سَما بِكَ دَهرُكَ فَليَفتَخِر
عَلى كُلِّ دَهرٍ مَضى أَو غَبَر
By you, your era can be proud,
Prouder than any past or faded era.
فَلَو أَنَّ أَيّامَهُ أَوجُهٌ
لَكانَت مَساعيكَ فيها غُرَر
Had its days faces,
Your efforts in it would be bluffs.
وَكَم جَدَّ مُجتَهِدٌ في طِلابِ
عُلاكَ فَلَم يَكتَحِل بِالأَثَر
How much did an insistent striver strive
In seeking your heights, but gained no trace!
وَأَينَ الثَمادُ مِنَ الرافِدَينِ
وَأَينَ مِنَ الفَرقَدَينِ السَمَر
Where is Thamud from the two Meads
Or the two 'Ad tribes from Samar?
كَأَنَّكَ أَحكَمتَ رَيبَ الزَمانِ
وَسُقتَ إِلى ما تَشاءُ القَدَر
As if you had set time's course right
And led destiny wherever you wished.
بِصَرفِ اِعتِزامِكَ صَرفُ الخُطوبِ
وَكَفِّ اِنتِقامِكَ كَفُّ الغِيَر
By your resolve turning misfortunes
And your vengeance holding back the hostile.
وَطاوَعَكَ الدَهرُ فيمَن تُريدُ
فَمَن شِئتَ ساءَ وَمَن شِئتَ سَرّ
Time has obeyed you concerning whom you want:
Whom you wished fared ill, whom well.
هَناكَ اِنفِرادُكَ بِالمُعجِزاتِ
وَيَومُكَ ذا فَهوَ يَومٌ أَغَرّ
There your miracles stand alone
And your day - yes, that day is most wondrous.
وَهَذا السِدِلّى الَّذي ما سَما
لَهُ مَلِكٌ في قَديمِ العُصُر
And this Dilly man who never attained
Kingship in ancient times,
رَفَعتَ لَهُ قُبَّةً أَصبَحَت
تَطولُ عَلى ما عَلا وَاِشمَخَرّ
You raised a dome for him become
Loftier than all lofty and towering things.
إِذا ما بَدَت في الدُجى خِلتَها
مُرَصَّعَةً بِالنُجومِ الزُهُر
When it shows gleaming in the dark
Bejeweled with stars all a-flower,
وَفي الدَجنِ تَحسِبُها كاعِباً
عَلَيها السَحائِبُ مِثلُ الأُزُر
You'd think, in the black dark, clouds
Like mantles were upon it.
تُراعُ لَها الشَمسُ عِندَ الطُلوعِ
فَلَو مَكَلَت نَفسَها لَم تُنِر
The sun makes way for it at sunrise
Else, had it kept itself back, it wouldn't shine.
وَلَو راءَها البَدرُ في تَمِّهِ
وَكانَت لَهُ قُدرَةٌ لِاِستَتَر
And if the moon spied it at its fullest
And had the power, it would hide itself.
فَصارَ لَها عَلَماً في البِناءِ
كَسيرَةِ صاحِبِها في السِيَر
So it became a sign in building
Like its lord's wayfaring in travels.
فَإيوانُ كِسرى وَإِن أَعجَزَ ال
بَرِيَّةَ في جَنبِهِ مُحتَقَر
Khosrow's iwan - though it made
The uncouth despair - is trivial by it.
وَكُلُّ بِناءٍ بَنَتهُ المُلوكُ
حَديثٌ عَلا وَقَديمٌ دَثَر
Every building the kings erected
New, lofty; aged, crumbling.
وَقَلَّ مَقَرّاً عَلى ذي الصِفاتِ
لِمَن نَصَرَ الدينَ لَمّا اِنتَصَر
How few the dwelling places for the owner
Of traits when he championed the true creed!
فَأَضحَت عُرى الحَقِّ في ظِلِّهِ
بِرَغمِ العِدى مُحكَماتِ المِرَر
Thanks to him the ropes of truth beneath his shade
Survived, despite the foes, unbreakable.
لِمُنتَجَبِ الدَولَةِ المُصطَفى ال
مُظَفَّرِ سَيفِ إِمامِ البَشَر
For the state's choice, the Triumphant,
Victorious sword of the humans' imam.
مَآثِرُ تُخبِرُ عَن أَصلِهِ
وَما نَسَبَ السَيفَ مِثلُ الأَثَر
Whose feats tells of his origin
As the sword's notching tells of its blow.
وَكَم قَد بَغاها المُلوكُ الأُلى
فَأَعيَت عَلى بَدوِهِم وَالحَضَر
How much the scowling kings craved it
But their searching the towns and wastes wearied.
وَلَو يَظفَرونَ لَعَمري بِها
لَكانَت لِتيجانِهِم كَالدُرَر
Had they won it, by my life,
It would have been the crowns on their brows.
شَآهُم إِلى المَجدِ ذو هِمَّةٍ
بِباعِ المَجَرَّةِ عَنها قِصَر
One of lofty resolve saw their vainglory
To be as the wind-borne spider web's.
تَضِلُّ مَناقِبُهُم في عُلاهُ
كَما ضَلَّ في الريحِ سافي العَفَر
Their munifience sinks into his bounty
As the slender into ample seas submerged.
وَيَغرَقُ جودُهُمُ في نَداهُ
كَما غَرِقَت في الأَتِيِّ الغُدُر
How can a cloud in the sky compete
With his rain of gifts on people showering?
وَأَنّى يُسامي سَحابَ السَما
ءِ في الأَرضِ مِنهُ الحَيا المُنهَمِر
How can lightning bolts vie with his glinting blade
Whose gleam foretells no rain will pour?
وَيُزجي الظَعائِنَ صَوبُ البُروقِ
وَبِشرُكَ ذا بارِقٌ لا يَغُرّ
Your contentment has held back the plea
Till the hoped-for came, as wished.
أَمَرَّ اِرتِياحُكَ حَبلَ الرَجا
إِلى أَن حَلا لِلمُنى ما أَمَرّ
In every land you passed
You left a trace - yes, some trace!
وَغادَرتَ في كُلِّ أَرضٍ مَرَرتَ
بِها أَثَراً يا لَهُ مِن أَثَر
With the sword you exalted them
Without you, not one stone had stood.
أَبانِيَ بِالسَيفِ أَعلَيتَها
وَلَولاكَ ما قامَ مِنها حَجَر
You erased the corruptors' traces
What is unforced cannot be forced.
مَحَوتَ بِها أَثَرَ المُفسِدينَ
وَما لَيسَ تَجبُرُ لا يَنجَبِر
Thus glory is reached by one who wants it
And homelands are settled by one who settles.
كَذا يَبلُغُ العِزَّ مَن رامَهُ
وَيَعمُرُ أَوطانَهُ مَن عَمَر
Though the wicked bore sin therein
You were exempted from that burden.
لَئِن حَمَلَ الوِزرَ فيها العِدى
فَإِنَّكَ مِمّا جَنَوهُ الوَزَر
They made lawful forbidden things
Nearly rending the heavens apart.
أَحَلّوا مَحارِمَ مِن دونِها
تَكادُ السَمَواتُ أَن تَنفَطِر
Into war's deep well they drove you -
How many drivers were undriven!
وَقَد وارَدوكَ بِحارَ الرَدى
وَكَم وارِدٍ مِنهُمُ ما صَدَر
Content with escaping, fearing harm
Though had you wished none could escape.
رَضوا بِالفَرارِ حِذارَ البَوارِ
وَلَو شِئتَ لَم يُنجِ مِنها المَفَرّ
So you bewildered them from seeking heritage
How much blood of theirs flowed wasted!
فَأَذهَلتَهُم عَن طِلابِ التِراثِ
فَكَم مِن دَمٍ مَرَّ مِنهُم هَدَر
They will never pay you those debts
Even were they the Forest's trees.
وَما يَقتَضونَكَ تِلكَ الدُيونَ
وَلَو أَنَّهُم في عِدادِ الشَجَر
Their Mania beside the Cross
And whom you did not plunder went unplundered.
مَنِيَّتُهُم بِجِوارِ الصَليبِ
وَمَن لَم تُجِر مِنهُمُ لَم يُجَر
Everyone who tried to help it failed
So how can who conquers it be abased?
وَقَد ذَلَّ مَن حاوَلوا نَصرَهُ
فَكَيفَ يَعِزُّ بِهِ المُنتَصِر
Too hard for Romans was protecting
Religion's forts - to stab the forts!
وَعَزَّ عَلى الرومِ ما كُلِّفوا
حَمى ثُغَرَ الدينِ طَعنُ الثُغَر
Concerning what your hounds did
To their king, for them it's a lesson.
وَفيما جَرى مِن طَريدَي ظُباكَ
عَلى مَلكِهِم لَهُمُ مُعتَبَر
Some dogs, while others some of those
You smashed with a single blow.
وَبَعضُ كِلابٍ وَهُم بَعضُ مَن
قَهَرتَ رَماهُم بِإِحدى الكُبَر
They thronged unto Damascus in their pride,
At which mountains bow down.
وَقَد يَمَّموا الشامَ في قُوَّةٍ
يَخِرُّ لَها الجَبَلُ المُشمَخِرّ
Two hundred thousand invaders in two hundreds.
But they scarcely lasted a blink of the eye.
مِئينَ أُلوفٍ غَزَوا في مِئينَ
فَلَم يَلبَثوا غَيرَ لَمحِ البَصَر
Then they fled routed, fearing evil -
But what fear can protect from fate?
وَوَلّوا هَزيماً حِذارَ الرَدى
وَهَل حَذَرٌ عاصِمٌ مِن قَدَر
On a day when dogs exulted,
Bristling at all noble Murris.
بِيَومٍ تَكَنَّت كِلابٌ بِهِ
عَلى كُلِّ ذي نَخوَةٍ مِن مُضَر
But no! You turned them toward Kosayr
And your resolve sent those raiders.
فَأَلّا ثَنَوها حِيالَ القُصَيرِ
وَعَزمُكَ يَقدُمُ تِلكَ الزُمَر
Their prowess failed, their iron melted in fear
Of the rending lion there.
وَقَد كَلَّ بَأسُهُمُ وَالحَدي
دُ خَوفاً مِنَ الأَسَدِ المُهتَصِر
Better staves' knock than war pounding
And needles' pricks than lances' stabbing.
وَوَقعُ الظُبى دونَ قَرعِ العَصا
وَوَخزُ القَنا دونَ نَخسِ الإِبَر
Naught protects folk from destiny
When narrow is the house of spears.
وَما يَدفَعُ الكَرُّ عَن أَهلِهِ
إِذا ضاقَ بِالدارِعينَ المَكَرّ
Terror tore the war-makers from them
As it tore the zebras from the donkeys.
ذَعَرتَ حُماةَ الوَغى مِنهُمُ
كَما اِنذَعَرَت لِلهِزَبرِ الحُمُر
On what day did you see the fray
And not keep pulling victory's train?
وَفي أَيِّ يَومٍ شَهِدتَ الوَغى
وَما عُدتَ تَسحَبُ ذَيلَ الظَفَر
The seasoned avoided this fight
And news the amateur found dire.
تَجَنَّبَ ذو الخُبرِ هَذا النِزالَ
وَرَوَّعَ غَيرَ الخَبيرِ الخَبَر
Had the riffraff disputed with you out of error
It would have rubbed the experience from the expert.
وَلَو شاجَروكَ القَنا ضَلَّةً
لَطَمَّ عَلى الخَبَرِ المُختَبَر
The lion of earth concedes your might
When death gapes its mouth in a grin.
يُقِرُّ بِبَأسِكَ أُسدُ الثَرى
إِذا المَوتُ عَن ناجِذَيهِ فَغَر
Distant people now fight shy of you,
Wastelanders and settled folk.
فَقَد أَحجَمَ الناسُ عَنكَ الغَدا
ةَ أَهلُ الفَيافي وَأَهلُ المَدَر
Events made bare their white blades.
First your fathers, then the famed sword.
وَقائِعُ جَلّى دَياجيرَها
إِباؤُكَ ثُمَّ الحُسامُ الذَكَر
Through it your superiority to all was clear.
By night the moon's superiority.
بِها بانَ فَضلُكَ لِلعالَمينَ
وَبِاللَيلِ يُعرَفُ فَضلُ القَمَر
Our days passed under your protection,
Safe, yes, forever from bitterness.
صَفَت في جَنابِكَ أَيّامُنا
فَحاشى لَها أَبَداً مِن كَدَر
You bettered our homelands through justice
Without you, no settled place had been improved.
وَحَسَّنتَ بِالعَدلِ أَوطانَنا
وَلَولاكَ ما حَسُنَت مُستَقَرّ
So the Lord on High built what you built
And did not deprive Syria of this oversight.
فَشَيَّدَ رَبُّ العُلى ما بَنَيتَ
وَلا أَعدَمَ الشامَ هَذا النَظَر
How many a sanctuary, had you neglected it,
Would have been despoiled! How many a frontier,
وَكَم حَرَمٍ لَو نَأَيتَ اِستُبيحَ
وَكَم ثَغَرٍ لَو بَعُدتَ اِنثَغَر
Had you been far, would have been breached!
Without your battles and favors
وَلَولا قِراعُكَ وَالمَكرُماتُ
لَماتَ بِهِ الناسُ خَوفاً وَضُرّ
People would have died from fear and woes.
You rewarded equally the repentant and obstinate:
جَزَيتَ المُنيبينَ وَالمارِقي
نَ بِالخَيرِ خَيراً وَبِالشَرِّ شَرّ
Good for good and ill for ill.
We don't recall past troubles -
فَلَسنا نُفَكِّرُ بِالحادِثاتِ
طَوى جَورَها عَدلُكَ المُنتَشِر
Your spreading justice folded up their wrong.
You are the most generous possessor of might
وَإِنَّكَ أَكرَمُ ذي قُدرَةٍ
عَفا وَتَجاوَزَ لَمّا قَدَر
Who pardoned and overlooked when able.
For you excuse has ample scope
وَلِلعُذرِ عِندَكَ إيساعُهُ
قَبولاً وَلِلذَنبِ أَن يُغتَفَر
For acceptance, and sin to be forgiven.
I openly boast of gaining such traits -
فَفَخراً بِنَيلِكِ هَذي الخِلالَ
فَفي عُشرِ مِعشارِها مُفتَخَر
Yes, of a tenth of their tenth I am proud.
Virtues never gathered in one person
فَضائِلُ لَم تَجتَمِع في الوَرى
فَسُبحانَ جامِعِها في بَشَر
So Glory to the One Who gathered them in a mortal!
Had they been created ere Revelation descended
وَلَو خُلِقَت قَبلَ أَن يَنزِلَ ال
كِتابُ أَتى ذِكرُها في السُوَر
Their mention would have been in the surahs.
None of noble lineage should seek to gain them -
فَلا يَرجُ ذو شَرَفٍ نَيلَها
فَإِنَّ الطَريقَ إِلَيها خَطِر
That path to them is dangerous.
None dares ride the deathly precipice
وَما يَركَبُ الخَطَرَ المُستَهالَ
مِنَ القَومِ إِلّا العَظيمُ الخَطَر
Save the greatly perilous.
None perfects himself until he is
وَما يَكمُلُ المَرءُ حَتّى يَكونَ
لَدى السِلمِ حُلواً وَفي الحَربِ مُرّ
Gentle when at peace and harsh in war.
A virtuous woman whom women birth
وَعَذراءَ لَمّا تَلِدها النِساءُ
وَلَكِنَّها مِن بَناتِ الفِكَر
Comes not from wombs but minds.
When singers lift their voices,
إِذا رَفَعَ الخَفَرُ الغانِياتِ
سَمَت بِالتَبَرُّجِ لا بِالخَفَر
The chaste rise above singers.
She donned eloquence's intricacies
تَحَلَّت بَدائِعَ حُرِّ الكَلامِ
كَما يَتَحَلّى القَضيبُ الزَهَر
As a twig dons its blossoms.
And she came to praise you for what you attained,
وَجاءَتكَ تُثني بِما قَد أَنَلتَ
وَلِلغارِسينَ اِجتِناءُ الثَمَر
While planters reap what they planted.
I did not flag, as you can see,
وَلَم آلُ جُهداً كَما قَد تَرى
وَإِنّي بِتَقصيرِ جَريي مُقِرّ
Though I admit my falling short.
Flattery of other than you
وَما أَنا مُثنٍ عَلى مَن عَداكَ
رَجاءً لَهُ ما تَمادى العُمُر
Seeking favor, however long my life drags on.
My truthfulness forbade sophistry
نَهاني عَنِ الضَيحِ قُربُ الصَريحِ
وَأَنسانِيَ الغَمرُ شُربَ الغُمَر
While the wine made me forget all but wine.
My wishes overflowed from your repose
وَجادَت أَمانِيَّ مِن راحَتَيكَ
فَلَم يَبقَ لي عِندَ خَلقٍ وَطَر
Leaving me no need from any creation.
With hands whose bounty overwhelms me
أَيادِيَ يَغمِرُني جودُها
كَما غَمَرَ الأَرضَ جَودُ المَطَر
As rain overwhelms the land with bounty.
With it time desisted from its tyranny
بِها أَقلَعَ الدَهرُ عَن جُرمِهِ
وَلَو لَم أَصِر في حِماها أَصَرّ
Else had I not kept my pact, I would have snapped.
So for the favor you conferred on me
فَلي بِالجَميلِ الَّذي خَوَّلَت
لِسانٌ يُقِرُّ وَعَينٌ تَقَرّ
I've a tongue admitting, an eye joyously beholding.
Yes, your action toward me
لَقَد سارَ فِعلُكَ بي في الأَنامِ
وَلا عُذرَ لِلحَمدِ إِن لَم يَسِر
Circulated among people - I've no excuse not to praise.
Then praise spread among the people, and I have no excuse not to join in praise.
