حَلَفْتُ بمَرْقوعِ الأظَلِّ تَشَبَّثَتْ

حَلَفْتُ بمَرْقوعِ الأظَلِّ تَشَبَّثَتْ

بهِ فَلواتٌ نِلْنَ منْ خُطُواتِهِ

بهِ فَلواتٌ نِلْنَ منْ خُطُواتِهِ

I swore by the camel with patched footpads, gripped

I swore by the declining shadows,

by deserts that had taken their toll on its strides:

Clinging to it are pliant branches, swaying at its steps.

لأبْتَغِيَنَّ العِزَّ حتى أنالَهُ

لأبْتَغِيَنَّ العِزَّ حتى أنالَهُ

وأنْتَزِعَنَّ المَجْدَ منْ سَكِناتِهِ

وأنْتَزِعَنَّ المَجْدَ منْ سَكِناتِهِ

I shall surely seek honor until I attain it,

I will seek glory until I attain it,

and wrest glory from its resting places.

And wrest splendor from its dwellings.

فخَيْرٌ لمَنْ يُغْضي الجُفونَ على القَذى

فخَيْرٌ لمَنْ يُغْضي الجُفونَ على القَذى

ويَضْرَعُ للأعْداءِ فقْدُ حَياتِهِ

ويَضْرَعُ للأعْداءِ فقْدُ حَياتِهِ

Better for one who closes his eyelids on grit

So better for one who closes his eyelids on motes

and grovels before enemies is the loss of his life.

And supplicates his enemies, losing his life.

وما أنْسَ لا أنْسَ العِراقَ وربُّهُ

وما أنْسَ لا أنْسَ العِراقَ وربُّهُ

يُخادعُهُ أشياعُهُ عنْ أناتِهِ

يُخادعُهُ أشياعُهُ عنْ أناتِهِ

Whatever I forget, I shall not forget Iraq, whose ruler

How pleasant, no pleasant but Iraq and its Lord

his partisans beguile out of his forbearance.

Who is deceived about its groans.

ويُغْرونَهُ بيَ والإباءُ سجيّتي

ويُغْرونَهُ بيَ والإباءُ سجيّتي

إذا خوّفوني ضَلّةً سَطَواتِهِ

إذا خوّفوني ضَلّةً سَطَواتِهِ

They incite him against me, though refusal to yield is my nature,

They seduce Him against me, while adamance is my nature,

when, in folly, they threaten me with his onslaughts.

When they frighten me with His overwhelming power.

فزُرْتُ عِمادَ الدّينِ معتَصِماً بهِ

فزُرْتُ عِمادَ الدّينِ معتَصِماً بهِ

أسورُ سُؤُورَ الليْثِ في وَثَباتِهِ

أسورُ سُؤُورَ الليْثِ في وَثَباتِهِ

So I visited Imad al-Din, seeking his protection,

So I resorted to the pillar of the faith, adhering to him,

springing as a lion springs in its leaps.

My arms binding the paws of the lion in its leaping.

فصدَّقَ ظنّي صدّقَ اللهُ ظنّهُ

فصدَّقَ ظنّي صدّقَ اللهُ ظنّهُ

بِما لا تُناجيهِ المُنى منْ هِباتِهِ

بِما لا تُناجيهِ المُنى منْ هِباتِهِ

He fulfilled my hopes—may God fulfill his—

He believed my suspicions, May God confirm his suspicions,

with gifts of his that wishes cannot even whisper of.

With that which hopes do not share from its gifts.

ورُعْتُ بهِ مَنْ لَوْ تأمّلَ صارِمي

ورُعْتُ بهِ مَنْ لَوْ تأمّلَ صارِمي

رأى المَوْتَ يَرْنو نَحوَهُ منْ شَباتِهِ

رأى المَوْتَ يَرْنو نَحوَهُ منْ شَباتِهِ

And through him I terrified one who, had he studied my keen sword,

I am deterred by him from one who, if he looked at my sword,

would have seen death gazing toward him from its sharp edges.

Saw death inclining toward him from its sharpness.

فأعْرَضَ عنهُ بعْدَما سابَقَ الرّدى

فأعْرَضَ عنهُ بعْدَما سابَقَ الرّدى

إليهِ غَداةَ الرَّوْعِ صدْرُ قَناتِهِ

إليهِ غَداةَ الرَّوْعِ صدْرُ قَناتِهِ

Then he turned away from him, after a race with death

But he turned away after fate had outstripped

toward him, on terror's morning, by the point of his lance.

In the morning at dawn, the chest of its scoop.

وغادَرَني نِضْوَ الهُمومِ بمَنْزلٍ

وغادَرَني نِضْوَ الهُمومِ بمَنْزلٍ

تَعيبُ الحُبارى شُبْهَةً في بُزاتِهِ

تَعيبُ الحُبارى شُبْهَةً في بُزاتِهِ

And he left me wasted by cares, in a dwelling

He left me the brightness of worries in a position

where the bustard finds its falcons suspect.

That the ignorant impugn in its separation.

فثِبْ يا عُبَيدَ اللهِ وثْبَةَ ماجِدٍ

فثِبْ يا عُبَيدَ اللهِ وثْبَةَ ماجِدٍ

أُعيرَ المَضاءَ السّيْفُ منْ عَزَماتِهِ

أُعيرَ المَضاءَ السّيْفُ منْ عَزَماتِهِ

So leap, O Ubayd Allah, with a noble man's leap,

So rise, O servants of God, with the rising of the glorious,

whose resolves have lent the sword its sharpness.

Whose sword was borrowed for his determination.

ولا تَحْسَبَنَّ المالَ مما يَروقُني

ولا تَحْسَبَنَّ المالَ مما يَروقُني

فقِدْماً سَمَوْنا للغِنى منْ جِهاتِهِ

فقِدْماً سَمَوْنا للغِنى منْ جِهاتِهِ

And never think wealth is among my delights;

Do not think wealth pleases me,

for long ago we rose to wealth through its avenues.

For we have transcended, thanks to Him, its aspects.

ولي همّةٌ تَهْفو إِلى كلِّ سُؤْدَدٍ

ولي همّةٌ تَهْفو إِلى كلِّ سُؤْدَدٍ

تَفرّعَ آبائي ذُرا هَضَباتِهِ

تَفرّعَ آبائي ذُرا هَضَباتِهِ

And I have an ambition that yearns for every eminence

I have an ambition that aspires to every lofty seat

whose hilltops my forefathers scaled,

My forefathers branched out in its plateaus.

وتَبْغي لديْكَ الانتصارَ من امرئٍ

وتَبْغي لديْكَ الانتصارَ من امرئٍ

إذا عُدَّ مَجْدٌ كانَ في أخرَياتِهِ

إذا عُدَّ مَجْدٌ كانَ في أخرَياتِهِ

and seeks at your hands redress against a man

It seeks your victory over a man

who, when glory is reckoned, stands in its rearmost ranks.

Whose glory, if reckoned, was among its ruins

وآباؤُهُ مَنْ تَعْرفونَ مِنَ الوَرى

وآباؤُهُ مَنْ تَعْرفونَ مِنَ الوَرى

ولولا التُّقى عرَّفْتُكُمْ أمَّهاتِهِ

ولولا التُّقى عرَّفْتُكُمْ أمَّهاتِهِ

His forefathers are men you know among mankind;

And his forefathers are those you know among mankind

and but for piety, I would make his mothers known to you.

And were it not for piety, I would have made his mothers known.

ومُلْتَحِفٍ بالأمْنِ مَنْ أنتَ جارُهُ

ومُلْتَحِفٍ بالأمْنِ مَنْ أنتَ جارُهُ

ولوْ كان آسادُ الشّرى منْ عُداتِهِ

ولوْ كان آسادُ الشّرى منْ عُداتِهِ

Whoever has you for a protector is wrapped in safety,

Clinging to security is he who is your neighbor

even if the lions of al-Shara are among his foes.

Even if the lions of evil are his comrades.

فراعِ حُقوقَ الفَضْلِ فيَّ ولا تُقِلْ

فراعِ حُقوقَ الفَضْلِ فيَّ ولا تُقِلْ

عَدوّاً رَماني بالأذى عَثَراتِهِ

عَدوّاً رَماني بالأذى عَثَراتِهِ

So honor the claims of merit in me, and do not excuse

So heed the rights of virtue regarding me and do not

the missteps of an enemy who has hurled harm at me.

Say an enemy who harmed me with his stumbling.

ودونَكَ شِعْراً إنْ فضَضْتَ خِتامَهُ

ودونَكَ شِعْراً إنْ فضَضْتَ خِتامَهُ

تضوَّعَ ريحُ الشّيحِ بينَ رُواتِهِ

تضوَّعَ ريحُ الشّيحِ بينَ رُواتِهِ

And take this verse: if you break its seal,

Below you is poetry which if you unseal its conclude

the fragrance of wormwood wafts among its reciters.

The winds of Šīḥ will roar in its transmission.

وألْبَسْتُ دَهْراً أنتَ مالِكُ رِقّهِ

وألْبَسْتُ دَهْراً أنتَ مالِكُ رِقّهِ

بهِ غُرَراً يَلْمَعْنَ في صَفَحاتِهِ

بهِ غُرَراً يَلْمَعْنَ في صَفَحاتِهِ

And I have clothed an age whose bondage you command

I clothed an epoch you own its submission

through it, in white blazes gleaming upon its pages.

With gems that sparkle across its expanse.

فَيا قائِليهِ لوْ بَلَغْتُم بهِ المَدى

فَيا قائِليهِ لوْ بَلَغْتُم بهِ المَدى

عَرَفْتُمْ مَنِ المَسْبوق في حَلَباتِهِ

عَرَفْتُمْ مَنِ المَسْبوق في حَلَباتِهِ

So, O makers of verse, if you reached the goal with it,

So, O you who recited it, had you reached the goal with it

you would know who is outstripped on its racecourses.

You would have known who was foremost in its arenas.

وأيُّ فَتًى ما بينَ بُرْدَيَّ حَطّهُ

وأيُّ فَتًى ما بينَ بُرْدَيَّ حَطّهُ

خُطوبٌ تُشيبُ الطِّفْلَ عنْ نَخَواتِهِ

خُطوبٌ تُشيبُ الطِّفْلَ عنْ نَخَواتِهِ

And what a youth lies between my two cloaks, brought low

And which gallant between the two Abī province

from his proud ardor by calamities that turn a child gray!

Has events that would turn a child grey because of his inexperience of them.

ولَسْتُ وإنْ كانتْ إليَّ مُسيئَةً

ولَسْتُ وإنْ كانتْ إليَّ مُسيئَةً

أذُمُّ زَماناً أنتَ مِنْ حَسَناتِهِ

أذُمُّ زَماناً أنتَ مِنْ حَسَناتِهِ

And I do not, though they have treated me ill,

I am not, even if he wrongs me,

blame an age whose blessings include you.

One who blames an era for your merits.

سَبَقُ بَنيهِ في قَوافٍ أرُوضُها

سَبَقُ بَنيهِ في قَوافٍ أرُوضُها

فلا تَجْعَلَنّي عُرْضَةً لِبَناتِهِ

فلا تَجْعَلَنّي عُرْضَةً لِبَناتِهِ

The race-prize of its sons lies in rhymes I train;

Its people preceded in vanguards I train

so do not make me a target for its daughters.

So do not make me a target for its daughters.