تَجَلَّت مَعاني الطَّعنِ مِن قَدِّكَ اللَّدنِ

فَجَاءوكَ لا يَرجونَ شَيئاً سِوى الأَمنِ

The meanings of reproach were revealed by your constant kindness,

So they came to you seeking nothing but safety,

ونَادى لِسانٌ مِن فمِ القَوسِ جَهرَةً

أنا بابُ قَوسِ النَّصرِ فادخُل بلا إِذنِ

And the tongue of a bow loudly proclaimed,

"I am the gate of the bow of victory, so enter without permission."

وحَقِّ الذي فوقَ السَّمواتِ عَرشُهُ

ويَعلَمُ من قَلبِ المُكَتِّمِ ما يَعني

And by the right of Him whose throne is above the heavens,

And who knows what the silent heart means.

إذا اختارَكَ التاريخُ إِبناً مُخَلَّداً

فقد عَرَفَ التَّاريخُ ما اختارَ مِن إِبنِ

If history chose you as an immortal son,

Then history knew what it chose of a son.

وَشَتَّى بَنو التَّاريخِ أما كَمِثلِهِ

فما أًَبصَرت عَيني ولا سَمِعَت أُذُني

And the children of history are different, but none like him,

My eyes have not seen, nor my ears heard the like of him.

له طَلعَةٌ يُحيى النفوسَ بَهاؤُها

وتَجلو عَنِ المَحزونِ ما بِهِ من حُزنِ

He has a radiance that revives souls in their brilliance,

And clears the sadness from the saddened.

إذا المُزنُ تَهمي مَرَّةً بَعدَ مَرَّةٍ

فَراحَتُهُ أهمى دَواماً منَ المُزنِ

Whenever grief threatens again and again,

His comfort is more important than grief.

مَزاياهُ فينا كالنُّجومِ تَلألأت

إذا عُقِدَت أَغنَت عنِ التَّاجِ في الحُسنِ

His virtues shine in us like twinkling stars,

That adorn better than a crown with beauty.

ولو كنتُ أَدري أن شِعري يَعُدُّها

لأَفنَيتُ شِعري في مَديحِه لَكِنِّي

Had I known that my poetry would count them,

I would have devoted my poetry to praising him, but

أَليفُ العُلا يَهتَزُّ لِلمَدحِ عِطفُهُ

كما حَرَّكَت أَيدي الصَّبَا قامة الغُصنِ

I, accustomed to greatness, shyly praise him,

As the hands of morning breeze stirred the branch.

يُنيرُ دَياجِيرَ المَشاكِلِ فِكرُهُ

ويَأتي بِفَضلِ القَولِ جَزماً بلا ظَنِّ

His mind illuminates the lanterns of problems,

And comes with eloquence surely without doubt.

فَصاحةُ نُطقٍ في بلاغَةِ حُجَّةٍ

إذا ما جَرى ذِكرٌ عَنِ الشِّعرِ والفَنِّ

Eloquent speech in the eloquence of argument,

When mention is made of poetry and art.

اَصوغُ بَديعَ القَولِ عندَ نُعوتِهِ

لِكى يَاتِيا كالوَردِ والخَدِّ في اللَّونِ

I compose wonderful words about his attributes,

In order for them to come like roses and cheeks in color.

وأَعدو لِكَى أُلقِي بَديعَ رَوائِعي

فأرجِعُ لَمَّا تَلتَقي العَينُ بِالعَينِ

And I prepare to recite the wonderful of my talents,

So I return when eyes meet eyes.

فما الضَّيغَمُ الجاثي توَقَّدَ نَظرَةً

بِأروَعِ مِنهُ حِينَ يَبسِمُ عَن سِنِّ

The humble gazelle never ignited a look,

More beautiful than him when he smiles with his teeth.

إذا الأَطلسُ العاتي تَشامَخَ قَرنُهُ

دُهوراً فقد أحنى له شامخَ القَرنِ

When the mighty rebel raises his horn for ages,

The one with the highest horn has bowed to him.

لَكَم مِن دِمَاءٍ رامَها السَّفكُ والرَّدَى

ولَكِنَّهَا مَرَّت بِفَضلِكَ في أَمنِ

How much blood did violence and devastation seek,

But it passed in safety by your favor.

ولولاكَ ما أَبقى الفَريقانِ بَعضَهُم

كَثيرُهُمُ لا عَن قَلِيلِهُمُ يُغني

And were it not for you, the two parties would not have kept

Many unable to fend for the few.

فكَم مِن جِبالٍ دُونَهُ عَزَّ نَيلُها

وفاضَت دِماءٌ في السُّهولِ وفي الحَزنِ

So many mountains, unattainable is their glory,

And blood flowed in the plains and in sorrow.

وذلك لَمَّا أَن خَلَت مِن نَظيرِهِ

وهذي هُداةُ الرَّأيِ تَفهَمُ ما أَغني

That is because he is unmatched,

And these are the guides of opinion who understand what I sing.

إذا حَسُنَت مِن باطِنِ المَرءِ نِيَّةٌ

أَعَانَهُ رَبُّ العَونِ في كُلِّ ماشَانِ

When good intention comes from within a person,

The Lord of help assists him in everything he wants.

وأوفَرُ مَن في الأرضِ جَهلاً مُحاوِلٌ

لِيُظهِرَ ما لَم يُظهِرِ اللهُ في الكَونِ

And the most ignorant in the land is one who tries

To show what God did not show in the universe.

لَكَم غَايةٍ لِلنَّصرِ يُسكِرُ خَمرُها

ولا مِثلُ هذا النَّصرِ يَخطُرُ في ذِهنِ

How many heights of victory intoxicate with their wine,

And no victory is like this crosses the mind.

ركِبتَ على الأَيَّامِ فَالو عِنانَها

كما شِئتَ واطلُب تُرضَ في غَمضَةِ الجَفنِ

You rode the days, so nudge their reins,

However you like, and seek what pleases in the blink of an eye.

فدُم لِلعِدى تُرديهِمُ منكَ نَظرَةٌ

كما أردَتِ المَقتولَ بادِرةُ الطَّعنِ

For the enemies a look from you makes them quiver,

As the stabbed made the murderer’s stab quiver.

ودُم سَنَداً لي إنَّ قُربَك مُنيَتي

وإنِّي إذا ما كُنتَ لي سَنَداً إشنِّي

And be a support for me, your closeness is my demise,

And if you are a support for me, enrich me!

ظَنَنتُ بكَ الظَّنَّ الجميلَ ولم تَزَل

أَياديكَ لي من فَوقِ ظَنِّي بِلا مَنِّ

I thought well of you, and you have always

Kept me safe by more than my assumption.

وقد كُنتَ لي لما فَقَدتُ شَجاعَتِي

وأَظلمتِ الدُّنيا المُضيئَةُ في عَيني

And you were there for me when I lost my courage,

And the bright world darkened before my eyes.

فلن أنسَها قَيدَ الحياةِ وإِنَّنا

لَنَذكُرها إن شاء رَبِّىَ في عَدنِ

I will never forget it as long as I live, and we

Will remember it, God willing, in Eden.

كَفانِىَ فَخراً في البَرِيَّةِ أَنني

أنا شاعرُ الباشا التُّهَامي فَهَنِّئني

It suffices me pride among humanity that I

Am the poet of the great Tahami, so congratulate me!