1. أَلا هَل أَطَلَّ الأَميرُ الأَجَلُّ

    أَمِ الشَمسُ حُلَّت بِرَأسِ الحَمَل

    Ah, has the most exalted prince appeared,

    or has the sun been set at the head of Aries?

  2. فَما شِئتَ مِن زَهرَةٍ نَضرَةٍ

    تَرَدّى القَضيبُ بِها وَاِشتَمَل

    So, whatever fresh blossom you could wish for,

    the bough has robed itself in it and wrapped itself in it.

  3. وَهَزَّت مَعاطِفَهُ وَاِلتَوى

    بِمَسرى النَسيمِ اِلتِواءُ الجِذَل

    And the blossom stirred the bough's sides, and it swayed

    with the breeze's passage, swaying like one rejoicing,

  4. سُروراً بِهِ عَن فَتى دَولَةٍ

    تُباهي بِعَلياهُ خَيرَ الدُوَل

    in joy at him—a young champion of a realm

    which vies, through his eminence, with the finest realms.

  5. أتانا الزَمانُ بِهِ آخِراً

    تَهَشَّ إِلَيهِ اللَيالي الأُوَل

    Time brought him to us in its latter days;

    the nights of old greet him with delight.

  6. مَليكٌ تَبَسَّمَ ثَغرُ المُنى

    بِمَرآهُ وَاِمتَدَّ خَطوُ الأَمَل

    A king—the mouth of wishes smiled

    at the sight of him, and hope's stride lengthened.

  7. يَشُدُّ اللِثامَ عَلى صَفحَةٍ

    تَرى البَدرَ مِنها بِمَرقى زُحَل

    He draws the veil tight across a cheek

    from which you see the full moon at Saturn's height.

  8. فَلَم أَدرِ وَالحُسنُ صِنوٌ لَهُ

    أَأَبدَأُ بِالمَدحِ أَم بِالغَزَل

    So I knew not, since beauty is his twin:

    shall I begin with praise, or with love poetry?

  9. وَها هُوَ وَالحِلمُ في طَبعِهِ

    هِزبَرٌ إِذا ماحَمى أَو حَمَل

    And behold him, though forbearance is in his nature:

    a lion whenever he defends or charges.

  10. يُضيفُ إِلى طَعنَةٍ رَشقَةً

    هُناكَ وَلِلمُزنِ وَبلٌ وَطَل

    He adds a volley of arrows to a spear-thrust;

    there, rainclouds have downpours and drizzle.

  11. وَيَكفي فَيَكفَلُ في حالَةٍ

    فَيَبني المعالي كَفى أَو كَفَل

    He meets needs and stands surety all at once,

    thus building high honor, whether aiding or guaranteeing.

  12. وَيَلزَمُهُ النَصرُ حُبّاً لَهُ

    فَإِن سارَ سارَ وَإِن حَلَّ حَل

    Victory stays beside him out of love for him;

    if he marches, it marches; if he encamps, it encamps.

  13. فَما يَطرُقُ الطَيفُ غاباً لَهُ

    وَلَو كانَ أَغفى بِهِ أَو غَفَل

    So no dream-phantom visits his thicket,

    even if he had dozed there or grown heedless.

  14. يَدينُ بِضِدَّيهِ دونَ الهُدى

    يَصُدُّ العِدى وَيَسُدُّ الخَلَل

    He follows two opposing ways, save in right guidance:

    he repels enemies and repairs breaches,

  15. وَيُدمي الشِفارَ وَيَحني القَنا

    وَيَحمي الذِمارَ وَيَرعى الهَمَل

    bloodies blades and bends spear-shafts,

    and guards what must be defended and tends untended flocks.

  16. وَيَملَأُ رُعباً صُدورَ العِدى

    فَيُرعِفُ بَأساً أُنوفَ الأَسَل

    He fills the enemies' breasts with terror,

    so his might makes the noses of spears bleed.

  17. مُمِرُّ حِبالِ القَنا وَالقُوى

    إِذا ما فَشا في الحُماةِ الفَشَل

    He twists tight the cords of spears and strength,

    whenever faintheartedness spreads among the defenders.

  18. كَفيلٌ بِإِدراكِ ما يَبتَغي

    قَفا إِثرَ طاغِيَةٍ أَو قَفَل

    Sure to attain whatever he seeks,

    whether he follows a tyrant's trail or returns.

  19. إِذا قالَ أَجمَلَ في قَولِهِ

    وَأَحسَنَ مِن قَولِهِ مافَعَل

    When he speaks, he makes his speech beautiful,

    and finer than his speech is what he does.

  20. أَلَم تَرَ ماكانَ مِن بَأسِهِ

    يَفوزُ بِهِ يَومَ حارَ البَطَل

    Did you not see the might he showed,

    by which he triumphed on the day the champion stood bewildered,

  21. وَخارَ الأَبِيُّ وَخَرَّ الكَمِيُّ

    وَجَدَّ الجِلادُ وَقَلَّ الجَدَل

    the proud man weakened and the armored warrior fell,

    and combat grew fierce while debate dwindled?

  22. وَرامَ النَصارى بِها نُصرَةً

    فَلَم يُنجِدِ الرومَ رَومُ الحِيَل

    And the Christians sought aid there,

    but the quest for stratagems did not aid the Romans.

  23. وَصَدَّ اِبنَ فَرّاسَ عَن نَصرِها

    تَلَظّي حِرابٍ دَوامي المُقَل

    And Ibn Farras was barred from aiding them

    by the blaze of javelins with bleeding eyes.

  24. فَما اِلتَمَسوا الغَوثَ إِلّا اِلتَوى

    وَلا اِستَنجَدوا الوَعدَ إِلّا مَطَل

    So whenever they sought succor, he turned evasive;

    and whenever they called on his promise, he stalled.

  25. وَلا أَمَّ يُقبِلُ حَتّى اِنثَنى

    حِذاراً وَلا غامَ حَتّى اِضمَحَل

    No sooner did he set out to advance than he turned back

    in fear; no sooner did he loom like a cloud than he vanished.

  26. فَلَم يَدرِ ماعَلِقَت خَيلُهُ

    أَشَكوى الوَجى أَو شَكاةَ الوَجَل

    So he did not know what had beset his horses:

    was it the pain of sore hooves, or the pang of fear?

  27. بَلى خافَ مِن جَورِ سَيفٍ عَدا

    مَضاءً بِكَفِّ إِمامٍ عَدَل

    Yes, he feared the tyranny of a sword that overreached

    in its cutting power, in a just imam's hand.

  28. وَأَولى بِهِ لَو تَدَلّى بِهِ

    غُروراً وَأَولى بِهِ لَو أَدَل

    And woe to him, had he descended with it,

    in delusion; and woe to him, had he grown presumptuous!

  29. فَما حادَ عَنكَ بِقَلبٍ غَزا

    وَلَكِن بِقَلبٍ وَهى عَن وَهَل

    So he turned aside from you not with a heart bent on war,

    but with a heart grown feeble from fright.

  30. لَكَ اللَهُ مِن سَيِّدٍ أَيِّدٍ

    تَحَلّى الزَمانُ بِهِ عَن عَطَل

    God be with you—what a mighty lord!

    Time, once unadorned, adorned itself with him.

  31. أَبى المَجدُ أَن يَرتَضي قِنيَةً

    نَفيسَ الحُلى وَشَريفَ الحُلَل

    Glory refused to choose as its treasure

    precious ornaments and splendid robes;

  32. فَقِنيَتُهُ لِلقَنا وَالظُبى

    وَقُبِّ الخُيولِ وَبيضِ الخَوَل

    for its treasure lies in spears and sword-blades,

    lean-bellied horses and fair-skinned servants.

  33. وَلَمّا سَقى الغَربَ فيما سَقى

    وَحَلَّ بِهِ الغَربُ مِمّا أَقَل

    And when he had watered the West among all he watered,

    and through him the great bucket shed what it had borne,

  34. أَتى الشَرقُ يَهفو جَناحُ السُرى

    بِهِ وَتَهُبُّ رِياحُ العَجَل

    he came to the East; the wing of night-travel fluttered

    bearing him, and the winds of haste blew.

  35. فَسَكَّنَ مِن خَفقِ قَلبٍ نَزا

    وَهَوَّنَ مِن مَسِّ خَطبٍ نَزَل

    So he quieted the pounding of a heart that leapt,

    and eased the touch of a calamity that had descended,

  36. وَأَطمَعَ في حَسمِ داءٍ دَهى

    وَإِقشاعِ عارِضِ هَمٍّ أَطَل

    and raised hope of cutting out a disease that had struck,

    and dispersing a cloud of grief that had loomed.

  37. فَقُل لَاِبنِ رُذميرَ مَهلاً يَسيراً

    يُقيمُ صَفاكَ الأَميرُ الأَجَل

    So tell Ibn Rudhmir: wait just a little;

    the most exalted prince will set your rock upright.

  38. يُحَرِّقُكَ مِنهُ سَنا شُعلَةٍ

    هُناكَ وَيُغرِقُكَ طَوراً وَشَل

    The glow of a flame from him will scorch you

    there, and at another time a trickle will drown you.

  39. فَمِل عَن طَريقِ شِهابٍ سَرى

    فَأَهوى وَوادي أَتِيٍّ حَمَل

    So turn from the path of a meteor that sped

    then plunged, and from a valley whose oncoming torrent surged.

  40. وَحِد رَهبَةً عَن عُبابٍ طَمى

    وَلُذ رَغبَةً بِصَياصي جَبَل

    And turn aside in fear from an overflowing flood,

    and seek refuge eagerly in a mountain's strongholds.

  41. وَإِلّا فَثَمَّ جَوادٌ يَعُبُّ

    وَنَصلٌ يَهُبُّ إِذا سُلَّ صَل

    Otherwise, there is a steed that gallops fiercely,

    and a blade that leaps up and rings when drawn.

  42. وَكُلُّ حَياةٍ إِلى مُنتَهى

    أَجَل وَلِكُلِّ حِمامٍ أَجَل

    And every life moves toward an end;

    yes, and every death has its appointed time.