اِستَمطَرَ العَينَ أَن أَحبابُهُ اِحتَمَلوا
لَو كانَ رَدَّ البُكاءُ الحَيَّ إِذ رَحَلوا
My eyes rained tears as my loved ones endured separation
If only tears could bring back the living when they departed
لَولا الشَبابُ وَعَهدٌ لا أَحيسُ بِهِ
لَأَعقَبَ العَينَ نَوماً ماؤُها الخَضِلُ
If not for youth and the days I still recall
My eyes would have closed in perpetual slumber
رُمتُ السُلوَّ وَناجاني الضَميرُ بِهِ
فَاِستَعطَفَتني عَلى بَيضاتِها الحَجَلُ
I cast away my cup and conscience admonished me for it
So the white-cheeked flask entreated me
وَلَيلَةٍ يَومَ يَومي ضِحكَةٌ وَبُكاً
باتَت بِعَيني عُيونُ العَينِ تَكتَحِلُ
The night, each day for me was laughter then weeping
My eyes’ own eyes stayed up with me, kohl-lined
باتَت تُعاطيهِ كَأسَ اللَهوِ جارِيَةٌ
رودُ الشَبابِ أُناةٌ مِرطُها رَحِلُ
A spirited girl kept passing around the cup of frivolity
The vigor of youth restrained her, though her saddlebags called
كَأَنَّها ثَمِلٌ مالَ الصَبوحُ بِهِ
لَيسَت بِهِ هُوَ لَكِن مَشيُها ثَمِلُ
She walks as though pregnant, but it is not so
Only her gait gives that impression
وَما اِستَخَفَّكَ إِلّا نَظرَةٌ سَلَكَت
إِثرَ القَبولِ وَقَد خَفَّت لَهُ السُدُلُ
Your glance underestimated me, following
Acceptance, though it was veiled to you
ريعَت فَراعَت ظِباءَ الإِنسِ آنِسَةً
وَهُنَّ عَنها وَما أَغفَلنَها غُفُلُ
She mingled with mankind cheerfully
They were heedless of her, not at all neglectful
وَالناظِراتُ شُفوناً إِن عَرَضنَ لَنا
كَما تَرامى بِلَحظِ الخُلسَةِ القُبُلُ
When gazes met us, they were amorous glances
Like kisses stolen in secret
تَداوَلَت عَذَباتِ السَجفِ أَعيُنُها
خُذلَ القُلوبِ وَفي أَبصارِها وَجَلُ
Their languid eyes dealt out heartache
Confusing hearts while their looks inspired awe
اِستَفسَدَ الدَهرُ أَقواماً فَأَصلَحَهُم
مُحَمَّلٌ نَكَباتِ الدَهرِ مُحتَمِلُ
Time corrupted some people but then reformed them
Bearing time's calamities with forbearance
بِهِ تَعارَفَتِ الأَحياءُ وَإِئتَلَفَت
إِذ أَلَّفَتهُم إِلى مَعروفِهِ السُبُلُ
Through him good people came to know one another
Since his virtues guided them down its paths
كَأَنَّهُ قَمَرٌ أَو ضَيغَمٌ هِصرٌ
أَو حَيَّةٌ ذَكَرٌ أَو عارِضٌ هَطِلُ
He is like the moon, a wild bull, a stallion
A male serpent, a bucks' rival, a flood
لا يَضحَكُ الدَهرُ إِلّا حينَ تَسأَلُهُ
وَلَيسَ يَعبُسُ إِلّا حينَ لا يُسَلُ
Fate laughs only when you ask it for favors
And frowns only when left unimplored
أَعطى المَقادَةَ أَهلَ الشامِ حينَ غُشوا
مِن جَعفَرٍ بِهَناتٍ مالَها حِوَلُ
To the people of Syria it gave victory when they were overwhelmed
By Jafar's spears, endless in number
سَدَّ الخَليفَةُ أَطرافَ الثُغورِ بِهِ
وَقَد تَهَتَّكَ وَاِستَرخى لَها الطِوَلُ
The Caliph fortified the borders with him
And so weakness and weariness there were relieved
يَأتي الأُمورَ بِأَشكالٍ فَيُبرِمُها
مُستَحصِدُ الرَأيِ ما في رَأيِهِ خَطَلُ
He executes commands in different forms
A sage harvesting wisdom, not faulted for his view
يَكادُ مِن عَزمِ رَأيٍ في بَصيرَتِهِ
أَن يَختِلَ الدَهرَ عَما لَيسَ يُختَتَلُ
His resolved opinion is so discerning
It's as if he could make time deviate from its course
أَمَّنتَ بِالشامِ أَرواحاً وَأَفئِدَةً
قَد حَلَّ مُستَوطِناً أَوطانُها الوَجَلُ
Through him the souls and hearts of Syria gained security
As he settled in their homelands forevermore
كُلُّ البَرِيَّةِ مُلقٍ نَحوَهُ أَمَلاً
بِالرُغبِ وَالرُهبِ مَوصولاً بِهِ الأَمَلُ
All the lands look to him in hope
Yearning and revering, placing their hopes in him
مُستَغرِقٌ لِمُنى العافينَ نائِلَهُ
تَفنى عَلى وَعدِهِ الأَموالُ وَالعِلَلُ
He realizes the wishes of those seeking refuge
Wealth and ailments fade before his promise
وَمَجمَعٍ لِحُتوفِ الدَهرِ أُهبَتُهُ
فَرَّجتَ غَمّاءَهُ وَالمَوتُ مُشتَمِلُ
A shelter for the thickets of time, his resolution
Dispelled its gloom, though death was pending
وَمَأزِقٍ يَبعَثُ الطُغيانُ بَعثَتَهُ
مُستَهدِفٍ لِلمَنايا دَواؤُهُ القَفِلُ
A crisis provokes the rebels’ onslaught
Seeking havoc, though the cure is incarceration
قَد بَلَّغَتهُ بِكَ الأَقدارُ مَبلَغَهُ
وَعاذَ بِالأَسرِ مَن يُؤتى بِهِ النَفَلُ
Fate has granted you its full favor
So take refuge in seclusion from redundant accolades
في عَسكَرٍ تُشرِقُ الأَرضُ الفَضاءُ بِهِ
كَاللَيلِ أَنجُمُهُ القُضبانُ وَالأَسَلُ
In an encampment where the earth lights up because of him
Like night with its Pole Star and lightning flashes
لا يُمكِنُ الطَرفَ مِنهُ أَن يُحيطَ بِهِ
ما يَأخُذُ السَهلُ مِن عُرضَيهِ وَالجَبَلُ
No glance can encompass him fully
What the plain and mountain take of his breadth
أَثبَتَّ لِلدينِ أَركاناً وَأَعمِدَةً
قَد كانَ خِيفَ عَلَيها الدَحضُ وَالزَلَلُ
He established pillars and supports for the faith
Which were in danger of collapse and ruin
إِذا تَفاوَتَ أَمرٌ أَو مَضى حَدَثٌ
رَدَّت نَوافِلَهُ مِن أَمرِكَ المُهَلُ
When a matter escalates or some event occurs
Your voluntary efforts there quickly redress it
أَطَعتَ رَبَّكَ فيما الحَقُّ لازِمُهُ
حَتّى أَطاعَكَ في أَعدائِكَ الأَجَلُ
You obeyed your Lord in all that duty requires
So that doom obeyed you against your enemies
لَم يُخرِجِ النَكثُ قَوماً عَن دِيارِهِمُ
إِلّا رَمَتهُم بِكَ الأَيّامُ وَالدُوَلُ
Treachery did not drive a people from their homes
Except that time and fate cast them out because of you
تَفتَرُّ عَنكَ العُلا إِذا عُدَّ واحِدُها
حَتّى يَكونَ إِلَيكَ الخَوفُ وَالأَمَلُ
Glories are too numerous to count when considered one by one
To the point that fear and hope are centered on you
لاقى بِكَ المَجدُ قَوماً يَحتَلونَ بِهِ
فَقَلَّدوكَ حُلِيَّ المَجدِ إِذ عُطِلوا
Some people met glory and pretended it was theirs
So you garlanded them with glory’s jewels when they were shunned
هَبَطتَ أَرضَ فِلَسطينٍ وَقَد سَمُحَت
فَالخَوفُ مُنتَشِرٌ وَالسَيفُ مُعتَمَلُ
You descended upon Palestine as it was in turmoil
With fear rampant and swords at the ready
فَما بَرِحتَ تَسوقُ المَوتَ نَحوَهُمُ
حَتّى كَبوا وَأَضَلَّ اللَهُ ما عَمِلوا
You did not stop driving death towards them
Until they fell and Allah led their deeds astray
لَقيتَهُم بِالمَنايا في مُلَملَمَةٍ
تَنبو الصَوارِمُ عَنها وَالقَنا الذُبُلُ
You met them with deathblows in ferocious combat
Before which blades and highland warriors quailed
يَحوزُ عَفوَكَ مَن سالَمتَ مُغتَبِطاً
وَلا يُقالُ لِمَن عادَيتَ ما فَعَلوا
Whoever yields to you safely has your pardon
While no excuses are accepted from those who opposed you
ناضَلتَ فيها الرَدى عَن نَفسِ ذائِدِها
وَالمَوتُ في مُهَجِ الفُرسانِ تَنتَضِلُ
You fought back the havoc from the soul of one protecting it
While death harvested lives amidst the knights
داوى فِلِسطينَ مِن أَدوائِها بَطَلٌ
في صورَةِ المَوتِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ رَجُلُ
A hero cured Palestine of her afflictions
In the form of death but for being a man
سَلَّ المَنونُ عَلَيهِم مِن مَناصِلِهِ
مِثلَ العَقيقِ تَرامى دونَهُ الشُعَلُ
Doom showered them with its arrows
Like carnelian, as flames rained down around it
مِن بَعدِ ماعَظُمَت في الدينِ شَوكَتُها
وَاِستَذأَبَت شاتُها وَاِستَأسَدَ الوَعِلُ
After its disobedience in religion was declared
Its rebels emboldened and lions turned timid
فَسَيفُ جَعفَرَ أَعطاهُم أَمانَهُمُ
وَرَأيُ يَحيى أَراهُم غِبَّ ما جَهِلوا
Jafar’s sword gave them security
Yahya's view showed them the ignorance of their deeds
فَالمُلكُ مُمتَنِعٌ وَالشَرُّ مُتَّزِعٌ
وَالخَيرُ مُتَّسِعٌ وَالأَمرُ مُعتَدِلُ
So the kingdom is impregnable, evil is frustrated
Goodness is abundant, and authority just
