أَنا الشِهابُ شِهابُ الدينِ لا كَذِبا

أَنا الشِهابُ شِهابُ الدينِ لا كَذِبا

لي هِمَّةٌ عانَقت في أَوجِها الشُهُبا

لي هِمَّةٌ عانَقت في أَوجِها الشُهُبا

I am the meteor, Shihab al-Din—no lie.

I am the meteor, the meteor of religion, no lie

Mine is an ambition that embraced the meteors at its zenith.

I have an ambition that reached its zenith

مَن كَان جَمَّلَه في دهرِهِ لَقَبٌ

مَن كَان جَمَّلَه في دهرِهِ لَقَبٌ

فَإِنَّني أَنا مِمَّن جَمَّلَ اللَّقَبا

فَإِنَّني أَنا مِمَّن جَمَّلَ اللَّقَبا

If a title has graced a man in his lifetime,

Whoever was adorned in his time with a title

I, indeed, am among those who have graced the title.

I am one of those who adorned the title

لا دَرَّ دَرُّكَ إِنّي في ذرى مَلِكٍ

لا دَرَّ دَرُّكَ إِنّي في ذرى مَلِكٍ

فاضَت أَياديهِ حَتّى فاقَتِ السُحُبا

فاضَت أَياديهِ حَتّى فاقَتِ السُحُبا

No blessing on you! I am in the shelter of a king

No harm, your harm, I am in the protection of a king

whose benefactions overflowed until they outdid the clouds,

Whose hands overflowed until they surpassed the clouds

في رَوضَةٍ وَغَديرٍ مِن مَواهِبِهِ

في رَوضَةٍ وَغَديرٍ مِن مَواهِبِهِ

مُرَفَّهاً وادِعاً لا أَرهَبُ النُوَبا

مُرَفَّهاً وادِعاً لا أَرهَبُ النُوَبا

amid a garden and a pool bestowed by his bounty,

In a garden and brook of his gifts

pampered and at peace, fearing no reversals of fortune.

Pampered and pleading, I do not fear blame

وَالكَلبُ إِن ينبَح البَدر المُنير فلَن

وَالكَلبُ إِن ينبَح البَدر المُنير فلَن

يُضيرَهُ وَيُعاني الذُلَّ وَالتَعَبا

يُضيرَهُ وَيُعاني الذُلَّ وَالتَعَبا

And if the dog barks at the radiant full moon, it will not

Even if the dog barks at the shining full moon

harm it, and will itself suffer humiliation and weariness.

It will not harm it, though it suffers humiliation and fatigue

أَولا فَسَلهُ وَقَد شالَت نَعامَتُهُ

أَولا فَسَلهُ وَقَد شالَت نَعامَتُهُ

مِن شِدَّة الخَوفِ مِنهُ مُمعِناً هَرَبا

مِن شِدَّة الخَوفِ مِنهُ مُمعِناً هَرَبا

Otherwise, ask him—he has taken to his heels,

Ask it while its ostrich fled

from sheer terror of him, rushing headlong in flight.

In extreme fear of it, insisting on fleeing

يَبُلُّ بِالسَلحِ ساقَيهِ وَذَلِكَ مِن

يَبُلُّ بِالسَلحِ ساقَيهِ وَذَلِكَ مِن

عاداتِهِ وَهوَ تَحتي يَلثُمُ التُرُبا

عاداتِهِ وَهوَ تَحتي يَلثُمُ التُرُبا

He wets his shins with excrement, and this is among

Wetting its legs with urine, and that is due to

his habits, while beneath me he kisses the dust.

Its habits while it is under me licking the dust

مِثلَ الحُبارَى إِذا ما الصَّقرُ عاجَلَها

مِثلَ الحُبارَى إِذا ما الصَّقرُ عاجَلَها

تَهَوَّرَت قُصبُها مِن سرمِها رَهَبا

تَهَوَّرَت قُصبُها مِن سرمِها رَهَبا

Like the houbara bustard when the falcon took her by surprise,

Like the bustards, when the falcon abruptly attacks them

her entrails tumbled from her anus in terror.

Their reeds shake in fear

فَلَم يَذَرها إِلى أَن عادَ مِخلَبُهُ

فَلَم يَذَرها إِلى أَن عادَ مِخلَبُهُ

رَطبَ الغرازِ مِنَ التامورِ مُختَضَبا

رَطبَ الغرازِ مِنَ التامورِ مُختَضَبا

and it did not let her go until its talon became

Until its talons returned

wet at the piercing point, stained with heart's blood.

Wet with the blood of the dates, dyed red

مَن تَهجُهُ فَهوَ مَحسودٌ لأَنَّكَ ما

مَن تَهجُهُ فَهوَ مَحسودٌ لأَنَّكَ ما

هَجَوت إِلّا صُدوراً جَمَّلوا الرُتَبا

هَجَوت إِلّا صُدوراً جَمَّلوا الرُتَبا

Whoever you lampoon is envied, for you have not

Whoever you satirize is envied because you have

lampooned anyone but dignitaries who have graced their ranks.

Only satirized chests adorned with positions

مَن عَضَّ مِثلَكَ أَعراضَ الكِرامِ فَما

مَن عَضَّ مِثلَكَ أَعراضَ الكِرامِ فَما

يُنجيهِ مِنهُم هُروبٌ أَينَما هَرَبا

يُنجيهِ مِنهُم هُروبٌ أَينَما هَرَبا

Whoever, like you, has bitten at the honor of the noble—no

Whoever bites the honor of the generous like you

flight will save him from them, wherever he flees.

Will not be saved from them no matter where he flees