فَيا عَجَبا مِمّا يَظُنُّ مُحَمَّدٌ

فَيا عَجَبا مِمّا يَظُنُّ مُحَمَّدٌ

وَلَلظَنُّ في بَعضِ المَواطِنِ غَرّارُ

وَلَلظَنُّ في بَعضِ المَواطِنِ غَرّارُ

So, how astonishing is what Muhammad supposes!

Oh, the wonder of what Muhammad supposes!

And surely supposition is deceptive in some circumstances.

For supposition, in some respects, is misleading.

يُقَدِّرُ أَنَّ المُلكَ طوعُ يَمينِهِ

يُقَدِّرُ أَنَّ المُلكَ طوعُ يَمينِهِ

وَمِن دونِ ما يَرجو المُقَدِّرُ أَقدارُ

وَمِن دونِ ما يَرجو المُقَدِّرُ أَقدارُ

He reckons that kingship is at his right hand’s command,

He reckons that kingship is under his control,

Yet decrees of fate stand between the reckoner and what he hopes for.

Yet beyond what he hopes, Destiny has its ways.

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ مُنيَةٌ وَطَماعَةٌ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ مُنيَةٌ وَطَماعَةٌ

وَنَبذُ قَريضٍ بِالأَمانيِّ سَيّارُ

وَنَبذُ قَريضٍ بِالأَمانيِّ سَيّارُ

Each day he has a wish and a craving,

Each day he has a demise and greediness,

And snatches of verse circulate, laden with wishes.

And casting hopes with wishes ever-flowing.

لَئِن هُوَ أَعفى لِلذِلافَةِ لِمَّةً

لَئِن هُوَ أَعفى لِلذِلافَةِ لِمَّةً

لَها طُرَّرٌ فَوقَ الجَبينِ وَأَطرارُ

لَها طُرَّرٌ فَوقَ الجَبينِ وَأَطرارُ

Even if he has let his locks grow for the caliphate [conjectural reading],

If he spares the lowly for a brief moment,

With forelocks above the brow and fringes,

Over his forehead are locks and braids flowing.

وَأَبدى لَها وَجهاً نَقيّاً كَأَنَّهُ

وَأَبدى لَها وَجهاً نَقيّاً كَأَنَّهُ

وَقَد نُقِشَت فيهِ العَوارِضُ دينارُ

وَقَد نُقِشَت فيهِ العَوارِضُ دينارُ

And shown it an unblemished face, as though that face,

He shows them a face pure as if engraved on it

With cheek-whiskers engraved upon it, were a dinar,

Are features minted on dinars gold glowing.

وَرامَ العُلى بِالشِعرِ وَالشِعرِ دائِباً

وَرامَ العُلى بِالشِعرِ وَالشِعرِ دائِباً

فَفي الناسِ شُعرٌ خامِلونَ وَشُعّارُ

فَفي الناسِ شُعرٌ خامِلونَ وَشُعّارُ

And tirelessly sought eminence through hair and poetry,

He aspires to supremacy through poetry ever,

Still, among men are hairy men and poets of no renown.

While among people are poets dormant and fervent.

وَإِنّي أَرى زَنداً تَواتَرَ قَدحُهُ

وَإِنّي أَرى زَنداً تَواتَرَ قَدحُهُ

وَيوشِكُ يَوماً أَن تَشُبَّ لَنا النارُ

وَيوشِكُ يَوماً أَن تَشُبَّ لَنا النارُ

And I see a firestick struck again and again,

I see a kindling brand whose cup is passed around,

And one day soon the fire will blaze for us.

Soon a day comes when for us the fire is glowing.