حُلّي سُعادُ غُروضَ العيسِ أَو سيري

حُلّي سُعادُ غُروضَ العيسِ أَو سيري

وَأَنجِدي في اِلتِماسِ الحَظِّ أَو غوري

وَأَنجِدي في اِلتِماسِ الحَظِّ أَو غوري

Loosen the pale camels' girths, Su'ad, or journey on;

My bliss is happiness in the grove of happiness, whether absent or present,

and seek your fortune in the highlands, or descend to the lowlands.

And my succor is in the pursuit of fortune, whether I penetrate or soar aloft.

كُلُّ الَّذي نَتَرَجّاهُ وَنَأمُلُهُ

كُلُّ الَّذي نَتَرَجّاهُ وَنَأمُلُهُ

مُضَمَّنٌ في ضَروراتِ المَقاديرِ

مُضَمَّنٌ في ضَروراتِ المَقاديرِ

All that we hope for and aspire to

All that we hope for and aspire to

is bound within fate's inexorable decrees.

Is predetermined by the compulsions of destiny.

فَما يُقَرِّبُ تَقريبي شَواسِعَها

فَما يُقَرِّبُ تَقريبي شَواسِعَها

وَلا يُباعِدُ ما أَدنَينَ تَأخيري

وَلا يُباعِدُ ما أَدنَينَ تَأخيري

So my efforts to draw near do not bring their far-off outcomes closer,

So neither does my striving bring its far goal any nearer,

nor does my delay push away what they have brought near.

Nor does my lingering delay the imminence of its advent.

فَلِم أُكَلِّفُ نَفسي ما أُكَلِّفُها

فَلِم أُكَلِّفُ نَفسي ما أُكَلِّفُها

مِنِ اِتِّصالاتِ تَغليسي وَتَهجيري

مِنِ اِتِّصالاتِ تَغليسي وَتَهجيري

Why, then, do I burden myself as I do

Why, then, should I weary myself with communications that deceive and exile me,

with my ceaseless travels before dawn and in the midday heat?

With expectations that entrap and banish me?

تَغدو الكِلابُ وَلا فَضلٌ يُعَدُّ لَها

تَغدو الكِلابُ وَلا فَضلٌ يُعَدُّ لَها

سِوى الَّذي بانَ مِن نَقصِ الخَنازيرِ

سِوى الَّذي بانَ مِن نَقصِ الخَنازيرِ

The dogs go forth, with no merit counted theirs

The dogs awake, and yet no merit accrues to them

except what the shortcomings of swine make plain.

Save that which appears in their contrast with swine.

مَتى تَصَفَّح خَفِيّاتِ الأُمورِ تَجِد

مَتى تَصَفَّح خَفِيّاتِ الأُمورِ تَجِد

فَضلاً يُبِرُّ عَلى العُميانِ لِلعورِ

فَضلاً يُبِرُّ عَلى العُميانِ لِلعورِ

Whenever you examine the hidden sides of affairs, you find

When you look closely into the secrets of things, you find

an advantage that puts the one-eyed above the blind.

A merit that shines even on the blind vis-à-vis the one-eyed.

قَد قُلتُ لِلرَخَمِ المَرذولِ مَكسَبُها

قَد قُلتُ لِلرَخَمِ المَرذولِ مَكسَبُها

خَسَّ الجَدا فَقَعي إِن شِئتِ أَو طيري

خَسَّ الجَدا فَقَعي إِن شِئتِ أَو طيري

I have said to the vultures, whose livelihood is despised:

I said to the vile slanderer, "Her trade is despicable:

'The bounty is paltry; alight if you wish, or fly.'

Squat, if you wish, or fly away, if you prefer!"

أَعدَدتُ وُدَّ أَبي نَصرٍ وَنُصرَتَهُ

أَعدَدتُ وُدَّ أَبي نَصرٍ وَنُصرَتَهُ

لِشِكَّةِ الدَهرِ مِن نابٍ وَأُظفورِ

لِشِكَّةِ الدَهرِ مِن نابٍ وَأُظفورِ

I have readied Abu Nasr's friendship and his support

I made ready my father Abu Nasr's affection and support

against Time's weaponry—fang and claw.

Against the caprices of Time, both fang and claw.

أَعودُ في كُلِّ يَومٍ مِن تَطَوُّلِهِ

أَعودُ في كُلِّ يَومٍ مِن تَطَوُّلِهِ

إِلى مُعادٍ مِنَ الإِحسانِ مَكرورِ

إِلى مُعادٍ مِنَ الإِحسانِ مَكرورِ

Each day, through his generosity, I return

Each day, as it lengthens, I return

to kindness renewed and repeated.

To the beneficence of an oft-repeated ritual.

مُهَذَّبٌ تَغمُرُ الأَقوامَ مَسطَتُهُ

مُهَذَّبٌ تَغمُرُ الأَقوامَ مَسطَتُهُ

وَالناسُ مِن غامِرٍ سُرّوا وَمَغمورِ

وَالناسُ مِن غامِرٍ سُرّوا وَمَغمورِ

A refined man, whose largesse floods entire peoples;

Refined, his universal charm inundates all people,

and all rejoice, those overflowing with bounty and those flooded by it.

While, immersed, they flow and surge like billows.

تَنازَعَتهُ مُلوكُ السُغدِ وارِثَةً

تَنازَعَتهُ مُلوكُ السُغدِ وارِثَةً

عَن شِمرِ يَرعَشَ فَخراً جِدَّ مَذكورِ

عَن شِمرِ يَرعَشَ فَخراً جِدَّ مَذكورِ

The kings of Sogd share a claim to his lineage, inheriting

The kings of Soghdia contested his inheritance,

from Shimr Yar'ash a glory greatly celebrated.

Trembling in awe of a prowess both ancient and extolled.

مِن كُلِّ أَشوَسَ لَقَّتهُ أَصالَتَهُ

مِن كُلِّ أَشوَسَ لَقَّتهُ أَصالَتَهُ

مَواقِعَ الحَزمِ مِن رَأيٍ وَتَدبيرِ

مَواقِعَ الحَزمِ مِن رَأيٍ وَتَدبيرِ

From every fierce lord whose noble lineage showed him

At every valiant warrior his origin made fall

where prudence lies in judgment and planning.

The posts of prudent governance through shrewd generalship.

مُرَدَّدٌ في قَديمٍ مِن نَباهَتِهِم

مُرَدَّدٌ في قَديمٍ مِن نَباهَتِهِم

كَالمُشتَري لَم يَكُن مُستَحدَثَ النورِ

كَالمُشتَري لَم يَكُن مُستَحدَثَ النورِ

He is linked through generations to their ancient eminence,

Hesitating, amid their long-standing sagacity,

like Jupiter, whose light was not newly kindled.

Like a buyer whose eye had never looked on light.

يا حَمدُ ما كانَ في حَمدِ بنِ مُنتَصِرٍ

يا حَمدُ ما كانَ في حَمدِ بنِ مُنتَصِرٍ

إِلّا كَما فيكَ مِن فَضلٍ وَمِن خيرِ

إِلّا كَما فيكَ مِن فَضلٍ وَمِن خيرِ

O Hamd, nothing was found in Hamd ibn Muntasir

O Hamd, nothing was in Hamd ibn Muntasir

but excellence and goodness such as yours.

Save what is found in you of merit and bounty.

فَلِم يَقولُ أُناسٌ إِنَّ رُتبَتَهُ

فَلِم يَقولُ أُناسٌ إِنَّ رُتبَتَهُ

لا تُرتَقى وَنَداهُ غَيرُ مَعسورِ

لا تُرتَقى وَنَداهُ غَيرُ مَعسورِ

Why, then, do some people say that his rank

Why, then, do some claim his station is not sublime,

cannot be reached, and his bounty is not hard to obtain?

And his aspiration falls short of the heights?

وَقَد نَقَضتَ مَرامي الجودِ حَيثُ نَحَت

وَقَد نَقَضتَ مَرامي الجودِ حَيثُ نَحَت

مُثلى سَحائِبِكَ الغُرِّ المَباكيرِ

مُثلى سَحائِبِكَ الغُرِّ المَباكيرِ

Yet you have broken through generosity's limits, wherever

When you demolished the edifices of munificence

the finest of your bright, early-rising clouds have turned.

Where the rainclouds of your bursting beneficence pelted down.

ما كانَ حَظُّكَ في العَليا بِمُنتَقَصٍ

ما كانَ حَظُّكَ في العَليا بِمُنتَقَصٍ

وَلا مُرَجّيكَ لِلجَدوى بِمَغرورِ

وَلا مُرَجّيكَ لِلجَدوى بِمَغرورِ

Your share in high glory is not diminished,

Neither has your share of the sublime been deficient,

nor is anyone hoping for your bounty deceived.

Nor your striving for efficacy been vainglorious.

إِنَّ النَوالَ وَإِن أَكثَرتَ مَبلَغَهُ

إِنَّ النَوالَ وَإِن أَكثَرتَ مَبلَغَهُ

يَقِلُّ في جَنبِ إِغرابي وَتَسييري

يَقِلُّ في جَنبِ إِغرابي وَتَسييري

Indeed, bounty, however great you make its amount,

Though you increase the quantity of your donations,

is little beside my striking invention and my sending verse abroad.

They are trifling next to my remoteness and exile.

وَهيَ القَوافي إِذا سارَت هَوىً صُغرا

وَهيَ القَوافي إِذا سارَت هَوىً صُغرا

قَدرُ الدَراهِمِ عَنها وَالدَنانيرُ

قَدرُ الدَراهِمِ عَنها وَالدَنانيرُ

And these are the rhymes: when they travel, into insignificance falls

When inspiration guides them, slender poems

the worth of dirhams and dinars beside them.

Excel dinars and drachmas in value.

ما مُنعِمٌ لَم يُضَمِّن شُكرَ أَنعُمِهِ

ما مُنعِمٌ لَم يُضَمِّن شُكرَ أَنعُمِهِ

وَإِن أَشادَ بِها مُثنٍ بِمَشكورِ

وَإِن أَشادَ بِها مُثنٍ بِمَشكورِ

No benefactor who fails to enshrine thanks for his gifts in verse

No benefactor has memorialized his benevolence in gratitude,

is truly thanked, though a praiser extols them.

However much he was praised for it.

بَل إِنَّها البَرقُ إِن جُزنَ الحِمى فَعَلى

بَل إِنَّها البَرقُ إِن جُزنَ الحِمى فَعَلى

مَنازِلَ أَقفَرَت بِالحِنوِ أَو دورِ

مَنازِلَ أَقفَرَت بِالحِنوِ أَو دورِ

Rather, they are lightning: if they cross the protected grounds, they flash over

Indeed, it is lightning: if it strikes a tent,

dwellings deserted at al-Hinw, or houses.

It scorches the desolate abodes or homes.

أَلوَت بِجِدَّتِها الأَيّامُ تُخلِقُها

أَلوَت بِجِدَّتِها الأَيّامُ تُخلِقُها

بِمائِرٍ مِن رَبابِ المُزنِ أَو مورِ

بِمائِرٍ مِن رَبابِ المُزنِ أَو مورِ

The days have carried off their freshness, wearing them down

Through its intensity, days arouse it,

with swirling layers of rainclouds, or windblown dust.

Now with the melody of the lutes, now the pipes.

وَقَد تَكونُ مُعاناً وَالهَوى قَبَلٌ

وَقَد تَكونُ مُعاناً وَالهَوى قَبَلٌ

لِأُنَّسٍ مِن ظِباءِ الإِنسِ أَو فورِ

لِأُنَّسٍ مِن ظِباءِ الإِنسِ أَو فورِ

And they may once have been a dwelling, when love was fresh,

And it can inspire intimacy, although passion

for gentle gazelles of humankind, or herds of deer.

Previously shunned the company of humankind.

إِذا بَدَونَ لِلَحظِ الناظِرينَ فَقُل

إِذا بَدَونَ لِلَحظِ الناظِرينَ فَقُل

في لُؤلُؤٍ بِجُنوبِ الرَملِ مَنثورُ

في لُؤلُؤٍ بِجُنوبِ الرَملِ مَنثورُ

When they appear to the onlookers' gaze, speak

When it appears to the beholders' eyes, say

of pearls strewn along the flanks of the sand.

It is pearls strewn on the sand's surface.

ما الدُرُّ تُبرِزُهُ الأَصدافُ أَملَحُ مِن

ما الدُرُّ تُبرِزُهُ الأَصدافُ أَملَحُ مِن

دُرٍّ يَبيتُ مَصوناً في المَقاصيرِ

دُرٍّ يَبيتُ مَصوناً في المَقاصيرِ

Pearls that shells bring forth are no lovelier than

The pearls oysters bring forth are not more lustrous

pearls that spend the night protected in secluded chambers.

Than pearls kept safe in necklaces.

وَما تَثالُ دَواعي البَثِّ تَذهَبُ بي

وَما تَثالُ دَواعي البَثِّ تَذهَبُ بي

إِلى غَليلٍ مِنَ الأَشجانِ مَسعورِ

إِلى غَليلٍ مِنَ الأَشجانِ مَسعورِ

And sorrow's urgings never cease to carry me

The phantom of probing does not lead me

to a burning thirst, aflame with grief,

To the anguish of passions set aflame.

بِحُمرَةٍ في خُدودِ البيضِ مُشرَبَةٍ

بِحُمرَةٍ في خُدودِ البيضِ مُشرَبَةٍ

وَفَترَةٍ في جُفونِ الأَعيُنِ الحورِ

وَفَترَةٍ في جُفونِ الأَعيُنِ الحورِ

by a blush suffused through fair women's cheeks,

With a blush on the cheeks of the white women

and by languor in the lids of eyes with dark irises and brilliant whites.

And languor in the eyes of the houri.