قَلَّبتُ أَمرِيَ في بَدءٍ وَفي عَقِبٍ

قَلَّبتُ أَمرِيَ في بَدءٍ وَفي عَقِبٍ

وَرُضتُ حالَيَّ في جَورٍ وَمُقتَصَدِ

وَرُضتُ حالَيَّ في جَورٍ وَمُقتَصَدِ

I turned my affairs over, at the outset and at the end,

I've turned my affair at the start and end

and schooled myself in both conditions, injustice and moderation.

And settled my state in fairness and restraint

فَما فَتَحتُ فَمي إِلّا كَعَمتُ فَمي

فَما فَتَحتُ فَمي إِلّا كَعَمتُ فَمي

وَلا مَدَدتُ يَدي إِلّا رَدَدتُ يَدي

وَلا مَدَدتُ يَدي إِلّا رَدَدتُ يَدي

So I never opened my mouth without gagging it,

So I've not opened my mouth but as if dumb

nor extended my hand without drawing it back.

Nor stretched my hand but pulled it back again

لا ذَنبَ لي غَيرَ ما سَيَّرتُ مِن غُرَرٍ

لا ذَنبَ لي غَيرَ ما سَيَّرتُ مِن غُرَرٍ

شَرقاً وَغَرباً وَما أَحكَمتُ مِن عُقَدي

شَرقاً وَغَرباً وَما أَحكَمتُ مِن عُقَدي

I have no fault except the radiant verses I sent forth

I've no fault but what I unleashed of my thoughts

east and west, and the knots of verse I tied fast:

Eastward and westward, and what knots I've tied

نَشرٌ يَسيرُ بِهِ شِعرٌ يُهَذِّبُهُ

نَشرٌ يَسيرُ بِهِ شِعرٌ يُهَذِّبُهُ

فِكرٌ يَجولُ مَجالَ الروحِ في الجَسَدِ

فِكرٌ يَجولُ مَجالَ الروحِ في الجَسَدِ

a fragrance carried by poetry, refined

A gentle fluttering inspires the poetry

by thought that ranges as the spirit ranges through the body.

A spirit roams freely in body confined

ساعاتُ شُكرٍ غَذاهُنَّ البَقاءُ بِهِ

ساعاتُ شُكرٍ غَذاهُنَّ البَقاءُ بِهِ

فَهُنَّ أَطوَلُ أَعماراً مِنَ الأَبَدِ

فَهُنَّ أَطوَلُ أَعماراً مِنَ الأَبَدِ

Hours of gratitude are nourished by the lasting life it gives,

Hours of thanks nourished by eternity

so their lifetimes are longer than eternity.

Are longer-lived than forever entwined

إِذا دُجاها أَحاطَت بي أَحَطتُ بِها

إِذا دُجاها أَحاطَت بي أَحَطتُ بِها

قَلباً مَتى أَسرِ في مِصباحِهِ يَقِدِ

قَلباً مَتى أَسرِ في مِصباحِهِ يَقِدِ

When their darkness surrounded me, I encompassed it

When sorrows enshroud me, I envelope them

in my heart, whose lamp blazes whenever I journey by its light at night.

A heart, once lit, dispels the dark lined

حَضرَمتُ دَهري وَأَشكالي لَكُم وَبِكُم

حَضرَمتُ دَهري وَأَشكالي لَكُم وَبِكُم

حَتّى بَقيتُ كَأَنّي لَستُ مِن أُدَدِ

حَتّى بَقيتُ كَأَنّي لَستُ مِن أُدَدِ

I mixed up my life and my peers for you and through you,

I've lived my days shaping myself by you

until I was left as though I were not of Udad's line.

Until I seemed no longer of my own kind

ثُمَّ اِطَّرَحتُم قَراباتي وَآصِرَتي

ثُمَّ اِطَّرَحتُم قَراباتي وَآصِرَتي

حَتّى تَوَهَّمتُ أَنّي مِن بَني أَسَدِ

حَتّى تَوَهَّمتُ أَنّي مِن بَني أَسَدِ

Then you cast aside my kinship ties and my bond,

Then you discarded our ties and bonds

until I imagined I belonged to Banu Asad.

Till I thought myself no more of your blood-lined

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتُ إِلى نَفسي لِأَظأَرَها

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتُ إِلى نَفسي لِأَظأَرَها

عَلى سِواكُم فَلَم تَهشَش إِلى أَحَدِ

عَلى سِواكُم فَلَم تَهشَش إِلى أَحَدِ

Then I turned to my soul, to coax its affection

So I turned inward to empower myself

toward others besides you, but it warmed to no one.

Beyond you, and clung to no other designed

وَمَدحُ مَن لَيسَ أَهلَ المَدحِ أَحسَبُهُ

وَمَدحُ مَن لَيسَ أَهلَ المَدحِ أَحسَبُهُ

عُضواً تَفَصَّلَ مِن قَلبي وَمِن كَبِدي

عُضواً تَفَصَّلَ مِن قَلبي وَمِن كَبِدي

And praise of one unworthy of praise I deem

And praising who merits no praise I take

a limb severed from my heart and my liver.

As a limb severed from my heart and mind

قَومٌ إِذا أَعيُنُ الآمالِ جِئنَهُمُ

قَومٌ إِذا أَعيُنُ الآمالِ جِئنَهُمُ

رَجَعنَ مُكتَحِلاتٍ عائِرَ الرَمَدِ

رَجَعنَ مُكتَحِلاتٍ عائِرَ الرَمَدِ

A people: when the eyes of hopes come to them,

A people when eyes of hope upon them shine

they return kohl-lined with the smarting of eye inflammation.

Return with glanced blows that tear and grind

فَطَلعَةُ الشِعرِ أَقلى في عُيونِهِمُ

فَطَلعَةُ الشِعرِ أَقلى في عُيونِهِمُ

وَفي صُدورِهِمُ مِن طَلعَةِ الأَسَدِ

وَفي صُدورِهِمُ مِن طَلعَةِ الأَسَدِ

So the sight of poetry is more hateful in their eyes

So dawn of poetry is weaker in their eyes

and in their breasts than the sight of a lion.

Than the dawn of lions stalking bright-lined

ما إِن تَرى غَيرَ مَنشورٍ عَلى قَدَمٍ

ما إِن تَرى غَيرَ مَنشورٍ عَلى قَدَمٍ

في الناطِقينَ وَمَطوِيٍّ عَلى حَسَدِ

في الناطِقينَ وَمَطوِيٍّ عَلى حَسَدِ

You see none but one unfolded upon prior standing,

You'll not see unleashed on a foot one who speaks

among those who speak, or one folded around envy.

Among them, but folded in envy maligned

قُل قَولَةً فَيصَلاً تَمضي حُكومَتُها

قُل قَولَةً فَيصَلاً تَمضي حُكومَتُها

في المَنعِ إِن عَنَّ لي مَنعٌ أَوِ الصَفَدِ

في المَنعِ إِن عَنَّ لي مَنعٌ أَوِ الصَفَدِ

Speak a decisive word whose judgment takes effect

Say a saying whose rule in prevention

in withholding, if withholding awaits me, or in bounty,

Will stand, if against me preventions they bind,

يَحصُن بِها سَنَدي أَو يَمتَنِع عَضُدي

يَحصُن بِها سَنَدي أَو يَمتَنِع عَضُدي

أَو يَدنُ لي أَمَدي أَو يَعتَدِل أَوَدي

أَو يَدنُ لي أَمَدي أَو يَعتَدِل أَوَدي

through which my support grows secure, or my arm becomes impregnable,

To buttress my case or help refuse my arm

or my goal draws near to me, or my crookedness is straightened.

Or curb my excess or make equal my inclined

أَوِ الَّتي طالَما أَفضَت وُعورَتُها

أَوِ الَّتي طالَما أَفضَت وُعورَتُها

مِنَ الأُمورِ إِلى مِنهاجِها الجَدَدِ

مِنَ الأُمورِ إِلى مِنهاجِها الجَدَدِ

Or that one whose roughness has so often led,

Or the one whose defects have long oozed

among affairs, to its smooth, level road.

Of matters, to its novel method aligned

إِن كُنتَ في المَطلِ ذا صَبرٍ وَذا جَلَدٍ

إِن كُنتَ في المَطلِ ذا صَبرٍ وَذا جَلَدٍ

فَلَستُ في الذَمِّ ذا صَبرٍ وَذا جَلَدِ

فَلَستُ في الذَمِّ ذا صَبرٍ وَذا جَلَدِ

If you have patience and endurance in delaying,

If you're one who in waiting has patience and grit

I have no patience or endurance when it comes to censure.

Then I've no such patience or grit resigned

فَقُل وَراءَكَ في سُحقٍ وَفي بُعُدٍ

فَقُل وَراءَكَ في سُحقٍ وَفي بُعُدٍ

فَإِنَّني فيكَ أَهلُ السُحقِ وَالبُعُدِ

فَإِنَّني فيكَ أَهلُ السُحقِ وَالبُعُدِ

So say, 'Back with you, far removed and distant!'

So speak of me in rubble and distant

For, where you are concerned, I deserve remoteness and distance.

For in you I'm worthy of rubble designed