خَليليَّ مالي أُبصر الدَهر راضياً

خَليليَّ مالي أُبصر الدَهر راضياً

وَحَظيَ مَوفوراً وَعَيشيَ صافيا

وَحَظيَ مَوفوراً وَعَيشيَ صافيا

My two friends, how is it I see Time well-disposed,

My beloved, why do I not see this world pleased,

My fortune abundant and my life serene?

With my fortune abundant and my life serene,

وَسالمني في الناس مَن كانَ دَأبُهُ

وَسالمني في الناس مَن كانَ دَأبُهُ

مُحارَبَتي جَهلاً وَأَصبَحَ وافيا

مُحارَبَتي جَهلاً وَأَصبَحَ وافيا

And one among men has made peace with me whose habit was

And my enemies make peace with me, after their habit

To fight me in ignorance; he has become faithful.

Was to war with me in ignorance, but now conciliatory,

وَرُحتُ قَرير العَين مَليءُ جَوانِحي

وَرُحتُ قَرير العَين مَليءُ جَوانِحي

سُرور وَفِكري باتَ بِالأَمس خاليا

سُرور وَفِكري باتَ بِالأَمس خاليا

And I went forth, my eyes at peace, my breast full

And I went to bed happy, my thoughts

Of joy; last night my mind was free of care.

Empty of care, my heart filled with joy,

وَعَهدي بِأَيام مضين كَأَنَّها

وَعَهدي بِأَيام مضين كَأَنَّها

تَجرد مِن جفن الزَمان مَواضيا

تَجرد مِن جفن الزَمان مَواضيا

Yet I remember days gone by, as though they

And I recall days gone by as though

Unsheathed keen swords from the scabbard of Time.

They were stripped from the eyelid of time and empty,

إِذا طَلعت شَمس النهار وَأَشرَقَت

إِذا طَلعت شَمس النهار وَأَشرَقَت

ظَنَنت حبال الذُر فيها أَفاعيا

ظَنَنت حبال الذُر فيها أَفاعيا

Whenever the sun of day rose and shone,

When the sun of day rises and shines

I imagined the threads of dust within its light were serpents.

I imagine the ropes of light from it to be snakes,

أَواري ضَئيل الخاز باز مَهابَةً

أَواري ضَئيل الخاز باز مَهابَةً

وَأَخشى خَيالي حَيث شِمت خَياليا

وَأَخشى خَيالي حَيث شِمت خَياليا

I hid in dread of the tiny khaz-baz fly,

I take cover, frightened, little in will,

And feared my shadow wherever I glimpsed it.

And I fear my imagination wherever I imagined,

عَلى أَن قَومي المنجكيين قَد بَنَت

عَلى أَن قَومي المنجكيين قَد بَنَت

عَزائِمهم فَوقَ الثُرايا مَكانيا

عَزائِمهم فَوقَ الثُرايا مَكانيا

Though my people, the Manjakis, have built

Yet my resolute people have built

My station above the Pleiades through their resolve.

Their determination over the graves as my place,

وَكَم شَهدت أَعدايَ فيَّ بِأَنَّني

وَكَم شَهدت أَعدايَ فيَّ بِأَنَّني

نَشَأت بِمَهدي لِلمعالي مُناغيا

نَشَأت بِمَهدي لِلمعالي مُناغيا

And how often my enemies have testified of me that I

And how my enemies witnessed about me that

Grew in my cradle, cooing to lofty honors.

I was born in a cradle inclined to high deeds,

لَئِن فاتَني ادراك ما أُدرك الأُولى

لَئِن فاتَني ادراك ما أُدرك الأُولى

فَأَنفذت أَيامي عَلَيهِ أَمانيا

فَأَنفذت أَيامي عَلَيهِ أَمانيا

Even if I missed attaining what those before me attained,

If I missed attaining what the forebears attained,

Still I spent my days longing for it.

And I sent my days after it longing,

لَقَد صَدَقت مِني الظُنون وَأَصبَحَت

لَقَد صَدَقت مِني الظُنون وَأَصبَحَت

تَفل جُيوش العَدل عَني الأَعاديا

تَفل جُيوش العَدل عَني الأَعاديا

My expectations have indeed proved true, and now

The suspicions about me were true and became

The armies of justice drive the foes away from me.

Armies of justice turning from me hostile,

بِمَقدَم قاضي الشام مُحيي رُبوعِها

بِمَقدَم قاضي الشام مُحيي رُبوعِها

فَحَمداً لِمَن أُحيي بِهِ الأَرض قاضيا

فَحَمداً لِمَن أُحيي بِهِ الأَرض قاضيا

With the arrival of al-Sham's judge, reviver of its abodes;

With the arrival of the Judge of Damascus, reviving its meadows,

So praise to him through whom, as judge, the land was revived.

So praise to Him by whom the land lives revived by its judge,

هَمام كَساهُ اللَهُ جَلَ جَلالَهُ

هَمام كَساهُ اللَهُ جَلَ جَلالَهُ

رِداءً مِن التَقوى بِنعماهُ زاهيا

رِداءً مِن التَقوى بِنعماهُ زاهيا

A noble man whom God—exalted be His majesty—has clothed

Decisive, whom God has clothed,

In a robe of piety, radiant with His bounty.

With a garment of reverence by His blessing brilliant,

لَهُ قَلَمٌ كَم صَدَّ بيضاً فَواتِكاً

لَهُ قَلَمٌ كَم صَدَّ بيضاً فَواتِكاً

بِقاطع أَحكام وَسُمراً عَواليا

بِقاطع أَحكام وَسُمراً عَواليا

He has a pen that has often repelled deadly, gleaming swords

He has a pen that has often driven back

And tall brown lances through its decisive rulings.

Straying white birds with decisive judgments and lofty poetry,

وَحُسن ثَناهُ عَطر الأُفق نَشرَهُ

وَحُسن ثَناهُ عَطر الأُفق نَشرَهُ

وَقَد فاحَ مِسكاً أَذفَراً وَغَواليا

وَقَد فاحَ مِسكاً أَذفَراً وَغَواليا

And his fair renown has perfumed the horizon with its fragrance,

And the good praise of him has spread perfume whose scent

Wafting forth as strong-scented musk and blended perfumes.

Has wafted fragrant musk and aromatic plants,

فَلو عَذُبت كُل البُحور لَما اِرتَضَت

فَلو عَذُبت كُل البُحور لَما اِرتَضَت

فَضائِلُهُ تِلكَ البُحور سَواقيا

فَضائِلُهُ تِلكَ البُحور سَواقيا

Were all the seas to turn fresh, they would not be accepted

If all the seas were sweetened they would not consent

By his virtues even as irrigation channels.

To those superior virtues being their channels,

وَمَهما اِرتَقى البَدر المُنير تَخالُهُ

وَمَهما اِرتَقى البَدر المُنير تَخالُهُ

لِدون مَقام حالُهُ اليَوم راقيا

لِدون مَقام حالُهُ اليَوم راقيا

However high the radiant full moon rises, you would deem it

And however high the brilliant full moon ascends, imagining itself,

Ascending to a station below his rank today.

It remains below the level his state has now attained,

وَنَدعوهُ لِلرَحمن عَبداً وَإِنَّهُ

وَنَدعوهُ لِلرَحمن عَبداً وَإِنَّهُ

لِيَكفيهِ فَخراً فاقَ فيهِ المَواليا

لِيَكفيهِ فَخراً فاقَ فيهِ المَواليا

And we call him a servant of the Most Merciful; indeed,

And we pray to the Merciful that he be a servant, and yet

It is honor enough for him; in it he has surpassed the masters.

It suffices him for pride that he has surpassed the excellent,

تَرفع شعري إِذ تَضَمَن وَصفُهُ

تَرفع شعري إِذ تَضَمَن وَصفُهُ

فَلا بدع أَن يَأبى النُجوم قَوافيا

فَلا بدع أَن يَأبى النُجوم قَوافيا

My verse rose high when it embraced his portrayal,

My poetry is exalted when it includes his description,

So no wonder it rejects the stars as rhymes.

So it is no wonder if the stars refuse rhymes,

فَيا لَيتَ إِن الفكر مِن كُل مُفكر

فَيا لَيتَ إِن الفكر مِن كُل مُفكر

يُجيد بِهاتيك المَزايا مَعانيا

يُجيد بِهاتيك المَزايا مَعانيا

Oh, would that the thought of every thinker

Oh would that every thinker’s mind

Could fashion fine meanings from those merits.

Could excel in those virtues and meanings,

وَيا لَيتَ أَني النُور مِن كُل مُبصر

وَيا لَيتَ أَني النُور مِن كُل مُبصر

فَيُبصِرُني مَن كانَ وَجهَكَ رائِيا

فَيُبصِرُني مَن كانَ وَجهَكَ رائِيا

And would that I were the light of every beholder,

And oh would that I were the light to every seeing eye

So whoever saw your face would see me.

That sees me when I face your countenance,

أَتيتك مِن نُعماكَ مَولايَ شاكِراً

أَتيتك مِن نُعماكَ مَولايَ شاكِراً

وَقَلبِيَ مِن رَيب الحَوادِثِ شاكيا

وَقَلبِيَ مِن رَيب الحَوادِثِ شاكيا

I have come to you, my lord, thankful for your bounty,

I came to you thanking, my Master, for Your blessings,

While my heart complains of the vagaries of events.

With my heart complaining of the calamities of fate,

فَخُذ بِيَدي وَأَمنُن عَلَيَّ بِنَظرَةٍ

فَخُذ بِيَدي وَأَمنُن عَلَيَّ بِنَظرَةٍ

أَفز بِفَخار يَستَرق المَعاليا

أَفز بِفَخار يَستَرق المَعاليا

So take me by the hand and favor me with a glance,

So take me by the hand and favor me with a glance,

That I may win a glory that enslaves lofty honors.

At which I leap with pride surpassing high deeds,

فَلا زِلت رُكناً في القَضاءِ مَشيداً

فَلا زِلت رُكناً في القَضاءِ مَشيداً

يَفوق بِعُلياهُ عَلى الدَهر ساميا

يَفوق بِعُلياهُ عَلى الدَهر ساميا

So may you ever remain a firmly built pillar in the judiciary,

For I remain a pillar established in judgment,

Towering in its loftiness high above Time.

Towering by its loftiness over fate sublime.