بِسَعدِكَ دارَت في السَماءِ الكَواكِبُ
وَسارَت لِتَشييدِ العَلاءِ المَواكِبُ
With your auspiciousness the stars revolved in the sky,
And the shining companions marched to elevate the sublime.
وَلولاكَ لَم يَقحَم جَوادٌ بِمَأزِقٍ
وَلا فَتَكَت في الأُسدِ تِلكَ الثَعالِبُ
Were it not for you, no steed would plunge into peril,
Nor would those foxes pounce on the lion.
بِحَيثُ اِلتَقَت سُمرُ القَنا وَصُدورُهُم
وَبيضُ المَواضي وَالطُلى وَالتَرائِبُ
Where the brownness of the spearheads met their chests
And the whiteness of the plains, the hills, and the encampments,
عِناقٌ يُزيلُ الشَوقَ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ
يُرى وَاِصِلاً وَهوَ القَطوعُ المُجانِبُ
An embrace that removes yearning from its dwelling;
It appears to connect while it is the aloof estranger.
بِيَومٍ أَحَمِّ الجَوِّ حامٍ وَطيسُهُ
كَأَنَّ حَصاهُ مِن تَلَظّيهِ ذائِبُ
On a day whose air was hot and its haze boiling
As if its pebbles melted from its intensity.
صَبَغتَ بِهِ ما اِبيَضَّ مِن فَلَقِ الضُحى
بِكُلِّ بَياضٍ تَجتَوِيهِ الكَواعِبُ
You dyed with it whatever whitened from the cheek of dawn
With every whiteness greedily swallowed by the young maidens.
وَراجَعتَ شَيبَ الهِندُوانيِّ حُلكَةً
وَأَبهَجُهُ ما سُمتَهُ وَهوَ شائِبُ
And you returned the greyness of the Indian steel as adornment
And made it shine however it became frosted.
عَلى أَنَّهُ صِبغٌ يُحَدِّثُ سائِلاً
بِما كانَ مِن تَأثيرِهِ وَهوَ غائِبُ
As if it were a dye that speaks to one asking
About its effect while absent.
وَنابَ وَإِن لَم يَرضَ عَزمُكَ قاطِعاً
وَمِن أَينَ كُفؤٌ عَنهُ يوجَدُ نائِبُ
It bent back though your resolute determination was not pleased,
And where can a peer to prevent it be found as a substitute?
فَرَيتَ بِهِ غَربَ الزَمانِ وَغايَةُ ال
صَوارِمِ أَن تُفرى بِهِنَّ الغَوارِبُ
So you saw through it the end of time and the utmost
Of sharp swords that they be broken by them the brave warriors.
وَمَلمومَةٍ دَبَّت وَأَلسِنَةُ القَنا
لَها حُمَةٌ وَالمُقرَباتُ العَقارِبُ
And a cursed one crept forward with the tongues of spears
Having a zeal and the drawn near ones scorpions.
يُعاطي بِها النَدمانُ كَأساً مِنَ الرَدى
بِها نالَ رِيَّاً في المَنِيَّةِ شارِبُ
The remorseful are given through them a cup of abasement
Through which a drinker obtained vileness at the place of drinking.
وَعانَقَ فيها مُبغِضٌ لِبَغيضِهِ
كَما اِعتَنَقَت يَومَ اللِقاءِ الحَبائِبُ
And a hater embraced his hated in them
As the loving ones embraced on the day they met.
سَماعُهُمُ فيها الصَليلُ وَخَمرُهُم
دَمُ القَومِ لا ما اِستَحلَبَ الكَرمَ حالِبُ
Their hearing in them is the clash and their wine
Is the blood of the people, not what the vineyard yielded as pure.
سَرَت بِكَ في لَيلٍ مِنَ النَقعِ أَليَلٍ
تُعَمَّى عَلى مَن صارَ فيهِ المَذاهِبُ
You marched in a night of soft darkness
That blinded whom diverged in it the ways.
فَأَطلَعتَ فيهِ بِالأَسِنَّةِ أَنجُماً
لَها مِن نَواصي الدَارِعينَ ذَوائِبُ
So you lit in it with the spears stars
That have from the forehead forelocks of the repellers.
عَزائِمُ خَرّاجٍ إِذا ما تَضايَقَت
مَخارِجُهُ لا لاعِباً وَهوَ لاعِبُ
Resolute determinations of a tax collector when
His outlets are narrowed, not as a joker while jesting.
وَطَعنٌ لِسُمرِ السَمهَريِّ مُحَطِّمٌ
عَلى أَنَّهُ لِلمَجدِ بانٍ وَناصِبُ
And a piercing stab to the brownness of Al Samhari
Annulling his glory, erected and adversarial.
وَضَربٌ لِبيضِ المَشرَفِيِّ مُهَدِّمٌ
بِهِ وَلِأَعدادِ المُعادينَ حاصِبُ
And a strike to the whiteness of Al Mashrafi
Destroying it and the multitudes of enemies counting.
وَأَرعَنَ مَوّارِ الحَواشي لِأَرضِهِ
بِعِثيَرِهِ مِن ناظِرِ الجَوِّ حاجِبُ
And you startled the herders of his coast with your wakefulness
From the onlooker of the atmosphere, frowning.
لَهُ مِن سُطا فَخرِ المُلوكِ مُؤَيِّدٌ
يُطاعِنُ عَن أَقرانِهِ وَيُضارِبُ
For it is from the pride of kings, supported,
Assailing his peers and striking.
فَتىً هَذَّبَت فيهِ التَجارِبُ نَفسَهُ
فَكَيفَ بِها إِذ هَذَّبَتها التَجارِبُ
A young man whose self was refined through tribulations
So how about when tribulations refined him?
يَسُدُّ مَسَدَّ الأَلفِ بَأساً وَنَجدَةً
إِذا رَدَّ ضَربَ الأَلفِ في الأَلفِ حاسِبُ
He takes the place of a thousand in might and help
When the strike of a thousand in a thousand counts.
وَدَبَّرَ أَمرَ المُلكِ قَبلَ بُلوغِهِ
وَما نَزَعَت عَنهُ السِخابَ الرَبائِبُ
And he managed the affairs of the kingdom before reaching it
And puberty did not strip him of discretion.
وَتِلكَ لِأَبناءِ المُسَيَّبِ شيمَةٌ
يَسودُ وَليدٌ مِثلَما سادَ شائِبُ
Such are the traits of the sons of Musayyab
A youth leads just as an old one led.
أُناسٌ أَساءَت حُكمَها في لُهاهُمُ
أَكُفُّهُمُ إِذ أَحسَنوا وَالمَواهِبُ
People whose rule in their heedlessness was bad
I curb them when they do good and gifts.
وَسَدّوا بِتَسديدِ الطِعانِ مِنَ العُلى
ثُغوراً تَوَلَّت كَشفَهُنَّ النَوائِبُ
And they blocked with fortifying the stab from above
Breachs which misfortunes opened revealing them.
فَمِن رَأيِهِ الواري عَواليهِ أُشرِعَت
وَمِن عَزمِهِ الماضي تُسَلُّ القَواضِبُ
So by his insightful opinion its highlands were opened
And by his solid determination the ships are launched.
هُوَ المَلِكُ الفَيّاضُ بَأساً وَنائِلاً
فَحَيثُ تَراهُ ناقِماً فَهوَ واهِبُ
He is the generous king, fierce and attaining
So wherever you see him angry, he is the grantor.
يَصولُ وَلو أَنَّ النُجومَ كَتائِبُ
وَيُعطي وَكَفُّ الجَدبِ لِلسِترِ جاذِبُ
He rages though the stars are groups
And he gives while the palm of the dry year is grasping.
وَكُنتَ إِذا ما الشَرُّ صَرَّحَ بِاِسمِهِ
وَلاذَت بِأَعناقِ الصَياصي الذَوائِبُ
And you were, whenever evil roared its name
And resorted to the necks of the armor the shelters.
جَعَلتَ غِرارَ المَشرَفيِّ مُصاحِباً
أَلا إِنَّهُ نِعمَ الرَفيقُ المُصاحِبُ
You made the deception of Al Mashrafi a companion;
Verily, excellent he is as a faithful companion!
وَفيٌّ إِذا خانَ الشَقيقُ وَدافِعٌ
إِذا حاصَ عَن دَفعِ المُلِمِّ المُحارِبُ
Loyal if the brother betrays and protector
If warding the attack of the assailing adversary.
وَلَمّا أَبى قَومٌ سِوى البَغيِ مَركَباً
وَلِلذُلِّ فيهِ وَالمَذَلَّةِ راكِبُ
And when a people pursued no path but transgression
And mounting it and the humiliation and riding.
سَدَدتَ عَلَيهِم كُلَّ بابٍ وَثُغرَةٍ
يَخالونَ مِنهُ النُجحَ وَالنُجحُ عازِبُ
You closed upon them every door and breach
From which they miss success and success is absent.
وَأَمهَلتَهُم حَتّى لَظَنّوكَ عاجِزاً
وَما يَستَوي المَغلوبُ وَالمُتَغالِبُ
And you allowed them until they thought you powerless
While the defeated and the victor are not equal.
وَقَد تَنفُذُ الأَقدارُ حَتّى يَرى اِمرُؤٌ
مِنَ الصِدقِ ظَنّاً وَعدَها وَهوَ كاذِبُ
And destinies are fulfilled until a person sees
From truth a view and counts it while lying.
وَعَزمُكَ ماضٍ حينَ تَنبو صَوارِمٌ
وَرَأيُكَ لَمّا أَظلَمَ الجَوُّ ثاقِبُ
And your determination is solid when swords are unsheathed
And your view is piercing when the atmosphere darkens.
وَلَكِنَّهُم مِن عامِرٍ في أَرُوَمَةٍ
لَها مِنكَ عِزٌّ لا يُرامُ وَجانِبُ
Except they are from a flourishing pillar
Having from you glory not sought and aside.
فَإِن يَهفُ فَرعٌ مِنهُمُ فَاِغتِفارُ ما
جَناهُ عَلى مَعروفِ فَضلِكَ واجِبُ
So if one of them swerves, then forgiveness for what
He committed is due to your known kindness.
بَنو العَمِّ وَالأَرحامُ في الناسِ شُجنَةٌ
رِعايَتُها في الدينِ وَالعَقلِ وَاِجِبُ
The children of the uncle and relatives among people are an affection
Preserving it in religion and reason obligated.
فَكُن بِهِمُ لا فيهِمُ الخَطبَ ضارِباً
فَفيهِم قُوىً تَعيا بِهِنَّ الضَرائِبُ
So be with them, not in them, adversity striking
For in them are strengths you live by against misfortunes.
وَلَمّا هَجَرتَ الشامَ حاشاكَ أَن تُرى
لَهُ هاجِراً أَو عَنهُ رَأيُكَ راغِبُ
And when you deserted Damascus - far from you
To be seen deserting it or your view from it abstaining.
فَلا حَلَّهُ مِن وَحشَةٍ ما اِستَفَزَّهُ
عَنِ الأَمنِ وَاِرتابَ النَزيلُ المُصاقِبُ
For neither did it have any desolation provoking it
From security nor did the settled guest fearing.
وَما كانَ لَمّا اِعتَلَّ مِن قَبلُ شافِياً
سِواكَ لَهُ يا مَن لَهُ الفَضلُ صاحِبُ
And it had not been when previously impaired
But you were alone, O you whose favor is companion, healing it!
مَدَدتَ عَليهِ ظِلَّ عِزِّكَ فَاِحتَمى
وَلولاكَ يَوماً ما اِحتَمَى فيهِ جانِبُ
You extended over it the shade of your glory so it took refuge
While without you one day none would have taken refuge.
وَصَيَّرتَهُ لِلأَمنِ رَبعاً وَقَبلَها
غَدا لِذُيولِ الخَوفِ وَهوَ مَساحِبُ
And you made it a land of safety while before
It was close to the hem of fear and withdrawal.
وَأَنقَذتَ قَوماً فيهِ مِن كُفَّةِ الرَدى
وَقَد نَشِبَت أَظفارُها وَالمَخالِبُ
And you saved a people in it from the grip of degradation
After its claws sank in and the paws.
بِعِزِّكَ لاذوا وَهوَ أَمنَعُ مَوئِلٍ
وَغَيثَكَ أَمّوا وَهوَ لِلبِرِّ ساكِبُ
With your glory they sought refuge and it is the safest haven
And your rain they hoped for and it is to righteousness pouring.
تَرَكتَ لَهُم رَأياً كَساهُم مَذَلَّةً
وَلُذتَ بِرَأيٍ جانَبَتهُ المَعائِبُ
You left them an opinion that clothed them in humiliation
And took to an opinion avoided by tribulations.
أَساؤوا وَجاؤُا لائِذينَ بِشيمَةٍ
لِمَذهَبِها في العَفوِ تَعفو المَذاهِبُ
They did evil and came seeking refuge in a trait
Whose path is to pardon - the paths pardon.
فَمالَ إِلى جَنبِ التَجاوُزِ عَنهُمُ
كَريمٌ قَديرٌ لِلرِضى مِنهُ جانِبُ
So the side of overlooking them inclined
A generous one, capable, his content therewith aside.
يَمُنُّ وَطَولُ الإِقتِدارِ مُساعِدٌ
وَيَحلُمُ في وَقتٍ بِهِ الحِلمُ عازِبُ
He favors and the length of capability is aiding
And he is forbearing at a time when forbearance is absent.
تَجاوَزَ صَفحاً عَن عُقوبَةِ جاهِلٍ
يُسيءِ وَيَنسى ما تَجُرُّ العَواقِبُ
He forgave overlooking the punishment of an ignorant one
Who does evil and forgets what misfortunes drag.
وَأَدَّبَهُم بِالعَفوِ وَالعَفوُ سَوطُهُ
لِكُلِّ كَريمٍ فيهِ تُلقى المَآدِبُ
And he disciplined them with forgiveness and forgiveness is his whip
For every generous one in which tribulations are faced.
