لِغَيرِ العُلا مِنّي القِلى وَالتَجَنُّبِ

لِغَيرِ العُلا مِنّي القِلى وَالتَجَنُّبِ

وَلَولا العُلا ما كُنتُ في العَيشِ أَرغَبُ

وَلَولا العُلا ما كُنتُ في العَيشِ أَرغَبُ

I loathe and shun everything but glory;

For others than the eminent, be sparing of blame and blame-avoiding,

And were it not for glory, I would not desire life.

Were it not for the eminent, I would not covet life.

مَلَكتُ بِسَيفي فُرصَةً ما اِستَفادَها

مَلَكتُ بِسَيفي فُرصَةً ما اِستَفادَها

مِنَ الدَهرِ مَفتولُ الذِراعَينِ أَغلَبُ

مِنَ الدَهرِ مَفتولُ الذِراعَينِ أَغلَبُ

With my sword I won an opportunity never gained

By my sword I seized an opportunity of which the feeble-armed

From time by any mighty, sinewy-armed man.

Got less advantage from Time.

لَئِن تَكُ كَفّي ما تُطاوِعُ باعَها

لَئِن تَكُ كَفّي ما تُطاوِعُ باعَها

فَلي في وَراءِ الكَفِّ قَلبٌ مُذَرَّبُ

فَلي في وَراءِ الكَفِّ قَلبٌ مُذَرَّبُ

Even if my hand falls short of its reach,

If my palms fail to obey their wont,

Behind that hand I have a keenly honed heart.

Yet behind the palm is a heart full of resolution.

وَلِلحِلمِ أَوقاتٌ وَلِلجَهلِ مِثلُها

وَلِلحِلمِ أَوقاتٌ وَلِلجَهلِ مِثلُها

وَلَكِنَّ أَوقاتي إِلى الحِلمِ أَقرَبُ

وَلَكِنَّ أَوقاتي إِلى الحِلمِ أَقرَبُ

Forbearance has its times, and rashness likewise;

Forbearance has its seasons, and so has ignorance,

Yet my moments lean more toward forbearance.

But my season is more inclined to forbearance.

أَصولُ عَلى أَبناءِ جِنسي وَأَرتَقي

أَصولُ عَلى أَبناءِ جِنسي وَأَرتَقي

وَيُعجِمُ فيَّ القائِلونَ وَأُعرِبُ

وَيُعجِمُ فيَّ القائِلونَ وَأُعرِبُ

I assail the sons of my own kind and rise;

I am noble to my tribesmen, and climb high;

Those who speak of me speak obscurely, while I speak clearly.

The slanderers talk rubbish about me while I speak sense.

يَرونَ اِحتِمالي عِفَّةً فَيَريبُهُم

يَرونَ اِحتِمالي عِفَّةً فَيَريبُهُم

تَوَفُّرُ حِلمي أَنَّني لَستُ أَغضَبُ

تَوَفُّرُ حِلمي أَنَّني لَستُ أَغضَبُ

They see my endurance as self-restraint, and are troubled

They see my patience as cowardice, which makes them wonder

By my abundant forbearance—that I do not grow angry.

That my great forbearance prevents me from becoming angry.

تَجافَيتُ عَن طَبعِ اللِئامِ لِأَنَّني

تَجافَيتُ عَن طَبعِ اللِئامِ لِأَنَّني

أَرى البُخلَ يُشنا وَالمَكارِمَ تُطلَبُ

أَرى البُخلَ يُشنا وَالمَكارِمَ تُطلَبُ

I have shunned the ways of the ignoble, because I

I have turned away from the nature of villains, for I see

See miserliness despised and noble deeds sought.

Meanness as shameful and magnanimity called for.

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ الجودَ في الناسِ شيمَةٌ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ الجودَ في الناسِ شيمَةٌ

تَقومُ بِها الأَحرارُ وَالطَبعُ يَغلِبُ

تَقومُ بِها الأَحرارُ وَالطَبعُ يَغلِبُ

And I know that generosity is a trait among people

I know generosity in people is a quality

Which the freeborn uphold—and innate nature prevails.

Upheld by the free, the nature that prevails.

فَيا اِبنَ زِيادٍ لا تَرُم لي عَداوَةً

فَيا اِبنَ زِيادٍ لا تَرُم لي عَداوَةً

فَإِنَّ اللَيالي في الوَرى تَتَقَلَّبُ

فَإِنَّ اللَيالي في الوَرى تَتَقَلَّبُ

So, son of Ziyad, do not seek enmity with me,

O Ibn Ziyad, do not seek enmity with me,

For the nights turn and change among mankind.

For nights in the world go round and round.

وَيالِزِيادٍ إِنزَعوا الظُلمَ مِنكُمُ

وَيالِزِيادٍ إِنزَعوا الظُلمَ مِنكُمُ

فَلا الماءُ مَورودٌ وَلا العَيشُ طَيِّبُ

فَلا الماءُ مَورودٌ وَلا العَيشُ طَيِّبُ

And O people of Ziyad, cast oppression out from among you;

And O Ziyad, if oppression were removed from you

For the water cannot be reached, nor is life sweet.

There would be neither water nor sweet life.

لَقَد كُنتُمُ في آلِ عَبسٍ كَواكِباً

لَقَد كُنتُمُ في آلِ عَبسٍ كَواكِباً

إِذا غابَ مِنها كَوكَبٌ لاحَ كَوكَبُ

إِذا غابَ مِنها كَوكَبٌ لاحَ كَوكَبُ

Indeed, you were stars among the clan of Abs;

You were stars in the family of 'Abs when

Whenever one star among them vanished, another star shone forth.

If one star set another star rose.

خُسِفتُم جَميعاً في بُروجِ هُبوطِكُم

خُسِفتُم جَميعاً في بُروجِ هُبوطِكُم

جَهاراً كَما كُلُّ الكَواكِبُ تُنكَبُ

جَهاراً كَما كُلُّ الكَواكِبُ تُنكَبُ

You were all eclipsed in the celestial mansions of your decline,

You have all sunk into the houses of your setting

In plain sight, just as all stars are stricken.

Openly, like all stars that go down.