ما لَنا يا ضَعيفَ الوِدَادِ

غير فَرطِ الأَسى وطُولِ السُّهادِ

What's wrong with you, O weak in affection?

Other than excessive sorrow and prolonged vigil

وجوىً كالسُّلالِ لو كنتُ أُبديهِ

لَقَرَّتْ به عيونُ الأَعَادي

And whispers that if I uttered them

The eyes of enemies would weep over them

انَّما غَيرة عليكَ وبُقيا

صُنْتُهُ عن عيادةِ العُوَّادِ

But it's jealousy over you and honor

That made me shield it from the frequent visitor

لا أَرى في المنامِ منكَ خَيالاً

كيفَ والنومُ ما يزورُ وسَادي

I see no image of you in dreams

How could sleep visit my pillow?

بالكرى جفوةٌ وفيكَ تَجَافٍ

فمتى تَنقَعُ القلوبُ الصَّوادي

There's estrangement from the beloved and aloofness from you

So when will hearts accustomed to affection be quenched?

حبَّذا الرائحونَ من طَرفِ الحَزْ

نِ ونجدٌ منهم على مِيعَادِ

Those who came from the side of Hijaz are fortunate

And we found some of them true to their appointment

تَتَلقَّاهُمُ بنَشْرِ الخُزَامى

نَفَحَاتٌ تَشفي غليلَ الفُؤَادِ

You receive them with the blossoms of chamomile

Whiffs that heal the sickness of the heart

انْ أَكن عارياً فما يشعرُ السي

فُ بتمريقِ جَفنه والنّجَادِ

If I am bare, sleep does not notice

Its eyelid blinking or slumber coming

غلبَ الناسَ جَدُّ آلِ بويهٍ

وعلا قدرُهم على الأَندَادِ

The excellence of the Abbasid house prevailed

And their worth transcended that of all rivals

أَشرقتْ فوقهم وطالتْ عليهمْ

صَهواتُ الهِضَابِ والأَطْوَادِ

The rays shone above them and lingered over them

And the plateaus and dunes bore witness

وشآهم في السَّعي خُرَّةُ فَيرُو

زَ فساد الأنامَ قبلَ السَّوَادِ

And the nobility of Fayrouz adorned their endeavor

Corrupting people before the darkness spread

اِنَّ تحويلَكَ المُبشِّر بالنَّصْ

رِ وكبت العُدَاةِ والحُسَّادِ

Your accession, heralding victory, subduing enemies and envious foes

Aligned with the orbiting planets and the brilliant sun halfway up

وافقَ السَّائراتِ والقمرُ الزا

هرُ يَنمي والشمسُ في الأَصعادِ

In its exaltation in Pisces it tripled its power

While in its detriment, and in the fourth house of its cycle

في مُحَاظي كيوانَ قَدْ ثلثَاه

وهو والٍ في رابعِ المِيلادِ

The greater fortune in its dignity and Mars in its accidental dignity

And the Ascendant's essential and accidental strength dominating the cusps

بَيتَة الأَعظمِ المُذكَّرِ والمَرْ

رِيخ في حظّهِ من الاسْعَادِ

All this portends what you hope for

Of attaining wishes and realizing goals

واستقلَ السَّعْدانِ في الأَصلِ والتح

ويلِ واستوليا على الأَوتَادِ

You are more worthy of the cup, valor and leisure than they

And unravelling complex hardships

كلُّ ذا مُؤذِنٌ بما تَتَرجَّى

من بلوغِ المُنى ونَيلِ المُرَادِ

And if in war there must be a leader

You would be foremost of the charging heroes

أَنتَ أولى بالكأسِ والبأس والرَّا

حةِ منهم والمعضلاتِ الشِّدَادِ

These nomads have exceeded in tyranny and enmity, unrestrained

They disbelieved in He who created you and what will benefit the people after disbelief in divine decree?

واذا الحربُ كان منها زعيمٌ

موضعَ القلبِ كنتَ في الروَّادِ

So avoid misguidance, O Aqil ibn Ka'b

And plot your course of guidance

أَسْرَفَتْ هذهِ الأعاريبُ في الطغْ

يانِ والبَغي لا عَدَتْهَا العَوَادِي

And beware a defiant attack

That the lion cannot deter, such is its stubborn nature

كَفروا بالذي صَنعْتَ وما يَنْ

فعُ في القومِ بَعْدَ كفرِ الأَيادِي

It disturbs the flank, unable to discern in its onslaught

The taste of tranquil sleep

فدعوا الغيَّ يا عُقيلَ بن كعبٍ

واعمدوا لاعمدتهم للرشَادِ

And seekers of lofty goals, do not draw near

The most deficient, the least thriving

واحذروا وثبةً تُعاندُها الأُس

دُ وما في طباعِها من عِنَادِ

For in your safety, if you avoid plots

Can the hostile enemy feel secure?

تفجعُ الجَنْبَ بالوِسَادِ ولا تع

رِفُ فيها العيونُ طعمَ الرقَادِ

Swords sit waiting in their sheaths

Will they end up at the watering holes?

وطلابُ الغَاياتِ لا تَقربوهُ

أَولُ النقصِ آخرُ الازديادِ

And hounds surveilling the strongholds know

The sincerity of the drawn blade after the chase

فنميرٌ انْ سالمتكَ فَعَنْ كي

دٍ وهل يأَمنُ العدوَّ المُعادَي

They helped you at their death throes but did not help

By enduring torment

قَعَدَتْ تنظرُ الصَّوارمَ في هَا

مِكَ هل تنتهي الى الأَورَادِ

And I see the right course if you transcend

Your passions, for reason is one's guide

وكلابٌ على العَواصمِ تَدري

أَنَّ صِدقَ المِصَاعِ بَعْدَ الطِّرَادِ

You are not like the asses of relics

Nor the living among Thamud and Aad

أَنجدُوكم من نَصْرِهم بالمَواعي

دِ ولم ينجدوكم بالجِلادِ

And people of settlements ruined by time

With only their traces left in the land

وأَرى الرأيَ بادياً لو تَعدَّي

من هَواكم والرأي للمرءِ هَادِ

And hands that were your greatest supporters

And mobilizers against the squadrons

لستم مثلَ حِمْيَرٍ في المقاما

تِ ولا الحيِّ من ثمودٍ وَعَادِ

Before the peninsula gained superiority over you

Filling it with unsheathed Indian swords

واناسٍ بالحَضرِ افناهم الده

رُ وأَبقى آثارهم في البلادِ

Their hands pelted them with the arrows of calamities

Incessantly feeding the quiver of the man of many soldiers

وايادٍ كانوا أَعَزَّ نَصيراً

ونفيراً منكم على سِنْدَادِ

They confronted him in the highlands of glory

But his highlands caused them to topple in ruin

قبل أنْ تفضلَ الجَزيرةُ عنكمْ

مَلَؤُوهَا بالصافناتِ الجِيادِ

Then with the two deals he marched them in fetters

To death, violating the pact of loved ones

رَجمَتْهمُ أَيدي الخُطُوبِ بسَابُو

رَ مُغِذّاً سابورَ ذي الأَجنَادِ

And the vying of youths destroyed in vain battles

Kulaib and ignited the war of corruption

قارعوهُ على الطَّريفِ من العِزْ

زِ فأودى طريفُهم بالتِّلادِ

She who witnessed the crushing defeat of the confederates

Truthfully avenged them with her own hands

ثم بالصفقتينِ ساقَ الى الحي

نِ مَعَداً محبة الأَزوَادِ

When Dahis transgressed with an ugly grin

He sowed enmity that embroiled them in feuds

وتباغِي الفتيانِ أَهلَكَ في الفَخْ

رِ كليباً وجرَّ حربَ الفَسَادِ

They ignited the flames of filial disobedience

And it became an ember in hearts and livers

والذي أَدركتْ حُذَيفَةُ أَفرا

سَ لؤيٍّ حقَّها بذاتِ الأَصَادِ

You undid the knot of affection and invoked

The motto of forefathers and ancestors

اذْ عدا دَاحِسٌ لحى بَغِيضٍ

عَدْوَةً أوقعتهم في التَّعَادي

And so too the Nidaa, when it rang out

An answer that deafens the hearer

قبسوا شعلةَ العقوقِ فكانت

جمرةً في القلوبِ والأكَبادِ

O epitome of glory, O rising sun

Radiance, and O savior of worshippers

فحللتم عَقْدَ الحُبى ودعوتُم

بشعارِ الآباءِ والأَجدَادِ

May God facilitate what you embark upon

And give succession to the excellent steeds

وكذاكَ النِّدا لَما بَلَغَ الصو

تَ جوابٌ يُصِمُّ سَمْعَ المُنَادي

The gamboling of horses, the swaying of stalwarts

And release of the oryx from their tethers

يا بهاءَ العلا ويا طَلْعَةَ الشم

سِ ضياءً ويا غِيَاثَ العِبَادِ

As if I see them vying in the charge

To plunder their breasts on the rugged terrain

يَسَّرَ اللهُ ما تُرِيْغُ من السَّيْ

رِ وأحظى به جُدُودَ الجيَادِ

Galloping irresistibly over the sandgrouse

Haughty yet submissive to the reins

مَرَحُ الخَيلِ واهتِزَازُ العَوالي

وَفَكَاك الظبا من الأَغمادِ

Perhaps they will trample you with their hooves

God's custom with enemies is repetition

وكأَني بها تُبادِرُ في الجَرْ

يِ الى نَهْبِهَا صُدُوْرَ الصِّعّادِ

They preyed upon the House of Idris

And seized the citadels of the Kurds

جَامِحَاتٍ على الأعنةِ تَنْزُو

صَعْبَةً وهي سَمْحَةٌ في القِيَادِ

Bewildering them from women, warriors

Like flames devouring the locusts

وعسى أَنْ تدوسَكم بِرَحَاهَا

عادةُ اللهِ عندهُ في الأَعادي

They saw the company of loved ones more sweet

Than parting of heads from bodies

قنصتْ في مَسِيرها آلَ ادري

سَ ونالتْ مَعَاقِلَ الأَكْرَادِ

Kab saw them and they provoked

Yearning in the pipes of his love songs

أَذهَلَتْهُم عن النِّسَاءِ رِعَالٌ

مثشْعَلاتٌ تسومُ سَومَ الجَرَادِ

They sipped from his laments after madness

Sips of the captive in chains

فَرأوا فُرقةَ الأَحبةِ أَحلى

من فِراقِ الرؤوسِ للأَجسَادِ

While they hope towards your sword-strokes

And do not hope towards the valleys

ورأَتْها كعبٌ فكانتْ ثِقافاً

لأَنابيبِ عِطْفِها المُنْآدِ

Clouds of darkness have covered them so no shelter accepts them

Neither a tent nor a burrow

رَشَفت في أناتِهَا بعدَ طَيْشٍ

رَشَفَانَ الأَسيرِ في الاقيَادِ

The passions of fate, if they assail them

Blast them upon the sharp polished swords

فهم يأملونَ صَوب سَجَايَا

كَ ولا يأملونَ صوبَ الغَوادي

And lions, like falcons over the ruins

Protecting them from the vipers

قد تَحامتْهُمُ الفِجَاجُ فما تق

بلهم تَلعةٌ ولا بَطْنُ وآدِ

In the valley of waters, a hound, and in the uplands

Blackened ruins like the burrows of hyenas

لهواتُ الشَّهباءِ انْ لهمتهم

نَفَثَتَهُمْ على السيوفِ الحِدَادِ

Whether you attack or withdraw you lose livestock

While withdrawal destroys the excellent steed

وليوثٌ مثل الصقورِ على الخَ

بورِ يَحْمُونَهُ من الوُرادِ

They have nothing left but to return to Najd

The terrain of Hejaz is the worst destiny

وبوادي المياهِ كَلبٌ وبالشَّا

مِ خِلالٌ مُسْوَدَّةٌ كالدَّآدي

انْ تُجاوِرْ تُضَمْ وانْ تنفردْ تؤ

كلْ ضَياعاً وذاكَ عقرُ الجوَادِ

ما لهمُ غير أَنْ يَعودا الى نج

دٍ وغورُ الحِجَازِ شَرُّ مَعَادِ