سلامٌ على من لا نَمُرُّ ببالِهِ

سلامٌ على من لا نَمُرُّ ببالِهِ

فماذا تُرَى أطماعُنا في وِصالِهِ

فماذا تُرَى أطماعُنا في وِصالِهِ

Peace upon the one whose mind we never cross.

Greetings to the one we do not pass by in our minds

What hopes, then, do you suppose we have of union with him?

So what are our hopes of reaching him

ولم يكْفِهِ ما قد حَملْناهُ في الهَوى

ولم يكْفِهِ ما قد حَملْناهُ في الهَوى

منَ الذُلِّ حتَّى زادَ حِملَ خالِهِ

منَ الذُلِّ حتَّى زادَ حِملَ خالِهِ

Nor was what we had borne in love enough for him—

And it was not enough for him what we have borne in passion

the humiliation—until he added the burden of his beauty spot.

Of humiliation until the burden of his maternal uncle increased

مليحٌ شَهِدنا أن ناراً بِخَدِّهِ

مليحٌ شَهِدنا أن ناراً بِخَدِّهِ

لأنَّا وجدنا بينها فَحْمَ خالهِ

لأنَّا وجدنا بينها فَحْمَ خالهِ

A handsome one: we testified that fire was in his cheek,

It is commendable that we testified a fire on his cheek

for amid it we found the charcoal of his beauty spot.

Because we found coal between it

أباحَ فُؤَادي للهَوى وهو باخلٌ

أباحَ فُؤَادي للهَوى وهو باخلٌ

يَعِزُّ عليهِ نظرَةُ من جَمالِهِ

يَعِزُّ عليهِ نظرَةُ من جَمالِهِ

He opened my heart to passion, yet he is miserly:

My heart allowed passion and it is sorrowful

he begrudges a glimpse of his beauty.

It is difficult for it the glance of his beauty

وكلُّ كريمُ النَّفسِ من مالِ غيرهِ

وكلُّ كريمُ النَّفسِ من مالِ غيرهِ

وقلَّ كريمُ النَّفسِ من نفسِ مالهِ

وقلَّ كريمُ النَّفسِ من نفسِ مالهِ

Everyone is generous-hearted with another's wealth,

And every generous person is generous with the money of others

but few are generous-hearted with their very own wealth.

And few are generous people with their own money

وما كان لم تَتْعَبْ عليهِ يمينُهُ

وما كان لم تَتْعَبْ عليهِ يمينُهُ

يهونُ عليهِ بذلُهُ بشمالِهِ

يهونُ عليهِ بذلُهُ بشمالِهِ

And whatever his right hand has not toiled for,

That which your right hand did not toil for

he finds easy to give away with his left.

Comes easy for you to spend with your left

تكلَّفْتُ نظمَ الشِّعرِ كَهْلاً لأجلهِ

تكلَّفْتُ نظمَ الشِّعرِ كَهْلاً لأجلهِ

ويَكَهْلُ شعرُ المرْءِ عندَ اكتهالِهِ

ويَكَهْلُ شعرُ المرْءِ عندَ اكتهالِهِ

I took pains to compose verse in middle age for his sake,

I exerted myself composing poetry in old age because of him

and a man's verse reaches middle age when he does.

And a person's poetry grows old when he is fully grown

فضاعَ كما ضاعَ الزَّمانُ وهكذا

فضاعَ كما ضاعَ الزَّمانُ وهكذا

نرى كلَّ أمرٍ لم يَجُلْ في مَجالِهِ

نرى كلَّ أمرٍ لم يَجُلْ في مَجالِهِ

So it was wasted, as time was wasted; and thus

So it is lost as time is lost and thus

we see every undertaking not pursued in its proper sphere.

We see everything that has not fit in its proper place

إذا ضلَّ عنكَ الشِّعرُ فاطلُبْهُ تلقَهُ

إذا ضلَّ عنكَ الشِّعرُ فاطلُبْهُ تلقَهُ

إلى غربِ لُبنانَ اهتَدَى من ضَلالِهِ

إلى غربِ لُبنانَ اهتَدَى من ضَلالِهِ

If poetry strays from you, seek it; you will find it,

If poetry escapes you then seek it, you will find it

having found its way out of wandering to western Lebanon.

Heading west to Lebanon, guided from its misguidance

أمامَ بني رسلانَ طيبُ وقوفهِ

أمامَ بني رسلانَ طيبُ وقوفهِ

وعند بني رسلانَ حَطُّ رِحالهِ

وعند بني رسلانَ حَطُّ رِحالهِ

Pleasant is its station before the sons of Raslan,

In the presence of the family of Raslan is its beautiful standing

and with the sons of Raslan it lays down its baggage.

And with the family of Raslan the unpacking of its belongings

تُصلِّي القوافي كلَّ يومٍ وليلةٍ

تُصلِّي القوافي كلَّ يومٍ وليلةٍ

على وجهِ رسلانَ القديمِ وآلِهِ

على وجهِ رسلانَ القديمِ وآلِهِ

The rhymes invoke blessings every day and night

The rhymes pray every day and night

upon the face of Raslan of old and his family,

Upon the face of old Raslan and his family

على حيدرَ الشَّهمِ الكريمِ ومُلحِمٍ

على حيدرَ الشَّهمِ الكريمِ ومُلحِمٍ

وما حولَهُ من سَهْلِهِ وجبالِهِ

وما حولَهُ من سَهْلِهِ وجبالِهِ

upon gallant, generous Haydar and Mulhim,

Upon Haydar the noble hero and warrior

and all around him—his plain and his mountains.

And around him from his plains and mountains

أبٌ ماجدٌ وابنٌ كريمٌ كخاتَمٍ

أبٌ ماجدٌ وابنٌ كريمٌ كخاتَمٍ

أتى نقشُهُ في طبعِهِ بمثالِه

أتى نقشُهُ في طبعِهِ بمثالِه

A noble father and a generous son, like a signet ring

A glorious father and a generous son like a ring

whose engraving reproduces its likeness when stamped.

Whose engraving in his nature came with his example

إلى عملِ الإحسانِ أسبَقُ أهلِهِ

إلى عملِ الإحسانِ أسبَقُ أهلِهِ

وفي خدمِةِ السُّلطانِ أمضى رِجالهِ

وفي خدمِةِ السُّلطانِ أمضى رِجالهِ

Foremost among the doers of good,

Foremost in doing good of his people

and in the sultan's service, the most resolute of his men.

And in serving the sultan most steadfast of his men

إذا مسَّتْ الحاجاتُ قام كلاهُما

إذا مسَّتْ الحاجاتُ قام كلاهُما

إليهما كَجمر النَّار عندَ اشتعالِهِ

إليهما كَجمر النَّار عندَ اشتعالِهِ

When needs press, both of them rise

When needs touched them, both would stand

to meet them, like embers of fire when they blaze.

To them like embers of fire when it blazes

وإن جنَّ ديجورُ الخطوبِ تلقيَّا

وإن جنَّ ديجورُ الخطوبِ تلقيَّا

دُجاهُ بصبحٍ شقَّ جيبَ ظِلالهِ

دُجاهُ بصبحٍ شقَّ جيبَ ظِلالهِ

And if the black night of calamities descends, they both meet

And if the hardships of tribulations gathered they would face

its darkness with a dawn that rends the collar of its shadows.

The morning whose dawn split the shadow's burrows

لكلِّ فتىً عيبٌ يشينُ بنفسهِ

لكلِّ فتىً عيبٌ يشينُ بنفسهِ

سِوَى ملحمٍ سبحانَ معطي كَمالِهِ

سِوَى ملحمٍ سبحانَ معطي كَمالِهِ

Every young man has a flaw that tarnishes him,

Every young man has a flaw that mars himself

except Mulhim—glory to the Giver of his perfection!

Except Mulhim, glory to the giver of his perfection

وكلُّ ولاةِ الأمرِ تحتاجُ قاضياً

وكلُّ ولاةِ الأمرِ تحتاجُ قاضياً

سِوى ملحمٍ عمِّ القضاءِ وخالِهِ

سِوى ملحمٍ عمِّ القضاءِ وخالِهِ

And all those in authority need a judge,

And all governors need a judge

except Mulhim, justice's paternal and maternal uncle.

Except Mulhim, the judging extended to his maternal uncle

أغَرُّ خَصيبُ الرَّبع كلُّ زمانِهِ

أغَرُّ خَصيبُ الرَّبع كلُّ زمانِهِ

زمانُ ربيعٍ في أوانِ اعتِدالهِ

زمانُ ربيعٍ في أوانِ اعتِدالهِ

Radiant, with a fertile abode: all his days

The most blossoming springtime of the land throughout his time

are springtime in its season of mildness.

The time of springtime in the prime of its moderation

ذكيُّ النُّهَى لولا رَصانةُ نفسهِ

ذكيُّ النُّهَى لولا رَصانةُ نفسهِ

لكانَ يجيبُ المرءَ قبلَ سُؤالِهِ

لكانَ يجيبُ المرءَ قبلَ سُؤالِهِ

Keen of mind—were it not for his spirit's composure,

Clever advice, were it not for his soul's composure

he would answer a man before he asked.

He would answer a person before his question

يقولونَ تهوَى آلَ رسلانَ قلتُ قد

يقولونَ تهوَى آلَ رسلانَ قلتُ قد

تمتَّعْتُ من صافي الهَوَى بزُلالِهِ

تمتَّعْتُ من صافي الهَوَى بزُلالِهِ

They say, 'You love the house of Raslan.' I said, 'Indeed,

They say the family of Raslan is infatuated, I said I have

I have delighted in the clear water of pure love.'

Enjoyed the pure water from its springs

هَوِيْتُ الأُلى يلقى الكرامةَ ضيفُهُم

هَوِيْتُ الأُلى يلقى الكرامةَ ضيفُهُم

وينسى غريبُ الدَّارِ ذِكرَ عيالِهِ

وينسى غريبُ الدَّارِ ذِكرَ عيالِهِ

I have loved those whose guest receives honor,

I loved the family where its guest finds hospitality

and one far from home forgets to think of his family.

And the stranger forgets the mention of his family

أرى الشِّعرَ يدعوني إلى نظمِ مدحِهم

أرى الشِّعرَ يدعوني إلى نظمِ مدحِهم

فَيسمحُ مع ضَعفي بوَشْكِ ارتجالهِ

فَيسمحُ مع ضَعفي بوَشْكِ ارتجالهِ

I see poetry calling me to compose verses in their praise,

I see poetry invites me to compose praise of them

so, despite my weakness, it lets me improvise it swiftly.

So it allows despite my weakness the verge of improvisation

ولو لم أقلْ شِعراً بهم حالَ يقظةٍ

ولو لم أقلْ شِعراً بهم حالَ يقظةٍ

أتى هاتفاً في النَّوْمِ طيفُ خَيالهِ

أتى هاتفاً في النَّوْمِ طيفُ خَيالهِ

And even if I uttered no verse about them while awake,

And if I did not say poetry about them in a state of wakefulness

the phantom of its image would come calling in sleep.

A apparition would come in sleep, the phantom of his imagination