لِيَهنِكَ ما أَنالَتكَ الجُدودُ

وَأَنَّ الدَهرَ يَفعَلُ ما تُريدُ

Rejoice in what your ancestors attained,

And that fate will do as you intend,

مَرامٌ شَطَّ مَرمى العَزمِ فيهِ

فَدونَ مَداهُ بيدٌ لا تَبيدُ

An aspiration that missed its goal through resolve,

With a hand below its extent that does not perish,

وَأَمرٌ قُمتَ فيهِ بِلا ظَهيرٍ

وَأَهلُ الأَرضِ مِن فَشَلٍ قُعودُ

And a matter you undertook without supporters,

While the people of the land slump in failure,

وَمِثلُكَ لا يَضِلُّ الحَزمُ عَنهُ

فَهَل أَنباكَ بِالصَدَرِ الوُرودُ

And your like does not lose composure,

Do rosy chests then prevent you?

أَبيتَ فَلَم تَنَم نومَ اِبنِ هِندٍ

عَلى حَنَقٍ فَنَبَّهَهُ وَليدُ

You refused to sleep the slumber of Ibn Hinda

In irritation, so Al-Walid woke him,

وَأَعفَيتَ المَسامِع مِن حَديثٍ

يَعِنُّ فَتَقشَعِرُّ لَهُ الجُلودُ

And deafened the ears from any talk

That hurts, so skins bristle at it,

نَباً ضاقَت بِنِسوانٍ خُدورٌ

لَهُ وَنَبَت بِأَطفالٍ مُهودُ

News narrowed quarters for women,

And sprouted in children laid down,

فَكَذَّبَ ظَنَّ مَن عاداكَ صِدقٌ

تَساوى فيهِ وَعدُكَ وَالوَعيدُ

So the assumption of your enemy proved true,

Your promise and threat are equal,

وَعيدٌ غادَرَ المُرّاقَ صَرعى

وَعيدٌ ما أَتى مَأتاهُ عيدُ

A threat that felled the armored prostrate

And a threat that never came to fruition,

فَلَولا كَونُهُ مَعَ يَومِ بَدرٍ

لَقُلنا إِنَّهُ اليَومُ الوَحيدُ

Otherwise, were it not for the day of Badr,

We would say it is the only day.

مَقامٌ آزَرَت أَسَداً نُمَيرٌ

لَدَيهِ وَظافَرَت كَلباً عَتودُ

A stand helped the lion Numayr

Before it, and the snarling dog triumphed,

وَأَيُّ حِمىً أَباحوا يَومَ باحوا

بِما كَتَمَتهُ في السِلمِ العُمودُ

And what sanctuary did they violate when they raided

With what the pillars concealed in obscurity?

لَقَد طاحَ الرَجاءُ بِطُغلُبِكٍّ

وَكَم أَمَلٍ إِلى أَجَلٍ يَقودُ

The hopes of Tughlub were dashed by your invasion

And how many aspirations lead to death!

كَأَشدَقِ عَبدِ شَمسٍ إِذ تَبَغّى

تُراثاً لَم يُخَلِّفهُ سَعيدُ

Like the longing of a worshiper of the sun when it declined

For an inheritance no Sa’eed left,

وَجاوَرَ أَهلَ تِلكَ الأَرضِ مِنهُ

مَريدٌ لِاِجتِياحِهِمُ مُريدُ

And he settled alongside the people of that land

A willing raider, not a willing pilgrim,

عَجِبتُ لِمُدَّعي الآفاقِ مُلكاً

وَغايَتُهُ بِبَغدادَ الرُكودُ

I am amazed by the claimant of the horizons’ rule

While his goal in Baghdad is stagnation,

يَصولُ عَلى رَعاياها اِعتِداءً

وَيُحجِمُ كُلَّما صَلَّ الحَديدُ

He assaults his subjects aggressively

And recoils whenever the sword is unsheathed,

وَمِن مُستَخلَفٍ بِالهونِ راضٍ

يُذادُ عَنِ الحِياضِ وَلا يَذودُ

And is content with an inept deputy in Hunain

Who neither defends nor restores the meadows,

لَهُ حَرَمٌ هِنالِكَ لَم يُحَرَّم

بِهِ إِلّا السَلامَةُ وَالهُجودُ

He has a sanctuary there prohibited

Only to safety and prostration,

تَلاهُ خَوفُهُ بِأَشَدَّ مِنهُ

وَلولا الجَدبُ ما أُكِلَ الهَبيدُ

Fear of him is more severe than him

And were it not for drought, Habeed would not be consumed,

وَدَبَّرَهُ اِبنُ مُسلِمَةٍ سَفاهاً

بِرَأيٍ ما أَشارَ بِهِ رَشيدُ

And the son of Muslimeh disastrously schemed against him

With an opinion not counseled by the reasonable,

وَضاعَفَ ضَعفَهُ فَرطُ التَوَقّي

وَأَيَّدَ أَيدَكَ البَطشُ الشَديدُ

And the excess precaution doubled his weakness

While your strong grip supported him,

وَما البَطشُ الشَديدُ مُفيدُ عِزٍّ

إِذا لَم يُمضِهِ الرَأيُ السَديدُ

But a strong grip does not bring power

Unless guided by the right opinion,

وَأَعجَبُ مِنهُما سَيفٌ بِمِصرٍ

تُقامُ بِهِ بِسِنجارَ الحُدودُ

And wondrous than both is a sword in Egypt

With which punishments are carried out in Singara,

عَلى مَن وَارَتِ الديرانُ مِنهُم

جُسومٌ لَيسَ يَقبَلُها الصَعيدُ

Against those the convents received from them

Are corpses the ground does not accept,

أُزيلوا عَن مَواقِفِهِم بِضَربٍ

تَزولُ بِهِ الضَغائِنُ وَالحُقودُ

They were dismissed from their positions with a blow

With which grudges and resentments disappear,

فَكَم غُلَلٍ خَفاها حَرُّ ضَربٍ

وَقَد أَعيا بِها الماءُ البَرودُ

So how many shackles a burning blow concealed,

And the cool water gave up on them,

لَقَد لاقَوا بِنُصرَتِهِم قُرَيشاً

كَما لاقَت بِأَشقاها ثَمودُ

They met the Quraysh with your support

As Samood met their misfortune,

وَقَد سَمِعَ الظُبى فيهِم تُغَنّي

وَلَم تُغنِ المَواثِقُ وَالعُهودُ

And the antelope in them sang joyfully

While covenants and pacts did not,

وَلا العِزُّ الطَريفُ حَماهُ مِمّا

أَرَدتَ بِهِ وَلا العِزُّ التَليدُ

Nor did noble refined glory protect them

From what you wanted, nor enduring glory,

فَوَلّى يَحمَدُ الجُردَ المَذاكي

وَلَيسَ لِسَيفِهِ أَثَرٌ حَميدُ

So Yahmad Al-Jurd fled praiselessly

And his sword left no good trace,

وَغَرَّ الغِرَّ أَنَّ الدينَ واهٍ

هُناكَ وَأَنَّ ناصِرَهُ بَعيدُ

And he wrongly thought the religion was feeble there

And that its supporter was distant,

فَفاتَهُمُ بِعَزمِكَ ما أَرادوا

وَآلَ بِهِم إِلى ما لَم يُريدوا

So your resolve deprived them of what they wanted

And they ended up where they did not want,

وَلَم تَزَلِ الأَماني وَهيَ بيضٌ

تُكَذِّبُها المَنايا وَهيَ سودُ

Desires remain unfulfilled eggs

Made false by fates that are black,

فَمِن جَيشٍ يَعُدُّ العَودَ فَتحاً

وَمِن جَيشٍ يَمُرُّ فَلا يَعودُ

So from an army that sees return as conquest,

And from an army that passes and does not return,

وَما إِقدامُ قُطرُمُشٍ مُعادٌ

وَلا عُمرٌ لَهُ عُمرٌ جَديدُ

The daring of Qutrumush is not repeated

Nor does Umar have a new life,

جَناحا جارِحٍ غَرثانَ هيضا

فَأَصبَحَ لا يَطيرُ وَلا يَصيدُ

A wounding wing of a carrion-eating crow

So it cannot fly or hunt anymore,

وَطَودُ أَذىً وَهَت بِسُطاكَ مِنهُ

قَواعِدُ جَمَّةٌ وَوَهَت رُيودُ

And a harm you repelled with your authority from it

Pillars and poles collapsed from it,

سُطىً سَمِعَ المُلوكُ بِها فَظَلَّت

أَسِرَّتُهُم بِها خَوفاً تَميدُ

An authority the kings heard of so

Their secrets melted from fear of it,

وَشاعَ حَديثُها فَاِرتاعَ مِنها

عَميدٌ وَاِستَقامَ بِها عَنيدُ

And its story spread, so leaders shuddered from it

And stubborn ones walked straight because of it,

رَمَيتَهُمُ بِكُلِّ سَليلِ غابٍ

يَعيشُ بِفَرسِهِ ضَبعٌ وَسيدُ

You shot them with every descendant of an absentee

Who lives by his mare, a predator and master,

يَروق فُؤادَهُ نَأيٌ وَعَودٌ

يَغُذُّ السَيرَ لا نايٌ وَعودُ

Whose heart is gladdened by distance and return

That feeds travel, not flutes and return,

وَيُعجِبُهُ النُهوضُ إِلى الأَعادي

مُشيحاً لا القُدودُ وَلا النُهودُ

And he loves rising against the enemy

Galloping, not settling or resting,

وَيُطرِبُهُ صَليلُ البيضِ فَوقَ ال

قَوانِسِ لا البَسيطُ وَلا النَشيدُ

And he enjoys the tinkling of white swords above

Lamps, not carpets and songs,

وَلَو أَنَّ النَعامَ بِكَ اِستَجارَت

لَخافَت مِن عَواديها الأُسودُ

And had ostriches sought refuge in you

Even their chicks would fear the lions,

فَكَيفَ وَمُستَجيرُكَ أَحوَذيٌّ

تَحَدّاهُ الحُتوفُ فَلا يَحيدُ

So how, when the one seeking your refuge is a warrior

Whom calamities challenge but he does not waver,

تَفَرَّدَ وَهوَ مُجتَنَبٌ مَخوفٌ

كَما يُتَجَنَّبُ الحَيُّ الحَريدُ

He isolates himself, fearful and cautious,

As live snakes avoid deaf vipers,

وَفاضَ عَلَيهِ بِالإِحسانِ حَتّى

تَخَلَّصَهُ مِنَ العَدمِ الوُجودُ

And it poured goodness upon him until

Existence freed him from non-existence,

كَريمٌ مِن عَطاياهُ المَعالي

عَظيمٌ مِن تَحاياهُ السُجودُ

A generous one whose lofty gifts

And great regards are prostration,

مُؤَمِّلُهُ يُفيدُ غِنىً وَعِزّاً

وَشانيهِ بِغُصَّتِهِ يَفيدُ

Who gives hope of wealth and honor,

And whoever wishes him ill gains misery,

غَمامٌ فيهِ مِن بِشرٍ بُروقٌ

وَلَم يَصحَبهُ مِن مَنٍّ رُعودُ

A cloud containing flashes of good tidings

And no accompanying shower of favors,

مُلِثٌّ ما يُبالي حَيثُ يَهمي

أُتيحَ لَهُ شَكورٌ أَم كَنودُ

A flood not caring where it wreaks havoc

Whether its recipient is thankful or silent,

وَأَعطى ما وَهَبتَ بِلا اِكتِراثٍ

عَلَيهِ أَنَّ مَبدِئَهُ مُعيدُ

And he gave what you granted without care

That you who started it will repeat it,

وَكَلُّ نَدىً إِلى جَدواكَ يُعزى

كَما تُعزى إِلى الغَيثِ المُدودُ

And all dew is attributed to your generosity

As showers are attributed to lasting rain,

عَمَمتَ القَومَ مِن عَجَمٍ وَعُربٍ

مَواهِبَ ما خَلا مِنهُنَّ جيدُ

You have spread favor among non-Arabs and Arabs,

Gifts none of which lack excellence,

لُهىً كادَت عَدُوَّهُمُ وَكادَت

تَضيقُ بِها التَهائِمُ وَالنُجودُ

Distractions that nearly made them forget their enemy

And the beasts and ostriches were too narrow for,

تَخالَفَتِ الرِفاقُ بِها إِلَيهِم

كَما اِختَلَفَت عَلى التَجرِ النُقودُ

Companies competed in them to reach them

As coins compete over the merchant,

وَرُبَّ مَغانِمٍ أَدَّت إِلَيها

مَغارِمُ حَملُ أَدناها يَؤودُ

And much war booty led to it

While carrying the least of it burdens,

وَأَرسَلتَ العِتاقَ الجُردَ قُبّاً

يُعارِضُ مُمتَطىً مِنها مَقودُ

And you dispatched the Jurd tribes briskly

Matching those you mounted on them,

وَمِن أُدَدٍ وَعَدنانٍ عَلَيها

جُنودٌ لا تُلاقيها جُنودُ

And from Udad and Adnan above them

Armies whose number other armies cannot match,

مِنَ الأُسَرِ الَّتي أَلوَت بِكِسرى

وَذاكَ وَمَن سِلاحُهُمُ الجَريدُ

From the captives who graced Kisra

That being so, though their weapons are palms,

مَرَت خِلفَ التَلافِ بِكُلِّ مَرتٍ

تَنوبُ عَنِ السُروجِ بِهِ القُتودُ

They passed behind the vanguard in every pass

Their saddles substituting for the cushions,

وَنَكَّبَتِ الجِبالَ بِهِم جِبالٌ

ضَوامِرُ لا تَجِفُّ لَها لُبودُ

And they bent mountains with them, mountains

Whose edges the winds do not dry,

إِذا قَدَحَت فَما يَدجو ظَلامٌ

وَإِن ضَبَحَت فَما يَنجو طَريدُ

If they stir darkness does not scatter

And if they appear no prey escapes,

أَبَت وَطرَ الثَرى تيهاً فَصارَت

مَواطِئَها النَواظِرُ وَالخُدودُ

They refused and the ground sped lost

And their resting places became the hills and cheeks,

وَحَلَّ المَوصِلَ المَنصورُ يُثني

بِسَطوَتِهِ وَنَخوَتِهِ الوُفودُ

And the Mansur made the encampment in Mosul

While deputations flock to his authority and pride,

وَقَد شَهِدَت مَنابِرُهَ بِحَقٍّ

مَلائِكَةُ السَماءِ بِهِ شُهودُ

And its pulpits have truthfully witnessed

Heaven’s angels bearing witness to him,

وَسَوفَ تُضافُ بَغدادٌ إِلَيها

كَما اِنضافَت إِلى عَدَنٍ زَبيدُ

And Baghdad will join them

As Zabeed joined Aden,

فَقَد ضَعُفَت زُنودٌ عَن قِسِيٍّ

رَمَت عَنها العِدى وَكَبَت زُنودُ

For the fortresses were too weak for Qisees

And the enemy turned away and the armies bowed,

وَلِلنارِ الَّتي شَبَّت فَخيفَت

خُمودٌ سَوفَ يَتبَعُهُ هُمودُ

And for the fire that blazed and terrified

There is despair, followed by surrender,

لَكَ الفَتحُ المُبينُ بِكُلِّ وَجهٍ

قَصَدتَ وَلِلعِدى الحَتفُ المُبيدُ

The clear conquest is yours in every way

You intended, and total destruction for the enemy,

لَقَد سُدتَ المُلوكَ بِمَأثُراتٍ

بِها الوُزَراءُ أَيسَرُ مَن تَسودُ

You surpassed kings with deeds

Beside which viziers are humbler than the subjugated,

سَدَدتَ مِنَ الهُدى ما لَم يَسُدّوا

وَشِدتَ مِنَ العُلى ما لَم يَشيدوا

You upheld guidance they did not uphold

And constructed towering glory they did not,

بِناؤُكَ كُلُّهُ أَجرٌ وَشُكرٌ

وَما يَبنونَ آجُرٌّ وَشيدُ

Your building is all reward and thanks

While theirs is mere brick and construction,

جَميلٌ تُستَرَقُّ بِهِ الأَماني

وَعَدلٌ يُستَحَقُّ بِهِ الخُلودُ

A beautiful act to yearn for

And justice to eternally deserve,

حَلَلتَ مِنَ الخِلافَةِ في مَكانٍ

بِهِ عُدِمَ المُباشِرُ وَالحَسودُ

You assumed the caliphate in a place

Where the pretentious and envious vanished,

وَلَم يَحلُم بِشَرواكَ التَمَنّي

وَلا جادَ الزَمانُ وَلا يَجودُ

And neither wishful thinking dreamt your eminence

Nor did time concede or become generous,

بَقيتَ وَمُشبِهاكَ تُقىً وَحِلمٌ

وَظِلِّكُمُ عَلى الدُنيا مَديدُ

You remained, your likenesses piety and forbearance

And your shadow over the world is extended,

وَلا زالَت بِأُفقِ المُلكِ مِنكُم

نُجومٌ لا تَعَدّاها السُعودُ

And stars from you have not ceased to rise in the kingdom’s horizon

Unattainable by good fortune,

وَلا بَرِحَت كَذا الأَعيادُ تَأتي

وَجَدُّكَ قاهِرٌ فيها سَعيدُ

And thus the holidays continue to arrive

While your presence in them brings prosperity,

وَما أَبقى فَعالِكَ لي مَقالا

وَلَكِنَّ اِرتِياحَكَ يَستَعيدُ

And no speech remains for me to say

Except that remembering you renews it,

مَدائِحُ طالَما أَبدَعتُ فيها

وَأَينَ وُقوعُها مِمّا أُريدُ

Eulogies I have excelled in composing

Yet where do they stand from what I desire?

إِذا تُلِيَت عَلى الحُسّادِ قالوا

كَذا فَليُنظَمِ الدُرُّ الفَريدُ

If recited to the envious, they would say

Let such pearls thus be strung,

وَلا إِحسانَ إِلّا في مَجيدٍ

عَلا هِمَمَاً وَمادِحُهُ مُجيدُ

And there is no grace but in the magnificent

Whose soul rose high, and whose eulogizer is skillful,

وَلَن نَخشى عَلى فَخرٍ شُروداً

إِذا عَقَلَتهُ قافِيَةٌ شَرودُ

And we will not fear wild digression in pride

If composure in rhyme monitors it,

فَسَيِّر بي حَديثَ المَجدِ إِنّي

لِما أَثَّلتَ مِن شَرَفٍ مُشيدُ

So allow me to relate the narrative of glory, for I

Am elated for the noble eminence you attained,

فَدُم عَلَماً لَهُ ما اِخضَلَّ تُربٌ

تَوالى سَقيُهُ وَاِخضَرَّ عودُ

So persist a banner whose soil time did not erode,

Whose watering continued and branch grew green,