أَقولُ لِسَعْدٍ وَهْوَ لِلْمَجْدِ مُقْتَنٍ

أَقولُ لِسَعْدٍ وَهْوَ لِلْمَجْدِ مُقْتَنٍ

وَلِلْحَمْدِ مُرْتادٌ وَلِلْعَهْدِ حافِظُ

وَلِلْحَمْدِ مُرْتادٌ وَلِلْعَهْدِ حافِظُ

I say to Saʿd, as he gathers glory,

I say to Sa'd while he is dedicated to glory

seeks praise, and keeps his pledge:

And inclined to praise and faithful to his word

أُخَيَّ أَمَا تَرْتاحُ لِلسَّيْرِ إِذْ بَدا

أُخَيَّ أَمَا تَرْتاحُ لِلسَّيْرِ إِذْ بَدا

سَناً لِحُشاشَاتِ الدُّجُنَّةِ لافِظُ

سَناً لِحُشاشَاتِ الدُّجُنَّةِ لافِظُ

“Dear brother, are you not eager to journey, now that there has appeared

O brother, do you not rest from this journey when

a radiance casting out the last remnants of darkness?”

It shines out to the owls of the thickets, vigilant

فَهَبَّ يُنادي صَاحِبيْهِ وَطَرْفُهُ

فَهَبَّ يُنادي صَاحِبيْهِ وَطَرْفُهُ

عَنِ النَّجْمِ مُزْوَرٌّ وَلِلْفَجْرِ لاحِظُ

عَنِ النَّجْمِ مُزْوَرٌّ وَلِلْفَجْرِ لاحِظُ

Then he sprang up, calling his two companions, his gaze

So he calls out to his companions while his glance

averted from the star and watching for dawn.

Turns from the star and he watches the dawn

وَظَلَّ يَبُزُّ النّاجِياتِ مِراحَها

وَظَلَّ يَبُزُّ النّاجِياتِ مِراحَها

إِلَيْكَ أَبا المِغوارِ وَالسَّيْرُ باهِظُ

إِلَيْكَ أَبا المِغوارِ وَالسَّيْرُ باهِظُ

And he kept robbing the swift she-camels of their vigor,

And he continued to advance his DOVEs while their

on his way to you, Abu al-Mighwar, though the journey weighed heavily.

Pasture was precious to you, O father of migwar, and the journey expensive

وَجاءَكَ وَالأَيّامُ خْزْرٌ عُيونُها

وَجاءَكَ وَالأَيّامُ خْزْرٌ عُيونُها

تُلاينُهُ طَوْراً وَطَوْراً تُغالِظُ

تُلاينُهُ طَوْراً وَطَوْراً تُغالِظُ

And he came to you, the days’ eyes glaring askance,

And he came to you while the days were green, their

treating him gently at times, and harshly at others.

Eyes overflowing, sometimes gentle and sometimes harsh

فَردَّتْ بِغَيْظٍ عَنْهُ حينَ أَجَرْتَهُ

فَردَّتْ بِغَيْظٍ عَنْهُ حينَ أَجَرْتَهُ

فَلا الخَطْبُ مَرْهوبٌ وَلا الدَّهْرُ غائِظُ

فَلا الخَطْبُ مَرْهوبٌ وَلا الدَّهْرُ غائِظُ

So they were driven back from him in rage when you granted him refuge,

So she turned away from him angrily when you granted him refuge

so no calamity is feared, nor does Time provoke anger.

So neither is the matter dreadful nor is fate cruel

وَمَدَّ إِلَيكَ البَاعَ حَتّى أَطالَهُ

وَمَدَّ إِلَيكَ البَاعَ حَتّى أَطالَهُ

بِذي قُدْرَةٍ تَرْفَضُّ عَنها الحَفائِظُ

بِذي قُدْرَةٍ تَرْفَضُّ عَنها الحَفائِظُ

And he stretched his arm toward you until its reach grew long,

And he extended to you his goods until it was prolonged

through one whose power makes resentments scatter.

With the All Powerful who turns away from it the vigilant

عَلَوْتَ فَفُقْتَ النَّجْمَ حتّى تَخاوَصَتْ

عَلَوْتَ فَفُقْتَ النَّجْمَ حتّى تَخاوَصَتْ

إِليكَ عُيونُ الشُّهْبِ وَهْي جَواحِظُ

إِليكَ عُيونُ الشُّهْبِ وَهْي جَواحِظُ

You rose and surpassed the star, until they squinted

You ascended and surpassed the star until

toward you—the eyes of the bright stars, though they bulged.

The eyes of the shooting stars came to you beseeching

فَسَيْبُكَ مَأْمولٌ وَجارُكَ آمِنٌ

فَسَيْبُكَ مَأْمولٌ وَجارُكَ آمِنٌ

وَمَشْتَى رِكابي في جَنابِكَ قائِظُ

وَمَشْتَى رِكابي في جَنابِكَ قائِظُ

So your bounty is hoped for, and your neighbor is safe,

So your request is hopeful and your neighbor is safe

and my riding-camels’ winter camp in your precincts is summer-warm.

And my stance steadfast by your side, vigilant

أَقولُ لِمَنْ يَبْغِي مَداكَ وَقَدْ رَأَى

أَقولُ لِمَنْ يَبْغِي مَداكَ وَقَدْ رَأَى

عَدُوَّكَ في أَرْجائِهِ وَهْوَ فائِظُ

عَدُوَّكَ في أَرْجائِهِ وَهْوَ فائِظُ

I say to whoever seeks your reach, though he has seen

I say to one who seeks to reach you when he has seen

your enemy within its bounds, dying:

Your enemy powerless and submissive

أَواضِعَ جَفْنٍ فَوْقَ آخَرَ مِنْ كَرىً

أَواضِعَ جَفْنٍ فَوْقَ آخَرَ مِنْ كَرىً

مَتى لَحِقَتْ شَأْوَ الصَّميمِ الوَشَائِظُ

مَتى لَحِقَتْ شَأْوَ الصَّميمِ الوَشَائِظُ

“O you who lay one eyelid over the other in sleep,

Be gentle, though above another of worries

when have hangers-on attained the stature of the trueborn?

When the sorrows of the heart sincere convene

تَنَبَّهْ وَنَفِّضْ غُبَّرَ النَّوْمِ فَالعُلا

تَنَبَّهْ وَنَفِّضْ غُبَّرَ النَّوْمِ فَالعُلا

بَغيضٌ إِلَيْها النّائِمُ المُتياقِظُ

بَغيضٌ إِلَيْها النّائِمُ المُتياقِظُ

Awake, and shake off sleep’s remnants, for lofty glory

Awaken, shake off the dust of sleep for glory

abhors the sleeper who feigns wakefulness.

Hates the sleeping wakeful one

إِذَا المَرْءُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ إِلى الرُّشْدِ طَائِعاً

إِذَا المَرْءُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ إِلى الرُّشْدِ طَائِعاً

أُذِيقَ الرَّدى كُرْهاً وَفي السَّيْفِ واعِظُ

أُذِيقَ الرَّدى كُرْهاً وَفي السَّيْفِ واعِظُ

When a man does not hasten willingly toward right guidance,

When a man does not voluntarily hasten to righteousness

he is made to taste death against his will—and in the sword is an admonisher.”

He tastes misery unwillingly and in the sword lies a lesson