عاوِد عَزاءَكَ لا يَعنُف بِكَ الذِكَرُ
ماذا الَّذي بَعدَ شَيبِ الرَأسِ تَنتَظِرُ
Return to your consolation, remembrance does not oppress you,
What is it that you await after the greying of the head?
هَذا الشَبابُ لَهُ في شِرَّةٍ أُنُفُ
دونَ الثَلاثينَ مَجلوبٌ بِهِ الشِرَرُ
This youth has an impetuousness that is prone to evil,
Before thirty he is inclined by mischief.
يَرميهِ بِالحَزمِ مَعقولٌ فَتَنزِعُهُ
إِلى التَصابي القَريباتُ الهَوى النُفُرُ
Reason throws him with resolve but desire pulls him
To lusts, the nearby maidens and coquetry pull him.
أَهِلَّةٌ فَوقَ أَغصانٍ عَلى كُثُبٍ
كَأَنَّها صُوَرٌ تَمشي بِها البَقَرُ
Crescents above branches on sand dunes
As if they are images walked by cows.
تَبكي لِبَيضاءَ لاحَت في مَفارِقِهِ
بَيضاءُ ما يَنقَضي مِنها لَهُ وَطَرُ
She cries for the whiteness that appeared in his separation,
Whiteness that does not cease flowing for him.
يَروعُها الشَيبُ تاراتٍ وَيُعجِبُها
بَقِيَّةٌ مِنهُ لَم يَعنُف بِها الكِبَرُ
Greying hair frightens her but she loves
What little of it the old age did not make rigid.
هُوَ الشَبابُ فَما بالُ الصِبا حُبِسَت
أَيّامُهُ وَقَد اِشتَدَّت لَها المِرَرُ
It is youth so why was adolescence imprisoned?
Its days have hardened and bitterness took over.
كِلا الجَديدَينِ قَد أُطعِمتُ حَبرَتَهُ
بادٍ وَماضٍ وَمَغفورٌ وَمُغتَفَرُ
Both the new and old I have wetted their parchments
With the past, present, forgiven and forgiving.
خَليفَةَ اللَهِ إِنَّ النَصرَ مُقتَصَرٌ
عَلَيكَ مُذ أَنتَ مَبلوٌ وَمُختَبَرُ
O Caliph of God, victory is destined for you
Since you have been tested and tried.
أَعدَدتَ لِلحَربِ سَيفاً مِن بَني مَطَرٍ
يَمضي بِأَمرِكَ مَخلوعاً لَهُ العُذُرُ
You have prepared for war a sword from the tribe of Matar
That goes forth by your command, excuses denied to it.
لاقى بَنو قَيصَرٍ لَمّا هَمَمتَ بِهِم
مِثلَ الَّذي سَوفَ تَلقى مِثلَهُ الخَزَرُ
The sons of Caesar, when you set aims against them,
Will meet what the Khazars will meet like it.
لَقَد بَعَثتَ إِلى خاقانَ جائِحَةً
خَرقاءَ حَصّاءَ لا تُبقي وَلا تَذَرُ
You have sent against the Khan a barefoot army,
Rugged, stony, leaving no survivor or remnant.
أَظَلَّهُم مِنكَ رُعبٌ واقِفٌ بِهِمُ
حَتّى يُوافِقَ فيهِم رَأيَكَ القَدَرُ
Terror from you stands over them
Until destiny concurs regarding them with your view.
أَمضى مِنَ المَوتِ يَعفو عِندَ قُدرَتِهِ
وَلَيسَ لِلمَوتِ عَفوٌ حينَ يَقتَدِرُ
More terminal than death, pardoning when able,
Death has no pardon when able to take.
ما إِن رَمى بِالمُنى في مُلكِهِ طَمَعٌ
وَلا تَخَطّاهُ التَأيِيدُ وَالظَفَرُ
Neither hope of gain nor elation of support
Shoot him in his kingdom. No victor but you.
