دَعى مَنظري إنْ لم أكنْ لكِ رائعاً

دَعى مَنظري إنْ لم أكنْ لكِ رائعاً

وَلا تنظري إلّا إِلى حُسنِ مَخْبَرِي

وَلا تنظري إلّا إِلى حُسنِ مَخْبَرِي

Disregard my appearance if I do not please you,

Spare me your looks if I'm not striking to you

and look only to the beauty of my inward character.

And look only at the beauty of my words

فَإنّي وَخَيرُ القولِ ما كانَ صادِقاً

فَإنّي وَخَيرُ القولِ ما كانَ صادِقاً

لَدى الفَخر سبّاقٌ إلى كلِّ مَفْخَرِ

لَدى الفَخر سبّاقٌ إلى كلِّ مَفْخَرِ

For I—and the best speech is that which is truthful—

For I and the best speech, whatever was truthful

in matters of glory, race ahead toward every deed of honor.

In pride, am foremost to every boast

أعرِّسُ في دار الحِفاظ وإنْ نأى

أعرِّسُ في دار الحِفاظ وإنْ نأى

وشَمَّرَ عنها كلُّ ماضٍ مُشمِّرِ

وشَمَّرَ عنها كلُّ ماضٍ مُشمِّرِ

I camp in the abode of steadfast honor, though others draw far away,

I marry in the home of the preservers even if distant

and every resolute, striving man hastens off from it.

And every bygone rolled up his sleeves from it

وَإِن حالَ قَومٌ عَن هُدىً وَتَغيّروا

وَإِن حالَ قَومٌ عَن هُدىً وَتَغيّروا

فَإنّي بسمتِ القَصْدِ لم أتغيَّرِ

فَإنّي بسمتِ القَصْدِ لم أتغيَّرِ

And even if a people turn from guidance and change,

And if a people deviated from guidance and changed

yet I have remained unchanged on the path of uprightness.

I with the smile of moderation did not change

وَأَعلَمُ أَنّ الدّهرَ يَعْبَثُ صَرْفُهُ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنّ الدّهرَ يَعْبَثُ صَرْفُهُ

بِما شاءَ مِن مالِ البَخيلِ المُقَتِّرِ

بِما شاءَ مِن مالِ البَخيلِ المُقَتِّرِ

And I know that time's vicissitudes play havoc

And I know that fate plays tricks with its turns

as they please with the tightfisted miser's wealth.

With whatever it wished of the stingy's wealth, the tight-fisted's

فَإِنَّ الرّدى دَيْنٌ علينا قضاؤُهُ

فَإِنَّ الرّدى دَيْنٌ علينا قضاؤُهُ

فبين مُسقَّى كأسِهِ ومؤخّرِ

فبين مُسقَّى كأسِهِ ومؤخّرِ

For death is a debt we must repay;

For demise is a debt upon us, its decree

so some are made to drink its cup, and others are granted delay.

Between one served his cup and another delayed

وَلَيسَ كَقومي في ندىً وسماحةٍ

وَلَيسَ كَقومي في ندىً وسماحةٍ

ولا معشرٌ في يوم رَوْعٍ كمعشري

ولا معشرٌ في يوم رَوْعٍ كمعشري

And none are like my people in bounty and generosity,

And there are no people like mine in bliss and generosity

nor is any clan like mine on a day of terror.

Nor a band on a frightening day like my band

هُمُ ضربوا لِلطارِقينَ خِيامَهمْ

هُمُ ضربوا لِلطارِقينَ خِيامَهمْ

وهمْ رفعوا النّيرانَ للمُتَنوِّرِ

وهمْ رفعوا النّيرانَ للمُتَنوِّرِ

They pitched their tents for those who come by night,

They pitched tents for the visitors

and they raised fires for those seeking light.

And they raised fires for the enlightened

وهمْ كشفوا يومَ الوَغى طَخَياتِهِ

وهمْ كشفوا يومَ الوَغى طَخَياتِهِ

بكلّ طويل السَاعدين عَشَنْزَرِ

بكلّ طويل السَاعدين عَشَنْزَرِ

And on the day of battle they dispelled its dark clouds

And they uncovered on the day of calamity its disasters

with every long-forearmed, powerfully built man.

With every long-armed mighty warrior

فَإِنْ كُنتِ لا تَدرينَ بَأسي ونَجْدَتي

فَإِنْ كُنتِ لا تَدرينَ بَأسي ونَجْدَتي

فَقومي اِسأَلِي عَن نَجدتي كلَّ عِثْيرِ

فَقومي اِسأَلِي عَن نَجدتي كلَّ عِثْيرِ

So if you do not know my might and my valor,

So if you don't know my might and help

then rise and ask every cloud of dust about my valor,

Then ask about my help every courageous warrior

وَكلَّ صَفيحٍ بِالضّرابِ مُثَلَّمٍ

وَكلَّ صَفيحٍ بِالضّرابِ مُثَلَّمٍ

وكلَّ وشيجٍ بالطّعان مكسَّرِ

وكلَّ وشيجٍ بالطّعان مكسَّرِ

and every broad sword-blade notched by blows,

And every polished armor by strikes dented

and every spear-shaft shattered by thrusts.

And every loud-voiced by stabbing cracked

وَأَينَ مُقامي إِن جهلت إِقامتي

وَأَينَ مُقامي إِن جهلت إِقامتي

وجَدِّك إلّا في قَطا كلِّ ضُمَّرِ

وجَدِّك إلّا في قَطا كلِّ ضُمَّرِ

And where is my station, if you know not where I dwell—

And where is my stance if you don't know my abode

by your fortune—save on the backs of all lean steeds?

Search for me in the lair of every cat

عَذلتَ عَلى تَبذير مالي وَهل ترى

عَذلتَ عَلى تَبذير مالي وَهل ترى

نجمّعُ إلّا لِلجؤور المبذِّرِ

نجمّعُ إلّا لِلجؤور المبذِّرِ

You reproached me for squandering my wealth; do you think

You blamed me for squandering my money, but do you see

we amass it for any but the bellowing squanderer?

We gather only for the generous squanderers

أفرّقُهُ من قبل أن حال دونه

أفرّقُهُ من قبل أن حال دونه

رحيلِيَ عنه بالحِمامِ المقَدَّرِ

رحيلِيَ عنه بالحِمامِ المقَدَّرِ

I give it away before access to it is barred

I distribute it before what prevents it

by my departure from it through predestined death,

My departure from it with the destined oblivion

ومن قبل أنْ أُدْلى بملساءَ قفْرَةٍ

ومن قبل أنْ أُدْلى بملساءَ قفْرَةٍ

إلى جَدَثٍ ضَنْكِ الجوانب أغبرِ

إلى جَدَثٍ ضَنْكِ الجوانب أغبرِ

and before I am lowered, on smooth, barren ground,

And before I am lowered into a narrow, dusty

into a dust-gray grave with cramped sides.

Grave to moulder, debris-filled

مَضى قَيصرٌ من بعد كسرى وخلَّيا ال

مَضى قَيصرٌ من بعد كسرى وخلَّيا ال

تَلاعب في أموال كسرى وقيصرِ

تَلاعب في أموال كسرى وقيصرِ

Caesar passed away after Kisra, and both left

Caesar passed after Chosroes, and the days toy

the riches of Kisra and Caesar to be toyed with.

With the wealth of Chosroes and Caesar

وجال الرّدى في دور آل مُحرّقٍ

وجال الرّدى في دور آل مُحرّقٍ

وزال بأجيالٍ لأبناء منذرِ

وزال بأجيالٍ لأبناء منذرِ

And death roamed through the dwellings of the house of Muharriq,

And demise wandered in the houses of the burnt

and swept away generations of the sons of Mundhir.

And passed through generations of Manzur's descendants

رَدُوا لَم يُجاروا من حِمامٍ سطا بهمْ

رَدُوا لَم يُجاروا من حِمامٍ سطا بهمْ

بمالٍ عريضٍ أو عديدٍ مُجَمْهَرِ

بمالٍ عريضٍ أو عديدٍ مُجَمْهَرِ

They perished, not protected from a death that assailed them

They were not defended from a predatory dove

by vast wealth or a massed multitude.

With copious or numerous wealth

فَبين كَريم المفرقينِ متوَّجٍ

فَبين كَريم المفرقينِ متوَّجٍ

وَبينَ محلَّى المِعْصَمين مُسَوَّرِ

وَبينَ محلَّى المِعْصَمين مُسَوَّرِ

Thus, some noble-headed and crowned,

Between the generous spender crowned

and some adorned at both wrists and wearing bracelets.

And the smooth-wristed bejeweled

وَأصغوا إِلى داعي الرّدى وَتَهافتوا

وَأصغوا إِلى داعي الرّدى وَتَهافتوا

تَهافُتَ خَوَّارِ الأباءِ المسَعَّرِ

تَهافُتَ خَوَّارِ الأباءِ المسَعَّرِ

And they listened to death's summoner and tumbled down,

And they listened to the caller of demise and scattered

as frail reeds tumble when set ablaze.

Scatter like frightened mice

وَطَرّدهمْ عمّا اِبتَنوه كَما هَفَتْ

وَطَرّدهمْ عمّا اِبتَنوه كَما هَفَتْ

خريقُ رياحٍ بالسّحاب الكنَهْوَرِ

خريقُ رياحٍ بالسّحاب الكنَهْوَرِ

And it drove them from what they had built, just as

And it drove them from what they built

a fierce blast of wind sweeps away dense, towering clouds.

As gusts of wind blow the heavy clouds

أَزالَ فَما أَبقى لَهُمْ مِن تَكبّرٍ

أَزالَ فَما أَبقى لَهُمْ مِن تَكبّرٍ

وَأَخشَعَ ما خلَّى لهمْ من تجبُّرِ

وَأَخشَعَ ما خلَّى لهمْ من تجبُّرِ

It swept them away, leaving them no arrogance,

It removed so nothing of their arrogance remained

and humbled whatever domineering pride it had left them.

And humbled whatever haughtiness it left them

وكانوا زماناً بهجةً لتأمّلٍ

وكانوا زماناً بهجةً لتأمّلٍ

فآبوا اِنقلاباً حَسْرَةً لتذكّرِ

فآبوا اِنقلاباً حَسْرَةً لتذكّرِ

And for a time they were a delight to contemplate,

And they were once a delight to contemplate

then, their state reversed, they became a sorrow to recall.

Then they turned into a regret for remembrance