من شاء يعلمُ ما خُصَّ الوزير به

من شاء يعلمُ ما خُصَّ الوزير به

من النُّهى والتُّقى في يومِهِ لغَدِ

من النُّهى والتُّقى في يومِهِ لغَدِ

Whoever wishes to know what the minister was specially granted

Let him who wishes know what distinguished the minister

of wisdom and piety in his present day for the morrow,

In piety and devotion each day to the morrow

وفيضَ عَبْرته من حُسن عِبْرته

وفيضَ عَبْرته من حُسن عِبْرته

بالذَّاهبين أولي النَّعماءِ والنَّجَدِ

بالذَّاهبين أولي النَّعماءِ والنَّجَدِ

and the flood of his tears from the fine lesson he draws

And the outpouring of his tears from the excellence of his lesson

from the departed, possessors of good fortune and valor,

To the departing, the first of the blessed and the generous

فليستمع شِعره والدمعُ يسْبقهُُ

فليستمع شِعره والدمعُ يسْبقهُُ

بديهَةً في ديار القَيْل من أسَدِ

بديهَةً في ديار القَيْل من أسَدِ

let him hear his verse, with tears preceding it,

Let him hear his poetry as tears precede it

improvised at the dwellings of the prince of Asad.

Spontaneously in the abodes of saying among the lions

رأى منازلَ مِطْعامِ العَشيِّ إذا

رأى منازلَ مِطْعامِ العَشيِّ إذا

أضحى من الجدب لينُ الوعث كالجلَدِ

أضحى من الجدب لينُ الوعث كالجلَدِ

He saw the homes of one who gave lavish evening meals, when

He saw the dwellings of evening food when

drought made the soft sands like hard ground,

It became in barrenness, soft, like skin, from withering

وقائدِ الخيلِ تسْمو في أعِنَّتِها

وقائدِ الخيلِ تسْمو في أعِنَّتِها

نَزْو القطا طالعاً من غامض الثَّمَدِ

نَزْو القطا طالعاً من غامض الثَّمَدِ

and led steeds that rose high in their reins,

And the leader of horses lifted in their weakness

like sandgrouse springing up from a hidden, shallow pool;

The trotting of a wild cat rising from deep darkness

مُزْجي الأوامر مَسْبوقاً بطاعَتها

مُزْجي الأوامر مَسْبوقاً بطاعَتها

من كلِّ أغلَبَ ذي بأوٍ وذي صَيد

من كلِّ أغلَبَ ذي بأوٍ وذي صَيد

an issuer of commands, forestalled by obedience to them

My commander of orders preceded by their obedience

from every mighty warrior of proud and haughty bearing.

From every obstinate and from every hunter

فقال مُرتجلاً والدمعُ في صبَبٍ

فقال مُرتجلاً والدمعُ في صبَبٍ

من خشية اللّه والأنفاسُ في صَعَد

من خشية اللّه والأنفاسُ في صَعَد

Then he spoke impromptu, his tears cascading

So he said spontaneously while tears poured

from fear of God, his breaths rising in sighs:

From fear of God and breaths climbed

لما نزلتُ بدار المزْيَديِّ وقد

لما نزلتُ بدار المزْيَديِّ وقد

أخنى عليها الذي أخنى على لُبَدِ

أخنى عليها الذي أخنى على لُبَدِ

“When I alighted at al-Mazyadi’s dwelling, already

When I alighted in the house of Muzayyid and it was

laid waste by what had destroyed Lubad,

Afflicted by what afflicted Lubad

وفكَّرَ العقْلُ في الدنيا وشيمَتِها

وفكَّرَ العقْلُ في الدنيا وشيمَتِها

وأنَّها ما لها بُقْيا على أحَدِ

وأنَّها ما لها بُقْيا على أحَدِ

and the mind reflected on this world and its nature,

And reason pondered the life and its traits

and how it spares no one,

And that it has no permanence for anyone

علمتُ أنَّ التُّقى للمرء جُنَّتُهُ

علمتُ أنَّ التُّقى للمرء جُنَّتُهُ

وأنَّهُ ليس غيرُ الواحِدِ الصَّمدِ

وأنَّهُ ليس غيرُ الواحِدِ الصَّمدِ

I knew that piety is a person’s shield,

I knew piety is the man’s armour

and that there is none but the One, the Self-Sufficient.”

And that none but the One, the Eternal exists

فاللّهُ يوسِعُه دنيا ومحْمَدَةً

فاللّهُ يوسِعُه دنيا ومحْمَدَةً

عُقْبى ويُبْقي له حمداً على الأبَد

عُقْبى ويُبْقي له حمداً على الأبَد

So may God grant him abundance in this world, and praise

So God expands for him worldly and blessings

in the hereafter, and preserve his good name forever.

Afterwards and preserves for him praise forever

شهْمٌ كأنَّ قُطامياً على شَرَفٍ

شهْمٌ كأنَّ قُطامياً على شَرَفٍ

أضحى لحتْف بُغاث الطير بالرَّصَد

أضحى لحتْف بُغاث الطير بالرَّصَد

A man of mettle, like a falcon on a height,

A burning thirst like a wild cat on a precipice

lying in ambush to bring the lesser birds to their doom.

Became in the morning prey for hunting birds

فما يُخاتلُ ختْل الذئب في أرَبٍ

فما يُخاتلُ ختْل الذئب في أرَبٍ

لكنهُ في المَباغي وثْبةُ الأسَدِ

لكنهُ في المَباغي وثْبةُ الأسَدِ

So he does not scheme like a wolf to gain his ends,

So it does not contend with the cunning of a wolf in grasslands

but in his pursuits he is the lion’s leap.

Rather it is in dangers the pounce of a lion

ولا يرى الجودَ إلا ما يجودُ به

ولا يرى الجودَ إلا ما يجودُ به

تَبرُّعاً سالماً من شائبِ النَّكَدِ

تَبرُّعاً سالماً من شائبِ النَّكَدِ

Nor does he see generosity except in what he gives

And generosity is seen only in what he freely gives

freely, untainted by any trace of ill temper.

Willingly, flawless from any discontent

ولا يَعُدُّ العطاءَ الفَذَّ مكْرُمةً

ولا يَعُدُّ العطاءَ الفَذَّ مكْرُمةً

يوماً إذا هو لم يُعْقِبْ ولم يَعُد

يوماً إذا هو لم يُعْقِبْ ولم يَعُد

Nor does he count a single gift a noble deed,

And he does not consider the outstanding gift a favour

ever, if he neither follows it up nor gives again.

If it is not followed and repeated

تاج المُلوكِ مُشارُ الدهر واحدُه

تاج المُلوكِ مُشارُ الدهر واحدُه

بمثلهِ الدَّهرُ لم يسمح ولم يجُد

بمثلهِ الدَّهرُ لم يسمح ولم يجُد

Crown of kings, the age’s paragon, its peerless one—

The crown of kings, the axle of fate, the unique one

Time has neither offered nor bestowed his like.

Fate did not allow the like of it and did not find

فعِشْ أبا جعفرٍ غيثاً لمُرتزقٍ

فعِشْ أبا جعفرٍ غيثاً لمُرتزقٍ

ظِلاًّ لضاحٍ أخا نصْرٍ لمُضْطَهد

ظِلاًّ لضاحٍ أخا نصْرٍ لمُضْطَهد

So live on, Abu Ja'far, as rain for one seeking sustenance,

So live Abu Ja'far, a rain for the destitute

shade for one in the sun, a helping brother to the oppressed.

A shade for the scorching, victorious brother to the oppressed

فقد علمتُ بما أوتيتَ من شيَمٍ

فقد علمتُ بما أوتيتَ من شيَمٍ

إنَّ المكارمَ طُراً في بني البَلَدي

إنَّ المكارمَ طُراً في بني البَلَدي

For I have learned, from the virtues you were granted,

For I have known, from the traits you possess

that all noble qualities dwell in the sons of al-Baladi.

That generosity is flying among the children of the village