أَبى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَن يَكونَ لَكَ السَّعدُ
فَلَيسَ لِما تَبغيهِ مَنعٌ وَلا رَدُّ
God willed that you be blessed with good fortune,
So none can deny what you seek nor turn it back.
إِذا أَبَتِ الأَقدارُ أَمراً قَسَرتَها
عَلَيهِ فَعادَت وَهيَ في نَيلِهِ جُندُ
When fate refuses something you force it upon her,
Then it returns being attainable to you.
قَضَت حَلَبٌ ميعادَها بَعدَ مَطلِهِ
وَأَطيَبُ وَصلٍ ما مَضى قَبلَهُ صَدُّ
Aleppo fulfilled its promise though after delay,
And the best union is that after estrangement.
وَما كانَتِ الوَرهاء أَوَّلَ غادَةٍ
إِذا رَضِيَت لَم يَبقَ في قَلبِها حِقدُ
The crescent was never the first to appear
When pleased, no rancour remained in its heart.
وَعَهدي بِها بَيضاء حَتّى وَرَدتَها
وَتُربُكَ مُحمَرّ وَجَوُّكَ مُسوَدُّ
My pact with it was white until you attained it,
Your lances reddened and faces darkened.
تَهُزُّ لِواءَ الحَمدِ حَولَكَ عُصبَةٌ
إِذا طَلَبوا نالوا وَإِن عَقَدوا شَدّوا
A group brandishing the banner of glory around you
When they sought, they attained; when they tied, they pulled tight.
وَخَطيَّةٌ سُمرٌ وَبيضٌ صَوارِمٌ
وَضافِيَة زَغفٌ وَصافِنَةٌ جُردُ
Swords of brown steel and coats of mail like white eagles,
Quivers of bows and straight spears.
فَحارَت عيونُ النّاظِرينَ وَأَظلَمَت
وُجوهُ رِجالٍ مِثلُ إِعراضِها رُبدُ
Eyes of onlookers were dazzled and faces of men
Darkened like its aversion - unbending.
رَأوكَ فَخافوا مِن ظُباكَ وَمِثلُهُم
يَعزُّ عَلَيها أَن يُذَلَّ بِها خَدُّ
They saw you and feared your prowess, and the like of them
Find it hard to be disgraced by you.
وَقَد آمَنوا بِالمُعجِزاتِ الَّتي طَرَت
عَلَيهِم وَلَكِن بَعدَ ما فُتِحَ السَدُّ
They believed in the miracles that descended upon them
But only after the barrier was opened.
لَحا اللَّهُ قَوماً أَسلَموا بَيتَ جارِهِم
وَقَد عَلِقَتهُ في مَخالِبها الأُسدُ
God made succeed a people who yielded their neighbour's home
While the lion clutched it in its claws.
رَموا حَلَباً مِن بَعدِ ما عَزَّ أَهلَها
عُهودُ أَكُفٍّ ما لَها بِالنَّدى عَهدُ
They shot Aleppo after its people became helpless,
Pacts of perfidious ones having no loyalty.
لِئامُ السَّجايا لا وَفاء وَلا قِرى
فَلا غَدرُهُم يَخفى وَلا نارُهُم تَبدو
Vile natures have no faithfulness or neighbourhood,
So their treachery is not hidden nor fire concealed.
مَضوا يَحمِدونَ البُعدَ في الذَّبِّ عَنهم
وَما الذُّلُّ إِلَّا حَيثُ يَحميهِمُ البُعدُ
They went away praising distance in avoidance of you,
For humiliation is only where distance protects them.
وَقَد ثَبَتوا حَتّى طَلَعتَ عَلَيهِمُ
كَما قابَلَت شَمسَ الضُّحى الأَعيُنُ الرُّمدُ
They remained steadfast till you rose over them
As the rays of morning met bleary eyes.
فَإِن تَفعَلِ المَعروفَ فيهِم فَقَد مَضَت
مَواهِبُ لا أَجرٌ عَلَيها وَلا حَمدُ
If you show them goodwill it is a gift, no reward nor praise,
And if blamed for excesses, the misguided oft rave at them, by them the right is made distinct.
وَإِن عُوتِبوا بِالمُرهَفاتِ فَطالَما
أَصاخَ لَها الغاوي وَبانَ بِها الرُّشدُ
When their burdens could barely flee, and no mockery or zeal remained,
They came to you recounting the past, and had they kept
وَلَمّا اِستَقَلَت بِالفِرارِ حُمولُهُم
وَلَم يَبقَ هَزلٌ لِلطِّعانِ وَلا جِدُّ
Their pact it would be as they claimed,
But they coveted by deceit an unattainable goal,
أَتوكَ يَعُدُّونَ القَديمَ وَلَو وَفوا
بِعَهدِهِمُ فيهِ لَكانوا كَما عَدّوا
God willed that only your servant could limit it.
They never submitted with sincerity, and with them
وَلَكِنَّهُم راموا عَلى المَكرِ غايَةً
أَبى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَن يُقَصِّرَها عَبدُ
Good fortune never aligned.
Your brown swords helped you on the slope of the pass,
فَما سَلَّموا بِالمَسلَمِيَّةِ عِندَهُم
وَلا وافَقَ السَّعِديُّ عِندَهُمُ سَعدُ
Loyal long swords, no perverse or malignant ones.
They gained no aid from Qais, and a mother has two steps:
أَفادَتكَ في سَفحِ المَضيقِ فَوارِسٌ
طِوالُ الموالي لا لِئامٌ وَلا نُكدُ
A father, and one she attains herself.
Abu Hazim, how could Rabiah' yield you victory
وَلا ظفروا مِن عِندِ قَيسٍ بنصرة
والأم خطبان يَكونُ لَها عندُ
When between us is a pact and affection?
How could humiliation escape us and them
أَبا حازِمٍ ما أَسلَمتكَ رَبيعَة
وَبَينكُم عَهد يُراعى وَلا وُدُّ
When our swords are Indian steel and theirs are the same?
The day of Marj you did nothing unfamiliar,
وَكَيفَ يَفوتُ الذُّلُّ مِنَّا وَمِنهُمُ
وَسُمرُهُمُ لُدن وَالسُنُنا لُدُّ
Nor can you be blamed for any act.
And a people who impugned my honour - had I wished
وَما كانَ يَومُ المَرجِ مِنكَ غَريبُهُ
وَلا لَكَ مِن فِعل تُلامُ بِهِ بُدُّ
I would have unleashed a torrent of dispraise,
But dishonour is only that between their homes
وَقَومٌ رَموا عِرضِيَ وَلَو شِئتُ كانَ لي
مِنَ الذَّمِّ حاد في جِمائِلِهِم يَحدو
Are talks containing no dispute or denial.
The sword erased what they said, and many a pedigree
وَما العارُ إِلَّا أَنّ بَين بُيوتِهِم
أَحاديثُ ما فيها نِزاعٌ وَلا جَحدُ
Did your biting blades refine.
When discourse grew intricate I had marvels at hand,
مَحا السَّيفُ ما قالوا وَرُبَّ نَسيبَةٍ
مِنَ القَولِ وَفّاها طِعانَكُمُ النَّقدُ
Deemed nonsense by listeners, or knots.
And plotting against enemies whose quivers
وَعِندي إِذا عَزَّ الكَلامُ غَرائِبٌ
هيَ الغُلُّ عِندَ السّامِعينَ أَوِ العِقدُ
Launch no salvos of peace or coolness.
Abu Sabiq, God sends His victory against no faction
وَكَيد عَلى الأَعداءِ يَرمي زَنادُهُ
لواذِعَ ما فيها سَلامٌ وَلا بَردُ
Except you are its counter.
Congratulations on the kingdom you attained by right,
أَبا سابِقٍ ما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ نَصرَهُ
عَلى فِئَةٍ إِلَّا وَأَنتَ لَها رَدُّ
With the swords of nobles, no inheritance or aid.
You have the lofty lineage above any rank,
هَنيئاً لَكَ المُلكُ الَّذي نِلتَ حَقَّهُ
بِسُمرِ العَوالي لا تُراثٌ وَلا رِفدُ
Your prestige is higher than Nuza' or Ad.
God made people comply to an idea
لَكَ النَّسَبُ السّامي عَلى كُلِّ مَنصِبٍ
وَقَدرُكَ أَعلى مِن نِزار وَمِن أَدُّ
In which they were certain that you are the sword and the support.
Some summoned the Turks so calamity befell them -
وَقَد وَفَّقَ اللَّهُ الأَنامَ لِفِكرَةٍ
تَيَقَّنَ فيها أَنَّكَ السَّيفُ وَالعُضدُّ
But God knows what the diligent man has done.
Had they united you would altogether be against wrongdoing,
دَعا التركَ أَقوامٌ فَكانَ عَلَيهِمُ
نَكالاً أَلا لِلَّهِ ما صَنَعَ الجدُّ
The gentle lion would ward off harm from the tender.
But they listened to the words of a slanderer
وَلَو وُفِّقوا كُنتُم جَميعاً عَلى العِدى
وَدافَعَ دونَ الغيلِ ذا الأَسَدُ الوِردُ
Who visits them with gossip or rises early.
So if the fruits of his view become evident in them
وَلَكِنَّهُم أَصغوا إِلى قَول كاشِحٍ
يَروحُ عَلَيهِم بِالنَّميمَةِ أَو يَغدو
The master may be taken to account for the acts of a servant.
And if they opt for peace you would heed in them
فَإِن ظَهَرَت فيهِم عَواقِبُ رَأيِهِ
فَقَد يُؤخَذُ المَولى بِما صَنَعَ العَبدُ
Bonds that glory refuses to neglect.
Peace is but an opportunity for a fighter
وَإِن جَنَحوا لِلسِّلمِ راعَيتَ فيهمُ
أَواصِرَ يَأبى أَن يُضَيِّعَها المَجدُ
From you gaining some loot or captives each day.
You remained an asset to me - excellence of your wisdom
وَما السِّلمُ إِلَّا فُرصَةٌ لِمُحارِبٍ
لَهُ كُلُّ يَومٍ شلة مِنكَ أَو طَردُ
Is glorious, carefree life and plenty.
With you is victory - swords you tested
بَقِيتَ فَلي مِن حُسنِ رَأيِكَ نِعمَةٌ
هِيَ العِزَّةُ القَعساءُ وَالعيشَةُ الرَّغدُ
So the worthy became distinct when unsheathed.
وَدونَكَ مِن نَصرٍ حُسامٌ بَلَوتَهُ
فَبانَ شَباهُ حينَ فارَقَهُ الغِمدُ
