إِسمَع مَديحِيَ في كَعبٍ وَما وَصَلَت

إِسمَع مَديحِيَ في كَعبٍ وَما وَصَلَت

كَعبٌ فَثَمَّ مَديحٌ ما لَهُ ثَمَنُ

كَعبٌ فَثَمَّ مَديحٌ ما لَهُ ثَمَنُ

Hear my praise of Ka'b; yet no gift has been bestowed

Hear my praise of Ka'b though it reached not where he dwells-

by Ka'b—here is praise that goes unpaid.

Ka'b is exalted far above all praise however high it swells!

حَقٌّ مِنَ الشِعرِ مَلوِيٌّ بِواجِبِهِ

حَقٌّ مِنَ الشِعرِ مَلوِيٌّ بِواجِبِهِ

فَلا سُلَيمانُ يَقضيهِ وَلا الحَسَنُ

فَلا سُلَيمانُ يَقضيهِ وَلا الحَسَنُ

A debt for poetry, its rightful payment deferred,

A right he has to poesy that cannot be gainsaid-

which neither Sulayman settles nor al-Hasan.

Not Solomon's self can judge it, nor al-Hasan's plead!

أَأَعجَزَتكُم مُكافاتي بِهِ وَلَكُم

أَأَعجَزَتكُم مُكافاتي بِهِ وَلَكُم

مِصرٌ فَما خَلفَها فَالسِندُ فَاليَمَنُ

مِصرٌ فَما خَلفَها فَالسِندُ فَاليَمَنُ

Has rewarding me for it proved beyond you, though yours are

Does it irk you, reward to find beyond your power,

Egypt and what lies beyond it, then Sind and Yemen?

You who hold a realm so vast-al Sind, Jauf, and al-Yaman's tower?

أَلِلخِلافَةِ أَستَبقي الرَجاءَ فَلَن

أَلِلخِلافَةِ أَستَبقي الرَجاءَ فَلَن

تُعطى الخِلافَةَ نَجرانٌ وَلا عَدَنُ

تُعطى الخِلافَةَ نَجرانٌ وَلا عَدَنُ

Is it for the caliphate that I reserve my hope? For never

Shall I then renounce all hope of the Caliphate, for ne'er

will Najran or Aden be granted the caliphate.

Shall the Caliph's mantle grace men of Najran or Aden's mere?

هَل في مَسامِعِكُم عَن دَعوَتي صَمَمٌ

هَل في مَسامِعِكُم عَن دَعوَتي صَمَمٌ

أَم في نَواظِرِكُم عَن خِلَّتي وَسَنُ

أَم في نَواظِرِكُم عَن خِلَّتي وَسَنُ

Is there deafness in your ears to my appeal,

Deaf are your ears to my call, or are your eyes blind to my worth,

or drowsiness in your eyes to my need?

That I walk alone while you the pavement with your throngs engirth?

إِن أَرمِكُم يَكُ مِن بَعضي لَكُم شُعَلٌ

إِن أَرمِكُم يَكُ مِن بَعضي لَكُم شُعَلٌ

تَهوي إِلَيكُم وَمِن بَعضي لَكُم جُنَنُ

تَهوي إِلَيكُم وَمِن بَعضي لَكُم جُنَنُ

If I assail you, from part of me will come flames for you,

An arrow shot by you at random may haply give me pain,

hurtling toward you, and from another part of me, shields for you.

Or kindle in my heart a madness not to be controlled with rein.

أَو أَجرِ في الحَلبَةِ الأولى بِلا صَفَدٍ

أَو أَجرِ في الحَلبَةِ الأولى بِلا صَفَدٍ

تولونَهُ فَهُوَ الخُسرانُ وَالغَبَنُ

تولونَهُ فَهُوَ الخُسرانُ وَالغَبَنُ

Or if I run in the foremost race without a reward

Yet I run my first course though no blinkers my eyes envelop:

that you bestow, that is loss and shortchanging.

You lose while I gain, although the loser you declare and dishevel.

لَيُغمَدَنَّ لِساني خائِباً أَبَداً

لَيُغمَدَنَّ لِساني خائِباً أَبَداً

عَن تينِ فيكُم فَلا سَيءٌ وَلا حَسَنُ

عَن تينِ فيكُم فَلا سَيءٌ وَلا حَسَنُ

My tongue shall surely be sheathed, disappointed, forever,

My tongue shall be sheathed forever and make no bitter attack,

refraining from both concerning you—neither blame nor praise.

When you are named I'll naught but good or nothing give back.

فَحَسبُنا اللَهُ لا تُقذي عُيونُكُمُ

فَحَسبُنا اللَهُ لا تُقذي عُيونُكُمُ

روحٌ يَمانِيَةٌ أَنتُم لَها بَدَنُ

روحٌ يَمانِيَةٌ أَنتُم لَها بَدَنُ

So God suffices us; your eyes are not vexed

God suffices me! May your eyes never the tears of sorrow dim,

by a Yemeni soul whose body you are.

Spirits of Yaman are you, while we are but bodies to that soul slim!

رَدَدتُ نَفسي عَلى نَفسي وَقُلتُ لَها

رَدَدتُ نَفسي عَلى نَفسي وَقُلتُ لَها

بَنو أَبيكِ فَما الأَحقادُ وَالإِحَنُ

بَنو أَبيكِ فَما الأَحقادُ وَالإِحَنُ

I turned my soul back upon itself and said to it:

I turned to mine own soul and said, "They are thy father's sons-

They are your father's sons—why, then, these hatreds and grudges?

So banish hatreds and rancours, leave off these anger guns!"