دَنا سَفَرٌ وَالدارُ تُنئي وَتُصقِبُ

دَنا سَفَرٌ وَالدارُ تُنئي وَتُصقِبُ

وَيَنسى سُراهُ مَن يُعافى وَيُصحَبُ

وَيَنسى سُراهُ مَن يُعافى وَيُصحَبُ

A journey draws near; home sends one far away and draws one close.

The journey draws near, and home bids farewell and adorns itself,

And one kept well and accompanied forgets his night journey.

And forgets the companion it once sheltered and accompanied.

وَأَيّامُنا خُزرُ العُيونِ عَوابِسٌ

وَأَيّامُنا خُزرُ العُيونِ عَوابِسٌ

إِذا لَم يَخُضها الحازِمُ المُتَلَبِّبُ

إِذا لَم يَخُضها الحازِمُ المُتَلَبِّبُ

And our days are narrow-eyed and frowning,

Our days are frowning eyelids, stern and severe,

Unless a resolute man, girded for action, wades through them.

Unless softened by the wise and patient.

وَلا بُدَّ مِن فَروٍ إِذا اِجتابَهُ اِمرُؤٌ

وَلا بُدَّ مِن فَروٍ إِذا اِجتابَهُ اِمرُؤٌ

كَفى وَهوَ سامٍ في الصَنابِرِ أَغلَبُ

كَفى وَهوَ سامٍ في الصَنابِرِ أَغلَبُ

And a fur coat is indispensable: when a man dons it,

Parting is inevitable when one is called away,

It suffices—towering amid bitter cold, thick-necked and mighty.

Enough that he rests in the sarcophagi, overpowered.

أَمينُ القُوى لَم تَحصُصِ الحَربُ رَأسَهُ

أَمينُ القُوى لَم تَحصُصِ الحَربُ رَأسَهُ

وَلَم يَنضُ عُمراً وَهوَ أَشمَطُ أَشيَبُ

وَلَم يَنضُ عُمراً وَهوَ أَشمَطُ أَشيَبُ

Reliable in strength; war has not shorn its head,

The protector of might whom war could not vanquish,

Nor has it spent a lifetime, though grizzled and white-haired.

Who did not live to old age but passed as one with grey locks.

يَسُرُّكَ بَأساً وَهوَ غِرٌّ مُغَمَّرٌ

يَسُرُّكَ بَأساً وَهوَ غِرٌّ مُغَمَّرٌ

وَيُعتَدُّ لِلأَيّامِ حينَ يُجَرَّبُ

وَيُعتَدُّ لِلأَيّامِ حينَ يُجَرَّبُ

It delights you with its prowess, though naive and untried,

You delight in his valor though he is unarmed,

And, when tested, is counted on against the days.

And the days count him when he is tested.

تَظَلُّ البِلادُ تَرتَمي بِضَريبِها

تَظَلُّ البِلادُ تَرتَمي بِضَريبِها

وَتُشمَلُ مِن أَقطارِها وَهوَ يُجنَبُ

وَتُشمَلُ مِن أَقطارِها وَهوَ يُجنَبُ

The lands keep hurling their frost,

The lands lie in the shadow of his taxes,

And north winds sweep them from every quarter, while it receives south winds.

And are included among his territories as he defends.

إِذا البَدَنُ المَقرورُ أُلبِسَهُ غَدا

إِذا البَدَنُ المَقرورُ أُلبِسَهُ غَدا

لَهُ راشِحٌ مِن تَحتِهِ يَتَصَبَّبُ

لَهُ راشِحٌ مِن تَحتِهِ يَتَصَبَّبُ

When the chilled body is clothed in it, it comes to have

When his weary body is clad in armor tomorrow,

Sweat streaming down from beneath it.

A coat of mail protects him from below as it drips.

إِذا عَدَّ ذَنباً ثِقلَهُ مَنكِبُ اِمرِئٍ

إِذا عَدَّ ذَنباً ثِقلَهُ مَنكِبُ اِمرِئٍ

يَقولُ الحَشا إِحسانُهُ حينَ يُذنِبُ

يَقولُ الحَشا إِحسانُهُ حينَ يُذنِبُ

If a man's shoulder counts its weight a fault,

When the burden of a man's sin weighs down his shoulders,

The belly says, 'Its kindness is shown when it offends.'

The nobles say his benevolence when he sins.

أَثيثٌ إِذا اِستَعتَبتَ مُعصِفَةً بِهِ

أَثيثٌ إِذا اِستَعتَبتَ مُعصِفَةً بِهِ

تَمَلَّأتَ عِلماً أَنَّها سَوفَ تُعتِبُ

تَمَلَّأتَ عِلماً أَنَّها سَوفَ تُعتِبُ

Thick-furred: if with it you ask a gale for amends,

Household items, if you reproach them when storm-struck,

You are filled with certainty that it will make amends.

You will be filled with the knowledge that they will make amends.

يَراهُ الشَفيفُ المُرثَعِنُّ فَيَنثَني

يَراهُ الشَفيفُ المُرثَعِنُّ فَيَنثَني

حَسيراً وَتَغشاهُ الصَبا فَتَنَكَّبُ

حَسيراً وَتَغشاهُ الصَبا فَتَنَكَّبُ

The biting, driving cold sees it and retreats,

The fleet-footed camel sees it and kneels down

Exhausted; the east wind sweeps over it, then turns aside.

Mournfully, and youth engulfs it so it bows.

إِذا ما أَساءَت بِالثِيابِ فَقَولُهُ

إِذا ما أَساءَت بِالثِيابِ فَقَولُهُ

لَها كُلَّما لاقَتهُ أَهلٌ وَمَرحَبُ

لَها كُلَّما لاقَتهُ أَهلٌ وَمَرحَبُ

When it is harsh to garments, the fur's words

When she wears clothes improperly, his words to her

To it whenever they meet are 'Welcome, welcome!'

Are only greetings whenever he faces her and her kin.

إِذا اليَومُ أَمسى وَهوَ غَضبانُ لَم يَكُن

إِذا اليَومُ أَمسى وَهوَ غَضبانُ لَم يَكُن

طَويلَ مُبالاةٍ بِهِ حينَ يَغضَبُ

طَويلَ مُبالاةٍ بِهِ حينَ يَغضَبُ

When the day reaches evening in anger, the fur is not

When the day ends while still angry, he does not

Long concerned with it when it rages.

Remain resentful for long when he is upset.

كَأَنَّ حَواشيهِ العُلى وَخُصورَهُ

كَأَنَّ حَواشيهِ العُلى وَخُصورَهُ

وَما اِنحَطَّ مِنهُ جَمرَةٌ تَتَلَهَّبُ

وَما اِنحَطَّ مِنهُ جَمرَةٌ تَتَلَهَّبُ

It is as though its upper edges and its midsections,

It is as if his shoulders and chest

And whatever hangs down from it, were a blazing ember.

And whatever fiery coal has fallen from him still blaze.

فَهَل أَنتَ مُهديهِ بِمِثلِ شَكيرِهِ

فَهَل أَنتَ مُهديهِ بِمِثلِ شَكيرِهِ

مِنَ الشُكرِ يَعلو مُصعِداً وَيُصَوِّبُ

مِنَ الشُكرِ يَعلو مُصعِداً وَيُصَوِّبُ

Will you then give it in return for something like its fine underfur—

Will you reward him with gratitude like his generosity,

Gratitude that rises upward and descends?

Rising upward and aiming straight?

لَهُ زِئبِرٌ يُدفي مِنَ الذَمِّ كُلَّما

لَهُ زِئبِرٌ يُدفي مِنَ الذَمِّ كُلَّما

تَجَلبَبَهُ في مَحفِلٍ مُتَجَلبِبُ

تَجَلبَبَهُ في مَحفِلٍ مُتَجَلبِبُ

It has a nap that warms against blame whenever

He has a sword that defends from blame whenever

A wearer cloaks himself in it at a gathering.

He flails it in a tumultuous assembly.

فَأَنتَ العَليمُ الطَبُّ أَيُّ وَصِيَّةٍ

فَأَنتَ العَليمُ الطَبُّ أَيُّ وَصِيَّةٍ

بِها كانَ أَوصى في الثِيابِ المُهَلَّبُ

بِها كانَ أَوصى في الثِيابِ المُهَلَّبُ

For you are the expert who knows what counsel

You are the Wise Healer, what bequest

Al-Muhallab had given concerning garments.

Did he command in his tattered clothes?