خَليليّ هَلا ذُدْتُما عن أَخيكما

خَليليّ هَلا ذُدْتُما عن أَخيكما

أَذَى اللَّوْمِ إِذْ جانَبْتُما ما يَسُرُّهُ

أَذَى اللَّوْمِ إِذْ جانَبْتُما ما يَسُرُّهُ

My two friends, why did you not shield your brother

My friend, why do you shun your brother

from the hurt of reproach, when you shunned what would please him?

And cause him pain by avoiding what pleases him?

أَلَمْ تَعْلما أَنِّي على الخَطْبِ إِنْ عَرا

أَلَمْ تَعْلما أَنِّي على الخَطْبِ إِنْ عَرا

صَبورٌ إِذا ما عاجِزٌ عِيلَ صَبْرُهُ

صَبورٌ إِذا ما عاجِزٌ عِيلَ صَبْرُهُ

Did you two not know that I, if calamity strikes,

Don't you know that in adversity I endure

am steadfast when a helpless man's patience gives out?

With patience when my strength fails me?

تُعَيِّرُني بِنْتُ المُعاوِيِّ أَنْ أُرَى

تُعَيِّرُني بِنْتُ المُعاوِيِّ أَنْ أُرَى

على عَجُزِ الأَمْرِ الذِي فَاتَ صَدْرُهُ

على عَجُزِ الأَمْرِ الذِي فَاتَ صَدْرُهُ

The daughter of al-Muʿāwī taunts me for being seen

The daughter of Mu'awiya taunts me for being seen

at the tail end of an affair whose beginning has passed.

Powerless in the face of what has thwarted me.

وَقَدْ جَهِلَتْ أنِّي أَسُورُ إِلى العُلا

وَقَدْ جَهِلَتْ أنِّي أَسُورُ إِلى العُلا

وَيَعْيَى بِها مَنْ لَمْ يُساعِدْهُ دَهْرُهُ

وَيَعْيَى بِها مَنْ لَمْ يُساعِدْهُ دَهْرُهُ

Yet she has not understood that I leap toward glory,

Yet she is ignorant that I aspire to greatness

while he whose fortune does not aid him grows weary in its pursuit.

And it gives life to one whose fortune has abandoned him.

وَأَجْشَمُ ما يُوهِي القُوى في طِلابِها

وَأَجْشَمُ ما يُوهِي القُوى في طِلابِها

وَسِيَّانَ عِندي حُلْوُ عَيْشٍ وَمُرُّهُ

وَسِيَّانَ عِندي حُلْوُ عَيْشٍ وَمُرُّهُ

And I endure what saps strength in seeking it,

I disdain what enfeebles the mighty in their pursuits,

and life's sweetness and bitterness are alike to me.

To me the sweet and bitter of life are the same.

فَلا عِزَّ حَتّى يَحْمِلَ المَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ

فَلا عِزَّ حَتّى يَحْمِلَ المَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ

على خُطَّةٍ يَبْقَى بِها الدَّهْرَ ذِكْرُهُ

على خُطَّةٍ يَبْقَى بِها الدَّهْرَ ذِكْرُهُ

For there is no honor until a man compels himself

There is no honor unless a man bears himself

to a course through which his memory endures for all time,

Upon a plan by which his name endures forever,

وَيَغْشَى غِماراً يُتَّقَى دُونَها الرَّدَى

وَيَغْشَى غِماراً يُتَّقَى دُونَها الرَّدَى

فَإِنْ هُوَ أَوْدَى قيلَ للهِ دَرُّهُ

فَإِنْ هُوَ أَوْدَى قيلَ للهِ دَرُّهُ

and plunges into depths where death is feared even before they are reached;

And plunges into a fray to be avoided,

then, if he perishes, it is said, "God bless him!"

So if he perishes, it is said "Alas for him!"

وَمَنْ يَتَّخِذْ ظَهْرَ الوَجِيهيِّ في الوَغَى

وَمَنْ يَتَّخِذْ ظَهْرَ الوَجِيهيِّ في الوَغَى

مَقيلاً فَبَطْنُ المَضْرَحِيَّةِ قَبْرُهُ

مَقيلاً فَبَطْنُ المَضْرَحِيَّةِ قَبْرُهُ

And whoever makes al-Wajīhī's back in battle

And he who takes the back of the eminent in battle

his resting place has the broad-winged vulture's belly for his grave.

As his resting place, the belly of the vulture is his grave.

وَلا بُدَّ لي مِنْ وَثْبَةٍ أُمَوِيَّةٍ

وَلا بُدَّ لي مِنْ وَثْبَةٍ أُمَوِيَّةٍ

بِحيْثُ العجاجُ اللَّيْلُ وَالسَّيْفُ فَجْرُهُ

بِحيْثُ العجاجُ اللَّيْلُ وَالسَّيْفُ فَجْرُهُ

And I must make an Umayyad leap,

And I needs must make an Umayyad leap

where the swirling dust is night and the sword its dawn,

Where the bold pass the night and the sword makes dawn.

إِذا ما بَكَى في مَأْزِقِ الحَرْبِ صارِمِي

إِذا ما بَكَى في مَأْزِقِ الحَرْبِ صارِمِي

دَماً أَوْ سِنانِي ضاحَكَ الذِئْبَ نَسْرُهُ

دَماً أَوْ سِنانِي ضاحَكَ الذِئْبَ نَسْرُهُ

when, in the press of war, my keen blade weeps

When my blade weeps blood in the throes of war

blood, or my spearhead's vulture laughs with the wolf.

Or makes me laugh while the wolf mourns its loss.