ظَفِرنا من عداتِكِ بالخِداعِ

ظَفِرنا من عداتِكِ بالخِداعِ

ومن عَقدِ المواثِقِ بالضياعِ

ومن عَقدِ المواثِقِ بالضياعِ

From your promises we gained deceit,

We gained victory over your enemies through deception,

and from binding covenants, loss.

And from the bond of covenants through loss,

ولو شاوَرتني في غَيرِ لُبّي

ولو شاوَرتني في غَيرِ لُبّي

ربحتِ وفاز كفكِ بالبياعِ

ربحتِ وفاز كفكِ بالبياعِ

Had you consulted me about anything but my reason,

If you had consulted me against your desire

you would have profited, and your hand would have won the bargain.

You would have profited and your palm obtained the sale,

منعتينا وكلُّ هوى وجوعٍ

منعتينا وكلُّ هوى وجوعٍ

يُغيرُ به الجبانُ على الشُّجاعِ

يُغيرُ به الجبانُ على الشُّجاعِ

You denied us; every passion and hunger

You denied us while every love and passion,

drives the coward to raid the brave.

Changes the coward upon the brave,

كان البرقَ ليلةَ زرتِ يَجلي

كان البرقَ ليلةَ زرتِ يَجلي

لُمامَكِ في النقاءِ وفي الشُّعَاعِ

لُمامَكِ في النقاءِ وفي الشُّعَاعِ

Lightning, on the night you visited, was unveiling

The lightning on the night you visited,

your locks in their purity and radiance.

Illuminated the turban on your head in purity and radiance,

وطيف منكِ هلل بالتلاقي

وطيف منكِ هلل بالتلاقي

فَعانقني مُعَانَقَةَ الوَداعِ

فَعانقني مُعَانَقَةَ الوَداعِ

A phantom of you rejoiced at our meeting,

An apparition of you called out at the meeting,

then embraced me with a farewell embrace.

And embraced me an embrace of farewell,

هَنيْئاً أنَها سَئِمَتْ وصَالي

هَنيْئاً أنَها سَئِمَتْ وصَالي

وأَني ما سئمتُ من النِّزَاعِ

وأَني ما سئمتُ من النِّزَاعِ

How sweet that she has tired of union with me,

Congratulations that she grew weary of my company,

while I have not tired of longing,

While I did not grow weary of contention,

كما لا يسأَمُ الملكُ المُرجى

كما لا يسأَمُ الملكُ المُرجى

مَطالِبَ كل صَعْبٍ ذي امتِنَاعِ

مَطالِبَ كل صَعْبٍ ذي امتِنَاعِ

just as the king in whom hopes are placed never tires

Just as the hoped for king does not grow weary,

of pursuing every difficult, resistant prize.

Of asking for every difficult thing of denial,

فتىً ماهِيبَ هَيبَتَهُ مليكٌ

فتىً ماهِيبَ هَيبَتَهُ مليكٌ

ولا انقادتْ رعيتُه لِراعِ

ولا انقادتْ رعيتُه لِراعِ

A youth: no king has inspired the awe he inspires,

A young man whom no king fears his awe,

nor have his subjects yielded to another shepherd.

Nor did his subjects submit to a shepherd,

سَعَى للمجدِ يطلبُ منتهاهُ

سَعَى للمجدِ يطلبُ منتهاهُ

فأَدركَ فوقَ ما تَسَعُ المَسَاعي

فأَدركَ فوقَ ما تَسَعُ المَسَاعي

He strove for glory, seeking its utmost height,

He sought glory, asking for its end,

and attained beyond what endeavors can encompass.

So he attained above what hands can attain,

اذا ما كُتْبُهُ نَفذَتْ بكيدٍ

اذا ما كُتْبُهُ نَفذَتْ بكيدٍ

فيا ويحَ الرماحِ من اليَراعِ

فيا ويحَ الرماحِ من اليَراعِ

When his letters carry out a stratagem,

When his decree was carried out by a plot,

then woe to spears before the reed pen!

Then woe to the spears from the milling,

تُطاعنُ عن قناه ملطفاتٌ

تُطاعنُ عن قناه ملطفاتٌ

وقد تُقضى الحوائجُ بالرِقَاعِ

وقد تُقضى الحوائجُ بالرِقَاعِ

Discreet missives joust on behalf of his lances,

You are obeyed concerning his canal with flatteries,

and needs may be fulfilled by slips of paper.

And needs can be fulfilled with parchments,

سألنا عن تشاغلِه فقالوا

سألنا عن تشاغلِه فقالوا

معنىً بالسِّلاحِ والكُراعِ

معنىً بالسِّلاحِ والكُراعِ

We asked about his occupation, and they said:

We asked about his preoccupation, so they said,

“Intent on weapons and warhorses,

Busy with weapons and stirrups,

وتركيبِ الأَسنةِ في العَوالي

وتركيبِ الأَسنةِ في العَوالي

وتجريبِ الصوارمِ في النِّطاعِ

وتجريبِ الصوارمِ في النِّطاعِ

and fitting spearheads into long lance-shafts,

And assembling blades at the summits,

and testing keen swords on leather mats,

And testing swords at the thighs,

وعرضِ المقربات مُسوَّماتٍ

وعرضِ المقربات مُسوَّماتٍ

وما سُوّمْنَ للقِراعِ

وما سُوّمْنَ للقِراعِ

and reviewing the prized horses, all marked,

And presenting pages gilded,

though they were not marked for combat.”

That were not gilded for the threshing,

يُريدُ بفارسٍ احدى الدَّواهي

يُريدُ بفارسٍ احدى الدَّواهي

زحامَ الهضبِ أَو قلعَ القِلاعِ

زحامَ الهضبِ أَو قلعَ القِلاعِ

He plans for Fars one of the great calamities:

He wants through a horseman one of the prizes,

overrunning the hills or uprooting the fortresses,

The crowding of the plateau or taking the fortresses,

كَدَأْبِ الخيلِ يومَ طَلَبْنَ بَاداً

كَدَأْبِ الخيلِ يومَ طَلَبْنَ بَاداً

تُفارطُ بينَ مَلْقٍ وانِتزَاعِ

تُفارطُ بينَ مَلْقٍ وانِتزَاعِ

as the horses did the day they pursued Bād,

Like the manner of horses the day they sought trouble,

racing between hoof-strikes and lifting clear.

Going to excess between a touch and snatching,

غَداةَ هوى لِعَثْرةِ أَعوَجيٍّ

غَداةَ هوى لِعَثْرةِ أَعوَجيٍّ

يَعَضُ التربَ منقطعَ النُّخَاعِ

يَعَضُ التربَ منقطعَ النُّخَاعِ

On the morning he fell when an Aʿwajī steed stumbled,

The morning a crooked one stumbled,

he bit the dust, his spinal cord severed.

He bites the dust, his spine severed,

وأَفني الركضُ منه كلَّ طرفٍ

وأَفني الركضُ منه كلَّ طرفٍ

وجُنَّةَ كل سابحةٍ رواعِ

وجُنَّةَ كل سابحةٍ رواعِ

The gallop after him exhausted every steed

And the running exhausted every limb from him,

and the armor of every splendid, swimming-strided mare.

And the beauty of each swimming flank,

تَصُدُّ عن اللجَامِ بمِلْطَمَيها

تَصُدُّ عن اللجَامِ بمِلْطَمَيها

كما صَدَّ الكريمُ عن القِذاعِ

كما صَدَّ الكريمُ عن القِذاعِ

She turns both cheeks away from the bridle,

They refrain from the bridle with their jaws,

as the noble man turns away from foul abuse.

As the generous refrained from the beggar,

فلمَّا عُدْنَ يمشينَ الهُوينا

فلمَّا عُدْنَ يمشينَ الهُوينا

ذَرَعْنَ البيدَ بالخطوِ الوَسَاع

ذَرَعْنَ البيدَ بالخطوِ الوَسَاع

When they returned, walking gently,

So when they returned walking gently,

they measured the deserts with broad strides.

They spanned the deserts with ample steps,

كسونَ الحَزنَ حَزنَ دُرَا بجُردٍ

كسونَ الحَزنَ حَزنَ دُرَا بجُردٍ

معاوزَ ما نسجنَ بكلِّ قَاعِ

معاوزَ ما نسجنَ بكلِّ قَاعِ

They clothed the rugged ground, Durā's rugged ground, in threadbare

They covered sorrow with the sorrow of ostriches,

rags they had woven on every plain.

Beyond what is woven by every carpet,

وأَشرفَ للشواهقِ كلُّ جِيدٍ

وأَشرفَ للشواهقِ كلُّ جِيدٍ

كما هَمَّ الرَّبيَّةُ بأطلاعِ

كما هَمَّ الرَّبيَّةُ بأطلاعِ

Every neck craned toward the towering heights,

And every neck rose to the heights,

like a lookout preparing to peer out.

As the doe intended with the horizons,

وهُنَّ على السياطِ مُغَاضشباتٌ

وهُنَّ على السياطِ مُغَاضشباتٌ

فما يُمْلَكْنَ الاَّ بالخِدَاعِ

فما يُمْلَكْنَ الاَّ بالخِدَاعِ

They resent the whips,

And they are striking with the whips angrily,

and can be mastered only through guile.

So they cannot be controlled except by deception,

فلولا أَنَّها بالغربِ قالوا

فلولا أَنَّها بالغربِ قالوا

سَرَى يا ليلُ فجرُكَ بانِصداعِ

سَرَى يا ليلُ فجرُكَ بانِصداعِ

Were they not in the west, people would have said:

For if it were not that they said in the west,

“O night, your dawn has journeyed forth, breaking through!”

The night journeyed, so its dawn cracked,

وولي عند ذلكَ من تَولى

وولي عند ذلكَ من تَولى

يَفُلُّ شَبَا الأسنَّةِ باضطجَاعِ

يَفُلُّ شَبَا الأسنَّةِ باضطجَاعِ

Then the one who had taken command turned tail,

And whoever turned away at that point,

blunting spearpoints by lying prostrate.

The youth of the swords spill out in lying down,

وما عرفَ المقاتلَ مثلُ رمحٍ

وما عرفَ المقاتلَ مثلُ رمحٍ

وصلتَ كعوبَه بيدٍ صَنَاعِ

وصلتَ كعوبَه بيدٍ صَنَاعِ

None knew the body's fatal points like the spear

And no warrior knew a spear like you did,

whose joints you joined with a skilled hand.

That attached its heel through a making hand,

أَظنُّكَ خِفتَ أَنْ يَخفى علينا

أَظنُّكَ خِفتَ أَنْ يَخفى علينا

فقمتَ لنا على شَرفٍ يَفَاعِ

فقمتَ لنا على شَرفٍ يَفَاعِ

I think you feared it might be hidden from us,

I think you feared it would be hidden from us,

so you stood before us upon a lofty rise.

So you stood for us atop a towering summit,

مشيتَ الى أُسامةَ وهو طاوٍ

مشيتَ الى أُسامةَ وهو طاوٍ

تقولُ لهُ هلُمَّ الى الصِّراعِ

تقولُ لهُ هلُمَّ الى الصِّراعِ

You walked toward Usāma while he was hungry,

You walked to Othman while he lingered,

saying to him, “Come to wrestle.”

You say to him, come to the struggle,

وكان اذا غزا بالجيشِ قوماً

وكان اذا غزا بالجيشِ قوماً

تُوَلوِلُ قبل وقعتهِ النَّواعي

تُوَلوِلُ قبل وقعتهِ النَّواعي

Whenever he attacked a people with his army,

And whenever he marched against a people with the army,

the death-criers wailed before his assault.

The swords clamored before its falling the melling,

رأَى خَوَرَ الأَسِنَّةِ في التَّنادي

رأَى خَوَرَ الأَسِنَّةِ في التَّنادي

فعدَّك قسمةَ الضَّرْبِ المثَاعِ

فعدَّك قسمةَ الضَّرْبِ المثَاعِ

He saw the spearheads' weakness amid the battle-cries,

He saw the green of the blades in the calling out,

and reckoned you his share of the shower of blows.

So he counted you apportioner of the successive striking,

أَاِن بانتْ سريرتُكم وكانَت

أَاِن بانتْ سريرتُكم وكانَت

فَضيحَتُكُم قناعاً للقِنَاعِ

فَضيحَتُكُم قناعاً للقِنَاعِ

Is it because your inner nature was exposed, and

Is it not your secret was revealed and became,

your disgrace became a veil over the veil,

Your disgrace a mask for the mask,

جعلتُم ذَنبنا أَنّا سَمِعْنَا

جعلتُم ذَنبنا أَنّا سَمِعْنَا

وما الآذان الا للسَّماعِ

وما الآذان الا للسَّماعِ

that you made our having heard it a crime?

You made our sin that we heard,

Yet ears are only for hearing.

And the ears are not but for hearing,

وانَّ السفحَ من هضباتِ جُورٍ

وانَّ السفحَ من هضباتِ جُورٍ

وجارٌ كان قبلكَ للضياعِ

وجارٌ كان قبلكَ للضياعِ

And the slopes among the hills of Jūr

And that the lower slope from the plateaus of oppression,

and Jār were doomed to ruin before you.

And an oppressor that was before you for loss,

بهاءَ الملكِ انكَ غبتَ يوماً

بهاءَ الملكِ انكَ غبتَ يوماً

فطاولَ أَقصرُ الأقْوامِ باعي

فطاولَ أَقصرُ الأقْوامِ باعي

Bahāʾ al-Mulk, you were absent for a day,

The brilliance of the king, you were absent a day,

and the shortest of men vied with my arm's span.

So the shortest of people lengthened in life,

أَضاع الناسُ ما راعيتَ مني

أَضاع الناسُ ما راعيتَ مني

ولا تُخشى الاضاعةُ من تراعي

ولا تُخشى الاضاعةُ من تراعي

People neglected what you had tended in me,

The people lost what you shepherded from me,

yet no one you tend need fear neglect.

And loss is not feared from one who shepherds,

ولما أَنْ دعوتُكَ من بعيدٍ

ولما أَنْ دعوتُكَ من بعيدٍ

أَجبتَ كأَنَّما المدعوُّ داعِ

أَجبتَ كأَنَّما المدعوُّ داعِ

When I called to you from afar,

And when I called you from afar,

you answered as though the summoned were the summoner.

You answered as if the called one summoned,

كتبتَ الى الشريفِ فكان برءاً

كتبتَ الى الشريفِ فكان برءاً

شفيتَ به الرؤوسَ من الصُّداعِ

شفيتَ به الرؤوسَ من الصُّداعِ

You wrote to the Sharīf, and it was a cure

You wrote to the noble one so he was innocent,

with which you healed heads of their headaches.

You healed with it the heads from headache,

وَمَنْ مثلُ الشريفِ لكلِّ أَمر

وَمَنْ مثلُ الشريفِ لكلِّ أَمر

يبذ الناس ليس بمستطاعِ

يبذ الناس ليس بمستطاعِ

Who is like the Sharīf for every undertaking?

And who is like the noble one for every matter,

He outstrips men and cannot be matched.

The people squander he cannot perform,

تَراه كأَنه في القومِ غُفلٌ

تَراه كأَنه في القومِ غُفلٌ

وقد وَرَدَ المياهَ مع السباعِ

وقد وَرَدَ المياهَ مع السباعِ

You see him among the people as though unnoticed,

You see him as if he is a fool among the people,

though he has visited the watering places with beasts of prey.

And he has attained the waters with the predators,

يثيبُ على البلاءِ ولا يُحابى

يثيبُ على البلاءِ ولا يُحابى

بايثارٍ أَخاه من الرَّضاعِ

بايثارٍ أَخاه من الرَّضاعِ

He rewards proven service and shows no favoritism

He rewards for the affliction and does not favor,

by preferring his own milk-brother.

By preferring his brother from nursing,

اذا ما هم أَزمعَ مستمراً

اذا ما هم أَزمعَ مستمراً

وليس الأمرُ الا بالزَّمَاعِ

وليس الأمرُ الا بالزَّمَاعِ

When he sets his mind to a thing, he resolves to press on,

When he intends continuously and the matter,

for affairs depend only on firm resolve.

Is nothing but with pegging,

وما تُغني التَّجَاربُ عنكَ مالم

وما تُغني التَّجَاربُ عنكَ مالم

تُعاوِنْها برأيٍ واخْتِراعِ

تُعاوِنْها برأيٍ واخْتِراعِ

Experience does not avail you unless

And trials do not benefit you unless,

you support it with judgment and invention.

You support them with opinion and invention,

يخافُ به المسارقُ راحتيهِ

يخافُ به المسارقُ راحتيهِ

ويأمنُ عازبَ النعمَ الرِّتاعِ

ويأمنُ عازبَ النعمَ الرِّتاعِ

Through him, the thief fears for his hands,

Which the thieves fear for their comfort,

while far-wandering, grazing livestock are safe.

And the single person of blessing fears the wretched multitude,

وما استبقى له في الرفقِ جُهداً

وما استبقى له في الرفقِ جُهداً

ولا في الذَّبِ عنه والدِّفاعِ

ولا في الذَّبِ عنه والدِّفاعِ

He spared no effort in kindness toward him,

And no effort remains for him in gentleness,

or in protecting and defending him.

Nor in protecting him and defense,

فَلِمْ عبدُ العزيزِ بكم خَصيصٌ

فَلِمْ عبدُ العزيزِ بكم خَصيصٌ

أَلا يا قومُ للثأر المضاعِ

أَلا يا قومُ للثأر المضاعِ

Why, then, is ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz so favored among you?

So why is Abdul Aziz distinguished amongst you,

O people—what of the vengeance left undone!

Will you not, O people, for the neglected revenge,

وكنتم اِخوةً في الملكِ شَتى

وكنتم اِخوةً في الملكِ شَتى

ففرقَ بينكم بَعدَ اجتمَاعِ

ففرقَ بينكم بَعدَ اجتمَاعِ

You were brothers in separate realms,

And you were brothers in the kingdom diverse,

and he divided you after you had joined together.

So it separated you after gathering,

وسنَّ قطيعةَ الأرحامِ فيكم

وسنَّ قطيعةَ الأرحامِ فيكم

أَخبُّ كَرَىً من الطُّلسِ الجِيَاعِ

أَخبُّ كَرَىً من الطُّلسِ الجِيَاعِ

He instituted the severing of kinship ties among you,

And legislated the cutting off of relations between you,

more crafty in sleep than hungry, gray wolves.

More sinister than a hyena's bone-cracking,

وخانَ أَخاكَ وهو له وزيرٌ

وخانَ أَخاكَ وهو له وزيرٌ

مكانَ السرِ والرأْي المطاعِ

مكانَ السرِ والرأْي المطاعِ

He betrayed your brother while serving as his minister,

And he betrayed your brother while he was vizier to him,

in the seat of secrets and of counsel that was obeyed.

The position of secret and obeyed opinion,

فلم تك أَنت بُغيتَه ولكن

فلم تك أَنت بُغيتَه ولكن

وقى بك نفسَه عند المِصَاعِ

وقى بك نفسَه عند المِصَاعِ

You were not his true object, but

So you were not his seeker but,

he used you to shield himself in combat.

He protected himself with you at the time of reaping,

أقامك تحتَ أَطرافِ العوالي

أقامك تحتَ أَطرافِ العوالي

وفر يَشُوبُ غَدراً بارتَياعِ

وفر يَشُوبُ غَدراً بارتَياعِ

He stationed you beneath the tips of the long lances,

He appointed you beneath the heights of power,

then fled, mingling treachery with fear.

So he escaped while treachery spread in terror,

فآلى اذْ نجا منها جريضاً

فآلى اذْ نجا منها جريضاً

نجا بكَ أَو وقاكَ من الوِقَاعِ

نجا بكَ أَو وقاكَ من الوِقَاعِ

When he escaped them, choking, he swore

So when he was saved from it gashing,

that he escaped through you—or shielded you from battle.

He was saved by you or you protected from falling,

ولا يَرعى الأَمانةَ يوسفيٌ

ولا يَرعى الأَمانةَ يوسفيٌ

مَوَدَّتَهُ على حبلِ الذرَاعِ

مَوَدَّتَهُ على حبلِ الذرَاعِ

No Yūsufī keeps faith

And a Josephite does not observe,

whose affection hangs upon the cord of a forearm.

His affection upon the arm's rope,

اذا محيت ضَغَائِنُه بعذرٍ

اذا محيت ضَغَائِنُه بعذرٍ

نبتنَ نباتَ أَنيابِ الأفاعي

نبتنَ نباتَ أَنيابِ الأفاعي

When his grudges are erased by an excuse,

If you erase his grudges with an excuse,

they grow back like the fangs of vipers.

They sprout like the sprouting of viper's fangs,

صنعتَ الذنبَ ثم أَردتَ منه

صنعتَ الذنبَ ثم أَردتَ منه

بأَنْ يَرعى حقوقَ الاصْطِنَاعِ

بأَنْ يَرعى حقوقَ الاصْطِنَاعِ

You committed the fault, then expected him

You committed the sin then wanted,

to honor the obligations of patronage.

For him to observe the rights of favor,

وأَيُّ الناسِ أَكرمُ منك عفواً

وأَيُّ الناسِ أَكرمُ منك عفواً

وقد أَقطعتَه غُررَ الضِّيَاعِ

وقد أَقطعتَه غُررَ الضِّيَاعِ

Who is more generous than you in pardon,

And which of the people is more generous than you in pardon,

when you have granted him the choicest estates?

When you provided him treasures of loss,

رأَيتُ التركَ ترجمُ من رماها

رأَيتُ التركَ ترجمُ من رماها

بمثلِ قوادمِ الطيرِ السِّراعِ

بمثلِ قوادمِ الطيرِ السِّراعِ

I saw the Turks pelt those who shot at them

I saw the Turks interpret who cast them,

with the like of the flight-feathers of swift birds.

Like the racing of birds, the swift,

وما غلبوا بحدِّهم ولكنْ

وما غلبوا بحدِّهم ولكنْ

بجَدِّك والأمورُ لها دَواعِ

بجَدِّك والأمورُ لها دَواعِ

They did not prevail through their blade-edges, but

And they did not overcome by their sharpness but,

through your good fortune; events have their causes.

By your seriousness and matters have causes,

أَصابَ الزجرَ مَنْ سَمَّكَ غيثاً

أَصابَ الزجرَ مَنْ سَمَّكَ غيثاً

ومن كنَّى أَباكَ أَبا شُجَاعِ

ومن كنَّى أَباكَ أَبا شُجَاعِ

He read the omen rightly who named you Ghayth—“Rain”—

Who warned attained rebuke,

and who gave your father the byname Abū Shujāʿ.

And who named your father, father of the brave,