ومعرِّضٍ بأبي المحاسنِ بعدَ ما

ومعرِّضٍ بأبي المحاسنِ بعدَ ما

عثرَ الزمانُ به وغيَّرَ حالَهُ

عثرَ الزمانُ به وغيَّرَ حالَهُ

And one cast slurs on Abu al-Mahasin after

After excelling, being lauded, and having

Time had made him stumble and changed his condition.

Time overthrow and change his state,

حسَدَ الفتَى لما تقاعسَ دونَهُ

حسَدَ الفتَى لما تقاعسَ دونَهُ

وأبَى له قِصَرُ الزمانِ منالَهُ

وأبَى له قِصَرُ الزمانِ منالَهُ

He envied the young man when he fell short of him,

The youth envied him when he fell behind

and time's brevity denied him his goal.

And time denied him what he sought.

قد قلتُ لمَّا سَلَّ فيه لسانَهُ

قد قلتُ لمَّا سَلَّ فيه لسانَهُ

سَفَهاً وعارضَ بالمصونِ مُذالَهُ

سَفَهاً وعارضَ بالمصونِ مُذالَهُ

I said, when he unsheathed his tongue against him

When his tongue erred and spoke foolishly

in folly, pitting his debased tongue against the guarded one:

And he opposed and slandered his protector,

مهلاً فقد أُوتيتَ بسطةَ جاههِ

مهلاً فقد أُوتيتَ بسطةَ جاههِ

وأجلَّ منه فما عشرتَ خِصالَهُ

وأجلَّ منه فما عشرتَ خِصالَهُ

Easy now! You have been granted the breadth of his prestige,

I said: “Wait! You were given his broad generosity

and greater still; yet you have not matched a tenth of his virtues.

And he is far nobler. You have not his traits-

هل عِبتَ إِن أنصفَت إِلّا أنه

هل عِبتَ إِن أنصفَت إِلّا أنه

طلبَ العَلاءَ وجدَّ فيه فنالَهُ

طلبَ العَلاءَ وجدَّ فيه فنالَهُ

Have you faulted him, if you are fair, for anything but that he

Do you blame him if you judge fairly, except that

sought eminence, strove for it, and so attained it?

He sought highness and attained it fully?

هلّا ذكرتَ له كرائمَ خِيمهِ

هلّا ذكرتَ له كرائمَ خِيمهِ

ونشرتَ عنه فعالَهُ ومقالَهُ

ونشرتَ عنه فعالَهُ ومقالَهُ

Why did you not mention, to his credit, his noble qualities of character,

Why not recall his tent’s nobilities,

and make known his deeds and his words?

Proclaim his deeds and words, thereby extol him?

حذفَ الزمانُ فضولَ عيشٍ شاغلٍ

حذفَ الزمانُ فضولَ عيشٍ شاغلٍ

عنهُ وخلَّدَ مجدَهُ وفَعالَهُ

عنهُ وخلَّدَ مجدَهُ وفَعالَهُ

Time cut away the excesses of a distracting life

Time has removed the excess of a busy life

from him, and immortalized his glory and his deeds.

And perpetuated his glory and his acts,

فأبانَ عنه بُخلَهُ ونَوالَهُ

فأبانَ عنه بُخلَهُ ونَوالَهُ

وأشاع فيه هَدْيَهُ وضلالَهُ

وأشاع فيه هَدْيَهُ وضلالَهُ

Thus, in his case, it revealed its stinginess and bounty,

Exposing his stinginess and sensuality,

and made known in him its guidance and its error.

Spreading his guidance and his misguidance.

ما الدهرُ إِلّا عاطلٌ من بعدِه

ما الدهرُ إِلّا عاطلٌ من بعدِه

ضاحي المُحَيَّا مذ أزاحَ ظِلالَهُ

ضاحي المُحَيَّا مذ أزاحَ ظِلالَهُ

Time is but bereft of adornment after him,

After him time is but an idler, though

its face exposed to the sun since it removed his shade.

It was radiant when his shade gave shelter.”

ولعلَّهُ يوماً يُحِسُّ بقبْحِه

ولعلَّهُ يوماً يُحِسُّ بقبْحِه

من بعدِه فيُعيدُ فيه جَمالَهُ

من بعدِه فيُعيدُ فيه جَمالَهُ

And perhaps one day it will sense its ugliness

Perhaps one day it will rue its vileness

after him, and restore its beauty through him.

And give back to him his former beauty.