دَعاك أمير المؤمنين وإنَّما

دعا مسرعاً فيما يروم مسابقا

The Commander of the Faithful called you, and he

Called you hastily, seeking what he intends, competing

فلَبيْتَه لمَّا دعاك ولم تجد

عن السَّير في تلك الإجابة عائقا

So you answered him when he called you, and did not find

Any obstacle to traveling for that response

وقدمت للترحال عَزْمَتك الَّتي

تحثّ إلى المجد الجياد السوابقا

And you prepared your determination for the journey

That drives the vigorous steeds to glory

على ثقة منه بما أنتَ أهلهُ

وما كانَ إلاَّ في جنابك واثقا

Trusting in you for what you are worthy of

And he was confident only in your side

فكان إذا ما اعتلَّ أمرٌ بملكه

رآك طبيباً للممالك حاذقا

So whenever the affairs of his kingdom were disrupted

He saw you as a skilled healer of kingdoms

برأيٍ إذا هزَّ الأسنَّة واخز

وعزم إذا استلّ الظبا كانَ فالقا

With wisdom when the tongues were shaken and fierce

And determination when the lions were unleashed, cleaving

نظرت بنور الله في كل غامض

بعيد المدى حتَّى عرفت الحقائقا

You looked with God's light into every ambiguity

Far-reaching until you knew the realities

وفيك مع الإقدام واليأس في الوغى

خلائق ما زالت تَسُرُّ الخلائقا

And in you along with courage and despair in the battle

There are traits that continue to please all people

صلابة دين ترغم الشرك أنفه

وتخذل أعلاجاً له وبطارقا

The firmness of religion that forces blasphemy's nose down

And leaves it no treatments or heroes

يسرّ بها من كانَ بالله مؤمناً

ويكبت فيها ملحداً ومنافقا

It makes whoever believes in God happy

And suppresses the atheist and the hypocrite

ولا غرو من كانَ الفتوح بوجهه

إذا استفتح الإسلام فيه المغالقا

No wonder that conquest was in his face

When he opened Islam in it what was closed

إذا النقع وأمسى عارضاً متراكماً

وأرسلتِ الشهبُ المنايا صواعقا

When the starry sky grew dark and clustered

And you made the meteors strike like lightning

تحيل نهار الحرب أسْود حالكاً

وسوسن أوراق الحديث شقائقا

Turning the day of war into darkest night

And the leaves of speech into anemones

فكم ناطق بالكفر أصبح أخرساً

وكم أخرسٍ بالشعر أصبح ناطقا

So how many blasphemers fell mute

And how many mutes began to speak

جزيت جزاء الخير عن أهل بلدةٍ

ببأسك تكفيها الخطوب الطوارقا

You were given the reward of good on behalf of a city

Whose afflictions your might protects from raiders

غَرَسْت من الإحسان فينا أيادياً

فأنْبَتْنَ بالذكر الجميل حدائقا

You have planted in us hands of kindness

Which have grown beautiful mention like gardens

أجَدْتَ نظام الملك حتَّى كأنَّه

من الحسن أضحى لؤلؤاً متناسقا

You set the order of the kingdom until it was as though

It had become from its beauty an organized pearl

وفارقتنا بالكرة منا ولم تزل

حميد السجايا مقبلاً ومفارقا

And you left us by the sphere while still

Praiseworthy in nature, coming and going

فحقَّ لبغداد البكاء وكيف لا

وقد فارقت فخر الوزارة نامقا

So Baghdad deservedly weeps, and how could it not

When the pride of ministry left it towering

وكنت بنا بَرًّا رؤوفاً ووالياً

عطوفاً وبحراً بالمكارم دافقا

You were righteous, compassionate and loyal to us

Kind, an open sea of generosity

وعوّدنا منك الجميل عوايداً

إذا عَدَّتْ العادات كن خوارقا

And you accustomed us to goodness until it became

A habit - if habits could be extraordinary

فدبَّرت منا رقعة ما تدبرت

وكم فرزنت أيديك فينا بيادقا

You managed our affairs as well as they could be managed

And your hands distinguished among us many camps

وفيما أراك الله إصلاح شأنها

سَدَدْتَ على أهل الفساد الطرائقا

As for what God shows you to reform its affairs

You blocked the ways of the corrupt people

تروق وتصفو إنْ كدرت سريرة

فلو كنت ماءً كنت إذ ذاك رائقا

You clear and purify if a position were sullied

You would then be the most pristine water

فسرْ في أمانِ الله من كلّ طارق

مهمٍ فلا تخشى مع الأمن طارقا

Travel safely under God's protection from every raider

With an important task, so do not fear a raider despite safety

إلى ملك تخطى لديه بحظوة

بنيت بها فوق النجوم سرادقا

To a kingdom you have advanced in status

Building above the stars a canopy

تكون بمرآى من علاه ومسمع

فتتخذ البشرى رفيقاً موافقا

Where you will be in the sight and hearing

Of the one exalted, taking good news as a companion

إذا كنت كنت من سلطاننا بمكانة

فقد أمِنَ السلطان فيك البوائقا

Since you had such standing with our Sultan

The Sultan was assured of you against obstacles

عليك ولا ريب بذاك اعتماده

كما اعتمد المرءُ الجبالَ الشواهقا

Undoubtedly he relied on you for that

As a man relies on towering mountains

عزمت إليه بالرحيل وطالما

قطعت إلى الأمر المهم العوائقا

You were determined to go to him, and long

You had crossed over the great task's obstacles

وشاقك منه حضرة ملكية

وما كنتما إلاَّ مشوقاً وشائقا

And you missed being in his majestic presence

And you two were nothing but yearning and desired

ستُرزق من ثمَّ السعادة كلَّها

فَتَحْمد رزاقاً وتشكر خالقا

You will be granted from there every happiness

So you will thank the Sustainer and praise the Creator

وفيك مع الإقدام والبأس سطوة

تعيدُ فؤادَ الدهر بالرعب خافقا

And in you along with courage and might is domination

That makes the heart of the age tremble in fear

فما وجدا السلطان مثلك ناصحاً

ولا وجد السلطان مثلك صادقا

For the Sultan did not find a counselor like you

Nor did the Sultan find a truthful one like you