عُذِلتُ وهَلْ عَذْلُ المُتيَّمِ نافِعُه

عُذِلتُ وهَلْ عَذْلُ المُتيَّمِ نافِعُه

وأُسمِعْتُ لو أصغَى إلى اللَّومِ سامِعُه

وأُسمِعْتُ لو أصغَى إلى اللَّومِ سامِعُه

I was reproached—but can reproach benefit one enslaved by love?

I was blamed, but does blaming the bereaved benefit him?

And I was made to hear blame—if only its hearer would heed it.

And I was made to hear, had the blamer listened to blame, its listener.

تَعَرَّقَه الصَّبرُ الجَميلُوفي الحَشا

تَعَرَّقَه الصَّبرُ الجَميلُوفي الحَشا

رَسيسُ هَوىً تَنْهَلُّ عنه مَدامِعُه

رَسيسُ هَوىً تَنْهَلُّ عنه مَدامِعُه

Noble patience has worn him away, while in his breast

Patience embellished him, and in adversity,

Lies love's abiding trace, from which his tears stream.

The guide of love whose tears flow from him.

وهَلْ لمُحِبِّ طاوَعَ الشَّوْقَ دَمعُه

وهَلْ لمُحِبِّ طاوَعَ الشَّوْقَ دَمعُه

على بُعْدِ مَنْ يَهواهُ صَبْرٌ يُطاوِعُه

على بُعْدِ مَنْ يَهواهُ صَبْرٌ يُطاوِعُه

And does a lover whose tears have yielded to longing

Can a lover who desire overwhelms restrain his tears

Have patience that yields to him, with his beloved far away?

When distant from the one he loves, can patience restrain him?

وَقَفْنا نَذودُ الدَّمْعَ والدَّمْعُ سَافحٌ

وَقَفْنا نَذودُ الدَّمْعَ والدَّمْعُ سَافحٌ

وعُجْنا نُحيِّي الرَّبعَ والشَّوْقُ رابِعُه

وعُجْنا نُحيِّي الرَّبعَ والشَّوْقُ رابِعُه

We stood trying to hold back tears, while the tears streamed,

We stood, blocking tears while tears poured,

And turned aside to greet the dwelling, where longing dwelt.

And we lived to revive times while longing was ever-present.

فأَلبسَني جِزعاه حُلَّةَ جازِعٍ

فأَلبسَني جِزعاه حُلَّةَ جازِعٍ

وجَرَّعَني ماءَ الغَرامِ أجارِعُه

وجَرَّعَني ماءَ الغَرامِ أجارِعُه

So its two valley-bends clothed me in a distraught man's robe,

So his misery clothed me in the garb of one stricken with misery,

And its sandy flats made me drink the water of passion.

And made me drink the water of love in gulps.

أعاتبُ طَرْفي أن يُفيضَ دُموعَه

أعاتبُ طَرْفي أن يُفيضَ دُموعَه

وإنْ جَرَّ قلبي أن تُذاعَ وَدائِعُه

وإنْ جَرَّ قلبي أن تُذاعَ وَدائِعُه

I reproach my eye for pouring out its tears,

I blame my eye for shedding its tears

Though my heart caused its secrets to be divulged.

And my heart for broadcasting its secrets.

ولستُ أُضِيعُ الحَزمَ في فَيْضِ عَبرَةٍ

ولستُ أُضِيعُ الحَزمَ في فَيْضِ عَبرَةٍ

لِفَقْدِ شَبابٍ ليسَ يُوجَدُ ضائِعُه

لِفَقْدِ شَبابٍ ليسَ يُوجَدُ ضائِعُه

And I do not squander sound judgment in a flood of tears

Nor will I squander my composure in a torrent of tears

For the loss of youth, which, once lost, cannot be recovered.

For the loss of youth whose loser cannot be found.

وكم في عَدِيٍّ من كُهولٍ وفِتيَةٍ

وكم في عَدِيٍّ من كُهولٍ وفِتيَةٍ

كِرامٍ لهم كَهْلُ السَّماحِ ويافعُه

كِرامٍ لهم كَهْلُ السَّماحِ ويافعُه

And how many mature men and youths there are in Adiyy,

And how many honorable young and old men are in the tribe

Noble men, possessing generosity in its maturity and youth.

Whose old age is venerable and its youth commendable.

جَزَيناهُمُ حَمْداً لحُسْنِ صَنيعِهِم

جَزَيناهُمُ حَمْداً لحُسْنِ صَنيعِهِم

وكلُّ امرئٍ يُجْزَى بما هو صانِعُه

وكلُّ امرئٍ يُجْزَى بما هو صانِعُه

We repaid them with praise for their gracious deeds,

We thanked them for their good treatment,

And every man is repaid for what he does.

And each man is rewarded for what he makes.

إذا المجدُ أمسى في المُلوكِ مُفَرَّقاً

إذا المجدُ أمسى في المُلوكِ مُفَرَّقاً

فَفِي تَغلبٍ يُمسي ويُصبحُ جامعُه

فَفِي تَغلبٍ يُمسي ويُصبحُ جامعُه

When glory is scattered among kings at dusk,

When glory resides in kings distributed,

Its gatherer is in Taghlib at dusk and at dawn.

In Tughlub it resides and wakes and sleeps collected.

وإن كانَ عبدُ الله شاد لها العُلا

وإن كانَ عبدُ الله شاد لها العُلا

فإنَّ عَليّاً في الذي شادَ تابعُه

فإنَّ عَليّاً في الذي شادَ تابعُه

And if Abd Allah raised lofty glory for it,

And if Abdullah built its elevation,

Then Ali follows him in what he raised.

Then Ali is he who followed in its building.

فتىً شَرَعَ المجدَ المُؤثَّلَ فالعُلا

فتىً شَرَعَ المجدَ المُؤثَّلَ فالعُلا

مآربُه والمكرُماتُ شَرائِعُه

مآربُه والمكرُماتُ شَرائِعُه

A youth who established deep-rooted glory—lofty heights

A young man who paved the way to abundant glory,

Are his aims, and noble deeds his laws.

His goals being noble deeds and generosity his way.

فلا جودَ إلاّ ما تُفيدُ يمينُه

فلا جودَ إلاّ ما تُفيدُ يمينُه

ولا مجدَ إلاّ ما تَشيدُ وقائِعُه

ولا مجدَ إلاّ ما تَشيدُ وقائِعُه

So there is no generosity but what his right hand bestows,

No generosity except what his hand bestows,

And no glory but what his battles build.

No glory save what his feats build.

إذا وَعدَ السَّرَّاءَ أنجَزَ وعدَه

إذا وَعدَ السَّرَّاءَ أنجَزَ وعدَه

وإن أوعَدَ الضَّرَّاءَ فالعَفوُ مانِعُه

وإن أوعَدَ الضَّرَّاءَ فالعَفوُ مانِعُه

When he promises well-being, he fulfills his promise,

When he promises good fortune he fulfills his promise,

And if he threatens suffering, pardon holds him back.

But if he promises harm, forgiveness prevents him.

يَحِنُّ إلى وِرْدِ المَنيَّةِ حاسِراً

يَحِنُّ إلى وِرْدِ المَنيَّةِ حاسِراً

إذا حانَ عن وِرْدِ المَنيَّةِ دَارِعُه

إذا حانَ عن وِرْدِ المَنيَّةِ دَارِعُه

He yearns, unarmored, to drink at death's watering place,

He inclines towards the path of death recklessly,

When his armored warrior draws back from death's watering place.

When warding off the path of death opposes him.

هُوَ الدَّهْرُ يِجري في البَرِيَّةِ بأسُه

هُوَ الدَّهْرُ يِجري في البَرِيَّةِ بأسُه

بُبؤسى وتَجري بالسُّعودِ صَنائِعُه

بُبؤسى وتَجري بالسُّعودِ صَنائِعُه

He is Time: his might courses through humankind

Such is time, its harm touches the wilderness,

With affliction, while his benefactions flow with good fortune.

While its good fortunes touch his achievements.

رمَى اللهُ أرضَ الرُّومِ منه بقاسمٍ

رمَى اللهُ أرضَ الرُّومِ منه بقاسمٍ

يَروعُ العِدا قبلَ الكَريهَةِ رائِعُه

يَروعُ العِدا قبلَ الكَريهَةِ رائِعُه

God hurled Qasim from him against the Romans' land,

God cast upon Rum's land Qasim from him,

His fearsome presence terrifies the foe before battle.

Frightening the enemy before the loathed thing horrifies it.

يَعودُ إلى الرُّمحِ الرُّدَينيِّ ماؤُه

يَعودُ إلى الرُّمحِ الرُّدَينيِّ ماؤُه

ويُورِقُ إن ضُمَّتْ عليه أصابِعُه

ويُورِقُ إن ضُمَّتْ عليه أصابِعُه

To the Rudayni spear its sap returns,

He returns to the reddened spear its water,

And it puts forth leaves when his fingers close around it.

And it grows leaves if he wraps his fingers around it.

ولمَّا تراءَى للعدوِّ مُصَمِّماَ

ولمَّا تراءَى للعدوِّ مُصَمِّماَ

تراءَتْ له تحتَ العَجاجِ مَصارِعُه

تراءَتْ له تحتَ العَجاجِ مَصارِعُه

And when he appeared before the enemy, resolute,

And when he appeared determined to the enemy,

The foe saw his own death-sites beneath the swirling dust.

Its death throes beneath the armor appeared to them.

فآبَ سًليبَ الغُمْضِ تَحسِبُ أنَّه

فآبَ سًليبَ الغُمْضِ تَحسِبُ أنَّه

من الرُّعْبِ صَبٌّ قد أُقِضَّتْ مَضاجِعُه

من الرُّعْبِ صَبٌّ قد أُقِضَّتْ مَضاجِعُه

So he returned, robbed of sleep; you would think him,

Sulayb turns away blinded thinking

From terror, a lovesick man whose beds had been strewn with grit.

That from fear a downpour has flooded his bed.

وإن عَفَتِ الأقدارُ عنه فقَد عَفَتْ

وإن عَفَتِ الأقدارُ عنه فقَد عَفَتْ

مَصايفُه منه وَأَقْوَتْ مرابِعُه

مَصايفُه منه وَأَقْوَتْ مرابِعُه

And though the fates have spared him, effaced now are

And if fate relents from him, then it has relented

His summer quarters, bereft of him, and deserted his spring abodes.

From shedding his blood and strengthened his rivals.

لِيَهْنِ الأميرَ التَّغلبيَّ قُدومُه

لِيَهْنِ الأميرَ التَّغلبيَّ قُدومُه

وفَتحٌ تَوالتْ بالسُّعودِ طوالِعُه

وفَتحٌ تَوالتْ بالسُّعودِ طوالِعُه

May his arrival gladden the Taghlibi prince,

So that the amir Tughlubi's arrival disgraces him

And a victory whose omens rose in succession with good fortune.

And openings come one after another with good fortune.

نَشَرْتُ له في كلِّ شَرْقٍ ومَغْرِبٍ

نَشَرْتُ له في كلِّ شَرْقٍ ومَغْرِبٍ

ثَناءً تُرَوِّي السَّامِعين بَدائِعُه

ثَناءً تُرَوِّي السَّامِعين بَدائِعُه

I have spread for him throughout every east and west

I have spread in every east and west for him

Praise whose marvels quench the listeners' thirst.

Praise that entertains listeners with its wonders.

فأيُّ لَبيبٍ ليسَ يَبسِمُ قلبُه

فأيُّ لَبيبٍ ليسَ يَبسِمُ قلبُه

سُروراً إذا أَصغَتْ إليه مَسامِعُه

سُروراً إذا أَصغَتْ إليه مَسامِعُه

So what discerning man's heart would not smile

What sensible person does not smile in his heart

With joy when his ears listen to it?

With joy when his ears listen to it?

مَلَكْتَ زِمامَ الدَّهْرِ في كلِّ حالَةٍ

مَلَكْتَ زِمامَ الدَّهْرِ في كلِّ حالَةٍ

فليسَ يَضُرُّ الدَّهرُ مَنْ أنتَ نافِعُه

فليسَ يَضُرُّ الدَّهرُ مَنْ أنتَ نافِعُه

You hold Time's reins in every circumstance,

You have grasped the reins of fate in every situation,

So Time does not harm anyone you benefit.

So fate cannot harm the one whose benefit you are.

وأومَضَ لي من جُودِ كَفِّكَ لامِعٌ

وأومَضَ لي من جُودِ كَفِّكَ لامِعٌ

وما الغَيْثُ إلا حيثُ يُومِضُ لامِعُه

وما الغَيْثُ إلا حيثُ يُومِضُ لامِعُه

And a gleam from your hand's bounty flashed for me,

And a brilliant flash sparked for me from your palms’ generosity,

And rain falls only where its lightning flashes.

And is the rain not where its brilliant flash sparks?

فأغنيتَني بالجُودِ عن كلِّ مُمْسِكٍ

فأغنيتَني بالجُودِ عن كلِّ مُمْسِكٍ

أكافِحُه عن جُودِهِ وأُقارِعُه

أكافِحُه عن جُودِهِ وأُقارِعُه

So your bounty made me independent of every miser

So you have made me needless of every stingy one

Whom I confront and battle for his bounty.

I struggle against for his generosity and dispute.