هَلِ العَدلُ إِلّا دونَ ما أَنتَ مُظهِرُ
أَوِ الخَيرُ إِلّا ما تُذيعُ وَتُضمِرُ
Is justice anything but what you display?
Or good anything but what you disseminate and harbor?
قَضى لَكَ بِالعَلياءِ عَزمٌ وَهِمَّةٌ
وَجودٌ وَإِقدامٌ وَفَرعٌ وَعُنصُرُ
Fortune has ordained for you determination, ambition,
Generosity, daring, progeny and support.
وَرَأيٌ كَفى كَيدَ الخُطوبِ وَقَبلَهُ
عَدَت غِيَرُ الأَيّامِ إِذ لا مُغَيِّرُ
And a view that sufficed to thwart adversities before
The days other than it could change.
بَلَغتَ بِأَدناهُ إِلى الغايَةِ الَّتي
كَبا دونَها كِسرى وَقَصَّرَ قَيصَرُ
You have reached with your lowliness the farthest extent
To which Chosroes aspired and Caesar's endeavor fell short.
وَأَنّى يُجاريكَ العَلاءَ مُعَظَّمٌ
يُعَظِّمُ مِن شَأنِ العُلى ما تُصَغِّرُ
And how can an exalted one seek to vie with you
When he aggrandizes what you consider petty?
يَخافُ مِنَ الإِقدامِ ما لا تَخافُهُ
وَيَرقُدُ عَن مَنعِ الذِمارِ وَتَسهَرُ
He fears from daring what you do not fear,
And he falls asleep to warding off harm while you stay awake.
فَضَلتَ الحَيا السَحّاحَ وَالعامُ مُمرِعٌ
وَأَسرَفتَ في التَهطالِ وَالعامُ مُمعِرُ
You surpassed the neighborly chief while the year is fertile,
And you were excessive in grants while the year is copious.
وَدانَت لَكَ الأَيّامُ فَاِنجابَ ظُلمُها
كَما اِنجابَتِ الظَلماءُ وَالصُبحُ مُسفِرُ
The days submitted to you so their darkness receded
As the darkness recedes and dawn becomes manifest.
وَكانَ وَقارُ الشَيبِ في الناسِ فاشِياً
فَأَعلَمتَهُم أَنَّ الشَبيبَةَ أَوقَرُ
You taught people that venerable old age
Is less dignified than the prime of youth.
ضَفَت نِعمَتانِ خَصَّتاكَ وَعَمَّتا
حَديثُهُما حَتّى القِيامَةِ يُؤثَرُ
Two boons singled you out and became commonplace,
Their fame everlasting until resurrection.
وُجودُكَ وَالدُنيا إِلَيكَ فَقيرَةٌ
وَجودُكَ وَالمَعروفُ في الخَلقِ مُنكَرُ
Your munificence while the world is in need of you,
And your charity while good is scarce among people.
بِعارِفَةٍ لَو عارَضَت آلَ بَرمَكٍ
لَأَكبَرَها يَحيى وَفَضلٌ وَجَعفَرُ
With nobility, had it rivaled the clan of Barmuke,
Yahya, Fadl and Ja'far would have seemed greater.
وَلَو عايَنَتكَ الجاهِلِيَّةُ لَم يَئِد
فَقيرٌ وَلا ضَمَّ الجَماعَةَ مَيسِرُ
Had the Pre-Islamic Era witnessed you no pauper lingered
Nor did a needy man join the assembly.
وَأَبطَلَ عَقرَ العَودِ فيهِم مُبيحُهُ
لِمَن يَعتَفيهِ وَهوَ بِالدَبرِ موقَرُ
Your protection of those who seek it voided
The permissibility of sacrificing those who turn their backs.
إِذا عَزَمَت كَعبٌ عَلى حَوزِ سُؤدُدٍ
قَضى بِالَّذي تَهوى القَضاءُ المُقَدَّرُ
When Ka'b resolved to possess Sowdood
Fate ordained what it cherished to ordain.
وَهَل عَدِمَت أَعداؤُها مِن سُيوفِها
رُسوماً تُعَفّى أَو قُروماً تُعَفَّرُ
Did not its swords spare them any
Regulations to flout or rules to break?
إِذا لاقَتِ الأَبطالَ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ
فَكَم أَبطَلَت ما يَدَّعيهِ السَنَوَّرُ
When they met champions on an ominous day,
How many champions did they cause to despair of glory!
لَها مِنكَ يَومَ السِلمِ تاجٌ وَحُلَّةٌ
تَزينُ وَيَومَ الرَوعِ دِرعٌ وَمِغفَرُ
You adorn them with a crown and attire during peace,
And a coat of mail and forgiveness during tribulations.
وَإِنَّكَ أَوفاها بِعَهدٍ وَذِمَّةٍ
وَأَثبَتُها وَالخَيلُ بِاِلهامِ تَعثُرُ
You fulfilled a pledge and covenant to them
And made them steadfast when horses stumble.
وَفارِسُها وَالبيضُ تَقطُرُ مِن دَمِ ال
كُماةِ وَفُرسانُ الوَغى تَتَقَطَّرُ
Their horsemen drip with the blood of foes
While the champions of battle drip with gore.
كَفِعلِكَ بِالرومِيِّ إِذ رامَ خُطَّةً
تَكادُ سَماءُ العِزِّ فيها تَفَطَّرُ
As you treated the Romans when they plotted
A scheme that almost ruptured the sky of glory.
نَهَضتَ إِلَيهِ نَهضَةً شَرَفِيَّةً
بِها الدينُ يُحمى وَالخِلافَةُ تُنصَرُ
You marched against them in a noble advance
Whereby religion is protected and the Caliphate supported.
رَفيقُكَ مِمّا تَطبَعُ الهِندُ أَبيَضٌ
وَهاديكَ مِمّا تُنبِتُ الخَطُّ أَسمَرُ
Your companion is an Indian albino
While your guide is a black of noble descent.
وَقَد كانَتِ الريحُ الرُخاءُ تَغُرُّهُ
إِلى أَن أَتَتهُ وَهيَ نَكباءُ صَرصَرُ
Prosperous winds enticed him
Until adversity winds, howling, came to him.
فَوَلّى وَلَولا حُسنُ عَفوِكَ لَم يَئِل
وَلا عادَ عَنهُ بِالنَجاةِ مُبَشِّرُ
So he fled, and were it not for your gracious pardon, he would not have despaired,
Nor returned with the tidings of survival.
وَقَد عايَنوا شَزراً مِنَ الطَعنِ كافِلاً
لِدينِكَ أَلّا تَمنَعَ الرومَ شَيزَرُ
They witnessed a spark of piercing, ensuring
For your religion that Shizar would not bar the Romans.
بِعِزِّكَ سَرحُ المُسلِمينَ مُمَنَّعٌ
وَكانَ بِأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ يُذعَرُ
Because of your power, the Muslim flock is protected
And was being threatened only by loose tongues.
وَلَمّا تَعَدّى التُركُمانِيُّ طَورَهُ
وَأَضمَرَ بَغياً ضِدَّ ما كانَ يُظهِرُ
When the Seljuq overstepped his limits
And harbored enmity contrary to what he was displaying,
بَعَثتَ إِلَيهِ المُقرَباتِ حَوامِلاً
أُسودَ وَغىً عَن ناجِذِ النَصرِ تَفغَرُ
You dispatched against him the neighboring
Stallions, black calamities from the striking of victory.
فَوَلَّت بِأَمرِ اللَهِ لا عَن مَخافَةٍ
وَقَد يَحضُرُ الرَوعَ الذَليلُ فَيُنصَرُ
So they advanced, not out of fear,
And the terrified flees while the defeated is aided.
فَفازَ بِكَسرٍ عَجَّلَ اللَهُ جَبرَهُ
وَأَعقَبَهُ الكَسرُ الَّذي لَيسَ يُجبَرُ
Thus he won an immediate loss, may God mend it,
And it was followed by a loss that cannot be mended.
وَرَجّى سَفاهاً أُختَها وَهوَ صائِمٌ
فَأَدرَكَهُ ما ساءَهُ وَهوَ مُفطِرُ
And the fool coveted its like while fasting,
So he met what distressed him while he broke the fast.
وَلَو لَم يُجِرهُ اللَيلُ خامِسَ خَمسَةٍ
لَما عادَ مِن تِلكَ الجُموعِ مُخَبِّرُ
Had night not rescued him on the fifth of five days,
None of those armies would have returned to inform.
وَأَخَّرَتِ الطُلّابَ عَنهُ عَصائِبٌ
تُحَكِّمُ فيها المُرهَفاتُ وَتَأسِرُ
The pursuers barred him from you with chaste white swords
With which the shining blades rule and imprison.
فَإِن تَكُ أَسرى عَفَّتِ البيضُ عَنهُمُ
فَمِن بَعدِ أَن عافَت ضِباعٌ وَأَنسُرُ
If the captivity of the chaste whites spares them,
Then after does and lynxes they are pardoned and overlooked.
تَوَغَّلَ مُجتاباً مِنَ اللَيلِ جُنَّةً
وَعادَ وَأُخرى لِلكَرامَةِ تُذخَرُ
He infiltrated protected by night in his coat of mail
And returned while another coat of armor is preserved.
وَخُبرُ أَخيهِ رَدَّهُ عَنكَ سالِماً
وَباءَ بِمَحضِ الذُلِ مَن لَيسَ يَخبُرُ
The fate of his brother turned him away from you unharmed,
While he who does not inquire returns in utter humiliation.
مَلَكتَ مِنَ الدَهرِ العَصِيِّ قِيادَهُ
فَما قَدَّمَت أَحداثُهُ مَن تُؤَخِّرُ
You took control of fate at its unruly course,
So that its events no longer delay what you advance.
وَلَيسَت تَرُدُّ ما أَمَرتَ خُطوبُهُ
وَلا تَرِدُ الأَملاكُ مِن حَيثُ تَصدُرُ
Nor do they repeal what you commanded of its misfortunes,
Nor do fates repeal what originates from you.
هُديتَ إِلى طُرقِ المَعالي وَما اِهتَدَوا
وَأَنجَدتَ في كَسبِ الثَناءِ وَغَوَّروا
You were guided to lofty paths which they did not follow,
You were given victory in earning praise while they resented.
تَوَقَّلتَ في تِلكَ الهِضابِ فَحُزتَها
عَلى أَنَها لَولاكَ لَم تَكُ تُعبَرُ
You penetrated those plateaus so you kept them
As if, were it not for you, they would not have been accessible.
فَإِن طاوَلوا أَو صاوَلوا بِقَديمِهِم
فَأَنتَ بِما تَأتي عَلى الطَولِ أَقدَرُ
If they try their old tricks or plot thereby,
You are more capable of rising above scheming.
وَإِن كُنتَ ذا الجَدَّينِ جَلّا وَأُعظِما
فَكُلٌّ بِهِ يَسمو الزَمانُ وَيَفخَرُ
If you are of two noble and mighty ancestors,
Each of whom makes the time proud and boast.
فَجَدٌّ بِهِ يَسمو جَوادٌ وَصارِمٌ
وَجَدٌّ بِهِ يَعلو سَريرٌ وَمِنبَرُ
An ancestor through whom the generous steed ascends,
And an ancestor through whom the throne and pulpit rise.
بِنَصرِ اِبنِ مَحمودِ اِبنِ نَصرٍ تَسَهَلَّت
مَطالِبُ كانَت قَبلَهُ تَتَوَعَّرُ
Through the victory of the son of Mahmoud son of Nasr
Difficulties were facilitated that before him were trying.
بِأَروَعَ أَعمارُ المَكارِمِ عِندَهُ
تَطولُ وَأَعمارُ المَواعيدِ تَقصُرُ
With him the lifespans of generous deeds lengthen
While the lifespans of promises shorten.
لَجوجٌ إِذا قادَ اللَجاجُ إِلى الوَغى
وَلوجٌ وَنَيرانُ الوَغى تَتَسَعَّرُ
Ferocious when the fierce leads to battle,
Vicious while the fires of strife flare up.
إِذا عُدَّ صِدقُ الناسِ أَو ذُكِرَ النَدى
فَما يَتَعَدّاهُ لِسانٌ وَخِنصَرُ
When the honesty of people is counted or chivalry mentioned,
No tongue or throat goes beyond that.
رُوَيدَ المَساعي تَعرِفِ القَولَ مُقصِداً
فَما القَولُ عَن هَذا الفَعالِ مُعَبِّرُ
Calm your endeavors, understand the saying’s purpose,
For words cannot express these deeds.
وَهَل بِالَّذي تَأتي إِلى الوَصفِ حاجَةٌ
وَأَخبارُهُ بِالشَرقِ وَالغَربِ تُشهَرُ
What need is there to describe what you do
When reports of it are spread east and west?
وَلَكِنَّهُ بِالشِعرِ يَزدادُ بَهجَةً
كَما اِزدادَ حُسنُ الرَوضِ وَهوَ مُنَوِّرُ
But it increases in splendor through poetry
Like the beauty of a meadow increases when lit up.
لَقَد ماتَتِ الآمالُ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
وَلَولا نَداكَ الغَمرُ لَم تَكُ تُنشَرُ
Hopes died in every land,
Were it not for your light, gloom would not have cleared.
فَيا لَيتَ أَيّامي بِظِلِّكَ لا اِنطَوى
سِنونَ وَساعاتي القَصيرَةَ أَشهُرُ
Would that my days in your shade do not end
And that my brief hours seem long months.
بِحَيثُ اللُهى تَنهَلُّ وَالحَمدُ يُقتَنى
وَصِدقُ المُنى قَد شاعَ وَالذَنبُ يُغفَرُ
Wherein desires are attained, praise acquired,
And prayers fulfilled while sins are forgiven.
فَقُربُكَ أَنساني عَطايا بَلَوتُها
مِنَ المَطلِ تُجنى بَل مِنَ اللُؤمِ تُعصَرُ
So your proximity, boons I have tested
Are plucked from ease rather than pressed from stinginess.
مَناظِرُ راقَت لَم تُعِنها مَخابِرٌ
وَما كُلُّ دَوحٍ راقَ رائيهِ مُثمِرُ
Vistas delighted though not spied from afar,
And not every nearby garden bears fruit.
إِذا عَذَرَ المَأمولُ في البُخلِ نَفسَهُ
فَآمِلُهُ في مَنعِهِ الشُكرَ أَعذَرُ
When the hoped for is miserly with his stinginess
To hope he will be prevented from thanklessness is more excusable.
وَعِندي لِما خَوَّلتَنيهِ مَحامِدٌ
تَسيرُ مَسيرَ الشَمسِ بَل هِيَ أَسيَرُ
For what you have graced me with, I have praises
That pace the sun or faster, being led.
غَرائِبُ إِن لاحَت فَدُرٌّ وَجَوهَرٌ
ثَمينٌ وإِن فاحَت فَمِسكٌ وَعَنبَرُ
Wonders, if they appear, are pearls and gems,
Precious, and if they smell, musk and ambergris.
وَما أَضعَفَت عَشرُ الثَمانينَ مُنَّتي
كَما تُضعِفُ الضِرغامَ وَهوَ غَضَنفَر
My eighties did not weaken my obligations,
As the oleander weakens when still a tender twig.
أَرى خَبَرَ البُخّالِ يَهلِكُ عَبطَةً
فَيُنسى وَأَخبارُ الكِرامِ تُعَمَّرُ
I see the news of the miser perishes disgracefully,
Then fades, while the news of the generous lives on.
وَلَو لَم يَكُن هَذا كَذا ماتَ حاتِمٌ
مَماتَ رِجالٍ عَن مَدى الجودِ قَصَّروا
Had this not been so, Hatem would not have died.
Nor would men who fell short of extreme generosity have died.
فَلِلَّهِ مَولىً أَصبَحَ الحَمدُ دَأبَهُ
فَلَم يَعدُهُ هَذا الثَناءُ المُحَبَّرُ
So to God belongs a master who in praised morns and eves,
So this rhymed eulogy does not count it enough.
مِنَ الذَمِّ مَعصومٌ كَأَنَّ مَغيبَهُ
وَلَو جُمِعَت فيهِ أَعاديهِ مَحضَرُ
Safe is he from any blemish, as though his absence
Would prevent his critics from gathering.
وَمُعتَرِفٌ لِلطالِبينَ بِما اِدَّعوا
وَلَكِنَّهِ بَعدَ المَواهِبِ مُنكِرُ
And acknowledging to petitioners what they claimed,
But after graces, refusing and rejecting.
تَحوزُ الغِنى جَدواهُ أَوَّلَ وَهلَةٍ
وَيَحسَبُها لَم تُغنِ فَهوَ يُكَرِّرُ
Wealth seizes him swiftly at first,
And he reckons it did not enrich, so he amasses.
كَصَوبِ حَياً عَمَّ البِلادَ بِغَيثِهِ
فَفازَت بِأَقصى رَيِّها وَهوَ مُمطِرُ
Like clouds that rain bounty on a land,
And it profits fully from its irrigation while he continues pouring.
بَقيتَ بَقاءَ الفَرقَدَينِ مُلازِماً
جِوارَهُما ما جاوَرَ العَينَ مَحجِرُ
You remain the lasting stay of the two noble sanctuaries,
Dwelling in their vicinity for as long as the eye harbors its pupil.
وَلا زالَتِ الأَعيادُ تَقدَمُ هَكَذا
وَمُلكُكَ مَحروسٌ وَمَغناكَ أَخضَرُ
Just as holidays continue to arrive perpetually,
So your rule is protected and your wealth is green.
