ألا هل لظلم لا يطاق دفاع — أبو المعالي الطالوي

أَلا هَل لِظُلمٍ لا يُطاق دِفاعُ

وَدَعوى عَلى الخَصم الأَلدّ سَماعُ

Ah, is there any defense against unbearable oppression,

And a hearing for a claim against the implacable adversary?

فَلَم يَبقَ في قَوس التَبصُّرِ مَنزَعٌ

وَقَد طالَ مِن عَبدِ الكَريمِ نِزاعُ

For the bow of discernment can be drawn no further,

And Abd al-Karim's contention has dragged on.

رَمَتهُ سِهامُ الحادِثاتِ وَأَقصَدَت

حماةُ المَنايا صارِمٌ وَيَراعُ

The arrows of calamity struck him, and he was felled by

Death's champions—a keen sword and a reed pen.

تَمَزَّق مِنهُ العُمر كُلّ مَمَزَّقٍ

وَيَنتاشه مِنها يَدٌ وَذِراعُ

His life was torn to utter shreds,

And a hand and an arm pluck him free of them,

إِذا هُوَ لَم يُنجِز عَلى القُرب مَوعِداً

بِمَنصِبِ دَرسٍ لَيسَ عَنهُ دِفاعُ

If he does not soon fulfill a promise

Of a teaching post that cannot be denied.

وَلَم أَرجُ مِنهُ مَنصِباً قَطّ إِنَّما

رَجَوتُ نَدى سَعدٍ نَداه طِباعُ

I never hoped for a post from him; I only

Hoped for Sa'd's bounty—generosity is his nature.

فَتى كَفّه مَخلوقةٌ لِثَلاثَةٍ

سَماحٌ وَعَضبٌ صارِمٌ وَيَراعُ

A young man whose palm was made for three things:

Generosity, a keen, cutting sword, and a reed pen.

أَمَولاي قَد شاعَت لِبابِكَ نِسبَتي

وَمَقسومُ مَدحي في عُلاك مُشاعُ

O my lord, my affiliation with your door is widely known,

And my share of praise for your eminence is spread abroad.

وَقَد صَدَرَت مِنّي إِلَيكَ قَصائِدٌ

وَرُقعَة وَجه لَم تُهَن وَرِقاعُ

And poems have gone forth from me to you,

And a face never abased, and written petitions.

وَلي مِنكَ وَعدٌ قَد تَراخى نِجازه

فَمُنّ بِميعادٍ خُطاه سِراعُ

And I have a promise from you whose fulfillment has been delayed;

So grant me an appointed time whose footsteps are swift.

فَأَنجِزهُ بِالأَمرِ المُطاعِ فَهَذِهِ

أَوامِرُكُم في الخافِقَينِ تُطاعُ

So fulfill it with a command that is obeyed; for these

Commands of yours are obeyed in East and West.