أَمّا ظُباكَ فَقَد دانَت لَها الأُمَمُ

فَما تُخالِفُها عُرب وَلا عَجَمُ

Your beauty has subdued all nations

Arabs and non-Arabs alike surrender to it

يَجري القَضاء بِما تَهوى فَإِن جَمَحَت

عَنها القُلوبُ أَطاعَت أَمرَها القِمَمُ

Judgment runs according to your desires - if hearts

Stray from it, the summits obey your command

تُروي وَتُحيي نُفوسَ العائِذينَ بِها

فَعِندَها نِعَمٌ في طَيِّها نِقَمُ

It revives and gives life to the souls of those who seek refuge in it

With you there is bounty, though your folds conceal adversity

كَأَنَّما هِيَ لِلأعمارِ مالِكَةٌ

فَمِن مَضارِبِها تُعطي وَتَختَرِمُ

As if it holds the lifespans in its grasp

And from its dwellings gives and takes away

نادَت نُمَيرٌ فَلَبَّتها وَقَد لَؤمَت

فيها الكِرامُ وَماتَت دونَها الهِمَمُ

Numayr called and it answered, though there cowardice and valor perished

Fear was kept from it while still sheathed

فَضارَبَ الخَوفُ عَنها وَهيَ مُغمَدَة

وَلَيسَ كُلُّ ضِراب أَن يُراقَ دَمُ

Not every unsheathing means blood is spilled

Your book sufficed over an army you would prepare

أَغنى كِتابُكَ عَن جَيشٍ تُجَهِّزُهُ

وَوَقَّرَ السَّيفُ لَمّا أَقنَعَ القَلَمُ

And the sword acquiesced when the pen was satisfied

O ambition! The glory of Islam carried thanks to you

يا هِمَةً حَمَلَ الإِسلامُ مِنَّتَها

وَنِعمَةً صَغُرَت في جَنبِها النِّعَمُ

And the blessings, next to it, seemed small

Is there, by the grave of Shabib, any acquaintance of yours?

هَل عِندَ قَبرِ شَبيبٍ مِنكَ مَعرِفَةٌ

فَرُبَّما صَنَعَت ما تَصنَعُ الدِّيَمُ

Sometimes one does what condolences do

His virtue and the earth between you called you

دَعَتكَ رِمَّتُهُ وَالتُّربُ بَينَكُما

وَمِن فُروضِ العُلى أَن تَسمَعَ الرِّحَمُ

And it is the duty of the exalted to heed family ties

You had no reticence in what he said

فَلَم يَكُن بِكَ فيما قالَهُ حَصَرٌ

وَلا بِسَمعِكَ عَمّا قالَهُ صَمَمُ

Nor deafness to what he spoke

The disdain of a people whose pride you brought

أَعراضُ قَوم أَفادوكَ الفَخارَ بِها

فَإِن دَعوا بِكَ تَحميها فَما ظَلَموا

If they call you to protect it, they have done no wrong

They died but live on through mention of them

ماتوا وَلَكِنَّهُم أَحيا بِذِكرِهِم

إِنَّ الثَّناء وجُودٌ ما لَهُ عَدَمُ

For praise is generosity that has no end

Your swords revived the dead honor of Mudar

أَحيَت سُيوفُكَ مَيتَ العِزِّ في مُضَرٍ

وَأَسفَرَت بِسَناها عَنهُم الظُّلَمُ

And with their flashing dispelled the darkness

For them there was one proof of glory

كانَت لَهُم آيَةً في الفَخرِ واحِدَة

حَتّى خُلِقتَ فَصارَ الدِّينُ وَالكَرَمُ

Until you were created and religion and nobility became two

Your enemies said the paths of glory were obscure

قالَت عداتُكَ طُرقُ المَجدِ خافِيَةٌ

وَما عَلَيكَ إِذا أَبصَرتَها وَعَموا

And it matters not if you see them while they are blind

How often have they who envied you concealed

كَم خُلَّةٍ لَكَ راموا سَترَ شارِفها

حَتّى رَأوهُ صَباحاً لَيسَ يَنكَتِمُ

The mantle of a towering one until morning unveiled him

You have made rise from it undying suns

أَطلَعتَ مِنها شُموساً غَيرَ آفِلَةٍ

وَعانَدوكَ فَقالوا إِنَّها شِيَمُ

And they opposed you saying it was their nature

They assented to no wondrous thing from a stranger

ما أَيقَنوا لِغَريبٍ مِن بَدائعِها

إِلّا وَقَد جَهِلوا فَوقَ الَّذي عَلِموا

Unless they already in their ignorance exceeded what they knew

Nor obeyed you until after realizing

وَلا أَطاعوكَ إِلّا بَعدَ مَعرِفَةٍ

بِأَنَّ مِثلَكَ لا يَعصيهِ مِثلَهُمُ

That the likes of them cannot disobey the likes of you

Your swords healed an illness rooted in their disloyalty

شَفَت سُيوفُكَ داء مِن عُقوقِهِمُ

لَها وَرُبَّ شِفاء كُلُّهُ سَقَمُ

And every healing, however complete, leaves a scar

O son of the lofty, they suckled contrary to the dew and grew

يا ابنَ الأُلى رَضَعوا خَلفَ النَّدى فَربوا

بِدرِّهِ ثُمَّ ماتوا قَبلَ ما فُطِموا

On its pearls then died before they were weaned

Do not grieve for their death when they go

لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِمَوتاهُم إِذا ذَهَبوا

فَما مَضى أَحَدٌ مِنهُم وَأَنتَ هُمُ

For none of them died while you are they

What informs people of a folk whose remainder

ما يُخبِرُ النّاسُ عَن قَوم بَقِيَّتُهُم

أَبو سَلامَةَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم سَلِموا

Is Abu Salama except that they are at peace