لو كانَ صِبْغي سواد الشّعرِ لم يَحُلِ

والدّهْرُ يُعْرَفُ ما فيهِ سِوى الخَجَلِ

If my complexion were the blackness of hair, it would not be seemly,

And time is known for nothing but shame.

يُعطي بِلا صَبوةٍ منه إلى أحَدٍ

منا ويأخذُ ما يُعْطي بلا مَلَلِ

It gives endlessly to someone among us,

And takes what it gives without tiring.

لمّا بَدا الشيْبُ والعشرونَ ما كَمُلَتْ

مع الشّبابِ تُجاريهِ على مَهَلِ

When white hair and twenty years appeared,

Competing with youth at a leisurely pace.

خِلْنا البياضَ سُيوفاً أُودِعَتْ خِللاً

من السّوادِ فأبدتْ جِدَّة الخِلَلِ

We made whiteness swords placed through

The blackness, so it showed the newness of the inserted thing.

إنّ الخِضابَ لأبْقى منكَ باقيةً

لو اشتَفَيْنا من الأسْقامِ بالعِلَلِ

If we were to be rescued from illnesses by dye,

Dye would remain longer lasting.

حييِّ المَشيبَ فشخصٌ ليسَ نازلُهُ

إنْ أنتَ لم تنتقلْ عنه بمنتقِلِ

Revive gray hair, so a person whose descent is not lowly,

If you do not move away from him to one who moves.

وأثْبَتُ اللون لونٌ لا يُغيرهُ

صرفُ الزّمانِ ولا يَسودُّ بالحِيَلِ

And I affirm the lasting color a color time's vicissitudes

Does not change, nor does it blacken with tricks.

حَتّامَ نُقْدِمُ والأيامُ تغلِبُنا

وغيرُنا يغلِبُ الأيامَ بالفَشَلِ

We present Hittam, and the days overcome us,

While others overcome the days with disappointment.

يا أهلَ بابلَ عزمي قبلَهُ فِكَري

في النّائِباتِ وسيفي بعدَهُ عَذَلي

O people of Babylon, my resolve before it my thinking

about misfortunes, and after it my sword my punishment.

كَم عندكم نِعَمٌ عندي مَصائِبها

لكم وصالُ الغَواني والصّبابَةُ لي

How many blessings you have! I have their misfortunes.

For you is union with the tender gazelles, and for me separation.

قالوا حنيفةُ شُجْعانٌ فقلتُ لهم

كلُّ الشّجاعةِ والإقدامِ في الدُّوَلِ

They said Khunifah is brave, so I said to them

Total bravery and daring are in states.

ما لي أُغيرُ على دَهري فأُسلبَه

ويحجمونَ وفي أيديهم نَفَلي

Why should I blame my time and so rob it

While they refrain though in their hands are my spoils.

إنْ لم تسلني المواضي عن جَماجمهم

إذا تَطايرنَ فالتقصيرُ من قِبَلي

If the pastures do not distract me from their skulls

When they are scattered, the shortcoming is from me.

كأنّني ما أعرْتُ السيفَ حدَّ يدي

وما وصلتُ وصدرُ الرمحِ لم يَصِلِ

It is as if I never bared the iron edge of my sword

And never arrived, and the breasts of my spear did not arrive.

ولا ركبتُ دجىً أحْدُو كواكبَهُ

إلى الأحبّةِ حَدْوَ الركْبِ للإبِلِ

Nor did I ride at night guiding its planets

To the loved ones, the night riding of the camels.

طَرَقْتُهُمْ والكَرى لم يسلُ أعينَهم

والمشرفيّةُ ما سُلَّتْ من المُقَلِ

I knocked them while fatigue did not distract their eyes,

And al-Mushrifiyyah was not distracted from vigilance.

يا أيُّها الدّهرُ إنّ العِيَّ كالخَطَلِ

ما دَهْرُنا غيرَ سيفِ الدولةِ البِطَلِ

O time! Difficulty is like misalignment.

Our time is none but Sayf al-Dawlah the hero's sword.

أكثرتُ ما بالُهُ بي غيرَ مُحْتَفِلِ

سألتَنا عن كريمٍ عنكَ لم يسَلِ

I have increased my confusion with you excessively,

You asked us about a generous one, from you he did not ask.

يَخْشاكَ من دونِ أنْ تخشاكَ همتُهُ

ويرتجيكَ الذي ذو مِرّةٍ بَعَلِ

He fears you without your fearing him, his ambition

And hopes in you, he who is of bitter determination, impatient.

ماضٍ ترفّعَ عن فوديكَ مَضربُهُ

كما ترفّعُ أشعاري عن الغَزَلِ

Departed smiting your chests with his realm,

As my poems tower above love poetry.

سيرصُدُ الفلكُ الدوارُ فيكَ فتىً

لم يُبْصِرِ الفلكَ الدّوّارَ في زُحَلِ

The circling heavens will observe in you a young man

The circling heavens did not observe in Saturn.

نوالُهُ جعلَ الأرْزاقَ من قِبلي

وعِزُّهُ صيّرَ الأيّامَ من خَولي

His bestowal made livelihoods flow from me,

And his glory made the days from my dominion.

وما تمهلَ يوماً في نَدىً وردىً

إلاّ قضيتُ للمحِ البرقِ بالكَسَلِ

He did not tarry a day in softness and delight

Unless I spent it contending with lightning in chains

ما بالبَطارقِ شيءٌ غيرُ أسْرِهُمُ

بالقولِ دونَ ترامي الحربِ بالشُّعَلِ

The Pataricons have nothing but their captivity

With words without bloody warring with flaming brands.

والقولُ يكفي شُجاعاً صدرُ منصُلهِ

أعطاهُ طاعةَ أهلِ السّهْلِ والجبلِ

And words suffice a brave one whose breast is bared

Giving him the obedience of the people of plain and mountain.

قد كُنتَ تأسرُهُم بالسيفِ مُنصلِتاً

فصرتَ تأسرُهمْ بالخوفِ والوَجَلِ

You used to capture them by the sword baring it,

So you came to capture them by fear and alarm.

من يزرعِ الضّربَ يحصدْ طاعةً عَجَباً

ومن يربِّ العُلا يأمنْ من الثكَلِ

One who sows beating reaps obedience wondrously,

And one who brings up the lofty is safe from stumbling.

كانتْ سحابُكَ فيهم كلَّ بارقةٍ

حمراءَ تهطِلُ بالأيْدي وبالقُلَلِ

Your clouds among them were each flashing stroke

Red pouring on hands and skulls.

فاليومَ سُحبكَ فيهم كلُّ بارقةٍ

غرّاءُ تهطِلُ بالأموالِ والحُلَلِ

So today your clouds among them are each flashing stroke

Green, raining with wealth and garments.

حتّى تمنى مليكُ الرومِ حظَّهُمُ

وأنّهُ معهم في الأسْرِ لم يَزَلِ

Until the King of the Romans coveted their fortune,

Wishing that he were among them, not ceasing.

وقال يا ليتني من بعضِهم بَدَلٌ

فهلْ تَراكَ قَويَّ العزْمِ في البَدَلِ

And he said: Would that I were a substitute for one of them!

Will you see yourself strong in determination for substitution?

يا أيُّها الملكُ المُبدي تجهمَهُ

وقولُه فُزْ بما أنْطَيْتَ وارتَحِلِ

O King who brings into being his frowning,

And his saying: Charge with what you gave and depart!

أرشدْ إلى مَلكٍ يُعطي عطاءَكَ ذا

إنْ شِئْتَ أنْ استكِلَّ البينَ بالرِحَلِ

Direct toward a king who gives gifts like yours,

If you wish the distance to be traversed with luggage.

وأنْ تقولَ لي البيداءُ من وجلٍ

أجئتَ يا راكبَ الخطيّة الذُّبَلِ

And that you say to me: the waste is someone fearful.

Did you come, O rider of the faded she-camel?

فإنْ دَلّلْتُ فشيءٌ أنتَ فاعلُه

إنّ الدّلالةَ في المعروفِ كالعَمَلِ

If I point out, that is something you do.

Guidance in kindness is like action.

وإنْ طلبتُ فلم تعرِفْ سِواكَ فتىً

فاحملْ بفضلكَ ثِقلي واغْتفرْ زَلَلي

And if I seek and do not recognize anyone but you as a man,

Then carry by your bounty my burden and forgive my errors.

فما أُريدُ عطاءً غيرَ جودِكُمُ

ببِشْرِكُم ينجَلي من مالِكُمْ بَجَلي

I do not desire a gift but your munificence,

Smiling at me from what is yours my manned camel.

قد جُدْتَ لي باللّها حتى ضجرتُ بها

وكِدتُ من ضجَري أُثْني على البُخْلِ

You were generous to me by God until I wearied of it

And I nearly wearied from my weariness to praise stinginess!

إنْ كنتَ ترغبُ في هذا النوالِ لنا

فاخلُقْ لنا رغبةً أو لا فلا تُنِلِ

If you desire this companionship for us,

Then create for us a yearning! Or not, so do not give.

لم يُبقِ جودُكَ لي شيئاً أؤمِّلُهُ

تَركتني أصحبُ الدنيا بلا أملِ

Your munificence left me nothing to hope for.

You left me accompanying the world without hope.

حرِّمْ على الموتِ أنْ يغْتالَ أنفسَنا

فإنّ عزمكَ أمْضى منهُ في الأجَلِ

Forbid death to take our souls suddenly,

For your resolve is firmer than it in appointed terms.

كيْما تتمَّ لكَ النَّعْماءُ كاملةً

ويأمن النّاسُ من فَقْرٍ ومن هَبَلِ

So blessings may be perfected for you,

And people safe from poverty and confusion.

أصْبحتَ من دوحةٍ أعْلى العُلُوُّ لها

رأسٌ كما أصلُها في أسفَلِ السَّفَلِ

You have become, of a palm tree the highest elevation,

A head just as its origin is in the lowest of the low.

أوراقُها قُضُبُ الهنديِّ مُصلتةً

وحَملُها الهامَ في أغْصانِها الأسَلِ

Its leaves Indian iron bared,

And its burden the protective hamzah in its branches the tame.

أعُدُّ عِرقَ الثّرى عَدّي بنانَ يدي

وعَدُّ فَضْلِكَ شيءٌ ليسَ من عمَلي

I count the veins of the earth my counting my hands

And counting your superiority something not my work.