إمَّا تقومونَ كذا أو فاقعدوا

ما كلّ من رام السماءَ يَصعدُ

Rise and strive, or else just sit still,

Not all who seek the heights their hopes fulfill,

نامَ على الهُونِ الذليلُ ودرَى

جفنُ العزيزِ لِمَ بات يَسهَدُ

The coward slept on down, ashamed to yield,

While the valiant's eyes no rest or slumber filled.

أخفُّكم سعياً إلى سودَدِه

أحقُّكم بأن يقالَ سيِّدُ

Whose zeal to serve his lord knows least repose,

Most rightly of that band the chieftain goes.

عن تعبٍ أُورِدَ ساقٌ أوّلاً

ومَسحَتْ غرَّةَ سَبَّاقٍ يدُ

First the leg that toils the throne attains,

While hands that grasp from toil bear honored stains.

لو شرُفَ الإنسان وهو وادعٌ

لقطعَ الصمصامُ وهو مغمَدُ

If man's esteem came with mere ease and calm,

The sword would rest unblooded in its sheath embalmed.

هيهات أبصرتَ العلاءَ وعشَواً

عنه فضلُّوا سُبلَه وتَجِدُ

Ah, you have seen the heights, but from them strayed,

Lost from the paths by night's own shadows swayed!

يا عمدةَ الملكِ وأيُّ شرفٍ

طالَ ولم ترفعه منكم عَمَدُ

O pillar of the kingdom - yet what fame

Have you upheld that time will not defame?

للّه هذا اليومُ يوماً أنجز ال

دهرُ به ما كان فيه يَعِدُ

This day God has decreed we must prevail,

And turn to truth what dreaming hopers hail.

لما طَلعتَ البدرَ من ثَنِيَّةٍ

تُجلَى بها عينٌ وعَينٌ تَرمَدُ

When you appeared, radiant as the moon

That dims all stars beside it, late or soon,

من شَفَقِ الشمسِ يُسَدَّى ثوبُها

وتُلحَمُ الجوزاءَ أو تُعَمَّدُ

The sun himself draws in his robes of light,

And cold stars cluster in the vault of night.

دقَّ وجلَّ فهو إن لامستَهُ

سَبْطٌ وإن مارسته مُجَعَّدُ

Prance lightly by, he quivers all compact,

Charge, and those hooves will drum the field impact.

متوَّجاً عمامةً وإنما

عمامةُ الفارس تاجٌ يُعقدُ

Crowned with a turban, though it were more meet

Upon a warrior's head to bind a crown complete.

ممتطياً أتلعَ لو حبستَهُ

تحتك قيل فَدَنٌ مُشَيَّدُ

Held in by you, though that same steed would race

Free, and men call him charger held in place!

مناقلاً بأربعٍ كأنّما

يلاطم الجليدَ منها جَلْمَدُ

Transfer him back and forth twixt stall and field,

As though you shifted ice, and ice would yield.

وقَّرها خوفُك فهو مطلَقٌ

يَنقُلُها كأنّه مقيَّدُ

Your awe has gentled him - now he will go

Light as if haltered, yet allowed free flow.

خَفَّ بطبع عِتقِه وآده

ثِقلُ الحُلَى فمشيهُ تأوُّدُ

The weight of gems gives way before the grace

Of his smooth neck, gliding as if time could erase.

مقلَّداً مهنّداً ما ضمَّه

قبلَك إلا خافه مقَلَّدُ

Caparisoned and saddled, though before

Your hand none rode him, saddleless he bore.

أبيض لا يعطيك عهداً مثلُه

إذا أخوك حالَ عمّا تَعهَدُ

A white without peer, pledges never given

Save to a brother, loyal as you've striven.

إذا ادرعتَ في الدجى فقَبَسٌ

وإن توسّدتَ الثرى فعضُدُ

By night a campfire, or a saddlebed,

By day the earth's broad carpet 'neath us spread.

ما اعتدتَ كسبَ العزِّ إلا مَعَهُ

والمرء مَشَّاءٌ وما يُعَوَّدُ

You granted me the glory that I know,

And man can thrive on what familiar grows.

ما زال فخر المُلك في أمثالها

يرشُدُ في آرائه ويسعدُ

The kingdom's pride in men like you holds fast,

Guided aright, till envious time has passed.

فكيف لا وأنت من فؤاده

عزّاً وعينيه المكانُ الأسودُ

And how not so, when from your heart of hearts

Flows the black spring of honors set apart?

ولو ركبتُ أرحلاً لكان لي

فيك بُراقٌ بالمنى مزوَّدُ

Had I the means, I'd journey but to be

Your pilgrim guest, and share your dignity.

أنت الذي جمعتَني من معشرٍ

شملُ العلاء بينهم مبدَّدُ

You who could gather what was sought before

By me in fragments, make my quest no more,

كأنني آخذُ ما أُعطيهُمُ

من مِدَحي إذا نطقتُ أُنشِدُ

As though all I could wish before were brought,

And made a whole, when you yourself have wrought.

أبحتَني مجدَك إذ أرحتني

ممّن أذمُّ منهُمُ وأحمَدُ

You bid me glory in your name; you grieve

To hear me praise, or scornfully take leave.