ما ذي المَساعي الغُرُّ في قَدرِ الوَرى
فَلِذاكَ نَحنُ نَظُنُّ يَقظَتَنا كَرى
What is the use of vain efforts in the fate of mankind?
That is why we think our wakefulness is a slumber.
تُبدي لِأَعيُنِنا فَضائِلَ ما رَأَت
أَمثالَها في العالَمينَ وَلا تَرى
It shows our eyes merits not seen
in both worlds, nor does one see.
وَضَحَت لَنا فَعَلاؤُها لا يُمتَرى
في صِدقِهِ وَثَناؤُها لا يُفتَرى
Your supreme merits have become evident,
unquestioned in truthfulness and praise unexaggerated.
قَد كُنتَ عَن مَكنونِها مُستَخبِراً
فَغَدَوتُ مُذ قَرَّبتَني مُستَخبَرا
You had asked about its secrets,
so I became since you brought me near, informed.
فَوَدِدتُ أَيّامي تَكونُ لَدَيكَ أَع
واماً وَساعاتي القَصيرَةَ أَشهُرا
I wished my days with you be years
and my short hours be months,
لِأَرى وَأَسمَعَ كُلَّ لَحظَةِ ناظِرٍ
ما راقَ مُستَمِعاً وَأَذهَلَ مَنظَرا
to see and hear each glance
that pleases a listener and stuns a beholder.
يا مَن إِذا نَشَرَ الأَنامُ حَديثَهُ
مَلَأَ الدُنا عَرفاً يَفوقُ العَنبَرا
O you whose fame when people spread,
fills the world with a fragrance surpassing ambergris.
إِن فاحَ في أَقصى البِلادِ فَبَعدَ أَن
أَضحى الشَآمُ بِطَرفِهِ مُتَعَطِّرا
When it spreads in the farthest countries, then
Syria has been, through your presence, perfumed.
حَتّى لَخِلنا دَوحَهُ وَتُرابَهُ
عوداً قَمارِيّاً وَمِسكاً أَذفَرا
Until we found its scent and soil
aloes wood and yellow musk.
مَن أَصدَرَ الراياتِ حُمراً مِثلَما
أَصدَرتَها غِبَّ الحُروبِ تَصَدَّرا
You who carried red banners as
the daring of wars used to carry them forward.
وَمَلابِسُ التَعظيمِ لائِقَةٌ بِمَن
يُعيِي إِذا لَبِسَ العَجاجَ الأَكدَرا
And the clothes of glorification befit one
who wearies if he wears coats of mail.
لَولا اِنصِلاتُكَ وَالحَوادِثُ جَمَّةٌ
لَغَدا الهُدى مِمّا عَرا واهي العُرى
Were it not for your justice and events plentiful,
guidance would have perished from those who abandoned its reins.
بِكَ أَيَّدَ الرَحمَنُ ظاهِرَ دينِهِ
وَبِحَدِّ سَيفِكَ يَنصُرُ المُستَنصِرا
Through you the Beneficent supported the externals of His religion,
and by the edge of your sword aids one requesting aid.
وَمَتى تُخيفُ عَصائِبٌ قَسَّمتَها
بَينَ المَنايا وَالرَزايا اِشطُرا
And whenever bands terrify, you divide them
between death and life, rending them asunder.
ذَلَّلتَهُم فَلِذاكَ أَرخى ذَيلَهُ
مَن كانَ قِدماً لِلحُروبِ مُشَمِّرا
You subdued those who used to tuck up
their garments in wars - now relaxing.
وَمَنَيتَهُم بِالفَقرِ حَتّى أَشبَهَت
في قِلَّةِ الإِثراءِ مَعنٌ بُحتُرا
And brought them poverty until they resembled
Ma'n in little wealth.
وَلَوَ اِنَّ غَيرَكَ رامَ ذُعرَ سَوامِهِم
لَأَبى لَها صُمُّ القَنا أَن تُذعَرا
Had other than you attempted frightening their herds,
even deaf rocks would have been frightened.
حَتّى إِذا ما أَقلَعَت ظُلَمُ الوَغى
عَنهُم وَأَبصَرَ رُشدَهُ مَن أَبصَرا
Until when the darkness of turmoil turned from them
and he of insight saw your guidance,
عاذوا بِمُلكِكَ خاضِعينَ لِيَأمَنوا
صَرفَ الرَدى وَاِستَغفَروكَ لِتَغفِرا
they sought refuge in your rule submissively, to be safe
from evil, imploring you for forgiveness that you may forgive.
فَمَنَعتَ حَتّى لَم تَجِد مُستَبدِلاً
وَغَفَرتَ حَتّى لَم تَدَع مُستَغفِرا
You refused until you found none to replace
and forgave until you left none asking forgiveness.
وَلَّوا وَقَد أَلقَوا أَعِنَّةَ خَيلِهِم
وَأَتَوا وَقَد سُلِبَت قِلاصُهُمُ البُرى
They turned back, having cast off the trappings of their steeds
and they came, deprived of their embroidered gowns.
وَمَتى جَنَوا ثَمَراتِ وَعدِكَ وَاِعتَدَوا
أَلفَوا وَعيدَكَ مِثلَ وَعدِكَ مُثمِرا
And whenever they plucked the fruits of your promise and transgressed,
they found your threat like your promise, bearing fruit.
فَلتَحذَرِ الذُؤبانُ في فَلَواتِها
أَسَداً تَحامَت سُخطَهُ أُسدُ الشَرى
Therefore, let the wolves fear in their deserts
a lion whose anger has flared, the lion of evil.
وَمُظَفَّراً كَفَلَت لَهُ عَزَماتُهُ
أَن لا يُقَدِّمَ هَمُّهُ مَن أَخَّرا
And a victorious one whose determination
guaranteed he won't bring forward one who lags behind.
إِنَّ اِبنَ جَرّاحٍ دَعاكَ وَمالَهُ
مِمّا يُحاذِرُ غَيرَ عَفوِكَ مُدَّرا
Son of Jarrah called you while turning away
from that which he fears other than your pardon.
فَأَجِب نِداءَ أَبي النَدى فَلَطالَما
ناداهُ غَيرُكَ خاضِعاً فَاِستَكبَرا
So respond to the call of the eminent father - for long
another called him submissively but he disdained.
وَاِمنُن عَلَيهِ مُحَقِّقاً آمالَهُ
كَرَماً فَكُلُّ الصَيدِ في جَوفِ الفَرا
And favor him, fulfilling his hopes,
as a generosity, for all game is in the belly of the hunter.
ما كانَ أَثقَبَ زَندَهُ لَو أَنَّهُ
مُستَقبِلٌ مِن أَمرِهِ ما اِستَدبَرا
No belt of his would be heavier, had he
foreseen from his affair what transpired.
خَلّى بِلاداً بَعدَ ذَمِّ وُرودِها
وَلَسَوفَ يَحمَدُ إِن عَفَوتَ المَصدَرا
He left countries after entering them
and soon you will praise, if you pardon, the source.
مُذ راءَ أَفنِيَةَ المَمالِكِ كُلِّها
غُبراً تَذَكَّرَ ذا الجَنابِ الأَخضَرا
Since he saw the courtyards of all the kingdoms
as dust, he remembered the radiant presence.
فَبَكى وَأَضحَكَهُ الرَجاءُ فَما رَأَت
عَينٌ سِواهُ ضاحِكاً مُستَعبِرا
So he cried and your hope made him laugh, and none
saw other than him crying yet smiling.
قَرَّت جِيادُ الخَيلِ مُنذُ كَفَيتَها
طَلَبَ العَدُوِّ مُغَلِّساً وَمُهَجِّرا
The steeds rested since you stopped them
seeking the enemy, galloping and neighing.
فَأَراحَها مَن لا يُريحُ جِيادَهُ
حَتّى تُثيرَ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ عِثيرا
So the one who does not rest his steeds rested them,
until they stirred the ground of every land.
حَتّى لَقيدَت بُدَّناً وَلَوَ اِنَّها
قيدَت لِيَومِ وَغىً لَقيدَت ضُمَّرا
Until they were girded though they were girded
for a day of battle, they would be resolute.
مِن كُلِّ أَشقَرَ لَم يَكُن مِن قَبلِ أَن
تَغشى بِهِ وَخزَ الأَسِنَّةِ أَشقَرا
Of every chestnut that had not been
covered with it before, biting the tongue.
يَتلوهُ أَدهَمُ كانَ وَرداً بُرهَةً
مِمّا تُسَربِلُهُ النَجيعَ الأَحمَرا
Followed by a bay that was for a time
clad in what the bright fire enkindles.
داجٍ وَيُشرِقُ مِن ضِياءِ حُجولِهِ
فَيَخالُهُ رائيهِ لَيلاً مُقمِرا
Black in the darkness, shining in its shadows,
so its beholder deems it a moonlit night.
وَوَراءَهُ خَيلٌ كَأَنَّ جُلودَها
مِن نَسجِ قُسطَنطينَةٍ أَو عَبقَرا
And behind them are horses as though their skins
were woven in Constantinople or Ctesiphon.
لَقَدِ اِنتَحَيتَ لِمُصطَفيكَ مَنائِحاً
تُعيي المُلوكَ مُقَدَّماً وَمُؤَخَّرا
You have presented to your Prophet platforms
that exhaust kings preceding and succeeding.
مِن بَعضِ ما سَلَبَت قَناكَ مِنَ العِدى
ما هَذِهِ مِمّا يُباعُ وَيُشتَرى
From some of what your spear took from the foe -
this is not of what is sold and bought.
وَالجاهِلِيَّةُ كُلُّها كانَت تَرى
عَقرَ القَلوصِ نَدىً إِذا المَحلُ اِعتَرى
And the whole of ignorance used to see
slitting the throat of a prisoner as munificence when a tribe was dishonored.
إِذ لَم تَكُن في عَصرِهِم وَلَوَ اِنَّهُم
شَهِدوا زَمانَكَ ما اِستَحَلّوا المَيسِرا
For in their time, even if they witnessed yours,
they would not have deemed gambling licit.
وَكَفاهُمُ عَقرَ القَلوصِ مُمَلَّكٌ
بِعَطِيَّةِ الدُرَرِ الثَمينَةِ موفِرا
And it sufficed them to slit the throat of a prisoner -
a bestowal with precious pearls most generous.
وَنَشَرتَ مِن كَشفِ المَظالِمِ مَيتَةً
ما كانَ يَأمُلُ آمِلٌ أَن تُنشَرا
And you spread from exposing injustices a death
that no aspirant hoped would be exposed.
فَوَرى بِحُكمِكَ زَندُ عَدلٍ قَد كَبا
وَكَبا لِخَوفِكَ زَندُ جَورٍ قَد وَرى
So by your rule the wrist of justice prevailed
and by fear of you the wrist of tyranny bent.
وَحَسَمتَ ظُلمَ الظالِمينَ فَعادَ مَن
يَمشي العِرَضنَةَ وَهوَ يَمشي القَهقَرى
And you terminated the injustice of the unjust, so one who
used to walk with pride now walks groveling.
فَالجَورُ قَد أَلغاهُ مَن لَم يُلغِهِ
وَالحَقُّ مُعتَرِفٌ بِهِ مَن أَنكَرا
So injustice - one who did not eliminate it, eliminated it.
And right - one who denied it, confessed to it.
خُلِقَ المُظَفَّرُ بِالفَضائِلِ وَالنُهى
وَالمَجدِ وَالذِكرِ الجَميلِ مُظَفَّرا
The victorious was created with virtues and continence,
glory, goodly mention - ever triumphant.
جَدٌّ يُشايِعُهُ عَلى حَوزِ العُلى
جِدٌّ إِذا طَلَبَ العَسيرَ تَيَسَّرا
A grandfather who aids him in possessing the heights -
a father, when the difficult is sought, it is facilitated.
وَهِيَ العُلى وَأَبيكَ لَيسَ يَحوزُها
مَن لَم يَطِب أَصلاً وَيَكرُم عُنصُرا
And it is the heights - your father does not possess except
one whose origin is fragrant and whose lineage is noble.
وَالتُركُ بَعضُ الناسِ إِلّا أَنَّهُم
أَقوى وَأَصلَبُ في الكَريهَةِ مَكسِرا
The Turks are a people except that they
are stronger and firmer in adversity, crushing it.
وَالنَبعُ كَالشَريانِ إِلّا أَنَّ ذا
نَبتُ الوِهادِ وَذاكَ نَبتٌ في الذُرى
And a spring is like an artery except that this one
gushes from the meadows while that one gushes from the ground.
باغي نَظيرِكَ فائِزٌ بِمُرادِهِ
لَكِن إِذا اِلتَقَتِ الثُرَيّا وَالثَرى
Your peer seeking his goal is successful,
but when the lesser clashes with the great!
فَلَأَنتَ عيدُ المُسلِمينَ فَلا رَأَوا
رَبعَ المَعالي مِنكَ يَوماً مُقفِرا
You are the feast of the Muslims, for they did not see
from you a single day deprived of the heights' meadows.
وَنَداكَ رَوّى رَوضَ شِعري بارِضاً
حَتّى لَصارَ كَما تَراهُ مُنَوِّرا
Calling you watered the meadow of my poetry, flourishing,
until it became, as you see it, illuminated.
فَليَرعَ مَجدُكَ مِنهُ كُلَّ خَميلَةٍ
كَفَلَت لَها نُعماكَ أَلّا تُمعِرا
So may your glory make every defective meadow thrive,
which your favors guaranteed against barrenness.
وَالرَوضُ لَستَ تَراهُ أَبلَجَ ناضِراً
إِلّا بِحَيثُ تَرى الحَيا مُثعَنجَرا
You do not see the meadow fresh and vibrant
unless where you see the writhing serpent.
إِنّي وَجَدتُكَ تاجَ كُلِّ مُمَلَّكٍ
فَكَسَوتُ هَذا التاجَ هَذا الجَوهَرا
I found you the crown of every ruler
so I clothed this crown with this gem.
وَلَوَ اِنَّني أُجري وَلَستُ بِفاعِلٍ
قَلَماً بِمَدحٍ في سِواكَ لَما جَرى
And even if I, though I do not, let flow
a pen in praise of other than you it would not flow.
أَو كُنتُ غائِصَ غَيرَ بَحرِكَ لَم أَكُن
مُستَخرِجاً ذا اللُؤلُؤَ المُتَخَيِّرا
Or if I plunged outside your sea I would not be
a extractor of this carefully selected pearl.
