دُروعٌ لِمَلكِ الرومِ هَذي الرَسائِلُ
يَرُدُّ بِها عَن نَفسِهِ وَيُشاغِلُ
These letters serve as armor for the Byzantine King,
With them he shields himself and stalls for time.
هِيَ الزَرَدُ الضافي عَلَيهِ وَلَفظُها
عَلَيكَ ثَناءٌ سابِغٌ وَفَضائِلُ
They are the flowing chainmail draped upon him,
While their words offer lavish praise and tributes to you.
وَأَنّى اِهتَدى هَذا الرَسولُ بِأَرضِهِ
وَما سَكَنَت مُذ سِرتَ فيها القَساطِلُ
How did this messenger find his way across his land,
When the dust of war has not settled since your march began?
وَمِن أَيِّ ماءٍ كانَ يَسقي جِيادَهُ
وَلَم تَصفُ مِن مَزجِ الدِماءِ المَناهِلُ
And from what water did he quench his horses' thirst,
When the springs are not yet clear of mingled blood?
أَتاكَ يَكادُ الرَأسُ يَجحَدُ عُنقَهُ
وَتَنقَدُّ تَحتَ الذُعرِ مِنهُ المَفاصِلُ
He came to you, his head all but renouncing his neck,
While beneath the terror, his very joints collapse.
يُقَوِّمُ تَقويمُ السَماطَينِ مَشيَهُ
إِلَيكَ إِذا ما عَوَّجَتهُ الأَفاكِلُ
The rows of guards on either side hold straight his walk,
Pushing him toward you whenever tremors make him stumble.
فَقاسَمَكَ العَينَينِ مِنهُ وَلَحظَهُ
سَمِيُّكَ وَالخِلُّ الَّذي لا يُزايِلُ
He divided his gaze and glancing eyes between you,
And your namesake—the sword, that inseparable friend.
وَأَبصَرَ مِنكَ الرِزقَ وَالرِزقُ مُطمِعٌ
وَأَبصَرَ مِنهُ المَوتَ وَالمَوتُ هائِلُ
In you he saw life's provision—a tempting prize,
In it he saw death—and death is truly terrible.
وَقَبَّلَ كُمّاً قَبِّلَ التُربَ قَبلَهُ
وَكُلُّ كَمِيٍّ واقِفٌ مُتَضائِلُ
He kissed a royal sleeve the dust had kissed before,
While every standing warrior felt himself grow small.
وَأَسعَدُ مُشتاقٍ وَأَظفَرُ طالِبٍ
هُمامٌ إِلى تَقبيلِ كُمِّكَ واصِلُ
The happiest of yearners and most successful seeker
Is the hero who succeeds in reaching to kiss your sleeve.
مَكانٌ تَمَنّاهُ الشِفاهُ وَدونَهُ
صُدورُ المَذاكي وَالرِماحُ الذَوابِلُ
It is a spot the lips desire, yet standing in the way
Are the chests of warhorses and slender spears.
فَما بَلَّغَتهُ ما أَرادَ كَرامَةٌ
عَلَيكَ وَلَكِن لَم يَخِب لَكَ سائِلُ
It was not honor that let him reach the goal he sought,
But simply that no petitioner of yours is ever turned away.
وَأَكبَرَ مِنهُ هِمَّةً بَعَثَت بِهِ
إِلَيكَ العِدى وَاِستَنظَرَتهُ الجَحافِلُ
Far greater than the man is the ambition that sent him
From the enemy to you, while armies waited on his word.
فَأَقبَلَ مِن أَصحابِهِ وَهوَ مُرسَلٌ
وَعادَ إِلى أَصحابِهِ وَهوَ عاذِلُ
He came forth from his people as a messenger,
And returned to his people as a clear warner.
تَحَيَّرَ في سَيفٍ رَبيعَةُ أَصلُهُ
وَطابِعُهُ الرَحمَنُ وَالمَجدُ صاقِلُ
He stood bewildered by a Sword whose root is Rabia,
Tempered by the Merciful, and polished by Glory.
وَما لَونُهُ مِمّا تُحَصِّلُ مُقلَةٌ
وَلا حَدُّهُ مِمّا تَجُسُّ الأَنامِلُ
Its color is not something the eye can fully grasp,
Nor is its edge something for fingertips to test.
إِذا عايَنَتكَ الرُسلُ هانَت نُفوسُها
عَلَيها وَما جاءَت بِهِ وَالمُراسِلُ
When messengers behold you, their own lives seem cheap
To them—as do their messages and those who sent them.
رَجا الرومُ مَن تُرجى النَوافِلُ كُلُّها
لَدَيهِ وَلا تُرجى لَدَيهِ الطَوائِلُ
The Byzantines placed hope in him from whom all gifts are hoped,
Yet none may hope to gain revenge against him.
فَإِن كانَ خَوفُ القَتلِ وَالأَسرِ ساقَهُم
فَقَد فَعَلوا ما القَتلُ وَالأَسرُ فاعِلُ
If fear of death and captivity is what drove them here,
They have already suffered what death and chains would do.
فَخافوكَ حَتّى ما لِقَتلٍ زِيادَةٌ
وَجاؤوكَ حَتّى ما تُرادُ السَلاسِلُ
They feared you till death itself could add no pain,
And came to you until chains were no longer needed.
أَرى كُلَّ ذي مُلكٍ إِلَيكَ مَصيرُهُ
كَأَنَّكَ بَحرٌ وَالمُلوكُ جَداوِلُ
I see that every king is destined to come to you,
As if you were the ocean, and all other kings mere streams.
إِذا مَطَرَت مِنهُم وَمِنكَ سَحائِبٌ
فَوابِلُهُم طَلٌّ وَطَلُّكَ وابِلُ
If rain-clouds were to pour from them and you alike,
Their torrent would be drizzle; your drizzle, a torrential flood.
كَريمٌ مَتى اِستوهِبتَ ما أَنتَ راكِبٌ
وَقَد لَقِحَت حَربٌ فَإِنَّكَ باذِلُ
Most noble one, if asked to give the very mount you ride,
Even as the war ignites, you would give it freely.
أَذا الجودِ أَعطِ الناسِ ما أَنتَ مالِكٌ
وَلا تُعطِيَنَّ الناسَ ما أَنا قائِلُ
O Paragon of Generosity, give people what you own,
But do not grant them the words that I compose.
أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ تَحتَ ضِبني شُوَيعِرٌ
ضَعيفٌ يُقاويني قَصيرٌ يُطاوِلُ
Must I find every day, nestled beneath my arm, some petty poet,
A weakling trying to grapple, a dwarf trying to tower?
لِساني بِنُطقي صامِتٌ عَنهُ عادِلٌ
وَقَلبي بِصَمتي ضاحِكٌ مِنهُ هازِلُ
My tongue, despite its power, falls silent, ignoring him,
While in that silence, my heart laughs and mocks.
وَأَتعَبُ مَن ناداكَ مَن لا تُجيبُهُ
وَأَغيَظُ مَن عاداكَ مَن لا تُشاكِلُ
The most weary caller is the one you do not answer,
And the most furious foe is the one you deign not to fight.
وَما التيهُ طِبّي فيهِمُ غَيرَ أَنَّني
بَغيضٌ إِلَيَّ الجاهِلُ المُتَعاقِلُ
Arrogance is not my nature among them, save that I
Detest the ignorant man who feigns wisdom.
وَأَكبَرُ تيهي أَنَّني بِكَ واثِقٌ
وَأَكثَرُ مالي أَنَّني لَكَ آمِلُ
My greatest pride is that I place my trust in you,
And my vastest wealth is the hope I place in you.
لَعَلَّ لِسَيفِ الدَولَةِ القَرمِ هَبَّةً
يَعيشُ بِها حَقٌّ وَيَهلِكُ باطِلُ
Perhaps Sayf al-Dawla, the noble chief, will rise,
Giving life to the truth, while falsehood perishes.
رَمَيتُ عِداهُ بِالقَوافي وَفَضلِهِ
وَهُنَّ الغَوازي السالِباتُ القَواتِلُ
I struck his enemies with rhymes and with his grace,
For these verses are the raiders, the plunderers, the killers.
وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّ النُجومَ خَوالِدٌ
وَلَو حارَبَتهُ ناحَ فيها الثَواكِلُ
They have claimed that the stars are eternal,
Yet were they to fight him, mourning mothers would wail among them.
وَما كانَ أَدناها لَهُ لَو أَرادَها
وَأَلطَفَها لَو أَنَّهُ المُتَناوِلُ
How close they would be to him, had he desired them,
How easily grasped, if he reached out his hand.
قَريبٌ عَلَيهِ كُلُّ ناءٍ عَلى الوَرى
إِذا لَثَّمَتهُ بِالغُبارِ القَنابِلُ
Close to him is all that is distant to mankind,
When the squadrons veil him in clouds of dust.
تُدَبِّرُ شَرقَ الأَرضِ وَالغَربِ كَفُّهُ
وَلَيسَ لَها وَقتاً عَنِ الجودِ شاغِلُ
His hand governs the Earth's East and its West,
Yet finds no moment's rest from generosity.
يُتَبِّعُ هُرّابَ الرِجالِ مُرادُهُ
فَمَن فَرَّ حَرباً عارَضَتهُ الغَوائِلُ
His will pursues the men who flee from him;
Whoever flees his war meets certain doom,
وَمَن فَرَّ مِن إِحسانِهِ حَسَداً لَهُ
تَلَقّاهُ مِنهُ حَيثُما سارَ نائِلُ
And whoever flees his bounty out of jealous spite
Will meet his gifts wherever he may roam.
فَتىً لا يَرى إِحسانَهُ وَهوَ كامِلٌ
لَهُ كامِلاً حَتّى يُرى وَهوَ شامِلُ
A knight who deems his bounty incomplete, though it is perfect,
Until he sees it encompass everyone.
إِذا العَرَبُ العَرباءُ رازَت نُفوسَها
فَأَنتَ فَتاها وَالمَليكُ الحَلاحِلُ
If the purest Arabs were to test their souls,
They would find you their hero, their magnificent king.
أَطاعَتكَ في أَرواحِها وَتَصَرَّفَت
بِأَمرِكَ وَاِلتَفَّت عَلَيكَ القَبائِلُ
They have obeyed you with their very lives, moving
At your command, as tribes rally around you.
وَكُلُّ أَنابيبِ القَنا مَدَدٌ لَهُ
وَما يَنكُتُ الفُرسانَ إِلّا العَوامِلُ
Every spear-shaft serves as an extension of his arm,
Though only the spearpoints pierce the knights.
رَأَيتُكَ لَو لَم يَقتَضِ الطَعنُ في الوَغى
إِلَيكَ اِنقِياداً لَاِقتَضَتهُ الشَمائِلُ
I see that even if the thrust of battle did not demand
Submission to you, your noble nature would command it.
وَمَن لَم تُعَلِّمهُ لَكَ الذُلَّ نَفسُهُ
مِنَ الناسَ طُرّاً عَلَّمَتهُ المَناصِلُ
And he whose own soul does not teach him to yield to you,
Will learn that lesson from the edge of the sword.
