بنَفسى من الفتيانِ كلَّ سَميَدَعٍ

بنَفسى من الفتيانِ كلَّ سَميَدَعٍ

يُصابُ فلا يشكو ولا يَتَضَعْضَعُ

يُصابُ فلا يشكو ولا يَتَضَعْضَعُ

I would give my life for every noble, valiant youth,

With my own self from the youths, every submissive weakling

Who is struck, yet neither complains nor falters.

Who is stricken but does not complain or fret

وممتَعِضٌ لما دعا وسطَ رهطهِ

وممتَعِضٌ لما دعا وسطَ رهطهِ

فلم تحمه أَيدٍ طوالٌ وأَذرعُ

فلم تحمه أَيدٍ طوالٌ وأَذرعُ

And an outraged man who called out amid his clan,

And disgusted with what he called amidst his group

But long-reaching hands and arms did not protect him.

Yet no long arms or hands protected him

رأَى سيفَه أوَفى له من حَمِيمِهِ

رأَى سيفَه أوَفى له من حَمِيمِهِ

فعاذَ به أنَّ العَزِيزَ مُمَنَّعُ

فعاذَ به أنَّ العَزِيزَ مُمَنَّعُ

He found his sword more faithful to him than his close companion,

He saw his sword more loyal to him than his bosom friend

So he sought refuge in it, for the mighty are unassailable.

So he took refuge in it, for the dear one is forbidden

إذا اصْطكتِ الاحسابُ وابتدر المدى

إذا اصْطكتِ الاحسابُ وابتدر المدى

وهابَ جَسيماتِ الأمورِ المُروَّعُ

وهابَ جَسيماتِ الأمورِ المُروَّعُ

When ancestral honors clash and men race for the utmost goal,

When reputations clash and the distance is jumped

And the terrified man dreads the gravest affairs,

And the tremendous matters are frightening

فما مثلُ صَمْصَامِ الخِلافةِ صَارمٌ

فما مثلُ صَمْصَامِ الخِلافةِ صَارمٌ

يُفَلُّ به حَدُّ الخُطُوبِ ويُقطَعُ

يُفَلُّ به حَدُّ الخُطُوبِ ويُقطَعُ

Then no keen blade equals Samsam al-Khilafa,

None is like the Indian sword of the Caliphate, sharp

By whom calamities' edge is blunted and cut away.

With it the limit of tribulations is turned back and cut off

شديدُ نياطِ القلبِ لا يستخِفَّهُ

شديدُ نياطِ القلبِ لا يستخِفَّهُ

وميضُ المواضي والوشيجُ المزَعْزِعُ

وميضُ المواضي والوشيجُ المزَعْزِعُ

His heartstrings are firm; he is not unnerved by

Firm of the sheaths of the heart, not made little of him

The flash of keen blades and the quivering spear-shafts.

By the flashing of foreheads and the tottering commotion

تَراهُ إذا ما جئتَ تطلُبُ رِفَدَهُ

تَراهُ إذا ما جئتَ تطلُبُ رِفَدَهُ

جميلَ المحيا وهو في الرَّوِعِ أَروعُ

جميلَ المحيا وهو في الرَّوِعِ أَروعُ

You see him, when you come seeking his bounty,

You see him when you come seeking his help

Fair of face, and in battle's terror more awe-inspiring still.

Beautiful of smile, while in commotion, most comely

رعابيلُ وشي العبقريِّ ثيابُهُ

رعابيلُ وشي العبقريِّ ثيابُهُ

إذا ما تمطى والدِّلاصُ المُضَلَّعُ

إذا ما تمطى والدِّلاصُ المُضَلَّعُ

Tatters of Abqari brocade are his garments,

Rbcc, the perfume merchant, his clothes

When he stretches—and his broad-ribbed, gleaming mail as well.

When he walks proudly dressed and the intermingled

وفيكَ لمن عاديتَه واصطفيتَهُ

وفيكَ لمن عاديتَه واصطفيتَهُ

خلائقُ فيها الخيرُ والشر أَجمَعُ

خلائقُ فيها الخيرُ والشر أَجمَعُ

And in you, toward those you oppose and those you favor,

In you for whoever opposed you and took you as a confidant

Are traits encompassing all good and evil:

Are traits in which good and evil are all gathered

دُنُوٌّ لمن يَدنو إليكَ بقلْبهِ

دُنُوٌّ لمن يَدنو إليكَ بقلْبهِ

ولو أَنَّهُ ذو اللبدتين المُشَيَّعُ

ولو أَنَّهُ ذو اللبدتين المُشَيَّعُ

Closeness to him who draws near to you with his heart,

Close to whoever draws near you with his heart

Even if he is the fearless lion with two mane-tufts;

Even if he is one whose two wrapper garments are raveled

ونأيٌ عن المُهدى لعينكَ ثَغرَهُ

ونأيٌ عن المُهدى لعينكَ ثَغرَهُ

ومبسمُه بينَ الجَوانحِ يَلْذَعُ

ومبسمُه بينَ الجَوانحِ يَلْذَعُ

And distance from him who offers your eye his smiling mouth,

And remote from the misguided one, though his mouth appeals to you

While his smiling mouth stings between the ribs.

And his smile amid the breasts bites sharply

أَبوكَ يُلافى الملكَ ليلةَ جَازِرٍ

أَبوكَ يُلافى الملكَ ليلةَ جَازِرٍ

ويومَ دُجيلٍ وهو بالرِّدفِ يَظلَعُ

ويومَ دُجيلٍ وهو بالرِّدفِ يَظلَعُ

Your father came to the kingdom's rescue on the night of Jazir,

Your father contends with the king on a night of slaughter

And on the day of Dujayl, while it limped in its hindquarters.

And a day of deluge while holding to the saddle strap

وقالَ لبيضِ الهندِ كلُّ مناجزٍ

وقالَ لبيضِ الهندِ كلُّ مناجزٍ

بغيرِكَ في الجُلى يُخَانُ ويُجْدَعُ

بغيرِكَ في الجُلى يُخَانُ ويُجْدَعُ

And he told India's bright blades: 'Every combatant

And said to the whites of India, every contender

Is betrayed and maimed in great peril without you.'

Without you in conflicts is betrayed and severed

ضَغَائنُ لو لم يُحْسِنِ السيفُ داءَها

ضَغَائنُ لو لم يُحْسِنِ السيفُ داءَها

لضرَّتْ وهلْ شيءٌ سِوى السيفِ يَنْفَعُ

لضرَّتْ وهلْ شيءٌ سِوى السيفِ يَنْفَعُ

Grudges—had the sword not skillfully treated their sickness,

Grudges, if the sword did not cure their illness,

Would have caused harm; and what avails besides the sword?

Would have harmed, and what thing other than the sword avails?

إذا الحِلْمُ لم يَعْطِف عليكَ فَدَاوِهِ

إذا الحِلْمُ لم يَعْطِف عليكَ فَدَاوِهِ

بخُرقكَ أنَّ الشرَّ بالشرِّ يُدْفَعُ

بخُرقكَ أنَّ الشرَّ بالشرِّ يُدْفَعُ

If forbearance does not bend him toward you, then treat him

When forbearance does not turn to you, so treat it

With your roughness, for evil is repelled by evil.

By slashing it, for evil is dispelled with evil

وكن مثلَ ركنٍ الدولةِ الحلوِ واصطنعْ

وكن مثلَ ركنٍ الدولةِ الحلوِ واصطنعْ

كما كان تاجُ الملَّةِ المرُّ يصنعُ

كما كان تاجُ الملَّةِ المرُّ يصنعُ

And be like sweet Rukn al-Dawla, and bestow favors,

And be like the pillar of the state, the sweet, and act

As bitter Taj al-Milla used to do.

As the crown of the faith, the bitter, was wont to act

هما أَوْرَثا عِزَّ الحَيَاةِ ورفَّعا

هما أَوْرَثا عِزَّ الحَيَاةِ ورفَّعا

إلى غايةِ ما فوقَها مُتَرفَّعُ

إلى غايةِ ما فوقَها مُتَرفَّعُ

They both bequeathed life's glory and raised you

They both bequeathed the glory of life and exalted

To a summit above which no one can rise.

To the ultimate height above which is no ascent

وماتا وما ماتَ امرؤٌ خَلَدَتْ له

وماتا وما ماتَ امرؤٌ خَلَدَتْ له

مناقبُ يُحْييها الحَدِيثُ المُرَجَّعُ

مناقبُ يُحْييها الحَدِيثُ المُرَجَّعُ

And they died; yet no man dies whose enduring

And they died but no man died who has virtues

Noble deeds are kept alive by tales told and retold.

That discourse revives, transmitted and rehearsed