ما ضَرَّ طَيفَكَ وَالكَرى لَو زارا
فَعَسى اللَيالي أَن يَعُدنَ قِصارا
Your phantom visiting would not have harmed, even if the homes had been abandoned,
Perhaps the nights will return to being short.
يا عادِلاً في حُكمِهِ وَمَزارُهُ
ناءٍ فَلَمّا صارَ جاراً جارا
O just one in his rule, his tomb a neighbor,
He was a good neighbor until he became an annoying neighbor.
لا أَبتَغي فَوقَ الخَيالِ زِيارَةً
حَسبي خَيالُكَ لَو أَنالَ مَزارا
I do not seek a visitation above my imagination,
It suffices that your image comes to visit.
أَأَكونُ مَن يُهدي إِلَيكَ حَياتَهُ
وَأَرومُ ما يُهدي إِلَيكَ العارا
Should I be one who offers you his life?
And I aspire to what would bring you disgrace?
وَأَما وَشُعثٍ فَوقَ شُعثٍ رُزَّحٍ
جَعَلوا بُلوغَ المَشعَرَينِ شِعارا
As for dreadlocks upon dreadlocks in dishevelment,
They made reaching the two holy sites their badge.
تَرَكوا الدِيارَ مُعَوِّلينَ بِمَن لَهُم
فيها عَلى مَن يَعلَمُ الأَسرارا
They left the homes placing their trust in one,
Who knows their secrets, there for them.
ما أَحدَثَ العُذّالُ عِندي سَلوَةً
بَل زادَني مَن لامَني اِستِهتارا
The blamer brought me no serenity,
But rather the one who blamed me increased my arrogance.
فَعَلى التَسَلّي أَن يَغيضَ جَميعُهُ
وَعَلى المَدامِعِ أَن تَفيضَ غِزارا
It is for sadness to overwhelm it all
And for tears to pour heavily.
ما كُلُّ ما أَلقى وَإِن هَدَّ القُوى
كُفُؤً لِخَوفي أَن أَرى غَدّارا
Not everything I undertake, even if it topples the mighty,
Is equal to my fear of seeing a deceiver someday.
يا حَبَّذا ذاتُ الأَجارِعِ مَنزِلاً
وَجِوارُنا قِبَلَ العَقيقِ جِوارا
How excellent it would be for the place of al-Ajārish to be a dwelling,
With our proximity to al-‘Aqeeq a neighboring.
وَأَغَنَّ تَحكيهِ الغَزالَةُ مُقلَةً
وَمُقَلَّداً وَتَعَرُّضاً وَنِفارا
The young gazelle's talk fascinated him utterly,
Both in necklaces and subtle gestures of allure.
يَفتَرُّ عَن بَرَدٍ يُعَلُّ بِبارِدٍ
مِن ريقِهِ تَرَكَ القُلوبَ حِرارا
The coldness of his saliva leaves hearts aflame,
His glance captivates more than wine in its intoxication.
لَم أَدرِ حينَ رَنا إِلَيَّ بِطَرفِهِ
أَأَدارَ لَحظاً أَم أَدارَ عُقارا
I did not know when he glanced at me with his eyes,
If he averted a glance or averted magic.
نَظَرٌ نَظيرُ الخَمرِ في إِسكارِها
لَكِنَّهُ مِنها أَشَدُّ خُمارا
A glance like wine in its intoxication,
But more intoxicating than it in its effects.
قالَ اِسلُ عَن قَصدِ المُلوكِ وَمَدحِهِم
وَاِسأَل حَوائِجَكَ القَنا الخَطّارا
He said, ask about the aims of kings and praise them,
And ask for your needs from the fine writers.
وَأَلَحَّ يَلحى في الفِراقِ أَخا هَوىً
لَم يَقضِ مِن أَحبابِهِ أَوطارا
And he insisted, insisting during the separation, my love-struck brother,
Who did not fulfill his union with his loved ones.
فَأَجَبتُهُ لا تَلحَ رَبَّ عَزائِمٍ
هَجَرَ الثَواءِ وَواصَلَ الأَسفارا
So I responded: Do not insist to the Lord of resolves,
Who abandoned settlements and connected journeys.
فَبِهَذِهِ الأَسفارِ أَسفَرَ لي غِنىً
لَولا اِبنُ يوسُفَ جانَبَ الإِسفارا
Through these journeys, wealth was revealed to me,
If not for the son of Joseph, I would have avoided journeying.
أَسدى وَما أَكدى أَيادِيَ لَم يَزَل
مَعروفُها يَستَعبِدُ الأَحرارا
Asad gave though the hands of time did not cease,
Their favors making the free into slaves.
وَصَنائِعاً غُرّاً أَفَدنَ مَنائِحاً
عوناً وَلَدنَ مَدائِحاً أَبكارا
And strange, virgin inventions unveiled new glories,
And poetic odes birthed wondrous songs.
وَلَكَم دَعا مِدَحي نَوالُ مُمَلَّكٍ
فَأَبَت عُتُوّاً عَنهُ وَاِستِكبارا
How often my praise called out to a supreme ruler,
But he arrogantly refused it and spurned it.
حَتّى وَجَدتُ لَها هُماماً لَم تَزَل
أَوصافُهُ تَستَغرِقُ الأَشعارا
Until I found rulers whose attributes,
Consumed poems no matter how long they flowed.
فَوَسَمتُ أَوجُهُها بِمُستَولٍ عَلى
رُتَبِ العَلاءِ مَناقِباً وَنِجارا
I marked their faces with the sword of one who rules
Over the ranks of the lofty, traits and excellences.
وَأَغَرَّ في إِجمالِهِ وَجَمالِهِ
ما يَملَأُ الأَسماعَ وَالأَبصارا
Tempting in his perfection and beauty,
Filling hearing and sights however much.
مَلِكٌ غَدَت يُمناهُ يُمناً لِاِمرِئٍ
يَبغي نَوالاً وَاليَسارُ يَسارا
A king whose support brought prosperity to one,
Seeking bounty while the left hand gave favor.
حَلّى الزَمانَ وَكانَ قِدماً عاطِلاً
وَأَعادَ لَيلَ الآمِلينَ نَهارا
He sweetened time though it had been stagnant
And returned the night of the hopeful to day.
بِعُلىً أَقامَت لا تَريمُ فِناءَهُ
وَحَديثُها بَينَ الوَرى قَد سارا
With sublime pillar that does not fall to ruin,
And its news between people has circulated.
بَلَغَت بِهِ رُتَباً فَرَعنَ مَحَلَّةً
أَمسَت نُجومُ سَمائِها أَقمارا
Through him stations were reached which then spread
Whose stars in its sky became moons.
زانَت فَضائِلُهُ بَدائِعَ نَظمِها
كَم مِعصَمٍ أَضحى يَزينُ سِوارا
His virtues adorned the wonders of its prose,
Like bracelets made more beautiful by gems.
وَلَقَد جَزَيتُ الحادِثاتِ بِما جَنَت
فَسَلَبتُها الأَنيابَ وَالأَظفارا
I surely rewarded events with what they yielded,
Taking away their fangs and claws.
مُذ شِمتُ أَوضَحَ مِن حُسامٍ صارِمٍ
أَثَراً وَأَحمَدَ في الوَرى آثارا
Since I perceived the clearest, sharper than an Indian sword,
An impact more praised in the lands, and relics.
وَأَعَمَّ مِن كَعبِ اِبنِ مامَةَ نائِلاً
وَأَعَزَّ مِن زَيدِ الفَوارِسِ جارا
More comprehensive than Ka'b ibn Mama's grasp, attaining,
And more honored than Zayd al-Fawaris as a neighbor.
وَمُظَفَّرَ الأَقلامِ كَم أَردى بِها
مَلِكاً وَرَوَّعَ جَحفَلاً جَرّارا
The pens he made victorious, how many a king they laid low
And terrified a surging, raging army.
عَجَباً لَها تَجري بِأَسوَدَ فاحِمٍ
يَكسو الطُروسَ ظَلامُهُ أَنوارا
Wondrously they run with a darkness giving off flames,
Cloaking turbans, its gloom but light.
تَمضي بِحَيثُ تُرى السُيوفُ كَليلَةً
وَتَطولُ حَيثُ تَرى الرِماحُ قِصارا
They advance where swords appear but flashes
And lengthen where spears seem but short.
وَتَخالُها بِالظَنِّ أَغماراً وَقَد
مَلَأَت صُدورَ عُداتِهِ أَغمارا
You would think them by assumption a torrential flood,
Though they filled the chests of his enemies with surging tides.
تَجري بِواحِدِها ثَلاثُ سَحائِبٍ
تَهمي الصَواعِقَ وَالحَيا المِدرارا
With just one cloud three clouds race,
With lightning and torrents rushing heavily.
وَيَمُدُّهُ بِالوَصلِ حينَ يَمُدُّهُ
بِبَديهَةٍ لا تُتعِبُ الأَفكارا
He supports it by connection when he extends it,
With a lucidity that does not tax thoughts.
إِن رامَ نائِلَهُ العُفاةُ أَمَدَّهُ
كَرَماً وَإِن رامَ الخَميسُ مُغارا
If the disobedient desired to attain it, he gave generously,
And if the resolute desired a cave, he terrified.
مَلَأَ الكِتابَ تَهَدُّداً فَكَأَنَّما
مَلَأَ الكِتابَ أَسِنَّةً وَشِفارا
He filled the letter with threats yet it was as if
He filled the letter with keen blades and edges.
تَجني النَواظِرُ مِن مَحاسِنِ خَطِّهِ
رَوضاً وَمِن أَلفاظِهِ أَزهارا
Eyes reap from the beauties of his script,
Gardens, and from his words, blossoms.
خَطٌّ رِماحُ الخَطِّ مِن خُدّامِهِ
إِن رامَ ذَمراً أَو أَعَزَّ ذِمارا
A script whose servants are the spearheads of script,
If it wished suppression or made powerless the inkpot.
وَبَلاغَةٌ تُضحي بِأَدنى فَقرَةٍ
تُغني فَقيراً أَو تَقُدُّ فَقارا
And eloquence that would sacrifice for its slightest poverty,
Enriching the poor or guiding the lost.
وَيَشيمُ رُوّادُ النَدى مِن بِشرِهِ
بَرقاً وَمِن إِحسانِهِ أَمطارا
The visitors of dew from his good tidings gain,
Lightning and from his favor, rains.
بِشرٌ يُبَشِّرُ بِالجَميلِ وَعادَةُ ال
أَزهارِ أَن تَتَقَدَّمَ الأَثمارا
Good tidings giving glad tidings of beauty, and the way
Of flowers is to precede fruits.
وَنَدىً يَعُمُّ وَلا يَخُصُّ كَأَنَّهُ
هامي قُطارٍ طَبَّقَ الأَقطارا
And a bounty encompassing not specific, as if it were,
Clouds pouring across regions and lands.
يَستَصغِرُ الأَمرَ العَظيمَ إِذا عَرا
بِعَزيمَةٍ تَستَسهِلُ الأَوعارا
He makes the great matter small when it comes to him,
With a resolve making obstacles smooth.
وَيَرُدُّ غَربَ الحادِثاتِ مُفَلَّلاً
بِسَعادَةٍ تَستَخدِمُ الأَقدارا
He returns the setting of tribulations in triumph,
With a fortune that harnesses the decrees of fate.
كَم ذَلَّلَت صَعباً وَرَدَّت ذاهِباً
وَحَمَت أَذَلَّ وَذَلَّلَت جَبّارا
How many a difficult thing it subjugated, and returned a receding one,
It protected the disgraced and disgraced the tyrant.
وَيَخِفُّ نَحوَ الجودِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ
يوفي عَلى شُمِّ الجِبالِ وَقارا
Except it leans to generosity with the composure,
Of mountains, and its reason fears no dignity.
وَلَهُ وَجُردُ الخَيلِ تَعثُرُ بِالقَنا
وَالهامِ رَأيٌ لا يَخافُ وَقارا
I came to know people by their dispositions,
"Glory to Him who created creation in diversity."
وَلَقَد عَرَفتُ الناسَ مِن أَطوارِهِم
سُبحانَ مَن خَلَقَ الوَرى أَطوارا
I found them varying though created alike,
And in their creation and end, differing.
فَوَجَدتُهُم يَتَبايَنونَ وَإِن غَدَوا
في خَلقِهِم وَفَنائِهِم أَنظارا
O you whom by your giving I knew the face of wealth,
Truly, though I had rejected it in denial.
يا مَن عَرَفتُ بِجودِهِ وَجهَ الغِنى
حَقّاً وَكُنتُ جَهِلتُهُ إِنكارا
Since you expanded for me the paths of attainment,
And made it so hopes could choose.
أَمّا وَقَد وَسَّعتَ لي طُرُقَ المُنى
وَجَعَلتَ لِلآمالِ أَن تَختارا
And inundated me with continuous gifts,
Leaving me before events no vengeance.
وَغَمَرتَني بِمَواهِبٍ مَوصولَةٍ
لَم تُبقِ لي عِندَ الحَوادِثِ ثارا
Then will I perpetuate praising you,
As legacies and relics relate one after another.
فَلَأُبقِيَنَّ مِنَ الثَناءِ عَلَيكَ ما
يَتَعَقَّبُ الآثارُ وَالأَخبارا
How many gone whose relics chronicled them,
When their lifespans expired after eras.
كَم ذاهِبٍ عَمَرَت لَهُ أَخبارُهُ
لَمّا تَقَضّى عُمرُهُ أَعمارا
Indeed the minister saw accumulated afflictions,
So he chose you to dispel them.
إِنَّ الوَزيرَ رَأى النَوائِبَ جَمَّةً
فَاِختارَ مِنكَ لِدَفعِها مُختارا
You turned them away forcibly by your resolve
Which would not accept less than the highest rank.
فَصَرَفتَها قَسراً بِهِمَّتِكَ الَّتي
لَم تَرضَ ما دونَ المَجَرَّةِ دارا
The enemies were unable to spur their steeds
For fear of your vengeance turning Syria’s soil to dust.
وَعَدى الأَعادِيَ أَن تُثيرَ جِيادُهُم
خَوفَ اِنتِقامِكَ بِالشَآمِ غُبارا
You took their long-standing glory by determination,
As if that glory had been borrowed.
وَسَلَبتَهُم بِالعَزمِ تالِدَ عِزِّهِم
فَكَأَنَّ ذاكَ العِزَّ كانَ مُعارا
You gave life to Syria after its fall,
Until its horizons became settled lands.
وَعَمَرتَ هَذا الشامَ بَعدَ دُثورِهِ
حَتّى غَدَت أَطرافُهُ أَمصارا
You did not ward off the torrents from its inhabitants,
Until you met harm and waded into the flood.
لَم تَدفَعِ الغَمَراتِ عَن سُكّانِهِ
حَتّى لَقيتَ أَذىً وَخُضتَ غِمارا
You risked the precious soul in the heights,
Taking responsibility for revenue and expenditure.
وَسَمَحتَ بِالنَفسِ النَفيسَةِ في العُلى
تَستَحمِدُ الإيرادَ وَالإِصدارا
O rider of dangers, knowing them,
You attained the highest rank of dangers.
يا راكِبَ الأَخطارِ عَن عِلمٍ بِها
أَدرَكتَ أَعلى رُتبَةٍ أَخطارا
Do not ask the resolves to strain themselves,
You have gone until you found no way.
لا تَطلُبَنَّ مِنَ العَزائِمِ جَهدَها
قَد سِرتَ حَتّى ما وَجَدتَ مَسارا
Consider the inhabitants of the lands forbidden territory,
Thwarting harm though it benefits the wicked.
عُد آهِلَ الأَرجاءِ مَمنوعَ الحِمى
جَمَّ المَساعي نافِعاً ضَرّارا
And surrender to the days, fasting most purely
In a fast, and break it most fortunately.
وَاِسلَم عَلى الأَيّامِ أَزكى صائِمٍ
صَوماً وَأَسعَدَ مُفطِرٍ إِفطارا
