أصبح الملك عاليا بأبي العباس — Abu Bakr Al Suli

أَصْبَحَ الْمُلْكُ عالياً بأَبي الْعَ

بَّاسِ أَعْلَى الْمُلُوك بَعْدَ انْخِفَاضِ

Kingship has risen high through Abu al-

'Abbas, highest of kings, after abasement.

واسْتَفَاضَ السُّرُورُ في سَائِرِ ال

نَّاسِ بِمُلْكِ الْمُهَذَّبِ الْفَيَّاضِ

And joy has spread among all the

people through the reign of the refined, lavishly generous ruler.

رَضِيَ اللهُ هَدْيَهُ فَاصْطَفَاهُ

فَهُوَ بِاللهِ وَالْمَقَادِيرِ رَاضِي

God approved his conduct, so chose him;

so he is content with God and the decrees of fate.

مَنْ غَذَتْهُ الْعُلُومُ يَرْفَعُ مِنْهَا

فِي جِنَانِ أَنِيقَةٍ ورِيَاضِ

He whom the sciences nourished raises himself through them

amid lovely gardens and meadows.

كَمُلُ الْفَضْلُ والْفَضَائِلُ فِيهِ

قَبْلَ عِشْرِينَ مِنْ سِنِيهِ مَوَاضِي

Excellence and the virtues attained perfection in him

before twenty of his years had passed.

فَهُوَ بِالْعِلْمِ والتَّفَرُّغِ فِيهِ

خَيْرُ آتٍ مِنَ الْمُلُوكِ وَمَاضِي

Through learning and his devotion to it, he is

the best of kings, those to come and those gone by.

خَطَرَتْ نَحْوَهُ الْخِلافَةُ طَوْعاً

بِاتِّفاقٍ مِنَ الْوَرَى وَتَرَاضِ

The caliphate strode toward him willingly,

with the people's agreement and mutual consent,

واصْطِفاقٍ مِنَ الأَكُفِّ دِرَاكاً

واجْتِمَاعٍ مَوفٍ وَعَزْمٍ مُفَاضِ

with hands clapping in quick succession,

and full accord and overflowing resolve.

مَرِضَ الدِّينُ قَبْلَهُ وَأَتَاهُ

بَارِئاً عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الأَمْرَاضِ

Religion ailed before him, then came to him,

healed in his presence of its maladies.

واسْتَلَذَّ الزَّمَانُ إِذْ أَسْفَرَ الْمُلْ

كُ وَجَلَّى سَوَادَهُ بِبَيَاضِ

And time rejoiced when kingship dawned,

and dispelled its blackness with brightness.

وَاجِدٌ بِالْعُلُومِ وجْدَ مُحِبٍّ

رَاعَهُ مَنْ يُحِبُّ بِالإِعْرَاضِ

He yearns for the sciences with a lover's yearning,

whose beloved has alarmed him by turning away.

يَرِدُ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ أَغْدَارَ جُودٍ

طَيِّبُ الْوِرْدِ مُتْرَعُ الأَحْوَاضِ

People come to his pools of generosity,

sweet to drink from, with brimming basins.

حَمُدوا مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ حُسْنَ مُلْكٍ

بِتَقَضِّي حَقِّ الْوَرى وَتَقَاضِي

They praised Muhammad's excellent rule

for fulfilling people's rights and enforcing them.

نِعَمٌ لِلْوَلِّي مِنْهُ حَبَاهُ

وَمَنَايَا عَلَى الْعَدُوِّ مَوَاضِي

From him come blessings bestowed upon the loyal,

and inexorable deaths upon the enemy.

تَمْلِكُ الْخَطْبَ مِنْهُ عَزْمَةُ رَأْيٍ

يُذْعِنُ الصَّعْبُ عِنْدَهَا لاِرْتِيَاضِ

A firm decision of his masters calamity;

before it, the unruly submits to taming.

يَا إمَاماً إِلَيْه حُلَّتْ عُرَى الْفَخْ

رِ وَفُلَّتْ مَعَاقِدُ الأَغْرَاضِ

O imam, toward whom the bonds of pride were loosed,

and the knots of aspirations were broken,

حَازَ بِالمَكْرُمَاتِ كَامِلَ مَجْدٍ

عَلِقَ النَّاسُ فِيهِ بِالأَبْعَاضِ

through noble deeds he attained glory in full,

while others clung to mere portions of it.

وَتَعَالَى عَلَى النُّجُومِ بِبَيْتٍ

سَامِقِ الْعِزِّ ظَاهِرِ الأَغْرَاضِ

And he rose above the stars with a house

towering in honor, manifest in its aims.

حُجَّةُ اللهِ أَتَتْ يَا قْبَلَةَ ال

دِّينِ فَلَيْسَتْ تُرَدُّ بالإِدْحَاضِ

God's proof has come, O qibla of the

faith; it cannot be repelled by refutation.

آذَنَ السِّيْفُ مَنْ عَصَاكَ مَن ال

نَّاسِ بِهُلْك وَاشِكٍ وانْقِراضِ

The sword warns those who defy you among the

people of imminent doom and extinction,

وَبِثُقْلٍ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَوِزْرٍ

يَنْقُضُ الظَّهْرَ أَيَّمَا إِنْقَاضِ

and of a weight of torment and a burden

that cracks the back with a dreadful cracking.

لَسْتُ ممَّنْ يُرِيدُ بِالْمَدْحِ حَالاً

يَبْسُطُ الْجَاهَ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ إِنْقِبَاضِ

I am not one who seeks through praise a fortune

that expands his standing after its decline.

قَدْ تَرَوَّيْتُ مِنْ نَوَالِ إمَامٍ

لَسْتُ مَا عِشْتُ فِيهِ بِالمُعْتَاضِ

I have drunk my fill of an imam's bounty,

and, while I live, shall seek no substitute for him.

بِشْرُهُ زَائِدُ الْعَطَاءِ كَمَا الْبَرْ

قُ دَلِيلُ الْغُيُوثِ بالإِيمَاضِ

His smiling welcome augments his giving, just as lightning

heralds rain with its flashes.

وَتَقَدَّمْتُ فِي مَديحِي لَهُ النَّا

سَ عَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ ذَوِي الإِبْغَاضِ

And in praising him I outstripped the

people, despite those who harbor hatred.

وافْتَرَعْتُ الأَبْكَارَ مِنْ عِزَّةِ الشِّعْ

رِ فَذَلَّلْتُ صَعْبَهَا بِافْتِضَاضِ

And I deflowered the virgins of unyielding poetry,

and tamed their resistance through deflowering.

وَعَذَابِي بِطَوْلٍ مِنْهُ فِي سَا

بِقِ أَيَّامِي الطِّوَالِ الْعِراضِ

And my torment [unclear text], with bounty from him in

my former days, long and broad,

جَاءَ عَفْواً بِلاَ سُؤَالٍ وَلاَ وَعْ

دٍ وَلاَ مُذَكِّرٍ بِهِ مُتَقَاضِي

came freely, without request or promise,

nor anyone reminding him of it and pressing a claim.

صَافِياً مِنْ تَكَدَّرِ الْمَطْلِ يَجْرِي

جَرْيَ مَاءٍ صَافٍ عَلَى رَضْرَاضِ

Clear of the murk of delay, it flows

like clear water running over pebbles.

وَتَشَرَّفْتُ بِالجُلُوسِ لَدَيْهِ

بِحَدِيثٍ يَلْتَذُّهُ مُسْتَفَاضِ

And I was honored to sit in his presence,

with freely flowing conversation that he enjoyed.

وَبَلَغْتُ الْمُنَى وَبَشَّرَنِي ال

نَّاسُ بِثَوْبٍ مِنَ الْغِنَى فَضْفَاضِ

And I attained my wishes, and the

people brought me glad tidings of a spacious robe of wealth.

وَتَبَدَّلْتُ بالتَّذَلُّلِ عِزّاً

آذَنَ الْهَمُّ عِنْدَهُ بِانْفْضَاضِ

And I exchanged humiliation for honor,

before which care announced its departure.

وَاطْمَأَنَّ الْفِرَاشُ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ جَا

نَبَ جَنْيِ تَجَنُّبَ النُّهَّاضِ

And my bed grew restful after it had

shunned my side [unclear text] as restless risers do.

واسْتَرَدَّ الْعَدُوُّ وُكْدِي وَعَادَتْ

أَعْيُنُ السُّخْطِ وَهِيَ عَنِّيَ رَواضِي

And the enemy withdrew his pursuit of me, and

eyes of anger returned, now pleased with me.

لاَ أَرى مُزْعَجاً نَوَالِي وَإنْ

أَبْطَأً عَنِّي جنَاهُ بالإِيْغاضِ

I do not seek to hasten my bounty, even if

its fruit is slow to reach me, by goading.

لاَ وَلاَ خَاطباً بِذَمِّ زَمَانٍ

أَتَشَكَّى مِنْهُ نُدُوبَ عِضاضِ

No, nor do I petition by condemning a time

whose biting scars I complain of.

قَدْ كَفانِي الإِمَامُ مَا قَدْ عَنَانِي

وانْتَضَانِي مِنْ خَلَّةِ الانْفَاضِ

The imam has spared me what afflicted me,

and drawn me out of want and destitution.

واجْتَنَيْتُ الْغِنيَ بِمَدْحِيَ غَضّاً

مِنْ أَيَادٍ لَهُ رِطَابٍ غِضَاضِ

And through my praise I harvested fresh wealth

from his favors, moist and tender.

لَم أَجُبْ نَحْوَهُ الْفَلاَةَ وَلاَ أَقْ

بَلْتُ نِقْضاً أَهْوَى عَلَى أَنْقَاضِ

I did not cross the wilderness toward him, nor

come like a spent camel, pitching onto spent mounts,

تَتَرَامَى بِيَ الْمَفَاقِرُ طَوْراً

واعْتِراضاً كَرَمْيَةِ الْمِعْرَاضِ

with barren wastes tossing me about at times,

and sideways, like a blunt arrow's flight.

بَعْدَ أَنْ حَلَّتِ النُّحُوسُ مَحَلِّي

وَهَوَى نَجْمُ أَسْعُدِي لانِقِضَاضِ

After ill fortune settled in my abode,

and my lucky star fell in a plunge,

فَتَكَ الْيَأْسِ بِي فأَهْدَى صُدُوداً

مِنْ وَصُول كَفَتْكَةِ البْرَّاضِ

despair struck me down, bringing estrangement

from one once affectionate, like al-Barrad's assault.

وَأَرانِي تَحَيُّفُ الْهَجْرِ لِلطَّيْ

رِ بِمَا نَسَّي تَحَيُّف الْمِقَراضِ

And estrangement's ravaging of the bird showed me

what made me forget the ravages of shears.

واقْتَضَانِي دَيْنَ الشَّبَابِ مَشِيبٌ

فِيهِ عَسْفٌ لَهُ وقُبْحُ تَقَاضِي

And gray hair exacted from me the debt of youth,

with harshness toward it and ugly demands.

عَجَبي لَهُ كَيْفَ أَوْجَبَ ذَنْباً

لَمْ يَكُنْ عَنْ تَسَلُّفٍ واقْتِراَضِ

I marvel at it: how did it impose blame

arising from no advance or loan?

ظَالِمٌ مُنْصِفٌ سَرِيعٌ بَطيءٌ

سَابِقٌ رَكْضُهُ بِغَيْرِ ارْتِكَاضِ

Unjust yet just, swift yet slow,

its running outstrips all without a gallop.

فَتَسَوَّدْتُ بِالْبَيَاضِ وَعُذ

تُ بِهِ عَنْ وصَالِ بِيَضٍ بِضَاضِ

So I gained dignity through whiteness, and sought refuge

in it from union with fair, soft-skinned women.

وَاكْتَسَيْتُ الْوقَارَ بالْكُرهِ مِنِّي

وَنَضَتْ بِشْرَتِي لَيَالٍ نَوَاضِي

And I donned dignity against my will,

and stripping nights stripped away my skin.

وأَتَتْنِي قَوَارِضٌ مِنْ أُنَاسٍ

مِثْلُ وَقْعِ الشِّهَابِ فِي الأَغْراضِ

And biting taunts came at me from people,

like meteors striking their targets,

كُلِّ وَاهِي الْقُوَى نَؤُومٍ إِذَا مَا

نَهَضَ النَّاسُ للْعُلَى رَبَّاضِ

each feeble of strength, a great sleeper, who, when

people rose toward greatness, lay crouching.

تَرَكَتْنِي لِمَا أُحَاذُرِ مِنْهَا

حَرَضاً هَالِكاً مِنَ الأَحْرَاضِ

What I feared from them left me

wasted and dying among the wasted.

عَلَم اللهُ مَا الَّذي كُنْتُ أَلْقَى

فيكُمُ مِنْ تَأَلُّمٍ وَامْتِعَاضِ

God knows what I used to endure

for you of pain and indignation.

لَمْ أَذُقْ مُذْ رَكبْتُ رَاحِلَةْ الْ

خَوْفِ إلىَ لَذَّةَ إِلإِغْمَاضِ

I have not tasted, since mounting the riding-beast of

fear, the pleasure of closing my eyes [wording unclear].

لاَ أُطِيقُ الدِّفَاعَ عَنْكَ وَلاَ

أَمْلِكُ غَيْرَ الْهُمُومِ والإِرْتِمَاضِ

I cannot defend you, nor

possess anything but cares and burning distress.

زَأَرَتْنِي أُسُودُ حِقْدٍ عَلَيْكُمُ

لَمْ تُغَيِّبْ بِغَابَةٍ وَغِياضِ

Lions of rancor against you roared at me,

not hidden away in forests and thickets.

وَفَرَانِي الزَّمَانُ مِنْهُ بِنَابٍ

بَعْدَكُمْ مُرْهَفِ الشَّبَّا عَضَّاضِ

And time tore at me with one of its fangs,

after you were gone—sharp-tipped and biting.

وَانْتَحَى آكِلاً لِلَحْمِي وَرَضَّ الْ

عَظْمِ مِنِّي بِكَلْكَلٍ رَضَّاضِ

It assailed me, devouring my flesh, and crushed the

bones within me with a crushing breast.

واكْتَحَلْتُ السُّهَاد والْحَذَرَ ال

دَّائِمَ خَوْفاً بِمَرْوَدٍ مَضَّاضِ

And I lined my eyes with sleeplessness and

constant vigilance, in fear, using a stinging kohl-stick,

مِنْ حَسُودٍ مُنَافِسٍ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ

لِبِحَارِ أَغتِيابِكُمْ خَوَّاضِ

because of an envious man competing with me for you,

plunging into seas of slander against you,

مُبْغِضٍ لِي لَما أُسَيِّرُ فِيكُمْ

مِنْ مَدِيحٍ عَلَى الأَذى حَضَّاضِ

hating me for what I spread about you

of praise, and constantly inciting harm.

فأَرَانِي الإِلهُ مَا كُنْتُ أَرْجُو

هُ وعُوِّضْتُ أَحْسَنَ الإِعْتياضِ

Then God showed me what I had hoped

for, and I received the finest recompense.

يَا إِمَامَ الْهُدَى اسْتَمِعْ لِوَلِيٍّ

سَائِرٍ فِي مَديحِكُمْ رَكَّاضِ

O imam of guidance, listen to a loyal friend

journeying through your praise at a gallop.

بَذْلُ النَّفْسِ وَاجِبٌ لَكَ مَحْضُ ال

نُّصْحِ مِنْ أُسْرَةٍ لَكُمْ أَمْحَاضِ

Offering one's life is owed to you: pure

loyalty from a family utterly devoted to you.

كُلُّ عَاصٍ بِجِلْدَتِهِ العُ

رُّ هَانِئُوهُ بِالخَضْخَاضِ

Every defiant man, with mange upon his hide—

his tar-smearers treat him with liquid pitch.

يَفْضُلُ النَّاسِ في الشَّجَاعَةِ وَالْبأْ

سِ كَفَضْلِ الدَّيْسِ لابْنِ مَخَاضِ

He surpasses people in courage and

might, as a mighty bull camel surpasses a yearling.

قِبْلَةُ الْحَرْبِ حينَ تَجْتَنَبُ الْحَرْ

بُ وَتَرْدَى خُيَولهُهَا في الْعِرَاضِ

He is war's qibla when war is shunned,

and its horses gallop in the clash.

عَضَّدَ الْمُلْكَ فيهِ بالأَيِّدِ الْ

عَالِمِ شَافِي الْمَحْلِ بالإِحْمَاضِ

Kingship in him was strengthened by the mighty,

learned man, who cures drought with salt pasture,

بَاذِلُ الرَّأْي سَالِكٍ شَعْبَ عَزْمٍ

مَا الْمَصَاعِيبُ فِيهِ كالأَحْفَاضِ

lavishing counsel, following a mountain pass of resolve,

where unruly camels are not like worn-out pack-beasts.

أَخْصَبَتْ أَرْبُعُ الْوَرَى بإِمَامٍ

قَاتِلِ الْمَحَلِ جَابِرِ الْمُنْهَاضِ

The people's dwellings grew fertile under an imam

who slays drought and mends the broken.

عَرَفَ النَّاسُ فَضْلَهُ مِثْلَ مَا يُعْ

رَفُ قَصْدُ السِّهَامِ بالأَنْبَاضِ

People knew his excellence, just as

an arrow's aim is known by the bowstring's twang.

مَنْ رأَى حُبَّهُ كَنَافِلَةِ الْ

فَرْضِ فَإِنِّي أَرَاهُ كالإفْتِرَاضِ

Whoever sees loving him as a voluntary addition to

duty, I regard it as an obligation.

أَيَّدَ اللهُ مُلْكَهُ بِوَزِيرٍ

مُسْتَقِلٍّ برَأْيِهِ نَهَّاضِ

God strengthened his reign through a minister,

self-reliant in judgment, vigorous in action,

عَالم بِالزَّمَانِ قَدْ رَاض مِنْهُ

جَامِحاً آبياً عَلَى الرُّوَّاضِ

knowing the age, having tamed in it

what ran wild and defied its tamers.

لَمْ يَطُفْ بِالْيَقِينِ مِنْ ظَنِّهِ ال

شَّكُّ وَلاَ حَالَ دُونَهُ بِاعْتِرَاضِ

Doubt born of conjecture has never circled his certainty,

nor blocked its way by interposing itself.

ضَرَبٌ في لُهَى وَلِيِّكَ مَاضٍ

وسَهُادٌ عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ قَاضِي

Honey flowing over your ally's palate,

and sleeplessness passing judgment on your enemy.

نَاصِحٌ لَمْ يَخُضْ ضَحَاضِحَ غِشِّ

فِي الزَّمَانِ الْمَاضِي مَعَ الْخُوَّاضِ

A loyal counselor who never waded in deceit's shallows

in days gone by among those who waded there.

مَوَّلَ اللهُ بَيْتَ مَالِكَ مِنْهُ

باجْتِمَاعٍ مِنْهُ لاَ بارْفِضَاضِ

God enriched your treasury through him,

through his gathering, not scattering.

غَيْرَ مَا حَافِلٍ إِذَا انْتَحَلَ النُّصْ

حَ بِشَكْوَى مُغَاضِبٍ أَوْ مُرَاضِي

Unconcerned, when he professes sincere counsel,

by the complaint of an angry man or one seeking favor.

مِنْ أُنَاسٍ أَقَلاَمُهُمْ أَسْهُمُ الْمُلْ

كِ وَلَكِنَّهَا بِغَيْرِ وِفاضِ

Among people whose pens are sovereignty's arrows,

yet have no quivers,

جَامعَاتٍ لِلأَمْرِ بَعْدَ افْتِراقٍ

جَابِرَاتٍ لِلْعَظْمِ بَعْدَ انْهِيَاضِ

gathering affairs together after division,

setting bones after they are broken.

مَا رَأْتْ سَاعياً على الْبَيْنِ إِلاَّ

قَيَّدَتْ سَعْيَهُ بِغَيْرِ الاْيَاضِ

They never saw anyone striving for separation without

binding his effort without a tether.

نَفَثَتْ بِالْمِدَادِ سُمّاً عَلَيْه

نَفْثَ أَنْيَابِ حَيَّةٍ نَبنَاضِ

They spat ink as venom upon him,

as the fangs of a darting snake spit.

فَابْقَ يَا سَيِّدَ الْمُلُوكِ لَهُ تُبْ

رِمُ بِالرَّأْي مِنْهُ كُلَّ انِتْقَاضِ

So live on, O lord of kings, for him, and bind

with his counsel all that comes unraveled.

وَتَمَلَّ النَّيْرُوزَ تِسْعِينَ عَاماً

سَامِياً والْعَدُوِّ ذُوِ إِعْضَاضِ

And enjoy Nowruz for ninety years,

exalted, while the enemy gnashes his teeth.