يا ليتَ شِعري والعيشُ أطوارُ

والناسُ بعدَ العيانِ أخبارُ

Oh how I wish my poetry and life were phases,

And people after seeing were stories.

هل أغمس الركبَ غِبَّ هاجرةٍ

في جِنحِ ليلٍ كأنّه القارُ

Shall I immerse the caravan in the darkness of an emigrating night,

Whose wings are like the steam?

أو أتغنى لهم بقافيةٍ

سماعها في الرؤوسِ سَوّارُ

Or shall I sing to them with a rhythm,

Hearing it in heads is like earrings?

قد نلتُ عيشَ الفتى وشيعتي

وجدٌ بلبِّ الفَتاةِ عَيّارُ

I got the life of a young man and my supporters,

And the one who aims at the girl's mind is skillful.

وحاسبتْ نِيقَتي مُبتَّلَةٌ

فناقشتُها والحُبُّ مِقدارُ

My she-camel reckoned while being tested,

So I argued with her while love is the measure.

جاريتُها في عِنانِ شِرَّتِها

وقلتُ إنّ الشّبابَ غدّارُ

Her female servant flowed in the bridle of her evil,

And I said that youth is a traitor.

كان خشوعُ الديارِ يطربُه

فاليومَ لا طَربَةٌ ولا دارُ

The humility of the houses delighted him,

So today there is no delight or houses.

لولا العُلا ما أُحِبُّ مكرُمَةً

والحُبُّ ضيمٌ كأنّه العارُ

If not for the sublime, I would not love an honored one,

And love is humiliation as if it were a defect.

لا زفرةٌ تحطِمُ الضلوعَ ولا

قلبٌ مع الظّاعنينَ طيّارُ

No sigh breaks the ribs, nor a heart with the blamers high-flying,

In the arm of the eminent state, and what a perfect job is short for us.

في عضُدِ الدّولةِ الهُمامِ وما

أبدعَ شُغْلٌ لنا وإقصارُ

After you, a problem called out,

Announcing the male rememberers.

قد طرقتْ بعدَكم معضِلةٌ

مؤذنة بالبنين مِذْكارُ

A slaughterer from Karak unsheathed,

On the edges of the towns frequent visitors.

شمَّرَ من كَرَّكانَ مُنصلتٌ

على تنائي الدِّيارِ زَوّارُ

In his hand solutions for engagements,

And with him secrets of the absent.

في يده للخطوبِ أقضيةٌ

وعندَه للغيوبِ أسرارُ

His camels kneel with old age,

Having storms over the Indians.

أكوعُ أفراسه بخُرَّمةٍ

لها على الهندوانِ إعصارُ

A battalion whose camp in the bare land still flows,

Moving about in the open country.

كتيبةٌ لا يزالُ يدفقُها

مخيمٌ بالعراءِ سَيّارُ

Among the highlands, swords and spears,

And amidst the saddles, quivers.

بين العَوالي صوارمٌ قُضُبٌ

وفي خِلالِ السّروجِ أكوارُ

He straightened in his family his kingdoms,

Each having a plain and settlements.

عدَّلَ في أهلهِ ممالكهِ

كلٌّ له كورةٌ وأمصارُ

He did not belittle the small weak, nor

Incline for the elder preference.

لا حقَّرَ العِجزةَ الصغيرَ ولا

مالَ بهِ للكبيرِ إيثارُ

Until when their scales aspired with them,

And glory between the generous is a measure.

حتى إذا طاشَ من كنانَتِه

أفْوَقُ يومَ النضالِ خَوّارُ

Your people have disappointed you and persisted with them

Ignorance over their injustice and insistence.

لا ينكرُ الضميمَ وهو يعرِفهُ

ولا يفعادي صَفاهُ مِنقارُ

They did not swing the comrade’s sword, nor

Turn away the enemy’s youth when they walked.

حاذَرَ من خزينةٍ يسوغُها

وهل على المخزياتِ أقدارُ

You went and in your quick travel for them,

Are the lives of a people flowing and lifespans.

يجحدُ أولادَه الفتى كرماً

وهم له لذّةٌ وأنصارُ

Opponents whose lightnings rattled,

Or a regiment in the irons clattering?

إذا موازينُهم طمحنَ بهم

والمجدُ بين الكرامِ مِعيارُ

Fear snatches bravery from their palms,

Except for them while the hearts are small.

قومُكَ عقّوكَ واستمرّ بهم

جهلٌ على ظلمهم وإصرارُ

Their eyelids did not dry from the swords, nor

Did the strings of the tough bows harden,

لا رمضوا شفرةَ الصديقِ ولا

فلّوا شَباةَ العدوِّ إذ ساروا

Until when you feared the soldiers' stumbles

Would reach them with claws,

سرتَ وفي سيركَ الحثيثِ لهم

آجالُ قومٍ تَسري وأعمارُ

You ordered stopping chasing them

While you are with favors supreme.

أعارضٌ جَلْجَلَتْ صواعقُه

أم فيلقٌ في الحديدِ جَرّارُ

An ability that did not leave a trace for the able,

Of rage, and rage is how fire is reached.

يستلبُ الرعب من أكُفّهمُ

إلا لَهُم والقلوبُ أصغارُ

It imagined invasion a coffee whose knots

And flute drive.

لم تجفُ أجفانها السيوف ولا

قاستْ متونَ القسيّ أوتارُ

Around you the game of archers teaching,

And around him, a tracker and marker.

حتى إذا خِفتَ أنْ تَنالَهُمُ

من عثراتِ الجنودِ أظفارُ

Busy with desires he evaluates,

And without his estimation, measurements.

أمرتَ بالكفِّ عن طِلبهمُ

وأنتَ بالمكرُماتِ أمّارُ

During all I lodged for him,

A promise, and some of the dwelling is a warning.

مَقْدِرةٌ لم تَدَعْ لمُقْتَدرٍ

غيظاً وبالغيظِ يُدرَكُ النّارُ

My guess did not fail in you, and

Eyes have betrayed them and sights.

توهّمَ الغزوَ قهوةً مزِجَتْ

يحثُّها بَربَطٌ ومزمارُ

You slept for them a sleep to level them,

No eyelids remained for the eyes.

حولَكَ صيدُ الكماةِ مُعلمةً

وحولَه قَينةٌ وسُمّارُ

My mother ransomed Tamim and did not give birth,

The day of the stallions of men, naïve.

مشتغلاً بالمنى يقدرُها

ودونَ تقديرِهنّ أقدارُ

It did not harm them while the sword eliminates them,

Tempers cooled down, and the people are free.

قد كانَ في طولِ ما سكنتُ له

وَحْيٌ وبعضُ السّكونِ إنذارُ

They attacked, and with them white, spears, and

Signs, many, and ruins.

ما كان ظنّي يخيبُ فيكَ وقد

خانتْ عيونٌ لهم وأبصارُ

Their skulls get acquainted with it, and it gets acquainted with them,

And collarbones from them and throats.

نمتَ لهم نومةً تُسهّدهُم

ما بقيت للعيونِ أشفارُ

The tongues of the army in their necks,

As if they are buttons for the armors.

فدتْ تميماً أُمي وما وَلَدَتْ

يومَ فحولِ الرجالِ أغرارُ

Your hunting trained them in battle, and not

The sphere between the two horses rounds.

ما ضرّهم والسيفُ تَعدِمُهُم

عفتْ كُلومٌ والقومُ أحرارُ

And the stab of the two horsemen is one,

As if the last’s spear is an extension.

كرّوا وبالبيضِ والقَنا وبهم

مَعالمُ جَمّةٌ وآثارُ

You stood them while the spears are bending,

And you were pleased with them and the steeds neighing.

يألفُهم حَدُّها وتألفُهُ

جماجمٌ منهم وأسْحارُ

O pillar of the state, whose adventure

Subjugated fate and it is compelling,

أسنّةُ الجيشِ في نحورهم

كأنّها للدّروعِ أزرارُ

Birds are awed by you in their processions,

And below them a towering and streaming.

أدّبَهُم في الوَغى طِرادُكَ وال

كرَّةُ بينَ الخيلين أطْوارُ

A nation has succeeded that you discipline,

And you are an observer in the approach you take.

وطعنةُ الفارسينِ واحدةٌ

كأنّ رمحَ الأخيرِ مِسْبارُ

You are daytime and scholars are darkness,

And you are fine and people are counterfeits.

قومتَهم والرماحُ عاسيةٌ

ورضتَهم والجيادُ أمهارُ

They are sheep protected by your care,

And captives in your hands caught.

يا عضدَ الدولةِ الذي قَمَعَتْ

صَوْلَتُهُ الدهرَ وهو جَبّارُ

A tradition is inevitable to straighten them

On the path of salvation when they were lost.

ترهبكَ الطيرُ في مواكبِها

ودونَها شاهِقُ وتيّارُ

You are for it when its guide was misguided

In its night and the brave raging.

قد أفلحتْ أمةٌ تؤدّبها

ومذهبٌ أنتَ فيه نظّارُ

You were, and its hot coal dressed you

أنتَ نهارٌ والعالمون دُجىً

وأنتَ طِرزٌ والناسُ أعيارُ

An armor that fire cannot melt.

We have no glory in praise,

هُمُ غنمٌ في حِماكَ راتعةٌ

وصبيةٌ في يديكَ أغمارُ

So your deed is rain and words are blazes.

لابدّ من سُنةٍ تُقيمُهُمُ

على طريقِ النّجاةِ إذْ حاروا

Wars grew with their flames so

Its intensity does not hide and you are the igniter.

أنتَ لها حينَ ضلَّ قائدُها

في ليلِها والجُديُّ غَرّارُ

Your horses in Babylon are halted,

Wishing that the stay is easy.

كنتَ وقد سربلوكَ جاحِمَها

جندلةً لا تسيغها النّارُ

Erect, aiming with their eyes

The strongholds of Rome and they are goals.

ليس لنا في المديحِ محمدةٌ

فعلكَ غيثٌ والقولُ نُوّارُ

How does the gulf say it is safe from them

شُبَّتْ بأجدالِها الحروبُ فَما

يخبو لَظاها وأنتَ مِسْعارُ

And they are on the road, their bellowing harsh?

When will I see them in a moving land

خيلُكَ في بابلٍ معطَّلَةٌ

تَودُّ أنّ المقامَ تَسيارُ

As the pure spilled generously?

Each fallen person whose blood is upon him

شاخصةٌ تَرتمي بأعيُنها

معاقِلُ الرومِ وهيَ أوْعارُ

Under the dust, ashes.

As if he is in the proximity of its pursuit,

كيفَ يقولُ الخليجُ يأمنُها

وهي على الدربِ مُخُّها رارُ

A gazelle, and the chest of the canal is torn.

Its horsemen are out of supplies,

متى أراها بأرضِ ساريةٍ

كما أفاضَ القِداح أيسارُ

So it snacks on the two hills.

When the pouncing of eagles faces it

تمزُجُ أنفاسَها إذا حَمِيَتْ

شَمالُ لُبنانَ وهو هَرّارُ

And includes it and the south is a racecourse,

There did not remain anyone from the plateau’s residents, nor

يَركُلُها كلّ حاسرٍ دَمُهُ

عليه تحت الغبارِ أطمارُ

Barqah and the settlements of Al-Qayrawan.

I wish the kings of the countries would see them,

كأنّه في وجارِ لبّته

أرْيٌ وصدرُ القناةِ مُشتارُ

Your plot, no power from you the sights deter.

For each herder is a neighboring herder,

قد عَدِمَتْ زادَها فوارسُه

فهي من الغوطتينِ تَمتارُ

And you are like a lion, no neighbor for him.

إذا هبوطِ النّسرينِ واجهها

وضمّها والجَنوبُ مضمارُ

لم يبقَ من ساكنِ الصعيدِ ولا

بَرْقَةَ والقيروان ديّارُ

ليتَ ملوكَ البلادِ أنظرَهم

كيدُك لا عزَّ منكَ أنظارُ

لكلِّ راعٍ راعٍ يُجاوِرُهُ

وأنتَ كالليثِ ما لهُ جارُ