يا ناطِقاً كانَ فَصلُ القولِ من خَطَله

يا ناطِقاً كانَ فَصلُ القولِ من خَطَله

وذائقاً كانَ صابُ الدهرِ من عسلِهْ

وذائقاً كانَ صابُ الدهرِ من عسلِهْ

O speaker whose decisive speech was part of his foolish talk,

O you whose eloquence distinguished right speech from error,

and taster for whom time's bitter sap was part of his honey.

And who tasted the sweet and bitter of fate,

ما كنتَ أولَ طلاّبٍ لمُطلبٍ

ما كنتَ أولَ طلاّبٍ لمُطلبٍ

دهَتْهُ داهيةُ الأيامِ من قِبلِهْ

دهَتْهُ داهيةُ الأيامِ من قِبلِهْ

You were not the first ardent seeker of a goal

You were not the first seeker of goals

whom the calamity of days assailed from that quarter.

That the sly days had fooled before accomplishing them.

لا يركننّ إلى الدنيا بمنيته

لا يركننّ إلى الدنيا بمنيته

فتىً يَحوطُ صوابَ الرأي من زلَلِهْ

فتىً يَحوطُ صوابَ الرأي من زلَلِهْ

Let him never lean upon this world with his hopes—

The youth whose sound opinion hedges folly

a young man who guards sound judgment against its slips.

Does not lean on the world and its vanities.

يَهوى الخِلافَ فلو قالَ الحِمامُ له

يَهوى الخِلافَ فلو قالَ الحِمامُ له

أهْوى النُفوسَ لما سالتْ على أسَلِهْ

أهْوى النُفوسَ لما سالتْ على أسَلِهْ

Time loves opposition; so if Death were to say to it,

He loves dissent - if doves told him

"I desire souls," they would not flow upon his spearheads.

"I love souls," he would not let them rest on their perches.

هذا يؤملُ أمراً ليس يُدرِكُهُ

هذا يؤملُ أمراً ليس يُدرِكُهُ

من دهرِهِ بتمنّيه ولا حِيَلِهْ

من دهرِهِ بتمنّيه ولا حِيَلِهْ

This man hopes for something he cannot attain

This one hopes for something he cannot attain

from his time, by wishing or by his stratagems;

In his lifetime, despite his wishes and tricks.

وذاكَ يُدركُ أمراً ليس يأمُلُهُ

وذاكَ يُدركُ أمراً ليس يأمُلُهُ

فما يبلغُ إنساناً إلى أمَلِهْ

فما يبلغُ إنساناً إلى أمَلِهْ

and that man attains something he does not hope for.

While that one attains something he did not hope for,

Thus it brings no man to his desire.

So man never achieves his every hope.

رَمى بها الغرض الأقْصى فتى نكصت

رَمى بها الغرض الأقْصى فتى نكصت

بيضُ السيوفِ على الأعْقابِ من جَلَلِهْ

بيضُ السيوفِ على الأعْقابِ من جَلَلِهْ

A young man aimed with it at the farthest mark; back recoiled

The best goal made the blades shine white

the gleaming swords upon their heels before his greatness.

On the heels in retreat because of his awe.

تذكّرتْ عهدَه أيامَ ساعدُهُ

تذكّرتْ عهدَه أيامَ ساعدُهُ

أمْضى بهنّ على الأعْناقِ من وَجَلِهْ

أمْضى بهنّ على الأعْناقِ من وَجَلِهْ

They recalled his time, the days when his arm

The days of his helping reminded me

was keener with them against necks than the dread of him.

Of their passing over necks in valor and dread.

فما يلوحُ حياءً حين تُبصِرُهُ

فما يلوحُ حياءً حين تُبصِرُهُ

حتى تستّر بالأبطالِ من خَجَلِهْ

حتى تستّر بالأبطالِ من خَجَلِهْ

Scarcely does he appear, bashful, when you see him,

When they see him, shame does not appear quickly

before he screens himself with champions out of shame.

Until it hides behind the brave in embarrassment.

لو كنتُ أملِكُ أمراً حُمَّ موقعُهُ

لو كنتُ أملِكُ أمراً حُمَّ موقعُهُ

كَفَفْتُ بادرةَ الأقدارِ عن أجَلِهْ

كَفَفْتُ بادرةَ الأقدارِ عن أجَلِهْ

Had I power over an event whose coming was decreed,

If I had power over events placed by fate,

I would have kept fate's sudden assault away from his appointed end.

I would stop the hands of destiny from his death.

أوْ كان يقْنَعُ بي أعداؤهُ بدَلاً

أوْ كان يقْنَعُ بي أعداؤهُ بدَلاً

لكنتُ أولَ مشهودٍ على جَمَلِهْ

لكنتُ أولَ مشهودٍ على جَمَلِهْ

Or had his enemies been content with me as a substitute,

Or if his enemies accepted me instead,

I would have been the first one seen upon his camel.

I would be the first witness to his assets.

قد كانَ لا تأمنُ الظّلْماءُ مبسمَهُ

قد كانَ لا تأمنُ الظّلْماءُ مبسمَهُ

ويأمنُ الطعنَ في الهيجاءِ من فشَلِهْ

ويأمنُ الطعنَ في الهيجاءِ من فشَلِهْ

Once darkness could not feel safe from his smile,

Though his smile did not make the dark dawn safe

and in battle the spear-thrust was safe from his faltering.

And protected the javelin from sharpness and failure,

يَرعى النجومَ بطرفٍ ليسَ يُغْمِضُهُ

يَرعى النجومَ بطرفٍ ليسَ يُغْمِضُهُ

حتى كأنّ نجومَ الليلِ من مُقَلِهْ

حتى كأنّ نجومَ الليلِ من مُقَلِهْ

He watches the stars with an eye he never closes,

He watched the stars with an eye he did not close

until the stars of night seem to be among his eyes.

As if the stars of night came from his eyelids.

يراقبُ الصبحَ منهُ وهو في فَمِهِ

يراقبُ الصبحَ منهُ وهو في فَمِهِ

وتخدُمُ المجد فيه وهو من خوَلِهْ

وتخدُمُ المجد فيه وهو من خوَلِهْ

One watches for dawn from him, though it is in his mouth;

He awaited dawn while it was still in his mouth

and you serve glory in him, though it is among his servants.

And glory served him while he was heedless.

رحِمتُهُ إذْ رأيتُ الكتبَ خاليةً

رحِمتُهُ إذْ رأيتُ الكتبَ خاليةً

من مدحهِ وكلامَ الناسِ من مَثَلِهْ

من مدحهِ وكلامَ الناسِ من مَثَلِهْ

I pitied him when I saw the books empty

I pitied him when I saw books empty

of praise for him, and people's speech bereft of his example.

Of his praise and people's words without his example.

مسافرٌ لا يُرجّى الأهلُ أوبَتَهُ

مسافرٌ لا يُرجّى الأهلُ أوبَتَهُ

وذكرُهُ يسألُ الركبانَ عن سُبُلِهْ

وذكرُهُ يسألُ الركبانَ عن سُبُلِهْ

A traveler whose kin are given no hope of his return,

A traveler whose family does not expect his return

and his memory asks the riders about his paths.

And whose memory asks travelers about his paths.

حتى إذا خِفتُ أنْ تُنْسى مكارمُهُ

حتى إذا خِفتُ أنْ تُنْسى مكارمُهُ

ويُخْمَدُ الثاقبُ الوقادُ من شُعَلِهْ

ويُخْمَدُ الثاقبُ الوقادُ من شُعَلِهْ

At last, when I feared his noble deeds would be forgotten

Until I feared his virtues would be forgotten

and the piercing, blazing light of his flames be quenched,

And the piercing, kindled wick dimmed.

وسَمْتُهُ بثناءِ ما أردتُ بهِ

وسَمْتُهُ بثناءِ ما أردتُ بهِ

إلاّ محافظةَ الراعي على إبِلِهْ

إلاّ محافظةَ الراعي على إبِلِهْ

I branded him with praise, intending nothing by it

I named him with praise I only intended

except the herdsman's care for his camels.

To preserve the shepherd over his camels.

يا هلْ تقرُّ المَعالي بعد مصرعِهِ

يا هلْ تقرُّ المَعالي بعد مصرعِهِ

عيناً وتعمَلُ شيئاً كان من عمَلِهْ

عيناً وتعمَلُ شيئاً كان من عمَلِهْ

Ah, can lofty glories, after his fall,

After his death, will his great deeds live

find comfort for their eyes and do anything he once did?

A life, and act as they did before?

أرْثي لها وهي لا تَرثي لعاشقِها

أرْثي لها وهي لا تَرثي لعاشقِها

حُبُّ الموارثِ يلهى المرءَ عن خُلَلِهْ

حُبُّ الموارثِ يلهى المرءَ عن خُلَلِهْ

I pity them, though they have no pity for their lover.

I mourn for virtues that do not mourn their lover;

Love of inheritances distracts a man from his friendships.

Love of inheritance distracts one from his slips.

لا هَزْهَزَ المجدُ رمحاً كان يخضِبُهُ

لا هَزْهَزَ المجدُ رمحاً كان يخضِبُهُ

ولا تسربلَ دِرعاً كان من حُلَلِهْ

ولا تسربلَ دِرعاً كان من حُلَلِهْ

May Glory never brandish a spear he used to stain,

Glory did not shake a spear he used to redden,

nor don a coat of mail that was among his robes.

Nor dress in a coat that was his raiment.