تعلَّمتِ البيداءُ فُسْحةَ صدرهِ

تعلَّمتِ البيداءُ فُسْحةَ صدرهِ

فأدمتْ خفاف اليَعْملاتِ النجائب

فأدمتْ خفاف اليَعْملاتِ النجائب

The desert learned spaciousness from his breast,

The desert learned the breadth of his chest,

so it bloodied the padded feet of hardy, high-bred she-camels.

So it persisted with docile winds and showers.

وأشبِههُ الطَّوْدُ المُنيفُ رزانةً

وأشبِههُ الطَّوْدُ المُنيفُ رزانةً

فلم يخش من مَرِّ الصَّبا والجنائب

فلم يخش من مَرِّ الصَّبا والجنائب

And the lofty mountain resembled him in steadiness,

Like a firmly rooted mountain in composure,

so it did not fear the passing east and south winds.

He did not fear the passage of youth and calamities.

وتابعَ سلْسالُ الفراتِ ودجلةٍ

وتابعَ سلْسالُ الفراتِ ودجلةٍ

سجاياه لذَّ طعماً لشاربِ

سجاياه لذَّ طعماً لشاربِ

And the sweet-flowing water of the Euphrates and Tigris

And the chains of Euphrates and Tigris followed,

emulated his nature, tasting sweet to the drinker.

Tasting through him a delicious drink.

وكاد السَّحاب الجون يُثجمُ حيثما

وكاد السَّحاب الجون يُثجمُ حيثما

رأى جودَ كفَّيه بودْق الرغائبِ

رأى جودَ كفَّيه بودْق الرغائبِ

And the dark clouds almost ceased raining wherever

Almost the abundant clouds everywhere

they saw his two hands' bounty showering coveted gifts.

Darkened when they saw his generous palms dripping with desires.

ووَدَّتْ سهام الراشقين مضاءه

ووَدَّتْ سهام الراشقين مضاءه

اذا شدَّ في اِثر العدو المحاربِ

اذا شدَّ في اِثر العدو المحاربِ

And the archers' arrows longed for his piercing force,

And the arrows of archers beamed at his illumination

when he charged in pursuit of the warring foe.

When he pursued the tracks of the enemy warrior.

وقال الضُّحى لما رأى صبح وجهه

وقال الضُّحى لما رأى صبح وجهه

لعافيه اني في عِدادِ الغياهبِ

لعافيه اني في عِدادِ الغياهبِ

And the morning light, when it saw the dawn of his face,

And the morning said when it saw the dawn of his face,

said to his supplicant, 'I am counted among the deep darknesses.'

“Farewell to me as I am among the departed.”

فيالك من صدرٍ تجمَّعَ عندهُ

فيالك من صدرٍ تجمَّعَ عندهُ

شتيتُ المعالي من قريبٍ وعازبِ

شتيتُ المعالي من قريبٍ وعازبِ

So, what a leader you are! Around you have gathered

Oh you whose chest gathered

the scattered excellences, from near and far.

The scattered virtues of both near and far!

تقمَّص ملبوسَ الوزارة عالماً

تقمَّص ملبوسَ الوزارة عالماً

بسرِّ عُلاها من مقيمٍ وذاهبِ

بسرِّ عُلاها من مقيمٍ وذاهبِ

He donned the garment of the vizierate, knowing

He wore the garb of ministry knowingly,

the secret of its greatness, what abides and what passes.

With its secrets of resident and traveler.

تقمَّصها بالدَّهي والبأسِ ماجِدٌ

تقمَّصها بالدَّهي والبأسِ ماجِدٌ

حوى المجد ما بين النُّهى والتجارب

حوى المجد ما بين النُّهى والتجارب

A noble man donned it with shrewdness and might,

He wore it with intelligence and valor gloriously,

who gathered glory through both reason and experience.

Embracing glory between prohibition and trials.

فجاء كهنديٍّ جُرازٍ تزيدهُ

فجاء كهنديٍّ جُرازٍ تزيدهُ

يدُ القيْنِ اِرهافاً لهتْك الضرائب

يدُ القيْنِ اِرهافاً لهتْك الضرائب

So he became like a keen Indian sword, sharpened further

He came like an Indian sword that

by the smith's hand to rend its targets.

The hand of the skilled polish to split taxes.

تَؤودُ قوى أتباعِهِ عَزماتُه

تَؤودُ قوى أتباعِهِ عَزماتُه

فأكْفاهمُ مُستهدفٌ للمعاتبِ

فأكْفاهمُ مُستهدفٌ للمعاتبِ

His resolves overtax his followers' strength,

His resolves invigorate the power of his followers,

so their ablest is a target for reproach.

While he suffices the targeted for blame.

اذا عجزوا عن أمره نهضت به

اذا عجزوا عن أمره نهضت به

ضِرامةُ مطرور الغِرارين قاضبِ

ضِرامةُ مطرور الغِرارين قاضبِ

When they fail to fulfill his command, it is carried out

If they fail in his command, his daring spear rises with him,

by the blaze of a keen blade, sharpened on both edges.

Thrusting fiercely with filed blade.

يهونُ عليه الفقرُ اِلا من العُلى

يهونُ عليه الفقرُ اِلا من العُلى

ويعلمُ أنَّ الحمدَ خيرُ المكاسبِ

ويعلمُ أنَّ الحمدَ خيرُ المكاسبِ

Poverty is easy for him to bear, except poverty in greatness,

Poverty is easy for him except in glory,

and he knows that praise is the finest gain.

And he knows praise is the best of gains.

فلا بُلْغَةٌ اِلا لطُعْمةِ ساغِبٍ

فلا بُلْغَةٌ اِلا لطُعْمةِ ساغِبٍ

ولا عِزَّةٌ اِلا لنُصرةِ صاحبِ

ولا عِزَّةٌ اِلا لنُصرةِ صاحبِ

So sustenance is only for feeding the hungry,

So no eloquence except to satisfy a greedy one,

and might is only for aiding a companion.

And no honor except in supporting a companion.

أعادَ له الأحرارَ عُبْدانَ طاعةٍ

أعادَ له الأحرارَ عُبْدانَ طاعةٍ

لِما عمَّهُمْ من بِشْرهِ والمواهبِ

لِما عمَّهُمْ من بِشْرهِ والمواهبِ

He turned free men into slaves obedient to him,

The free restored for him the servitude of obedience

because his cheerful welcome and gifts reached them all.

For how he covered them in good tidings and grants.

فَظلَّ أبيُّ القومِ بعدَ تَعَزَّزٍ

فَظلَّ أبيُّ القومِ بعدَ تَعَزَّزٍ

يرى لَثْمَ نعليهِ أجَلَّ المراتبِ

يرى لَثْمَ نعليهِ أجَلَّ المراتبِ

So the proud man among them, once aloof,

So the proudest of people remained after empowerment

regarded kissing his sandals as the loftiest rank.

Seeing the kiss of his slipper the highest of positions.

أبو جعفرٍ غَرْسُ الخِلافةِ مُص

أبو جعفرٍ غَرْسُ الخِلافةِ مُص

طفى الاِمامة مجموعُ العُلى والمناقبِ

طفى الاِمامة مجموعُ العُلى والمناقبِ

Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's sapling, the chosen

Abu Ja'far, the Caliphate's shoot, excellent,

of the imamate, the sum of greatness and virtues.

The imamate gathered all glory and virtues.

يسرُّ تميماً وهو من قد علمتمُ

يسرُّ تميماً وهو من قد علمتمُ

وتمكُّنه من نجْرها والمنَاسبِ

وتمكُّنه من نجْرها والمنَاسبِ

He gladdens Tamim—you know him

It pleased Tameem while he knew

and his firm roots in its stock and lineage.

And enabled it out of its creek and durations.

أعادتْ به الأهْدامَ وهي قشيبةٌ

أعادتْ به الأهْدامَ وهي قشيبةٌ

وهامدُها ذا غُدْنةٍ ومذانبِ

وهامدُها ذا غُدْنةٍ ومذانبِ

Through him it made its tattered garments fresh again,

With him, it restored the ruins while it was dried out

and its barren land lush with foliage and watercourses.

And its kindling of logs and branches.

فلا برحتْهُ عِزَّةٌ قَعْسريَّةٌ

فلا برحتْهُ عِزَّةٌ قَعْسريَّةٌ

تصونُ حِماهُ من طروق النَّوائب

تصونُ حِماهُ من طروق النَّوائب

So may unyielding might never leave him,

So a glorious Quraishi honor did not abandon him,

guarding his domain from calamities' night-time incursions.

Protecting his sanctity from the strikes of catastrophes.