هَل لِلأَماني عَن جَنابِكَ مَدفَعُ

أَم هَل لَها مِن دونِ بابِكَ مَشرَعُ

Have hopes from your side any defense,

Or is there for them any gate except yours opened?

لَكَ في العَلاءِ مَحَجَّةٌ لا يَهتَدي

فيها المُلوكُ وَحُجَّةٌ لا تُدفَعُ

For you in the highness an argument not to be guided to

By kings and an argument not to be repelled

رَكِبوا بُنَيّاتِ الطَريقِ فَضَلَّ سا

لِكُها وَمَنهَجُكَ الطَريقُ المَهيَعُ

They rode the steeds of the path so its smoothness went errant

And your course remained the frightful path

وَرَعَيتَ حَقَّ القاصِدينَ وَما رَعَوا

وَوَعَيتَ قَولَ المادِحينَ وَلَم يَعوا

And you shepherded the right of the purposeful though they did not shepherd

And comprehended the words of the praisers though they did not comprehend

فَرَجاؤُهُم إِلّا لِفَضلِكَ كاذِبٌ

وَمُناخُهُم إِلّا بِظِلِّكَ جَعجَعُ

So their hope is but for your grace a liar

And their harbor is but in your shade clamorous

فَاِفخَر فَإِنَّكَ واحِدٌ مِن مَعشَرٍ

بِهِمُ تُذادُ النائِباتُ وَتُدفَعُ

Then boast for you are unique among a folk

By whom tribulations are warded off and repelled

فَرَعوا هِضابَ العِزِّ وَهيَ مَنيعَةٌ

فَرَعَوا رِياضَ الفَخرِ وَهوَ مُمَنَّعُ

They shepherded the plateaus of honor inviolable

They shepherded the meadows of pride forbidden

قَومٌ إِذا راموا مَمالِكَ غَيرِهِم

حَصَدوا بِبيضِ الهِندِ ما لَم يَزرَعوا

A people if they desire others’ kingdoms

They reap with the whites of spears what they did not sow

وَرَأى المُعايِنُ مِنكَ ما يُربي عَلى

أَخبارِ مَجدٍ عَن سِواكُم توضَعُ

And the beholders saw in you what raises

Above accounts of glory placed about others

مَعَ أَنَّكُم ما عَزَّ مِنكُم واحِدٌ

إِلّا وَتاليهِ أَعَزُّ وَأَمنَعُ

You have not become mighty except one mightier and impregnable followed you

Had Warbo’ saw you in a plight

لَو أَنَّ يَربوعاً رَأَتكَ بِمَأزِقٍ

عَلِمَت بِأَنَّكَ مِن عُتَيبَةَ أَشجَعُ

It would have known you were from Utaybah most valiant

The dark night was refused by a zeal like a volcano’s

أَبَتِ الظَلامَةَ هِمَّةٌ كَعبِيَّةٌ

نامَ الأَنامُ وَرَبُّها لا يَهجَعُ

People slept but its Lord did not sleep

And resolves like swords that have often

وَعَزائِمٌ مِثلُ السُيوفِ وَطالَما

قَطَعَت غَداةَ الرَوعِ ما لا يَقطَعُ

On the morrow of dread cut what does not get cut

And Indian blades equal to them

وَصَوارِمٌ ذُلُقٌ سَواءٌ عِندَها

يَومَ الكَريهَةِ حاسِرٌ وَمُقَنَّعُ

Whether horseman or footman on the day of carnage

And spears that terrify the enemy in their thrusts

وَقَناً تُرَوِّعُ في مَراكِزِها العِدى

رَهَباً فَماذا ظَنُّهُم إِذ تُشرَعُ

Frightfully, so what then did they think when deployed?

They kept to the abodes and sufficed with rattles

لَزِموا المَنازِلَ وَاِكتَفَوا بِقَعاقِعٍ

مَسموعَةٍ لَكِنَّها لا تَنجَعُ

Audible but of no avail

He who as a puppy prowled with the fangs

مَن بِالسِنانِ يَصولُ مُنذُ فِطامِهِ

لَم يَخشَ آخَرَ بِالشِنانِ يُقَعقِعُ

Would not later fear one who clatters with the pots

When you left the shades of your palace traveling

لَمّا تَرَكتَ ظِلالَ قَصرِكَ ناهِضاً

أَضحى يُظَلِّلُكَ القَنا المُتَزَعزِعُ

The spears' thicket came to shade you waving

A cloud that did not contain hoped for rain

وَغَمامَةٌ لَم تَحوِ غَيثاً يُرتَجى

وَتُظِلُّ غَيثَ غَمامَةٍ لا تُقلِعُ

And shades rain of a cloud that does not depart

Green, red at its lower parts at times

خَضراءُ حَمراءُ الأَسافِلِ تارَةً

تَبدو وَطَوراً بِالعَجاجِ تَلَفَّعُ

Appearing, and at times with hailstones crackling

And it moves about upright though if

وَتَخالُها تَسعى بِقائِمَةٍ وَإِن

سارَت بِحامِلِها قَوائِمُ أَربَعُ

Its bearer walked, four legs there would be

Never narrowing when the sky clouds over

أَبَداً تَضيقُ إِذا السَماءُ تَغَيَّمَت

وَتَعودُ إِن ظَهَرَت ذُكاءُ تَوَسَّعُ

And returning spacious when brightness emerges

So it is as if a halo about the moon spreads

فَكَأَنَّها إِبّانَ تُنشَرُ هالَةٌ

لَكِنَّها عَن بَدرِها تَتَرَفَّعُ

But above its full moon it is lofty

You lead squadrons none but Chosroes led the like of

قُدتَ الجَحافِلَ لَم يَقُد مِعشارَها

كِسرى المُلوكِ وَلا رَآها تُبَّعُ

Nor did Sheba’s Bilqis see nor donned al-Tubbaʿ

If a lynx saw a band of them

لَو أَبصَرَت فِهرٌ فَريقاً مِنهُمُ

ما قيلَ لِلفِهرِيِّ أَنتَ مُجَمَّعُ

It would not be said to the lynx, “You are the assembler.”

And braves who filled the Euphrates with ships

وَعَصائِباً مَلَأوا الفُراتَ سَفائِناً

لَمّا نَبا بِهِمُ الفَضاءُ الأَوسَعُ

When the vast firmament was informed of them it expanded

In a place where the plains cannot contain their assembly

في حَيثُ لا تَسَعُ الفَيافي جَمعَهُم

إِلّا كَما يَسَعُ الإِناءُ المُترَعُ

Except as a vessel contains the overflow

A torrent of resolve piercing its billows

طوفانُ عَزمٍ لا يَشُقُّ عُبابَهُ

فُلكٌ وَلا الجودِيُّ مِنهُ يَمنَعُ

No ship can contain nor Jawdi withhold

The two camps at Ṣiffīn’s clash did not see

ما عايَنَت صِفّينُ عِندَ تَقارُعِ ال

صَفَّينِ جَيشاً جامِعاً ما تَجمَعُ

An army uniting what you unite

Mixed Arabs and non-Arabs who often

خِلطَينِ مِن عَرَبٍ وَعُجمٍ طالَما

نُدِبوا لِصَرفِ النَائِباتِ فَأَسرَعوا

Were called to repel afflictions so they hastened

Factions differing in tongues and origin

فِرَقٌ تَخالَفُ أَلسُناً وَعَناصِراً

لَكِن تَشابَهَ ما اِنتَضَوا وَتَدَرَّعوا

But resembling in how they readied and armored

When serious fighting sparked not like rabble in their difference

لَيسوا إِذا شُبَّت وَغىً كَجَمائِعٍ

بِخِلافِهِم عُصِيَ البُطَينُ الأَنزَعُ

Whose camel-humps the sword’s blade lightly detaches

They followed your approval so you walked among them secure

تَبِعوا رِضاكَ فَسِرتَ فيهِم آمِناً

مِن حيلَةٍ فيها المَصاحِفُ تُرفَعُ

From any trickery in which scriptures would be raised

Your two judges are pliant, bending

حَكَماكَ لَدنٌ ذابِلٌ وَمُهَنَّدٌ

ما فيهِما إِن حُكِّما مَن يُخدَعُ

In them is no deceit if they judge

None who entered Mālik’s expanse saw

ما إِن رَأى مَن حَلَّ رَحبَةَ مالِكٍ

شَمساً سِواكَ مِنَ المَغارِبِ تَطلُعُ

A sun but yours rising from the west

Never did they see before it armies in which

كَلّا وَلا نَظَروا جُيوشاً قَبلَها

في ضِمنِها عَضَدَ اللِثامَ البُرقُعُ

The fold's aid donned attire

You made their bodies deposit it

وَلِذاكَ ما ظَنّوا نُفوسُهُمُ لَهُم

إِلّا وَأَنتَ عَلى التَرَحُّلِ مُزمِعُ

And upon them to safeguard what was deposited

And resolve for you had undertaken it

عَمري لَقَد أَودَعتَها أَجسامَهُم

وَعَلَيهِمُ أَن يَحفَظوا ما أودِعوا

If it were a person no space would contain it

So you traveled from it certain

وَلَقَد تَضَمَّنَها لَكَ العَزمُ الَّذي

لَو كانَ شَخصاً لَم يَسَعهُ مَوضِعُ

After your killing they would not benefit it

And left it miserly regarding

فَرَحَلتَ عَنها عَن يَقينٍ أَنَّها

مِن بَعدِ قَتلِكَ أَهلَها لا تَنفَعُ

That it be seen and in it a hoarse preacher

You combined zeal with piety desiring

وَتَرَكتَها ضَنّاً بِها عَن أَن تُرى

وَمِنَ البِلى فيها خَطيبٌ مِصقَعُ

Reward, excelling in beauty and innovating

Time obeyed Ṣāliḥ so he stripped it

ذُدتَ الحَمِيَّةَ بِالتَقِيَّةِ راغِباً

في الأَجرِ تُغرِبُ في الجَميلِ وَتُبدِعُ

With the strokes of events, yet it is to you more obedient

And by your grandfather’s rule you walked among them when

طاعَ الزَمانُ لِصالِحٍ فَاِبتَزَّها

بِيَدِ الخُطوبِ وَإِنَّها لَكَ أَطوَعُ

He craved seizing it before while it refused

It silenced the swords and elicited afflictions

وَبِحُكمِ جَدِّكَ سِرتَ فيهِم إِذ بَغى

إِحرازَها مِن قَبلُ وَهيَ تَمَنَّعُ

In the people one after another interceding

Three years passed in which they were prohibited

كَفَّ الصَوارِمَ وَاِستَنابَ نَوائِباً

في القَومِ واحِدَةٌ بِأُخرى تَشفَعُ

To sow and prevented from sleeping

Until they relented with spirits sound

فَمَضَت ثَلاثٌ مِن سِنينَ أَبَت لَهُم

أَن يَزرَعوا وَنَهَتهُمُ أَن يَهجَعوا

And the guide of the guide surrendered willingly

So you headed without ceasing right-guided

حَتّى أَنابوا وَالنُفوسُ سَليمَةٌ

وَقِيادُ مَن مَنَعَ المَقادَةَ طَيِّعُ

In what you grant and what you refuse

You split a mass that had you cast some of it

وَلِذا قَصَدتَ فَلا بَرِحتَ مُوَفَّقاً

فيما تَجودُ بِهِ وَفيما تَمنَعُ

On the Throne’s pillars they would have shaken wavering

فَرَّقتَ جَمعاً لَو رَمَيتَ بِبَعضِهِ

أَركانَ رَضوى لَاِنبَرَت تَتَضَعضَعُ

And contained diverting the afflictions leaving

Their turbidities amidst the mortals dispersing

وَحَوَيتَ صِرفَ المَأثُراتِ مُغادِراً

أَكدارَها بَينَ الوَرى تَتَوَزَّعُ

So the shade is overflowing and the gifts plenty

The roses pristine and the gifts volunteering

فَالظِلُّ ضافٍ وَالهِباتُ جَزيلَةٌ

وَالوِردُ صافٍ وَالعَطاءُ تَبَرُّعُ

And you were singled out in life’s time with a paradise

Pleasant is its summer and good its courtyard

وَخُصِصتَ في زَمَنِ الحَياةِ بِجَنَّةٍ

حَسُنَ المَصيفُ بِها وَطابَ المَربَعُ

A house Damascus adorned with it gained beauty

While the most wondrous of its adornments is you

دارٌ بِها اِكتَسَتِ البَسيطَةُ زينَةً

وَيَزينُها مِنكَ الهُمامُ الأَروَعُ

The onlooker comes back reflecting

Complaining of weariness and the viewer cannot be sated

ما زالَ مُبصِرُها يَعودُ بِخاطِرٍ

يَشكو الكَلالَ وَناظِرٍ لا يَشبَعُ

And the birds of the air on its sides

Some hovering others perching

وَتَرى طُيورَ الجَوِّ في جَنَباتِها

بَعضٌ مُحَلَّقَةٌ وَبَعضٌ وُقَّعُ

And purebreds not leaving its land

As if they under horsemen rear

وَسَوابِقاً لَيسَت تُفارِقُ أَرضَها

وَكَأَنَّها تَحتَ الفَوارِسِ تَمزَعُ

With the reformers lightning that does not aggress

And the well-armed well-knitted coats of mail not removed

بِالمُصلِتينَ صَواعِقاً لا تَعتَدي

وَاللابِسينَ يَلامِقاً لا تُنزَعُ

A group polished the swords’ blades and another

Drew a bow in which there is no deviation

رَهطٌ نَضَوا بيضَ السُيوفِ وَآخَرٌ

قَد جَرَّ قَوساً لَيسَ فيها مَنزِعُ

And its arrows cannot withstand separation from it

While its bowstrings never are a bird’s perch

وَسِهامُهُ لا تَستَطيعُ فِراقَها

وَحِبالُهُ أَبَداً لِطَيرٍ مَصرَعُ

Game is caught and wars a habit

Lengthy through time which I do not see it fearing

وَالأَيمُ يُؤخَذُ وَالحُروبُ لَدودَةٌ

طولَ الزَمانِ وَما أَراهُ يَجزَعُ

And of game some is permitted and some prohibited

And their meats prohibited so they are not sliced

وَمِنَ الصُيودِ مُحَلَّلٌ وَمُحَرَّمٌ

وَلُحومُها حُرُمٌ فَما تُتَبَضَّعُ

On the west side therein a palm tree

Bent, its fruit ripened guarded

بِالجانِبِ الغَربِيِّ فيها نَخلَةٌ

ناءٍ جَناها وَهوَ آنٍ مونِعُ

And your eye overlooks from its west a basin

Wherein crops under shade wide-spreading

وَتَروقُ عَينَكَ دَوحَةٌ مِن غَربِها

فيها جَنىً يَحميهِ ظِلٌّ مُسبِعُ

And two giraffes erected both

Gazing at you with eyelids not sleeping

وَزَرافَتانِ أُقيمَتا كِلتاهُما

رانٍ إِلَيكَ بِمُقلَةٍ لا تَهجَعُ

As if Egypt gifted Aleppo them

Previously as they for beauties are a place of congregation

وَكَأَنَّ مِصراً أَتحَفَت حَلَباً بِها

مِن قَبلُ إِذ هِيَ لِلمَحاسِنِ مَجمَعُ

The elephant beats its skin which soothes it

From every drop but it does not sway

وَالفيلُ يَقرَعُ جِلدَهُ سُوّاسُهُ

مِن كُلِّ قُطرٍ وَهوَ لا يَتَزَعزَعُ

And gazelles fearing the eyes and avoiding

The glance of the suspicious so their time is veiled

وَظَعائِنٌ تَخشى العُيونَ وَتَتَّقي

نَظَرَ المُريبِ فَدَهرَها تَتَبَرقَعُ

Never led but walking with charm

A cheek stimulating the onlookers beguiling

أَبَداً يُقادُ بِها وَتَخدي عيسُها

وَخداً حَثيثاً لِلنَواظِرِ يَخدَعُ

Has what they witnessed tempted them and they walked unworried

Or has this honorable side enamored them?

هَل عاقَها ما عايَنَتهُ فَلَم تَسِر

أَم راقَها هَذا الجَنابُ المُمرِعُ

The sea is afloat therein its whales

And for them from the nets poison is scattered

وَالبَحرُ عائِمَةٌ بِهِ حيتانُهُ

وَمِنَ الشِباكِ لَها سِمامٌ مُنقَعُ

Foaming but not feared for its riders

To drown, its ship erect unfurling

طامٍ وَما يُخشى عَلى رُكّابِهِ

غَرَقٌ وَمَركَبُهُ مُقيمٌ مُقلِعُ

And the lovesick, his lovesickness evident

Complaining to Layla of love by gesture

وَاِبنُ المُلَوَّحِ قائِمٌ وَسَقامُهُ ال

بادي طَلَيعَةُ ما تُجِنُّ الأَضلُعُ

A complaint your life that tears do not avail

And places in it like your courtyard apparent

يَشكو إِلى لَيلى الغَرامَ إِشارَةً

شَكوى لَعَمرُكَ لَم تُعِنها أَدمُعُ

Snow white in color rather more immaculate

And of marble adjacent, composed

وَمَواضِعٌ فيها كَعِرضِكَ وُضَّحٌ

ثَلجِيَّةُ الأَلوانِ بَل هِيَ أَنصَعُ

And pleated, geometrical, and tree-like

And of brassware therein darkened clouds

وَمِنَ الرُخامِ مُقابَلٌ وَمُؤَلَّفٌ

وَمُفَوَّفٌ وَمُضَلَّعٌ وَمُجَزَّعُ

That lodged their places so do not scatter

Still clouds that shaded inclining

وَمِنَ النُضارِ بِها سَحائِبُ جَمَّةٌ

لَزِمَت أَماكِنَها فَما تَتَقَشَّعُ

Reviving the lands with their downpour and suckling

Grapevines that humiliated the crop until

سُحُبٌ جَوامِدُ قَد أَظَلَّت عارِضاً

تَحيى بِصَيِّبِهِ البِلادُ وَتُمرِعُ

From speaker or mute they cannot be prevented

You brought out from its walls and ceilings

كَرَمٌ أَهانَ التِبرَ حَتّى أَنَّهُ

مِن ناطِقٍ أَو صامِتٍ لا يُمنَعُ

A sun that from every horizon has a rising

Transcending the sun’s light during its emergence

أَطَلَعتَ مِن جُدرانِها وَسُقوفِها

شَمساً لَها مِن كُلِّ أُفقٍ مَطلَعُ

While darkness pervades it and it remains glittering

Whoever entered it weak imagined its night

تَعلو ضِياءَ الشَمسِ عِندَ شُروقِها

وَيَعُمُّها الإِظلامُ وَهيَ تَشَعشَعُ

Morning and the dying of night in it saturated

And at its top appeared gardens depicting it

مَن حَلَّها وَهناً تَوَهَّمَ لَيلَها

صُبحاً وَصِبغُ اللَيلِ فيها مُشبَعُ

The beauty of your conception not rains hurrying

A meadow beyond the mouths’ reach to graze

وَبَدَت بِأَعلاها رِياضٌ حاكَها

حُسنُ اِقتِراحِكَ لا الغُيوثُ الهُمَّعِ

But for sights therein a pasture

My life, what proves me and surprises the kingdoms in what you create?

رَوضٌ عَلى الأَفواهِ يَعسُرُ رَعيُهُ

لَكِنَّ لِلأَبصارِ فيهِ مَرتَعُ

The Caliph's oversight of kings dressed them

A crown with which they rose and humbly yielded

يا مُعجِزَ الأَملاكِ فيمَ يَبتَني

وَمُعَجِّبَ الأَفلاكِ مِمّا يَصنَعُ

Above the headband therein a sword whose edge

Victorious and a crown with praise adorned

نَظَرُ الخَليفَةِ لِلمُلوكِ كَساهُمُ

تاجاً بِهِ تَسمو وَطَوراً تَخضَعُ

You opposed and gifted them what they hoarded stingily

And preserved without challenger what they squandered

فَوقَ المَفارِقِ مِنهُ سَيفٌ حَدُّهُ

ماضٍ وَتاجٌ بِالثَناءِ مُرَصَّعُ

So you gave in adversities what they did not give

And refused with resolves what they did not refuse

ناقَضتَهُم فَوَهَبتَ ما ضَنّوا بِهِ

وَحَفِظتَ غَيرَ مُنازِعِ ما ضَيَّعوا

Then boast for you are the time’s unique one whom

No disunity regarding its people occurred in

فَبَذَلتَ في الأَزَماتِ ما لَم يَبذُلوا

وَمَنَعتَ بِالعَزَماتِ ما لَم يَمنَعوا

You continuously clothe every new feast

With beauty while your kingdom with continuance is enjoyed

فَاِبجَح فَإِنَّكَ أَوحَدُ الزَمَنِ الَّذي

لَم يَفتَرِق في أَهلِهِ ما تَجمَعُ

You secured me from innovations until I

Have no occurring feared or expected

لا زِلتَ تَكسو كُلَّ عيدٍ قادِمٍ

حُسناً وَمُلكُكَ بِالبَقاءِ مُمَتَّعُ

And obliged what did not pass in the mind’s eternity

A day and what no ambition aspired to

أَمَّنتَني الحَدَثانِ حَتّى أَنَّني

لا واقِعٌ أَخشى وَلا مُتَوَقَّعُ

And gifted me a kinship that attained loftiness

While time is not one to debase whom you raise

وَأَفَدتَ ما لَم يَجرِ في خَلَدِ المُنى

يَوماً وَلَم يَطمَح إِلَيهِ مَطمَعُ

And a bequest Mārwān did not attain

In the presence of al-Rashīd nor did Ashjaʿ attain

وَوَهَبتَ لي قُربى أَنالَت رِفعَةً

وَالدَهرُ لَيسَ بِخافِضٍ مَن تَرفَعُ

But your subject was prodigal in it certain

That he will later be bestowed or else cut off

وَعَطِيَّةً ما فازَ مَروانٌ بِها

عِندَ الرَشيدِ وَلَم يَنَلها أَشجَعُ

And in your comfort what makes him hopeful though

The latter is difficult, in the former he sufficed

لَكِنَّ عَبدَكَ عاثَ فيها موقِناً

أَن سَوفَ يُرزَقُ بَعدَها أَو يُقطَعُ

وَعَلى اِرتِياحِكَ ما يُؤَمِّلُهُ وَإِن

عَزَّ الأَخيرُ فَفي المُقَدَّمِ مَقنَعُ