طاوِل بِهِمَّتِكَ الزَمانَ وَحيدا
فَأَرى مَداكَ عَلى الأَنامِ بَعيدا
With your lofty ambition, you have endured time alone,
So I see your outreach to people is far-reaching.
وَلَقَد بَلَغتَ بِبَعضِ سَعيِكَ رُتبَةً
أَعيَت عَلى مَن لَم يَدَع مَجهودا
And you have attained, with some of your efforts, a rank
That would overwhelm one who did not strive tirelessly.
فَليَيأَسِ الشَرَفَ الَّذي أُوتيتَهُ
مَن لا يَقومُ مَقامَكَ المَحمودا
So let the ignoble despair of attaining the nobility
You have been granted, one who cannot match your praiseworthy stature.
فَالعِزُّ يَأبى أَن يُنيلَ يَسيرَهُ
مَن لا يَكونُ عَلى الجِلادِ جَليدا
For glory disdains to give its easiest portion
To one who is not stalwart when steel meets steel.
وَمُحَمِّلُ الأَيّامِ ما لَم تَحتَمِل
يُفني الحَياةَ مُخَيِّباً مَكدودا
And he who loads the days with more than they can bear
Wears out life, returning disappointed and subdued.
أَنّى يَنالُ مَحَلَّةَ الجَوزاءِ مَن
لا يَستَطيعُ مِنَ الصَعيدِ صُعودا
How can one attain the stars of Gemini, who
Cannot ascend the ground's ascent?
قَد شاعَ مَجدُكَ فَهوَ أَشهَرُ في الوَرى
مِن أَن تَرومَ لَهُ عِداكَ جُحودا
Your glory has spread, so it is more famous in the world
Than for you to wish for, other than it, denial.
فَلَوِ اِبتَغَيتُ بِما أَقولُ شَهادَةً
لَوَجَدتُ أَهلَ الخافِقَينِ شُهودا
So if I sought, in what I say, testimony,
I would find all mankind to bear witness.
غاضَت يَنابيعُ الكِرامِ بِعارِضٍ
أَوفى عَلى جودِ الغَمائِمِ جودا
The springs of nobility have dried up due to one
Who rivals clouds in generosity's downpour.
تُزجي عَواصِفُهُ سَحائِبَ لِلمُنى
بيضاً وَسُحباً لِلمَنايا سودا
His tempests drive clouds of wishes for good fortune,
White, while for misfortunes, black.
مُثعَنجِرٌ كَفُّ المُظَفَّرِ أُفقُهُ
لَم يُبقِ ذا عُدمٍ وَلا مَزؤودا
His victorious palm leaves nothing without and nothing denied,
So the people of Syria have taken refuge from fear of harm
فَاِعتاضَ أَهلُ الشامِ مِن خَوفِ الرَدى
أَمناً وَمِن عَدَمِ اليَسارِ وُجودا
And lack of plenty, in security and abundance,
With the most noble traits, following them, not usurping superiority arbitrarily.
بِأَغَرَّ ما أَمَّ المَناقِبَ تابِعاً
فيها وَلا أَخَذَ العُلى تَقَليدا
But you establish what you build with resolve
That ever spurns the watering place of the seekers.
لَكِن يُؤَسِّسُ ما بَنى عَن هِمَّةٍ
أَبَداً تَعافُ المَنهَلَ المَورودا
Your munificence still precedes its time,
Bounteously, and your sword precedes your threats.
مازالَ يَسبِقُ جودُهُ ميعادَهُ
كَرَماً وَيَسبِقُ سَيفُهُ التَهديدا
Until you revealed your determination, which did not cease
To destroy the tyrannous enemy and stubborn foe.
حَتّى أَبانَ عَنِ اِعتِزامِ لَم يَزَل
لِلمالِ وَالباغي العَنيدِ مُبيدا
And time has bent to you and ceased its tyranny,
Submitting, becoming obedient to what you desire.
وَعَتا الزَمانُ فَكَفَّ مِن غُلوائِهِ
فَعَنا وَصارَ لِما يُريدُ مُريدا
O sword whose rebellion and loyalty
Have made men in the world wretched and prosperous!
يا سَيفَ مَن عِصيانُهُ وَوَلاؤُهُ
جَعَلا شَقيّاً في الوَرى وَسَعيدا
Leave the enemy—their soldiers have become,
Not rallying to al-Muhallab, stripped.
خَلِّ العَدُوَّ فَقَد غَدا أَنجادُهُم
لَم يُضمِروا لُمِهَنَّدٍ تَجريدا
Your feats have filled hearts with fear,
Leaving no room for rancor.
مَلَأَت وَقائِعُك القُلوبَ مَخافَةً
ضاقَت بِها عَن أَن تُجِنَّ حُقودا
And you have raised a fire which, whenever kindled,
Increases the enemy’s fire, extinguishing it.
وَرَفَعتَ ناراً كُلَّما أَوقَدتَها
زادَت بِها نارُ العَدوِّ خُمُودا
It is the fire of Abraham for the defiant enemy,
But for the defiant it is fueled.
هِيَ نارُ إِبراهيمَ لِلباغي النَدى
لَكِن عَلى الباغي تُشَبُّ وُقودا
They fled, and if you penetrated deeply seeking them,
The king of the Romans would not protect a fugitive from you.
وَلَّوا وَلَو أَوغَلتَ تَطلُبُ إِثرَهُم
لَم يَحمِ مَلكُ الرومِ مِنكَ طَريدا
And if in the past you followed their tracks,
You would follow a path that destroys all life.
وَلَوِ اِتَّبَعتَ مُوَلِّياً فيما مَضى
لَتَبُعتَهُم سَيراً يُبيدُ البيدا
With steeds you race them down every rugged terrain,
Racing racers and mounts swift as lightning.
بِالمُقرَباتِ مُقَرِّباتٍ نَحوَهُم
لا تَعرِفُ الإيضاعَ وَالتَخويدا
Shedding coat on coat of mail from them and donning
Coat above coat of mail over hides over hides.
مُقوَرَّةً تَردي بِكُلِّ مَفازَةٍ
تُردي السَوابِقَ وَالمَطايا القودا
In a brave platoon—even if not lead to battle—
Your prowess alone suffices as equipment and manpower.
نَزَعَت كُسىً مِن نَيِّها وَتَسَربَلَت
مِن نَقعِها فَوقَ الجُلودِ جُلودا
Bearing polished iron blades and armored
With thick-woven coats of mail.
في فَيلَقٍ لَو لَم تَقُدهُ إِلى العِدى
لَكَفاكَ بَأسُكَ عُدَّةً وَعَديدا
So let them remain where their abode has settled
As long as iron remains iron.
حَمَلَت ضَراغِمُهُ الحَديدَ مُذَلَّقا
وَتَدَرَّعَت حَزماً بِهِ مَسرودا
And let them beware of the resolve that barred them
From establishing pillars in Syria.
فَليَلبَثوا حَيثُ اِستَقَرَّت دارُهُم
وَأَرَدتَ مادامَ الحَديدُ حَديدا
It has severed their ropes—cords that never ceased
To snare kings as though game.
وَليَحذَروا الهِمَمَ الَّتي مَنَعَتهُمُ
مِن أَن يُقيموا بِالشَآمِ عَمودا
How often have you raided them at dawn
In a raid that made them cry “woe is me!”
نَقَضَت حِبالَهُمُ حَبائِلُ لَم تَزَل
قِدماً تَصيدُ بِها المُلوكَ الصيدا
You left no Bakr virgin for the Lord of Hunaydah
Nor virgins of Bani `Atwah untouched.
وَلَطالَما صَبَّحتَهُم في غارَةٍ
أَلفَوا بِها أُمَّ اللُهَيمِ وَلودا
They thought it was the neighing of steeds and the thunder's rumbling
When clouds gathered and lightning struck.
لَم تُبقِ في بَكرٍ لِرَبِّ هُنَيدَةٍ
بَكراً وَلا لِبَني عَتودَ عَتودا
And whenever you unsheathe a spear, you do not return it
Without piercing the side of every fortress and artery.
ظَنّوا بِها نَقعَ الجِيادِ وَوَقعَها
عِندَ المُغارِ سَحائِباً وَرُعودا
And whenever you loose an arrow, it has no hesitation
To plunge at the meeting into breasts.
وَمَتى مَدَدتَ قَناً فَما أَورَدتَها
مِن كُلِّ باغِ ثُغرَةً وَوَريدا
Or which day of calamity have you witnessed and it was not
A day most gut-wrenching and witnessed?
وَمَتى سَلَلتَ ظُبىً فَما كانَت لَها
هاما تُهُم عِندَ اللِقاءِ غُمودا
By my life, they found your wing with their loyalty
Barren, so when they took refuge, refuge destroyed them.
أَم أَيَّ يَومِ وَغىً شَهِدتَ فَلَم يَكُن
يَوماً أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلاً مَشهودا
And you were more truthful than them in time of peril
As foe and more hurtful to the enemy as a threat.
عَمري لَقَد وَجَدوا جَناكَ بِنُصحِهِم
أَرياً فَحينَ جَنَوا جَنوهُ هَبيدا
And I see the state of Mubayyinah as astray from its reason
When it did not hurl stones at that wing.
فَرَأَوكَ أَصدَقَ مِنهُمُ عِندَ النَدى
وَعداً وَأَنكى في العُدوِّ وَعيدا
It attained through your proximity honor and eminence
And aspired with your dividing sword, cutting and parrying.
وَأَرى جَنابَ مُبينَةً عَن رُشدِها
إِذ لَم تَرُم عَن ذا الجَنابِ مَحيدا
You bestowed on it gifts that make free men
Slaves, so Abu Samawah’s reign endured,
نالَت بِقُربِكَ عِزَّةً وَنَباهَةً
وَهَمَت بِسَيفِكَ طارِفاً وَتَليدا
Fulfilling for his father the restoration promised him.
And one who rejected the favor, his deeds made him
قَلَّدتَها مِنَناً شَفَعنَ صَنائِعاً
يَجعَلنَ أَحرارَ الرِجالِ عَبيدا
Flee in fear of you through the land, an outcast.
And long has the inauspiciousness of stars singled out
وَمَدَدتَ باعَ أَبي سَماوَةَ مُنجِزاً
لِأَبيهِ في اِستِصلاحِهِ المَوعودا
A people, while for others granting good fortune.
One who came exulting to power has now departed,
وَنَأى بِمَن كَفَرَ الصَنيعَةَ فِعلُهُ
فَغَدا لِخَوفِكَ في البِلادِ شَريدا
Expelled from that seat, driven away.
And the flints of those whose views were distorted
وَلَطالَما خَصَّت نُحوسُ كَواكِبٍ
قَوماً وَكُنَّ لآِخَرينَ سُعودا
Until your long shadow tilted.
How many tyrannies has your resolute determination made cower
أَضحى يَرودُ الَمحلَ مَغرورٌ مَضى
عَن ذا المَحَلِّ مُحَلَّأً مَطرودا
In fear, dread, and awe of something awesome and formidable!
How many a king has it made turn back, repelled,
وَوَرى زِنادُ مَنِ اِعتَلَت آراؤُهُ
حَتّى تَقَيَّلَ ظِلَّكَ المَمدودا
Who, were it not for you, would not have been pushed back!
So I wish you well throughout days for a nation
كَم آمَنَت سَطَواتُ عَزمِكَ خائِفاً
وَجِلاً وَراعَت أَروَعاً صِنديدا
That attains through your proximity every day a celebration.
And for a state of which you have become the chosen one,
وَتَخَرَّمَت مَلِكاً وَرَدَّت ذاهِباً
لَولاكَ لَم يَكُ مِثلُهُ مَردودا
Growing in might and soldiers.
And I wish joy upon one whose birth has elevated an abode
فَاِسلَم عَلى مَرِّ الزَمانِ لِأُمَّةٍ
تَلقى بِقُربِكَ كُلَّ يَومٍ عيدا
To whose vale the full moon of the sky is envious,
Since the best of created kind has particularly blessed him
وَلِدَولَةٍ قَد صِرتَ مُنتَجَباً لَها
زادَت وَعَزَّت مَنعَةً وَجُنودا
With a gift he loved not for a grown man nor newborn.
And he has given him a name from your traits heralding
وَاِسعَد بِمَولودٍ سَما لِمَحَلَّةٍ
أَمسى لَها بَدرُ السَماءِ حَسودا
Thereby a matter that will not cease being praiseworthy.
Fortunate is he for whom the leader of the age hopes
إِذ خَصَّهُ خَيرُ الأَنامِ بِنِعمَةٍ
لَم يَحبُها كَهلاً وَلا مَولودا
His circumstances will be prosperous.
Good tidings—may God gladden you with their newness,
وَأَنالَهُ اِسماً مِن صِفاتِكَ مُؤذِناً
مِنهُ بِأَمرٍ لا يَزالُ حَميدا
For you have worn, through them, new splendor.
And may He show you praiseworthy, attaining an utmost extent
سَعِدَ الَّذي يَرجو إِمامُ العَصرِ أَن
سَيَكونُ في حالاتِهِ مَسعودا
In kingdom that a praiseworthy one despaired of attaining.
His merits will be recounted, and his basin will give drink
نِعَمٌ يُهَنّيكَ الإِلَهُ جَديدَها
فَلَقَد لَبِستَ بِها الفَخارَ جَديدا
To the thirsty, whoever desires drink.
And in his presence, you will see for me a son, a poet
وَيُريكَ مَحموداً مُبَلَّغَ غايَةٍ
في المُلكِ أَعجَزَ نَيلُها مَحمودا
Like myself, excellent in praise, excellent.
O Chosen One of the kingdom, which was an obstinate determination
تُروى مَناقِبُهُ وَيَروي حَوضُهُ
عِندَ المَعاطِشِ مَن أَرادَ وُرودا
Then returned to assault his descendants!
You have guided me by the course of your nobility along a path
وَتَرى بِحَضرَتِهِ لِيَ اِبناً شاعِراً
مِثلي مُجيداً في الثَناءِ مَجيدا
Whose distance tries the eloquent ones’ eloquence.
So if I fall short, my excuse is clear:
يا مُصطَفى المُلكِ الَّذي كانَ النَدى
هِمّاً فَعاوَدَ في ذَراهُ وَليدا
I am not most eloquent in praising the heavens.
And if I speak, the easiest thing I see
أَنهَجتَني مِن نَهجِ فَضلِكَ مَسلَكاً
تَثني مَسافَتُهُ البَليغَ بَليدا
Of your achievements makes even the taciturn speak.
I have found them to be scattered jewels
فَلَئِن حَصِرتُ فَإِنَّ عُذري واضِحٌ
أَن لَستُ أَبلُغُ لِلسَما تَحديدا
And it is for rhymes to string them into necklaces.
So to you belongs the unmatched, and you have found its harmony,
وَلَئِن نَطَقتُ فَإِنَّ أَيسَرَ ما أَرى
مِن مَأثُراتِكَ يُنطِقُ الجُلمودا
While to me belongs praise, and I have found the unmatched.
The world has thanked me for this praise and my method in it,
أَلفَيتُهُنَّ جَواهِراً مَنثورَةً
وَعَلى القَوافي أَن يَصِرنَ عُقودا
So I was the praiser and the praised.
I have been rewarded for my gratitude with equal gratitude,
فَلَكَ الفَريدُ وَقَد وَجَدتَ نِظامَهُ
وَلي الثَناءُ وَقَد وَجَدتُ فَريدا
Increasing what you bestow on me.
حَمِدَ الوَرى لِيَ ذا الثَناءَ وَمَذهَبي
فيهِ فَكُنتُ الحامِدَ المَحمودا
جوزيتُ عَن شُكري بِشُكرٍ مِثلِهِ
فَعَدَدتُ ما تُسدي إِلَيَّ مَزيدا
