إِدراكُ وَصفِكَ لَيسَ في الإِمكانِ
ما لِلمَقالِ بِذا الفَعالِ يَدانِ
Realizing your merit is beyond feasibility
Words fail to describe your remarkable deeds
قَد دَقَّ عَن فِكرِ الوَرى وَتَحَيَّرَت
فيكَ العُقولُ وَكَلَّ كُلُّ لِسانِ
You perplexed minds and stilled every tongue
While traits defy further description or proof
وَالوَصفُ ما لا تَستَزيدُ بِهِ عُلىً
أَنّى وَمَجدُكَ واضِحُ البُرهانِ
Your glory is obvious and needs no explanation
You exceeded aspirations no ambition could attain
جاوَزتَ ما لَم تَسعَ في طُرُقاتِهِ
هِمَمٌ وَلَم تَطمَح إِلَيهِ أَماني
Nor could any hopes reach your stature
Your excellence conferred an everlasting glory upon the age
وَأَبانَ فَضلُكَ لِلزَمانِ فَضيلَةً
تَبقى إِذا دَرَسَت هِضابُ أَبانِ
That will endure after the hills have eroded
Once obscured among the finest qualities
قَد كانَ مِن غُرَرِ المَحاسِنِ مُعدِماً
فَالآنَ قَد أَفضى إِلى الوِجدانِ
Now manifested for all to witness
You granted the citizens all their requests through your justice
أَعطى الرَعِيَّةَ سُؤلَها مِن عَدلِهِ
مَلِكٌ عَلَيها بِالرِعايَةِ حانِ
As a ruler obligated to provide for their welfare
The guardian of the faith never sleeps
يُغفي وَلَيسَ يَنامُ ناظِرُ دينِهِ
أَعظِم بِهِ مِن نائِمٍ يَقظانِ
Greater in wakefulness than a sleeper awake
When they pray and implore, they ask only
فَإِذا دَعَوا وَتَضَرَّعوا لَم يَسأَلوا
إِلّا إِدامَةَ عِزِّ ذا السُلطانِ
For the continuation of the mighty Sultan’s power
Damascus was once the target of a traitor
قَد كانَ هَذا الشامُ نُهزَةُ ناكِثٍ
حيناً فَصارَ أَعَزَّ مِن خَفّانِ
Now the proudest of steadfast cities
You settled its ruins though without you
أَسكَنتَ مُقفِرَهُ وَلَو لَم تَحمِهِ
لَخَلَت مَعاقِلُهُ مِنَ السُكّانِ
Its fortresses would lack inhabitants
Ever since your army camped in Amman
مُذ ظَلَّ في عَمّانَ جَيشُكَ نازِلاً
عَنَتِ البَوادي مِن وَراءِ عُمانِ
The deserts beyond Oman feared
A fear you instilled in them, you who
عَن هَيبَةٍ ضَمَّنتَها إِذ لَم تَزَل
لِلعِزِّ أَوفى ضامِنٍ بِضَمانِ
Are the most faithful guarantor of glory
They cannot sleep until your banners rest
أَلا يَقِرَّ النَومُ في أَجفانِهِم
حَتّى تَقِرَّ ظُباكَ في الأَجفانِ
Securely planted in their own encampments
You persistently deflate their pride
ما زِلتَ تُزجي مُزنَةً في ضِمنِها
إِطفاءُ ما شَبّوا مِنَ النيرانِ
Extinguishing their glowing embers
Until you dashed their suspicions and hearts
حَتّى تَرَكتَ ظُنونَهُم وَقُلوبَهُم
وَقفاً عَلى الإِخفاقِ وَالخَفَقانِ
Leaving them paused in failure and fluttering
Whether taking the offensive or counterattacking
مِن آخِذٍ بِمَضَلَّةٍ أَو عائِدٍ
بِمَذَلَّةٍ أَو عائِذٍ بِأَمانِ
Or seeking refuge and peace
Between recklessness and timidity a distance lies
بَينَ النَباهَةِ وَالخُمولِ مَسافَةٌ
لَولاكَ ما بَعُدَت عَلى حَسّانِ
Too far for anyone but you to traverse
Had the emirate not resisted him by force
لَو لَم تَذُد عَنهُ الإِمارَةُ عَنوَةً
لَاِقتادَ مُصعَبَها بِغَيرِ حِرانِ
He would have claimed it without contention
You bent him when his inheritance among the weak
لَيَّنتَهُ وَلَوَيتَهُ فَتُراثُهُ
بَينَ اللَيانِ يَضيعُ وَاللَيّانِ
Would have been squandered by the feeble
Yet your justice refused his cups victory
وَسُطاكَ تَأبى أَن تَفوزَ قِداحُهُ
حَتّى يَفوزَ لَدَيكَ بِالغُفرانِ
Until at your hand he obtained forgiveness
So extend to him the shade of your mercy that reaps
فَاِمدُد عَلَيهِ ظِلَّ رَأفَتِكَ الَّذي
يَجني ثِمارَ العَفوِ مِنهُ الجاني
The fruits of pardon from the transgressor
How could betrayal please one you’ve pardoned
فَمَتى يُسِرُّ الغَدرَ مَن غادَرتَهُ
حَيَّ المَخافَةِ مَيِّتَ الأَضغانِ
When fear of you kills rancor outright
You fulfilled his hopes with the retreat of his allies
مُطِلَت مَطامِعُهُ بِما مَنَّيتَهُ
فَمَنَيتَهُ بِتَخاذُلِ الأَعوانِ
Whose feet faltered in seeking his victory
When he saw with eyes of resolve what he saw
مُذ زالَ ميخائيلُ عَن خُيَلائِهِ
زَلَّت بِطالِبِ نَصرِهِ القَدَمانِ
That before you no weapon can compel surrender
The protection of Caesar's reign sufficed
لَرَأى بِناظِرِ حَزمِهِ لَمّا رَأى
أَلّا سِلاحَ لَدَيكَ كَالإِذعانِ
That he handed the reins to the Khan
You attained glory and protection for the peninsula
وَكَفى اِحتِماءً مُلكَ قَيصَرَ أَنَّهُ
أَلقى مَقالِدَهُ إِلى خاقانِ
In a year of misfortune and days of calamity
A king who, when the enemy souls were exposed for the taking
أَوفى البَرِيَّةِ نائِلاً وَحَمِيَّةً
في عامِ مَسغَبَةٍ وَيَومِ طِعانِ
Made the spear a substitute for the sword
And when the brave men’s weapons were ready
مَلِكٌ إِذا ما اِمتاحَ أَرواحَ العِدى
جَعَلَ القَنا عِوَضاً مِنَ الأَشطانِ
He was not pleased by crowns among the spoils
He whose might you were against his might
وَإِذا الفَوارِسُ أَمكَنَت أَسلابُها
لَم يُرضِهِ سَلَبٌ مِنَ التيجانِ
The distant and near equally submitted to your glory
Your ferocity - if only the Age of Ignorance was warned
مَن كُنتَ عُدَّتَهُ لِقَهرِ عُداتِهِ
ذَلَّ البَعيدُ لِعِزِّهِ وَالداني
By something resembling your statues
Like rain, when its season arrived, benefiting
بَأسٌ لَوَ اِنَّ الجاهِلِيَّةِ رُوِّعَت
بِشَباهُ ما عَكَفَت عَلى الأَوثانِ
All people, benefiting each era
You enriched the caliphate by restoring its legacy
وَنَدىً إِذا ما الغَيثُ خَصَّ أَوانُهُ
عَمَّ الأَنامَ فَعَمَّ كُلَّ أَوانِ
Independent of the double-edged Yemeni sword
A sword raging with a thousand blades in battle
أَغنى الخِلافَةَ في اِرتِجاعِ تُراثِها
عَن كُلِّ ماضي الشَفرَتَينِ يَمانِ
And for each diminished temper, two keen edges
It surpassed swords, however many the world drew
سَيفٌ يَصولُ بِأَلفِ حَدٍّ في الوَغى
وَلِكُلِّ عَضبٍ باتِرٍ حَدّانِ
Of what the Caliph of the Merciful attained
Had you been for past generations of his ancestors
فاقَ السُيوفَ وَأَينَ ما سَلَّ الوَرى
مِمّا اِنتَضاهُ خَليفَةُ الرَحمَنِ
None would have prevented them from the caliphate again
Yet the sincerity of your commitment refused
لَو كُنتَ لِلماضينَ مِن أَجدادِهِ
لَم يَثنِهِم دونَ الخِلافَةِ ثانِ
That the Marwanids exchange it amongst themselves
And turned away the Abbasids without defense
وَأَبى لَها صِدقُ اِعتِزامِكَ لا نَبا
عَن أَن تَداوَلَها بَنو مَروانِ
From seizing it by deceit and aggression
Hypocrisy has ended, so there is no hypocrisy
وَثَنى بَني العَبّاسِ غَيرَ مُدافِعٍ
عَن أَخذِها بِالإِفكِ وَالعُدوانِ
Among its people since your ties grew strong in faith
Who can frighten him while your ferocity is his armor?
كَسَدَ النِفاقُ فَلا نَفاقَ لِأَهلِهِ
مُذ صُلتَ وَاِشتَدَّت قُوى الإِيمانِ
Or where is its demolisher while you are the builder?
How many darknesses you illuminated with stars
مَن ذا يُرَوِّعُهُ وَبَأسُكَ رِدؤُهُ
أَم أَينَ هادِمُهُ وَأَنتَ الباني
Rising above the pillars of lances
And leaders, until their setting arrived
كَم ظُلمَةٍ جَلَّيتَها بِكَواكِبٍ
يَطلُعنَ فَوقَ عَوامِلِ المُرّانِ
Then they disappeared among the ranks of horsemen
If those guiding lights have waned, in the enemy’s sight
وَقّادَةٍ حَتّى يَحينَ غُروبُها
فَتَغيبَ بَينَ تَرائِبِ الفُرسانِ
They remain radiant with brilliance
With al-Mustafa, the victorious sovereign, the rhymes
وَلَئِن خَبَت تِلكَ البَوارِقُ فَهيَ في
نَظَرِ العَدُوِّ مُقيمَةُ اللَمَعانِ
Regained splendor after long barrenness
So our praise, which he remunerates,
وَبِمُصطَفى المُلكِ المُظَفَّرِ أَصحَبَت
غُرُّ القَوافي بَعدَ طولِ حِرانِ
Is accounted by him as the most generous payment
You provided the seekers of gifts with gardens
فَثَناؤُنا مِمّا يُنَوِّلُ وَهوَ مَح
سوبٌ لَدَيهِ بِأَوفَرِ الأَثمانِ
Of varied arts, a shady refuge for artists
With entertainment that tames what its clouds shaded
أَجنَيتَ رُوّادَ السُؤالِ حَدائِقاً
شَتّى الفُنونِ ظَليلَةَ الأَفنانِ
Even if passing over Safwan
Often you sufficed without a partner providing
بِلُهىً يُرَوِّضُ ما أَظَلَّ سَحابُها
وَلَوَ اِنَّها مَرَّت عَلى صَفوانِ
In place of a departing caravan, a caravan from Lebanon
And you separated a western battalion with an advance group
وَلَطالَما أَغنَيتَ غَيرَ مُشارَكٍ
عَن صَوبِ غادِيَةٍ بِصَوبِ بَنانِ
And paired a fine deed with assistance
So be safe - for every day we have holidays
وَفَلَلتَ غَربَ كَتيبَةٍ بِطَليعَةٍ
وَشَفَعتَ بِكرَ صَنيعَةٍ بِعَوانِ
As long as you are secure from troubles
O you who, when my dwellings thirst, quenches them
فَاِسلَم فَكُلُّ الدَهرِ أَعيادٌ لَنا
ما دُمتَ في أَمنٍ مِنَ الحَدَثانِ
And when I complain of pain, relieves me
يا مَن إِذا عَطِشَت رُبوعي جادَها
وَإِذا شَكَوتُ مُلِمَّةً أَشكاني
Leave your feats some of your effort, possessed
And string its pearls, O excellent among youths
دَع لِلمَناقِبِ بَعضَ سَعيِكَ حائِزاً
وَاِنظِم جَواهِرَها أَبا الفِتيانِ
For it guides every straying abode
That neither sun nor moon can steer
فَهُوَ المُسَيِّرُ كُلَّ بَيتٍ شارِدٍ
لا يَستَطيعُ مَسيرَهُ القَمَرانِ
However often parallels were lacking
It overflowed and wandered in the seas of Ma'an
في كُلِّ مُعوِزَةِ النَظائِرِ طالَما
عامَت وَساحَت في بِحارِ مَعانِ
You sacrificed what adorned it, though its rubies
Are dearer than rubies and sapphires
يُضحي بِما تَوَّجتُها ياقوتُها
أَولى مِنَ الياقوتِ وَالعِقيانِ
Until tongues fell silent, so the stirrups proclaimed it
Challenging the necks along with the riders
خَفَّت عَلى الأَفواهِ حَتّى لَاِنبَرَت
تُحدى الرِكابُ بِها مَعَ الرُكبانِ
When I relied upon you for poetry, you obeyed me
Though had I relied upon other than you, you would have disobeyed me
لَمّا اِعتَمَدتُكَ بِالقَريضِ أَطاعَني
وَلَوِ اِعتَمَدتُ بِهِ سِواكَ عَصاني
