إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحتَل وَقَد جَدَّ جَدُّهُ

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحتَل وَقَد جَدَّ جَدُّهُ

أَضاعَ وَقاسى أَمرُهُ وَهوَ مُدبِرُ

أَضاعَ وَقاسى أَمرُهُ وَهوَ مُدبِرُ

If a man devises no stratagem when his plight grows grave,

If a man does not resolve and his resolve is weak

He squanders his chance and grapples with his plight as he retreats.

He loses and his plight grows dire while he flees

وَلكِن أَخو الحَزمِ الَّذي لَيسَ نازِلاً

وَلكِن أَخو الحَزمِ الَّذي لَيسَ نازِلاً

بِهِ الأَمرُ إِلّا وَهوَ لِلأَمرِ مُبصِرُ

بِهِ الأَمرُ إِلّا وَهوَ لِلأَمرِ مُبصِرُ

But the man of resolve is he: no trouble falls

But the brother of resolve whose spirit does not wander

Upon him without his seeing the matter clearly.

Whose command does not relent and who sees the way forward

فَذاكَ قَريعُ الدَهرِ ماعاشَ حُوَّلٌ

فَذاكَ قَريعُ الدَهرِ ماعاشَ حُوَّلٌ

إِذا سُدَّ مِنهُ مِنخَرٌ جاشَ مِنخَرُ

إِذا سُدَّ مِنهُ مِنخَرٌ جاشَ مِنخَرُ

Such a man is Time’s champion, resourceful all his life:

He overcomes the cruelty of fate though twists surround him

When one nostril of his is blocked, another flares.

If one door shuts, another he makes open

فَإِنَّكَ لَو قاسَيتَ بِاللَصبِ حيلَتي

فَإِنَّكَ لَو قاسَيتَ بِاللَصبِ حيلَتي

بِلِحيانَ لَم يَقصُر بِكَ الدَهرَ مَقصَرُ

بِلِحيانَ لَم يَقصُر بِكَ الدَهرَ مَقصَرُ

For had you tried my stratagem at al-Laṣb

So if you bear patiently my playing hard to get

Against Liḥyān, no tight spot would ever have held you.

Time will not fail you, though this be my way

أَقولُ لِلَحيانٍ وَقَد صَفِرَت لَهُم

أَقولُ لِلَحيانٍ وَقَد صَفِرَت لَهُم

عِيابي وَيَومي دَيِّقُ الحِجرِ مُعوِرُ

عِيابي وَيَومي دَيِّقُ الحِجرِ مُعوِرُ

I say to Liḥyān, when there lay empty before them

I say to the pale-cheeked one, as my love fades for them

My bags, and my day held scant refuge and lay exposed:

And the day of our union grows cold and remote

لَكُم خَصلَةٌ إِمّا فِداءٌ وَمِنَّةٌ

لَكُم خَصلَةٌ إِمّا فِداءٌ وَمِنَّةٌ

وَإِمّا دَمٌ وَالقَتلُ بِالمَرءِ أَجدَرُ

وَإِمّا دَمٌ وَالقَتلُ بِالمَرءِ أَجدَرُ

You have a choice: either ransom and a favor,

You have three choices - devotion, grace or blood

Or blood—and being slain better befits a man.

And death becomes a man more than the rest

وَأُخرى أُصادي النَفسَ عَنها وَإِنَّها

وَأُخرى أُصادي النَفسَ عَنها وَإِنَّها

لَخُطَّةُ حَزمٍ إِن فَعَلتُ وَمَصدَرُ

لَخُطَّةُ حَزمٍ إِن فَعَلتُ وَمَصدَرُ

And another course: I coax my soul away from it, though it

Another I shy my soul away from, though indeed

Is surely a prudent plan, if I take it, and a way out.

Tis the bold stratagem, if I enact its lure

فَرَشتُ لَها صَدري فَزَلَّ عَنِ الصَفا

فَرَشتُ لَها صَدري فَزَلَّ عَنِ الصَفا

بِهِ جُؤجُؤٌ عَبلٌ وَمَتنٌ مُخَصَّرُ

بِهِ جُؤجُؤٌ عَبلٌ وَمَتنٌ مُخَصَّرُ

I laid my chest down for it; then off the smooth rock slid

I laid bare my breast, and there slipped from probation

A massive breastbone and a slender-waisted back.

A glancing blow, blunt spearpoint or headlong fall

فَخالَطَ سَهلَ الأَرضِ لَم يَكدَحِ الصَفا

فَخالَطَ سَهلَ الأَرضِ لَم يَكدَحِ الصَفا

بِهِ كَدحَةٌ وَالمَوتُ خَزيانُ يَنظُرُ

بِهِ كَدحَةٌ وَالمَوتُ خَزيانُ يَنظُرُ

Then it reached the level earth; the smooth rock had not left

Then he walked out on the easy ground, the high hills beyond

A single scratch upon it, while Death looked on in shame.

Without sorrow, and death watched on as he went

فَأُبتُ إِلى فَهمٍ وَما كِدتُ آيِباً

فَأُبتُ إِلى فَهمٍ وَما كِدتُ آيِباً

وَكَم مِثلِها فارَقتُها وَهيَ تَصفِرُ

وَكَم مِثلِها فارَقتُها وَهيَ تَصفِرُ

So I returned to Fahm, though I had all but failed to return;

Then I returned to reason, scarcely crediting

And many another like it I have left behind, while it whistled.

How often she deserted me, leaving me wan