يَطمَعُ الناسُ في البَقاءِ وَتابى

نُوَبٌ تَسلُبَ النُفَوسَ اِغتِصابا

People hope for longevity, yet fate brings

Misfortunes that seize souls by force.

وَمَتى تَرعَوي حَوادِثُ دَهرٍ

دَأبُها أَن تُفَرِّقَ الأَحبابا

And when the vicissitudes of fate pasture,

Their habit is to separate loved ones.

يَذهَبُ اللَومُ وَالعِتابُ هَباءً

في خُطوبٍ لا تَعرِفُ الإِعتابا

Blame and reproach disappear into thin air

In catastrophes that know no remorse.

غِيَرٌ لَو نَحَت غُراباً إِذاً شا

بَ وَلَو صافَحَت حَديداً لَذابا

Another, if he carved a raven, became

A genius, and if he shook hands with iron, it would melt.

وَإِذا ماسَطَت فَمَن ذا يُداجى

مِن جَميعِ الأَنامِ أَم مَن يُحابا

And when she extends her hand, who can be sought

Among all people, or who would be loved?

لَو يَهابُ الرَدى لَنَكَّبَ مَحُمو

داً وَلَكِنَّ صَرفَهُ لَن يَهابا

If the return to dust were feared, Muhammad

Would have recoiled, but his destiny he did not fear.

عَمَّ نَصراً وَصالِحاً وَمَنيعاً

وَشَبيباً وَلَم يَهَب وَثّابا

It encompassed Nasr, Salih, Mani' and

Shabib and did not spare or reward.

أَينَ تِلكَ الأَملاكُ زادوا عَلى الخَل

قِ وَزانوا الأَحسابَ وَالأَنسابا

Where are those angels whose number exceeded

Mankind, and who calculated lineage and ancestry?

إِن دَعاهُم إِلى الكَريهَةِ داعٍ

جَعَلوا الطَعنَ وَالضِرابَ جَوابا

If someone called them to battle,

They made spears and swords their response.

وَلَقوا الحَربَ دارِعينَ مِنَ الصَب

رِ دُروعاً لَيسَت تَحُلُّ العِيابا

And they met war, blocking with the armor

Of patience, armor that defies reproach.

نَزَلوا مُكرَهينَ عَن ذِروَةِ العِز

زِ وَكانوا قِدماً لَهُ أَربابا

They came down unwillingly from the peak of glory

And had been lords over it.

فَكَأَن لَم يُصاقِبوا أَرضَ حَرّا

نَ وَلا حَلَّ حَيُّهُم جُلّابا

So it is as if they never dwelt on the hot sands of Harrān

Nor pitched their tents on its plains.

قَصَدَتهُم بِوائِقُ الدَهرِ حَتّى

أَسكَنَتهُم بَعدَ القُصورِ التُرابا

The vicissitudes of fate sought them out until

It settled them in dust after palaces.

وَاِستَزادَت أَبا سَلامَةَ لَمّا

تَمَّ مُلكاً وَقُدرَةً وَشَبابا

And it exceeded Abu Salamah when

His kingdom, power and youth were complete.

حادِثٌ عَمَّ عامِراً بِالرَزايا

فَاِستَكانَت لَهُ وَخَصَّ كِلابا

An event that afflicted 'Amir with misfortunes

So he submitted to it and it singled him out.

إِنَّ رَيبَ المَنونِ أَلوى بِمَلكٍ

لَو رَماهُ غَيرُ الرَدى ما أَصابا

Indeed the stroke of death twisted a kingdom;

Had fate not cast it, it would not have hit its mark.

لَم يُغالِب قَضاءَ ذي العَرشِ إِذ وا

فى وَمازالَ لِلعِدى غَلّابا

He did not overcome the decree of the Owner of the Throne when he came,

And he remained victorious over the enemy.

لا يَخافُ الأَملاكَ مُذ فارَقَ المَه

دَ وَهَل تَرهَبُ الأُسودُ الذِئابا

He does not fear angels since he left the cradle;

Do lions fear jackals?

مِن أُناسٍ تَوارَثوا البَأسَ وَالنَخ

وَةَ وَاِستَحقَبوا العُلى أَحقابا

They are people who inherited valor and

Sternness and considered supremacy their right.

تَرَكوا لِلوَرى الوِهادَ مِنَ العِز

زِ وَحَلّوا مِنهُ الرُبى وَالهِضابا

They left glorious power to the world

And they extracted its pure honey and plateau.

لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى المُسافِرِ لا يَر

جو لَهُ طالِبُ النَوالِ إِيابا

My soul yearns for the traveller who

The seeker of bounty does not hope will return.

أَكرَمُ العالَمينَ نَفساً وَأَخلا

قاً وَأُمّاً وَوالدِاً وَنِصابا

The most generous of both worlds in self and

Character, mother, father and companion.

كانَ في ذا الورى غَريباً وَوافى

قَدَرٌ لَم يَزِدهُ إِلّا اِغتِرابا

He was a stranger in this world and destiny

Met him in a way that only increased his estrangement.

يَكرَهُ الوَعدَ وَالمِطالَ فَتَنثا

لُ يَداهُ بِالمَكرُماتِ اِقتِضابا

He dislikes promises and waiting, so his hands quickly

Give generously and concisely.

جازَ حَدَّ النَدى وَآمَن سِربي

فَكَفى أَن أَرتادَ أَو أَرتابا

He exceeded the limit of generosity and secured my companionship

So it is enough that I frequent him or doubt.

عَقَلَتني في ظِلِّهِ فَعَلاتٌ

تَمنَعُ الإِنتِجاعَ وَالإِضطِرابا

My mind flourished in his shadow, so I have sublime thoughts

That prevent regression and agitation.

بَينَ جودٍ يَسيرُهُ يَطرُدُ الفَق

رَ وَقُربى تُعَلِّمُ الآدابا

Between generosity, which his travel drives away poverty,

And relatives whom he teaches manners,

وَعَطايا لَمّا تَعالَمَها العا

لَمُ لَم يُنكِروا لِبَحرٍ عُبابا

And gifts – when the world learned of them

It did not deny the sea has waves.

وَكَساني مَلابِساً أَلبَسَتني

مُذ تَوارى مِنَ الأَسى جِلبابا

And he clothed me in garments that dressed me

Since the mantle of sorrow disappeared from me.

يا اِبنَةَ الأَكرَمينَ قَدرُكِ في النا

سِ عَظيمٌ وَإِن عَظُمتِ مُصابا

O daughter of the most generous, your status among people is great

Even if your calamity is momentous.

فَاِستَرَدَّ الوَهّابُ ما كانَ أَعطا

كِ وَمَن ذا يُنازِعُ الوَهّابا

The Giver took back what He had given you

And who can dispute with the Giver?

لَم تَسودي ذا الخَلقَ إِلّا بِفَضلٍ

فُقتِ فيهِ الأَشكالَ وَالأَضرابا

You did not darken existence except by superior virtue

In which forms and doubts disappear.

فَدَعي رَأيَ أُمَّةٍ لَستِ مِنهُم

وَاِفعَلي فِعلَ مَن تَخافُ الحِسابا

So ignore the opinion of a nation you are not from

And act like one who fears the Reckoning.

وَتَأَسَّي بِرَأيِ داوُدَ في الفِت

نَةِ إِذ خَرَّ راكِعاً وَأَنابا

And be consoled by David’s view during turmoil,

When he fell kneeling and repented.

لا تُعاصي مَولاكِ فيما قَضاهُ

وَذَري الحُزنَ إِن أَرَدتِ الثَوابا

Do not disobey your Master in what He decreed,

And neglect sorrow if you desire reward.

قَدَرُ اللَهِ لا يُدافَعُ إِن حُم

مَ فَصَبراً لِحُكمِهِ وَاِحتِسابا

The decree of God cannot be challenged if it descends

So be patient with His judgement and seek reward.

أَيُّ عُذرٍ وَقَد أَحَطتِ بِصَرفِ ال

دَهرِ عِلماً وَقَد دَرَستِ الكِتابا

What excuse, when you comprehended fate’s machinations,

And studied the Scripture thoroughly?

وَحَقيقٌ بِالصَبرِ مَن لَزِمَ المُص

حَفَ ديناً وَواصَلَ المِحرابا

It befits one who holds fast to the Scripture

As religion and frequents the prayer niche to be patient.

وَلِعُذرٍ تَأَخَّرَت هَذِهِ الخِد

مَةُ لا أَنَّني عَدِمتُ الصَوابا

For some excuse this service was delayed

Not because I lacked propriety.

نابَتِ العَينُ بِالبُكاءِ وَأُفحِم

تُ فَما أَحسَنَ اللِسانُ المَنابا

My eyes flowed with tears and my mouth was silenced

So how excellent is the repenting tongue!

زالَ لُبّي في عِلَّةٍ جَمَعَت لي

فَقدَ تاجِ المُلوكِ وَالأَوصابا

My heartache persists in an illness that gathered

The loss of the monarch and leaders for me.

لَيتَني لَم أُفِق فَقَد جاءَ مِن فَق

ديهِ ما سَهَّلَ الحِمامَ فَطابا

Would that I had not regained consciousness, for what his loss

Brought made life easier and more pleasant.

لا يُوازي مِعشار ماكانَ يولي

قَطعِيَ العُمرَ حَسرَةً وَاِكتِئابا

It does not equal a tenth of what he used to

Make my life bitter with grief and depression.

سَرَّني حاضِراً وَأَدنى وَأَغنى

فَعَدِمتُ السُرورَ لَمّا غابا

He brought me joy when present, and denied and enriched me,

So I lost happiness when he was absent.

وَبِرَغمي أَن أَجعَلَ المَدحَ تَأبِي

ناً وَأَدعو مَن لَو وَعى لَأَجابا

And despite myself, I refuse to make praise unpleasant

And call one who, if he understood, would answer

بِمَقالٍ لا أَستَزيدُ بِهِ زُل

فى وَلا أَبتَغي عَلَيهِ ثَوابا

With words whose utterance I do not consider

Presumptuous, nor for which do I seek reward –

سائِرٍ لا يَزالُ يَشكُرُ نُعما

هُ كَما تَشكُرُ الرِياضُ السَحابا

A traveller who never ceases to thank

His blessings, just as meadows thank the rainclouds.