1. He who loved survival sought refuge in forgiveness
And made humility his protection

2. So let the community of the Messiah sleep long
Enough withholding aggression from dozing off

3. A king whose pleasure other kings seek
As the ill seek healing

4. He divided his comfort, generosity and ferocity
Between happy and dire times

5. You did not dazzle minds, O miracle of verses
Except to reconcile passions

6. A truce that kept souls hopeful
So they were full of thanks for it

7. If speech was hasty, then the man of deeds
Became eloquent through them

8. The view of one who pretends for something’s sake
Hoping to prevent things, was of no use

9. Trust in making peace what roused fear
Lest you think it right to set out

10. A look that stabilized realms in them
Much taking, imagining it giving

11. They should not count these expenses as losses
But the loss would be if you intended meeting

12. Their king does not want any reward from you for them
Your pleasure with him is enough reward

13. Ask from him a sword for other than the appointed times
And bestow a scattered harvest

14. O killer of grudges, the greatest good
Whose benefit covered all limbs

15. With an opinion, he returned enmity to amity in religion
And uprooted discord

16. With pardoning he gained control of bitterness
Pardoning and rescuing prisoners

17. You won command of armies over them and did not mobilize
An army or raise a banner

18. So remain peaceful, for you have not, with views
Eliminated enemies but perpetuated enmity

19. And your verses that relieved
The men of succession of burdens admonished them

20. You killed whoever ignorantly drew near war
And reports of them frightened whoever held back

21. They were dogs—when it gave them a day
In which there was much killing and captivity

22. In a blizzard, the sails walk toward death
When the blizzard turns dire

23. How can one who does not withstand expulsion
Resist fighting off someone repelled?

24. The recklessness of ‘Amir was harmful to you
And they behaved well there through testing

25. Wondrous is he who contained the pride of the conquest
And did not witness tumult

26. So it stood, but had you been violent
Intercessors would have come among its people

27. When they saw swords, they were of no use
They sheathed them and bared views

28. They feared your war would mean
The end of the kingdom, so they placated you at first

29. And pinned hopes on you when they found
In your hands views and actions

30. So you watered their hopes with security
And implanted springs in the barren

31. Your gift gave them safety—you prepared
Them for the noblest traits of giving

32. A blessing that taught the stingy generosity
And exemplified loyalty for the destitute

33. So they did what brought you glory—I have not
Discerned reliance or mistake in it

34. When they released prisoners, you gained reward
And they attained advantage, so you gained praise

35. So for this you released them from captivity of fear
Some as favor, some as ransom

36. Thank now for the efforts that
Made the emancipated yours

37. And if you seek a distant goal
You take zebras to reach it as mounts

38. Had you one day resolved on Khaffan’s land
You would have let out roaring there

39. They adapted their lives by your care, knowing
It will not want until you want

40. People recognized wisdom in them long ago
So for this they named them sages

41. You never ceased subduing enemies—for this,
Whenever they sired, your glory increased

42. They seize extent, while you take away praise
So they profit only fatigue

43. What injustice that the caliphate has a sword
From which swords derive sharpness!

44. So boast of its blade, knowing
The essence of life is what it yielded

45. You never failed goodness for this religion
Since you continued to succeed the successors

46. You cared for them with coercion and advice—so
Fathers from them advise sons about you

47. You made independence from all people available
Since they found with you self-sufficiency

48. Fires blaze in darkness but
A keen mind does not illuminate gloom like high intelligence

49. You never preceded averages in the farthest future
Except to eliminate peers

50. Who hopes for greatness—O pillar of the state—has failed
Since your hands seized the heights

51. Whoever seeks to wrong you, qualities
Accustomed him to biting misfortune

52. Whoever craves esteem in peace and war
Must take up arms against your enemies

53. O commander of armies—you never lacked
A commander employing commanders

54. So whenever the loyal peers decline
His sword will emancipate them

55. You are a rain when dearth befalls the land
And a cure if religion ails

56. You have poured on the ground rennet
And drained springs until the water

57. Were they snakes that you dug up?
Or was it a sea that surfaced when you lifted its veil?

58. We never supposed resolve had a torrent
Sweeping away towering things into nothingness

59. Of people one says, “High ambitions that leave
Mountains as dust,”

60. And one says, “It cannot be denied oceans might be made to flow”
A legacy—though ages pass

61. It cannot be concealed
Kings have seen your view and, falling short,

62. They have left what you came for untouched
Were it not for what you watered, winter would envy

63. Even horses in summer for the watering you brought it
How many plateau around Damascus

64. Were rough gravel—now verdant meadows!
Its people enjoyed the water’s yield

65. Surely irrigating land yields riches
So let others endure clouds—you created

66. In the land an everlasting tap
One blessing covered the lands

67. And another in the son of Saif covered the living
Ask and it would be set loose even if

68. Not for you, the seeker would endure a long time
And if adversity went on in repelling adversity

69. And weakened, you remedied it with a hint
What you lavished on enemies so surpassed kindness

70. Clouds withdrew from them—excelling boons
Every day you offer them a white hand

71. That twists with black crisis
So return his verbal injury with kindness and pardon

72. Doing good even if he does evil
Matching kindness with the traits

73. Of a dog—so the living would be equal
A king called out at adversity

74. With a call, so respond to the call
So remedy recklessness which time’s circumstances

75. Have left with only blame
If his crimes exhausted mercy

76. Then pardon with protective zeal and refusal
This king is not pleased that Romans are seen

77. As guards among Arabs after them
Kings succeeded you over them but

78. As darkness succeeds light
Your deeds distinguished you from the world’s savant

79. So no wonder you won heaven
Have you continued to be creative out of inspiration

80. Or has transcendence become your allotted share?
Or did the one who taught Adam names

81. Teach you then to ride trainable zebras?
Deeds singled you out from the earth’s folk

82. So no wonder if you gain heaven
Your generosity’s boons overwhelmed me

83. Leaving me no hopes in either world
So I shunned creation, with none to blame,

84. Abandoning aspiration when I achieved fullness
May my life in your presence continue happily!

85. So let my poetry thrive happily in your yards!
Your efforts look beautiful in eyes

86. And reports of you became good among people
God created in you such superiority

87. So let each praiser say what he wants!
You filled the earth entirely with justice

88. So its inhabitants filled the heavens with prayer
You protected us from evils in every way

89. He who protected us from evils by your nearness