للدهر ما بين الأنام وَزِيفُ

للدهر ما بين الأنام وَزِيفُ

ولصَرفه بين الورى تصريفُ

ولصَرفه بين الورى تصريفُ

Time has a swift tread among humankind,

Time has many deceptions between people,

And its vicissitudes bring change among mortals.

And its changes among mankind are plentiful.

تلك النوائب وهي مأدبَة الفَتى

تلك النوائب وهي مأدبَة الفَتى

والزاعِبيُّ يقيمه التثقيفُ

والزاعِبيُّ يقيمه التثقيفُ

Those calamities are a young man's schooling,

Those misfortunes are the youth's banquet,

And straightening sets the Zaʿibi spear true.

While education makes him more discerning.

غِيَرٌ تُحاجي ذا الحجا عن صبرِهِ

غِيَرٌ تُحاجي ذا الحجا عن صبرِهِ

فإذا عرى فقويُّهنَّ ضعيفُ

فإذا عرى فقويُّهنَّ ضعيفُ

Vicissitudes test the wise man's patience;

Another reasons with the reasonable about his patience -

And when they strike, even their strongest is weak.

When bare, the weak's excuses are feeble.

وإذا تنكَّرتِ الليالي لن يُرى

وإذا تنكَّرتِ الليالي لن يُرى

نكرانُها إن يُعرَف المعروفُ

نكرانُها إن يُعرَف المعروفُ

And when the nights turn hostile, none will perceive

When nights are unrecognizable, their denial

Their hostility, if kindness is recognized.

Is unknowable if the known is recognizable.

ما تُثقِل الأعناقَ إلا مِنَّةٌ

ما تُثقِل الأعناقَ إلا مِنَّةٌ

لفتىً له عن مُثقَلٍ تخفيفُ

لفتىً له عن مُثقَلٍ تخفيفُ

Nothing weighs down necks but a favor

Necks are only weighed down by obligation

From a young man who lightens a burdened man's load.

To a youth who lightens a heavy burden.

نظرتْ إليَّ الحادثاتُ فرَدَّها

نظرتْ إليَّ الحادثاتُ فرَدَّها

عنّي الأميرُ وطرفُها مطروفُ

عنّي الأميرُ وطرفُها مطروفُ

Misfortunes gazed at me, but were driven back

Circumstances looked upon me, but the prince

From me by the prince, their eye wounded.

Turned them from me while their edges were blunted.

لمّا استعنتُ على الزمان بأيِّدٍ

لمّا استعنتُ على الزمان بأيِّدٍ

نكص الزمان فصَرفُه مصروفُ

نكص الزمان فصَرفُه مصروفُ

When I sought a mighty man's aid against Time,

When I sought help against time with hands,

Time recoiled, and its vicissitudes were turned aside.

Time recoiled, so its course was redirected.

لولا خلائق في الكريم كريمةٌ

لولا خلائق في الكريم كريمةٌ

لم يستَبِن أنَّ الشريف شريفُ

لم يستَبِن أنَّ الشريف شريفُ

Were it not for noble traits in the generous man,

Were it not for noble traits in the generous,

It would not be clear that the nobleman is noble.

It would not be evident that the noble is noble.

هذا نزارٌ زان فرعَ أرومةٍ

هذا نزارٌ زان فرعَ أرومةٍ

هو تالدٌ في المكرمات طريفُ

هو تالدٌ في المكرمات طريفُ

This is Nizar, who graced a branch of ancestral stock;

This is Nizar, a branch of the lofty palm,

In noble deeds, he is both time-honored and new.

Skillful in bounties, of elegant manners.

تنميه صِيدٌ أُسدُ حربٍ ما لهم

تنميه صِيدٌ أُسدُ حربٍ ما لهم

إلا القواضب والرماح غَرِيفُ

إلا القواضب والرماح غَرِيفُ

He springs from proud nobles, lions of war, with no

He is nurtured by a lion of war who has no

Thicket but keen-edged swords and spears.

Equipment but slender spears and curved swords.

يمشون في الحَلَق الحَصِيف وتحتها

يمشون في الحَلَق الحَصِيف وتحتها

نَسجُ الشجاعةِ في القلوب حَصيفُ

نَسجُ الشجاعةِ في القلوب حَصيفُ

They walk in tightly knit mail, and beneath it

They walk in close ranks under shields

The weave of courage in their hearts is tightly knit.

While bravery's fabric is woven into hearts.

لو أنهم عدمو السيوفَ تحدَّرَت

لو أنهم عدمو السيوفَ تحدَّرَت

عزماتُهم في الروع وهي سيوفُ

عزماتُهم في الروع وهي سيوفُ

If they had no swords, down would flow

If they lacked swords, their resolves would flow

Their resolves amid terror, themselves swords.

Through their souls, which themselves are swords.

تُجري النَّدى مجرى الدماء أكُفُّهم

تُجري النَّدى مجرى الدماء أكُفُّهم

فهمُ حياةٌ للورى وحتوفُ

فهمُ حياةٌ للورى وحتوفُ

Their palms make bounty flow as blood flows;

They make bounty flow like blood. The most generous of them

So they are life to humankind—and death.

Are life itself for the world and its wellbeing.

مَن كان وهّابَ الأُلوف ولم يكن

مَن كان وهّابَ الأُلوف ولم يكن

ليروضه يومَ العِطاف أُلوفُ

ليروضه يومَ العِطاف أُلوفُ

He who lavished thousands, yet would not

One who was lavish with thousands but had no

Be tamed by thousands on the day of charge and countercharge,

Harshness to temper him on the day of bestowal -

يقسو ويعنُفُ في الحروب وشأنُه

يقسو ويعنُفُ في الحروب وشأنُه

في السلم بَرٌّ بالأنام رؤوفُ

في السلم بَرٌّ بالأنام رؤوفُ

Is stern and fierce in wars, while his manner

He would be cruel and violent in war, while his way

In peace is kind to humankind, compassionate.

In peace would be kindness toward people, gentle.

يدنو ويبعد هيبةً وتواضعاً

يدنو ويبعد هيبةً وتواضعاً

فيجلُّ وهو مع الجلال لطيفُ

فيجلُّ وهو مع الجلال لطيفُ

He draws near in humility, yet remains distant through the awe he inspires;

He draws near and keeps aloof in awe and humility,

So he is exalted, yet gentle in his majesty.

So he is majestic yet gentle with grandeur.

يا ابن المكارم إنَّ أولى ما به

يا ابن المكارم إنَّ أولى ما به

تُبنى المكارمُ أن يُغاثَ لهيفُ

تُبنى المكارمُ أن يُغاثَ لهيفُ

O son of noble deeds, surely the worthiest means by which

O son of bounties, the best thing for one

Noble deeds are built is to aid one in distress.

Whose bounties build bounties is to help the fallen.

وإذا المَنَاسِب لم تكن معدودةً

وإذا المَنَاسِب لم تكن معدودةً

لصنائع فبَدِينُهُنَّ نحيفُ

لصنائع فبَدِينُهُنَّ نحيفُ

And if lineages are not recognized

If credits went uncounted for your artistry,

For benefactions, even their stoutest is lean.

Then their slender merits would still be evident.

ذاك الفخار على المساعي دائرٌ

ذاك الفخار على المساعي دائرٌ

وله إذا وقف السُّعاة وقوفٌ

وله إذا وقف السُّعاة وقوفٌ

That glory revolves around endeavors;

That potter continues his labors,

And when those who strive stop, it too stands still.

And when the laborers stop, he stops.