1. رَفِقَ الزَّمانُ بنا وكانَ عَنيفا

    وغَدا لنا بعدَ القِراعِ حَليفا

    Time grew gentle with us, though it had been harsh,

    And became our ally after the clash.

  2. ودَنَتْ ظِلالُ المَكرُماتِ وذُلِّلَتْ

    أثمارُها للطَّالبينَ قُطُوفا

    And the shades of noble deeds drew near, and made easy to pluck

    Were their fruits for those who sought them.

  3. أهلاً بمَنْ رَعتِ المدائحُ رَوضَه

    فعَرَفْنَ في أيامِه المَعروفا

    Welcome to him whose meadow the songs of praise grazed,

    So in his days they came to know beneficence.

  4. وحنَتَه رأفتُه على زُوَّارِهِ

    فأراهُمُ خَلَقَ النَّوائبِ ريفا

    And his compassion bent him toward his visitors,

    So he showed them adversity’s tatters as fertile countryside.

  5. قَدِمَتْ بمَقدَمِه المكارِمُ فاغتَدَتْ

    خُضْراً تَرُفُّ على العُفاةِ رَفيفا

    Noble deeds arrived with his arrival, and became

    Green, fluttering over the seekers of bounty.

  6. وزَهَتْ بلادُ الحِصنِ بالقَمَر الذي

    أهدى إلى القمرِ المُنيرِ كُسوفا

    And the lands of al-Hisn gloried in the moon that

    Bestowed an eclipse upon the shining moon.

  7. نَظَمَ الأَميرُ لها قَلائِدَ سُؤدُدٍ

    أشرَفْنَ في لَبَّاتِها وشُنوفا

    The prince strung for them necklaces of eminence,

    That rose at their necklines—and earrings too.

  8. وغَدا الفُراتُ لبَيْتِه مُتَضائِلاً

    لا يَستبينُ ضُؤُولةً ونُحوفا

    And the Euphrates dwindled before his house,

    Too small and slender to be clearly seen.

  9. فلو استطاعَ إليه قَصداً لانكَفى

    حتى يُرَى عن قَصْدِه مَصروفا

    So if it could set a course toward him, it would turn back,

    Until it was seen diverted from its course.

  10. لولا أبو العطَّافِ لم تَلْقَ النَّدى

    غَضّاً ولم يَكُنِ الزَّمانُ عَطوفا

    Were it not for Abu al-ʿAttaf, you would not find generosity

    Fresh, nor would Time be compassionate.

  11. مَلِكٌ يراه عدوُّهُ مُتحنِّناً

    ويراه طالبُ رِفْدِهِ مألُوفا

    A king whom his enemy sees as compassionate,

    And the seeker of his bounty sees as approachable.

  12. مُغْضٍ وليسَ لِحاظُه إن بَثَّها

    إلا حياةً غَضَّةً وحُتوفا

    He lowers his gaze; yet his glances, if he casts them, are nothing

    But flourishing life and death.

  13. وأغَرَّ يأنَفُ أن يَصُدَّ عَنِ الوَغى

    حتَّى يُذِلَّ مَعاطِساً وأُنوفا

    And an illustrious man who scorns to turn away from battle

    Until he has humbled nostrils and noses.

  14. وفتىً إذا شُغِفَ الملوكُ بحفْظهِم

    أضحَى بخَفْضِ عدوِّهِ مَشغوفا

    And a young hero who, when kings are obsessed with their own safety,

    Becomes obsessed with bringing his enemy low.

  15. سائِلْ بِصَوْلَتِه ابنَ مَزروعٍ وقد

    وَلَّى يَشُقُّ من العَجاجِ سُجُوفا

    Ask Ibn Mazruʿ about his onslaught, when he

    Fled, parting curtains of swirling dust.

  16. وأَرَتْهُ خيفَةُ سَيفِه وسِنانِه

    لينَ المِهادِ أسِنَّةً وسُيوفا

    And dread of his sword and spearpoint made him see

    The softness of his bed as spearheads and swords.

  17. أوفَى عليه مُقارِعاً حتى إذا

    أعطى القِيادَ أجارَه مَلهوفا

    He bore down upon him in combat, until, when

    The foe yielded the reins, he sheltered him in his distress.

  18. طوَّقْتَه بالمَنِّ حينَ مَلَكْتَه

    طَوْقاً ثَقيلاً في الرِّقابِ خَفيفا

    You placed a collar of favor on him when you mastered him,

    A heavy collar, yet light upon necks.

  19. والدَّيلميُّ هَفَتْ به أُمنِيَّةٌ

    غَرَرٌ يُفيدُ اللَّوْمَ والتَّعنيفا

    And al-Daylami was swept astray by a hope—

    A perilous gamble that brings blame and rebuke.

  20. وافاك كالمحتالِ يَختُلُ صَيْدَه

    فأثارَ منكَ الأَصُيَدَ الغِطْريفا

    He came to you like a schemer deceiving his prey,

    So he roused in you the proud, noble lion.

  21. وأحقُّ مَنْ يُضحي فريسةَ ضَيْغَمٍ

    مَنْ رَاحَ مُقْتَحِماً عليه عَريفا

    And most deserving of becoming a lion’s prey

    Is he who knowingly rushes in upon it.

  22. قَيَّدْتَ لَحْظَ جُفونِه فأرَيْتَه

    رأدَ الضُّحى ليلاً عليه كَثيفا

    You bound the gaze of his eyelids, and made him see

    The height of forenoon as a dense night upon him.

  23. وتَرَكْتَه ما إن يُعايِنُ إلفَهُ

    إلا خَيالاً في المَنامِ مُطيفا

    And left him unable to see his beloved

    Except as a phantom visiting him in sleep.

  24. وكذاكَ من شُبَّتْ بأَرْضِكَ نارُهُ

    أضحَى بنارِكَ طرفُه مَطروفا

    And likewise, anyone whose fire was kindled in your land

    Had his eye struck blind by your fire.

  25. لا تُعْدَ منك ربيعةُ الفَرَسِ التي

    عَمَرَتْ جَنابَكَ مَربعاً ومَصيفا

    May Rabiʿat al-Faras never be deprived of you, she who

    Has made your precincts her spring and summer abode.

  26. أحَللْتَها للجُودِ رَوْضاً مُعْشِباً

    سَهْلاً وطَوْداً للفَخارِ مُنيفا

    You lodged her in a grassy meadow of generosity,

    A level plain, and a lofty mountain of glory.

  27. فاسلَمْ فكم شيَّدْتَ من أُكرومَةٍ

    وهَدَمْتَ تالِدَ ثَروَةٍ وطَريفا

    So remain safe—you have built up so many noble deeds,

    And demolished wealth, both inherited and newly gained.

  28. وتَمَلَّها غَرَّاءَ لستَ بمُلْبِسٍ

    أفوافَها إلاّ أغرَّ شَريفا

    And savor it in its radiance; you would clothe none

    In its striped fabrics but a radiant nobleman.

  29. رَقَّت ورَقَّ كَلامُها فكأنَّما

    جَلَبَتْ رَبيعَ مَحاسنٍ وخَريفا

    It grew delicate, and its words grew delicate, as though

    It had brought a spring and an autumn of beauties.

  30. وكأنَّ لا بِسَها يُعاينُ جَوهراً

    من لَفْظِها أو يَستَشِفُّ شُفوفا

    And as though its wearer beholds jewels

    From its words, or peers through sheer fabrics.

  31. لو صَافَحَتْ سَمْعَ ابنِ أوْسٍ لم يَقُلْ

    أطلالُهُم سَلَبَتْ دماها الهِيفا

    Had it clasped the hearing of Ibn Aws, he would not have said:

    “Their ruins stole away their slender statues.”