الحمد لله الذي حباني — Ibn Al Habariya

الحَمدُ لِلّه الَّذي حَباني

بِالأَصغرين القَلب وَاللسان

Praise be to God, who endowed me

with the two small organs, the heart and the tongue.

وَإِنَّما فَضيلة الإِنسان

وَفَخره بِالعَقل وَالبَيان

The excellence of humankind

and its pride lie only in reason and eloquence.

حَمداً يُجازى مِنهُ وَنعمته

وَجَل أَن يَبلغَ حمد منته

Praise rewarded by Him and His blessing,

though His favor is too great for praise to encompass.

ثم صلاة اللَّه والسلام

ما اختلف الضياء والظلام

Then God's blessings and peace,

as long as light and darkness alternate,

عَلى النَّبي المُصطَفى وَآلِهِ

مُحَمد وَالغُر مِن رِجالِه

upon the chosen Prophet and his family,

Muhammad, and the illustrious among his men.

هَذا كِتاب فيهِ علم وَأَدَب

يَفوق أَنواع القَريض وَالخطب

This is a book containing learning and refinement,

surpassing kinds of verse and speeches.

عَملته لِسيد المُلوك

وَموئل الملهوف وَالصعلوك

I made it for the lord of kings

and refuge of the distressed and the destitute.

فَجاءَ مِثل الذهب المَسبوك

سَلَكت نَهجاً لَيسَ بِالمَسلوك

Thus it came forth like cast gold;

I followed a path not trodden

في نَظمِهِ وَسبكِهِ وَوَضعِه

لا من كَلام همني في جَمعِه

in its versification, casting, and composition,

not from words whose gathering burdened me,

بَل اِبتِداعاً لِصُنوف الحكمه

بِهمة في العلم أَيَّ همه

but by inventing varieties of wisdom,

with zeal for knowledge—what zeal!

وَضَعتُهُ مخترعاً مَعناه

لملك ما خابَ من رَجاه

I composed it, devising its meaning,

for a king who never disappointed anyone who hoped in him:

بَحر الندا رَبَّ الأَيادي وَالمنن

شَمس العُلا نور الهُدى أَبي الحَسَن

a sea of generosity, lord of favors and gifts,

sun of eminence, light of guidance, Abu al-Hasan,

المزيَديّ الأَسديّ صدقه

وَمن إِذا كذَّب مَدح صدقه

al-Mazyadi, al-Asadi, Sadaqa,

and one who makes praise true whenever it is belied;

الأَريحي الأَلمَعي الأَسَدي

غُرة عوف الهزبر الأَصيدي

the openhanded, discerning Asadi,

Awf's shining pride, the proud lion,

ملجأ كُل خائف مَلهوف

وَمَرتع الحَيران وَالضُّيوف

refuge of every fearful, distressed soul,

and pasture for the bewildered and guests;

من عَنتر إِذا تَقارع القَنا

وَحاتم وَهوَ المَنايا وَالمُنى

an Antar when spears clash,

and a Hatim—he is death and hope.

الأَسدي وَإِنما بَنو أَسَد

روح العلا وَسائر الناس جسد

The Asadi; the sons of Asad alone are

the soul of eminence, while all other people are a body.

القاتلوا المُلوك وَالجَبابره

وَالكاسر وَالقيول وَالأكاسره

Slayers of kings and tyrants,

and the breaker, the chieftains, and the Khosrows.

وَيَشرئبون إِذا ضن البرم

وَكَبت الجدب الجفان وَالبرم

They hold their heads high when the miser withholds,

and drought overturns serving bowls and cooking pots.

أَدنى نِزار مِن قُرَيش نَسَبا

إِذا دَعوا خزيمة الشَّيخ أَبا

Of Nizar, the nearest to Quraysh in lineage,

when they call the elder Khuzayma their father.

كَم فيهم مِن ملك جَحجاح

مقدم في البأس وَالسماح

How many noble kings are among them,

foremost in valor and generosity,

مِثل عَليّ وَعليّ معتمد

للدين وَالدولة رُكن وَسَند

like Ali—and Ali is a mainstay,

a pillar and support of religion and state.

ثُمَ دَبيس وَدَبيس غرَّه

رَحب الذراع ذُو سَجايا حرّه

Then Dubays—and Dubays is a shining pride,

broad of arm, endowed with noble qualities.

كَم قد حَمى بِبأس نَفس مرّه

مَنابر الإِسلام وَالأسِرَّه

How often, with the valor of a resolute soul, he defended

the pulpits of Islam and its thrones!

أنجد قرواشا عَلى الأَتراك

وَانتاشه مِن مخلب الهَلاك

He aided Qirwash against the Turks

and rescued him from the talon of destruction,

في يَوم سنجار فَلولاه هَرَب

لَكن دَبيس وَحدَه حَمى العَرَب

on the day of Sinjar; without him he would have fled,

but Dubays alone defended the Arabs.

فَطاوِعي رَبَّك يا عَقيل

فَلَيسَ في ذاك عَلَيك قيل

So obey your lord, O Uqayl,

for there is no reproach against you in that.

وَإِنَّما تَعتضد الأَحياء

بِمَن بِه الهَلاك وَالأَحياء

The clans gain strength only

through one in whom are destruction and life.

وَهَكذا مِنك بِيَوم آمدِ

عَلَيهِمُ فَضلٌ فَهَل مِن جاحد

Likewise, on the day of Amid, from you

came a favor to them—does anyone deny it?

ضَعضع عَرض مسلم فثلا

ثُمَ فَدى أَسرى عَقيل ثكلا

He shattered Muslim's standing and brought it down,

then ransomed Uqayl's bereaved captives.

أَنقذهم مِن أُرتُق وَجُنده

وَانتاشهم مِن أسره وَقَيده

He saved them from Artuq and his troops

and rescued them from his captivity and fetters.

لَولاه كانوا أَبداً عَبيدَه

وَأَصبَحَت حرتهم وَلَيده

Without him, they would forever have been his slaves,

and their freeborn woman would have become a slave girl.

وَلَم تَزَل حلته ملاذاً

لِكُل مَن يَهرب مِن بَغذاذا

His settlement has always been a refuge

for anyone fleeing Baghdad.

يَقصدها المُلوك وَالخَلائف

وَجائع ذو فاقة وَخائِف

Kings and caliphs make for it,

as do the hungry man in need and the fearful.

فَيَشبَع الجائع في ذراها

وَيَأمن الخائف في حِماها

The hungry eat their fill beneath its shelter,

and the fearful find safety in its protection.

عِندَ بَني مزيد فُرسان العَرَب

يَلقى النَزيل المُستَجير ما طَلَب

Among the sons of Mazyad, the horsemen of the Arabs,

the guest seeking refuge finds what he asks.

يا لَيتَني سَكَنتُ تِلكَ الحله

بَينَ شُموس المَجد وَالأَهله

Would that I had dwelt in that Hilla,

among the suns and crescents of glory!

فَإِنَّها كَعبة أَهل الفَضل

وَمَكة المَدح وَقُدس العَقل

For it is the Kaaba of the virtuous,

the Mecca of praise and the Jerusalem of reason.

في خَير دار ضيف خَير مُرتَجى

ملك يَعز عِندَهُ أَهل الحجى

In the finest home, a guest of the finest one to hope in,

a king who holds the discerning in honor.

أَبلج عز في البُخار ماجد

أَروع جَم الفَضل وَالمَحامد

Radiant, mighty amid the smoke, illustrious,

awe-inspiring, abundant in merit and praiseworthy deeds;

مسعر حَرب أَصمَعي القَلب

مُؤدب العَبد حَليم الكَلب

a kindler of war, resolute of heart,

with a well-mannered servant and a gentle dog.

فَناره سَفيهة اللِّسان

وَكَلبه في الحلم كَالجَبان

Thus his fire has an unruly tongue,

and his dog, in gentleness, is like a coward.

يأمن كُل خائف في دارِه

غَير الصَّفا وَالكَوم مِن عشاره

Every fearful soul is safe in his house,

save the stones and the high-humped camels among his pregnant herd:

فَإِنَّها خائفة مروعه

سيقانها جائعة مَفجوعة

for they are fearful and terrified,

their legs hungry and bereaved.

مجن جان باسل في الحَرب

موئل مَلهوف خَطيب خَطب

A shield for the offender, valiant in war,

a refuge for the distressed, an orator in adversity.

لَو جحدت أَيامه الأَقرانُ

أنبت بِها الذؤبان وَالعقبان

Were his peers to deny his battle-days,

he made wolves and eagles thrive through them.

أَو نَزَلت حلته الأَقمار

ما خسفت وَشأنها السرار

Or if the moons descended upon his settlement,

they would not be eclipsed, though their nature is to wane into darkness.

لَكِنَّني إِذ فاتَني مُرادي

مِن ذَلِكَ المَسرَح وَالمرادي

Yet, since my wish eluded me

for that pasture and those roaming grounds,

وَلَم أَجد إِلى المُنى سَبيلاً

وَلا رزقت ظله الظليلا

and I found no path to my hopes,

nor was I granted his deep shade,

أَحببت أَن يَكون لي في حضرته

ذكر وَعني نائب في خدمته

I wished to have in his presence

a remembrance, and a deputy to serve him in my stead.

فَلَم أَجد إِلا كِتاباً أَنظمه

أتحفه بنظمه وَأخدمه

I found only a book to set in verse,

to present him with its verse and serve him.

يَكون في الخدمة عَني نائِباً

مُلازِماً مجلسه مصاحبا

It would act as my deputy in service,

ever attending his gathering, keeping him company.

لأَنَّهُ خَير المُلوك أَصلاً

يَهز مِنهُ مادِحوه نَصلا

For he is the best of kings in lineage;

his praisers brandish a blade drawn from him.

وَكُل مَدح قيل في سِواه

إفك خَلا ما كانَ في علاه

Every praise spoken of anyone else

is falsehood, save what concerns his eminence.

فَإِنَّهُ وَإِن علا في صدقه

وَأَطنب المادح دون حَقه

For even when it rises high in its truth,

and the praiser speaks at length, it falls short of his due.

أكرم بَيت في نِزار بَيته

خَير المُلوك حيه وَميته

His house is the noblest house in Nizar;

its living and its dead are the best of kings.

يَعيش تَحتَ ظله المُلوكُ

كَما يَعيش البائس الصعلوك

Kings live beneath his shade,

just as the wretched pauper does.

قَد علم الدَّهر الوَفاء وَالكَرَم

وَكَشف المَحل واعدم العدم

He has taught Time loyalty and generosity,

dispelled drought and abolished want.

يحكم الجيران وَالضيفانا

وَيرغم المُلوك وَالزَّمانا

He gives neighbors and guests their say,

and humbles kings and Time.

أَوفى المُلوك ذمة لِجاره

شنشنة تعرف مِن بخاره

The most faithful of kings in protection of his neighbor—

a trait recognized from his smoke.

لَو تَرَك الشباب في بِلاده

رَد بَياض الشيب عن سَواده

Had youth been left in his lands,

he would have driven the white of age from its blackness.

أَو كان مِن هباته لما نصل

وَامتَدَ لِلناس الشَباب وَاتصل

Or, were it one of his gifts, it would not fade,

and youth would last unbroken for mankind.

أَو اِقتَدى بفعله الزمانُ

ما خَلَق الشر وَلا الهَوانُ

Or, if Time followed his example,

it would have created neither evil nor humiliation.

أَو أَنه يجير مِن جور الردى

ما علقت كف المنون أحدا

Or, if he granted refuge from destruction's injustice,

Death's hand would never clutch anyone.

أنفذت إِذ عاق الزَّمان رحلي

نجلي إِلى مجلسه وَفَضلي

When Time prevented my journey, I sent

my offspring and my merit to his gathering:

وَهوَ كِتاب حَسَن خَطير

لَيسَ لَهُ في فَنِهِ نَظير

a fine, weighty book,

without an equal in its art.

كَأَنَّهُ بَينَ القريض وَالخطب

مخدومه بَينَ المُلوك وَالعَرَب

Among verse and speeches it is like

its patron among kings and Arabs.