بعتُ أَفراحى وَودَّعتُ الجَذَلْ

يومَ راحَتْ في الخَليطِ المُحْتَملْ

I sent away my joys and bade farewell to delight,

The day she left amidst the uncertain throng.

ظَبيةٌ غَنَّاءُ فيهَا وَلَهٌ

وقعَ الحَبلُ عليها فَنَصَلْ

A singing gazelle, pure of heart,

Yet fate's noose fell upon her neck.

طَلَعَتْ من جانبِ الخِدْرِ لنا

في بُدُورٍ كَشَفَتْهُنَّ الكِلَلْ

She appeared from the side of the tent to us,

In the first light of dawn that unveiled the meadows.

أَيُّ عينٍ بَعْدَنَا تْبصرُهَا

ليتني أملِكُ الحَاظَ المُقَلْ

What eye shall see her after us?

Would that I possess the protected attributes!

قد تأولتُ مناماتِ الكَرَى

وتعللتُ زماناً بالعِلَلْ

I have interpreted the dreams of adversity,

And for a time excused myself with pretexts.

وكتمتُ الحُبَّ حتى شَنفَّنِى

واذا ما كُتِمَ الداءُ قَتَلْ

I concealed love until it reproached me,

And when disease is hidden, it kills.

ضَحِكَ الدهرُ وأَبدى ثَغْرَهُ

ببهاءِ الدولةِ المَلْكِ الأَجَلْ

Fate laughed and bared its gaping mouth,

With the splendor of everlasting dominion.

بِفَتىً لا تَتَخَطَّاهُ المُنَى

وقفَ الظنُّ عليه فَنَزَلْ

With a youth, from whom doom cannot be escaped,

And upon whom opinion descended.

قد كفاكم جُلَّ تدبيركُمُ

حَدَثُ السنِّ لبيبُ مُقْتَبَلْ

Your great cunning has sufficiently helped you,

The talk of youth, an insightful lad.

وهبَ العَجْزَ لسمَّارِ المُنى

وَنَضَا عنه سَرابيلَ الكَسَلْ

Age yielded to the broker of doom,

And languor slipped from him like trousers.

ليس يُرجى فعلَ يومٍ لِغَدٍ

واذا ما همَّ بالأَمرِ فَعَلْ

No act of a day is hoped for tomorrow,

And when resolved to act, he acted.

يا ابنَ من نائِلُهُ عمَّ الوَرى

وبهِ يُضْرَبُ في الناسِ المَثَلْ

O son, whose attainment encompassed all people,

And by whom the example among mankind was set.

انَّ للامرةِ ثِقْلاً فادِحاً

قلَّ من يَحْمِلُه في الناسِ قَلْ

Rulership bears a tremendous burden,

Few among the people can carry it sparingly.

مَنِّ عينيكَ عُلالاتِ الكَرَى

ودعِ النومَ لرباتِ الحَجَلْ

Spare your eyes the evils of fate,

And leave sleep to the ladies of the tents.

واجعل الحزمَ ظَهيراً للفَتَى

فمنَ العِزَّةِ ما يُؤتى البَطَلْ

Make wisdom the ally of the youth,

For with glory, the hero is given.

لا تُفرقْ جَاهِداً بينهمَا

فَهُمَا العونُ على نيلِ الأَملْ

Do not separate the warrior between them,

For they both give aid in attaining hope.

ليسَ ينهى عنكَ أَطماعَ العِدَى

زُخرفُ القولِ وتلفِيقُ الحِيَلْ

The embellished words and fabricated ruses of enemies,

Cannot dissuade you.

دونَ تَقرِيبِ طمِرٍّ سابحٍ

يكْفِتُ المشيةَ كالسِّيدِ الأَزلْ

Without bringing near a swimming courser,

That carries intention like the eternal lord.

وسنانٍ مثل مصباحِ الدجى

زانَ أَعطافَ قضيبٍ مُعْتَدلْ

And a blade like the lamp of darkness,

That adorned the sides of a straight spear.

ثُغرةُ القِرنِ به فاعلةٌ

مِثْل ما يفعلُ بالخَدِّ الخَجَلْ

The tip of the spear is effective with it,

Like what modesty does to the cheek.

لا يَخَافُ الضيمَ من يَحْمِلُهُ

عُقِلَ العِزُّ بأَطرافِ الأَسَلْ

He who carries it, fears no injustice,

Sense was bound to the edges of the sword.

يا أَحقَّ الناسِ بالنصرِ وَمَنْ

عَرضَ الانصافَ منه وَبَزَلْ

O most deserving of victory, he who

Presented justice and lowered himself.

قد تركتَ الشَّمسَ فينا عِوَضاً

بَدَلاً منكَ وهل منكَ بَدَلْ

You left the sun behind as compensation for us,

In your place, yet is there any substitute for you?

رَدَّكَ اللهُ اليها سَالِماً

وكفانا فيكَ محذورَ الوَجَلْ

May God return you to it unharmed,

And suffice us from the fears of your absence.