نَفسي الفِداءُ لِمَن أَوَدُّه

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِمَن أَوَدُّه

وَإِنِ استَحالَ وَساءَ عَهدُه

وَإِنِ استَحالَ وَساءَ عَهدُه

My soul be the ransom for the one I love,

even though he has changed and his faithfulness has faltered.

مُتَفاوِثُ الحُسنَينِ يَث

مُتَفاوِثُ الحُسنَينِ يَث

قُل رِدفُهُ وَيَخِفُّ قَدُّه

قُل رِدفُهُ وَيَخِفُّ قَدُّه

His two beauties contrast: heavy

are his hips, while his figure is slender.

كَمُلَت مَحاسِنُهُ لَنا

كَمُلَت مَحاسِنُهُ لَنا

لَولا تَجَنُّبُهُ وَصَدُّه

لَولا تَجَنُّبُهُ وَصَدُّه

His charms would be perfect for us,

but for his avoidance and rejection.

خَدٌ يُعَضُّ لِحُمرَةٍ

خَدٌ يُعَضُّ لِحُمرَةٍ

تُفّاحُهُ وَيُشَمُّ وَردُه

تُفّاحُهُ وَيُشَمُّ وَردُه

A cheek: for its redness, one bites

its apple, and breathes in its rose.

وَفُتورُ طَرفٍ قَد يُجِد

وَفُتورُ طَرفٍ قَد يُجِد

دُ عَلى المُتَيَّمِ مايُجِدَّه

دُ عَلى المُتَيَّمِ مايُجِدَّه

And a languid glance that may renew

for the love-stricken what he feels.

ما لِلمُحِبِّ مِنَ الهَوى

ما لِلمُحِبِّ مِنَ الهَوى

إِلّا صَبابَتُهُ وَوَجدُه

إِلّا صَبابَتُهُ وَوَجدُه

The lover has no share in love

but his yearning and his anguish.

لِيَدُم لَنا المُعتَزُّ فَه

لِيَدُم لَنا المُعتَزُّ فَه

وَإِمامُنا المَرجُوُّ رِفدُه

وَإِمامُنا المَرجُوُّ رِفدُه

May al-Mu'tazz endure for us, for he

is our imam, whose bounty we await.

مُتَدَفِّقٌ بِعَطائِهِ

مُتَدَفِّقٌ بِعَطائِهِ

كَالنَيلِ لَمّا جاشَ مَدُّه

كَالنَيلِ لَمّا جاشَ مَدُّه

Overflowing with his giving,

like the Nile when its flood surged.

لا العَذلُ يَردَعُهُ وَلا ال

لا العَذلُ يَردَعُهُ وَلا ال

تَعنيفُ عَن كَرَمِن يَصُدُّه

تَعنيفُ عَن كَرَمِن يَصُدُّه

Neither reproach restrains him, nor

does rebuke turn him from generosity.

وَزَرُ الهُدى وَمَغاثُهُ ال

وَزَرُ الهُدى وَمَغاثُهُ ال

أَدنى وَمَفزَعُهُ وَرِدُّه

أَدنى وَمَفزَعُهُ وَرِدُّه

The refuge of guidance and its haven—

the nearest—its sanctuary and its mainstay.

يَنفي الهُوَينى حَزمُهُ

يَنفي الهُوَينى حَزمُهُ

وَيَحوطُ دينَ اللَهِ جِدُّه

وَيَحوطُ دينَ اللَهِ جِدُّه

His firmness banishes indolence,

and his earnestness guards God's religion.

جَيشٌ يُجَهِّزُهُ لِأَر

جَيشٌ يُجَهِّزُهُ لِأَر

ضِ الكُفرِ أَو ثَغرٌ يَسُدُّه

ضِ الكُفرِ أَو ثَغرٌ يَسُدُّه

An army he equips for the land

of unbelief, or a frontier he secures.

لَقِيَت عَظيمَ الرومِ مِن

لَقِيَت عَظيمَ الرومِ مِن

كَ عَزيمَةٌ فَانفَضَّ جُندُه

كَ عَزيمَةٌ فَانفَضَّ جُندُه

The ruler of the Romans encountered

your resolve, and his troops scattered.

وَتَطاوَحَتهُ كَتائِبٌ

وَتَطاوَحَتهُ كَتائِبٌ

عُجُلٌ تُسائِلُ أَينَ قَصدُه

عُجُلٌ تُسائِلُ أَينَ قَصدُه

And battalions tossed him back and forth,

swift-moving, asking where he was bound.

فَاِنصاعَ يَطلُبُ ظِلَّهُ

فَاِنصاعَ يَطلُبُ ظِلَّهُ

وَالخَيلُ غادِيَةٌ تَكُدُّه

وَالخَيلُ غادِيَةٌ تَكُدُّه

So he fled, seeking his shadow,

while the horses, out at dawn, wore him down.

فَتحٌ أَتاكَ بِأَعظَمِ ال

فَتحٌ أَتاكَ بِأَعظَمِ ال

بَرَكاتِ بُشراهُ وَوَفدُه

بَرَكاتِ بُشراهُ وَوَفدُه

A victory—there came to you, with the greatest

blessings, its glad tidings and its envoys.

كَثُرَ الَّذي نِلناهُ مِن

كَثُرَ الَّذي نِلناهُ مِن

نُعماكَ حَتّى مانَحُدُّه

نُعماكَ حَتّى مانَحُدُّه

So much have we received from

your bounty that we cannot reckon it.

وَلَنا بِعَبدِ اللَهِ بَح

وَلَنا بِعَبدِ اللَهِ بَح

رٌ مُعرِضٌ لِلناسِ وِردُه

رٌ مُعرِضٌ لِلناسِ وِردُه

And in Abd Allah we have a sea,

whose watering-place lies open to the people.

ثاني الخَليفَةِ في النَدى

ثاني الخَليفَةِ في النَدى

وَشَبيهُهُ كَرَماً وَنِدُّه

وَشَبيهُهُ كَرَماً وَنِدُّه

Second to the caliph in bounty,

and his likeness in generosity, his peer.

أَيدٌ شَديدٌ لَو يُصا

أَيدٌ شَديدٌ لَو يُصا

رِعُ يَذبُلاً أَنشا يَهُدُّه

رِعُ يَذبُلاً أَنشا يَهُدُّه

Powerful and strong—were he to wrestle

Mount Yadhbul, he would set about shattering it.

وَعَزيمَةٌ يُمضي بِها

وَعَزيمَةٌ يُمضي بِها

فَصلَ الخِطابِ فَما يَرُدُّه

فَصلَ الخِطابِ فَما يَرُدُّه

And a resolve with which he carries through

the decisive judgment, never retracting it.

كَالسَيفِ يَكسِرُ مَتنَهُ

كَالسَيفِ يَكسِرُ مَتنَهُ

قَصَرَ العِدى وَيُبيرُ حَدُّه

قَصَرَ العِدى وَيُبيرُ حَدُّه

Like a sword whose back breaks

the necks of foes, and whose edge lays waste.

إِن أَطلُبِ الأَمَلَ البَعي

إِن أَطلُبِ الأَمَلَ البَعي

دَ لَدَيهِ يَدنُ عَلَيَّ بُعدُه

دَ لَدَيهِ يَدنُ عَلَيَّ بُعدُه

If I seek a distant hope,

from him, its remoteness draws near to me.

وَلَقَد تَضَمَّنَ لي النَجا

وَلَقَد تَضَمَّنَ لي النَجا

حَ غَريبُ جودِ الكَفِّ فَردُه

حَ غَريبُ جودِ الكَفِّ فَردُه

And indeed, my success has been assured

by the rare, peerless exemplar of open-handed generosity.

وَعَلِقتُ وَعدَ مُناجِزٍ

وَعَلِقتُ وَعدَ مُناجِزٍ

لا يَصحَبُ التَسويفَ وَعدُه

لا يَصحَبُ التَسويفَ وَعدُه

And I have clung to the promise of one who fulfills promptly,

whose promise is not accompanied by delay.

فَلَئِن أَنالَ بِطَولِهِ

فَلَئِن أَنالَ بِطَولِهِ

ما ذُخرُهُ باقٍ وَحَمدُه

ما ذُخرُهُ باقٍ وَحَمدُه

So if he has bestowed, through his bounty,

gifts whose treasure and praise endure,

فَلَقَد تَوَلّاني أَبو

فَلَقَد تَوَلّاني أَبو

هُ بِأَكثَرِ النُعمى وَجَدُّه

هُ بِأَكثَرِ النُعمى وَجَدُّه

then his father has indeed favored me

with the richest blessings—and his grandfather too.