طربتُ وما دارتْ عليَّ زُجاجَةٌ

ولا عَزفتْ لي بالأصيلِ المَزاهرُ

I was delighted though no wine was poured for me,

Nor were flowers plucked for me by the noble hands.

ولا رُحْتُ مَهْجوراً للَمْياء غَادةٍ

فصبَّحَني بالوصْلِ منها البشائِرُ

Nor did I wander distraught to a deserted camp,

Where good tidings of reunion came to me from her.

ولا عادَ ريْعانُ الشباب ولا ارعوى

مِراحُ الصِّبا فالجهْلُ ناهٍ وآمِر

Neither has the spring of youth returned to me,

Nor have the winds of youth come back to blow.

وقال الأعادي صبوةٌ بعد كَبْرَةٍ

وأيَّ حِجاً لا تَدَّريهِ الدَّوائِرُ

Ignorance has departed and awareness commands,

As the vicissitudes of fate keep turning.

ألستَ الوقور الثَّبْت والراجح الذي

تطيشُ الرَّواسي حينما أنت صابِر

Are you not the dignified, firm and judicious one,

When passions are agitated you remain patient?

وصائنَ مجد الشعر عن غزل الهوى

فلا شعْرَ إِلاَّ مَعْرَكٌ ومَساعِر

You protected the glory of poetry from the love poems,

So there is no poetry except battle and flames.

وسالبَ بأسِ الخمر حتى كأنها

صرائحُ رِسْلٍ أو من الإِدْل حاذر

You negated the harm of wine as if it were

The neighing of steeds or the cries of warriors.

لقد جارَ سُلطان الهوى بعد أمَّةٍ

وما الدَّهرُ إِلا مُستثارٌ وثائِرُ

The authority of love had rebelled after a nation,

And nothing remains but arousal and rebellion.

فقلتُ صَهٍ إنَّ السرورَ بماجِدٍ

يُقِرُّ له بالفضلِ بادٍ وحاضِرُ

I said, “Hush! True joy is in glorious deeds,

Admired by past and present, far and near."

بمنْ تُكسب الصُّمَّ الصَّفا أريحيةً

مناقِبُهُ إنْ عُدِّدَتْ والمآثِرُ

Whose noble deeds, when recounted, adorn

The hearing of the deaf, and are wondrous spheres?

يُعيدُ حَصى المِعْزاء باهرُ فضلهِ

نُجومَ سَماءٍ فهي زُهْرٌ سَوائر

His overflowing virtue restores as shining stars,

The pebbles of a valley that were withered and sere.

إذا السَّلَمُ المعْضودُ قارن بأسهُ

فأضْعفهُ ماضي الغِراريْنِ باتِرُ

When joined to his strength, the sturdiest pillar

Was weakened, as were the past brave warriors.

فلا تُنكروا فَرْط اهتزازي فإنني

بشأنِ بني العَلْياءِ والمجدِ خابِرُ

So do not deny my intense trembling, for I

Deal with the exalted house and glory entire.

تفرَّسْتُ هذا الطِّرْفَ في عنفوانه

فقلتُ سَبوق الخيل إذْ هو فاطِرُ

I examined this side in its prime,

And said, “The steeds are outstripped when he is the starter.”

فأصبح طيَّاراً إلى المجدِ دونَهُ

إذا شَدَّ عِقْبان الشُّرَيْف الكواسر

He became a flier toward glory, none preceded him

When the noble hawk tightened its bindings fast.

وجاء حميدَ الذكر أمَّا ضُيوفُهُ

فَقارٍ وأما جارُهُ فهو ناصِرُ

His name is praiseworthy, his guests are noble

And his neighbor is his helper and assistant.

يجودُ على سُؤَّالِهِ وهو مُعْدِمٌ

ويحْلُمُ عن أعدائهِ وهو قادرُ

He gives to the needy even when destitute,

And pardons his enemies though able to punish.

خشاشاً كنصل السيف في كفِّ باسلٍ

يَعُزُّ به ذِمْرٌ ويَبْهَجُ ناظِرُ

Valiant like the sharp edge of a sword in a hero’s grip,

With it he brings esteem and makes the viewer joyous.

تَشكَّى عراقيبُ البَهازِرِ ضربَه

وترْهبُ حَدَّيْهِ الطُّلى والمَغافر

The necklaces of warriors were snapped by his blow,

And his blade and scabbard terrify even coats of mail.

كأنَّ قُطاميّاً بذِرْوَةِ شامِخٍ

ملامِحُهُ القُصوى لديه حواضِر

As if Qutami, from a lofty summit—

His noble features in him embody encampments.

يصُكُّ أبابيلَ البُغاثِ كأنَّهُ

عليهنَّ مَقْذوذُ الجَنابَيْن عائِرُ

He shatters the idols of delusion as if

He were a penitent pilgrim casting stones.

أبو جعفرٍ والخطب يصْطلم الحِجا

بسَوْرتِهِ والناسُ غاوٍ وحائِرُ

Father of Ja'far whose sermons adorn the pilgrimage,

While people err, he guides them aright.

وزيرُ عُلاً أما حِماهُ فمُظْهِرٌ

مُذيعٌ وأمَّا جودُه فهو ساتِرُ

Minister of the Most High, his protection manifests,

His generosity concealed, though able to bestow.

إذا أعجَزَ البيض الصوارم مطلبٌ

حَوَتْهُ لهُ آراؤهُ والمَزابِرُ

When the gleaming blades fail to attain their purpose,

His opinions accommodate it, and the tombs lie peaceful.

تُشابِهُ سيْلاً في الحوادث والنَّدى

من ابنِ سعيدٍ كَفُّه والخَواطِر

He resembles a torrent in events and help—

Ibn Saeed’s palm and thoughts contain it.

فلا خطْب إِلا وهو بالرأي كاسِرٌ

ولا فقْرَ إِلاَّ وهو بالجودِ جابِرُ

No discourse remains undefeated by his reason,

No poverty remains unrelieved by his munificence.

تجمَّع من لطفٍ وبأسٍ ويعْزُب اجْ

تِماعُهُما لكنَّما اللّهُ قادِرُ

He combines gentleness, valor—a conjunction

Impossible to attain—but Allah is Able.

تفِرُّ أسودُ الغاب من حرِّ بأسِهِ

وتألَفُ غِزْلانُ الصَّريم النَّوافر

The black lions flee from the heat of his might,

And the young gazelles gather to him in droves.

سمير الدُّجى تلوي رويَّتهُ الكرى

فيرقُدُ صرَّارُ الدُّجى وهو ساهر

The lamp of night coils its cord,

So the twitterer of night slumbers while he remains awake.

إذا اخْرَوَّط السير العنيف برفقةٍ

نَضا عيسَهُمْ إِسْراؤهُم والهواجر

When the feet bound with fetters walk gently

Isa led them, Israel, and the emigrants.

طووْا من سُحول البيد كل سحيقةٍ

وشايَعَها وَعْساؤها والقَراقِرُ

They folded the swords of calamity, every misfortune,

Its clamor, dread, and clash.

وغَرَّدَ حاديهمْ بذكْرِكَ بعدما

دَنَتْ من صَعيد المُقفرات المشافر

And their guide sang your praises after

The barren cleavers drew nearer to the path.

فكلُّ طليحٍ عند ذكرك مُرْقِلٌ

وكلُّ هزيلٍ منْ ثَنائكَ حادِرُ

So every meager one hearing your name fattens,

And every gaunt one hearing your praise becomes corpulent.

هنيئاً لك المَدْحُ الفصيحُ وخالدٌ

من القوْل وثَّابُ المراحِل سائِرُ

Congratulations for the eloquent praise that remains

And the steps of the travelers that persist.

إذا قُلْتُهُ فالرامِساتُ مَطيَّةٌ

وصيتي إذا كَلَّ الأمونُ العُذافِر

When I speak, the landmarks come to life

And my voice, when the censurers fall silent.

فلا تُصْغِيَنْ إلا لقوليَ وحدَه

فأمُّ القَوافي بعد شِعْريَ عاقِرُ

So listen only to my words and nothing else,

For after my poetry all rhyme is barren.

أنا الفارسُ المنْعوتُ في الفضل كلهِ

أطارِدُ في كَبَّاتِهِ وأغامِرُ

I am the knight famed for all merit—

I take risks on the battlefield and venture.

طوى الشعر فضلي واسماً لي باسمه

فأصبحتُ مظلوماً إذا قيلَ شاعِرُ

My virtue encompassed poetry and lent it a name,

So I became wronged when called a poet.

وهَوَّنَ وجْدي بالظُّلامةِ أنني

مدحْتُك والمُنْثي بفضلكَ فاخِرُ

My passion was alleviated by the injustice—that I

Praised you while the panegyrists boast of your merit.