يا حادِيَ الأَظعانِ أَينَ تَميلُ

هِيَ وَجرَة وَسُؤالُها تَعليلُ

O guide of yearnings, where are you inclined

It is an affliction, and its questioning is reasoning

ما هَذِهِ في الرَّبعِ أَوَّلُ وَقفَةٍ

وَقَفَت فَينشُدُ قاتِلاً مَقتولُ

What is this - the first stop in the meadows

It stopped, so it calls out, a killer, killed

عُجنا بِناحِلِ رَسمِهِ فَتَحَيَّرَت

فيهِ دُموعٌ ما لَهُنَّ مسيلُ

We were confused by the delineation of its image, so it was perplexed

In it tears that have no outlet

وَتَحَمَّلَت ليَد السَّحابِ طُلولُهُ

مِنّا وَنَحنُ سَحائِبُ وَطُلولُ

And it endured for the hand of clouds their long necks

From us while we are clouds and long necks

وَعَلى العُذَيبِ وَلا أَغُشُّكَ بانَةٌ

ما ظِلُّها لَولا السَّقام ظَليلُ

And by the lover, no coy beloved appears

Whose shadow, were it not for sickness, is thin

وَمُرَنَّح في الكورِ تَحسَبُهُ الصَّبا

غُصناً يَميدُ بِمرِّها وَيَميلُ

And a willow in the ponds that the breeze thinks

Is a branch bending in its bitterness and leaning

حَمَلَت إِلَيهِ تَحِيَّةً وَنَسيمُها

أَبَداً عَلى دينِ الغَرامِ رَسولُ

It carried to it a greeting, and its breeze

Is forever an apostle in the religion of love

ما كُنتُ تُخبِرُ قَبلَها عَن حاجِرٍ

إِلّا وَطيبُكَ شاهِدٌ مَقبولُ

I was not telling about an anklet before it

Except your perfume bore witness, well received

وَتَبثُّ ما كَتَمَ الأقاحُ وَلَو دَرى

ما كانَ مِنكَ لِثَغرِهِ تَقبيلُ

And it reveals what the meadow concealed, and if it knew

What from you was for its mouth a kiss

وَفَوارِس أَلِفوا القَنا فَكَأَنَّهُ

قَبلَ الطِّعانِ بِبَوعِهِم مَوصولُ

And horsemen who knew the spears as if

Before the thrusting their blades were attached

ذَعَروا الظَّلامَ فَما يَمُرُّ عَلَيهِمُ

إِلّا وَعِقدُ نُجومِهِ مَحلولُ

They startled the darkness, so there does not pass upon them

Except the knot of its stars undone

طَمَحَت بِهِم آمالُهُم وَلِواؤهُم

قَدَرٌ بِما وَعَدَ الكِرامُ مَطولُ

Their hopes and banners aspired with them

A decree with what the generous promised delayed

وَمُطَوَّح رَكِبَ الخِداعَ مَطِيَّةً

ما ظَهرُها يَومَ اللِّقاءِ ذَلولُ

And the rider of deceit fell, having mounted it slick

Its back on the day of meeting is humiliated

كَيفَ اهتَدَيتَ لِعامِرٍ وَرِعالُها

سَدف وَسِترُ مَجالِها مَسدولُ

How did you come upon settled ‘Amir, and its pastures

Are shelter and veil of its extent drawn together

جَمَحَت بِكَ الخُيَلاء حَتّى هِجتَها

شَنعاء ثارَ صَريعُها مَطلولُ

The arrogance snarled at you until you stirred it

Vicious, its slain strewn about pulled

وَبَدَت مخائِلُها لَدَيكَ مُضيئةً

لَو كانَ عِندَكَ لِلصَّباحِ دَليلُ

And its tents seemed illuminated before you

If with you there was for the dawn a guide

وَظَنَنتَ عَوفاً بِالطِّعانِ بِجيلَة

ظَنٌّ لَعَمرُكَ بِالحِمامِ جَميلُ

You thought ‘Auf with the spears was with Julas

A thought - by your life - beautiful with the dove

أَو ما بِسنجارٍ لِقَومِكَ مَصرَعٌ

شَهِدَت بِهِ في المرهفات فُلولُ

Or did Sanjar not have for your people a fate

Witnessed by the blades' remnants

طَلَبوا النَّجاء فَكانَ في أَعمارِهِم

قِصَرٌ وَفي سُمرِ الذَّوابِلِ طولُ

They sought salvation, so in their lifespans was

Brevity, and in the thick of calamities, length

فَذَرِ العِراقَ طَريدَة مَبذولَةً

سَبَقَ الأَسِنَّة سَرحُها المَشلولُ

So leave Iraq forsaken, travelled ahead of it

The swift, its lead ropes cut

وامنَع حَليفَكَ بِالعِراقِ وَقُل لَهُ

هَيهاتَ ذادَ عَن الفُراتِ النِّيلُ

And prevent your ally in Iraq, and say to him

Alas! Repelling the Euphrates was the Nile!

وَحَذارِ مِن كَلأ الجَزيرَةِ إِنَّهُ

مَرعى بِأَطرافِ الرِّماحِ وَبيلُ

And beware of the Kufa fodder, it

Is a pasture with spearheads sown and chaff

صَحَّت فَلَيسَ سِوى الجُفونِ مَريضَة

فيها وَلا غَيرُ النَّسيمِ عَليلُ

It turned healthful, so nothing but the eyelids are sick

In them, and none but the breeze ailing

وَثَنى زَعيمُ الدِّينِ فَضلَ جِماحِها

فَاللَّيلُ فَجرٌ وَالرِّياحُ قَبولُ

And the leader of the faith folded his wings, so

The night is dawn and the winds acceptance

إِن كانَ حَلَّ بِها وَفارَقَ دارَهُ

فَاللَّيثُ يُفرَقُ بَأسَهُ لا الفيلُ

If it befell him and he left his abode

The lion, his might scatters, not the elephant

نَشوانَ يَخطُرُ لِلنَّدى في هزَّةٍ

عَلِموا بِها أَنَّ السَّماحَ شَمولُ

Joy dances for the dew in fervor

They knew through it that the clement are encompassing

يَغتالُ بادِرَةَ الخُطوبِ بِرَيثَةٍ

وَيَنالُ أَقصى الحَزم وَهوَ عَجولُ

He takes the initiative of misfortunes calmly

And attains the utmost composure while he is hasty

عَطِرَ الثَّناء تَضَوَّعَت أَوصافُهُ

طيباً فَكُلُّ فَمٍ بِهِ مَعلولُ

The glory of praise perfumed his traits

Sweetly, so every mouth by it is sugared

ما كانَ يُعلَمُ قَبلَ فَيضِ نَوالِهِ

أَنَّ الغَمامَ إِذا استهلَّ بِخَيلُ

It was not known before the outpouring of his bestowal

That when the clouds appear, it means steeds

فَرَقَت عَزائِمُهُ فَشابَ لَها الدُّجا

خَوفاً وَأَثَّرَ في الهِلالِ نُحولُ

His resolves scattered, so the darkness worries

And it effects the crescent, bent

لَو أَنَّ لِلأَيّامِ نارَ ذَكائِهِ

ما كانَ فيها بُكرَة وَأَصيلُ

If only the days had the fire of his vitality

There would not be in them morn and eve

شَرَف بَنو عَبدِ الرَّحيمِ عِمادُه

وَلَرُبَّما تَضَعِ الفُروعَ أُصولُ

The clan of ‘Abdul Rahim were ennobled by his pillar

And sometimes branches can be roots

أَبقى بِهِ عَبقَ الثَّناءِ لِرَهطِهِ

وَالحَمدُ حَظٌ لِلكِرامِ جَزيلُ

He made thereby the scent of praise last for his folk

And praise is fortune abundant for the noble

قَومٌ إِذا نَضبَ الكَلامُ وَأَظلَمَت

لِلنّاطِقينَ خَواطِرٌ وَعُقولُ

A people, when speech runs out and the reflections

Of speakers darken, and minds and hearts

شاموا مَضارِبَ أَلسُنٍ عَرَبِيَّةٍ

تَفري وَماضي المُرهَفاتِ كَليلُ

They quenched thirsts of Arabic eloquent tongues

Digressing, and the vanished trails meager

إِن فاتَهُم بُردٌ يُلاثُ وَمِنبَرٌ

فَلَهُم سَريرُ المُلكِ وَالإِكليلُ

If they miss a cloak to wrap in, and a pulpit

The seat of kingship and the crown are theirs

نَسَبٌ هَدى زُهرَ النُّجومِ مَنارُهُ

وَسِواهُ فَقعُ قَرارِهِ مَجهولُ

A lineage the blossoms of stars took as beacon

And other than it, its outcome is unknown

يا جامِعَ الآمالِ وَهيَ بَدائِدٌ

وَمُرَوِّضَ الأَيّامِ وَهيَ مُحولُ

O gatherer of hopes while they are scattered about

And tender of days while they are altered

أَعني كَمالَكَ أَن تُعَدَّ فَضيلَةٌ

كَالصُّبحِ لا رَثمٌ وَلا تَحجيلُ

I mean, may your perfection be counted a virtue

Like the dawn, no blemish or disgrace

لَولاكَ ما ارتَجَّت الأَكُفُّ فَلَم يَكُن

في الدَّهرِ لا أَمَلٌ وَلا مَأمولُ

If not for you, palms would not sway, so there would not be

In time, hope or expected thing

ما ضَرَّ ناشِرَة وَرَأيُكَ فيهِمُ

أَن لا يُفارِقَ غِمدَهُ مَصقولُ

It does not harm that it was circulated while your view of them

Is that the polished sword its sheath not leave

قُل لِلأَميرِ أَبي الأَغَرِّ وَدونَهُ

لِلطّالِبينَ سَباسِبٌ وَهُجولُ

Say to the prince Abu Al-Aghar, and below him

For seekers, gray hairs and follies

عاداتُ جَدِّكَ في العِدا مَنصورَة

أَبَداً وَسَيفُكَ ضامِنٌ وَكَفيلُ

The ways of your grandfather in enmity stand erect

Forever, and your sword guarantees and suffices

أَسلَفتَ جَوثَةَ مِنَّةً مَشهورَة

فَوَفَت بِحَمدِكَ وَالوَفاءُ قَليلُ

You owed Julutha a renowned favor

So you fulfilled it, while loyalty is scarce

وَثَوى ابنُ عَمِّكَ بِالعِراقِ وَقَومُهُ

كَالذَّودِ حَنَّ وَفَحلُهُ مَعقولُ

And the son of your uncle settled in Iraq, he and his people

Like sheep, their ram understood

ما صَدَّهُم عَنكَ الجَفاء وَإِنَّما

مالوا مَعَ الأَيّامِ حَيثُ تَميلُ

Neither estrangement drove them from you, but rather

They inclined with the days wherever they tilt

وَغَريبَة دارَت وَما نَبغي بِها

إِلّا الوِدادَ فَهَل إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

And it went far, in which we desire only

Affection, so is there to it a way?

إِن شُفِّعَت آمالُها في نَيلِهِ

فَلتَسمَعِ الفُصَحاءِ كَيفَ أَقولُ

If its hopes are interceded in attaining it

Let the eloquent hear how I say