يا جلالَ العَصرِ عِلماَ

يا جلالَ العَصرِ عِلماَ

وَجمالَ العصر حِلما

وَجمالَ العصر حِلما

O glory of the age in learning,

O majesty of the age in knowledge,

and beauty of the age in forbearance!

And beauty of the age in wisdom,

يا أبَا بكرٍ وَمَن مِث

يا أبَا بكرٍ وَمَن مِث

لُ أبي بَكرٍ مُسَمَّى

لُ أبي بَكرٍ مُسَمَّى

O Abu Bakr—and who is like

O Abu Bakr, and who is named

Abu Bakr among all who bear a name?

Like Abu Bakr,

إن يَفُق غيرَه نَثراً

إن يَفُق غيرَه نَثراً

مثلُ ما فاقَه نَظما

مثلُ ما فاقَه نَظما

If he surpasses another in prose,

If another surpasses him in prose,

just as he surpassed him in verse,

He surpasses the like of what surpassed him in verse,

فلقد فاقَه عِلماً

فلقد فاقَه عِلماً

ولقد فاقَهُ فَهمَا

ولقد فاقَهُ فَهمَا

he has indeed surpassed him in knowledge,

For he surpassed him in knowledge,

and indeed surpassed him in understanding.

And he surpassed him in understanding,

سيدي يشكو إليكُم

سيدي يشكو إليكُم

منكمُ خِدنٌ مُعَمَّى

منكمُ خِدنٌ مُعَمَّى

My lord, to you complains

My master complains to you

of you a friend whose name is veiled.

Of one of you who is purblind,

قد لَقاكُم ولِقاكُم

قد لَقاكُم ولِقاكُم

بمُناهُ يَتَسَمَّى

بمُناهُ يَتَسَمَّى

He has met you, and meeting you

Who met you and met

bears the name of his heart's desire.

You with his best behavior,

ثمَّ مُذ فارَقتُموهُ

ثمَّ مُذ فارَقتُموهُ

لم يَذُق للنَّومِ طَعما

لم يَذُق للنَّومِ طَعما

Then, ever since you parted from him,

Then since he left you

he has not tasted sleep.

He hasn't tasted the flavor of sleep,

ومُناه لَثمُ أكوا

ومُناه لَثمُ أكوا

سٍ مِنَ آدابكَ لَثما

سٍ مِنَ آدابكَ لَثما

And his wish is to press his lips to cups

And he licks the wounds

of your learning, kissing them,

Of sorrow from your manners,

تَتَعاطاني منَ انوا

تَتَعاطاني منَ انوا

عِها ما يُرشَفُ ظَلمَا

عِها ما يُرشَفُ ظَلمَا

which offer me, from their varieties,

You both handle me as if I

what is sipped as cool saliva.

Was spreading darkness,

علَّ أن تُجنوهُ ما لم

علَّ أن تُجنوهُ ما لم

يَكُ قد يُدرِكُ شَمَّا

يَكُ قد يُدرِكُ شَمَّا

Perhaps you will let him reap what

Unless you think that he

he has not yet so much as smelled.

Won't attain high rank,

لا سوى ذلكَ يَرجو

لا سوى ذلكَ يَرجو

لا أرى في ذَاكَ وَصما

لا أرى في ذَاكَ وَصما

He hopes for nothing but that;

He hopes for nothing else

I see no disgrace in that.

I don't see any blemish in that,

فَغَدا يُتحِمُ الأخ

فَغَدا يُتحِمُ الأخ

طارَ إحجاماً وقُدما

طارَ إحجاماً وقُدما

So he set about [braving] perils,

So he started bearing the pain

now holding back, now advancing.

Of denial and advancing,

ليس بِالشَّاعرِ يَستَن

ليس بِالشَّاعرِ يَستَن

دي أكُفَّ الناسِ لُؤما

دي أكُفَّ الناسِ لُؤما

He is not a poet who begs

He's no poet to be

basely from people's palms.

Rebuffed by the vilest people,

فإذا ما مَنَحوهُ

فإذا ما مَنَحوهُ

فهزُ السادةُ قِدما

فهزُ السادةُ قِدما

For whenever they give him,

So if they favor him,

then [they are] the lords of old;

The gentlemen tap their feet,

وإذا هُم حَرَموهُ

وإذا هُم حَرَموهُ

ملأَ الآفاقَ شَتما

ملأَ الآفاقَ شَتما

and when they deny him,

And if they deprive him,

he fills the horizons with abuse.

He fills the horizons with insults,

ليس مِن ذا الصنفِ بل يَد

ليس مِن ذا الصنفِ بل يَد

عونَه الشَّهمَ الأشَمَّا

عونَه الشَّهمَ الأشَمَّا

He is not of this kind; rather they call

He's not of that kind, but the bold

him the gallant, the proudly high-nosed.

And resolute urge him on,

حلَّ في بابكمُ واس

حلَّ في بابكمُ واس

مَهُ للبَوَّابِ سَمَّى

مَهُ للبَوَّابِ سَمَّى

He came to your gate, and his name

He knocked on your door, and gave

he gave to the doorkeeper.

His name to the doorman,

قد أعارَ السَّمعَ مني

قد أعارَ السَّمعَ مني

بعد لِينِ القولِ صَرما

بعد لِينِ القولِ صَرما

He lent my ears,

He turned a deaf ear,

after gentle speech, a cutting rebuff.

After the gentleness of my words,

فتَوَلَّى أخرَس النُّط

فتَوَلَّى أخرَس النُّط

قِ أصَمَّ السَّمعِ أعمى

قِ أصَمَّ السَّمعِ أعمى

So he turned away, mute of speech,

So the most silent of creatures turned away,

deaf of hearing, blind,

The deafiest to hearing, blindest to sight,

وفضاءُ الأرضِ في عي

وفضاءُ الأرضِ في عي

نِه كالدِّرهَمِ غَمَّا

نِه كالدِّرهَمِ غَمَّا

and the earth's expanse, in his

And the expanse of the earth in his eyes

eye, was like a dirham in his grief,

Was like a dirham gone blind,

آسفاً مما لَقاهُ

آسفاً مما لَقاهُ

عاضِضاً كَفَّهُ نَدما

عاضِضاً كَفَّهُ نَدما

sorrowing at what he had encountered,

Grieving at what he faced,

biting his palm in regret.

Biting his hand in regret,