لَكَ المَثَلُ الأعلى ولِلكَاذِبِ الفِهرُ

يَدُورُ عَلَيهِ بِالذي قَالَهُ الدَّهرُ

You are the highest example, while for the liar there is disgrace,

Which time makes revolve around him for what he has said,

وتَسْعَدُ من قَولِ الأعادي بِضِدِهِ

إذا بَرَزوا زوراً تَهيَّأ لَهُ الزَّهرُ

And you become happy with the words of enemies in their contrary,

When they come out falsely, doom is made ready for them,

هُمُ الأدعِيا يُلْقُونَ قَولاً ومَالَهُمْ

عَلَى قُبحِ ما تَجنِي عَوَاقِبُهُ صَبرُ

They are claimants who utter a saying, yet they own nothing

Against the ugliness of what its consequences will reap, patience,

فَهَلْ يَومُهُمْ يَومٌ إذا الشَّمسُ غُيِّبتْ

وهَلْ لَيلُهُمْ لَيلٌ إذا انْخَسَفَ البَدرُ

Is their day a day when the sun is eclipsed?

And their night a night when the full moon is obscured?

وما خُبثُ ما قالُوهُ يَختَص جَانِباً

ولَكِنَّهُ يَشقَى بِهِ البَطنُ والظَّهرُ

The wickedness of their saying does not target one side,

Rather it makes the stomach and back suffer,

فَمَادَتْ لَهُ الغَبرا فَلاَ النَّبتُ ثَابِتٌ

وغَطَّتْ بِهِ الخَضرا فَما انبَعَثَ القَطرُ

So it stirred up the dust, yet no plants took root,

And it covered the greenery, so no droplets sprang forth,

أمِنْ غَيرَةِ المَولى عَلَيكَ عُقوبَةٌ

تُصَّبُ عَلَى البَاغِي ويَصلَى بِهَا البَرّ

Is there, from the Protector's jealousy over you, a punishment

That pours upon the aggressor, and the righteous pray through it?

وفِيكَ أناةٌ يَسهَلُ الذَّنبُ عِندَهَا

وإن حَقَّ لِلآتِي بِهِ المَركَبُ الوَعرُ

And in you there is clemency, sin is easy in the face of it,

Though the path is hard for the one who brings it, the rugged ship,

لَعَلَّكَ يُثِنيكَ الحَنانُ فَتَنطَفي

حَرارَةُ مَا أورَاهُ في حَقِّكَ الحَورُ

Perhaps kindness will dissuade you and cool

The heat of what the nymphs have fabricated against your right,

ومَا الناسُ إلاَّ مَا عَلِمْتَ فَكُلّهُمْ

أوِ الجُلُّ مَهمَا ذُقتَهُ مَطعَمٌ مرُّ

People are nothing but what you know, so they are all

Either a dolt, no matter their taste, it is bitter,

إذا لَمْ يُسَّوغُ مُضُّهُمُ بِحَرابَةٍ

تَجَرَّعَ مَنْ يُبلى بِهِمْ وَهُمُ الإزرُ

Unless their bitterness is sweetened with amiability,

Whoever wears them out drinks it in, and they are cheap,

وأنتَ عَلَى ما أنتَ أرحَمُ شَافِعٍ

تُجِيدُ لَهُمْ عُذراً إذا انقَطَعَ العُذرُ

While you, as you are, are the most merciful intercessor,

Skillful in making excuses for them when excuses run out,

فَلَو كُنتَ تَستَفتي عَنِ الحُكْمِ فِيهِمُ

ورُدَّتْ لَكَ الفُتيا لَقُلتَ هُوَ الأجرُ

So had you sought a ruling regarding judgment upon them,

And the answer was referred back to you, you would have said it is reward,

إذا كُنتَ مَطبوعاً عَلَى العَفوِ فَالذي

يُحَاولُ مِنكَ الفَتكَ رَاحَتُهُ صِفرُ

Since you are inclined to pardon, the one who

Seeks to destroy you, his comfort is fruitless,

ولَو شِئتَ كَانَ السَّخطُ في موضِعِ الرّضى

وَقَامَ إلى ما تأمُر البِيضُ والسمرُ

And had you wished, wrath would be in the place of pleasure,

And the whites and blacks would rise to your command,

وَهَبَّتْ بِكَ الجُردُ السَّلاهِبُ نَحوَهُمْ

هُبوبَ دَبورٍ بَعدَما طَلَعَ الغَفْرُ

The slender steeds would have stormed toward them,

Blowing like the north wind after the dawn came forth,

عَلَيْهَا مِنْ الفِتيَانِ كُل مُدَرَّبٍ

لأمرِكَ عَبدٌ وَهوَ إنْ تَنهَهُ حُرٌ

Upon them are the youths, every trained one

For your order a slave, and if you prohibit him, he is free,

تَعَوَّدَ مُرتَاضاً عَنِ السَّخْطِ وَالرّضَى

سَواءٌ عَلَيهِ في الهَوى القرُّ وَالحَرُّ

Accustomed to holding back from rage and pleasure,

It is equal to him in desire, whether the stranger or friend,

إذا هَمَّ لَمْ يَأمَلْ رُجوعاً وإنْ سَطَا

فَمَصدُومُهُ شَفْعٌ وَصَدْمَتُهُ وِترُ

When he is determined, he does not hope for retreat, and if he attacks,

His blow lands squarely, and his strike penetrates,

هُنالِكَ لاَيبغِي مُواجِهُكَ الغِنَا

ولاَ يَمنَعُ المَاضِي عَلَى وَجهِهِ الفَرُّ

There, your challenger does not desire confrontation,

And the fleer is not prevented by his face from fleeing,

وَتَشفِي غَليلاً لَم يَكُنْ لَكَ غائِظاً

ولكن نزيل الشر إكرامه البشر

And you heal a resentment that was not raging against you,

But the guest of evil, his honoring is the honoring of man,

على أن في خير الورى لك إسوةً

تزول بها الشحنا وينشرح الصدرُ

Since the best of creation has for you an exemplar

By which grudges disappear and breasts relax,

فقدْ أكرمَ اللهُ الحبيبَ بمثلها

على أحدٍ ثمَّ استقاكَ لهُ الأمرُ

For God honored the Beloved with its like,

Then made you succeed him in authority,

فَلَمْ يَبقَ مِمَّا يؤلِمُ النَّفسَ بَعدَهَا

ودَانَ لَهُ مِنْ بَعدِهَا البَرُّ والبَحرُ

So nothing painful remained thereafter,

And after it land and sea submitted to him,

فَكَمْ مِنْحَةٍ تأتِي َقَدْ بَانَ وَجهُهَا

وأخرَى عَلَيهَا مِنْ عَزازتِهَا سِترُ

How many gifts come whose essence is clear,

And others have over them from your honored position a veil,

وكَمْ غَادَةٍ تُلقى لِظَاهِرِ طِمرِهَا

وتَلعَبُ بِالألبَابِ إنْ رُفِعَ الطِّمرُ

And how many hints are cast for their outward murkiness,

And play tricks on minds when the murkiness is lifted,

كَسِجنِكَ لِي فِي غُرَّةِ الفِطرِ عِندَمَا

تأخَرَ مِنِّي عَنْ مُوافَاتِكَ الشِّعرُ

Like your banishing me during the prime of Fitr when

The poem was late from me in keeping pace with you,

تَلَطّفْتَ فِي تَشرِيفِ قَدري بِوَضعِهِ

مُغَالَطَةً مِنْ حَيثُ لَمْ يَشعُرِ الغُمر

You were gracious in honoring my worth by placing it,

Deceiving from an angle the heedless,

فَظُّنَ بِبادِي الرَّأي أنْ قَد أهَنتَني

وَأنِّي لاَ خِلٌّ لَدَيكَ ولاَ خَمْرُ

So the shallow of mind thought you had humiliated me,

And that I had for you no value or wine,

ومَا عَرَفَ المِسكينُ أنَّ بِهَذِهِ

عَلَى كُلّ مِنْ يَدري القَريضَ لي الفَخرُ

And the poor fellow did not know that through this

For all who understand verse, the pride is mine,

فَلَو لَمْ أكُنْ فِيهِ العَتاهيَّ مَا جَرى

عَلَيَّ مِنَ المَنصورِ في قَولِهِ الجَبرُ

For had I not been the conceited one, there would not have flowed

Upon me from al-Mansur in his words the divine decree,

وكَمْ بَينَ مَن يَأتي إلى البِرَ طَالِباً

وبَينَ الذي يَنشأ فَيَطلُبُهُ البِرُّ

And how great between one who comes seeking righteousness,

And one whom righteousness grows up seeking,

وما حُبِسَ البّازي لأجلِ هَوانِهِ

ولاَ بُلبُلُ الأدوَاحَ أرخَصَهُ الأسرٌ

Neither was al-Baz imprisoned for his lowliness,

Nor was Bulbul al-Adwah cheapened by captivity,

فَهَذا عَلَى الأبصَارِ يَجلُو مَحَاسِناً

وَهَذاكَ في الأسمَاعِ مِنْ سَجعِهِ سِحْرُ

So this one’s virtues shine clearly before eyes,

While the other by his eloquence casts a spell on ears,

ومَا كَانَ تَركُ الشِّعرِ مِنِّي لِريبةٍ

أمنْ بَعدِ إخلاَصِي يُنَاطُ بِيَ الغَدرُ

Nor was my leaving off verse due to any suspicion,

After my sincerity, would betrayal be assigned to me?

أمَا إنَّني وَجَّهتُ فِيكَ قَوافِيا

مَقَاوِدُهَا حُبِّي وأحمَالُهَا الشِكرُ

But indeed I directed rhymes toward you

Whose themes are my love and their loads gratitude,

ومَا بِاختِيارِي كَانَ حُبِّي وإنَّمَا

لِحُبِّكَ مَنْ يُبصِرُ سَجَايَاكمَ يُضْطَرُّ

My love was not by my choice, but rather

Whoever discerns your traits is compelled to love,

عَلَيكَ مَحَبَّاتُ القُلُوبِ تَهَافَتَتْ

كَمَا حَولَ بَيتِ اللهِ يَجتَمِعُ السَّفْرُ

Upon you hearts’ affections rushed,

As around the House of God pilgrims gather,

فَأنتَ لَهَا مَغنِيطِس لَو تُصُورَتْ

لَضاقَ عَلَى الأشبَاحِ مِنْ بَينِهَا المَرُ

For you are their magnet, and if imagined

For the spirits among them space would be tight,

لأنَّكَ فَيَّاضٌ وثَغرَكَ بَاسِمٌ

وَلَفظَكَ جَزْمٌ أنْ يَمُرَّ بِهِ هُجْرُ

Since you are abundant, your smile a healer,

And your words resolute, shunning estrangement,

ولَولاكَ مَا رَاجَ القَرِيضُ ولادَّعَى

بِمَيدانِهِ لِلسَّبقِ مِنْ ظَهرِهِ مُهْرُ

Without you verse would not thrive, nor would the ode

Claim in its field to outdo them in running,

وَلَكِنْ عَدَتْنِي الآن عَنْهُ عَوارِضٌ

أسَاءَتْ إلَى قَلْبِي وَرُضَّ لَهَا الفِكْرُ

But distracted me from it now some symptoms

Which did evil unto my heart, and reason acquiesced,

طَوَيتُ عَنِ الأسمَاعِ ثِقلَ حَدِيثِهَا

لأنَّ بِثَقلِ اللُّبّ يُسْتَثْقَلُ القِشرُ

I blocked from my hearing the weight of their talk,

For with the heaviness of the kernel, the peel feels heavy,

وَهَذي بَقَايَا الفِكرِ كُنتُ اختَلَسْتُهَا

عَلَى غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ قَبلِ أنْ يَبْلَهَا السُّكْرُ

These were remnants of thought I had stolen

During an inattentiveness before intoxication claimed them,

فَإنْ أطْلَقَتنِي مِنْ وِثَاقِكَ رُبَّمَا

بِيُمنٍ عَلَى يَأسِ الفَتَى سَنَحَ الطِّيرُ

So if she releases me from your bond perhaps

With divine aid despite the youth’s despair, the bird may be caught,

وإنْ كَانَتِ الأخرَى فَكَمْ مِنْ مَلِيحَةٍ

تُسَاقُ إلَى بَعْلٍ وَيُنتَظَرُ المَهرُ

And if it be another, how many a gorgeous woman

Is led to a husband, and the dowry awaited,

حَبِيتَ كَمَا تَختَارُ تَظفَرُ بِالمُنَى

وتَعْظُمُ في المَعْنَى وَطَالَ لَكَ العُمْرُ

Love as you choose, you gain what you wish,

And are mighty in meaning; may your life be long,