لاneither الصّبرُpatience ناصرُهُhis helper إنif ضامهoppressed him كمَدٌsorrow
لا الصّبرُ ناصرُهُ إن ضامه كمَدٌ
يومَon the day of الرّحيلdeparture ولاnor السّلوانُforgetfulness مُنجِدُهhis rescuer
يومَ الرّحيل ولا السّلوانُ مُنجِدُه
Neither patience aids him if sorrow oppresses him
Patience fails him whose woes constrain him,
on the day of departure, nor does forgetfulness rescue him.
on the day of parting, and solace avails him naught.
فلمthen why? أطاعdid he obey عذولاًa reproacher ماnot يسهِّدُهkeeps him awake
فلم أطاع عذولاً ما يسهِّدُه
إذاwhen غفاfell asleep كلُevery طرْفٍeye ماwhat يسهِّدُهُkeeps him awake
إذا غفا كلُ طرْفٍ ما يسهِّدُهُ
Then why did he obey a reproacher who does not keep him awake?
No longer heeds he aught that might console him
When every eye slumbers, what keeps him awake?
when all eyes are sleeping what consoles them.
هلhas ...? حلّuntied بالعَذْلِthrough reproach لاحٍa blamer منfrom أخيa brother of كمَدٍsorrow
هل حلّ بالعَذْلِ لاحٍ من أخي كمَدٍ
ماwhat ظلّkept بالحبّthrough love داعيthe summons of الوجدyearning يعقِدُهbinding it
ما ظلّ بالحبّ داعي الوجد يعقِدُه
Has a blamer ever freed, by reproach, a brother of sorrow from
Has a gleam from my brother Kama beamed on me,
what longing's summons kept binding through love?
where love's ardour kindled in me now slackens?
لولاwere it not for الغُرورُdelusion وماand what تجْنيreap مطامِعُهhis hopes
لولا الغُرورُ وما تجْني مطامِعُه
لذَمّwould surely condemn طيْفَthe phantom of الكرىsleep منwhoever باتَspent the night يحمَدُهpraising it
لذَمّ طيْفَ الكرى من باتَ يحمَدُه
Were it not for delusion and what his hopes reap,
But for pride and the lusts that it fosters,
whoever spends the night praising sleep's phantom would condemn it.
His phantom that haunted me I had blamed.
وكلّand everyone منwho لاnot يرىsees فيin الأمرthe affair مصدَرَهُhis way out
وكلّ من لا يرى في الأمر مصدَرَهُ
قبلbefore الوُرودِentering أراهُshows him الحتْفَdeath مورِدُهhis way in
قبل الوُرودِ أراهُ الحتْفَ مورِدُه
And whoever does not see his way out of an affair
Who sees not in things their essential nature
before entering it—his way in reveals death to him.
ere death, its sure goal, shall be his abode.
كحائنٍlike a doomed man ظنّthought مولاناour lord العزيزthe mighty علىdespite
كحائنٍ ظنّ مولانا العزيز على
إمهالهُhis granting respite مُهمِلاًheedless of منone whom باتhe spent the night يرْصُدُهwatching him
إمهالهُ مُهمِلاً من بات يرْصُدُه
Like a doomed man who thought our mighty lord, despite
Like a wily foe our mighty lord deemed me,
his granting respite, heedless of one he watched through the night.
letting me rest who against him was plotting.
الصّادقtrue العزمِin resolve لاno جبنٌcowardice يريّثُهdelays him
الصّادق العزمِ لا جبنٌ يريّثُه
إنif رامَsought أمراًa thing ولاnor عجزٌincapacity يفنّدُهundermines him
إن رامَ أمراً ولا عجزٌ يفنّدُه
True in resolve, no cowardice delays him
Stedfast purpose no cowardice softens
if he seeks a thing, nor does incapacity undermine him.
when its aim is fixed and no weakness thwarts it.
فيin كلّevery يومٍday لهfor him حمدٌpraise يجمّعهُhe gathers it
في كلّ يومٍ له حمدٌ يجمّعهُ
بماthrough what توخّاهُhe deliberately chose منof مالٍwealth يبدّدُهhe scatters it
بما توخّاهُ من مالٍ يبدّدُه
Each day he gathers praise
Daily his virtues reap a fresh guerdon
through the wealth he purposefully scatters.
that dissipates all the wealth he dispenses.
جمُّabundant المواهبِin gifts ماnot ينفكّceases منbecause of سرَفٍextravagance
جمُّ المواهبِ ما ينفكّ من سرَفٍ
لُجَينُهhis silver يشتكيcomplains منهof him وعسجَدُهand his gold
لُجَينُه يشتكي منه وعسجَدُه
Bountiful in gifts; because of his extravagance, unceasingly
Ceaseless bounty pours from him though complain
his silver complains of him, and his gold.
of it his intimates, and the abject envy it.
غمْرُample الرِّداءِof cloak وَهوبٌa lavish giver ماwhatever حوتهhas held it علىover الthe
غمْرُ الرِّداءِ وَهوبٌ ما حوته على ال
أيّامdays منof طارفٍnewly acquired wealth أوor تالدٍlong-held wealth يدُهhis hand
أيّام من طارفٍ أو تالدٍ يدُه
Ample of cloak, a lavish giver of whatever, over the
Floods of gifts like the rain he lavishes freely,
days, his hand has held, newly acquired or long-held.
days whereof ne'er a trifler made mention.
يعتدّhe credits بالفضلِwith the favor للعافيto the supplicant ويشكرُهand thanks him
يعتدّ بالفضلِ للعافي ويشكرُه
كأنّas though عافيهِhis supplicant يحبوهُgives him gifts ويرفِدُهُand supports him
كأنّ عافيهِ يحبوهُ ويرفِدُهُ
He credits the supplicant with the favor and thanks him,
Grateful for gifts, as though it were he who gained them,
as though his supplicant were giving him gifts and support.
he gives thanks, as though it were he who received them.
موفّقُgranted success السّعيin striving والتّدبيرُand planning منجِحُهbrings him success
موفّقُ السّعي والتّدبيرُ منجِحُه
وثاقبُand penetrating الرّأيjudgment فيin الجُلّىthe gravest affairs مسدّدُهguides him aright
وثاقبُ الرّأي في الجُلّى مسدّدُه
Successful in his endeavors, his planning brings him success,
Sound in method and ordering, blest in their issue,
and keen judgment guides him aright in the gravest affairs.
keen inthought, in perplexities skilful.
حسنُsoundness of الرّشادِdiscernment لهfor him فيماin what يحاولُهhe undertakes it
حسنُ الرّشادِ له فيما يحاولُه
منof المقاصدobjectives هاديهhis guide ومُرشدُهُand his counselor
من المقاصد هاديه ومُرشدُهُ
Sound discernment, in whatever he undertakes
Fine in counsel to all who attempt things,
among his aims, is his guide and counselor.
biddable to them and a sure guide to them.
فماso ... not يَطيشُgoes astray لهfor him سهمٌan arrow يفوّقُهhe nocks it
فما يَطيشُ له سهمٌ يفوّقُه
فيin كلall ماthat يتحرّاهُhe carefully seeks it ويقصِدُهand aims at it
في كل ما يتحرّاهُ ويقصِدُه
Thus no arrow he nocks goes astray
No shaft flies wide that his skill has directed,
in all he seeks out and aims at.
when his mind's made up and his thought centred.
إذاwhen تماثلتِstood equal الأحسابُnoble lineages فاخرةًboasting
إذا تماثلتِ الأحسابُ فاخرةً
أضاءshone فيamid الحسَبِnobility الوضّاحِradiant محتِدُهhis ancestry
أضاء في الحسَبِ الوضّاحِ محتِدُه
When lineages stand matched in their pride,
When accounts tally, details flow smoothly,
his ancestry shines amid radiant nobility.
and the ledger shines in the hand of its master.
يُزْهىhe takes pride بجدّيْنِin two grandfathers أضحىhe has become سامياًlofty بهماthrough them both
يُزْهى بجدّيْنِ أضحى سامياً بهما
فماand so ... not ترىsees عينُهhis eye منanyone who ليسnot يحسُدُهenvies him
فما ترى عينُه من ليس يحسُدُه
He glories in two grandfathers through whom he has risen high;
He bears two honours whose height claims all homage,
so his eye sees none who does not envy him.
that no eye sees without a tear for its envy.
ياO أحمدُAhmad الحمدُpraise ماwhat أصبحتyou have come to تكسِبُهyou earn it
يا أحمدُ الحمدُ ما أصبحت تكسِبُه
بالفضلِthrough generosity والفضلُand generosity ماwhat أصبحتyou have come to توردُهyou dispense it
بالفضلِ والفضلُ ما أصبحت توردُه
O Ahmad, praise is what you now earn
Ahmad, praise still shall increase what you merit
through generosity, and generosity is what you now dispense.
through your bounty, and bounty bring you fresh praise.
ليَهْنِmay it gladden مجدَكyour glory نُعمىa blessing ظلّremained حاسدُهاits envier
ليَهْنِ مجدَك نُعمى ظلّ حاسدُها
يغيظُهangers him ماwhat رأىhe has seen منهاof it ويُكمدُهand grieves him
يغيظُه ما رأى منها ويُكمدُه
May your glory delight in a blessing whose envier remains
In the shade of your glory let your foes perish,
angered and grieved by what he has seen of it.
gnashing their teeth at the sight, and pine in despair!
جاءتكit came to you تسحَبُtrailing ذيلَthe hem of العزّhonor منfrom ملِكa king
جاءتك تسحَبُ ذيلَ العزّ من ملِك
ماnot أيّدhas supported اللهُGod إلاexcept منwhomever يؤيّدُهhe supports him
ما أيّد اللهُ إلا من يؤيّدُه
It came to you, trailing the hem of honor, from a king:
To you is empire's train drawn, since God aided
God has supported none but those whom that king supports.
none but yourself, none to compare, none to consort.
لمdid not يلقَfind غيرَكanyone but you كُفؤاًa capable man يرتضيهِhe approves of him لماfor what
لم يلقَ غيرَك كُفؤاً يرتضيهِ لما
إليكto you أضحىhas now come to منof التّدبيرِgovernance يُسندُهُhe entrusts it
إليك أضحى من التّدبيرِ يُسندُهُ
He found none but you a capable man he could approve for what
To you control of affairs leaned confiding
he now entrusts to you in the conduct of affairs.
that trust is secure in one nobly descended.
ألقىhanded إليكَto you زِمامthe reins of الأمرِaffairs معتقداًbelieving
ألقى إليكَ زِمام الأمرِ معتقداً
أنّthat الأمانةَtrustworthiness فيمنin whoever طابwas honorable مولدُهhis birth
أنّ الأمانةَ فيمن طاب مولدُه
He handed you the reins of affairs, believing
Make your safeguard men's thanks, and preserve it,
that trustworthiness rests with one whose birth is honorable.
note what report shall immortalize and bless you.
فاجعَلْso make عِياذَكyour refuge شكرَthe gratitude of الناسِpeople تحرزُهyou secure it
فاجعَلْ عِياذَك شكرَ الناسِ تحرزُه
وانظرْand seek لنفسكfor yourself منsome ذكرٍrenown تخلّدُهyou make it endure
وانظرْ لنفسك من ذكرٍ تخلّدُه
So make the people's gratitude your refuge, and secure it;
By the rout of your foemen your prowess is proven,
and seek for yourself renown that you will make endure.
after their wickedness failed and their might sank in night.
وليَهْنand may it gladden جدَّكyour good fortune أعداءٌenemies ظفِرتَyou triumphed بهمover them
وليَهْن جدَّك أعداءٌ ظفِرتَ بهم
وقدwhile ... had عراهمovertaken them منof الطّغيانِrebellion أنكدُهits most baleful form
وقد عراهم من الطّغيانِ أنكدُه
And may your good fortune rejoice in enemies you have vanquished,
They conspired to entrap you, but better betraying
while rebellion in its most baleful form had overtaken them.
was driven from them by happy emprise and right thought.
نوَوْاthey intended لكagainst you المَكرَdeceit غدراًtreacherously فاستزلّbut diverted لهمfor them
نوَوْا لك المَكرَ غدراً فاستزلّ لهم
عنfrom ذاكthat أيمنُmost auspicious تدبيرٍplanning وأحمدُهand its most praiseworthy
عن ذاك أيمنُ تدبيرٍ وأحمدُه
They treacherously intended deceit against you, but were turned aside
Each one of them all was by evil deserted,
from it by the most auspicious and praiseworthy strategy.
when his plotting misled him and nothing achieved.
منamong كلّevery أخيبَhapless man خانتهbetrayed him مكايدُهhis schemes
من كلّ أخيبَ خانته مكايدُه
فيماin what نواهُhe intended it وأرداهُand destroyed him تردّدُهhis wavering
فيما نواهُ وأرداهُ تردّدُه
Each among them a hapless man whose schemes betrayed him
Naught did they threaten but swiftly you turned it,
in what he intended, and whose wavering destroyed him.
reaping advantage where loss they conceived.
ماnever أبرمواthey twisted tight الرّأيَthe plan فيfor سوءharm بغوْكthey targeted you بهwith it
ما أبرموا الرّأيَ في سوء بغوْك به
إلاexcept وعادand became again سحيلاًsingle-stranded منكthrough you مُحصَدُهits tightly plied cord
إلا وعاد سحيلاً منك مُحصَدُه
Never did they twist tight a plan for harm they sought against you
When their guile struck a spark, your good fortune
but through you its tightly plied cord became a single strand.
at once to dead ashes reduced it and quenched it.
ولاnor ورىstruck fire زندُa fire-stick كيدٍscheming منهمُfrom them أبداًever
ولا ورى زندُ كيدٍ منهمُ أبداً
إلاexcept وحدُّكand your sharp edge بالإقبالِwith good fortune يُصلِدُهmakes it sparkless
إلا وحدُّك بالإقبالِ يُصلِدُه
Nor did the fire-stick of their scheming ever strike fire
but your sharp edge, with fortune's favor, made it sparkless.
Partial English translation: 52 of 54 Arabic lines translated.