إِذا لم يُعِنْ قولَ النصيحِ قَبولُ

فإنَّ معاريضَ الكلامِ فُضُولُ

If good counsel is not accepted,

Then superfluous talk is useless.

أقِلَّا خِلافِي وهو مما يسوؤُني

وليس لمن يهوَى الخلافَ خليلُ

My friend, let us stop this dispute which pains me,

For those who love conflict have no true friend.

ومن شِيَمي رَدُّ النصيحِ بغيظِهِ

وتركي وعورَ القولِ وهي سُهولُ

It is my way to reject advice angrily

And to ignore insults - that is easy for me.

خُذا في حديثٍ غيرِ لومي فإنَّهُ

وربِّ الهدايا المُشعَراتِ ثقيلُ

Let our talk be free of blame, for verily

Weighty oaths are difficult to bear.

إِذا كان رأيي غيرَ ما تريانِهِ

فأضْيَعُ شيءٍ ما يقولُ عَذولُ

If my opinion differs from yours,

Then nothing said by the stubborn will change it.

أيا أثلاتِ القاعِ أمّا عروقُها

فَريَّا وأمَّا ظِلُّها فبليلُ

O sisters of the tomb, though your roots decay

And your shade is little,

لكِ اللّهُ هل مرَّتْ بقُربكِ رُفقةٌ

وأنضاءُ عِيسٍ سيرُهنَّ ذميلُ

Has any caravan passed near you, O blessed one,

With soft-stepping camels journeying on?

إِذا هبَّ عُلويُّ الصَّبَا فرقابُهمْ

إليه وأعناقُ النواعجِ مِيْلُ

When the lofty northern wind blows,

Their necks incline toward it,

فمن كل نضوٍ حنَّةٌ وتشوّقٌ

ومن كلِ صَبٍّ رنَّةٌ وعويلُ

And every lover moans with desire

And each separated one cries in anguish.

ويا نُغْبةً بالأجرع الفردِ عَذْبَةً

أراكِ ولكنْ ما إليكِ سبيلُ

O inaccessible one, sweet and remote,

I see you but cannot reach you.

ويا ليلُ حتى الشُّهبُ فيكَ مريضةٌ

وحتَّى نسيمُ الفجر فيكَ عليلُ

O night, even the shooting stars in you are sick

And even the morning breeze in you is frail.

ويا جِيرتي بالجِزْعِ جسميَ بعدكُمْ

نحيلٌ وطرفي بالسُّهاد كحيلُ

O my neighbors in sorrow, after you left

My body grew thin and my eyelids dull.

عهِدتُ به غصنَ الشبيبةِ مورِقاً

فخانَ وخنتمْ والوفاءُ قليلُ

I knew youth's branch once verdant,

But it betrayed me while loyalty is so rare.

وأودعتُكم قلبي فلما طلبتُهُ

مَطلتمْ وشرُّ الغارمينَ مَطُولُ

I entrusted you my heart but when I sought it

You delayed while deceivers are so slow to return.

فإنْ عُدْتمُ يوماً تُريدونَ مُهْجَتِي

تمنَّعتُ إلا أنْ يُقامَ كفيلُ

If someday you want my love again

I will refuse unless a sponsor vouches for you.

ويا أيُّها الغادي تحمَّلْ رسالةً

على ما بِها إنَّ الحديثَ طويلُ

O you who are leaving, carry my message

Though it be long, for the tale is great.

وقلْ لِلأُلى حلُّوا الحِمى سقى الحِمَى

عزاكمْ فإنَّ العامريَّ قتيلُ

And say to the family, let them prepare the abode,

Grief has come for their protector is slain,

به غُلَّةٌ لا يملِكُ الماءُ بردَها

وشجوٌ سِوى ما تعلمونَ دخيلُ

A burning grief quenched only by revenge,

Though they know that. More has stealthily occurred,

ألا حبّذا شَدُّ الركائبِ ضَحْوةً

وللظِلِّ في أخفافهِنَّ مَقِيلُ

How excellent it would be to ready the riding camels at dawn

And rest their forelocks on the shade.

ومُذْقَةُ ظِلٍّ بين غُصْنَي أراكةٍ

وقد كادَ مِيزانُ النهارِ يميلُ

To taste the shade between two arching branches

When the scale of daylight starts to dip.

ومن شِيحِ نجدٍ نفحةٌ سَحَريةٌ

تساهَمَ فيها شَمْأَلٌ وقَبُولُ

A magic breath from aromatic Najd,

In which wild thyme and erigeron mingle.

ومرتجزٌ بالرعدِ يرضِعُ دَرُّهُ

نباتَ رياضٍ مسَّهُنَّ ذُبولُ

A downpour whose rolling wetness

Waters the plants of the meadows, withering them.

وعاجمةٍ عودي ولم تدرِ أنَّهُ

صليبٌ يرُدُّ النابَ وهو كليلُ

And a foreign woman unaware it is

A cross that wards off calamity and brings blessings.

تُخوِّفُني ريبَ الزمانِ وأنَّهُ

شروبٌ لأشلاءِ الكِرامِ أكُولُ

You warn me of the treachery of Time

That drinks the blood of the generous and is insatiable,

وتأمرني بالمال أوكي عِيابَهُ

وهيهاتَ مني أن يقالَ بخيلُ

And command me to gather riches

Whence it is known I am no miser.

وكيف أخافُ الدهرَ يَحْرُقُ نابَهُ

ورأيُ عماد الدين فِيَّ جميلُ

Why should I fear Time burning my fangs

When the judgment of Imād al-Dīn about me is good?

إِذا امتَحْتُ يوماً جَمَّةً من نوالِه

سقانيَ سَجْلٌ من نَداهُ سجيلُ

When I gain glory from its giving

It gives me a draft of clear wine from its cup,

رواءٌ كإيماضِ الغَمامةِ مونقٌ

وبِشرٌ كصدرِ المشرفيِّ صقيلُ

A draft as the raincloud's downpour, pure,

And good news like the polished chest of a nobleman,

وعزمةُ مطرود الرُّقادِ يدُلُّهُ

على الغيب رأيٌ ما يكادُ يَفيلُ

And the firmness of one who spurns sleep, it guides him

With an opinion almost unerring

إلى أن ينالَ المجدَ إلّا تغلُّباً

وبعضُهمُ عند الطِلابِ ذليلُ

Until he attains glory only by striving,

While others in need are disgraced.

وشاغبَ ريبَ الدهرِ وهو يَضيمُهُ

وكلُّ كريمٍ يُستَضامُ صَؤولُ

He chided the doubt of fickle Time

Though it oppressed him, for all generous souls bear adversity.

وغارَ على مُلكٍ مُضاعٍ وكاشحٍ

مطاعٍ يردُّ الأمرَ وهو سحيلُ

He was jealous for a wasted and vain kingdom,

Disobeyed, which rejects wise counsel,

ورشَّحَ مشبوحَ الذارعينِ ضَيْغَماً

له في ظِلال السَّمْهريّةِ غِيْلُ

And nominated one driven from the fields, an outcast,

For him are the shade and shelter of S̲h̲amkhiriyya.

غلائِلُه أدراعُه وكؤوسُهُ

مخوف عِداهُ والنجيعُ شَمولُ

The horsemen are his troops, and his drinking cups

His coats of mail, feared is his attack and destructive his raid.

له هَيبةٌ تسري أمامَ جُنودِه

ورأيٌ بمُستنِّ الغُيوبِ يجولُ

He has such awe that it precedes his soldiers

And a vision that roams the hidden realm.

وجُرْدٌ على أكتافِها المُرْدُ جُثَّمٌ

فُحولٌ على أكبادِهنَّ كُهولُ

A troop of steeds on whose shoulders javelins rest,

Stalwart heroes whose hearts and livers are seasoned warriors.

وعوجٌ لها بين الضُّلوعِ أزاملٌ

وبيضٌ لها فوقَ الرُؤوسِ صَلِيلُ

The horses have forelocks between their chests,

And white blazes on their heads like turbans.

ونقعٌ صفيقُ الطُّرَّتينِ كأنَّما

على صفحاتِ الشمس منه سُدُولُ

Their hooves clatter as if

pebbles were scattered on the sun's disk.

يَرُدُّ على وَجْهِ الصَّبَاحِ لِثَامَهُ

إِذا حانَ من صبغِ الظلام نُصُولُ

They turn back the cheek of dawn with their faces,

When it is time for the darkness' dye to fade.

فقلْ للذين استعذبوا الغَدْرَ مشرَبَاً

رويداً فَرعْيُ الغادرينَ وبيلُ

Tell those who have grown accustomed to treachery

To walk slowly, for the treacherous have come to defeat.

أديروا كُؤوسَ الرَّاحِ إنَّ وراءَها

كُؤوساً من السمّ الذُعافِ يغُولُ

Pass the cups of comfort, for after them

Are cups of deadly hemlock that ferments.

وجُرُّوا ذيولَ الخفضِ حتى تزورَكُمْ

مُشَمِّرةٌ ليست لهنَّ ذُيولُ

Drag the trailing robes of humility until

Bareheaded warriors come to you,

جنودٌ طلاع الأرضِ يحمي لواءَها

قَؤولٌ لما قال الكِرامُ فعولُ

Soldiers whose feet tread the horizons guard its banner,

When the generous have said what should be done.

فلا أرضَ إلا طبَّقَتْهَا حوافرٌ

ولا جوَّ إلا جَلَّلَتْهُ نُصولُ

No land but their hooves will tread it,

No atmosphere but their blades will fill it.

ستغرى بأطرافِ البنان نواجِذُ

إِذا التفَّ يوماً بالرعيلِ رعيلُ

They will take the hilltops' shoulders by surprise

When companies of the convoy converge.

وتطفحُ أحناءُ الشِعابِ عليكمُ

بسَيْلٍ له هامُ الكُماةِ حميلُ

The ravines' lips will overflow upon you

With a torrent whose violence matches the violence of fate.

وكلُّ قَرارٍ بالجَماجمِ تلعةٌ

وكلُّ مَغيضٍ بالدِّماءِ مَسِيلُ

Every skull will be split with skulls

And every enraged one will have blood pouring forth.

فإنْ سئِمتْ حملَ الرؤوسِ رقابُها

فبالبيضِ شوقٌ نحوَها وغليلُ

If their necks grow weary of bearing heads

Then for the white blades passion and anguish.

فلوذوا بحَقو العفوِ منه فإنَّه

جوادٌ به حتى يُقالَ غَفُولُ

So take refuge in the sanctuary of pardon, for He

Is generous, even when called neglectful.

وإنْ غلبتكم شِقْوةُ الجَدِّ فاعلموا

بأن ديارَ الناكثينَ طُلولُ

And if your bad fortune prevails, know

The lands of the oath-breakers are humiliation.

أحقّاً هممتمْ باللِّقاءِ لعلَّكُمْ

بدا لكُمُ أنَّ الطِباعَ تحولُ

Truly, you thought to meet them, perhaps

You saw the natures were changing.

فتُمسي البُغاثُ الكُدْرُ وهي جوارحٌ

وتُضحي اللّقاحُ الخُورُ وهي فحولُ

The carrion-eating crows would become rapacious birds,

The cowardly quails would become fierce and bold.

فعزماً غياثَ الدولةِ اليومَ إنَّهم

فرائسُ منهم مُقْعَصٌ وأكِيلُ

So resolve today to rescue the state, for they

Are prey - some have fled and some been captured.

همُ جَلبُوا الخيلَ العِتاقَ وأجلبُوا

عليك فحَشْوُ الخافِقَيْنِ صَهِيلُ

They have summoned steeds for war

And brought upon you the loud roar of the two flanks.

ولاذُوا بأكراد البوادي وعُرْبهم

ومن كلِّ جيلٍ أمةٌ وقبيلُ

They have sought aid from the nomads of the desert and its Bedouin

And all the tribes and peoples.

هُمُ ذخَرُوا الأعمارَ والمالُ عندَهمْ

لكفِّك تُفنِي ذخرَهمْ وتُنيلُ

Their lives and wealth are stored with them

For you to destroy their wealth and plunder it.

هدايا لحدِّ المرهفاتِ مسوقةٌ

فهل عندَ حدِّ المرهفاتِ قَبولُ

Gifts for the keen blades are brought forth,

But do the keen blades accept them?

عدوُّكَ بين العار والسيفِ واقفٌ

يميلُ مع الإِدبارِ حيثُ يميلُ

Your enemy stands between shame and the sword,

Inclining to retreat wherever he inclines.

فإنْ فرَّ لم يَعْدَمْ شِفاءً وإن ثَوى

فأمُّ الذي يبغي الثَّواءَ ثكُولُ

If he flees, he will find no remedy, and if he rebels,

What rebel seeking rebellion is successful?

كأنَّهمُ لم يشهدوا أمسِ مشهداً

تشابَه فيه مُقْصِرٌ ومُطِيلُ

It is as if yesterday they did not witness

A scene in which attackers and pursuers were equal.

يقاتلُ عنك الرأيُ لا الرمحُ بلَّهُ

نجيعٌ ولا بالباتراتِ فُلولُ

Wisdom, not spears, battles for you - no, not spears!

The empty wilderness has no reinforcements or squads.

ولا بُرقِعَتْ بالقَسْطلِ الجَون غُرَّةٌ

ولا غُيِّبتْ بين الدِماء حُجولُ

No red tent was pitched on the hillside

Nor any ram offered among the blood.

سرى كيدُكَ اليقظانُ والنجمُ راقِدٌ

تُجابُ سهولٌ نحوَهمْ وهجولُ

Your cunning flowed, while the stars slept,

Plains were covered toward them, and they were confused.

وأدركتَ ثأرَ الدينِ من متمرِّدٍ

طغَى وهو شَخْتُ المنصبينِ ضئيلُ

You took vengeance for the faith from one who rebelled,

Who transgressed while the least of officials.

تُقِرُّ وتمحو المُلْكَ حيث تُريدُهُ

وأنتَ مُديلٌ مرةً ومُذيلُ

You give and take away kingship wherever you wish,

One time gathering and another dispersing.

تميلُ إِلى ذِي دولةٍ فتُعِزُّها

وتعدِلُ عن ذِي دولةٍ فتُزيلُ

You incline toward one whose state you strengthen

And turn away from one whose state you erase.

أعِزَّة أملاكِ البلادِ أذِلَّةٌ

لديكَ وصعبُ الحادثات ذَلولُ

The mighty of the lands' kingdoms are humiliated before you

And harsh events are submissive to you.

فما غرّهمْ واللّهُ ناصرُ حزبِهِ

بأبيضَ طاغي الحدِّ حينَ يصولُ

Why were they deluded while God supports his party,

By the overflowing cup of the transgressor when it rages?

فإنْ أعجبتهمْ نوبة سلفتْ لهم

فأنتَ لأُخرى ضامنٌ ووكيلُ

If the former raid enchanted them,

Then for another you are their guarantor and champion.

إليكَ عِمادَ الدين غرّاءَ طلقةً

تنافَسُ فيها أعينٌ وعقولُ

To you, Imād al-Dīn, the daring come charging,

Eyes and minds compete regarding it.

إِذا أُنشدتْ حُلّ الحُبَى طَرباً لها

وأصغَى إليها عالمٌ وجَهُولُ

When its solutions to love's confusions are recited

The refined and ignorant are moved by it.

وما أبتغِي إلا رِضَاكَ ثوابَها

وذاك ثوابٌ لو علمتَ جَزيلُ

I desire only your approval as its reward,

And that is an ample reward, if you but knew!

فأنتَ الذي جلَّلتني منكَ أنْعُماً

لها موقعٌ بين الأنامِ جَليلُ

For you are the one who has honored me with favors,

Which have a lofty place among all people.

منيلٌ إِذا ما كان منِّيَ خدمةٌ

وإن سبقتْ لي عثرةٌ فمُقِيلُ

I am indebted, whenever I do you service,

And if I stumble before, you gently reprove me.

وخبَّرني تقليبيَ الناسَ بُرهةً

بأنك فردٌ والأنامُ شُكُولُ

And the turning of people's favor showed me clearly,

That you are unique, while people are fickle.

وما يستوي وُدُّ المقلّدِ والذي

له حُجَّةٌ في ودِّهِ ودليلُ

The love of an imitator and one who has proof

For his love, and evidence, are not equal.

فعُدْ بي إِلى اللُّطفِ الذي كنتَ واصِلاً

جَناحي به إن الكريمَ وَصُولُ

So return your kindness to me, for you were faithful

In keeping my wings uplifted - the generous keep their vows.

وعِشْ سالماً في باعِ ملككَ بسطةٌ

تدومُ وفي أيامِ عمرِك طُولُ

And live in peace, empowered in your kingdom; its expanse

Endures, and length of days in your life.