the

Where are the sequent stars

So when he entrusts affairs to you,

affairs, you spare him their dangerous trials.

Of the lunar mansions and full moons?

You spare him the hardships of rule.

آلَ الرَبيعِ فَضَلتُمُ

آلَ الرَبيعِ فَضَلتُمُ

فَضلَ الخَميسِ عَلى العَشيرِ

فَضلَ الخَميسِ عَلى العَشيرِ

House of al-Rabi', you have surpassed others

Where are the few, sons of the few,

O Family of Al-Rabi‘, you have excelled,

as one-fifth surpasses one-tenth.

Among the many, sons of the many?

Surpassing others as an army outnumbers a clan.

مَن قاسَ غَيرَكُم بِكُم

مَن قاسَ غَيرَكُم بِكُم

قاسَ الثَمادَ إِلى البُحورِ

قاسَ الثَمادَ إِلى البُحورِ

Whoever compares others with you

A people who in the days of Mecca

Whoever compares others to you

compares scant pools with seas.

Endured the greatest vicissitudes;

Compares shallow puddles to the seas.

أَينَ النُجومُ التالِيا

أَينَ النُجومُ التالِيا

تُ مِنَ الأَهِلَّةِ وَالبُدورِ

تُ مِنَ الأَهِلَّةِ وَالبُدورِ

What are the following stars

So they protected the provinces of the Caliphate

Where are the trailing stars

beside crescent moons and full moons?

While it was vast.

Compared to the crescents and full moons?

أَينَ القَليلُ بَنو القَلي

أَينَ القَليلُ بَنو القَلي

لِ مِنَ الكَثيرِ بَني الكَثيرِ

لِ مِنَ الكَثيرِ بَني الكَثيرِ

What are the few, sons of the few,

Had they not stayed therein,

Where are the few, sons of the few,

beside the many, sons of the many?

The pillars would have collapsed because of decay.

Compared to the many, sons of the many?

قَومٌ كَفَوا أَيّامَ مَك

قَومٌ كَفَوا أَيّامَ مَك

كَةَ نازِلَ الخَطبِ الكَبيرِ

كَةَ نازِلَ الخَطبِ الكَبيرِ

A people who warded off, in the days of

A people who, in the days of Mecca, handled

Mecca, the onset of a great calamity;

The descent of the great calamity.

فَتَدارَكوا جُزُرَ الخِلا

فَتَدارَكوا جُزُرَ الخِلا

فَةِ وَهيَ شاسِعَةُ النَظيرِ

فَةِ وَهيَ شاسِعَةُ النَظيرِ

so they rescued the islands of the

They rescued the fragments of the Caliphate

caliphate, so far from having a peer.

When its equal in peril was far to find.

لَولا مُقامُهُم بِها

لَولا مُقامُهُم بِها

هَوَتِ الرَواسي مِن ثَبيرِ

هَوَتِ الرَواسي مِن ثَبيرِ

Had it not been for their staying there,

Were it not for their standing firm within it,

the firm heights of Thabir would have fallen.

The anchored peaks of Mount Thabir would have fallen.