أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد عايَنتُ مِنهُ
مَخايِلَ سودد أَهلا وَسَهلا
I say to him, having seen in him
the signs of eminence: “A warm welcome!”
تَوالَت عِندَكَ الاِفراحُ لما
أَتى عمر وَجَيشُ البُعدِ وَلى
Joys came one upon another to you when
ʿUmar arrived, having tried absence and turned his back on it.
فَطب نَفساً بمجدِهِما وَأَرّخ
أَدامَ اللَهُ فَخرَهُما وَأَعلا
So rejoice in their glory, and mark its date:
“May God perpetuate their pride and raise it high.”
هما قَد حَدّثا في المَهد عما
لاصلهما مِنَ المَجدِ المعلى
Already, in the cradle, the two declared
what exalted glory belongs to their stock.
هما قَد شمرا لِلمَجد باعا
لِيَكتَسِبا بِذاكَ الباعِ فَضلا
They have strained their reach toward glory,
to gain distinction with that reach.
فَقُل لَهُما أَقلا وَاِستَريحا
هما من بيته وَان اِستَقلا
Then tell the two, “Do less now, and rest”—
they are of his house, even if they achieve but little.
وَلَو لَم يَكسِبا مَجدا سِواهُ
لما وَجدا لذاكَ المَجد مَثلا
Even had they gained no glory besides him,
they would have found no equal to that glory.
هما فرعان طابا حينَ طابَت
أُصولُهُما وَجلا حينَ جَلا
They are two branches that flourished when their roots
were sound, and shone when their source shone.
وَكَم لَهُما من الاسلافِ مَجد
وَحسن ثَنا عَلى الاِيّامِ يتلى
How much ancestral glory is theirs,
and fair praise recited through the ages!
مخايل نور وجهِهِما ترينا
بَراهينَ النَجابَة حينَ تجلى
Their luminous faces show us signs—
proofs of nobility as their light shines forth.
رَضيعا سودد شبلا فخار
كَريما محتد فرعا وَأَصلا
Two nurslings of eminence, two lion cubs of pride,
noble in stock, in branch and root.
هما من بَيت عز لو تدلَّت
له الافلاك ذلا ما تَدلى
They are of a house of honor; if the heavens bowed
before it in humility, that house would never bow.
تُساهم أَهله كنز المعالي
وَحازوا دركها طِفلا وَكَهلا
Its people share the treasure of lofty virtues,
and attained them in childhood and in age.
يَكادُ رَضيعُهُم في المَهدِ يَسمو
اِلى الجوزاءِ يَسكُنُها مَحلا
Their suckling, still in the cradle, nearly soars
to Gemini and makes his dwelling there.
مَكارِمُ غَيرُهُم قَول وَتَلقى
مَكارِمَ بَينَهُم قَولا وَفِعلا
Others’ virtues are mere words; among these men you find
virtues embodied in both word and deed.
وَحاشى أَن يُضام لَهُم نَزيل
اِذا ما أَمّهم حاشى وَكلا
Far be it that any guest of theirs be wronged
when he seeks them—far be it, never!
وَكَم لَهُم مَحاسن لَيسَ تُحصى
وَلكن هكَذا العليا وَاِلّا
How many virtues they possess, beyond all counting;
but this is true nobility—or nothing is.
تهلل أَوجه وَثبات جاش
وَعزة أَنفُس لَم تدر ذلا
Radiant faces and steadfast hearts,
and proud souls that have never known abasement.
صَغيرُهُم وَكَهلَهُم سواء
تَعود كل المَعروفِ طِفلا
Young and old among them are alike:
each was habituated to goodness as a child.
خِطابَهُم سُؤالا أَو جَوابا
مِنَ الماءِ الزلال العَذب أَحلى
Their speech, whether a question or an answer,
is sweeter than pure, fresh water.
خُضوع تَواضُع كرما وَجلما
وَحُسن تَوَدّد فَضلا وَعَدلا
Humility, modesty, generosity, and forbearance;
gracious affection, excellence, and justice.
فَلا تَنسب لِغَيرِهِم المَعالي
فَقَد ثَبَتت لَهُم عَقلا وَنَقلا
So ascribe lofty virtues to no one else:
they are established as theirs by reason and tradition.
Sol 5.6