السَّيفُ مُنتَقِمٌ وَالجَدّ مُعتَذِرُ

وَما عَلَيكَ إِذا لَم يُسعِدِ القَدَرُ

The sword is avenging, and striving is excusable,

And it is no fault of yours if fate is unkind.

وَإِن دَجَت لَيلَةً في الدَّهرِ واحِدَة

فَطالَما أَشرَقَت أَيّامُهُ الأُخَرُ

Though one night may be dark in the course of time,

Still many days after it shine bright.

وَما شَكَونا ظَلاماً مِن غَياهِبِها

حَتّى تَطَلَّعَ في أَثنائِهِ القَمَرُ

We did not complain of darkness amid its depths

Until the moon peered through its midst.

وَلا يَنالُ كُسُوفُ الشَّمسِ طَلعَتَها

وَإِنَّما هُوَ فيما يَزعُمُ البَصَرُ

An eclipse of the sun cannot dim its rising,

It is only so in the claim of eyesight.

وَهَل عَلى البَطَلِ الحامي حَقيقَتَهُ عارٌ

إِذا جَبَنَ الأَعداءُ أَو غَدَروا

Is it a disgrace if the brave protector loses heart

When the enemy shows cowardice or betrayal?

أَمّا الكِرامُ فَقَد أَبلى وَفاؤُهُمُ

عَلى البُحَيرَةِ ما لَم يُبلِهِ الظَّفَرُ

But the generous have worn down their loyalty

On the battleground before victory makes it shabby.

ما ضَرَّهُم وَالعَوالي في نُحورِهِمُ

تَعفوا الكلومُ وَتَبقى هَذِهِ السِّيَرُ

It did not harm them though death was in their throats -

The swords kept the traditions and this fame remains.

لاذوا بِسَيفِكِ حَتّى خالَ دونَهُمُ

مُجَرَّبٌ في دِفاعِ الخَطبِ مُختَبَرُ

They took refuge in your sword until it was free of them,

Tested in defending from catastrophes and experienced.

مِنَ السُّيوفِ الَّتي لَولا مَضارِبُها

ما كانَ لِلدِّينِ لا عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

Of the swords whose striking revived religion

Otherwise faith would have had no essence or trace.

هِندِيَّةٌ وَبَنو حَمدانَ رُفقَتُها

لَقَد تَخَيَّرَتِ الأَحسابُ وَالزُّبُرُ

Indian, with the clan of Hamdan its company,

Indeed, the noble and the devout made the choices.

وَمُكبِرينَ صَغيراً مِن عُقُولِهِمُ

لَم يَركَبوا الخَيلَ إِلَّا بَعدَ ما كَبِروا

And belittlers, small of mind,

Did not mount horses until after they grew up.

أَخفوا بِكَيدِهِمُ غَدراً فَما عَبَأَت

سُمرُ الرِّماحِ بِما هَمَّت بِهِ الإِبَرُ

They hid in their cunning some treachery, but

The resolve of spears did not concern what needles intended.

لا تَعجَلوا فَعَلى أَطرافِها خَلَفٌ

تُرجى عَواقِبُهُ فيكُم وَتُنتَظَرُ

Do not rush, for at their tips is aftermath

Whose consequences in you are hoped for and awaited.

أَثَرتُم أَسَداً تَدمى أَظافِرُهُ

طَيّانَ لا عَصَرٌ مِنهُ وَلا وَزَرُ

You have provoked a lion whose claws are bloody,

A beast - no age or burden for it.

حَذارِ أَن تَستَزِنَّ الحِلمَ غَضبَتُهُ

إِن كانَ يَنفَعُ عِندَ الخائِنِ الحَذَرُ

Beware that you do not take the anger of forbearance lightly

If caution profits with the traitor.

جَرَّبتُموهُ فَأَفنَتكُم صَوارِمُهُ

وَلَو عَقَلتُم كَفاكُم دونَهُ الخَبَرُ

You tried him, so his blades destroyed you,

And had you been reasonable, report of him would have sufficed.

وَقَد عَلا فَوقَ أَفلاكِ النُّجومِ بِها

فَكَيفَ يَلحَقُ مَن في باعِهِ قِصَرُ

With them he transcended beyond the stars,

So how can one whose power falls short catch up?

حَدِّث بِبَأسِ بَني حَمدانَ في أُمَمٍ

تَأَتي فَقَد ظَهَرَت في هَذِهِ النُّذُرُ

Relate the might of the clan of Hamdan in nations

Where these warnings have appeared.

وَاذكُر لَهُم سِيَراً في المَجدِ مُعجِزَة

لَولا الشَّريعَةُ قُلنا إِنَّها سُوَرُ

And recall for them extraordinary feats of glory –

Had it not been for Islamic law we would have called them miracles.

قَومٌ إِذا طَلَبَ الأَعداء عَيبَهُمُ

فَما يَقولُونَ إِلَّا أَنَّهُم بَشَرُ

A people, if enemies seek their faults,

Say nothing but that they are human.

السّابِقونَ إِلى الدُّنيا بِمُلكِهِمُ

ما أَورَدَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا بَعدَما صَدَروا

The first to the world with their kingdom –

The people entered only after they led.

كَأَنَّ أَيديهمُ لِلرِّزقِ ضامِنَةٌ

فَالِلنَّدى قائِمٌ مِنهُم وَمُنتَظَرُ

As if their hands guaranteed sustenance -

So glory stands with them and awaits.

تَسمو البِلادَ إِذا عُدَّت وَقائِعُهُم

فيها وَتَبتَسِمُ الدُّنيا إِذا ذُكِروا

The lands are exalted when their deeds in them

Are counted, and the world smiles when they are recalled.

ماتوا وَأَحيا ابنُ ذي المَجدَينِ ذِكرَهُمُ

فَما يَظُنُّونَ إِلَّا أَنَّهُم نُشِروا

They died, but the son of two glories revived their memory,

So they think only that they have been resurrected.

يَثني عَلَيهِم بِما تُعطي أَنامِلُهُ

وَالرَّوضُ يُحمَدُ في إِحسانِهِ المَطَرُ

He praises them with what his fingers bestow,

And a garden is praised for the kindness of its rain.

وَسابِقٍ طَلِقِ الأَلحاظِ في أَمَدٍ

لا يَنفَعُ العَينُ في إِدراكِهِ النَّظَرُ

A release, of quick glances, in a period

Where eyesight is no use in keeping up.

إِذا تَأَمَّلتَهُ في نَيلِ غايَتِهِ

رَأَيتَ كَيفَ تُصاد الأَنجُمُ الزُهُرُ

If you observe him in attaining his goal

You see how stars are plucked like flowers.

كَأَنَّما رَأيُهُ في كُلِّ مُشكِلَةٍ

عَينٌ عَلى كُلِّ ما يَخفى وَيَستَتِرُ

It is as if his view in every dilemma

Is an eye upon all that is hidden and concealed.

يا ناصِرَ الدَّولَةِ المَشهورُ مَوقِفُهُ

في نَصرِها وَضِرامُ الحَربِ تَستَعِرُ

O supporter of the well-known state, his stance

In aiding it, while the heat of war flares up.

أَنتُم صَوارِمُها وَالبيضُ نابِيَةٌ

وَشُهبُها وَظَلامُ الخَطبِ مُعتَكِرُ

You are its swords, and gallantry is impregnable,

And its gray hair, and the darkness of crises cloaks it.

وَحامِلو الرَّايَةِ البَيضاء ما بَرِحَت

عَلى رِماحِكُم تَعلوا وَتَنتَشِرُ

And bearers of the white banner—it does not cease

To rise lofty upon your spears and unfold.

كُنتُم بِصِفِّينَ أَنصارَ الوَصِيِّ وَقَد

دَعا سِواكُم فَما لَبَّوا وَلا نَصَروا

You were the supporters, in two rows, of the trustee’s call

While it called others but they did not rally or aid.

فَهيَ الخِلافَةُ ما زالَت مَنابِرُها

إِلى سُيوفِكُمُ في الرَّوعِ تَفتَقِرُ

Thus the caliphate—its pulpits

Still incline towards your swords in ferocity.

هَل تَشكُرُ العَرَبُ النُّعمى الَّتي طَرَقَت

أَم لَيسَ يَنفَعُ فيها كُلَّما شَكَروا

Will the Arabs thank for blessings that have arrived?

Or is gratitude never useful to them?

قَومٌ أَعَدتَ إِلى الدُّنيا نُفوسَهُمُ

فَكُلُّ عارِفَةٍ مِن بَعدِها هَدَرُ

A people whose souls incline to the world,

So every mystic after them is nonsense.

تِلكَ الصَّنيعَةُ إِن خَصَّت بَني أَدَدٍ

فَلَيسَ تُنكِر ما في طَيِّها مُضَرُ

If that craft singles out the clan of Adad,

Then let none deny the harm in its fold.

أَمّا ابنُ نَصرٍ فَقَد أَخفَت ضَمائِرُهُ

مَوَدَّة لَكَ ما في صَفوِها كَدَرُ

As for the son of Nasr, hearts have concealed

Affection for you in which there is no turbidity.

فَرع أَبانَ جَناهُ طيبَ عُنصُرِهِ

ما يُحمَدُ العودُ حَتَّى يُعرَف الثَّمَرُ

The branch of Aban—his noble origin sheltered him—

Wood is not praised until its fruit is known.

سالمتَ مِنهُ عَلى الأَعداءِ مُرهَفَةً

لِمِثلِهِم كُنتَ تَقناها وَتَدَّخِرُ

From him, baleful to the likes of the enemy,

For them you hoarded provisions and took precautions.

يَقظانُ ما عَلِقَت بِالنَّومِ مُقلَتُهُ

فَلا يُنَبهُ في حَربِ العِدى عُمَرُ

Awake, his eyelids were not seized by sleep,

So that life in warring with foes would not rouse him.

يا واهِباً وَعَوادي المُزنِ باخِلَةٌ

وَصاعِداً وَعَوالي الشُّهبِ تَنحَدِرُ

O bestower, though fortune be stingy with me,

And riser, though the summits of glory descend.

أَمّا القَوافي فَقَد جاءَتكَ سابِقَةً

كَما تَضَوَّعَ قَبلَ الدِّيمَةِ الزَّهَرُ

As for rhymes, they came to you racing,

As the flowers crept before the rain.

مَنظومَةً فَإِذا فاهَ الُّدواةُ بِها

ظَنَنتَ أَنَّ نُجومَ اللَّيلِ تَنتَثِرُ

As verses—when the ink flows with them

You’d think the stars of night are scattered.

مِن مُعجِزاتي الَّتي لَولا بَدائِعُها

في الشِّعرِ شَبَّهَ قَومٌ بَعضَ ما سَحَروا

Of my miracles, which, were it not for their novelties

In poetry, some likened to a kind of sorcery.

تُثني عَلَيكُم وَتُبدي عَيبَ غَيرِكُمُ

فَقَد هَجَوتُ بِها قَوماً وَما شَعَروا

They praise you and expose the faults of others—

With them I satirized a people who did not feel it.

أَتاكَ رائِد قَوم لَيسَ عِندَهُمُ

عَلى الحَقيقةِ لا ماء وَلا شَجَرُ

There came to you a scout of a people with no

Truth or water or trees.

يَلوحُ ذِكرُكَ في داجي هُمومِهِمُ

كَما يَلوحُ لِعَينِ السَّاهِرِ السَّحَرُ

Your mention shines in the darkness of their worries

As dawn shines to the eyes of one staying up.

فَاِستَجلِها دُرَّةَ الغَوَّاصِ أَخرَجَها

مِن بَعدِ ما غَمَرَتهُ دونَها الفِكَرُ

So entertain it—the diver’s pearl he extracted

After concerns submerged him except for it.

ما تَشتَكي غُربَةُ المَثوى وَرُفقَتُها

أَفعالُكَ الشُّهبُ أَو أَخلاقُكَ الغُرَرَ

It does not complain of the misery of exile, and its company—

Are your actions the gray hair, or are your natures the caves?

وَاِسمَع أَبُثُّكَ أَخباري فَإِنَّ لَها

شَرحاً وَإِن كُنتُ أَرويهِ وَأَختَصِرُ

And listen as I inform you, for my news has

Explanation, though I narrate and summarize it.

جادَت لِقَومي سَحابٌ مِنكَ هاطِلَةٌ

ما غُيبَت مِنَّةٌ مِنها وَقَد حَضَروا

For my people, clouds poured from you,

No favor from them was absent, though they attended.

شَكَرتُ عَنهُم وَإِن أَحسَنتَ عِندَهُمُ

فَإِنَّني ناظِمٌ بَعضَ الَّذي نَثَروا

I thanked in their name, and even if you were good to them,

I compose some of what they scattered.

وَغادَرَتني صُروفُ الدَّهرِ بَعدَهُمُ

كَالصِّلِّ أَطرَقَ لا نابٌ وَلا ظُفُرُ

The turns of fate deserted me after them

Like chameleon—no claws or nails.

في بَلدَةٍ تَحتَوي الأَحرارَ ساحَتُها

فَما لَهُم وَطَنٌ فيها وَلا وَطَرُ

In a land whose arena contains the noble—

They have therein no homeland or abode.

أَشتاقُكُم وَيَحولُ العَجزُ دونَكُمُ

فَأَدَّعي بُعدَكُم عَنّي وَأَعتَذِرُ

I long for you, but inability prevents me,

So I claim your distance from me and apologize.

وَأَشتَكي خَطَراً بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ

وَآيَةُ الشَّوقِ أَن يُستَصغَرَ الخَطَرُ

And I complain of danger between me and you,

Though the sign of longing is to make light of danger.

فَهَل لِرَأيِكَ أَن يُنتاشَ مُطّرحاً

لَهُ مِنَ الفَضلِ ذَنبٌ لَيسَ يُغتَفَرُ

Is it possible for your view to revive one fallen

Whose merit is a crime that cannot be forgiven?

فَعِندَكَ الجودُ لا مَنٌّ وَلا كَدَرُ

وَعِندَهُ الحَمدَ لا عيٌّ وَلا حَصَرُ

With you is bounty—no defect or turbidity.

And with him is praise—no flaw or limit.

وَإِن ضَرَبتَ بِهِ في وَجهِ نائِبَةٍ

فَفي يَمينِكَ مِنهُ صارِمٌ ذَكَرُ

And if you brandish it against an affliction,

In your right hand is a blade remembered.

مَحاسِنٌ هِيَ عِندَ السّامِعينَ بِها

دَعوى وَمِثلُكَ يَتلوها وَيَعتَبِرُ

Virtues which are, to hearers, a claim

And the like of you follows and considers.

فَما أَخافُ مَطالَ الحَظِّ تَحرِمُني

نَداكَ إِن طالَ في أَيّامِكَ العُمُرُ

So I do not fear the blows of fate depriving me

Of your help, if you live long in your days.

وَلا يَفوتُ غِنى أَنتَ الكَفيلُ بِهِ

وَإِنَّما غَفَلاتُ الدَّهرِ تُبتَدَرُ

Nor does missing wealth get by you—you guarantee it,

Though the oversights of fate are sudden.