ما نامَ بعدَ البين يَستَحلي الكرى

إِلّا ليطرُقَه الخَيالُ إِذا سَرى

Sleep escapes the estranged, homesickness overtakes him by night

Except his imagination visits when he journeys afar

كَلِفٌ بِقُربكَمُ فَلمّا عاقَهُ

بُعدُ المَدى سَلَك الطَريقَ الأَخصَرا

Bound to your nearness, when distance kept him away

The shorter path he took in his travels

وَإِذا تَصوَّرَ أَن يُصورك الكَرى

فَمِن الظَلالِ لمقلَةٍ أَن تَسهَرا

And when he pictured you in his memory

Of shadows and stars a sleepless night for him

كَم نافِرٍ لا يُستَطاعُ كَلامُه

داريتَه بكرىً فَزارَ وَما دَرى

How many companions now unreachable in speech

Visited him at night, unaware in the dark

وَمُهَفهِفٍ ثِمِل القَوامِ وَحَقُّ مَن

حَملَ المُدامَةَ دائماً أَن يَسكَرا

And a loved one, heavy in frame whose right

Is to be ever drunk, carrying the cup

رَيّانَ أَورقَ بالظَلامِ قَضيبُهُ

حُسناً فأزهر بِالصَباحِ وَنَورا

A willow, leafy in darkness, its branches

Flowering fair in the morn and light

عَنفَ العَذولُ وَما رآهُ جَهالَةً

وَأَغارُ وَجداً أَن يَراهُ فَيُعذَرا

Reproach was harsh, though not seeing it as ignorance

I'm jealous with passion lest he be excused

وَأَطالَ عَتبي لاحياً وَلَو أَنَّهُ

عَرفَ الَّذي يُلحي عَليهِ لأقصرا

And prolonged was my blame unjustly, had he

But known whom he wrongs, it would have been curtailed

فارَقته وَعدمتُ صَبري بَعدَهُ

فَفَقَدتُهُ وَفَقدتُ أَن أَتَصَبَّرا

I left him and lost my patience after him

I missed him and lost composure to show strength

لا تَنكرن فيضَ الدُموعِ فمنكَرٌ

أَن لا يَكونَ نَواهُ نَوءاً مُمطِرا

Chide not my tears flowing, for the critic

Would that their flow formed no rainclouds, no downpour

أَبكي لِذِكرِ العيشِ عِزَّ طِلابِهِ

وَالعَيشُ ما أَبكاكَ أَن يُتَذَكَرّا

I weep remembering life, glory for its seeker

That life you weep not to recall it, does confound

يا طالِباً بالبين قَتلي عامِداً

أَحسَبتَني أَبقى عَلى أَن تَهجُرا

O' he who sought estrangement, my murder intended

Did you think I'd remain when you abandoned me?

وَموَدُعٍ أَم التفرّقُ دمعَهُ

وَنَهَتهُ رِقبَةُ كاشِحٍ فَتَحيَّرا

A farewell, his tears the parting, his neck bent

Perplexed, in the hands of one pulling away

يَبدو هِلالٌ مِن خِلالِ سُجوفِه

لَو مُراقبةُ العُيونِ لأَبدَرا

A crescent seems through his hollowness

Were it under watch, a full moon it would appear

حَذر العُيونِ فَلَيسَ يُلقى سافِراً

مِن حُسنِ وَجهٍ لَيسَ يَفتأ مُسفِرا

Beware of eyes, he cannot be seen traveling

A beautiful face cannot cease to shine

مَنَعَت مُحاذَرةُ الوِشاةِ ظُهورَهُ

فَأَبى خَفيُّ الوَجدِ أَن لا يَظهَرا

The caution of spies has concealed his appearance

But the secrecy of passion refuses to be obscured

وَرَمى فَأنفذ في الحَديدِ مُسرّداً

سَهماً وَما نَفَذ الحَريرَ مُسَتَرا

And he aimed true, piercing iron with readiness

An arrow, and silk would not veil it hidden

سَحَرت وَقَد قَتَلت لِحاظ جُفونُه

أَوَما كَفاها القَتل حَتّى تَسحَرا

Bewitched she is, and has slain his eyelids

Or does her murder not suffice that she bewitches too?

فَحَذارِ أُسدَ الغابِ رَبربَ عالِجٍ

وَحَذارِ ثُمَّ حَذارِ ذاكَ الجؤذَرا

So beware the lion of the forest, a healer of maladies

And beware, yes beware, that wicked sorcerer

وَيلاهُ مِن واهي القُوى ذي رِقَّةٍ

قَويت عِلاقَةُ حُبّه فَتَحَيَّرا

And woe to him of feeble strength, whose bond

Of love grew strong, so he was left confused

فسأغتدي مِن يُوسُفيٍ مُقتَدٍ

بِعَزيز مصرٍ يوسُفٍ مستَنصرا

I will take vengeance on a Joseph-like deceiver

An aide of Egypt's Joseph, victorious

مَلِكٌ اذا أَبصرتَه فَلَقيتَهُ

أَبصرتَ بِشراً بالنَجاحِ مُبشِّرا

A king - when you see him you will meet

Good news of success, a herald

ردفُ الأَكارِم في مَدى بَذلِ النَدى

وَجَزى فَكانَ السابِقَ المُتأخِّرا

Bestower of virtues in an era of generosity

Rewards the early starter as though late

وَفَتىً اذا عَدوا السِنينَ فانَّهُم

عدوا السنى فَكانَ الأَكبَرا

A gallant man - though years elapse

They count virtuous years thus he is great

كسبَ الَكارِمَ فاكتَساها لابِساً

مُلكاً وَكانَت تُستَعارُ وَتُشتَرى

He gained virtues and wore them as a mantle

A kingdom - though it can be borrowed and bought

في وَجهِهِ اِجتَمَعَ الجَمالُ وَسَيفُهُ

حَتفٌ وَكَفُّهُ غَيث الوَرى

In his face beauty and sword assembled

His station, a raincloud; his palm, rain for the land

ما حَلَّ رَبعَ المحلِ أَغبرَ قاتِماً

إِلّا وَأَصبَحَ مِن نَداهُ أَخضَرا

No quarter has settled dusty, gloomy

Unless by his dew it turned green

أَو سَلَّ يَومَ الرَوع أَبيضَ صارِماً

إِلّا وَعادَ مِن الأَعادي أَحمَرا

Or a day of calamity came, bleak, sword-wielding

Unless it turned red from the blood of enemies

أَو هَزَّ في الهَيجاءِ أَسمَرَ ذابِلاً

إِلّا وَآلَ بِرأسِ طاغٍ مُثمِرا

Or it shook in war, dark, withered

Unless with the head of a tyrant made fertile

تُردي الكَتائِبَ كُتبُه فاذا مَضَت

لم نَدرِ أَنَفَذ أَسطُراً أَم عسكرا

Battalions take aim, though when they pass

None can tell if lines or an army he dispatched

لَم يحسُنِ الأَترابُ فَوقَ سُطورِها

إِلّا لأَنَّ الجَيش يَعقُد عِثيرا

The foes above his verses fare not well

Unless it's that the army forms a barrier

يا شاري المَدحِ الثَمين مُغالِياً

لَولاكَ أَصبحَ كاسِداً لا يُشتَرى

O' you who overpaid for this precious praise

Without you it would be neglected, unsought

أَفنيت مالك واِقتنيتَ مَحامِداً

تَبقى مَدى الدُنيا وَتُفني الأَعصُرا

You spent your money and gained eulogies

That remain through time while eras expire

فسموتَ مُنتعِل السِماك وَتارِكاً

تَحتَ الثَرى مَن ماله تَحتَ السَرى

You ascended, self-elevated, leaving

Below the earth one whose wealth is below the turf

وَجعلتَ للآدابِ رَبعاً آهلاً

بنَدى يَدَيكَ وَكانَ رسماً مقفِرا

And you made the realm of arts inhabited

By your dew, when it was a barren trace

بَهَرَت صِفاتُكَ مادِحيك وَطالَما

وَقَد جاوَزَ الاحصاءَ أَن لا يبهرا

Your virtues dazzled those who praised you, though often

Exceeding all count, they cannot but dazzle

فَأَتاكَ مُقلا واِنثَنى المُشنى

المبرز قاصِراً لا مُقصِرا

So you came to him sincere, the proud sincerity

Shortened, not out of inadequacy

وَالشامُ قَد أَضحى حِمىً بِكَ بَعدَما

أَشفى وَأَمّلت العِدى أَن تَظفِرا

And Damascus, it has become your protected domain

After it healed, and the enemies hoped to subdue it

أَمسى لِنورِ الدينِ لَيلاً مُظلِماً

حَتّى أَتيتَ فَكانَ صُبحاً نَيّرا

It had been a dark night for the religion of light

Until you came so it became a radiant morn

فَكأَنَّهُ داعٍ أُجيبَ دُعاؤُهُ

أَو كانَ خُيِّرَ في الوَرى فَتَخيّرا

As if it was calling and its call was answered

Or it was given a choice among all and chose

وَأَتاكَ منشورُ الخَلافَةِ شاكِراً

لَكَ أَن أَعدتَ الحَقَّ حَيّاً منشرا

And the caliphate charter came to you gratefully

For restoring truth, alive and published

لما أعدتَ الحقَّ في أَربابِهِ

وَرددتَ لِلمستَوجبيهِ المِنبَرا

Since you restored the rights to their people

And returned the pulpits to the deserving

بَعث الامامُ لكَ الشعارَ مُصوِّراً

لِلناسِ أَنَّكَ في الضَميرش مُصورا

The Imam sent you the coat of arms painted

For people that you are painted on hearts

وَأَراهُم أَنَّ الخِلافَةَ مُقلَةٌ

أَصبحتَ أَنتَ سَوادَها وَالمحجَرا

And showed them the caliphate is your possession

You became its essence and jewel

فاِفخر بِما فَعَل الامامٌ عَلى الوَرى

وَكَفى بِما فَعَلَ الخَليفَةُ مفخرا

So glory in what the Imam did over all people

And suffice in what the Caliph made pride

خِلَعٌ أَتَتكَ وَللعُلى في طَيِّها

نَشرٌ وَطَيّ عِداك في أَن تنشرا

Robes of honor came to you, and for elevation in its style

A publishing, and the robes of your enemies published

وَأَحَقُّ مَن خَلعت عَلَيهِ مؤيد

خِلَعَ الَّذين بَغَوا عليهم أَعصُرا

And most deserving of these robes is Muyid

The robes of those who rebelled against them in times past

أَضحى بَنو العَبّاسِ يَضحك مُلكُهُم

أَمناً وَأَنتَ سَدادُهُ أَن يُثغَرا

The Abbasids, their rule smiles secure

While you are its pillar lest it be breached

ما زَفَّ في عَصرٍ لِلَلِكٍ مثلَما

زَفَّ الحِسانُ إِلَيك بِكراً مُعصِرا

Never in any era was poetry sang to a king

Like the beautiful singing to you fresh and pure

عِقدٌ ثَمين أَنتَ عارِفُ قَدرِهِ

وَلَدَيكَ قَومٌ يَعرِفونَ الجَوهَرا

A precious jewel are you, appreciating its value

And you've people who appreciate the essence

ما مَن يَرى ضدَّ الَّذي قَد قالَه

مِثلَ الَّذي ما قالَ إِلّا ما سَرى

None can see contrary to what has been said

Except what only occurred, not contrived

مِدح المُلوكِ فِرىً وَيوسفُ يوسِفٌ

ما مَدحُهُ الوافي حَديثاً يفترى

Praising kings is honesty - Joseph is Joseph

His true praise no fabricated tale