أَأَبكاكَ داعٍ في الصَباحِ سَميعُ

أَأَبكاكَ داعٍ في الصَباحِ سَميعُ

وَطَيفٌ سَرى مِن نَهرَوانَ يَريعُ

وَطَيفٌ سَرى مِن نَهرَوانَ يَريعُ

Did a clear-voiced caller at dawn make you weep,

Did a caller weeping in the morn, listening,

and a returning vision that journeyed by night from Nahrawan?

And a phantom gliding from Nahrawan set you thinking,

وَقائِلَةٍ إِنَّ العِيالَ مُعَوِّلٌ

وَقائِلَةٍ إِنَّ العِيالَ مُعَوِّلٌ

عَلَيكَ فَلا تَقعُد وَأَنتَ مُضيعُ

عَلَيكَ فَلا تَقعُد وَأَنتَ مُضيعُ

And a woman said: The household depends

And a woman saying ‘My family looks to your support,

on you; do not sit idle while neglecting them.

So sit not there while your means are shrinking!’

فَقُلتُ لَها كُفّي سَيَكفيكِ وَافِدٌ

فَقُلتُ لَها كُفّي سَيَكفيكِ وَافِدٌ

أَشَمُّ لِأَبوابِ المُلوكِ قُروعُ

أَشَمُّ لِأَبوابِ المُلوكِ قُروعُ

So I told her: Enough; a visitor will provide for you—

I said to her, ‘Enough! A help will come to you.

proud, a persistent knocker at the doors of kings.

I scent the perfume through the doors of kings.’

وَما أَنا راضٍ بِالهَوانِ إِذا اِحتَبى

وَما أَنا راضٍ بِالهَوانِ إِذا اِحتَبى

عَلى الذُلِّ في دارِ الهَوانِ رَتوعُ

عَلى الذُلِّ في دارِ الهَوانِ رَتوعُ

And I am not content with humiliation when there sits, knees drawn up,

When baseness is met with welcoming smiles,

in abasement, in shame's abode, a man feasting at ease.

The tribe of the abased are fawning things.

إِذا الأَمرُ لَم يُقبِل عَلَيَّ بِوَجهِهِ

إِذا الأَمرُ لَم يُقبِل عَلَيَّ بِوَجهِهِ

فَلي مَسلَكٌ بِاليَعمُلاتِ وَسيعُ

فَلي مَسلَكٌ بِاليَعمُلاتِ وَسيعُ

If affairs will not turn their face toward me,

If my fortune show me no open face,

then I have a broad road on hardy she-camels.

Byway and highway are still my field.

وَزُرتُ هُماماً يُصبِحُ الناسُ حَولَهُ

وَزُرتُ هُماماً يُصبِحُ الناسُ حَولَهُ

عُكوفاً عَلَيهِم ذِلَّةٌ وَخُضوعُ

عُكوفاً عَلَيهِم ذِلَّةٌ وَخُضوعُ

And I visited a noble lord; the people spend the morning around him,

Once I visited a nobleman, at dawn

in constant attendance, marked by lowliness and submission.

Finding a circle of people expectant, humbly kneeled,

وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا سابَقَ الحَمدَ جودُهُ

وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا سابَقَ الحَمدَ جودُهُ

فَأَجدى وَجودُ الطالِبينَ سَريعُ

فَأَجدى وَجودُ الطالِبينَ سَريعُ

And when we met, his generosity outstripped praise;

And when we met, his open-handedness outran

so he gave, though petitioners are swift in giving.

My praise – the hands of askers spread wide reveal.

وَأَملاكُ صِدقٍ أَلبَسَتني طِرازَهُم

وَأَملاكُ صِدقٍ أَلبَسَتني طِرازَهُم

قَصَائِدُ ما لي غَيرُهُنَّ شَفيعُ

قَصَائِدُ ما لي غَيرُهُنَّ شَفيعُ

And worthy kings—in their embroidered robes I was clothed

And sincere men endowed me with their quality,

by poems; I have no intercessor but them.

Poems – I have no intercessor but these!

وَغَيثٌ إِذا ما لاحَ أَومَضَ بَرقُهُ

وَغَيثٌ إِذا ما لاحَ أَومَضَ بَرقُهُ

كَما أَومَضَت تَحتَ الرِداءِ خَريعُ

كَما أَومَضَت تَحتَ الرِداءِ خَريعُ

And a raincloud—whenever it appears, its lightning flashes,

A shower, when its lightning flash becomes visible,

as a supple woman gleams beneath her cloak.

As the young lamb’s coat showed beneath his knees.

إِذا حاجةٌ أَلقَت عَلَيَّ بَعاعَها

إِذا حاجةٌ أَلقَت عَلَيَّ بَعاعَها

رَكِبتُ وَحَسبي مُنصَلٌ وَقَطيعُ

رَكِبتُ وَحَسبي مُنصَلٌ وَقَطيعُ

When a need casts its full burden upon me,

If need casts down her rope, I mount my steed

I ride out, and a sword and a whip suffice me.

Whose only gear’s a halter of plaited thong.

يُرِدنَ اِمرأً قَد شَذَّبَ الحَمدُ مالَهُ

يُرِدنَ اِمرأً قَد شَذَّبَ الحَمدُ مالَهُ

أَغَرَّ طَويلَ الباعِ حينَ يَبوعُ

أَغَرَّ طَويلَ الباعِ حينَ يَبوعُ

They seek a man whose wealth praise has pruned,

A man whom praise has made wealthy rides back

illustrious, long of reach whenever he extends his arms.

From market, pride lengthening the camel-train along.

وَما ضاعَ مالٌ أَورَثَ الحَمدَ أَهلَهُ

وَما ضاعَ مالٌ أَورَثَ الحَمدَ أَهلَهُ

وَلَكِنَّ أَموالَ البَخيلِ تَضيعُ

وَلَكِنَّ أَموالَ البَخيلِ تَضيعُ

And no wealth is wasted that bequeaths praise to its owners,

No riches lost have made men losers

but the miser's riches go to waste.

But only riches which the mean man kept close-fong.

عَلى خَشَباتِ المُلكِ مِنكَ مَهابَةٌ

عَلى خَشَباتِ المُلكِ مِنكَ مَهابَةٌ

وَفي الدِرعِ عَبلُ الساعِدَينِ قَروعُ

وَفي الدِرعِ عَبلُ الساعِدَينِ قَروعُ

On the timbers of kingship rests the awe you inspire,

On the planks of rule awe of you remains

and in armor, you are thick-forearmed and hard-striking.

And linked mail shirts over the forearms jutting long.

يَشُقُّ الوَغى عَن وَجهِهِ صِدقُ نَجدَةٍ

يَشُقُّ الوَغى عَن وَجهِهِ صِدقُ نَجدَةٍ

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ وَقيعُ

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ وَقيعُ

True valor cleaves the fray before his face,

Truth from his face splits the battle-din apart

and a gleaming, keen-edged sword of purest iron.

And whiter shows than iron beneath the whetstone’s song.

إِذا خَزَنَ المالَ البَخيلُ فَإِنَّما

إِذا خَزَنَ المالَ البَخيلُ فَإِنَّما

خَزائِنُهُ خَطِّيَّةٌ وَدُروعُ

خَزائِنُهُ خَطِّيَّةٌ وَدُروعُ

When the miser hoards wealth, this lord's only

If the mean man hoards money, his hoards

treasuries are Khatt spears and coats of mail,

Are sin and coats of mail about him throng.

وَبيضٌ بِها مِسكٌ مَكانَ بَنانِهِ

وَبيضٌ بِها مِسكٌ مَكانَ بَنانِهِ

وَلَكِنَّها ريحُ الدِماءِ تَضوعُ

وَلَكِنَّها ريحُ الدِماءِ تَضوعُ

and white blades, bearing musk where his fingertips have been,

It holds musk now, instead of vipers,

yet it is the scent of blood that wafts.

Yet is but the scent of blood outpoured headlong.

تَروحُ بَأَرزاقٍ وَتغدو بَغارَةٍ

تَروحُ بَأَرزاقٍ وَتغدو بَغارَةٍ

فَأَنتَ ذُعافٌ مَرَّةً وَرَبيعُ

فَأَنتَ ذُعافٌ مَرَّةً وَرَبيعُ

You return at evening with provisions and go out at dawn on a raid;

It goes abroad with blessings and returns with raids

so you are deadly poison at one time, and spring at another.

So you alternate between new grass and decayed.