تلاطم بحر جيشه وماجا

لا هوى هيجت شراً فهاجا

The sea of his army billowed and surged.

May he not fall [uncertain reading]! You stirred up evil, and it raged.

وثارت فتنة صماء مادت

بها وارتّجت الأَرض ارتجاجا

Relentless strife erupted; the earth reeled

beneath it, and shook with violent tremors.

وسح النبل وبلاً واستجاشت

سحائبُه على الدنيا عجاجا

Arrows poured in torrents, and there surged

its clouds over the world as swirling dust.

وقد سلكت إِلى الأَرواح فيه

من الضرب الظُبا سبلاً فجاجا

And there, toward souls, had traveled

the sword-edges, striking along broad, open paths.

وأَحجم كلَّ ليثِ وغىً تدانى

ليفزع بعد إِيغال وعاجا

Every battle-lion who drew near recoiled,

taking fright after pressing deep, and turned aside.

ودارت عند ذلك للمنايا

كئوس تنفع المرَّ الأُجاجا

And then, for death, there circulated

cups that made bitter brine seem a blessing.

فملا اشتد أَكلُ السيفِ فيهم

وأَعيا خضطبُ حدّيه عِلاجا

Then, when the sword's devouring of them grew fierce,

and the havoc of its two edges defied remedy,

طلعت وقد تلاحمت المواضي

بأيدي القوم وامتزجوا امتزاجا

you appeared, while keen swords were locked together

in the fighters' hands, and they mingled in close combat.

فطرت به كأَنهم ظلامٌ

طلعت على جوانبه سراجا

You flew through it, as though they were darkness

at whose edges you rose as a lamp.

وولوا قبل لمح الطرف عِلماً

بأن لا مستقرَّ وَلاَ معاجا

They fled before an eye could blink, knowing

there was no place to stand, nor any refuge.

وكلهُمُ يقولَ أَنا المجازى

بشر دونهم وأَنا المفاجا

Each one said, 'I am the one requited

with harm rather than the others; I am the one caught unawares.'

يحاذر أَن يرى فله لواذٌ

عن النظر استواء واعوجاجا

He fears being seen, and so he seeks concealment

from sight, by straight paths and winding ones.

فلا شلت يداك لقد رأينا

بها أسد الشرى وانقلبت نعاجا

May your two hands never wither! We have indeed seen

through them the lions of al-Shara transformed into ewes.

ولولا أَنهم بسطاك أَدرى

لزادوا في غوايتهم لجاجا

Were they not better acquainted with your onslaughts,

they would have grown more obstinate in their waywardness.

ولولا الحرب تطمع مضرميها

لكان زئير ضيغمها ثواجا

And did war not tempt those who kindle it,

its lion's roar would have been mere bleating.

يغر بك الجهول وأَنت طود

فتصدم منه بالطود الزجاجا

The ignorant fool is deceived about you, though you are a mountain,

so you dash his glass against that mountain.

ولو عرفوك ما حملوا سيوفاً

ولا شحذوا الأَسنة والرجاجا

Had they known you, they would not have borne swords

nor sharpened spearheads and slender lances.

تحيف على الملوك وهم عناة

فتكثر منك في الغيب الحجاجا

You bear down on kings while they are captives,

so they multiply their arguments against you in your absence.

إِذا علم المغيظ العجز فيه

فما يبدى له الغيض انزعاجا

When the enraged man knows his own helplessness,

his rage then brings forth no outward agitation.

تبسم بيض هندك يوم تنضى

على الأَعدا وتبتهج ابتهاجا

Your gleaming Indian blades smile when unsheathed

against enemies, and rejoice exceedingly.

وتملاَ أَرض من أَمت قبورا

وأَوجه من بقى منهم شجاجا

They fill the land of those you slew with graves,

and the faces of their survivors with gashes.

وقد علموا بأَن الخير بابٌ

فتحتَ وما عرفت به رتاجا

They know that goodness is a door

you opened, and have never known to be closed.

وإِنك حين تغضب لا تقاوى

وإِنك حين ترضى لا تداجا

When you are angry, none can match your might,

and when you are pleased, none deals falsely with you.

لأَحمد بن إسماعيل عِرضٌ

سما قدر الثناءِ به وراجا

Ahmad son of Isma'il possesses honor

through which praise rose in worth and gained currency.

كريم الخيم يشهدُ كلَّ يومٍ

بساحته لمكرُمةِ نتاجا

Noble in character, he witnesses every day

in his courtyard the birth of a noble deed.

فقد أَغنت عواليه المعالي

وما أَبقت سطاه لهن حاجا

For his lofty spears have enriched the heights of glory,

and his onslaughts have left them no need unmet.

يناجي في المكارم وهو طلق

وأَما في سواها لا يناجا

He speaks privately of noble deeds, cheerful-faced,

but in other matters he is not addressed in confidence.

إِذا ضاق الخناق فما يرجى

فتى بسواه للضيق انفراجا

When the noose tightens, there is no hope

of relief from distress through any young man but him.

فأَبقى الله منه للبرايا

فتى يهب المدائن والخراجا

So may God preserve in him, for all creation,

a young man who bestows cities and land-tax revenues.