أقول لصحبي حين أجهشتِ العُلى

أقول لصحبي حين أجهشتِ العُلى

وكادَ خميس الفضل يهزمه الجهلُ

وكادَ خميس الفضل يهزمه الجهلُ

I say to my companions, when lofty glory burst into tears,

I say to my friends when adversity overwhelms

and ignorance nearly routed virtue's army,

And the virtuous are almost defeated by ignorance

لِشنْعاء جانيها حَقيرٌ وخَطْبُها

لِشنْعاء جانيها حَقيرٌ وخَطْبُها

خطيرٌ وتحْميها الفوارس والرَّجْل

خطيرٌ وتحْميها الفوارس والرَّجْل

over an outrage whose perpetrator is base, but whose import

For a disgrace that was brought by an insignificant one

is grave, and which horsemen and foot soldiers defend.

Yet dire is his scheme, and he's protected by horsemen and infantry

وقد وجمَ الحيُّ اللَّقاحُ لفعْلةٍ

وقد وجمَ الحيُّ اللَّقاحُ لفعْلةٍ

تنكَّرَ منها الحزْم وانخزلَ العقل

تنكَّرَ منها الحزْم وانخزلَ العقل

The independent clan stood silent in shock at a deed

And the brave were perplexed by a dastardly deed

from which prudence recoiled and reason shrank away.

Where reason failed and resolve weakened

روْيداً رويْداً لا تَطيشُ حُباكمُ

روْيداً رويْداً لا تَطيشُ حُباكمُ

ففي الحيِّ طودٌ عنده الورد والظل

ففي الحيِّ طودٌ عنده الورد والظل

Steady, steady—let not your knee-bindings fly loose;

Gently, gently, don't be rash in your love

for in the clan stands a mountain, with water and shade beside it.

For in this neighborhood there are those who bring shade and flowers

عسى فَرَقٌ أنْساكُمُ فَنَسيتمُ

عسى فَرَقٌ أنْساكُمُ فَنَسيتمُ

أبا تغلِبٍ حيث البسالةُ والفضلُ

أبا تغلِبٍ حيث البسالةُ والفضلُ

Perhaps fear made you forget, and so you forgot

Maybe you forgot about Abu Taghlib

Abu Taghlib, in whom valor and excellence dwell.

Where there is courage and merit

سيكشفُ هذا العارَ منه ابن همَّة

سيكشفُ هذا العارَ منه ابن همَّة

وَعُورُ الرَّزايا في عزائمهِ سَهْلُ

وَعُورُ الرَّزايا في عزائمهِ سَهْلُ

A son of high resolve will lift this disgrace from it;

The son of determination will uncover this shame

calamity's rugged ground lies smooth before his resolve.

And mend all tears with ease

فما شَعَروا حتى تدافعَ مُفْعَمٌ

فما شَعَروا حتى تدافعَ مُفْعَمٌ

حميلاه سرحٌ مُخرفٌ وغضاً جزل

حميلاه سرحٌ مُخرفٌ وغضاً جزل

Before they knew it, a brimming torrent surged forward,

Before they knew it, a heavily armed troop charged

its two burdens: fruit-laden sarh and stout ghada trees.

With elegant steeds, solemn and formidable

يجيشُ بأرْجاءِ الشِّعابِ كأنهُ

يجيشُ بأرْجاءِ الشِّعابِ كأنهُ

هديرُ قرومٍ عضَّ أمطاءها الرحل

هديرُ قرومٍ عضَّ أمطاءها الرحل

It surges through the reaches of the ravines, as though it were

Stirring up the valley as if it were

the roar of camel sires, their backs bitten by saddles.

The clatter of agitated she-camels

تبَعَّقَ عنْ زوْلٍ نفوعٍ وماجدٍ

تبَعَّقَ عنْ زوْلٍ نفوعٍ وماجدٍ

رفيعٍ وخِرقٍ لا يُبَخلُّهُ العذل

رفيعٍ وخِرقٍ لا يُبَخلُّهُ العذل

It burst forth from a remarkable, beneficent, noble man,

Followed by the excellent and glorious

exalted and openhanded, whom reproach cannot make stingy.

Who does not spare generosity

وجاء رئيس الدين غَيرانَ ناصِراً

وجاء رئيس الدين غَيرانَ ناصِراً

تضوع بعطفيه والسماحةُ والجذْلُ

تضوع بعطفيه والسماحةُ والجذْلُ

And Ra'is al-Din came, zealous in defense, bringing aid,

And the defender of the faith came supporting

generosity and gladness wafting fragrance about his sides.

Overflowing with kindness, generosity and grace

وشيكُ القِرى لا تُستراث طهاتُه

وشيكُ القِرى لا تُستراث طهاتُه

اذا عَضلَ الجودَ والجوائحُ والمَحلُ

اذا عَضلَ الجودَ والجوائحُ والمَحلُ

Swift to feed his guests, his cooks are never deemed slow,

The refuge of the helpless whose virtues

when calamities and drought obstruct generosity.

Fail when crises and adversities intensify

فتى كلِّ خيرٍ من نَوالٍ ونجْدةٍ

فتى كلِّ خيرٍ من نَوالٍ ونجْدةٍ

تودُّ مقاميْهِ السَّحائبُ والنَّصلُ

تودُّ مقاميْهِ السَّحائبُ والنَّصلُ

A man of every good, in largesse and valor,

A noble man known for succor and rescue

the clouds and the blade covet his two stations.

Whose stance is loved by clouds and rainfall

يزيدُ لتكحيلِ الخُطوبِ طلاقةً

يزيدُ لتكحيلِ الخُطوبِ طلاقةً

ويغزرُ من كفَّيه في الاِزم البذْلُ

ويغزرُ من كفَّيه في الاِزم البذْلُ

He grows more cheerful as calamities apply their kohl,

Increasing eloquence during hardships

and in hardship giving flows more richly from his hands.

As generosity pours from his palms at times of distress

يُظَنُّ عَييّاً مِن حَياء بوجْههِ

يُظَنُّ عَييّاً مِن حَياء بوجْههِ

وقد هزمَ الأحبارَ منطقهُ الفصلُ

وقد هزمَ الأحبارَ منطقهُ الفصلُ

He is thought tongue-tied from the modesty in his face,

He looks bashful yet his decisive logic

though his decisive speech has routed the scholars.

Defeated the wise men

نصيرُ الغِنى والجود لو حلَّ مهمهاً

نصيرُ الغِنى والجود لو حلَّ مهمهاً

ظهيرةَ قيلٍ لافحٍ نَبَتَ البَقْلُ

ظهيرةَ قيلٍ لافحٍ نَبَتَ البَقْلُ

A champion of plenty and generosity—were he to alight in a desert waste,

The aide of wealth and generosity, had he been present

in the scorching heat of the noonday rest, green herbage would sprout.

On a hot summer day when vegetables sprouted

كأنَّ عُبابَ الرافدينِ لجودهِ

كأنَّ عُبابَ الرافدينِ لجودهِ

صَرىً آجنٌ عند الاضاقة أو ضحل

صَرىً آجنٌ عند الاضاقة أو ضحل

Beside his generosity, the swell of the Two Rivers seems

Were his generosity the flooding Tigris

stagnant, fetid water in times of need, or a shallow pool.

A fertile, roaring stream even when shallow

مَطولٌ بروْعاتِ الوعيدِ ومالَهُ

مَطولٌ بروْعاتِ الوعيدِ ومالَهُ

بوعد النَّدى تسويفُ عافٍ ولا مطل

بوعد النَّدى تسويفُ عافٍ ولا مطل

He is slow to fulfill his fearsome threats, but never

Resolute in threats and careless of

puts off a suppliant or delays his promised bounty.

Empty promises of the sly and faithless

نَماًهُ عليُّ للمكارمِ والعُلى

نَماًهُ عليُّ للمكارمِ والعُلى

ونصرٌ اذا ما أسلم النِّكسُ والفَسْل

ونصرٌ اذا ما أسلم النِّكسُ والفَسْل

Ali raised him for noble deeds and glory,

He was raised by Ali for greatness and ascendance

and Nasr, when the craven and the worthless desert.

And victory when the dishonored and doomed surrender

أخا صبْوةٍ بالمجد يسلو بنو الهوى

أخا صبْوةٍ بالمجد يسلو بنو الهوى

فيزداد حُباً للمعالي ولا يَسْلو

فيزداد حُباً للمعالي ولا يَسْلو

A man enamored of glory: the sons of passion grow indifferent,

A brother in glory whom the passionate praise

but his love for lofty deeds grows, and he never grows indifferent.

And their love for the sublime intensifies

سَرى العارُ فادْركهُ حميل حميَّةٍ

سَرى العارُ فادْركهُ حميل حميَّةٍ

قُبَيل يقول السفْر أو يسمع القَفْل

قُبَيل يقول السفْر أو يسمع القَفْل

Disgrace spread by night, but a champion of honor overtook it,

The shame escaped so the protector hurried

just before travelers could tell of it or returning travelers hear it.

A tribe that says either migrate or face capture

فلولاكَ طارتْ بي عن الحي هِمَّةُ

فلولاكَ طارتْ بي عن الحي هِمَّةُ

تهونُ لها المُستطْرفيَّةُ والأهْلُ

تهونُ لها المُستطْرفيَّةُ والأهْلُ

But for you, high resolve would have borne me away from the clan,

Had it not been for you, ambition would have abandoned me

a resolve for which al-Mustatrafiyya and family would count for little.

When the elite and family seemed insignificant

فما كلُّ مَن سيمَ الخسيفةَ صابرٌ

فما كلُّ مَن سيمَ الخسيفةَ صابرٌ

وما كُلُّ طَيَّارٍ إِلى غايةٍ نَبْلُ

وما كُلُّ طَيَّارٍ إِلى غايةٍ نَبْلُ

For not everyone subjected to degradation is patient,

Not everyone who tasted bitterness remains patient

and not everything flying toward a target is an arrow.

Nor every flyer reaches glorious heights