أَرَقَدتَ عَن قَلِقِ الفُؤادِ مَشوقِهِ
فَأَمَرتَ بِالسُلوانِ غَيرَ مُطيقِهِ
You slept away from your anxious heart's yearning
Then you commanded relaxation though it was intolerable
لا تُتعِبِ اللَومَ الَّذي أَنضَيتَهُ
في كُلِّ مُعتَدِلِ القَوامِ رَشيقِهِ
Do not blame the one whom you wearied
In every graceful, well-proportioned form
يَحكي القَضيبَ إِدا الصَبا مَرَّت بِهِ
حَرَكاتُهُ وَيَطولُهُ بِبُسوقِهِ
The staff tells of the time the dawn passed by it
Its movements and his extending it with its knob
وَمُمَنطَقٍ يُغني النَديمَ بِوَجهِهِ
عَن كَأسِهِ المَلأى وَعَن إِبريقِهِ
And the one girded who sings to the boon companion with his face
About his brimming cup and his ewer
فِعلُ المُدامِ وَلَونُها وَمذاقُها
في مُقلَتَيهِ وَوَجنَتَيهِ وَريقِهِ
The acts of wine, its color and taste
In his eyelids, cheeks, and saliva
وَبِنَفسِيَ الطَيفُ المُلِمُّ وَإِن جَرى
في مَذهَبِ الإِعراضِ عِندَ طُروقِهِ
And my soul is imprinted though it flowed
In the doctrine of turning away at the time of its rising
فَدُنُوُّهُ كَبِعادِهِ وَوِصالُهُ ال
هَجرُ الصَريحُ وَبِرُّهُ كَعُقوقِهِ
So his coming near is like his distance, and his union
Is not frank estrangement, and his loyalty is like his disavowal
أَبَداً أُريهِ باطِلاً مِن سَلوَتي
وَأَبُثُّهُ وَلَهي عَلى تَحقيقِهِ
I will always show him falseness in my intimacy
And confide in him - oh would that I could prove it!
وَجدٌ كَوَجدِ أَبي المُظَفَّرِ بِالنَدى
كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ يَصبو إِلى مَعشوقِهِ
Passion like that of Abu Muzaffar for the dew
Everyone who yearns for his beloved
لَطَرَقتَ في كَسبِ الثَناءِ مَحَجَّةً
أَبدَعتَها وَعَدَلتَ عَن مَطروقِهِ
You have trodden the path of praise with excellence
You originated it and turned from the trodden path
وَظَهَرتَ في ذا المُلكِ مَظهَرَ سيرَةٍ
أَفضى الرَجاءُ بِها إِلى تَصديقِهِ
And you appeared in this kingdom with an exemplary lifestyle
With which hope leads to its verification
مِثلَ اِنتِهاءِ الشَمسِ تَمَّ ضِياؤُها
لا كَاِبتِداءِ الصُبحِ قَبلَ شُروقِهِ
Like the setting of the sun, its light was completed
Not like the dawn before its rising
حازَ السَعادَةَ مَن يُقَسِّمُ عَيشَهُ
قِسمَينِ بَينَ صَبوحِهِ وَغَبوقِهِ
Fortunate is he who divides his life
Between its morning and evening
مَهلاً فَضَلتَ المَجدَ مُنذُ حَوَيتَهُ
وَفَصَلتَ بَينَ كَذوبِهِ وَصَدوقِهِ
Wait, you have transcended glory since you embraced it
And distinguished between its lies and its truths
لا فَضلَ نائِلِهِ عَلى مُرتادِهِ
بَل فَضلَ خالِقِهِ عَلى مَخلوقِهِ
Not for its attainer over its pursuer
But for its Creator over its created
فَبَعيدُ ما قَد رُمتَهُ كَقَريبِهِ
وَعَلى سِواكَ قَريبُهُ كَسَحيقِهِ
So what you have striven for is far from what is near
And but for you what is near is like what is far
فَليَسأَلِ المالُ الَّذي لَجَّ الوَرى
في جَمعِهِ وَلَجَجتَ في تَفريقِهِ
So let wealth be asked, which the people
Became immersed in amassing and you were immersed in distributing
وَلِتَسأَلِ الخَيلُ الَّتي خيدَت ضُحىً
بِالطَعنِ عَن سَعَةِ المَكَرِّ وَضيقِهِ
And let the horses that faded at dawn
With stabbing be asked about the abundance and scarcity of trickery
عَمَّن حَمى أَعقابَها ضَنّاً بِها
لا مَن سَلا عَن سَرحِهِ وَوُسوقِهِ
About whom protected their heels stingily
Not whom asked about their freedom and driving
يا ناصِرَ الدينِ الحَنيفِ بِعَزمَةٍ
صَدَقَت فَأَذعَنَ باطِلٌ بِزُهوقِهِ
O supporter of the Hanifi religion with determination
That was proven true so falsehood yielded with its defeat
لَن يَأمَنَ اللَيّانَ إِلّا صارِمٌ
سَلَّ الصَوارِمَ لِاِقتِضاءِ حُقوقِهِ
The shameless will only be safeguarded by a swordsman
Who has unsheathed blades to obtain rights
فَليَحقِنِ المُستَعصِمونَ بِمَنبِجٍ
باقي دَمٍ مُتَعَرِّضٍ لِمُروقِهِ
So let those seeking protection take refuge in Manbij
With blood still exposed to being shed
فَلَقَد رَمَيتَهُمُ بِمَن يَغشى الوَغى
فَيَرى فِراقَ النَفسِ دونَ فَريقِهِ
For you have cast at them one who overwhelms disorder
Who sees parting with the soul unlike parting with his comrade
أَو يَنثَني بِدَمِ الكُماةِ مُخَلَّقاً
مِثلَ العَروسِ مُضَمَّخاً بِخَلوقِهِ
One who bends from the blood of oppressors ragged
Like a bride smeared with her bracelets
وَمُهَنَّدٍ يَمضي غِراراهُ إِذا
كَلَّ الشَقيقُ وَمَلَّ نَصرَ شَقيقِهِ
And ferocious, who goes looking for combat when
A brother appeals and delays supporting his brother
وَمُطَهَّمٍ يَرِدُ النِزالَ كَأَنَّما
يُدعى إِلىآرِيِّهِ وَعَليقِهِ
And a warrior who returns to fighting as if
He is called to his opinion and tribe
ما بالُ واليهِم يُعَلِّلُ نَفسَهُ
حيناً وَيُخبِرُ صَبرَهُ عَن موقِهِ
Why is their governor justifying himself
At times and announcing his patience for its position?
مُتَعَرِّضاً لِنِضالِ مَن هُوَ فَوقَهُ
جَهلاً بِسَهمٍ قَد خَلا مِن فوقِهِ
Exposing himself to the combat of one superior to him
Ignorantly, with an arrow already shot from above him
وَتَعَذُّرُ الأَبصارِ أَوعَظُ واعِظٍ
لَو أَنَّهُ يُهدى إِلى تَوفيقِهِ
And the inability of sights is the greatest preacher
If only he were guided to his success
في عارِضٍ فيهِ المَنايا وَالمُنى
تُردي وَتُحدى قَبلَ لَمعِ بُروقِهِ
In a circumstance in which there are deaths and wishes
That bring and challenge before the flashing of its lightning
يَخشى الهِزَبرُ هُجومَهُ في غابِهِ
أَبَداً وَيَرهَبُهُ العُقابُ بِنيقِهِ
The beasts fear its attack in their thickets
Always and the birds of prey are awed by its swooping
قَد كانَ جَدُّكَ صالِحٌ في أَسرِ مَن
مَنَعَ المَحيصَ وَزادَ في تَضيِيقِهِ
Your grandfather was righteous while prisoner of one
Who prevented escape and increased its confinement
حَتّى إِذا ما اللَهُ أَطلَقَهُ قَضى
بِبِعادِ آسِرِهِ وَمُلكِ طَليقِهِ
Until when Allah released him, he judged
By removing his captor and [getting] control of his release
وَكَذاكَ يَفعَلُ فيكَ فَاِعزِم عَزمَةً
تَجلو ظَلامَ الإِفكِ بَعدَ غُسوقِهِ
And He will do the same with you, so make a determination
That dispels the darkness of slander after its arising
كَم حَلَّ أَنطاكِيَّةً مِن مُترَفٍ
مُتَشاغِلٍ بِرَحيقِهِ وَرَقيقِهِ
How many self-indulgent people has Antioch contained
Busy with its wine and music
وَأَمامَ قُسطَنطينَةٍ وَوَرَاءَها
خَطبٌ أُعينَ جَليلُهُ بِدَقيقِهِ
And before Constantinople and behind it
Are important matters the essence of which is subtle
وافى مَليكَ الرومِ مِنهُ مانِعٌ
عَن نَصرِ دَوقَسِهِ وَعَن بِطريقِهِ
What has prevented the King of Rome from aiding
His Duke and from [aiding] his Patriarch?
وَقَفَ الرَجاءُ بِهِ عَلى إِخفاقِهِ
وَالخَوفُ يُلزِمُ قَلبَهُ بِخُفوقِهِ
Hope stopped at his failing
And fear obligates his heart with its pounding
لا يَأمَنَنَّ الشِركُ بَطشَ غَشَمشَمٍ
يُرجى لِقَطعِ فُروعِهِ وَعُروقِهِ
Polytheism will surely not feel safe from the grip
Of one hoped to cut off its branches and veins
وَمِنَ الضَلالِ نِضالُ مَن هُوَ فَوقَهُ
سَفَهاً بِسَهمٍ قَد خَلا مِن فوقِهِ
And from misguidance, the combat of one superior to it
Is foolish, with an arrow already shot from above it
وَليَعتَصِم بِمُمَلَّكٍ قَهَرَ العِدى
حَتّى لَدانَ عَدُوُّهُ لِصَديقِهِ
And let him seek protection in one who has overpowered hostility
Until his enemy yielded to his friend
أَغنى عَطاؤُكَ عَن نَدىً مَحرومُهُ
أَولى بِحُسنِ الذِكرِ مِن مَرزوقِهِ
Your giving sufficed without a denied bequest
More worthy of good mention than its bestowed
جودٌ عَلَوتَ بِهِ المُلوكَ فَما سَعَوا
يَوماً إِلَيهِ وَلا اِهتَدوا لِطَريقِهِ
A generosity with which you have transcended kings, so they have not
A day aspired to it or been guided to its path
سَبَقوا السُؤالَ وَعاذِليكَ عَلى اللُهى
مَن ذا يَرُدُّ السَهمَ بَعدَ مُروقِهِ
They advanced requesting and the one censuring you is upon Allah -
Who can return an arrow after its shooting?
أَسرَفتَ في إِكثارِهِ وَشَرُفتَ في
إِنكارِهِ وَكَرُمتَ عَن تَعويقِهِ
You have exceeded in its abundance and become eminent in
Its denial and been generous to not impeding it
فَلتَعلَمِ الآمالُ حَقّاً أَنَّها
نَزَلَت عَلى مَحدِ النِجارِ عَريقِهِ
So let hopes truly know
That they have alighted at the Best of Carpenters' loftiest
عَقَلَ المَديحَ نَوالُهُ فَأَنِفتُ مِن
تَغريبِهِ وَغَنيتُ عَن تَشريقِهِ
The extent of its bestowal has made praise
Repellent to me, and I have become needless of investigating it
قَد كُنتُ أَعرِضُهُ وَلا سوقٌ لَهُ
فَالآنَ صِرتُ أَبيعُهُ في سوقِهِ
Previously, I would ignore it and it had no market
But now, I have become one who sells it in its market
حِلّاً لِأَنّي أَشتَريهِ بِفِكرَةٍ
جَوّالَةٍ وَأَحيدُ عَن مَسروقِهِ
Permissible because I purchase it with a
Questing idea and refrain from its stolen
في كُلِّ مُعجِزَةٍ تَكَفَّلَ لي بِها
فَضلٌ أَعاذَ القَولَ مِن تَلفيقِهِ
In every miracle undertaken for me
A favor has protected speech from any patchworking
حَتّى قَرَنتُ بِدُرِّهِ ياقوتَهُ
وَسِوايَ يَقرِنُ دُرَّهُ بِعَقيقِهِ
Until I joined its pearls with its rubies
And compared its pearls to its carnelians
مِن بَحرِ نَصرٍ أَجتَنيهِ فَرائِداً
وَالحَظُّ لِلعَلياءِ في مَنسوقِهِ
From an ocean of victory whose scout
Brought it to me, and opportunity is for the sublime in its driving
بَحرٌ يُغاصُ عَلى الغِنى فيهِ فَما
يَنجو مِنَ الإِعدامِ غَيرُ غَريقِهِ
An ocean abundantly wealthy so none escapes
Destruction but its drowned
