مِنّا الثَناءُ وَمِنكَ الصَيِّبُ الغَدِقُ

فَضلٌ يَعُمُّ وَشُكرٌ طَيِّبُ عَبِقُ

The praise is from us, and the plentiful rain is from you,

Generosity spreads, and gratitude is aromatic and ripe.

نُثنِي عَلَيكَ بِما أَولَيتَ مِن كَرَمٍ

فَالحَمدُ يُجمَعُ وَالأَموالُ تَفتَرِقُ

We praise you for the nobility you have shown,

So praise is gathered, while wealth divides.

ضَجَّت إِلى رَبِّها الدُنيا الَّتي دُحِيَت

مِمّا تَدُلُّ إِلى أَبوابِكَ الطُرُقُ

The world cried out to its Lord after it was renewed,

Because of roads leading to your doors.

يَخضَرُّ كُلُّ مَكانٍ أَنتَ نازِلُهُ

حَتّى يُنَبِّعَ مِن أَحجارِهِ الوَرَقُ

Every place where you settle turns green,

Until leaves sprout from its rocks.

وَيُشرِقُ اللَيلُ إِن أَسرَيتَ مُدَّلِجاً

فِيهِ كَأَنَّكَ في ظَلمائِهِ فَلَقُ

And the night shines if you travel cloaked in it,

As if you split its darkness with morning.

رُزِقتَ جَدّاً يَضِيقُ الخافِقانِ بِهِ

فَكَم بَغى الحَمدَ أَقوامٌ فَما رُزِقُوا

You were granted generosity until hearts were too narrow for it,

Yet how many people craved praise but were not granted it.

تَأَنَّقَ اللَهُ حَتّى باتَ مُجتَمِعاً

هَذا الجَميلُ وَهَذا المَنظَرُ الأَنِقُ

God adorned Himself until He remained assembled,

This beauty and this graceful view.

مِن أَينَ يُعطى الَّذي أُعطِيتَهُ بَشَرٌ

وَيُلحَقُ الدَرُّ مِن مَسعاكَ وَالعَنَقُ

From where can one who is granted what you are given be human?

And pearls unite at your touch.

طَلَعتَ في شاهِقٍ صَعبٍ مَطالِعُهُ

إِذا تَرَقّى إِلَيهِ مَعشَرٌ زَلَقُوا

You rose high where rising is difficult,

So when a group climbed up, they slipped.

وَالمَجدُ ثَوبٌ لِفَخرِ المُلكِ جِدَّتُهُ

وَلِلبَرِيَّةِ مِنهُ المُنهَجُ الخَلقُ

And glory is the robe of the pride of kingship,

While the common folk have the righteous path.

قَد حاوَلَ الناسُ مِن عُجمٍ وَمِن عَرَبٍ

أَن يَلحَقُوهُ إِلى شَأوٍ فَما لَحِقوا

People of non-Arabs and Arabs have tried

To reach up to your rank, but did not succeed.

مُتَوَّجٌ تَخفِضُ الأَبصارَ هَيبَتُهُ

فَلَيسَ تُملَأُ مِن مَرأىً بِهِ الحَدَقُ

Crowned, your awe lowers sights,

So gazes are not filled looking at you.

إِذا تَنَكَّرَ لَم يَخرُج بِهِ غَضَبٌ

عَنِ الجَميلِ وَلَم يَذهَب بِهِ الحَنَقُ

If you get angry, no rage takes you

Away from beauty, no grudge makes you leave.

وَبِالعَواصِمِ مِن تاجِ العُلى مَلِكٌ

لا الزَهوُ مِنهُ وَلا مِن طَبِعِهِ الخَرَقُ

With the fortresses of the crown of highest rule, you are king

Without arrogance or breach in your nature.

يَهمِي عَلى الشامِ سُحباً مِن مَكارِمِهِ

حَتّى يُخافَ عَلى سُكانِهِ الغَرَقُ

It rains your generosity over Syria

Until its inhabitants fear drowning.

عَمَّت مَواهِبُهُ الدُنيا وَساكِنَها

فَلا خَلا بَشَرٌ مِنها وَلا أُفُقُ

Your gifts covered the world and its inhabitants,

So no human or horizon lacks them.

كَالصُبحِ فاضَ فَغَشى كُلَّ ناحِيَةٍ

فَلَيسَ يَعرِفُ فِيها نَفسَهُ الغَسَقُ

Like the dawn, it overflowed and covered every region,

So night cannot recognize itself there.

يا باذِلَ المالَ لِلقُصّادِ إِن قَصَدُوا

وَعاقِرَ الكُومِ لِلطُرّاقِ إِن طَرَقُوا

O you who spend money on archers if they aim,

And makes the empty quiver full when they knock.

فِداكَ قَومٌ إِذا ما عاهَدُوا نَكَثُوا

تِلكَ العُهُودَ وَإِمّا صادَقُوا مَذَقُوا

Your people – if they make a pact, they break it,

Those covenants, and if they speak truthfully, they taste it.

لا يَعرِفُونَ جَميلاً إِن هُم سُئِلُوا

وَلا يَخافُونَ عاراً إِن هُمُ رُهِقُوا

They know no favor if asked,

And fear no shame if strained.

لَيسُوا كَأَبناءِ مِرداسٍ إِذا وَعَدُوا

فَقَد وَفَوا وَإِذا قالُوا فَقَد صَدَقُوا

They are not like the sons of Mirdas, if they promise

They fulfill it, and if they speak, they are honest,

مُعَوَّدِينَ لِبَذلِ المالِ قَد جَعَلُوا

في رِزقِ كُلِّ عَدِيمٍ كُلَّ ما رُزِقُوا

Used to spending money, they make

Every bit they are given the livelihood of the penniless.

مَن يَلقَهُمُ يَلقَ مِنهُم مَعشَراً نُجُباً

لَم يُخلَقِ الفَضلُ إِلّا ساعَةً خُلِقُوا

Whoever meets them, meets a noble group of people –

Excellence was not created except the hour they were created.

أَخنَوا عَلى المالِ حَتّى ما يَعِيشُ لَهُم

ذَودٌ يُراحُ وَلا عَينُ وَا وَرِقُ

They stingily hoarded money until they have no

Livelihood left, or goods, or wealth.

تَعَلَّمُوا مِن عِمادِ المُلكِ كُلَّ نَدىً

وَاستَمسَكُوا بِعُرى نُعماهُ وَاعتَلَقُوا

They learned every dew of the pillar of kingship from you

And held onto the ropes of your bounty and clung to them.

مازالَ يُقلِقُ أَحشاءَ العِدى زَمَناً

حَتّى جَلا الخَوفُ عَنّا وَانجَلى القَلَقُ

You continued to disturb the enemy’s guts for a time

Until fear left us and anxiety cleared up.

مِن بَعدِ أَن تَرَكَ الأَرماحَ راعِفَةً

مِمّا يَسِيلُ عَلى أَطرافِها العَلقُ

After you left the spears quivering

From the blood dripping from their tips,

وَالخَيلُ قَد بَدَّلَ التَقرِيبُ سِحنَتَها

حَتّى تَغَيَّرَتِ الأَلوانُ وَالخِلَقُ

And the horses – drawing near changed their disposition

Until the colors and nature changed.

فَالدُهمُ تَحسَبُها بُلقاً إِذا رَجَعَت

وَقَد تَجَمَّعَ في لَبّاتِها العَرَقُ

Sweat gathered on their forelocks, so you would think them mange-ridden when they returned,

And sweat gathered on their forehead hair.

يا أَكرَمَ الناسِ عِش لِلناسِ في دَعَةٍ

ما عاش لِي فِيكَ هَذا الفائِحُ العَبقُ

O most generous of people, live at ease among people

As long as this pure fragrance lived in you.

فَإِنَّما أَنتَ فِينا رَحمَةٌ كَشَفَت

عَنّا الشَقاءَ فَلا بُؤسٌ وَلا رَهَقُ

You are but a mercy that lifted

Misery from us, so no distress or strain remains.

ما دُونَ فَضلِكَ لا مَطلٌ وَلا عِدَةٌ

وَلا حِجابٌ وَلا بابٌ وَلا غَلَقُ

Without your favor there is no respite or number,

No veil, or door, or lock.