حُبستَ وأيّام الملوكِ كذاكا

تكون إِساراً مرّة وفَكاكا

You were detained, and the days of kings are likewise,

Sometimes shackled, and other times set free.

ويحجُبُ ظلُّ الأرض غُرَّةَ شمسها

فتنزلُ خفضاً تارةً وسُكاكا

The shadow of the earth veils its radiant sun,

Which at times sinks down, at others rises high.

وليس يضرُّ النجمَ مَهوَى غروبِهِ

إذا عاد في أُفْق السماء سِماكا

A star's descent into the sunset does no harm

If it returns to dawn the eastern sky.

وما قصَّروا من خطوِ سعيك للعلا

وإن قصَّروا بالقَيدِ رحبَ خُطاكا

They did not hinder your striving steps' advance,

Though shackles limited the spread of your steps.

ومن كانت الجوزاء بالأمس نعلَه

يكون له القيدُ الغداةَ شِراكا

He whose only shoes yesterday were his bare soles

Will have fetters for his feet tomorrow at dawn.

ملكتَ زماناً جائراً فقسرتَهُ

على العدل إذ وُلِّيتَهُ فأباكا

You ruled in an unjust time and forced it

To be just when you took command, though it refused.

ومن جعجع الأقدارَ عن طُرقِ كيدهِ

عطفن عليه فاستُثرن وِشَاكا

Fate bellowed in rage at the paths of its guile,

So it was gentle to you and picked you as confidant.

حملتَ الذي أعيا الرجال وغيرَهم

فخافوا على ضعف الرقاب قُواكا

You bore what exhausted all other men

Who feared for the weakness of their necks your might.

ونفَّر ذؤبانَ الغضا ريحُ ضيغم

تطيح عليه نَوْشةً وعراكا

The gusts of his wrath panicked the wolves of hatred.

It topples upon them, dealing blows and grappling.

فدبّوا فسدّوا غابَهُ وهو خادرٌ

فضاق عليه نهضةً وحَراكا

They crept up stealthily and did their damage while he slept unaware,

So space grew confined for his rising and motion.

وقد غرَّه أن يُعمِلَ الحزمَ سابقاً

على الكيد أن ليس الذئابُ هُناكا

It deluded him to first employ prudence

Rather than guile, for the wolves were not there.

مشى حافياً فوق القتادة حاقراً

لما شامَ منها أخمصَيْه وَشَاكا

He walked barefoot over the armored coat of mail, scorning

What it had inflicted upon his soles of wounds and gashes.

فإن فَصدتْ أظفارَه فلطالما

أراحَ بها رَدْعُ الدّماء وصاكا

For if its links turned back his claws, it had long

Given rest through checking bloodshed and preserving lives.

ولاحت به للوثبِ نفساً حميَّةً

تردُّ الرقابَ المصمِيات رِكاكا

And it revealed in him, when poised to pounce, a spirit

That turns back rigid necks, breaking them.

فقل للعدا لا تمضغوها تحلِّياً

وإن هي طابت ذوقَةً ومِلاكا

Say to the foe: Taste it not as a dainty morsel.

Though it be sweet to the taste and pleasing to gnaw on.

ولا تلمسوا بعد التجارب حدَّها

فإن بني عبد الرحيم أُولاكا

Touch not its edge after trials, for it belongs

To the clan of Abdelraheem, those stalwart heroes.

هم اليزنيّاتُ التي إن أغبَّكم

بها ذاعرٌ منِّي فكَرَّ دِراكا

They are the swift, piercing blades that, if an enemy

Turns fugitive before them, will hasten his bane.

فلا تستقلُّوا مغمَداً من سيوفهم

وقد حزَّ في أعناقكم فأحاكا

Draw not lightly their swords from the scabbard,

When they have engraved gashes in your necks.

ولا تحسبوا استهلاككم خُزنَ مالهم

يجرُّ على غير النفوس هلاكا

Deem not their provision exhausted though you drain their wealth,

For it brings perdition upon souls, nothing else.

فإن الجيادَ الطيّباتِ عروقُها

تكون هِزالاً مرّةً وتِماكا

The veins of their noble steeds are sometimes

Gaunt and at other times robust.

ألا يا بشيرَ الخير قل غيرَ متّقٍ

متى نلتَ من رؤيا الوزير مناكا

O you who bring good news, say to one unafraid:

When will you attain the Vizier's vision as a companion

وأمكنك الحرَّاسُ من بَسط قولةٍ

تبوحُ بها جَهراً وتفتحُ فاكا

And be allowed by the guards to speak openly,

Opening your mouth and keeping nothing hid?

توكَّلْ على مَن غَمَّها في سِفارها

فكم كنتَ في أمثالها فكفاكا

Trust in Him who has tried it through expatriation.

How often were you in the like of this—yet it sufficed you!

وإن هذه طمَّتْ على أخواتها

فوكِّل بها الصبرَ الجميلَ أخاكا

Though this surpasses its sisters,

Entrust it to beautiful patience, your brother.

ولا تحسبنَّ الشرّ ضربةَ لازبٍ

وإن طال في هذا المطالِ مَداكا

Think not the evil a blow of one who misses,

Though prolonged in this ordeal be your abidance.

فقد يخطىءُ الجَلدُ المصيبُ بغدرةٍ

وكم وألتْ من عثرةٍ قدَماكا

The skin may err in the blow it receives treacherously,

And how often have your feet stumbled!

ستخلُص من أدناسها نازعاً لها

ولم يتعلَّقْ عارُها بِرداكا

You will be cleansed of its defilements as you wrestle with it,

And its shame will not stick to you.

كأنّك بالإقبال قد هبَّ ثائراً

فناشَك فيها ثم ردَّك ذاكا

It is as though with fortune you rose up angry

And in it opposed you, then drove you back again.

وقد زادك التخميرُ عَبْقاً وضَوعةً

ونشراً كأنَّ الحبسَ كان مُداكا

Fermenting has but increased your subtlety and fragrance

And diffusion, as though imprisonment perfumed you.

وسُلِّمَ سهمُ الانتقام مفوَّقاً

إليك لترمي من بغَى فرماكا

And the arrow of vengeance has been entrusted

To you, fully feathered, that you may shoot whoever defied you.

فودَّ إذاً لو شُقَّ عنه إهابُهُ

وما شَقَّ بالغدرِ المصَرِّ عصاكا

He then would wish, if his covering were torn from him

And the perverting betrayer's staff were not your staff.

فعاذرُ ركنِ الدين في الحفظِ أنه

جناه عليك ما عليه جناكا

The Pillar of the Faith is excused for protecting you

From what he protected you from.

فما زال معْ إلمامِهِ لك بالأذى

إذا أُقرِضَ الإنعامَ منك قضاكا

He has not ceased, alongside his leading you, to hurt you

When you bestowed favor, whether fulfilling your decree.

يزيدك علماً بالرجال وفطنةً

ويكره قوماً بِغضة وفِرَاكا

He increases your knowledge of men and discernment

And hatred of a folk, hostility and antipathy.

ويعلم أنْ ما زلتَ في كلّ حالةٍ

سِناداً له في مُلكهِ ومِلاكا

And he knows that in every circumstance

You remain a support for him in his reign and domain.

وتمشي بكم وخْداً وجَمْزاً أمورُهُ

وتمشي بأقوامٍ سِواك سِواكا

While by you, his affairs proceed evenly and excellently,

And by other than you, affairs of others proceed.

فعَطفاً على المألوفِ من بِرِّ عهدهِ

وإن هو في هذا المقام جفاكا

So turn with kindness to the customary loyalty of his covenant,

Though in this circumstance he was unkind to you.

وسمعاً وإن لم تستمع لعيافتي

وزجري وإن لم تُصْغِ لي أُذُناكا

And listen, even if you do not listen to my wailing,

And heed my warning, even if you do not lend your ears.

وحاشاك أن تخلو من اسمك مدحةٌ

ويُقفِرَ من وفد الثناءِ ذَراكا

Far be it from you that any eulogy be devoid

Of your name or that pilgrims of praise be lacking your company.

وأن لا أَرَى في الصدر وجهَك طالعاً

وعينُ القوافي والرَّجاء تراكا

That I do not see your visage rising in the breast

And the eyes of verse and hope perceiving you.

وحاشاك من يومٍ جديدٍ وموقفٍ

أقوم إليه منشداً لسواكا

Far be it from you a day that is renewed

And a stance to which I rise, seeking any but you.