ما اسْتُحسِنَ الحُبُّ حتى اسْتُقْبِحَ الْعَذَلُ

فاكْفُفْ فَلُوْمُك كُحْلٌ والهَوَى كَحَلُ

Love was not deemed good until longing was deemed bad

So restrain your blame, love is kohl and passion is collyrium

إنّ اللّواتي غَدَا حِنَّاؤُهن دَمِي

هُنّ الّلواتي عليهنّ الحشَا كِلَلُ

Those whose affection has turned my tears into blood

Are those who are most deserving of ardent passion

كَأَنَ كلَّ فَتيقٍ يومَ بَيْنِهِم

بأَسوِد القلبِ والعينينِ مُنْتَعِل

As if every slender one among them has a heart

As black as night and eyes with kohl lined

أَتْبَعْتُهُمْ من دُموعي كُلِّ مُنهمِر

يُرْضي الغَرامَ وإنْ لَمْ تَرْضَهُ المُقَلُ

I followed them with every downpour of my tears

To please passion, even if the eyelids aren’t pleased

حتّى سَقَى دارَهُمْ من صَوْبِه دِيَماً

فِيها لغُلَّةِ أكبادِ الثَّرَى عَلَلُ

Until it irrigated their homes with a perpetual flow

In which the essence of the earth’s innards bubbled

ما في الخُدورِ سِوى الأَقمارِ طالعة

من البراقِعِ والأَغْصانِ تَنْتَقِل

Nothing in the tents except rising moons

Shifting between veils and branches

أَبْدَيْنَ بْرقَ ثُغورٍ دُون مَلْثِمَها

لحظٌ جِراحٌ ظُباهُ لَيْسَ تَنْدَمِلُ

They revealed lightning flashes of their cheeks without masks

A wounding glance whose injury does not heal

ولُثْنَ أَردِيَةَ الْوَشِي الرِّقاقَ علَى

قَناً تَمِيلُ بِكُثْبانٍ وتَعْتَدِلُ

And the swaying of the delicate willow’s branches over

Reeds leaning with sand dunes and straightening

أَثقَلْنهنّ فلا الأَرْدَاف مائدةٌ

ولا الخُصُورُ من التَّهْييفِ تَنْخزِل

I found them unbearably heavy, neither rumps a table

Nor waists diminishing from undulation

تَضادد الحُسْنُ في أَبْشَارهنّ بما

تَمَّتْ لهنّ بِه الأَوصاف والجُمَل

Beauty in their faces combined with what

Gave their descriptions and attributes perfection

فلا العيونُ من التّفْتِير فاترةٌ

ولا الخدودُ من التَّضْرِيج تَشْتَعِل

Neither were their eyes lacking in languor

Nor their cheeks lacking kindling flames

أَلْثَمْننا بَرَداً زادَ الجوى لَهَباً

كَأّنما بَرْدُه في حَرّه شُعَلُ

We met their coolness but it increased the fires of passion

As if its coolness in its heat was aflame

فما ارْتَشَفنا شِفاهاً قَبْلها كَشَرَتْ

عن لُؤْلُؤٍ يُجْتَنَى من لَثْمِه عَسَلُ

Not once did we taste lips before theirs that secreted

Pearls whose lick oozed honey

ولا رأَينا رِماحَ الخَطّ تُثْمِرُ ما

يصبو إلى قَطْفِهِ التَّجْمِيشُ والقُبَل

Nor did we see the spears of their moles bear fruit

That fondling and kissing strained to pluck

مالِي وللِدّهر يَهْوَى ما أُساءُ به

فكلّ يومٍ لِمن أَهواه مُرْتَحَل

What concern of mine is the days inclining to one I love

When each day moves on for those it loves

وأَعظُم الُّرزْءِ عِندي أَن أُصاب بما

ينأَى بِه عنِّيَ الخُلاّن والخلل

And the greatest misfortune to me is to be struck with what

Turns the bosom friends and confidants away from me

تالله لا لُمُت أَيّاماً وآونةً

حَسَدنَها فِي العزيزِ الأَعصُرُ الأُوَل

By God, I have not enjoyed days and times

That the noble ancients envied in the prime of youth

ألقتْ مَقاليدَها الدُّنيا لراحتِه

وأَمَّهُ المجدُ واستَعْلَى به الأَمل

It cast off the reins of the world for the sake of his comfort

And fortune coddled him and hopes escalated through him

إنّ الخلافةَ مُذْ لاذت بحَوْزَته

لم يطمع النقصُ فيها لا ولا الزَّلَل

Since authority took refuge in his guardianship

Deficiency and decline have not aspired to it

نِيطَت بَأَحزَمِ مَن يُرْجَى لنائبةٍ

رأْياً وأَكرم من يعفو ومن يَصِلُ

It was bound with the belt of one who we hoped would succeed

With opinion, and the most generous of those who pardon and reconcile

أَلْفَتْهُ كُفْؤاً وأَلفاها مُشَرَّدةً

إذْ عَزّها عَدَمُ الأَكفاءِ والعضَلُ

It matched him in compatibility and he matched it though dispersed

When the lack of peers and isolation exalted it

عادَتْ بلُقْيَاهما الدّنيا لرَوْنقِها

كالشمس لمّا تَلَقّى نورَها الحَمَلُ

Through their meeting, the life of the world returned to its splendor

As the sun when its light meets the moon

جَلاَ الزمانَ فما في ليلةِ غَسَقٌ

ولا لِشمسِ الضُّحى في أُفقْهِا طَفَل

He made time shine so there is no darkness in its night

Nor does the rising sun have a shortcoming on its horizon

ورَدَّ للدِّين والدّنيا شَبابَهُما

فالدِّين مستأْسِدٌ والدهرُ مُقْتَبِل

He restored the youth of religion and the world

So religion is mighty and fate accepting

كأَنّما مُلْكُه في جِيده جَيَدٌ

وحُسْنُ سِيرتِهِ في عَيْنهِ كَحَلُ

It is as though his kingdom lies in his excellence

And the merit of his conduct lies in his eye kohl

خلافةٌ يُعْضُدُ القولَ الفَعالُ بها

ويسبِق الوعدَ للمستْصِرخ العَجَل

An caliphate whose words are supported by action

And whose promises outpace the hasty supplicant

فإن تكن هاشِمٌ سادتْ وسادَهُمُ

آباؤك الخلفاءُ القادةُ الفُضُل

If you are indeed Hashimite, then rule, excel in nobility

And pride yourself, reconcile, rise up, gain victory for you are the hero

فأنت آخِرُهُم عَصْراً وَأفضلُهم

وبالأَواخِر يزكو القولُ والعملُ

How often you charged the enemies when they recoiled

And how often you attacked the dismayed horde when they were defeated

سادُوا ولم يَبلُغوا ما أنتَ بالغُه

كذلِك الأرَض فيها السهل والجبل

How far ahead of them you were in glory when they faltered

And how you guided them to the truth when they were ignorant

فقل لمن رام منهم نَيْلَ خُطّتِهِ

متى حوى ما حوتْ شمسُ الضّحى زُحَلُ

How you rose up to supremacy when they fell short

And how you poured the seas of your generosity when they hoarded

لا يُبْطِرَنَّكُمُ أَنْ كان جَدُّكمُ

وَجَدُّهُ خَيْرَ من تَسْمُو به الرُّسُلُ

Were it not for you they would not have donned the white garb they wore

Nor extended the line of poetry they recited

فما ثُغورُ العَذَارى كُلُّها عَطِرٌ

ولا عيونُ الغوانِي كُلُّها نُجُلُ

Through you the People of Cloak reclaimed their rights

After usurpation, and were given all they asked for

خليفةَ الله سُدْ واشْرُفْ وَجُدْ كَرماً

وافْخَر وصِل واعْلُ واظْفرْ إنك البطلُ

Until they walked atop the celestial sphere and were ecstatic

With vengeance above that which their enemies were ecstatic

فكم سَرَيْت إلى الأَعداءِ إذْ جَنَبُوا

وكم غدوتَ رَبيطَ الجَأشِ إذ فَشِلوا

The distance of Ali their grandfather did not harm them

When they saw you, for you are the grandfather, not jest

وكم سبقتَهُمُ للمجد إذ فَتَروا

وكم هَدَيْتَهُمُ للحقّ إذ جهلوا

If there is no man whose precedent you surpassed

Then there is none but you in this world that is a man

وكم نهضتَ إلى العَلْياءِ إذ عَجَزُوا

وكم أَفضْتَ بِحارَ الجُودِ إذْ بَخلوا

Verily, if the elite were to spread out

And behold this excellence of yours that excelled

لولاك ما جَرَّدُوا البِيضَ التِي اشْتَمَلوا

ولا أَطالوا قَنَا الخَطّ التي اعْتَقَلوا

You shepherded tribulations until you didn’t fear anyone

And you towered over them like a ladder without parallel

بك استردَّ بنوا الزَّهراءِ حَقَّهُمُ

بعد اغْتِصابٍ وأُعطوا كُلَّ ما سأَلوا

You anchored your kingdom until its fortress was strong

With honor, and through you it gained length in your time

حتى مَشَوا فوقَ قَرْنِ الشمسِ فاهتبلوا

من العِدا فوق ما كان العِدا اهْتَبَلوا

A caliphate that humiliated those who opposed it

And a state that subjugated its days and vicissitudes

ما ضَرَّهمْ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ جدّهِمْ بعَدٌ

لما رَأَوك فأنت الجِدُّ لا الهَزَل

The might of your right hand is revered by souls

And your generosity with your favors is freely given

إن لم يكن رجلاً من أنت سابِقُه

فليس إلاّك في هذا الورى رَجُل

Favor and disfavor, when they cycle for one who seeks favor,

Differ, so extract the honey and leave the bees

إنّ الأُلَى من ذوِي التَفْضِيل لو نُشِروا

وعايَنوا مِنكَ هذا الفضلَ ما فَضَلوا

Your armies are either white swords and spears exposed

The day of battle, or opinion and strategy

رُعْتَ الحوادثَ حتى لم تَرُعْ أحداً

واعتلتَها فهي سِلمٌ ما لها غِيَل

How much you gained gradually what swords hasten

And gained by the sword what deliberation gains

وحُطْتَ مُلكَك حتى اشتدّ مَعقِلُه

عِزّا وطالت به في عصرِك الطِوَل

So none depends on but your determination

And none travels but to your sanctuary

خلافٌ قد أذلّت من يخالفها

ودولةٌ عَبَّدتْ أَيَّامَها الدُّوَل

فبأسُ يُسْراك للأرواح محْترِمٌ

وجودُ يُمناك للأموال مبتذل

رِضىً وسخط إذا دَرَّا لمُحْتَلِبٍ

تَخالَفا فاسْتُدِرّ الصاب والعسل

جيشاك إمّا القنا والبِيضُ مُشْرَعَة

يومَ اللقاءِ وإِما الرأيُ والحِيَل

كم نِلتَ بالمَهْلِ ما تعيا السيوفُ به

ونلت بالسيف ما يَعيْا به المَهَلُ

فليس إلاّ على جَدْواك مُتَّكَلٌ

وليس إلاّ إلى مَغناك مرتحَل