أرِقْتُ للبرق بالعلياء يضطرمُ
وحبّذا ومضُهُ لو أنّه أَمَمُ
I was kept awake by lightning flashing in the horizon,
How I wish its gleam would last!
أمسى يشُنُّ على الآفاقِ صِبغتَه
كأنّما الجوّ منه عَنْدَمٌ ودمُ
By evening it begins to spread its colors over the horizons,
As if the atmosphere was set ablaze and turned to blood by it.
يَنزو خلال الدّجى واللّيلُ مُعتكرٌ
نَزْوَ الشّرارةِ من أرجائها الغممُ
It pierces through the gloom and the darkness of night,
Like embers scattering from thick clouds.
ولامعٌ قابعٌ طَوراً إِخالُ به
اللّيلُ يضحك والآفاق تبتسمُ
A shining star resting for a while,
The night laughs and the horizons smile.
قَد شاقني وبلادي منه نازحةٌ
إلى وجوهٍ بهنّ الحسنُ يعتصمُ
It wearied me and made my country flee
To fair faces upon which beauty resides.
قومٌ يَضِنّون بالجَدوى فإن بذلوا
من غير عمدٍ لشيءٍ في الهوى ندموا
A people who resent favor, and if they give
Something unintended in passion, they regret it
ويأمرونا بصبرٍ عن لقائِهمُ
وكيف نصبرُ والألبْابُ عندهُمُ
And order us to be patient from meeting them!
But how can we when their vestiges are with us?
وعيّرتني مشيبَ الرَأس خُرْعُبَةٌ
وربّ شيبٍ بدا لم يجنه الهرمُ
An old hag blamed me for having white hair,
Yet some white hair appears with no aging.
لا تَتَشكَّي كُلوماً لم تُصِبْكِ فما
يَشكو أذى الشّيب إلّا العُذرُ واللِّمَمُ
Do not complain of what did not afflict you,
None complains of the white hair save the feeble and sick.
شيبٌ كما شُنّ في جُنحِ الدّجى قَبَسٌ
أَو اِنجَلَتْ عن تباشير الضّحى ظُلَمُ
White hair like an ember thrown amidst the wings of night,
Or darkness receding before the first lights of dawn.
ما كنتُ قبل مشيبٍ بات يظلمني
لظالمٍ أبَدَ الأيّامِ أنْظَلِمُ
I was not treated unjustly before this white hair that now treats me unjustly,
By one who oppresses me all my days.
يا صاحبيَّ على نَعْمانَ دونكما
قلباً تَذَكُّرُ نَعْمانٍ له سَقَمُ
O my friend, apart from you Na’man is filled
With sickness whenever Na’man is recalled.
كم فيه من قاتلٍ عمداً ولا قَوَدٌ
وظالمٍ لمحبّيهِ ولا حَكَمُ
How many killed there intentionally without retaliation taken,
And how many oppressed their lovers without judge!
وماطِلٍ ما اِقتضيناهُ مَواعدَنا
إلّا وفي سمعه عن قولنا صَمَمُ
How many failed what we stipulated,
Deaf to our words however much we spoke!
وسلِّما فَهناك الحبُّ مجتمعٌ
على شعابٍ بهنّ الضّالُ والسَّلَمُ
Convey peace thither where love gathers
On slopes where the stray and secure gather.
يَلحَى العذولُ وما اِستنصحتُه سَفَهاً
وكلُّ من يبتديك النُّصْحَ مُتَّهَمُ
The recluse is censured, though I did not advise him foolishly,
And whoever reproaches you first is suspect.
وما على مثله لولا تكلُّفُهُ
من الأَحِبَّةِ لَمُّوا الحَبْلَ أمْ صَرَموا
Were it not for his affectation none who love him
Would have tied the rope or cut it off.
يا مَنزل الغيثِ مرخىً من ذَلاذِلِهِ
يحثّه صَخَبُ التّغريدِ مهتزمُ
O abode of rain pouring in torrents,
Goaded by the clamor of birds in tremors
كأنّما سُحْبُهُ سُحْماً مهدَّلَةً
زالتْ بها الصُّمُّ أو شُلَّتْ بها النَّعَمُ
As if its clouds are veils let down in drapes
Within which the blind recover sight or the mute speak.
سقى المنازلَ من أرْجانَ ما اِحتَملتْ
رَفهاً فلا حاجةٌ تبقى ولا سَأَمُ
It quenched the abodes, giving from its coffers what they could hold
Without need or fatigue remaining.
مواطنٌ أُبّهاتُ الملك ثاويةٌ
فيهنّ والسُّؤددُ الفّضفاضُ والكرمُ
Domains wherein mothers of kings reside,
Wherein is prodigal generosity and bounty.
المَوْرِدُ العَذْبُ مبذولاً لواردِهِ
والمالُ يُظلمُ بالجَدْوى ويُهتَضَمُ
Sweet water offered freely to all who come,
Wealth oppressed through favor and usurped.
وجانبٌ لا يُخاف الدّهرُ فيه ولا
يهابُ من نَفَجاتٍ عنده العَدَمُ
An inviolate corner the days do not fear
Nor dread termination however mighty.
للنّازلين محلُّ القاطنين به
والأقربون لأضيافِ القِرى خَدَمُ
It shelters both visitors and inhabitants within,
The nearest of kin serving foreign guests.
وواهبٌ سالبٌ ما شاء من عَرَضٍ
ومنعمٌ محسنٌ طوراً ومنتقمُ
A giver, withholder, taking and giving freely whatever repute he wishes,
Conferring favor, pardoning for a time, then punishing.
يُلقي على كُثُبِ النُّعْمى شَراشِرَهُ
فالحمدُ مجتمِعٌ والمالُ مُقتَسَمُ
He throws its first fruits upon each grower,
Praise be unanimous; wealth divided!
أمّا قناتُك يا مَلكَ الملوك فما
زالتْ تردّ نُيوبَ القومِ إذْ عَجَموا
As for your channel, O king of kings, it still
Repels attackers when the ignorant assault it,
صُمّاً يُرجَّعُ عنها الغامزون لها
وفي أناملهمْ من غمزها ألَمُ
Deaf to their taunts, they retreat from it
With fingers bloodied by its stabs—in agony.
وقد بَلَوْك ونارُ الحربِ موقَدَةٌ
واليومُ ملتهبُ القُطرين محتدمُ
You endured the flames of war when ignited
And the day burnt hot between both hosts.
يومٌ كأنّ أُسودَ الغاب ضاريةٌ
فرسانُهُ وقنا فرسانِهِ الأَجَمُ
A day that lions of the wild charge forth
While your horsemen, their horsemen, encounter resolutely.
في ظهرِ مَعروقةِ اللَّحيَينِ ثائرةٍ
كأنّما مسّها من طيشها لَمَمُ
On tumultuous ground the steeds race headlong,
As if maddened, shaken by their mettle’s fire.
مَعقولةٌ باِزدِحامِ الخيل تُعثِرها
ولا عِثارَ بها الأحشاءُ والقِمَمُ
Pushed beyond limit by the horses crammed together,
Hooves and shoulders taxed but undeterred.
وفِتْيَةٌ كقِداحِ النّبعِ تَحمِلُهمْ
على خِطارِ الرّدى الأخطارُ والشِّيَمُ
And a band of youths like the meteors’ sparks they bear
Perils and noble deeds however severe,
بَينَ القَنا والظُّبا مسلولةً نشأوا
وَفي ظهورِ الجِيادِ القُرَّحِ اِحتَلموا
Veiled from indecency without exception
As if save what is good they had no knowledge.
من كلّ مُلتَبِسٍ بالطّعنِ منغمسٍ
يَعْتمُّ بالدمِ طَوراً ثمّ يلتثمُ
When they aided the moon cloaked in night’s robe
Or rescued the lion surprised in his den, betrayed,
تراهُمُ كيفما لاقوا أعادِيَهمْ
لا يَغنَمون سوى الأرواح إنْ غنموا
How they subdued many a hero without being subdued!
And defeated many champions without being defeated!
محجّبين عن الفحشاء قاطبةً
كأنّهمْ بسوى المعروف ما علموا
And exhausted the pride of many an honored lord
Who now staggers under the load or is smothered in ruin!
إِنْ ظاهَروا البدرَ في ثوبِ الدّجى ظهروا
أو ظالموا اللّيثَ في عِرِّيسهِ ظَلموا
You instilled in them manners that give them mettle
To plunge into straights from which the brave fled routed.
كم أوْهنوا من جراثيمٍ وما وهنوا
وأَرغموا من عرانينٍ وما رُغِموا
They advanced though the cunning plot closed in upon them
When they saw you plunging into terrors headlong.
وأرهقوا من عظيمٍ خُنْزُوانَتَه
يئِطُّ في القِدِّ أو تهفو به الرَّخَمُ
Who can inform the lord in far domain
That reticence about you would be more becoming!
تقيّلوا منك أخلاقاً تثبّتُهمْ
في مأزقٍ هزّه الشّجعانُ فاِنهَزموا
You deemed distance safety, a sanctuary,
While security there lies in your purpose alone.
وَأَقدموا بَعدَ أَنْ ضاق المَكَرُّ بهمْ
لمّا رأوك على الأهوالِ تَقتحمُ
And every outcast—though cast out—still enters
The aura your glorious kingdom sheds.
مَن مُبلغٌ مالكَ الأطرافِ مَأْلُكَةً
فَإنّما العِيُّ في الأقوالِ مُحتَشَمُ
Like the circling sun, you are far yet near at hand
As people and nations bask in its warmth.
بعدتُمُ فحسبتمْ بُعْدَكمْ حَرَماً
والأمنُ دون النّوى منكم هو الحَرَمُ
But you were deluded by ignorance, thinking
You could steal what you fancied was yours!
وكلُّ ناءٍ وإنْ شطّ الِبعادُ به
تناله من بهاءِ الدّولةِ الهِممُ
Seize the peace he grants; fear his wrath—
Peace from the likes of him should be welcomed!
كالشّمس في الفلك الدّوّار قاصيةٌ
ويصطلي حرَّها الأقوامُ والأُمَمُ
Grasp the reins of punishment he metes out
For with him only bonds of debt are honored.
وإنّما غرّكْم بالجهلِ أنَّكم
سرقتمُ ما ظننتمْ أنّه لكمُ
Buwayhids, may God perfect the blessings he gave you
And maintain authority invested forever in you.
تغنّموا سِلْمَه واِخشَوْا صريمَته
فالسِّلْمُ من مثلِهِ يا قومُ مُغتَنَمُ
And you, O king of kings, may you live forever!
By the grace you showed us all are now graced!
وَاِستَمسكوا بذمامٍ من عقوبتِهِ
فَليسَ تَنفع إلّا عنده الذّممُ
Continue to enjoy this Nayruz as we await
Hopes reaching heights never attained by feet before,
بني بُوَيْهٍ أتمّ اللَّهُ نِعمَتكمْ
ولا يزلْ منكُم في الملكِ محتكِمُ
Attaining all ambitions however far-reaching, through you—
Channels of blessings forever flowing to you!
وأنتَ يا ملك الأملاك عشْ أبداً
فما سلمتَ لنا فالخلقُ قد سلموا
وَاِنعمْ نعمتَ بذا النَّيْروزِ مُرتقباً
إلى المحلّ الّذي لم تَرْقَهُ قَدَمُ
مُبَلَّغاً كلّما تهوى وإنْ قَصُرَتْ
عنه الأمانِيُّ موصولاً لك النِّعمُ
