يا اُبنَ الأُلَى جمعَ الفخارَ لبِيتهمْ

يا اُبنَ الأُلَى جمعَ الفخارَ لبِيتهمْ

ما شَتَّتُوهُ من العَطاءِ وفرّقُوا

ما شَتَّتُوهُ من العَطاءِ وفرّقُوا

O son of those who gathered glory for their house

O son of those whose house gained glory

from all the largesse they scattered and bestowed,

through the bounty they scattered and distributed.

وتَملَّكُوا رِقَّ الأكارِمِ بالّذِي

وتَملَّكُوا رِقَّ الأكارِمِ بالّذِي

فَكّوا به رِقَّ العُنُاةِ وأطلَقُوا

فَكّوا به رِقَّ العُنُاةِ وأطلَقُوا

and won the allegiance of noble men by that with which

And they made noble men their bondsmen with the very gifts

they broke the bondage of captives and set them free—

with which they broke the captives' bonds and set them free.

أشكُو إلى عَلياكَ هَمّاً ضَاقَ عَن

أشكُو إلى عَلياكَ هَمّاً ضَاقَ عَن

كِتمانِه صَدرِي وما هو ضَيِّقُ

كِتمانِه صَدرِي وما هو ضَيِّقُ

I complain to your high station of a care too great

To your highness I complain of a sorrow too great

for my breast to conceal, though it is not narrow;

for my breast to conceal, though it is not narrow.

وطوارِقاً للهمّ أَقريها الكرَى

وطوارِقاً للهمّ أَقريها الكرَى

وتَلُظُّ بي صُبحاً فما تَتَفَرَّقُ

وتَلُظُّ بي صُبحاً فما تَتَفَرَّقُ

and of visitants of worry, to whom I offer my sleep as a feast,

And of grief's night visitors, to whom I offer my sleep;

that blaze upon me at dawn and will not disperse.

they cling to me at dawn and do not disperse.

لو لم أُمَنِّ النّفسَ أنَّكَ كاشفٌ

لو لم أُمَنِّ النّفسَ أنَّكَ كاشفٌ

كُرباتِهَا عَنْها لكادتْ تَزهَقُ

كُرباتِهَا عَنْها لكادتْ تَزهَقُ

Had I not consoled my soul that you would lift

Had I not given my soul hope that you would lift

its afflictions from it, it would nearly have perished.

its anguish from it, it would have all but perished.

أنا عائذٌ بك من عُقوقٍ مُحبطٍ

أنا عائذٌ بك من عُقوقٍ مُحبطٍ

عَملي فَعِصياني لأمرِكَ مُوبِقُ

عَملي فَعِصياني لأمرِكَ مُوبِقُ

I seek refuge in you from a disobedience that would nullify

I seek refuge in you from unfilial conduct that would undo

my deeds—for disobeying your command is ruinous.

my deeds; disobeying your command would be my ruin.

لا تُلزِمَنِّي بالهَوانِ وحَملِهِ

لا تُلزِمَنِّي بالهَوانِ وحَملِهِ

إنَّ اُحتمالَ الهُونِ ثِقْلٌ مُرهِقُ

إنَّ اُحتمالَ الهُونِ ثِقْلٌ مُرهِقُ

Do not bind me to humiliation and the bearing of it;

Do not force me into humiliation and make me bear it;

enduring abasement is an exhausting burden.

for bearing abasement is an exhausting burden.

دَعني وقَطعَ الأرضِ دُونَ مَعاشِرٍ

دَعني وقَطعَ الأرضِ دُونَ مَعاشِرٍ

كُلٌّ عليَّ لِغيرِ جُرمٍ مُحنَقُ

كُلٌّ عليَّ لِغيرِ جُرمٍ مُحنَقُ

Let me traverse the earth, away from a people

Let me roam the earth, away from people

each one enraged with me though I have done no wrong.

each enraged against me for no offense.

تَغلِي عليَّ صُدورُهم من غَيظِهم

تَغلِي عليَّ صُدورُهم من غَيظِهم

فتكادُ من غيظٍ عليَّ تَحرَّقُ

فتكادُ من غيظٍ عليَّ تَحرَّقُ

Their breasts boil against me with their fury

Their breasts seethe against me with their rage,

and almost burn themselves up from rage at me.

and almost burn with anger against me.

تَعشَى إذا نَظرُوا إليّ عُيونُهم

تَعشَى إذا نَظرُوا إليّ عُيونُهم

تحتى كأنّ الشّمسَ دُوني تُشرِقُ

تحتى كأنّ الشّمسَ دُوني تُشرِقُ

Their eyes grow dim whenever they look upon me,

Their eyes grow dim when they look at me,

as though the sun were rising before me.

beneath me [uncertain reading], as though the sun rises before me.

كَسَدَت عليَّ بضَائِعي فيهم فَلاَ

كَسَدَت عليَّ بضَائِعي فيهم فَلاَ

أدَبي ولا نَسَبِي عليهم يَنفُقُ

أدَبي ولا نَسَبِي عليهم يَنفُقُ

My wares lie unsold among them: neither

My wares find no buyers among them: neither

my learning nor my lineage finds currency with them.

my learning nor my lineage has any currency with them.

أعيَا عليَّ رضاهُم فيئستُ من

أعيَا عليَّ رضاهُم فيئستُ من

إدراكِه ما النَّجمُ شيءٌ يُلحقُ

إدراكِه ما النَّجمُ شيءٌ يُلحقُ

Winning their approval has defeated me, and I despair

Their approval eluded me, and I despaired of

of attaining it—even a star is not a thing one can catch.

attaining it: a star is not something one can reach.

إن أغْشَهُمْ قالُوا خَلُوبٌ مَاذِقٌ

إن أغْشَهُمْ قالُوا خَلُوبٌ مَاذِقٌ

أوْ أَجْفُهُم قالُوا عَدوٌّ أَزرقُ

أوْ أَجْفُهُم قالُوا عَدوٌّ أَزرقُ

If I frequent them, they say, “A seductive flatterer”;

If I visit them, they say, 'A deceiver, a false friend!'

if I shun them, they say, “A blue-eyed enemy.”

Or if I shun them, they say, 'A blue-eyed enemy!'

قد أفسدُوا عَيشِي عَلَيَّ وعيشَهُم

قد أفسدُوا عَيشِي عَلَيَّ وعيشَهُم

فأنا الشَقِيُّ بِهم وبي أيضاً شَقُوا

فأنا الشَقِيُّ بِهم وبي أيضاً شَقُوا

They have spoiled my life and their own as well:

They have spoiled my life for me, and their own;

I am wretched because of them, and through me they too are wretched.

so I am wretched because of them, and they too because of me.

فاسَمحْ ببُعدِي عنهمُ برضَاكَ لِي

فاسَمحْ ببُعدِي عنهمُ برضَاكَ لِي

إنَّ الّذي ترضَى عليه مُوفَّقُ

إنَّ الّذي ترضَى عليه مُوفَّقُ

So graciously consent to my going far from them;

So permit me to withdraw from them, with your approval of me;

the one who has your approval is guided to success.

for whoever enjoys your approval is granted success.

فلعلَّ بعضَ العُمرِ وهو أَقَلُّهُ

فلعلَّ بعضَ العُمرِ وهو أَقَلُّهُ

ألاّ يُكدِّرَ بالهُمومِ ويُمذَقُ

ألاّ يُكدِّرَ بالهُمومِ ويُمذَقُ

Perhaps some portion of life—though it be the smaller part—

So perhaps some part of life—even its smallest part—

may escape being clouded by cares and torn apart.

will not be muddied by cares or watered down.

وعَسَى قلوبٌ أعضَلَتْ أدواؤُها

وعَسَى قلوبٌ أعضَلَتْ أدواؤُها

في قُربِنَا بعد التَّفرِّقِ تُفرِقُ

في قُربِنَا بعد التَّفرِّقِ تُفرِقُ

And perhaps hearts whose maladies have resisted every cure

And perhaps hearts whose ailments grew intractable

will find relief when we draw near after separation.

in our closeness will recover after we part.

فضلُ الأقارِب بِرُّهُم وحُنوُّهُم

فضلُ الأقارِب بِرُّهُم وحُنوُّهُم

فإذا جَفوْني فالأباعِدُ أرفَقُ

فإذا جَفوْني فالأباعِدُ أرفَقُ

The virtue of relatives lies in their kindness and tenderness;

The merit of kinsfolk is their kindness and affection;

if they forsake me, strangers are gentler.

so if they shun me, strangers are gentler.

أتظّنِني أرجُو عَواطِفَ وُدِّهِمْ

أتظّنِني أرجُو عَواطِفَ وُدِّهِمْ

إنّي إذاً عبدُ المطامعِ أخْرقُ

إنّي إذاً عبدُ المطامعِ أخْرقُ

Do you think I still hope for the affection of their love?

Do you think I hope for the tenderness of their love?

Then I would indeed be a foolish slave to vain hopes.

Then I would indeed be a foolish slave to cravings.

بَيني وبَيْنَهُمُ هِناتٌ في الحشَا

بَيني وبَيْنَهُمُ هِناتٌ في الحشَا

منها نُدوبٌ ما بقِيْتُ وما بقَوُا

منها نُدوبٌ ما بقِيْتُ وما بقَوُا

Between me and them lie hurts lodged in the heart,

Between me and them lie grievances, and within my breast

whose scars will remain as long as I and they survive.

are scars from them that last as long as I and they live.

لا تَغتَرِرْ برجَائِهِمْ أن يُحسِنُوا

لا تَغتَرِرْ برجَائِهِمْ أن يُحسِنُوا

كم قد رأينَا من رجاءِ يُخفِقُ

كم قد رأينَا من رجاءِ يُخفِقُ

Do not be deceived by hoping they will act kindly;

Do not be deluded by the hope that they will be kind;

how many hopes have we seen come to nothing?

how many hopes have we seen fail!

خُذ ما تَراهُ ودعْ أحاديثَ المُنى

خُذ ما تَراهُ ودعْ أحاديثَ المُنى

إنَ الأماني فيهمُ لا تَصدقُ

إنَ الأماني فيهمُ لا تَصدقُ

Take what you plainly see and leave the tales of longing;

Take what you see, and leave the tales of wishful thinking;

hopes placed in them do not come true.

for hopes placed in them do not come true.

وأغِثْ فإنّ السّيلَ قد بلغَ الزُّبَى

وأغِثْ فإنّ السّيلَ قد بلغَ الزُّبَى

حقًّا وأدرِكْني قُبيلَ أُمزَّقُ

حقًّا وأدرِكْني قُبيلَ أُمزَّقُ

Come to my aid—the flood has reached the high ground.

And come to my aid: the flood has reached the hilltops,

Truly, save me just before I am torn apart.

truly—and save me just before I am torn apart.