مالي ومصْرَ وللمطامعِ إنّما
مَلَكَتْت قيادي حيثُ لم أَتنزهِ
What is Egypt to me and to the greedy? My fate led me where I didn’t seek luxury.
Don’t blame me, my critic, for I’m the one who followed desire and did what I was forbidden.
لا تَنْهَني يا عاذلي فأَنا الذي
تَبِعَ الهوى وأَتى بما عنه نُهي
I said to fate and called it in a task, “Make it short, you reached an arduous path.”
Allurement pulled you to the reins so release it. You leaned towards fleeing chickens so let them flee.
قد قلتُ للحادي وقد ناديتُهُ
في مَهْمَةٍ أَقصِرْ وَصَلْتَ مَهٍ مَهِ
You enjoyed being pretentious, pompous, honourable, forbearing, and vigilant.
The success of hope is the answer to my purpose wherever I intend with the zeal of determination.
حَتّامَ جذبُكَ للزِّمامِ فأَرْخهِ
فلقد أَنختَ إلى ذَرَى فَرُّخْشَةِ
A king who answers the discourse of every hopeful and mends the bite of misfortunes.
One who only answers “yes” to questions and “no” and “never” to the needy.
قد لُذْتَ بالمتطوِّلِ المتفضِّلِ ال
متكرِّمِ المتحلِّمِ المتنبِّهِ
Naturally honourable, not forcibly so. What a difference between honour and force!
In his hands is the success of the hopeful. To him inclines the seeker. With him is the guidance of the confused.
نُجْحُ الرَّجاءِ جوابُ قصدي بابَهُ
مهما هممتُ له بجوبِ المَهْمَهِ
The benevolence of the magnificent and the determination of the benevolent. Of glory, piety and a pious worshipper.
With striking lightning in its clouds, thunder in its drizzle and downpour.
مَلكٌ يجيبُ خطابَ كلِّ مُؤمِّلٍ
ويجبرُ من عَضِ الخطوبِ العُضّهِ
A cloud that shades the garden with its showers amidst the floral glitter and deception.
The garden is elegant in the jewels of spring and the garden is adorned with the necklaces of anemones.
مَنْ لم يُجِبْ بسوى نَعَمْ سُؤَّالَهُ
ولمُعْتَفيهِ بلا ولنْ لم يَجْبَهِ
His open-handedness at times of distress is more beneficial and forgiving than hands that never cease to give.
No honour except the honour of the faith, my noble brother, the most aware.
متكرِّمٌ بالطّبْعِ لا متكرِّهٌ
شَتّانَ بينَ تكرُّمٍ وتكرُّهِ
He grants thousands to his petitioners thinking he has given them the least and most trivial.
You, Ayyubids, are the most honourable clan. This era boasts of their necks’ glory.
بيديهِ نُجْحُ المُرتجي وإليه قَصْ
دُ المُلْتَجي ولديهِ رُشْدُ الأَتْيَهِ
With faces, nay chests, of fresh dew from the water of joy and generosity.
Your springs were sweet and pure to people. They described but never exaggerated or debased.
إحسانُ ذي مجدٍ وهِمّةُ مُحسنٍ
مُجْدٍ وتقوى عابدٍ متأَلِّه
No king claims to reach your status unless your deeds say to him "Be quiet!"
And Al-Nasir Salah al-Din is the one by whom hardships were never too hard to bear.
ما بارِقٌ ذو عارِضٍ من وَدْقهِ
ورعودِهِ في نادبٍ ومُقَهقِهِ
In God he sought refuge from worldly affairs and from failing to honour Allah’s faith one day.
He surpassed kings in ascension though they gained nothing from it but grasping and pretending.
هامٍ يَظَلُّ الرَّوضُ مِنْ أَمواهِهِ
في الزَّهْرِ بينَ مُذَهَّبٍ ومُموَّهِ
Indeed kings lagged behind while you preceded. Where are the slaves from the free and liberated!
I hope from your generosity a cure for every calamity. Your promise of generosity was never unfulfilled.
فالرَّوضُ من حُلَلِ الرَّبيعِ أَنيقةٌ
والرَّوضُ من حَلْي الشّقائقِ مُزْدَهِ
Your enemy is fleeing to escape while your friend seeks but cannot find.
If the critic denies your ascension, can he not see the sun’s radiance is the eye of the blind?
أَجدَى وأَسْمحَ من يَدَيْهِ فَجودُهُا
عند الغيوثِ إذا انتهتْ لا يَنْتهي
Many a horrific, revolting tyrant has carriers and imagines its creep to be a torrential flood.
It preys on lions for prey with the blazing fire of its white fangs.
لا عزَّ إلاّ عندَ عزِّ الدِّينِ مَوْ
لايَ الأَجلِّ أَخي الفَخار الأَنْبَهِ
With it the hearts of hearts melted like rods in hands freed.
So the dark honey describes a palm tree bending, suffering from malady without being cured.
يَهَبُ الأُلوفَ لمجتديهِ وظَنُّهُ
أَنْ قد حَباهُمْ بالأَقلِّ الأَتْفَهِ
And the white trembler resembles a young ostrich that tasted misery and was wounded without healing.
It is the one that evaded enmity out of fear the day it clashed with it in its den.
أَنتُمْ بني أَيوبَ أَكرمُ عُصْبةٍ
هذا الزَّمانُ بفخْرِ سُؤْدُدِهِمْ زُهي
With you its banners became victorious. Faces bowed to its face in submission.
You have a stand in valour and firmness. Wondrous is its description from every eloquent speaker.
وأُولو وجوهٍ بل صدورٍ من نَدى
ماءِ البشاشةِ والسَّماحةِ مُوَّهِ
Not even the Indian sword is more ominous than the Syrian lion more dreadful.
When you decide, you leave the enemies of truth between total demise and blind confusion.
عَذُبَتْ موارِدُكمْ وطابتْ للورَى
وَصَفَتْ فلم تأْسَنْ ولم تَتَسنّهِ
O oath of generosity to the distressed, forever shaming and might against the lions, snarling.
My Master, my suffering is nothing but praise of you. To you alone, not kings, is my devotion.
ما يَدَّعي مَلكٌ بلوغَ مَحلِّكمْ
إلاَّ تقولُ له مساعيكُمْ صَهِ
I freely give praise to the glory of your house willingly selling it only to you though disliked.
Everyone’s praise is directed while yours to me in truth and sincerity is not.
والناصرُ الملكُ الصلاحُ هو الذي
إلاّ بهِ اللزَباتُ لم تَتَنْهنَهِ
The deluded, heedless era would sacrifice itself for your heedlessness and vanity’s blindness.
My Master, Egypt has sidelined my worth so be rewarded for my name with the best reward.
لاهٍ عن اللاَّهي بدنياهُ وعن
إعزازِ دين اللّهِ يوماً ما لَهي
Greed brought my address to the noble so who addresses the noble but the ungreedy?
One with no need revels in fortune unlike the troubled supplicant, the troubled.
فاقَ الملوكَ عُلىً وإنْ لم يَظْفَروا
منها بغيرِ تَشَبُّثٍ وتَشَبُّهِ
Where is the honour for the virtuous near you if not with the honourable, then where?
The call of your call answered, so turn away the affliction of despair from it and drive it away.
إنَّ الملوكَ تخلَّفُوا وسَبقتُمُ
أينَ السَّوامُ من العِتاقِ الفُرَّهِ
You raised my status in Egypt after it had faltered and its decree was unmoved.
Your brilliant lucky stars rose for people in blossom while I am abased from it.
راجيكمُ من داءِ كلِّ مُلمّةٍ
يَشْفَى وَعِدُّ سماحِكُمْ لم يُشْفَهِ
The hand of grace mended its brokenness from my shattered, crumbling grace.
Let them know what they knew not with your familiarity and wake from the sleep of neglect.
وعدوّكُمْ في مَهْرَبٍ لم يُنْجِهِ
ووليكُمْ في مَطْلَبٍ لم يُنْجَهِ
My grace secluded me from favour for its sake which for the writer is like long life prolonging.
Grace is ablaze with the fire of his trials and fortune is busy with the patch of its signs.
إنْ يجحدِ الشّاني عُلاكَ فما تَرَى
إشراقَ عينِ الشّمسِ عَيْنُ الأَكمَهِ
Give thoughtful insight, kindly, into my poetry. Man does not feel what he does not comprehend.
And blame it - songs that combine praise of you in elegy and song.
ولرُبَّ مَجْرٍ رائعٍ حَمَلاتُهُ
وتخالُهُ في الزَّحفِ سيلَ مُدَهدهِ
One with beauty trembles at its beauty’s radiance and is shy to enhance any of its flourishing.
The mouths of the virtuous speak of it in virtue if compared to the poetry of mouths.
يَقْري العواسلَ من فرائِسِ أُسْدِهِ
لحماً بنارِ البيضِ مُشْعَلَةً طُهِي
Minds are confused by it for it is protected from any comprehensible nonsense.
It bids its listeners farewell with ecstasy and shames the scent of musk for the smelling.
مَتَحَتْ به قُلْبَ القُلوبِ ذوابلٌ
أَشبهنَ أَشطاناً بأَيدي مُتَّهِ
Its supporter yearns and craves while its envier resents and loathes.
Live long, O son of the Shah of Shahs, a noble king dressed in the most splendid of attire.
فالأَسمرُ العسَّالُ يحكي ناحلاً
متلوِّباً مِنْ سُقمهِ لم يَنْقَهِ
Adorned with the garb of Khusrow Shah, enjoying from it the melody of a noble, valiant king.
If the Yemeni were to see your Yemeni brow, he would no longer boast of the forests of Al-Ajbah.
والأَبيضُ الرَّعافُ يُشبهُ مَدْنَفاً
أَلفَ الضّنى وأَصابَهُ جُرْحٌ صَهي
You are the pillar of glory so continue your rule if you are to continue guidance.
وهو الذي تَرَكَ العدَى من رُعبهِ
يومَ اللِّقاءِ بصَدْمهِ في وَهْرَهِ
بكَ أَصبحتْ راياتُهُ منصورةً
يا سَيِّداً عَنَتِ الوجوهُ لوجههِ
لكَ في الشَّهامةِ والصَّرامةِ مَوقِفٌ
لصفاتهِ إعجازُ كلِّ مُفَوَّهِ
ما الصّارمُ الهندِيُّ غيرَ مُكهّمٍ
والباسلُ الصِّنديدُ غيرَ مُنفَّهِ
وإذا عزمتَ تركتَ أَعداءَ الهُدى
ما بينَ هُلاَّكٍ وحَيْرَى عُمَّهِ
يا حلْفَ جُودٍ للغُيوثِ مُخجِّلٍ
أَبداً وبأْسٍ باللُّيوثِ مُجَهْجَهِ
مولايَ من مَدْحي سواكَ توجُّعي
واليكَ من دونِ الملوكِ توجُّهي
أَهَبُ الثّناءَ لمجدِ بيتكَ طائعاً
وأبيعُهُ لِسواكَ بَيْعَ المُكرَهِ
مَدْحُ الجميع موَجّهٌ ومديحكُمْ
في الصِّدقِ والإخلاصِ غيرُ موَجّهِ
يفديكَ مغرورُ الزَّمانِ بلَهْوِهِ
وَلَهَاهُ غَرّارُ السّرابِ بلَهْلَهِ
مولايَ مصرٌ أَخملَتْ قَدْري فكُن
باسمي جُزيتَ الخيرَ خيرَ مُنَوِّهِ
شَرَهي على العلياءِ جَرَّ معاطبي
أَمِنَ المعاطبَ كلُّ مَنْ لم يَشْرَهِ
ولقد تملَّى بالسّعادة ذو غنىً
عن شَقْوَةِ المتطلِّبِ المتطلِّهِ
أَينَ الكرامةُ للأَفاضلِ عندكمْ
إن لم تكنْ عندَ الكرامِ فأينَ هي
لَبّى نداءَ نَداكَ لُبُّ رجائهِ
فازْجُرْ مُلَمَّ اليأسِ عنه واندَهِ
أَعليْتَ في مصرٍ مكاني بعدما
خَفَقَتْ به ولقدرِهِ لم يُؤْبَهِ
طَلَعَتْ نجومُكُمُ الثّواقبُ للورَى
زُهْراً وإنِّي كالسُّهَى عنه سُهي
جَبَرتْ يَدُ الإفضالِ منه كاسراً
من فضليَ المتكَسِّرِ المُتَكدِّهِ
عَرِّفْ بعرفِكَ منه ما لم يَعْرِفوا
نبّاً وعن سنَةِ التغافلِ نَبِّهِ
فضلي خَلَوتُ لأَجلهِ من حُظوةٍ
هي للأَديبِ كَنَبْتِ مَرْتٍ أجْلَهِ
الفضلُ مشتعلٌ بنار بلائهِ
والحظُّ مشتغلٌ بأَخرقَ أَورَهِ
أَعرِ التأمُّلَ فِقْهَ شِعري مُنْعماً
لا يَشْعُرُ الإنسانُ ما لم يَفْقَهِ
وتَملّها غَرّاءَ جامعةً لكم
في النّعْتِ بينَ تَمدُّحٍ وتمدُّهِ
يهتزُّ ذو الحُسنى لجلوةِ حُسنها
وتَجِلُّ عن تحسينِ كلِّ مُزَهْرِهِ
أَفواهُ أَهلِ الفَضْلِ ناطقةٌ لها
بالفَضْلِ إن قيسَتْ بشِعرِ الأَفوهِ
وإنِ العقولُ لَهتْ لها فلأَنّها
مَحميّةٌ عن كلِّ معنىً لَهْلَهِ
صَهْباءُ تودِعُ سامعيها نَشْوَةً
وتعيرُ عَرْفَ المسكِ للمُسْتَنْكهِ
فوليُّها بتشوُّقٍ وتشوُّفٍ
وحسودُها بتَشَوُّرٍ وتشوُّهِ
دُمْ يا ابنَ شاهنشاهَ مَلْكاً سَيِّداً
مُتَوشِّحاً بالسُّؤْدُدِ الشّاهنْشَهي
مُتملِّياً بهرامَ شاه مُمَتّعاً
منه بنَدْبٍ سيدٍ شَهْمٍ شَهي
لو شاهَدَ اليَمَنيُّ جَبْهةَ يُمنكُمْ
ما ظَلَّ مُفتخراً بخيلِ الأَجْبَهِ
