استوف شأويك من عز وتمكين — Al Tutili

استوفِ شَأْوَيْكَ من عزٍّ وتمكينِ

واذهبْ بحظَّيْكَ منْ دنيا ومن دينِ

Attain your two goals of glory and power;

And go forth with your two shares, of this world and of faith.

وَافْرُغْ لشأنيكَ من بأْسٍ ومنْ كَرَمٍ

بطشٌ شديدٌ ومنٌّ غيرُ مَمْنُون

And devote yourself to your two pursuits: martial might and generosity.

Fierce assault, and bounty that never ceases.

وكِلْ عِدَاك لما تَطْوي صُدُورُهُمُ

يكفيكَ منهمْ ويكفيهمْ ويكفيني

And leave your enemies to what their breasts conceal;

It will suffice you against them, and suffice both them and me.

وزاحمِ النجْمَ في عُليا مطالعه

فليس قَدْرُكَ بالأدْنى ولا الدُّون

And vie with the star at the highest of its rising-places;

For your rank is neither low nor inferior.

واجعلْ مُحَيّاكَ لي عبداً أُسرُّ به

فإنْ فعلتَ فما حظّي بمغبون

And make your countenance a servant to me, in whom I delight;

And if you do, my portion will suffer no loss.

وارْتَحْ إلى الحمدِ من قُرْبٍ ومن بُعُدٍ

فإنّهُ خُلُقٌ منْ آلِ حَمْدين

And delight in praise, from near and far,

For it is a trait of the house of Hamdin:

الضامنينَ لما قالوا إذا هَرَفَتْ

بعضُ الرجال بِنُكرٍ غيرِ مضمون

Those who guarantee what they say, when babbling comes

From some men, with outlandish, unwarranted claims;

والحاكمينَ لما شاؤوا إذا غُمِزَتْ

بعضُ الرجال بمردودٍ وموهون

And who decree what they wish, when fault is found

With some men for what is refuted and unsound.

أقمارُ حُسْنٍ وإحسانٍ أُسودُ شرىً

وغاثةٌ مُزْنُ تأميلٍ وتأمين

Moons of beauty and beneficence, lions of Shara,

And rescuers, rainclouds of hope and safety.

ما شئتَ في السّلْمِ منْ حلمٍ ومن كَرمٍ

وفي لظى الحربِ أمثالُ المجانين

In peace, all the forbearance and generosity you could wish;

And in war's blaze, the likes of madmen.

إنّ السَّرَاءَةَ لا تزْكُو لِمُختَبِرٍ

حتى يكونَ لها حظٌّ من اللين

Indeed, nobility does not prove its worth to one who tests it,

Until it has a share of gentleness.

منَ الأراقمِ صالوا كلَّ يومِ وغىً

إذْ كلُّ أرْقمَ يعدو فوقَ تِنّين

Of al-Araqim, they charged on every battle-day,

As each spotted serpent raced upon a dragon.

فازتْ قِدَاحُ أبيهمْ حينض أرْسلَها

بكلِّ عِلْقٍ منَ العلياءِ مَكْنُون

Their father's lot-arrows won, when he cast them,

Every precious treasure hidden in the heights of glory.

ربيعةُ القُرَشيْ السامي بِهِمَّتِهِ

منهُ إلى نَسَبٍ بالنَّجْمِ مَقْرون

Rabi'a the Qurashi, soaring through his ambition,

From himself to a lineage linked with the star.

ومن كُلَيْبٍ أفادوا كلَّ مَكْرُمةٍ

قَتْلَ الملوكِ وإحياءَ المساكين

And from Kulayb they gained every noble virtue:

Slaying kings and giving life to the poor.

وما أخوهُ عديٌّ إذ يقومُ بها

يومَ الذْنائبِ في وَهْنٍ ولا هون

Nor was his brother Adi, when he undertook it,

On the day of al-Dhana'ib, in weakness or humiliation.

حياةُ صِدْقٍ ومَوْتٌ في ذُرى كَرمٍ

يا نفسَ كلِّ كريمٍ هكذا كوني

A life of integrity, and death on the summits of nobility—

O soul of every noble man, be thus!

وكم أبٍ لكَ لولا طيبُ عُنصُرِهِ

لم يُوجَدِ الطيبُ طبعاً في الرَّياحين

And many a forefather of yours—were it not for the sweetness of his stock,

Fragrance would not be found naturally in sweet-scented herbs.