1. لا زالَ مُلكُكَ بِالعُلى مَأهولا

    وَسَلِمتَ تُدرِكُ كُلَّ يَومٍ سولا

    May your realm remain peopled with lofty glory,

    and may you stay safe, attaining a wish each day.

  2. يَعدو الزَمانُ وَلا يُصيبُكَ رَيبُهُ

    فَيَرُدُّ طَرفاً عَن ذُراكَ كَليلا

    Time attacks, yet its misfortunes do not strike you,

    so it turns a weary gaze away from your heights.

  3. أَنتَ الَّذي غَمَرَ العُفاةَ مَواهِباً

    لَو كُنَّ أَمواهاً لَكُنَّ سُيولا

    You are the one who flooded petitioners with gifts

    that, were they waters, would be torrents.

  4. فَفِداءُ مَجدِكَ أُمَّةٌ هَمَّت بِهِ

    زَمَناً فَما وَجَدَت إِلَيهِ سَبيلا

    May a people be ransom for your glory—they aspired to it

    for a time, yet found no path to it.

  5. حَسُنَت مَناظِرُهُم وَغَيرُ فَضيلَةٍ

    لِلسَيفِ يَنبو أَن يَكونَ صَقيلا

    Their looks were fair, yet it is no virtue

    for a sword that fails to cut to be polished.

  6. وَذَوَت أَكُفُّهُمُ فَأَغصانُ المُنى

    بِعِراصِهِم أَبَداً تَزيدُ ذُبولا

    And their palms withered, so the branches of hope

    in their courtyards wither ever more.

  7. خُلِقَت لِمَحمودِ بنِ نَصرٍ راحَةٌ

    تَندى فَلا تَرضى الغَمامَ رَسيلا

    For Mahmud ibn Nasr a palm was fashioned

    that sheds dew and accepts no raincloud as its peer.

  8. مَلِكٌ عَناؤُكَ أَن تُحاوِلَ مَجدَهُ

    فَإِذا عَدَقتَ بِجودِهِ التَأميلا

    A king: to try to match his glory is to weary yourself;

    but when you fasten your hopes upon his generosity,

  9. عَدَّ اليَسيرَ مِنَ السُؤالِ وَسيلَةً

    وَرَأى الكَثيرَ مِنَ النَوالِ قَليلا

    he counts the smallest request a means of access,

    and deems the greatest gift but little.

  10. تُثني عَلَيهِ فَتَعتَريهِ نَشوَةٌ

    فَكَأَنَّ مادِحَهُ سَقاهُ شَمولا

    You praise him, and rapture overtakes him,

    as though his praiser had given him wine.

  11. يَثني عُيونَ الحاسِدينَ كَليلَةً

    وَيَرى حُزونَ المَكرُماتِ سُهولا

    He turns back the envious eyes, exhausted,

    and sees the rugged terrain of noble deeds as plains.

  12. أَأَبا سَلامَةَ أَنتَ فَخرُ قَبيلَةٍ

    طالوا البَرِيَّةَ صِبيَةً وَكُهولا

    O Abu Salama, you are the pride of a tribe

    whose members surpassed mankind as boys and grown men.

  13. إِنَّ العُلى رَضِيَتكُمُ غُرَراً لَها

    مِن بَعدِ أَن أَبَتِ المُلوكَ حُجولا

    Indeed, lofty glory accepted you as its forehead blazes,

    after rejecting kings even as its white leg-markings.

  14. وَلَوِ اِكتَفَيتَ كَما اِكتَفى أَعيانُهُم

    كُلٌّ يَكونُ عَلى أَبيهِ مُحيلا

    Had you been content, as their notables were content,

    each resting his claim upon his father,

  15. لَكَفاكَ جَمعُكَ والِداً غَمَرَ الوَرى

    جوداً وَأُمّاً في النِساءِ بَتولا

    it would suffice that you had both a father who flooded mankind

    with bounty, and a mother chaste among women.

  16. لَكِن أَبَت لَكَ هِمَّةٌ ما شَأنُها

    أَن تَستَعيرَ عُمومَةً وَخَؤولا

    But your ambition refused that for you; it is not its way

    to borrow paternal and maternal uncles.

  17. وَمَنَعتَ هَذا الشامَ مِمَّن رامَهُ

    قَسراً كَما مَنَعَ الهِزَبرُ الغيلا

    And you defended this Syria from whoever sought it

    by force, as the lion guards its thicket.

  18. ما بالُ عَمِّكَ ظَلَّ يَخدَعُ نَفسَهُ

    سَفَهاً وَيَقطَعُ عُمرَهُ تَعليلا

    What ails your uncle, who keeps deceiving himself

    in folly and wasting his life on delusive hopes?

  19. مُتَطَرِّحاً أَبَداً وَكَم مِن خامِلٍ

    طَلَبَ النَباهَةَ فَاِستَزادَ خُمولا

    Forever casting himself about—how many an obscure man

    has sought eminence and only grown more obscure!

  20. يَدنو مِنَ العَلياءِ فِتراً كُلَّما

    عَنَّت فَيُبعِدُهُ التَخَلُّفُ ميلا

    He nears the heights a thumb-to-forefinger span whenever

    they appear, but his lagging drives him a mile away.

  21. مُتَعَوِّضاً مِن عِزِّ مَن هُوَ فَرعُهُ

    ذُلّاً يُحَدِّثُ عَنهُ جيلٌ جيلا

    Exchanging the glory of the man whose branch he is

    for humiliation one generation recounts to another.

  22. فَاِرحَم غَنِيّاً عالَ وَاِرثِ لِتائِهٍ

    قَد ضَلَّ وَاِعذِر صَبرَهُ إِن عيلا

    So pity a rich man grown poor, and feel for a wanderer

    who has strayed; excuse his patience if it is exhausted.

  23. أَكدَت مَطالِبُهُ وَهَل يُعدي عَلى ال

    قُرآنِ مَن يَستَنصِرُ الإِنجيلا

    His quests have failed; can aid against the

    Qur'an be won by one who invokes the Gospel?

  24. فَليَثنِ فائِلَ رَأيِهِ عَن رايَةٍ

    أَمَرَ الإِلَهُ بِنَصرِها جِبريلا

    Let him turn his feeble judgment away from a banner

    that God commanded Gabriel to support.

  25. أَولَجتَهُ النَفَقَ الَّذي مَن أَمَّهُ

    ماتَت ضَغينَتُهُ وَعاشَ ذَليلا

    You sent him into the tunnel where, for whoever heads for it,

    rancor dies, and he lives in abasement.

  26. وَعُقوقُ أَرمانوسَ حينَ أَبَيتَ نُص

    رَتَهُ أَباحَكَ وُدَّ ميخائيلا

    And forsaking Armanus, when you refused sup-

    port for him, won you Michael's affection.

  27. وَكَمِ اِبتَدَعتَ غَرائِباً مِن سُؤدُدٍ

    ما كُنتَ في طُرُقاتِها مَدلولا

    And how many marvels of lordly greatness you devised

    without being guided along their paths!

  28. وَلَكَ الأَدِلَّةُ أوضِحَت حَتّى رَأى

    إِثباتَ فَضلِكَ مَن رَأى التَعطيلا

    And the proofs for you were made so plain that

    even one who upheld negation saw your excellence affirmed.

  29. وَمَتى أَرَقتَ دَماً عَزيزاً سَفكُهُ

    إِلّا عَلَيكَ فَلَم يَكُن مَطلولا

    And whenever you spilled blood whose spilling was hard

    for anyone but you, it was not spilled in vain.

  30. مَلَأَت وَقائِعُكَ القُلوبَ مَخافَةً

    ضاقَت بِها عَن أَن تُجِنَّ ذُحولا

    Your battles filled hearts with fear;

    they had no room left to harbor vendettas.

  31. وَلِمُرهَفاتِكَ بِالفُنَيدِقِ وَقعَةٌ

    مَلَأَت مَسامِعَ مَن بِمِصرَ صَليلا

    And your keen-edged swords had a battle at al-Funaydiq

    that filled the ears of those in Egypt with clangor.

  32. عُصَبٌ أُتيحَ بَوارُهُم في مَأزِقٍ

    حَسَدَ الأَسيرُ بِضَنكِهِ المَقتولا

    Bands doomed to destruction in a strait,

    where the captive, in his distress, envied the slain.

  33. غُرّوا بِأَن شَرَّقتَ عَنهُم مَذهَباً

    في الرَأيِ ما عَرَفوا لَهُ تَأويلا

    They were deceived when you took an eastward course away from them,

    in a strategy whose meaning they did not understand.

  34. حَتّى إِذا دَلَفَت إِلَيكَ جُموعُهُم

    جُمَلاً جَعَلتَ لَها الرَدى تَفصيلا

    Until, when their hosts advanced upon you

    en masse, you apportioned death to them one by one.

  35. زَأَرَت أُسودُهُمُ فَلَمّا عايَنوا

    أَذوادَكُم عادَ الزَئيرُ أَليلا

    Their lions roared, but when they saw

    your camel herds, their roaring turned to groans.

  36. ما كانَ في المَعقولِ أَنَّكَ كائِدٌ

    تِلكَ الغُواةَ بِحَلِّكَ المَعقولا

    It was inconceivable that you were ensnaring

    those misguided men by releasing the hobbled beasts.

  37. أَهمَلتَهاكَيما يَظُنّوا أَنَّها

    غَنَمٌ فَخيلَت بِالعَراءِ خُيولا

    You let them roam so they would think they were

    sheep; then they appeared as horses in the open.

  38. وَعَلِمتَ أَنَّ رُغاءَها مُفضٍ إِلى

    طَمَعٍ فَأَلحَقتَ الرُغاءَ صَهيلا

    And you knew their bellowing would lead to

    greed, so you followed the bellowing with neighing

  39. مِن مُقرَباتٍ أورِدَت أُمّاتُها

    بَرَدى وَأَحرِ بِأَن يَرِدنَ النيلا

    from cherished steeds whose mothers were brought to drink

    at the Barada—and how fitting that they should drink the Nile!

  40. شُقرٍ بَراها النَقعُ دُهماً وَاِنجَلى

    فَنَزَعنَ لَيلاً وَاِرتَجَعنَ أَصيلا

    Chestnut steeds, which dust fashioned black; when it cleared,

    they shed night and regained the glow of late afternoon.

  41. تَردي بِكُلِّ مُظَفَّرٍ يُردي العِدى

    إِن هيجَ أَو يَهَبُ الغِنى إِن سيلا

    They gallop with every victorious rider who lays enemies low

    if roused, or bestows wealth when petitioned.

  42. فَسَفَيتَهُم وَهُمُ الجِبالُ بِعَزمَةٍ

    صَدَقَت كَما سَفَتِ الرِياحُ نَسيلا

    So you scattered them, though they were mountains, with a resolve

    that held true, as winds scatter loose wool.

  43. قَسَمَت سُبَيعَةُ ما حَوَوا وَذُؤَيبَةٌ

    وَالعِزُّ قِسمُكَ لَم تَحُزهُ غُلولا

    Subay'a and Dhu'ayba divided what the foes possessed,

    and glory was your share; you did not gain it by stealing spoils.

  44. فَلطَهذَرِ الهِمَمُ المُذالَةُ في الثَرى

    هِمَماً تَجُرُّ عَلى السَماءِ ذُيولا

    So let aspirations debased in the dust prattle about

    aspirations that trail their hems across the sky.

  45. مُنذُ اِنبَرَت دونَ الخَليفَةِ جُنَّةً

    مَلَأَت غِرارَ النائِباتِ فُلولا

    Since they sprang up as a shield before the caliph,

    they have filled calamity's blade-edges with notches.

  46. وَلَقَد دَعاكَ إِلى الَّتي إِدراكُها

    عَسِرٌ فَكُنتَ بِما أَرادَ كَفيلا

    Indeed, he summoned you to a goal whose attainment

    was hard; you became guarantor of what he desired.

  47. أَعلَمتَهُ أَن لَيسَ يَذهَبُ ثَأرُهُ

    ما دُمتَ لِلحَقِّ المُبينِ مُديلا

    You assured him that his vengeance would not go unfulfilled

    so long as you gave manifest truth the upper hand.

  48. وَأَبَنتَ عَن فَصلِ الخِطابِ بِلَفظَةٍ

    أَوضَحتَ مِنها حَقَّهُ المَجهولا

    And you expressed decisive judgment in a single utterance,

    through which you clarified his unrecognized right.

  49. وَأَتاكَ مِن إِكرامِهِ وَصِفاتِهِ

    ما جاوَزَ الإِكرامَ وَالتَبجيلا

    And there came to you from his honors and his commendations

    what surpassed honor and reverence,

  50. وَمَلابِسٍ لَبِسَت بِكَ الفَخرَ الَّذي

    لا تَستَطيعُ لَهُ العِدى تَبديلا

    and robes that, through you, were clothed in glory

    which your enemies cannot alter,

  51. وَمُهَنَّدٍ راقَ النَواظِرَ مُغمَداً

    وَغَدا يُحَكَّمُ في الطُلى مَسلولا

    and an Indian-steel sword that delighted eyes while sheathed,

    and, drawn, became arbiter over necks,

  52. وَأَقَبَّ لَيسَ يَليقُ إِلّا بِالَّذي

    ريضَ الزَمانُ بِهِ فَصارَ ذَلولا

    and a lean-bellied steed fit for none but him

    by whom Time was tamed, and so became docile.

  53. أَمطاكَهُ الموفي عَلى آبائِهِ

    وَرَعاً وَكَم عَلَتِ الفُروعُ أُصولا

    He gave it you to ride—the one surpassing his forefathers

    in piety; how often branches have risen above their roots!

  54. بَذَلَت لَكَ الأَملاكُ في أَعطافِها

    وَوِدادِها ما لَم يَكُن مَبذولا

    Kings have lavished upon you, in their favor

    and affection, what had never been bestowed.

  55. وَأَبانَ مَن مَلَكَ البَسيطَةَ فَضلَهُ

    لَمّا اِصطَفاكَ لَهُ أَخاً وَخَليلا

    And the ruler of the earth made his excellence plain

    when he chose you as his brother and intimate friend.

  56. فَلِذاكَ أَمرُكَ حَيثُ يَمَّمَ نافِذٌ

    أَرسَلتَ جَيشاً أَو بَعَثتَ رَسولا

    Thus your command prevails wherever it is directed,

    whether you send an army or dispatch an envoy.

  57. هَذا هُوَ الشَرَفُ الَّذي لا يُرتَقى

    أَدناهُ وَالعِزُّ الَّذي ما نيلا

    This is the honor that cannot be climbed,

    even to its lowest reach, and the might never attained.

  58. فَلتَفتَخِر كَعبٌ بِأَنَّكَ مِنهُمُ

    بَل عامِرٌ بَل نَسلُ إِسماعيلا

    Let Ka'b boast that you are of them,

    rather, Amir—rather, the offspring of Isma'il.

  59. وَبِمَن تُقاسُ وَقَد حَوَيتَ مَآثِراً

    تَأبى لَكَ التَشبيهَ وَالتَمثيلا

    With whom can you be compared, when you have amassed noble deeds

    that permit neither likeness nor comparison for you?

  60. بِنَداكَ أَنجَزَ وَعدَهُ الزَمَنُ الَّذي

    قَد كُنتُ أَعهَدُهُ أَلَدَّ مَطولا

    Through your bounty, Time fulfilled its promise—Time, whom

    I had known as obstinately contentious and slow to pay.

  61. أَنسَيتَني ذِكرَ الأَنامِ فَما أَرى

    مُستَخبِراً عَنهُم وَلا مَسؤولا

    You made me forget the mention of mankind, so I see neither

    one asking after them nor one being asked.

  62. مِنَنٌ بِجيدي لَن تَزالَ قَلائِداً

    وَلَوَ اِنَّها لِسِواكَ كُنَّ كُبولا

    Favors around my neck will forever remain necklaces;

    yet had they come from anyone but you, they would have been shackles.

  63. وَعَصَمتَني مِمّا أَخافُ فَظَنَّني

    مَن رامَني لِلفَرقَدَينِ نَزيلا

    And you shielded me from what I fear; thus I was deemed,

    by whoever sought me, a guest of the two Farqad stars.

  64. لِمَ لا يَكونُ القَولُ جَزلاً فيكَ يا

    تاجَ المُلوكِ وَقَد أَنَلتَ جَزيلا

    Why should speech about you not be rich, O

    crown of kings, when you have given richly?

  65. جاوَزتَ غايَةَ مَن يَجودُ وَمَنصِبي

    يَأبى لِمِثلِيَ أَن يَكونَ بَخيلا

    You have surpassed the utmost of every giver, and my standing

    forbids one like me to be miserly.

  66. ما في المُروءَةِ كُفرُ مَن أَغنَيتَهُ

    وَسُكوتُ مَن أَنطَقتَهُ لِيَقولا

    Honor has no place for ingratitude from one you enriched,

    or for silence from one you gave a voice to speak.

  67. فَلَأَملَأَنَّ الخافِقينَ غَرائِباً

    مَوسومَةً بِكَ مِثلُها ما قيلا

    So I shall surely fill the two horizons with marvels

    bearing your mark, whose like has never been spoken,

  68. مِمّا يَزيدُ عَلى زِيادٍ بَسطَةً

    وَيُضِلُّ في طُرُقاتِهِ الضِلّيلا

    of a kind that surpasses Ziyad in breadth

    and leads al-Dillil astray among its paths.

  69. تَطوي بِلاداً لا الجِيادُ تَنالُها

    خَبَباً وَلا الكومُ القِلاصُ ذَميلا

    It crosses lands no steeds can reach

    at a trot, nor high-humped young she-camels at a brisk gait.

  70. فَوقَ الرَوامِسِ لا العَرامِسِ ما لَها

    حادٍ يَسوقُ وَلا تُريدُ دَليلا

    Upon track-burying winds, not sturdy she-camels; it has no

    driver to urge it onward and needs no guide.

  71. مَعَ أَنَّ شُكرِيَ لا يَقومُ بِأَنعُمٍ

    صَحَّ الرَجاءُ بِها وَكانَ عَليلا

    Yet my gratitude cannot do justice to blessings

    through which hope grew sound after being sick,

  72. وَعَواطِفٌ لا يَبتَغي بَدَلاً بِها

    إِلّا المُريدُ مِنَ الحَياةِ بَديلا

    and kindnesses no one would seek to replace

    except one who desires a substitute for life.