خُطوبٌ تَجورُ ولا تَعدُلُ

خُطوبٌ تَجورُ ولا تَعدُلُ

وليسَ لنا دونَها مَوئِلُ

وليسَ لنا دونَها مَوئِلُ

Calamities act unjustly and never act justly;

Troubles pass by and do not settle,

And we have no refuge from them.

And we have no refuge but them.

فَلا نحنُ نَغفُلُ عن ذَمِّها

فَلا نحنُ نَغفُلُ عن ذَمِّها

ولا هيَ عن ضَيمِنا تَغفُلُ

ولا هيَ عن ضَيمِنا تَغفُلُ

So we never neglect to revile them,

Neither do we neglect their blame,

Nor do they neglect to oppress us.

Nor do they neglect our oppression.

أبَا الحَسَنِ اختَرَمَتك المنونُ

أبَا الحَسَنِ اختَرَمَتك المنونُ

وكانت بمثلِك لا تَحفِلُ

وكانت بمثلِك لا تَحفِلُ

O Abu al-Hasan, death has snatched you away,

O Abu Al-Hasan, death has disputed you,

And it never used to care about the likes of you.

And it did not care for your like.

وكيفَ تَخَطَّت إليك الورَى

وكيفَ تَخَطَّت إليك الورَى

وأنتَ حَضِيضُهمُ الأسفَلُ

وأنتَ حَضِيضُهمُ الأسفَلُ

How did it pass over mankind to reach you,

How did it advance upon you,

When you were their very lowest depth?

While you are their lowest valley?

تذكَّرتُ إذ أنتَ سِترٌ لَنا

تذكَّرتُ إذ أنتَ سِترٌ لَنا

وإذ نحنُ حِصنُك والمعقَلُ

وإذ نحنُ حِصنُك والمعقَلُ

I recalled when you were a covering for us,

I remembered when you were a shelter for us,

And when we were your fortress and stronghold;

And we were your fortress and stronghold.

وإذ لكَ من قَصَبٍ أسهُمٌ

وإذ لكَ من قَصَبٍ أسهُمٌ

طِوالٌ ومن خَشَبٍ مُنصُلُ

طِوالٌ ومن خَشَبٍ مُنصُلُ

And when you had arrows made of reeds,

When you had arrows,

Long ones, and a sword made of wood;

Long and wooden tipped.

وإذ أنتَ في القُرِّ لا تَصطلي

وإذ أنتَ في القُرِّ لا تَصطلي

نَشاطاً وفي الحَرِّ لا تَفْشَلُ

نَشاطاً وفي الحَرِّ لا تَفْشَلُ

And when, in the cold, you sought no warmth from a fire,

And when in the heat you did not become enfeebled,

From sheer vigor—and in the heat you never flagged.

Nor in the cold become weakened.

تُباكِرُ مُطَّرَداً مَتُنه

تُباكِرُ مُطَّرَداً مَتُنه

نقيّاً كما اضطربَ الجَدولُ

نقيّاً كما اضطربَ الجَدولُ

You would tend at dawn a smooth-flowing expanse, its surface

You go straight on continuously,

Clear, rippling like a brook;

Pure as the disturbed stream.

ومِن فوقِ رأسِك غِرِّيدةٌ

ومِن فوقِ رأسِك غِرِّيدةٌ

صَدُوحٌ كما صَدَحَ البُلبُلُ

صَدُوحٌ كما صَدَحَ البُلبُلُ

And above your head was a songbird,

And above your head a melodious call,

Full-voiced, as the bulbul sang;

Loud as the warbling of the bulbul.

ويُمناك تَبْعَثُ في سُرْعةٍ

ويُمناك تَبْعَثُ في سُرْعةٍ

رَسولاً بيُسراك يُستَقبلُ

رَسولاً بيُسراك يُستَقبلُ

And your right hand would swiftly send out

Your right hand you send swiftly

A messenger, received by your left;

A messenger, and your left hand receives him.

ورِجلاك تَصعَدُ إحداهما

ورِجلاك تَصعَدُ إحداهما

فَواقاً وإحداهما تَنزِلُ

فَواقاً وإحداهما تَنزِلُ

And of your two feet, one would rise

Your legs, one climbs up

For a moment, while the other would descend.

High, and one descends down.

كأنَّكَ لم تَطوِ مَنشورةً

كأنَّكَ لم تَطوِ مَنشورةً

على أرضِ بَيتك تُستَعملُ

على أرضِ بَيتك تُستَعملُ

As though you had never folded a spread-out cloth,

As if you never folded the banner,

Used on the floor of your house;

In your home's land to be used.

ولم ترثِ للشَّيخِ لمَّا مضَى

ولم ترثِ للشَّيخِ لمَّا مضَى

يَراعاً تُناطُ بهِ الأَحبُلُ

يَراعاً تُناطُ بهِ الأَحبُلُ

Nor inherited from the old man, when he passed away,

And did not inherit, when the elder passed away,

A reed to which the cords were tied;

Sheep to be tied with ropes.

ومرهفةٍ حدُّها في الوغَى

ومرهفةٍ حدُّها في الوغَى

كَهَامٌ وحاملُها أعزَلُ

كَهَامٌ وحاملُها أعزَلُ

And a keen-edged blade whose edge in battle

And a polished sword, its edge in war

Is blunt, and whose bearer is unarmed.

Like a crescent, and its bearer most valiant.

تُهانُ إذا صِينَ أَشباهُها

تُهانُ إذا صِينَ أَشباهُها

فلَيسَت تُصانُ ولا تُصقَلُ

فلَيسَت تُصانُ ولا تُصقَلُ

It is neglected when its counterparts are treasured;

It is disgraced if made like its likes,

So it is neither protected nor polished.

For it is not to be preserved or polished.

فطالَ النَّديمُ ولو يَستطِيعُ

فطالَ النَّديمُ ولو يَستطِيعُ

بكَى الوَردُ والدَّنُ والمِبذَلُ

بكَى الوَردُ والدَّنُ والمِبذَلُ

So the boon companion grew tall; and, if they could,

The cupbearer had his fill, and if he could

The roses, the wine jar, and the everyday robe would weep.

The roses, the pots, and the poured out would weep.

وكُنتَ تُشاهِدُه فاعلاً

وكُنتَ تُشاهِدُه فاعلاً

غَداةَ الصَّبوحِ كما يَفعَلُ

غَداةَ الصَّبوحِ كما يَفعَلُ

And you used to see it doing so,

And you used to see him working

At the morning draught, as it would.

In the morning as he does.

أقولُ ونَعْشُكَ فَوقَ الرِّقابِ

أقولُ ونَعْشُكَ فَوقَ الرِّقابِ

بمثلِك يَحتَفِلُ المَحْفِلُ

بمثلِك يَحتَفِلُ المَحْفِلُ

I say, as your bier is borne above their necks:

I say, and your bier above the necks

The gathering makes much of the likes of you.

As the likes of you the assembly honors.

تَمَلَّ الجديدَ الذي شِنتَه

تَمَلَّ الجديدَ الذي شِنتَه

فمازِلتَ في خَلَقٍ تَرفُلُ

فمازِلتَ في خَلَقٍ تَرفُلُ

Enjoy the new garment you have marred,

You have filled the new clothes you wore,

For you always strutted in threadbare clothes.

So you still walk about proudly.

وجادَت ثَراكَ على بُخلِ من

وجادَت ثَراكَ على بُخلِ من

يَحِلُّ به ديمةٌ تَهطِلُ

يَحِلُّ به ديمةٌ تَهطِلُ

And may your earth be drenched, despite the stinginess of him

And your wealth poured forth to one who

Who dwells there, by steady, pouring rain.

Dawns upon him a rain that flows.

فإنَّك مِن معشرٍ فضلًهم

فإنَّك مِن معشرٍ فضلًهم

قديمٌ وإيمانًهم أوَّلُ

قديمٌ وإيمانًهم أوَّلُ

For you belong to a people whose excellence

For you are from a people whose nobility

Is ancient, and whose faith came first.

Is old, and their faith is first.

لَهم بالصناعةِ لا بِالصَّنِي

لَهم بالصناعةِ لا بِالصَّنِي

عِ سِترٌ على غيرهِم مُسْبَلُ

عِ سِترٌ على غيرهِم مُسْبَلُ

Theirs, through craftsmanship, not through beneficence,

They have, by craft, not lineage,

Is a covering draped over others.

A shelter over others spread out.