جاوز بمجدك أنجم الجوزاء

وازدد علواً فوق كل علاء

Surpass in your glory the stars of al-Jawza,

and rise ever higher, above every height.

وافخر بنفس لم تزل أفعالها

جنات أرض بل نجوم سماء

And take pride in a soul whose deeds have always been

gardens on earth—nay, stars in heaven.

وانظر بطرفك حيث شئت فما ترى

في ذا الورى أحداً من النظراء

And cast your gaze wherever you wish: you will not see

among these mortals anyone your equal.

واستثن والدك الكريم فإنما

أمددت من أنواره بضياء

And except your noble father, for it is only

from his lights that you have been endowed with radiance.

وأبوك ليث الغاب رشح شبله

فرعدن منه فرائص الأعداء

And your father is the forest lion who has groomed his cub,

so his enemies' flanks trembled at him.

والوابل الهتان أسبل هطله

فطمت جداوله على البيداء

And the streaming downpour that let its rainfall loose,

so its streams flooded the desert plain.

والشمس قدمت الصباح طليعة

فطوى رداء الظلمة السوداء

And the sun, which sent morning ahead as its vanguard,

so morning folded away the cloak of black darkness.

يا حاسدي عضد الإمام جهالة

غضوا جفونكم على الأقداء

O you who ignorantly envy the Imam's mainstay,

close your eyelids over the grit.

فو حقه ما نال إلا حقه

والدر أحسنه على الحسناء

So, by his own worth, he has gained only his due,

and pearls are at their loveliest upon a beautiful woman.

ولسوف تقضيه السعادة دينه

من ذمة الإصباح والإمساء

And good fortune shall surely repay him what he is owed

from the debt of daybreak and nightfall.

ويحوز قاصية المدى ويجوزها

والصالح الهادي حليف بقاء

And he shall attain the farthest reach and pass beyond it,

while al-Salih, the guide, is allied with lasting life.

وكأنكم بظهور راية ملكه

وظنونكم يخبطن في عشواء

And it is as though you already saw his royal banner rise,

while your conjectures stumble in blind confusion.

فالنار يقدمها الدخان محذراً

ويهب برد الغيث قبل الماء

For smoke precedes fire, giving warning,

and rain's coolness blows in before its water falls.

فليحمد الأمراء سيرتك التي

أحمدت فيها طاعة الأمراء

So let the emirs praise your conduct, through which

obedience to the emirs has been deemed praiseworthy.

وليشكروك على الجميل فشكرهم

سبب يديم سوابغ النعماء

And let them thank you for your kindness, for their thanks

are a means of perpetuating abundant blessings.

فلكم يد لك فيهم مشكورة

أتبعتها بندى يد بيضاء

For many a helping hand of yours has won their thanks,

which you followed with the bounty of a white hand,

حتى غدا لك في الرقاب مضاعفاً

طوقان طوق ولاية وولاء

until around their necks you had a double bond:

two collars: one of authority and one of allegiance.

إذا قلت إذ صرفت إلى تدبيرك ال

كافي أمور الدولة الغراء

Then I said, when to your governance—

so capable—were entrusted the illustrious state's affairs:

الآن فوضت الأمور إلى الذي

يشفي دخيلة دائها بدواء

Now affairs have been entrusted to the one

who heals its deep-seated sickness with a remedy.

عقدت بأيمن طائر راياتها

فأصاب عاقدها صواب الراء

Its banners were bound under the most auspicious omen,

and he who bound them made a sound, discerning choice.

نيطت حمائلها الطوال بعاتق

متعود لتحمل الأعباء

Its long sword-belts were hung upon a shoulder

accustomed to bearing burdens.

ملك بدايته نهاية معشر

يرقون تدريجاً إلى العلياء

A king whose beginning is the final goal of men

who rise by degrees to the heights.

خطبته ألسنه العلى وترفعت

عن كل معدود من الأكفاء

Glory's tongues sought his hand, and she held herself above

everyone counted a suitable match.

كانت تراسل مجده وعيونها

يطرقن من خفر وفرط حياء

She would correspond with his glory, her eyes

cast down in bashfulness and excessive modesty,

حتى إذا زفت إليه تبرجت

وأتته لا تمشي على استحياء

until, when led to him as a bride, she displayed her beauty,

and came to him, not walking bashfully.

فضل خصصت به وليس بمنكر

حوز البنين مراتب الآباء

A distinction bestowed on you; nor is it strange

for sons to attain their fathers' ranks.

إن سدت أبناء الوزارة كلهم

فأبوك قبلك ناصر الخلفاء

If you have surpassed all the sons of the vizierate,

then your father preceded you as champion of the caliphs.

أو كشفت بك للمظالم غمة

فأبوك عنا كاشف الغماء

Or if through you the gloom of injustice has been dispelled,

then your father dispels the deepest gloom from us.

هذا ثناء أنظقته صنائع

ملك الجميل بها جميل ثنائي

This praise was given voice by kindly deeds,

through which kindness has won my finest praise.

لم أرض عنه مفرداً في حقكم

فشفعت مفرد وتره بدعائي

I was not content with it alone in doing you justice,

so I made its solitary number even with my prayer.

لولا احتقاري جملة الدنيا لكم

لوصلت ذيل مدائحي بهناء

Were it not that I deem the whole world too paltry for you,

I would have joined congratulations to the train of my praises.

والشمس ليس بزائد في قدرها

ومحلها شيء من الأشياء

And the sun—its worth cannot be increased,

nor its station, by anything at all.