يا لِلرِجالِ لِنَظرَةٍ سَفَكَت دَما

وَلِحادِثٍ لَم أَلقَهُ مُستَلئِما

O men, for a glance that shed blood,

And an event I did not face with composure,

وَأَرى السِهامَ تَؤُمُّ مَن يُرمى بِها

فَعَلامَ سَهمُ اللَحظِ يُصمي مَن رَما

And I see arrows striking whoever is targeted,

So why does the arrow of a glance deafen whoever it hits?

يا آمِري بِتَجَلُّدٍ لَم أُعطَهُ

ما نَمَّ دَمعي بِالجَوى حَتّى نَما

O you who order patience I was not granted,

My tears did not sleep from anguish until they slept.

وَلَقَد وَقَفتُ بِدارِ زَينَبَ مَوهِناً

وَالوَجدُ يَأبى أَن أَقولَ فَأُفهِما

And I stood at the abode of Zainab humiliated,

While grief refuses that I speak and make myself understood.

مُستَخبِراً عَنها فَلَم أَرَ مَعلَماً

مِنها بِأَخبارِ الأَحِبَّةِ مُعلِما

Asking about her but I did not find a guide,

Among her, knowledgeable of the news of loved ones.

أَبكي وَيَمنَعُني تَناسي ما مَضى

ما يَمنَعُ الأَطلالَ أَن تَتَكَلَّما

I cry but forgetfulness of what passed prevents me,

What prevents ruins from speaking?

فَعَذَلتُ قَلبِيَ إِذ أَطاعَ غَرامَهُ

وَعَصى التَسَلِّيَ بَعدَها وَاللُوَّما

So I scolded my heart when it obeyed its passion,

And disobeyed solace after it and blame.

وَاللَومُ مِثلُ الريحِ يَذهَبُ ضَلَّةً

وَيَزيدُ نيرانَ المُحِبِّ تَضَرُّما

And blame is like the wind, it goes astray,

And increases the fires of the lover blazing.

وَخَطيطَةٍ ضَنَّ الغَمامُ بِرَيِّها

خَلَّفتُها خَلفي وَسِرتُ مُيَمِّما

And a beautiful woman whose clouds rained with generosity,

I left behind and traveled on determined.

أَرضاً إِذا ما التُربُ أَجدَبَ أَخصَبَت

بِنَدىً إِذا ما الغَيثُ أَنجَمَ أَثجَما

A land that when dust becomes barren, it is fertile

With dew when rain pours in abundance.

يَلقى بِها الرُوّادُ رَوضاً مُزهِراً

وَيُصادِفُ الوُرّادُ حَوضاً مُفعَما

In it the visitors find a blossoming meadow,

And the excursionists find a brimming pond.

وَتَرى بِها أُمَّ المُدامَةِ عاقِراً

أَبَداً وَأُمَّ الحَمدِ حُبلى مُتئِما

And you see in it the mother of abstinence always barren,

And the mother of praise ever pregnant.

أَضحَت بِإِحسانِ المُظَفَّرِ كَعبَةً

لِلطالِبينَ وَلِلمَكارِمِ مَوسِما

It has become, by the benevolence of the Victorious, a Kaaba

For seekers, and for noble deeds, a season.

مَلِكٌ إِذا سُئِلَ الرَغائِبَ وَاللُهى

أَعطى وَإِن لاقى الكَتائِبَ أَقدَما

A king who when asked for wishes and desires,

Gives even if he meets with sorrows, he moves forward.

يُربي عَلى القَدَرِ المُتاحِ إِذا سَطا

وَيُجاوِدُ الجَودَ السَحاحَ إِذا هَما

He nurtures with what is available when it is scarce,

And competes in generosity when resolute.

أَوفى مِنَ الشَمسِ المُنيرَةِ بَهجَةً

وَأَشَفُّ مَنزِلَةً وَأَبعَدُ مُرتَما

More fulfilling than the shining sun in delight,

And a more sublime station and farther reaching.

مَنَعَ اللَيالِيَ أَن تَبيتَ مَوانِعاً

ما رامَ أَو مُستَبذِلاتٍ ما حَما

He prevented nights from spending obstructed,

What it desires or worthless nights from protecting.

يَأبى الغَوانِيَ وَالغِناءَ وَيَنتَشي

طَرَباً إِذا كانَ الصَليلُ تَرَنُّما

It refuses singing and amusement and walks

Restlessly when the tinkling of anklets murmurs.

هِمَمٌ عَلَونَ عَلى السِماكِ وَإِنَّما

بِالجودِ وَالإِقدامِ يَسمو مَن سَما

Aspirations that rose above the highest, and only

Through generosity and daring does one ascend who rose.

وَمَناقِبٌ أَعيا الأَعادِيَ كَتمُها

وَالشَمسُ أَظهَرُ أَن تُسَرَّ وَتُكتَما

And virtues the enemies wearied concealing,

While the sun is most apparent that it beams and is concealed.

وَمَواهِبٌ راجي جَداها لَم يَخِب

مِنهُ وَراضِعُ دَرِّها لَن يُفطَما

And bestowals whose nobility he hopes for never

Fails him and the suckling of its pearls will not be weaned.

غَدَتِ الجُيوشُ عَزيزَةً بِأَميرِها

وَالدَهرُ مَحموداً وَكانَ مُذَمَّما

The armies became mighty through their prince,

And time became praiseworthy though it was dispraised.

وَالأَمنُ جَمّاً وَالرَجاءُ مُصَدَّقاً

وَالحَقُّ أَبلَجَ وَالهُدى مُستَعصِما

And security entirely, and hope realized,

And truth radiant, and guidance preserved.

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ في طُغاةِ قَبائِلٍ

أَنصَفتَ مِنها الدينَ حينَ تَظَلَّما

Allah bless you among the tyrants of tribes,

You were just to religion when it complained.

فَلَكَم جَنَيتَ أَذىً حَسَمتَ بِهِ أَذىً

وَلَكَم سَفَكتَ دَماً حَقَنتَ بِهِ دَما

So how much harm you eradicated, thereby eradicating harm,

And how much blood you shed, thereby stemming blood.

لَمّا أَزَرتَهُمُ الظُبى مَصقولَةً

وَالخَيلَ قُبّاً وَالوَشيجَ مُقَوَّما

When you supported them, their youth energetic,

And the horses gathered, and the warriors steadfast.

ظَنّوكَ مَن لاقَوا فَحينَ قَرَعتَهُم

صاروا وَقَد كانوا حَديداً حَنتَما

They thought of you as one they had not met, but when you clashed with them,

They became, though they had been iron, soft.

قَهَروا الوَرى زَمَناً فَمُذ حارَبتَهُم

طَمَّ الأَتِيُّ عَلَيهِمُ لَمّا طَما

They conquered the land for a time but since you battled them,

Misfortune befell them when it befell.

وَهُمُ حُماةُ الرَوعِ إِلّا أَنَّهُم

فَرّوا لَعَمرُكَ حينَ فَرّوا الأَرقَما

And they are the protectors of might except that,

By your life, when they fled, the lame fled.

ثُمَّ اِنثَنَيتَ إِلى سَرايا طَيِّئٍ

تَقتادُ أَرعَنَ كَالخِضَمِّ عَرَمرَما

Then you returned to the pavilions of Tayy’

Herding the lively camels like pearls threaded.

مُتَنائِيَ الأَقطارِ زادَ قَتامُهُ

فَغَدا بِهِ وَجهُ النَهارِ مُلَثَّما

Extending horizons, their darkness intensified,

So the face of daylight through it became veiled.

تَبدو بَوارِقُهُ فَتَحسَبُ ضَوءَها

بَرقاً تَأَلَّقَ في سَحابٍ أَظلَما

Their lightning appears so you’d think its light

A flash of lightning in a darkness that gathered.

وَتَخالُ نَقعَ الأَعوَجِيَّةِ دونَهُ

سِتراً بِلَمعِ القَعضَبِيَّةِ مُعلَما

And the clamor of curved swords beneath it

A veil with the shining of straight swords adorned.

حَتّى إِذا أَنشَيتَهُم بِسُلافَةٍ

وَالحينُ يَعجَبُ مِنهُمُ مُتَبَسِّما

Until you roused them with early morning greetings,

And now you watch them smiling.

ظَنّوا الطَلائِعَ كُلَّ مَن يَأتيهِمُ

فَتَثَبَّتوا لِلداءِ حَتّى اِستَحكَما

They thought every scout that came to them

So they waited for the disease until it became chronic.

لَمّا أَتَيتَ فَكُنتَ ريحاً عاصِفاً

تُلوي بِما لاقَت وَكانوا خَشرَما

When you came you were a raging wind

Bending what it met, and they had been defiant.

لَم تَلقَ إِلّا عارِياً سَبَقَت بِهِ

رَوعاءُ أَو مُستَلئِماً مُستَسلِما

You met no one except barefoot outpaced by,

Fright or acquiescent surrendering.

وَالعِزُّ حَيثُ تَرى الدِماءَ مُراقَةً

تَروي الثَرى وَالسَمهَرِيَّ مُحَطَّما

And might where you see blood flowing

Watering the land and the wrist bleeding shattered.

وَالوَهدُ أَدوَنُ أَن يَنالَ مُتالِعاً

وَالذِئبُ أَهوَنُ أَن يَروعَ الضَيغَما

And hyenas more trivial than gaining high ground,

And wolves more trivial than frightening a cub.

مَلَكوا فَجاروا في القَضايا وَاِعتَدَوا

وَعَدَلتَ فيهِم إِذ غَدَوتَ مُحَكَّما

They ruled so they transgressed in judgements and tyrannized,

And you were just with them when you were the arbiter.

فَمَنَحتَهُم جَبَلي أَبيهِم إِرثَهُم

عَنهُ وَساءا مَنزِلاً وَمُخَيَّما

So you granted them the two mountains of their father,

An inheritance from him, an evil lodging and campground.

فَهُمُ بِبيدٍ يَصطَلونَ بِما جَنَوا

فيها إِذا حَمِيَ الهَجيرُ جَهَنَّما

So they are in the Pit, shaded by what they reaped in it,

When the heat of Hellfire blazes.

مِن سائِرِ الطُرَداءِ أَبعَدُ مَشرَباً

وَأَرَثُّ أَطماراً وَأَخبَثُ مَطعَما

Of all outcasts, most remote of drinking places,

And most cunning of traitors, and most rotten of food.

وَحَرَمتَهُم طيبَ الكَرى حَتّى لَقَد

ظَنّوا الرُقادَ عَلى الجُفونِ مُحَرَّما

And you deprived them of the pleasures of towns, to the extent

They thought sleep on eyelids forbidden.

عَمري لَقَد وَجَدوا اِصطِناعَكَ سالِفاً

أَرياً وَقَد وَجَدوا اِجتِياحَكَ عَلقَما

By my life, they found your making peace before,

Devious, and they found your conquest biting.

فَرَأَوكَ عِندَ السِلمِ بَحرَ مَواهِبٍ

يُغني وَفي الهَيجاءِ عَضباً مِخذَما

So they saw you when at peace, a sea of bounty

That enriches, and in war, blazing anger.

وَرَجَعتَ تَنظُرُ في البِلادِ بِرَأيِ ذي

عَزمٍ يَرُدُّ المَشرَفِيَّ مُثَلَّما

And you returned, considering the lands with the opinion of one,

With resolve returning the devious mended.

حَصَّنتَ شاسِعَها بِرَأيٍ لَو حَمى

بَدرَ السَماءِ عَنِ النَواظِرِ لَاِحتَما

You fortified its vastness with an opinion that if,

It protected the full moon from sights, it would conceal.

وَعَمَرتَ غامِرَها بِجِدٍّ لَم يَزَل

يَأبى لِما تَبنيهِ أَن يَتَهَدَّما

And you rebuilt its prosperity with diligence that never

Ceases to build what you erected from crumbling.

أَنّى يُشارِكُكَ الوَرى في رُتبَةٍ

أَدلَجتَ تَطلُبُها وَباتوا نُوَّما

How can the world share with you a rank,

You strove for, while they slept?

حَمَّلتَ نَفسَكَ غَيرَ مُكتَرِثٍ بِهِ

أَمراً يَؤودُ يَرَمرَماً وَيَلَملَما

You tasked yourself without concern for it,

A matter that exhausts the sturdy and the frail.

فَبَغَت مَطالِعَكَ المُلوكُ فَقَصَّرَت

وَرَأى وَقائِعَكَ الزَمانُ فَأَحجَما

So your ambitions took kings by surprise so they fell short,

And time saw your events so it recoiled.

مَهلاً فَما أَبقى نِزالُكَ خائِفاً

خَطباً وَلا أَبقى نَوالُكَ مُعدِما

Wait! Neither has your fighting left a coward,

Nor has your bestowal left one made destitute.

لا تَكذَبَنَّ فَما أَمامَكَ غايَةٌ

فَاِنظُر مَلِيّاً هَل تَرى مُتَقَدَّما

Do not believe, for there is no limit ahead of you,

So look carefully, do you see one surpassed?

ناهيكَ مِن كَرَمٍ يَفوقُ بِهِ الحَيا

سَبقاً وَمِن بَأسٍ يَفوتُ الأَنجُما

Let alone generosity that surpassed mortals precedence,

And might that overtakes stars.

وَعَزائِمٍ حَشَتِ القُلوبَ أَسِنَّةً

مِثلَ الخَناجِرَ وَالحَناجِرَ أَسهُما

And resolves that terrify hearts, sharpened

Like daggers, and throats like arrows.

فَقَضَت لِذِكرِكَ أَن يَسيرَ مُفَوِّزاً

وَقَضَت لِذُكرِكَ أَن يَجِلَّ وَيَعظُما

So it was destined for your mention to travel gloriously,

And it was destined for your fame to be majestic and great.

يَهني الخِلافَةَ أَنَّ عُدَّتَها شَجى

حَلقِ العَدُوِّ وَسَيفَها لَن يَكهَما

It brings glory to the Caliphate that its knights are,

The throats of enemies, and its sword will not be blunt.

وَلِيَهنِكَ العيدُ السَعيدُ مُضاعِفاً

لَكَ أَجرَ مَن صَلّى وَصامَ وَأَحرَما

And your blessed Feast doubly,

Rewards you like one who prayed, fasted, and performed pilgrimage.

إِنّي لَأَشعَرُ مَن رَأَيتَ وَإِنَّني

أَصبَحتُ عَن إِدراكِ وَصفِكَ مُفحَما

I truly feel from seeing you, and truly,

I become at a loss in describing you.

وَلَقَد أَرَحتُ الخَيلَ نَحوَكَ ضُمَّراً

وَالعيسُ يَحمِلنَ القَريضَ المُحكَما

And I have set out horses toward you briskly,

And the stallion carries the articulate poem.

يَحمِلنَ مِنهُ مُفَصَّلاً وَمُنَظَّماً

وَمُحَبَّراً وَمُوَشَّحاً وَمُسَهَّما

He carries it detailed, composed,

Illuminated, titled, and authorized.

مَدحٌ كَزَهرِ الرَوضِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ

يَبقى إِذا زَهرُ الرِياضِ تَصَرَّما

Praise like the blossoms of a meadow, except

It remains when the blossoms of gardens wither.

إِنّي كَتَمتُ الشِعرَ في طَيِّ المُنى

فِعلَ اِمرِىءٍ لَم يَرضَ ما دونَ السَما

I have concealed poetry, an act of one who did not accept,

Less than the heavens.

لا أَسأَلُ الرَحمَنَ حَظّاً فَوقَ ما

أَعطى فَقَد أَولى الجَميلَ وَأَنعَما

I do not ask the Merciful for a portion beyond what,

He gave me, for He did the beautiful and bestowed favor.

حَسبي اِمتِداحُكَ رُتبَةً وَنَباهَةً

وَذَراكَ مُعتَصَماً وَقُربُكَ مَغنَما

It is enough that I praise you, a rank and eminence,

And suffice that you are protected and your proximity a bounty.