أصبح الملك عاليا بأبي العباس — Ibrahim Alsoli

أَصْبَحَ الْمُلْكُ عالياً بأَبي الْعَب

باسِ أَعْلَى الْمُلُوك بَعْدَ انْخِفَاضِ

Kingship has risen high through Abu al-Abbas,

highest of kings, after its decline.

واسْتَفَاضَ السُّرُورُ في سَائِرِ النا

سِ بِمُلْكِ الْمُهَذَّبِ الْفَيَّاضِ

And joy has spread among all the people,

through the reign of the refined, bountiful ruler.

رَضِيَ اللهُ هَدْيَهُ فَاصْطَفَاهُ

فَهوَ بِاللهِ وَالْمَقَادِيرِ رَاضِي

God approved his conduct and chose him,

so he is content with God and His decrees.

مَنْ غَذَتْهُ الْعُلُومُ يَرْتَعُ مِنْهَا

فِي جِنَانٍ أَنِيقَةٍ ورِيَاضِ

One whom knowledge has nourished grazes upon it

in lovely gardens and meadows.

كَمُلَ الْفَضْلُ والْفَضَائِلُ فِيهِ

قَبْلَ عِشْرِينَ مِنْ سِنِيهِ مَوَاضِي

Excellence and virtues reached perfection in him

before twenty of his years had passed.

فَهوَ بِالْعِلْمِ والتَّفَرُّغِ فِيهِ

خَيْرُ آتٍ مِنَ الْمُلُوكِ وَمَاضِي

Through knowledge and devotion to it, he is

the best of kings to come and kings departed.

خَطَرَتْ نَحْوَهُ الْخِلافَةُ طَوْعاً

بِاتِّفاقٍ مِنَ الْوَرَى وَتَرَاضِ

The caliphate strode toward him willingly,

with mankind's agreement and mutual consent,

واصْطِفاقٍ مِنَ الأَكُفِّ دِرَاكاً

واجْتِمَاعٍ موفٍ وَعَزْمٍ مُفَاضِ

and hands clasping in swift succession,

a complete gathering, and resolve poured forth.

مَرِضَ الدِّينُ قَبْلَهُ وَأَتَاهُ

بَارِئاً عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الأَمْرَاضِ

Religion was ailing before him, and came to him

cured, in his presence, of its ailments.

واسْتَلَذَّ الزَّمَانُ إِذْ أَسْفَرَ الْمُلْ

كُ وَجَلَّى سَوَادَهُ بِبَيَاضِ

And time delighted when kingship shone forth,

and dispelled its blackness with whiteness.

وَاجِدٌ بِالْعُلُومِ وجْدَ مُحِبٍّ

رَاعَهُ مَنْ يُحِبُّ بِالإِعْرَاضِ

He yearns for knowledge with a lover's yearning,

whom the beloved has alarmed by turning away.

يَرِدُ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ أَغْدَارَ جُودٍ

طَيِّبِ الْوِرْدِ مُتْرَعِ الأَحْوَاضِ

People come to his pools of generosity,

pleasant to drink from, their basins brimming.

حَمدوا مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ حُسْنَ مُلْكٍ

بِتَقَضِّي حَقِّ الْوَرى وَتَقَاضِي

They praised Muhammad's fine rule

for fulfilling people's rights and securing their dues.

نِعَمٌ لِلْوَلِّي مِنْهُ حَبَاهُ

وَمَنَايَا عَلَى الْعَدُوِّ مَوَاضِي

Blessings from him, which he bestowed on his ally,

and deaths that strike decisively upon the enemy.

تَمْلِكُ الْخَطْبَ مِنْهُ عَزْمَةُ رَأْيٍ

يُذْعِنُ الصَّعْبُ عِنْدَهَا لاِرْتِيَاضِ

His resolute judgment masters calamity;

before it, the difficult submits to taming.

يَا إمَاماً إِلَيْه حُلَّتْ عُرَى الْفَخْ

رِ وَفُلَّتْ مَعَاقِدُ الأَغْرَاضِ

O imam, toward whom the bonds of pride were loosened,

and the knots of aspirations were broken.

حَازَ بِالمَكْرُمَاتِ كَامِلَ مَجْدٍ

عَلِقَ النَّاسُ فِيهِ بِالأَبْعَاضِ

Through noble deeds he attained complete glory,

of which others grasped only portions.

وَتَعَالَى عَلَى النُّجُومِ بِبَيْتٍ

سَامِقِ الْعِزِّ ظَاهِرِ الأَغْرَاضِ

And he rose above the stars through a house

towering in honor, manifest in its aims.

حُجَّةُ اللهِ أَنتَ يَا قِبلَةَ الدي

نِ فَلَيْسَتْ تُرَدُّ بالإِدْحَاضِ

You are God's proof, O qibla of the faith,

a proof that cannot be overturned by refutation.

آذَنَ السِّيْفُ مَنْ عَصَاكَ مَن النا

سِ بِهُلْكٍ مُوَاشِكٍ وانْقِراضِ

The sword has warned those who disobey you

of imminent destruction and extinction,

وَبِثُقْلٍ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَوِزْرٍ

يَنْقُضُ الظَّهْرَ أَيَّمَا إِنْقَاضِ

and a weight of torment and a burden

that breaks the back with utter breaking.

لَسْتُ ممَّنْ يُرِيدُ بِالْمَدْحِ حَالاً

يَبْسُطُ الْجَاهَ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ اِنْقِبَاضِ

I am not one who seeks through praise a standing

that expands his rank after its constriction.

قَدْ تَرَوَّيْتُ مِنْ نَوَالِ إمَامٍ

لَسْتُ مَا عِشْتُ فِيهِ بِالمُعْتَاضِ

I have drunk my fill of an imam's bounty,

for whom I will take no substitute as long as I live.

بِشْرُهُ زَائِدُ الْعَطَاءِ كَمَا الْبَرْ

قُ دَلِيلُ الْغُيُوثِ بالإِيمَاضِ

His cheerfulness augments his giving, just as lightning

heralds rainstorms with its flashes.

وَتَقَدَّمْتُ فِي مَديحِي لَهُ النَّا

سَ عَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ ذَوِي الإِبْغَاضِ

And in my praise of him I outstripped the people,

despite those who harbor hatred.

وافْتَرَعْتُ الأَبْكَارَ مِنْ عِزَّةِ الشِّعْ

رِ فَذَلَّلْتُ صَعْبَهَا بِافْتِضَاضِ

And I deflowered the virgins of proud poetry,

subduing their resistance through defloration.

وَغَذَانِي بِطَولٍ مِنْهُ فِي سَا

بِقِ أَيَّامِيَ الطِّوَالِ الْعِراضِ

And he nourished me with bounty of his own in my former

days, long and wide.

جَاءَ عَفْواً بِلاَ سُؤَالٍ وَلاَ وَعْ

دٍ وَلاَ مُذكرٍ بِهِ مُتَقَاضِي

It came freely, without request or promise,

or a demanding claimant's reminder.

صَافِياً مِنْ تَكَدُّرِ الْمَطْلِ يَجْرِي

جَرْيَ مَاءٍ صَافٍ عَلَى رَضْرَاضِ

Clear of the murk of delay, it flows

like clear water flowing over pebbles.

وَتَشَرَّفْتُ بِالجُلُوسِ لَدَيْهِ

بِحَدِيثٍ يَلْتَذُّهُ مُسْتَفَاضِ

And I was honored by sitting beside him,

with conversation he savored, flowing abundantly.

وَبَلَغْتُ الْمُنَى وَبَشَّرَنِي النا

سُ بِثَوْبٍ مِنَ الْغِنَى فَضْفَاضِ

I reached my wishes, and people brought me glad tidings

of a spacious robe of wealth.

وَتَبَدَّلْتُ بالتَّذَلُّلِ عِزّاً

آذَنَ الْهَمُّ عِنْدَهُ بِانْفِضَاضِ

And I exchanged abasement for honor,

before which sorrow announced its departure.

وَاطْمَأَنَّ الْفِرَاشُ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ جَا

نَبَ جَنْبي تَجَنُّبَ النُّهَّاضِ

And my bed grew restful, after

my side had shunned it like those forever rising.

واسْتَرَدَّ الْعَدُوُّ وُكْدِي وَعَادَتْ

أَعْيُنُ السُّخْطِ وَهيَ عَنِّيَ رَواضِي

The enemy withdrew his designs against me, and

the eyes of anger returned, now pleased with me.

لاَ أَرى مُزْعَجاً نَوَالِي وَإنْ أب

طَأَ عَنِّي جنَاهُ بالإِيْغاضِ

I do not see myself troubled over my bounty, even if

its harvest is delayed by being withheld from me.

لاَ وَلاَ خَاطباً بِذَمِّ زَمَانٍ

أَتَشَكَّى مِنْهُ نُدُوبَ عِضاضِ

No, nor do I speak in blame of a time

whose biting scars I complain of.

قَدْ كَفانِي الإِمَامُ مَا قَدْ عَنَانِي

وانْتَضَانِي مِنْ خَلَّةِ الإنْفَاضِ

The imam has spared me what troubled me,

and drawn me out of the straits of destitution.

واجْتَنَيْتُ الْغِنَى بِمَدْحِيَ غَضّاً

مِنْ أَيَادٍ لَهُ رِطَابٍ غِضَاضِ

And through my praise I gathered wealth, fresh,

from his favors, moist and tender.

لَم أَجُبْ نَحْوَهُ الْفَلاَةَ وَلاَ أَقْ

بَلْتُ نِقْضاً أَهْوي عَلَى أَنْقَاضِ

I did not cross the wilderness toward him, nor did I come

worn out, speeding on worn-out camels,

تَتَرَامَى بِيَ الْمَفَاقِرُ طَوْراً

واعْتِراضاً كَرَمْيَةِ الْمِعْرَاضِ

with barren wastes tossing me now onward,

now sideways, like the shot of a blunt shaft.

بَعْدَ أَنْ حَلَّتِ النُّحُوسُ مَحَلِّي

وَهَوَى نَجْمُ أَسْعُدِي لانِقِضَاضِ

After misfortunes had settled in my dwelling,

and the star of my good fortune had fallen headlong,

فَتَكَ الْيَأْسُ بِي فأَهْدَى صُدُوداً

مِنْ وَصُولٍ كَفَتْكَةِ البْرَّاضِ

despair ambushed me, bringing estrangement

from one once affectionate, like al-Barrad's treacherous stroke.

وَأَرانِي تَحَيُّفُ الْهَجْرِ لِلطَّيْ

رِ بِمَا نَسَّي تَحَيُّف الْمِقَراضِ

The ravages of separation upon birds showed me

what made me forget the ravages of shears.

واقْتَضَانِي دَيْنَ الشَّبَابِ مَشِيبٌ

فِيهِ عَسْفٌ لَهُ وقُبْحُ تَقَاضِي

And gray hair exacted from me the debt of youth,

harsh toward it, ugly in its demands for payment.

عَجَبي لَهُ كَيْفَ أَوْجَبَ ذَنْباً

لَمْ يَكُنْ عَنْ تَسَلُّفٍ واقْتِراَضِ

I marvel at it: how did it impose guilt

arising from neither an advance nor borrowing?

ظَالِمٌ مُنْصِفٌ سَرِيعٌ بَطيءٌ

سَابِقٌ رَكْضُهُ بِغَيْرِ ارْتِكَاضِ

Unjust, just; swift, slow;

outstripping others, its running without galloping.

فَتَسَوَّدْتُ بِالْبَيَاضِ وَعوّذ

تُ بِهِ عَنْ وصَالِ بِيضٍ بِضَاضِ

So whiteness made me a lord, and I was shielded

by it from union with fair, tender-skinned beauties.

وَاكْتَسَيْتُ الْوقَارَ بالْكُرهِ مِنِّي

وَنَضَتْ بِشْرَتِي لَيَالٍ نَوَاضِي

And I put on dignity against my will,

and stripping nights stripped away my skin.

وأَتَتْنِي قَوَارِضٌ مِنْ أُنَاسٍ

مِثْلُ وَقْعِ الشِّهَابِ فِي الأَغْراضِ

And biting remarks came to me from people,

like a meteor striking targets—

كُلِّ وَاهِي الْقُوَى نَؤُومٍ إِذَا مَا

نَهَضَ النَّاسُ للْعُلَى رَبَّاضِ

each weak in strength, a sleepyhead who, when

people rise toward greatness, stays crouching.

تَرَكَتْنِي لِمَا أُحَاذِرُ مِنْهَا

حَرَضاً هَالِكاً مِنَ الأَحْرَاضِ

Through what I feared of them, they left me

wasted and dying among the wasted.

عَلِمَ اللهُ مَا الَّذي كُنْتُ أَلْقَى

فيكُمُ مِنْ تَأَلُّمٍ وَامْتِعَاضِ

God knew what I used to endure

for you, in pain and indignation.

لَمْ أَذُقْ مُذْ رَكبْتُ رَاحِلَةَ الْخو

فِ إلىَ الآن لَذَّةَ الإِغْمَاضِ

Since I mounted the riding-beast of fear, I have not tasted,

until now, the pleasure of closing my eyes.

لاَ أُطِيقُ الدِّفَاعَ عَنْكَ وَلاَ أم

لِكُ غَيْرَ الْهُمُومِ والإِرْتِمَاضِ

I cannot defend you, nor do I possess

anything but worries and burning anguish.

زَأَرَتْنِي أُسُودُ حِقْدٍ عَلَيْكُمُ

لَمْ تُغَيَّبْ بِغَابَةٍ وَغِياضِ

Lions of resentment against you roared at me,

not concealed within a forest or thickets.

وَفَرَانِي الزَّمَانُ مِنْهُ بِنَابٍ

بَعْدَكُمْ مُرْهَفِ الشَّبا عَضَّاضِ

And time tore me with a fang of its own,

in your absence, keen-edged and fiercely biting.

وَانْتَحَى آكِلاً لِلَحْمِي وَرَضَّ الْ

عَظْمِ مِنِّي بِكَلْكَلٍ رَضَّاضِ

It turned to devour my flesh and crushed

my bones with a crushing breast.

واكْتَحَلْتُ السُّهَاد والْحَذَرَ الدا

ئِمَ خَوْفاً بِمَرْوَدٍ مَضَّاضِ

And I lined my eyes with sleeplessness and constant vigilance,

in fear, with a painfully stinging kohl-stick,

مِنْ حَسُودٍ مُنَافِسٍ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ

لِبِحَارِ اِغتِيابِكُمْ خَوَّاضِ

because of an envious man who rivals me over you,

who plunges into oceans of backbiting against you;

مُبْغِضٍ لِي لما أُسَيِّرُ فِيكُمْ

مِنْ مَدِيحٍ عَلَى الأَذى حَضَّاضِ

hating me for what I circulate about you

of praise, and ever urging harm.

فأَرَانِي الإِلهُ مَا كُنْتُ أَرْجُو

هُ وعُوِّضْتُ أَحْسَنَ الإِعْتياضِ

Then God showed me what I had hoped for,

and I was given the finest recompense.

يَا إِمَامَ الْهُدَى اسْتَمِعْ لِوَلِيٍّ

سَائِرٍ فِي مَديحِكُمْ رَكَّاضِ

O imam of guidance, listen to a loyal friend,

traveling in your praise, running swiftly;

بَاذلِ النَّفْسِ وَاهبٍ لَكَ مَحْضَ ال

نُصْحِ مِنْ أُسْرَةٍ لَكُمْ أَمْحَاضِ

giving his soul, granting you the purest

counsel, from a family wholly devoted to you.

كُلُّ عَاصٍ عصى بِجِلْدَتِهِ العُر

رُ فَهُم هَانِئُوهُ بِالخَضْخَاضِ

Every rebel in whose hide mange rebels—

they smear him with liquid tar.

يَفْضُلُ النَّاسَ في الشَّجَاعَةِ وَالْبأْ

سِ كَفَضْلِ الدَّيْسِ لابْنِ مَخَاضِ

He surpasses men in courage and might,

as a great camel surpasses a yearling camel.

قِبْلَةُ الْحَرْبِ حينَ تُجْتَنَبُ الْحَرْ

بُ وَتَرْدَى خُيولُهَا في الْعِرَاضِ

The qibla of war when war is shunned,

and its horses gallop across the battlefield.

عَضَّدَ الْمُلْكَ فيهِ بالأَيِّدِ الْعا

لِمِ شَافِي الْمُخلَّ بالإِحْمَاضِ

He bolstered kingship in him with the mighty, learned one,

curing the sweet-pasture grazer with sour pasture.

بَاذِلُ الرَّأْي سَالِكٍ شِعْبَ عَزْمٍ

مَا الْمَصَاعِيبُ فِيهِ كالأَحْفَاضِ

A giver of counsel, following a pass of such resolve

that unruly camels there are like worn-out beasts.

أَخْصَبَتْ أَرْبُعُ الْوَرَى بإِمَامٍ

قَاتِلِ الْمَحَلِ جَابِرِ الْمُنْهَاضِ

The dwellings of mankind grew fertile through an imam,

slayer of drought, mender of the broken.

عَرَفَ النَّاسُ فَضْلَهُ مِثْلَ مَا يُعْ

رَفُ قَصْدُ السِّهَامِ بالإنْبَاضِ

The people recognized his merit, just as

the arrows' aim is known by the bowstring's twang.

مَنْ رأَى حُبَّهُ كَنَافِلَةِ الْفر

ضِ فَإِنِّي أَرَاهُ كالإفْتِرَاضِ

Whoever considers love for him a voluntary addition to duty—

I consider it an obligation.

أَيَّدَ اللهُ مُلْكَهُ بِوَزِيرٍ

مُسْتَقِلٍّ برَأْيِهِ نَهَّاضِ

God strengthened his reign with a minister,

self-reliant in his judgment, vigorous in action.

عَالم بِالزَّمَانِ قَدْ رَاض مِنْهُ

جَامِحاً آبياً عَلَى الرُّوَّاضِ

Versed in time, he has tamed from it

what is headstrong and resistant to tamers.

لَمْ يَطُفْ بِالْيَقِينِ مِنْ ظَنِّهِ الشك

كُ وَلاَ حَالَ دُونَهُ بِاعْتِرَاضِ

Doubt has not circled the certainty of his judgment,

nor barred its way through obstruction.

ضَرَبٌ في لُهَى وَلِيِّكَ مَاضٍ

وسَهُادٌ عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ قَاضِي

Honey passing down your ally's throat,

and sleeplessness that dooms your enemy.

نَاصِحٌ لَمْ يَخُضْ ضَحَاضِحَ غِشٍّ

فِي الزَّمَانِ الْمَاضِي مَعَ الْخُوَّاضِ

An honest counselor who never waded through the shallows of deceit

in bygone times alongside those who waded.

مَوَّلَ اللهُ بَيْتَ مَالِكَ مِنْهُ

باجْتِمَاعٍ مِنْهُ لاَ بارْفِضَاضِ

God enriched your treasury through him,

by his gathering, not by scattering.

غَيْرَ مَا حَافِلٍ إِذَا انْتَحَلَ النُّصْ

حَ بِشَكْوَى مُغَاضِبٍ أَوْ مُرَاضِي

Unconcerned, when he professes sincere counsel,

by complaints from the angry or those courting favor.

مِنْ أُنَاسٍ أَقَلاَمُهُمْ أَسْهُمُ الْمُلْ

كِ وَلَكِنَّهَا بِغَيْرِ وِفاضِ

From people whose pens are the arrows of kingship,

yet are without quivers.

جَامعَاتٍ لِلأَمْرِ بَعْدَ افْتِراقٍ

جَابِرَاتٍ لِلْعَظْمِ بَعْدَ انْهِيَاضِ

Gathering affairs together after separation,

mending bone after it has broken.

مَا رَأْتْ سَاعياً على الْبَيْنِ إِلا

قَيَّدَتْ سَعْيَهُ بِغَيْرِ الإيَاضِ

Whenever they saw one striving for division,

they bound his striving without fetters.

نَفَثَتْ بِالْمِدَادِ سُمّاً عَلَيْه

نَفْثَ أَنْيَابِ حَيَّةٍ نَضنَاضِ

They spat venom at him with ink,

as the fangs of a tongue-flicking serpent spit.

فَابْقَ يَا سَيِّدَ الْمُلُوكِ لَهُ تُبْ

رِمُ بِالرَّأْي مِنْهُ كُلَّ انِتْقَاضِ

So live on, O lord of kings, for him,

repairing through his counsel every unraveling.

وَتَمَلَّ النَّيْرُوزَ تِسْعِينَ عَاماً

سَامِياً والْعَدُوُّ ذُوِ إِعْضَاضِ

And enjoy Nowruz for ninety years,

exalted, while the enemy suffers biting hardship.