1. سَقَت بِنتُ كَرمَةَ بِنتَ الكَرَم

    عَروسَ نُهىً أَثمَرَت بِالحِكَم

    The vine's daughter gave drink to generosity's daughter,

    a bride of reason that bore fruits of wisdom.

  2. ثِمارٌ حَلاوَتُها في القُلوبِ

    وَفي السَمعِ إِن مَجَّها ثَمَّ فَم

    Fruits whose sweetness lies in hearts,

    and in the ear, if a mouth there spits them forth.

  3. ثِمارٌ يَنابيعُ أَنوارِها

    تُمَزِّقُ بِالفِكرِ حُجبَ الظُلَم

    Fruits whose wellsprings of light

    tear through the veils of darkness by thought.

  4. حَماماتُ باناتِ ذاكَ الحِمى

    هَواتِفُ يُطرِبنَنا بِالنَغَم

    The doves of that sanctuary's bān trees

    call out, delighting us with melody.

  5. فَنُح لا تَبُح بِالهَوى وَاِخشَ أَن

    يُراقَ دَمٌ وَتَزَلَّ القَدَم

    So lament; do not divulge your passion, and fear lest

    blood be shed and the foot slip.

  6. دَعِ الناسَ في غَيهَبٍ يَعمَهونَ

    وَخُذ في الوُجودِ وَخَلِّ العَدَم

    Leave people wandering blindly in deep darkness,

    and turn to being, and leave nonbeing.

  7. وَلا تُصغِيَنَّ إِلى مَينِهِم

    وَإِن وَفَدوكَ بِرَميِ التُهَم

    And never heed their lies,

    even if they come to you casting accusations.

  8. وَجَرِّد حُساماً لِحَسمِ الأَذى

    وَشُقَّ إِلى البُرءِ قَلبَ السَّقَم

    Draw a sharp sword to cut off harm,

    and cut through the heart of sickness toward healing.

  9. وَصاحِب رِجالاً كِراماً سَمَت

    بِهِم في ذُرى المَلَكوتِ الهِمَم

    And befriend noble men, borne aloft

    by their aspirations to the heights of the heavenly kingdom.

  10. رَأَوا بِالنُهى سِدرَةَ المُنتَهى

    وَكَيفَ عَلى اللَوحِ يَجري القَلَم

    Through intellect they beheld the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary,

    and how the Pen runs upon the Tablet.

  11. فَأَجسامُهُم في حَضيضِ الحُدوثِ

    وَأَرواحُهُم في يَفاعِ القِدَم

    Thus their bodies lie in the depths of created being,

    and their souls upon the heights of beginningless eternity.

  12. فَإِنَّ طَريقَ الهُدى واضِحٌ

    وَكَم فيهِ لِلمُهتَدي مِن عَلَم

    For the path of guidance is clear,

    and how many signposts it holds for the rightly guided!

  13. وَتِلكَ الشَرائِعُ أَخلافُها

    عَلى الرُسلِ دَرَّت بِرِسلِ النِعَم

    And those sacred laws—their udders

    flowed upon the messengers with the milk of blessings.

  14. هُم رَحمَةُ اللَهِ فاضَت عَلى ال

    لَذينَ اِهتَدَوا مِثلَ فَيضِ الدِيَم

    They are God's mercy, poured out upon those

    who found guidance, like the outpouring of steady rains.

  15. فَفَتِّق بِمَرّ نَسيمِ التُقى

    كَمائِمَ تَوحيدِ باري النَسَم

    So open, with the passing of piety's breeze,

    the buds of affirming the oneness of the Creator of souls.

  16. أَصِخ تَستَمِع ناصِحاً يا أَخا ال

    صَفاءِ وَدَع قَرعَ سِنِّ النَدَم

    Listen closely to hear a counselor, O brother of

    purity, and leave off gnashing the tooth of regret.

  17. إِذا ما الزَمانُ غَدا بارِكاً

    عَلَيكَ بِكَلكَلِهِ أَو أَزَم

    When Time comes to kneel

    upon you with its breast, or bites,

  18. فَلُذ بِالمُبارِزِ مُستَنجِداً

    بِمُعتَمَدِ الدَولَتَينِ اِبرَهَم

    then seek refuge with al-Mubariz, asking aid

    from the mainstay of the two states, Ibrahim.

  19. تَجُذُّ بِهِ الضَيمَ جَذَّ الخَليلِ

    بِضَربِ اليَمينِ فَقارَ الصَنَم

    Through him you sever oppression, as God's Friend severed

    the idol's spine with a blow of his right hand.

  20. أَميرٌ تَواضَعَ في هَيبَةٍ

    تَشُقُّ قُلوبَ أُسودِ الأَجَم

    A prince, humble in his majesty,

    which cleaves the hearts of the lions of the thickets.

  21. فَكَم نِقمَةٍ مِنهُ صُبَّت عَلى

    لُيوثِ العَرينِ بِثَأرِ الغَنَم

    How many a punishment from him has been poured upon

    the lions of the den, avenging the sheep!

  22. تَقاعَسَ عَن شَأوِهِ في العُلا ال

    أَفاضِلُ مِن عُربِها وَالعَجَم

    Behind his reach in glory lagged the

    finest of its Arabs and non-Arabs.

  23. وَقامَ بِعِبءِ هُمومِ المُلوكِ

    فَناموا وَلَكِنَّهُ لَم يَنَم

    He took on the burden of kings' concerns,

    so they slept, while he did not sleep.

  24. أَتَتهُ الوِلاياتُ مُنقادَةً

    وَفي دارِهِ قيلَ يُؤتَى الحَكَم

    The provinces came to him submissively,

    and, it was said, the arbiter is sought in his own house.

  25. فَنيطَت بِمُعتَمَدٍ قائِمٍ

    بِتَقوى الإِلَهِ إِذا ما حَكَم

    Thus they were entrusted to a dependable man, steadfast

    in fear of God whenever he judged.

  26. إِذا كانَ لا في رِضى اللَهِ لَم

    يَقُل غَيرَ لا وَكدى في نَعَم

    If 'no' was what pleased God, he did not

    say anything but 'no,' and withheld his 'yes.'

  27. وَما سارَ سيرَتَهُ قَبلَهُ

    سِوى العُمَرَينِ بِحُسنِ الشِّيَم

    None before him followed his course

    except the two Umars, in excellence of character.

  28. فَفي الحَقِّ يُدني البَعيدَ البَغيضَ

    وَيُبعِدُ فيهِ أَخاً وَاِبنَ عَم

    In justice he draws the distant, disliked man close,

    and for its sake keeps a brother and cousin far.

  29. وَفي حَربٍ مِنهُ أَهلُ الفَسادِ

    وَأَهلُ الصَلاحِ بِهِ في حَرَم

    And the corrupt face war at his hands,

    while the righteous, through him, dwell in sanctuary.

  30. وَلِم لا يُسَرُّ بِهِ المُسلِمونَ

    وَقَد صانَ أَموالَهُم وَالحُرَم

    And why should the Muslims not rejoice in him,

    when he has guarded their wealth and their womenfolk?

  31. بِهِ زالَ عَنّا عُبوسُ الزَمانِ

    وَأَبدى لَنا بشرَهُ وَاِبتَسَم

    Through him Time's scowl has left us,

    and it has shown us its cheerful face and smiled.

  32. وَلاحَ الفَلاحُ بِآرائِهِ

    وَزالَت عَمايَةُ هَمٍّ وَغَم

    Success has dawned through his counsels,

    and the blinding gloom of worry and grief has vanished.

  33. دِمَشقُ بِهِ وَبِأَيّامِهِ

    وَإِهلاكِهِ كُلَّ عادٍ إِرَم

    Damascus, through him and his days,

    and his destruction of every aggressor, is Iram.

  34. إِذا كَرَّ في الحَربِ مُستَلئِماً

    تَوَلَّت مِنَ الخَوفِ مِنهُ البُهَم

    When he charges in battle, clad in armor,

    the mighty warriors turn away in fear of him.

  35. فَبِالطَعنِ يُسمَعُ صُمُّ الرِماحِ

    وَيُثمَرُ ذُبَّلُها بِالقِمَم

    Thus, through thrusting, the deaf spears are made to hear,

    and their withered shafts bear heads as fruit.

  36. إِذا السُمرُ أَرشيةٌ وَالجُروحُ

    رَكاياتُها مُترَعاتٌ بِدَم

    Then the brown spears are well-ropes, and the wounds

    their wells, filled to the brim with blood.

  37. وَيُخمِدُ نارَ صُدورِ السُيوفِ

    بِماءِ الرِقابِ إِذا ما اِقتَحَم

    And he quenches the fire in the breasts of swords

    with the water of necks whenever he storms in.

  38. أَمُعتَمَدَ المُلكِ قَد ضَمَّني ال

    خُمولُ كَما ضَمَّ لَحماً وَضَم

    O mainstay of the kingdom, I have been enfolded by

    obscurity, as a meat-board holds meat.

  39. وَكَتَّمتُ حالي عَنِ الشامِتينَ

    كَما كُتِمَ الشَيبُ تَحتَ الكَتَم

    I have concealed my condition from those who gloat,

    as gray hair is hidden beneath katam dye.

  40. وَقَد نَظَرَ الكُمهُ فَضلي وَأس

    مَعَت كَلِماتِيَ أَهلَ الصَمَم

    Indeed, those born blind have seen my merit, and

    my words have made the deaf hear.

  41. وَدَهري عَلى أَنَّهُ مُبصِرٌ

    تَعامى عَلَيَّ كَذا من ظَلَم

    Yet my age, though it can see,

    has feigned blindness toward me—so acts the unjust.

  42. وَأَنتَ المُؤَمَّلُ بَعدَ الإِلَهِ

    وَقى اللَهُ فيكَ مُلِمَّ الأَلَم

    You are my hope, after God;

    may God ward off from you the onset of pain.

  43. فَدُم في السُعودِ بِغَيظِ الحَسودِ

    وَأَمرُكَ مُمتَثَلٌ في الأُمَم

    So remain in good fortune, to the rage of the envious,

    and your command obeyed among the nations,

  44. مَدى الدَهرِ ما لاحَ بَرقٌ وَما

    تَأَلَّقَ في الأُفقِ نَجمٌ نَجَم

    throughout all time, as long as lightning flashes and

    a risen star glitters on the horizon.