أَأَبقى كَذا أَبَداً مُستَقِلّا

أَأَبقى كَذا أَبَداً مُستَقِلّا

يُقَلِّبُني الدَهرُ عِزّاً وَذُلّا

يُقَلِّبُني الدَهرُ عِزّاً وَذُلّا

Shall I remain like this, forever on my own,

Shall I thus remain forever independent,

while time tosses me between honor and abasement,

With fate making me now honored, now abased?

وَأَقنَعُ بِالدونِ فِعلَ الذَلي

وَأَقنَعُ بِالدونِ فِعلَ الذَلي

لِ يَخشى الأَجَلَّ وَيَرضى الأَقَلّا

لِ يَخشى الأَجَلَّ وَيَرضى الأَقَلّا

and be content with less, like the abased man

Shall I be content with the acts of the lowly,

who fears the greater and accepts the lesser?

Fearing death and satisfied with the least?

وَإِنّي رَأَيتُ غَنيَّ الأَنامِ

وَإِنّي رَأَيتُ غَنيَّ الأَنامِ

إِذا لَم يَكُن ذا عَلاءٍ مُقِلّا

إِذا لَم يَكُن ذا عَلاءٍ مُقِلّا

And I have found the wealthy man among mankind

I have seen the rich among men,

poor, if he has no lofty standing.

When lacking in merit, despised and debased.

وَمِن دونِ ضَيمي فِناءُ الرِماحِ

وَمِن دونِ ضَيمي فِناءُ الرِماحِ

وَبيضُ القَواضِبِ ذَفّاً وَفَلّا

وَبيضُ القَواضِبِ ذَفّاً وَفَلّا

Between me and abasement stands the courtyard of spears,

Without my loss are the perishing of spears

and gleaming, cleaving swords, dealing death and shattering.

And the sailing of ships, pitching and rolling;

فَلا زِلتُ كَلّاً عَلى المُقرَباتِ

فَلا زِلتُ كَلّاً عَلى المُقرَباتِ

إِلى أَن أَنالَ ذُرى المَجدِ كُلّا

إِلى أَن أَنالَ ذُرى المَجدِ كُلّا

So may I remain a burden on choice steeds,

So I have continued attacking the heights

until I attain every summit of glory.

Until I attain all the glory and fame,

إِذا عَزَّ قَلبُكَ في دَهرِهِ

إِذا عَزَّ قَلبُكَ في دَهرِهِ

فَما عُذرُ وَجهِكَ في أَن يَذُلّا

فَما عُذرُ وَجهِكَ في أَن يَذُلّا

If your heart stands proud in its time,

When your heart aspires in its time,

what excuse has your face for being abased?

What excuse for your face to be humbled?

أَلا فَاِجهَدِ النَفسَ في نَيلِها

أَلا فَاِجهَدِ النَفسَ في نَيلِها

وَلا تَرقَبَنَّ عَسى أَو لَعَلّا

وَلا تَرقَبَنَّ عَسى أَو لَعَلّا

Come, strain your soul to attain those heights,

Come, strive with your soul to attain it,

and never await 'perhaps' or 'maybe.'

Look not for "perhaps" or "it may be."

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحظَ بَعدَ الطِلابِ

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحظَ بَعدَ الطِلابِ

فَالجدُّ لا قَدَمُ المَرءِ زَلّا

فَالجدُّ لا قَدَمُ المَرءِ زَلّا

If a man finds no success after striving,

When a man gains not his wish after striving,

it is fortune, not the man's foot, that has slipped.

Continuous effort, not fate, trips his feet.

وَحُلَّ حُبى العَجزِ عَن هِمَّةٍ

وَحُلَّ حُبى العَجزِ عَن هِمَّةٍ

تَؤُدُّ الأَيانِقَ شَدّاً وَحَلّا

تَؤُدُّ الأَيانِقَ شَدّاً وَحَلّا

And loosen incapacity's bindings from an ambition

And avoid the weakness that hinders resolve

that burdens she-camels with saddling and unsaddling.

That would keep the girls closely confined,

وَجُب غَيرَ مُستَكثِرٍ بِالصِحابِ

وَجُب غَيرَ مُستَكثِرٍ بِالصِحابِ

حَزناً يَغولُ المَطايا وَسَهلا

حَزناً يَغولُ المَطايا وَسَهلا

And traverse, without mustering a host of companions,

And roam, not minding the fewness of friends,

rough ground that devours mounts, and level ground,

In sadness traversing plains and bare hills,

إِلى حَيثُ تومي إِلَيكَ البَنانُ

إِلى حَيثُ تومي إِلَيكَ البَنانُ

وَتُصبِحُ ثَمَّ الأَعَزُّ المُجَلّا

وَتُصبِحُ ثَمَّ الأَعَزُّ المُجَلّا

to where fingers point toward you,

Till the highlands lead you back home,

and there become the mightiest, the honored one,

Where you become the proudest and best.

قَليلَ المِثالِ وَخَيرَ البِلادِ

قَليلَ المِثالِ وَخَيرَ البِلادِ

حِمى مَنزِلٍ لا أَرى فيهِ مِثلا

حِمى مَنزِلٍ لا أَرى فيهِ مِثلا

with few equals; and the best of lands

Of goodly repute and the best of lands,

is a home's sanctuary where I see no equal.

A preserve inviolate wherein none is my peer.

وَلا تَصحَبَن غَيرَ حَدِّ الحُسا

وَلا تَصحَبَن غَيرَ حَدِّ الحُسا

مِ بَرقاً يَسُحُّ مِنَ الضَربِ وَبلا

مِ بَرقاً يَسُحُّ مِنَ الضَربِ وَبلا

And take no companion but the sword's edge—

Accompany none save the limit of pride,

a lightning flash pouring down torrents of blows—

With lightning that cleaves as it strikes forth its blows,

وَأَيمٍ مِنَ السُمرِ طاغي اللِسا

وَأَيمٍ مِنَ السُمرِ طاغي اللِسا

نِ يَأبى اللَديغُ بِهِ أَن يُبِلّا

نِ يَأبى اللَديغُ بِهِ أَن يُبِلّا

and a serpent of the tawny spears, with a raging tongue,

And days when the night with tumultuous speech

whose bitten victim will not recover.

Refuses to lend to the slander its ear;

وَتَعلو المَعالي إِلى العاجِزينَ

وَتَعلو المَعالي إِلى العاجِزينَ

وَنحنُ نَرى الذُلَّ أَعلى وَأَغلى

وَنحنُ نَرى الذُلَّ أَعلى وَأَغلى

Noble heights seem lofty to the powerless,

While might raises the low to high station,

yet we see abasement as higher and costlier.

And we see degradation esteemed the most high.

عَدَتكَ أَبا الطَيِّبِ العادِياتُ

عَدَتكَ أَبا الطَيِّبِ العادِياتُ

فَإِنَّكَ أَبذَلُ جاهاً وَبَذلا

فَإِنَّكَ أَبذَلُ جاهاً وَبَذلا

May adversities pass you by, Abu al-Tayyib,

Your nature, Abu't-Tayyib, is bounteous;

for you are most lavish with influence and gifts.

The best gifts of the noble are yours.

بَلَوتُ خَلائِقَ هَذا الأَنامِ

بَلَوتُ خَلائِقَ هَذا الأَنامِ

وَما زِلتُ أَبلو مِراراً وَأُبلى

وَما زِلتُ أَبلو مِراراً وَأُبلى

I have tested the characters of these people,

I have tested the ways of these people,

and have kept testing, repeatedly, and being tested.

And cease not to try them, time and again.

فَلَم أَرَ إِلّاكَ مَن يَصطَفي

فَلَم أَرَ إِلّاكَ مَن يَصطَفي

ثَناءً وَيَرعى ذِماماً وَإِلّا

ثَناءً وَيَرعى ذِماماً وَإِلّا

But I have seen none but you who prizes

I have found none except you who will choose

praise and honors obligations and covenants.

The best course and keep reputation intact.

فَأَصبَحَ قَلبي يَرى مُذ رَآ

فَأَصبَحَ قَلبي يَرى مُذ رَآ

كَ أَنَّكَ أَوقَعُ فيهِ وَأَحلى

كَ أَنَّكَ أَوقَعُ فيهِ وَأَحلى

So my heart has come to see, ever since it saw

So my heart, since the time it discerned you,

you, that you move it more deeply and are sweeter.

Feels you the dearest to it and most sweet.

وَحَلَّت نَدايَ جَميعَ الوَرى

وَحَلَّت نَدايَ جَميعَ الوَرى

غَداةَ اِعتَقَدتُكَ عَضداً وَخِلّا

غَداةَ اِعتَقَدتُكَ عَضداً وَخِلّا

And my two hands adorned all mankind

And my voice, when at dawn I thought of you

the morning I took you as a supporting arm and close friend.

As a powerful arm and a comrade, was freed.

فِدىً لَكَ أَعمىً عَنِ المَكرُما

فِدىً لَكَ أَعمىً عَنِ المَكرُما

تِ يَعجِزُ أَن يَجعَلَ القَولَ فِعلا

تِ يَعجِزُ أَن يَجعَلَ القَولَ فِعلا

May one blind to noble deeds be your ransom,

Would that you were unheeding of virtues

who cannot turn words into deeds.

That make speech seem a trifling thing!

يَنامُ عَنِ الخَيرِ نَومَ الضِباعِ

يَنامُ عَنِ الخَيرِ نَومَ الضِباعِ

وَفي الشَرِّ يَطلُعُ سِمعاً أَزَلّا

وَفي الشَرِّ يَطلُعُ سِمعاً أَزَلّا

He sleeps through goodness as hyenas sleep,

You sleep to doing good like the beasts,

but in evil he emerges as a lean-rumped wolf–hyena beast.

And hearing evil are ever alert and awake,

طَويلُ اليَدينِ إِلى المُخزِياتِ

طَويلُ اليَدينِ إِلى المُخزِياتِ

يَمُدُّ إِلى المَجدِ باعاً أَشَلّا

يَمُدُّ إِلى المَجدِ باعاً أَشَلّا

His two hands reach far toward shameful deeds;

Stretching out grasping hands toward disgrace,

toward glory he stretches a palsied arm-span.

Toward glory measuring spans with a cubit.

فَتىً أَعلَقَتهُ عِنانَ الفَخارِ

فَتىً أَعلَقَتهُ عِنانَ الفَخارِ

مَكارِمُ جاءَت بِهِ المَجدَ قَبلا

مَكارِمُ جاءَت بِهِ المَجدَ قَبلا

A youth made to grasp the reins of honor

A youth on whom glorious deeds have conferred fame,

by noble virtues that brought him face to face with glory.

Whom noble deeds brought early success;

وَأَصبَحَ حاسِدُهُ خابِطاً

وَأَصبَحَ حاسِدُهُ خابِطاً

إِذا كادَ يُهدى إِلى المَجدِ ضَلّا

إِذا كادَ يُهدى إِلى المَجدِ ضَلّا

And his envier has become a blundering wanderer:

And his envier then wanders distraught,

whenever he is almost guided to glory, he loses his way.

Though nearly guided to glory, goes astray.

أَشَمُّ كَعالِيَةِ السَمهَريِّ

أَشَمُّ كَعالِيَةِ السَمهَريِّ

وَهِمَّتُهُ مِنهُ أَغلى وَأَعلى

وَهِمَّتُهُ مِنهُ أَغلى وَأَعلى

Lofty as the tip of a Samhari spear,

I sense your nature, so like the Samhar's,

and his ambition is more precious and higher than it.

And your ambition still loftier and higher.

وَيَجمَعُ قَلباً جَريئاً وَوَجهاً

وَيَجمَعُ قَلباً جَريئاً وَوَجهاً

أَتَمُّ مِنَ البَدرِ نوراً وَأَملا

أَتَمُّ مِنَ البَدرِ نوراً وَأَملا

He combines a courageous heart with a face

You join a bold heart with a countenance

brighter and fuller than the full moon.

Perfect in radiance, glowing and beautiful.

مَضاءُ القَضيبِ إِذا ما اِنجَلى

مَضاءُ القَضيبِ إِذا ما اِنجَلى

وَضَوءُ الهِلالِ إِذا ما تَجَلّى

وَضَوءُ الهِلالِ إِذا ما تَجَلّى

The keenness of a slender sword when it is bared,

Bright as the lightning flash when it gleams,

and the light of the crescent when it shines forth.

Clear as the crescent moon when it appears,

وَقَلبُ الشُجاعِ حُسامٌ فَإِن

وَقَلبُ الشُجاعِ حُسامٌ فَإِن

حَلا مَنظَراً فَحُسامٌ مُحَلّى

حَلا مَنظَراً فَحُسامٌ مُحَلّى

And a brave man's heart is a sword; if

And the brave man's heart is a sword; if

he is fair to behold, it is an adorned sword.

He presents himself, a polished sword blade.

يُغَيِّمُ يَومَ النَدى المُستَهِلُّ

يُغَيِّمُ يَومَ النَدى المُستَهِلُّ

وَيُقشِعُ يَومَ الوَغى المُصمَئِلّا

وَيُقشِعُ يَومَ الوَغى المُصمَئِلّا

The rain-pouring cloud gathers on the day of bounty,

He clouds o'er the day of pleasure's beginnings,

and on the day of battle dispels the lowering cloud.

And brightens the day of turmoil and care,

وَيوسِعُ مادِحَهُ بِشرَهُ

وَيوسِعُ مادِحَهُ بِشرَهُ

فَيوليهِ أَضعافَ ما كانَ أَولى

فَيوليهِ أَضعافَ ما كانَ أَولى

He lavishes his cheerful welcome on his praiser,

Expands his eulogist through his nobility,

then grants him many times what he bestowed before.

And grants him increase on what he before gave.

يُشَمِّرُ لِلرَوعِ عَن ساقِهِ

يُشَمِّرُ لِلرَوعِ عَن ساقِهِ

وَيَسحَبُ لِلجودِ ذَيلاً رِفَلّا

وَيَسحَبُ لِلجودِ ذَيلاً رِفَلّا

He tucks up his robe, baring his shin for terror,

He tucks up his skirts for the.ray of valour,

and for bounty trails an ample, sweeping hem.

And trails his garment in generous gift,

فَيَوماً يَعودُ بِجَدٍّ عَلَيٍّ

فَيَوماً يَعودُ بِجَدٍّ عَلَيٍّ

وَيَوماً يَعودُ بِقِدحٍ مُعَلّى

وَيَوماً يَعودُ بِقِدحٍ مُعَلّى

One day he returns with lofty fortune,

Now returning with earnest, assiduous work,

and another with the highest-winning lot-arrow.

And now with a wine-flask frothing and full;

وَيُلقي إِلَيهِ عَظيمُ الزَمانِ

وَيُلقي إِلَيهِ عَظيمُ الزَمانِ

مِنَ المَأثُراتِ الأَجَلَّ الأَجَلّا

مِنَ المَأثُراتِ الأَجَلَّ الأَجَلّا

And the great one of the age entrusts to him

Cast to him by time things magnificent,

the noblest, the noblest, of illustrious deeds.

The most glorious ever known to this world.

فَيُمسي لِأَسرارِها حافِظاً

فَيُمسي لِأَسرارِها حافِظاً

وَيَغدو بِأَعبائِها مُستَقِلّا

وَيَغدو بِأَعبائِها مُستَقِلّا

At evening he guards their secrets,

He guards well their meaning when day has sped,

and at morning he shoulders their burdens.

And bears their burden when day returns.

فَدونَكَها كَإِضاةِ الغَديرِ

فَدونَكَها كَإِضاةِ الغَديرِ

أَوِ سُلَّ السَيفِ أَوِ الرَوضِ طُلّا

أَوِ سُلَّ السَيفِ أَوِ الرَوضِ طُلّا

Take it, then, like the gleam of a pool,

With you they are like the flow of the pond,

or a sword drawn bare, or a meadow in dew.

Or the smoothness of a sword blade or a lawn.

وَلَولاكَ كانَت كَأَمثالِها

وَلَولاكَ كانَت كَأَمثالِها

تُصانُ عَنِ المَدحِ عِزّاً وَنُبلا

تُصانُ عَنِ المَدحِ عِزّاً وَنُبلا

Were it not for you, it would, like its fellows,

Without you they would be, like others before them,

be kept from panegyric in pride and nobility.

Too proud for praise, too noble for song.

فَقَد كُنتُ حَصَّنتُ أَبكارَهُنَّ

فَقَد كُنتُ حَصَّنتُ أَبكارَهُنَّ

وَعَوَّدتُهُنَّ عَنِ القَومِ عَضلا

وَعَوَّدتُهُنَّ عَنِ القَومِ عَضلا

For I had fortified their maidens,

Long have I guarded their honor inviolate,

and accustomed them to being withheld from men in marriage.

Trained them from all men's approaches to flee.