أَلَمْ يأتِ أَملاكَ الطَّوائفِ أَنَّهُ
نَبا عن طِلابِ المجدِ كلُّ مُخَاطِرِ
Did not the angels of the Holy Places know
That every daring adventurer aspires for glory?
ولم ينب صَمْصَامُ الخِلافةِ أنَّهُ
مضى راضياً عن عزمهِ لم يُشَاوِرِ
The holder of the caliphate was not warned
That he went gladly, having decided, not seeking counsel,
وباتَ نَجيباً للهمومِ كأَنَّهُ
على الجَمرةِ الحَمراءِ شحمةُ صَاهِرِ
And spent the night anxious, as though
He were fat sizzling on glowing embers,
رأى رأيَهُ ثم استبدَّ فلم يُطِعْ
نصيحاً ولم يَسْمَعْ مَقَالَةَ زاجِرِ
He had his own views, then was obstinate, obeying
No advice, nor hearing any warning speech,
ولم يَنْهَهُ عن هَمِّهِ وَزماعِهِ
وعيدُ الأَعادى وأعتراضُ المقَادِرِ
Neither did his ambition and resolution
Nor the threats of enemies or protests of fate stop him.
رأَى كلَّ ساعٍ في الأَنامِ مغَرَّراً
فغَرَّرني كسبُ العُلا والمآثِرِ
He saw everyone in the world deceived by gain
So the acquiring of loftiness and glorious deeds deceived me.
نظرتُ ولم أبَصرْ وقد بعدَ المَدَى
كجريكَ في جَري الجيادِ المُحَاصِرِ
I looked and did not see, so remote was the range,
Like your racing the steeds that bear you headlong.
ولا مثلَ أَمْرٍ رُضْتَه لا يروضهُ
من الناسِ إلاَّ مُسْتَمِرُّ المَرائِرِ
And nothing resembles an aim that you approve
That the fickle people do not also approve.
إذا همَّ كانَ العزمُ أَهونَ سَعيهِ
يَزيدُ على كيدِ العدوِّ المكابِرِ
When he was anxious, resolution was an easier task,
Excelling the enemy's plots, however stubborn.
وللهِ مربوطٌ على الحربِ جَاشُهُ
إذا فَتَرَتْ أَلفَيتَهُ غيرَ فاتِرِ
To war his enthused spirit urged him
When his colleagues weakened, he lost no fervor.
تقدَّم يَغلى كيدها لِصِحَابِهِ
ولا خيرَ في مُسْتَقْدِمٍ غيرِ حَاذِرِ
He advanced, his trickery boiling up against his rivals -
But the impetuous, unless wary, have no merit.
هو الجَدُّ حتى يفرِقَ المرءَ ظِلُّهُ
ويَقْصُرَ من الحاظهِ كل ناطِرِ
He was earnest until a man's shadow parts from him
And all who look on fall short.
فلم يَنْهَ عنكَ الناسَ مثلُ مْحَلِّقٍ
من الضَّربِ أَو قالٍ من الطَّعْنِ فَائِرِ
So, unlike you circumspect watchers,
None deterred you from blows or fierce slashing.
