ما نَرى لِلثَناءِ عَنكَ عُدولا

لَم تَدَع لِلوَرى إِلَيهِ سَبيلا

No praise of you we ever turn from nor

Have the people another path to follow

فَاِقتَصِر مُنعِماً عَلى جُمَلِ الحَم

دِ فَإِنّا لا نُحسِنُ التَفصيلا

So favor us, happily, with general boons

Since details we aren’t skilled at extolling

بَهَرَتنا صِفاتُ مَجدِكَ حَتّى

قَصَّرَ الواصِفونَ عَنها نُكولا

Your glory’s virtues so dazzled our minds

That praisers fall short and fail in their eulogies

قَد وَهَبتَ الغِنى بِغَيرِ سُؤالٍ

فَأَعِرنا أَلبابَنا مَسؤولا

Though you grant riches without asking, still

Make our minds comprehend when we question

مَعَ أَنَّ الأَفعالَ أَبدَعتَ فيها

غَيرُ مُحتاجَةٍ إِلى أَن تَقولا

The deeds you create are free of all needs

To say or pronounce so as to be lauded

وَضَحَت لِلوَرى مَعاليكَ حَتّى

ما يَرومُ العِدى عَلَيها دَليلا

Your great acts shine clear, none can obscure

Nor obscure them through falsehood or doubting

كُلَّ يَومٍ نَرى وَنَسمَعُ عَنها

فَعَلاتٍ بِها شُهوداً عُدولا

Each day we see deeds, hear of acts done by you

Borne witness to truly by honest witnesses

لا يُخامِركَ في بَقائِكَ شَكٌّ

حَسبُكَ العَدلُ بِالبَقاءِ كَفيلا

You’ve no doubts that justice suffices to guard

Your reign—let justice, then, be your preserver

فَاِستَدِمهُ مُناقِضاً كُلَّ مَلكٍ

مَنَعَ الجَورُ عُمرَهُ أَن يَطولا

So perpetuate it, defeating each king

Whose iniquities led to his reign being shortened

شِدتَ ذِكراً عَلا السَماءَ وَآلى

أَنَّهُ لا يَزولُ حَتّى تَزولا

Your name’s fixed high above heaven so none

Can remove it before the world itself crumbles

فَاِبقَ لِلدينِ ناصِراً وَلِأَهلي

هِ غِياثاً وَلِلإِمامِ خَليلا

So defend the religion, defend your own kin,

And the Imam—be his boon and ally!

كَفَّ لَمّا اِستُثيبَ كَفَّ الغَوادي

وَكَفى المُمحِلاتِ لَمّا اِستُنيلا

When hands were extended, hands stopped from begging;

When lightning rods drew the storm clouds, rain poured

كُلَّما اِزدَدتَ عِزَّةً وَاِقتِداراً

زِدتَ أَهلَ الذُنوبِ صَفحاً جَميلا

The greater your glory and might became

The greater your pardoning the sinful inclined

وَإِذا ما فَرائِضُ المَجدِ عالَت

حُزتَ مِنهُ فَريضَةً لَن تَعولا

And when the glories you claimed grew in number

You assumed duties no others could shoulder

وَغَمَرتَ المُسيءَ جوداً فَقُلنا

مُستَقيلاً أَتاهُ أَو مُستَنيلا

When someone does wrong, you shower with gifts—

We say he came penitent, or came thirsty for favors

سُنَّةٌ أَغرَبَ اِبتِداعُكَ فيها

لَم تَكُن في طَريقِها مَدلولا

A strange, new convention none walked in before—

No precedent showed it, no guidepost directed

وَلَئِن سُدتَ كُلَّ مَن سادَ في الدَه

رِ فَبِالسُؤدُدِ الَّذي ما نيلا

Though you surpassed all who in splendor excelled

You truly remained the unequaled nonpareil

وَبِإِحكامِكَ النَوائِبَ قَسراً

وَبِأَحكامِكَ الَّتي لَن تَميلا

You mastered caprice, tamed it into your slave

Through judgments no swaying could ever dislodge

عَن إِباءٍ سَبَقتَ فيهِ المُجاري

نَ وَعَدلٍ عَدِمتَ فيهِ العَديلا

You ruled with a will none could bend, never unjust,

With wisdom no twist in its probity could battle

مَأثُراتٌ أَبَينَ أَن يَدخُلَ التَش

بيهَ في وَصفِهِنَّ وَالتَمثيلا

Great deeds the like of which can’t be conveyed

By metaphors’ likening or similes’ prattling

لَو أُتيحَت لِلأَوَّلينَ لَكانَت

غُرَراً في صِفاتِهِم لا حُجولا

If ancients had seen them, they would have confessed

Surpassing whate’er their achievements could boast of

نَسَخَت ذِكرَهُم كَما نَسَخَ الذِك

رُ الحَكيمُ التَوراةَ وَالإِنجيلا

Their feats you obliterated, just as the Wise

In his Gospel and Torah rent deeds of their fossils

فَاِعذِرِ الجائِرينَ عَنها ضَلالاً

عُذرَكَ الحائِرينَ فيها عُقولا

So pardon the wrong-minded, straying confused,

As you pardon the minds that can’t grasp the enigma

وَجَدَت عِندَكَ الإِمامَةُ رَأياً

وارِياً زَندُهُ وَنَصراً مُديلا

True leadership found your insightful support

As you aided and made its defenders invincible

وَلَقَد رُقتَها بِعِلمٍ وَحِلمٍ

يوجِبانِ التَعظيمَ وَالتَبجيلا

You granted it knowledge, forbearance—and so

Merits sublime honors and tributes most sacred

فَأَحَلَّتكَ مِن هِضابِ المَعالي

مَنزِلاً ما وَجَدتَ فيهِ نَزيلا

Thus you were exalted to glorious heights

None had attained, where you found not a rival

كانَ صَرفُ الزَمانِ صَعباً وَلَكِن

صارَ لَمّا حَكَمتَ فيهِ ذَلولا

Eras were unruly, then gentle when you

Ruled them, heeding God’s word and His Apostle’s

بِقَضايا نَفَذنَ لَمّا أَطَعتَ ال

لَهَ فيهِنَّ وَاِتَّبَعتَ الرَسولا

Each dawn, each nightfall, resolved to perform

True aims, and to follow the soundest opinions

مُعمِلاً كُلَّ بُكرَةٍ وَأَصيلٍ

عَزمَةً صَدقَةً وَرَأياً أَصيلا

A nobility, when roused, abases the mighty

And strengthens the abject whenever it champions

نَخوَةٌ إِن عَدَت أَذَلَّت عَزيزاً

وَإِذا أَنجَدَت أَعَزَّت ذَليلا

When Byzantines failed to win your consent

Their kingdom, by rights, merits loss and defeat

وَإِذا الرومُ لَم يَفوزوا بِأَن تَر

ضى فَأَجدِر بِمُلكِهِم أَن يَزولا

Though they thought themselves safe, if you fought

They were shattered, destroyed, reduced to bare bones

وَمَتى غودِروا بِغَيرِ أَمانٍ

وَجَدوا أَمرَهُم وَبِيّاً وَبيلا

Impregnable fortresses duped and misled them

Like mountains delude stupid man-eating ogres

خَدَعَتهُم مَعاقِلٌ مَنَعَتهُم

مِثلَ ما تَمنَعُ الجِبالُ الوُعولا

Over those lowlands your lightning bolts loomed

Smiting vast armies, flattening hills into crumbs

فَوقَ تِلكَ الذُرى صَواعِقُ مِن عَز

مِكَ تُضحي بِها كَثيباً مَهيلا

No mere winds which uproot palms when they gust

Like gales of your wrath, wrecking elephant tusks

لَيسَ ريحٌ هُبوبُها يَقطَعُ النَس

لَ كَريحٍ تَطغى فَتَذرو الفيلا

So rouse the fierce lions whose dread roars affright

Vainglory and boasting with terror and fright

فَاِنتَدِب لِلرُبدِ الَّتي تُنكِرُ التَه

ليلَ أُسداً لا تَعرِفُ التَهليلا

Whose swords shone, needing no claws to lay low

All men who, when warned, to their womenfolk flee

غَنِيَت عَن أَظافِرٍ بِسُيوفٍ

وَقعُها يَسلُبُ النِساءَ البُعولا

With pouncing they’ve honed—since first tasting blood—

To spring at foreheads when battleclouds loom

مِن نُصولٍ مُنذُ اِختَضَبنَ مِنَ الها

مِ لَدى الرَوعِ ما شَكَونَ نُصولا

When you order their onslaught at spilling blood, unlawful,

Their blades must obey you and strike without mercy

كُلَّما شِمتَها لِسَفكِ الدَمِ المَم

نوعِ أَضحى بِحَدِّها مَطلولا

I see no humility generating glory:

True glory’s the kind that extinguishes knaves

لا أَرى ما يُوَلِّدُ الضِغنَ عِزّاً

إِنَّما العِزُّ ما يُميتُ الذُحولا

By my life, you spread over Muslims a shade,

A sheltering cloak, merciful, shadowy, wide

وَلَعَمري لَقَد مَدَدتَ عَلى الإِس

لامِ وَالمُسلِمينَ ظِلّاً ظَليلا

You sheltered them, sheathed like a sword in its case

And flashing bare steel to fend dangers away

ظَلتَ سِتراً عَلَيهِمُ مَسدولا

وَحُساماً مِن دونِهِم مَسلولا

Now, lodged by your door, times have turned from their woes

And they glimpse happiness after misfortunes untold

فَهُمُ اليَومَ في جِوارِكَ قَد عا

وَدَ طَرفُ الزَمانِ عَنهُم كَليلا

They now look on grave perils grown simple and light

After viewing the simple grow grave and take flight

فَرَأَوا خَطبَهُ الجَليلَ دَقيقاً

بَعدَ رُؤياهُمُ الدَقيقَ جَليلا

No enemy threats have disturbed their repose

Since peace at your doorstep filled all their hearts’ goals

ما أَصاخوا إِلى وَعيدِ الأَعادي

مُذ أَناخوا بِبابِكَ التَأميلا

While those who hope you will favor their plea

See the nights quickly pass, fleet and serene

قَصُرَت عِندَ آمِليكَ اللَيالي

وَأَرى لَيلَ حاسِديكَ طَويلا

While your enemies’ minds have been harried with woes—

Lasting madness and envy their sole lifelong goal

أَبِقَت مِنهُمُ العُقولُ وَأَبقَت

سَقَماً ظاهِراً وَهَمّاً دَخيلا

No feast day goes by, no event comes to pass

But you grace it, and joyfully join in its call

لا تَقَضّى عيدٌ وَلا عادَ إِلّا

كُنتَ فيهِ مُهَنَّأً مَقبولا

Live on in a realm where you’ve conquered your foes

Now humbled, now vanquished by words or by swords—

عِش لِمُلكٍ قَدَعتَ عَنهُ عِداهُ

تارَةً قائِلاً وَطَوراً فَعولا

For sake of your splendid, magnificent brothers,

Both chosen by birth and deeds nobly selected

بالِغاً في خَطيرِهِ وَأَخيهِ

ذي المَعالي صَفِيِّهِ المَأمولا

You care for them equally, one as the other,

Alike in high lineage, acts, father, ancestors

فَهُما الأَشرَفانِ قَدراً وَأَفعا

لاً وَسِنخاً وَوالِداً وَقَبيلا

They planted the branches of virtue when tender

Through piety's care, through forbidding the ugly

وَصَبا لِلحُقوقِ جُنَّةَ عَدلٍ

مَلَأَت حَدَّ كُلِّ باغٍ فُلولا

Well-known for their merits when aged or when younger

Since both trod the path of abolishing evil

مُذ تَأَسّى فينا بَعَدلِهِما الحُك

كامُ لَم تُظلَمِ الأَنامُ فَتيلا

And censure, both dragged their robes’ hems through its muck

Good looks they enhanced by munificent charm

أَوَلَيسا مِن أُسرَةٍ تُتقِنُ التَن

زيلَ حِفظاً وَتَعلَمُ التَأويلا

Adding beauty to beauty, and fair to the fair

Where no rancor festers in hearts sheepish-meek

الكِرامِ الأَعراقِ طالوا فُروعاً

بِالتُقى وَالنُهى وَطابوا أُصولا

And hands grasp no more than their labors can reap

While that race disappeared, you dawned in our clime

عُرِفوا بِالمَعروفِ وَالعُرفِ شُبّا

ناً وَشيباً وَصِبيَةً وَكُهولا

As they faded away into evening’s dim time

Who yearns for his people need yearn but for you—

مُذ جَرَوا في إِزالَةِ الجَورِ وَالمُن

كَرِ جَرّوا عَلى السِماكِ ذُيولا

There his wishes find welcome and there rest his hopes

Where minds can voice thoughts and the stumblers recover

قَرَنوا الفَضلَ بِالتَفَضُّلِ عَفواً

وَأَضافوا إِلى الجَمالِ الجَميلا

And losers find shelter, the fallen gain splendor

A sanctuary barring all stillness of languor

حَيثُ لا تَنطَوي القُلوبُ عَلى الغِل

لِ وَلا تَعرِفُ الأَكُفُّ الغُلولا

Since there I’m denied all attempts to repose

I came seeking boons but expected no more

وَلَأَنتُم فينا الشُموسُ أَقامَت

حينَ غابَت تِلكَ النُجومُ أُفولا

Than my fancy presumed or supposed I should get

But your riches sufficed not by merely removing

وَمَنِ اِشتاقَ أَهلَهُ فَاِشتِياقي

لَيسَ يَعدو جَنابَكَ المَأهولا

My poverty—no!—you destroyed my deep sloth

You persisted unstinting until I received

حَيثُ يَلقى المُنى مَقيلاً وَمَن يُث

ني مَقالاً وَذو العِثارِ مُقيلا

Some taste of your bounty, copious and true

Like thick thundershowers that saturate one land

حَرَمٌ حَرَّمَ الرُقادَ عَلى عَي

نَيَّ لَمّا حُرِمتُ فيهِ المُثولا

Then soak all the others in billows anew

So I deemed I could satisfy all of your gifts

جِئتُهُ لِلنَوالِ لَم يَعدُهُ ظَن

ني فَأَجدى التَنويهَ وَالتَنويلا

But instead my attempts met with failure complete

If I journeyed to China with countless brigades

ما كَفاهُ إِزالَةُ الفَقرِ بِالثَر

وَةِ عَنّي حَتّى أَزالَ الخُمولا

They could not convey even part of the sum of your blessings

So slow down! For already my share of your grace

لَم يَزَل في جَزيلِ جَدواهُ حَتّى

فِضتُ مِن بَعضِهِ نَوالاً جَزيلا

Has exceeded the goals of all wishes of mine

Gifts that, with the cold, seem to shy from my gaze

كَالغَمامِ الرُكامِ خَصَّ بِلاداً

بِغُيوثٍ فَعَمَّ أُخرى سُيولا

Though in fact they are heavy and generous of line

If I were permitted, I’d traverse the breadth of all earth

ثُمَّ أَنشَأتُ أَستَكِفُّ عَطايا

كَ فَحاوَلتُ مَطلَباً مُستَحيلا

Continually hymning your gifts with no pause

But no! Gently softly! My hopes have ascended

عاذِلاً في النَدى وَلَم يُرَ قَبلي

شاعِرٌ صارَ في السَماحِ عَذولا

Beyond spells and charms and the need for such chants

Despite hindrances barring my audience with you

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَزيدُ أَرضِيَ مِن أُف

قِكَ غَيثاً بِمِثلِهِ مَوصولا

Would that they not bar me from singing your praise!

A sickness so dire I’m as pale of complexion

مَكرُماتٌ تَخِفُّ نَحوي مَعَ البُر

دِ وَإِن كانَ حَملُهُنَّ ثَقيلا

As a yellow-hued flower, so thin, so drawn out

Let Egypt persist hearing this as my creed:

وَلَوَ اِنّي حَلَلتُ بِالصينِ وافا

ني رَعيلٌ مِنهُنَّ يَتلو رَعيلا

That I’ll never abandon affection for you!

If you heal my frail frame, you give hope that was dead

فَرُوَيداً فَقَد تَجاوَزَ حَظّي

مِن لُهاكَ التَتميمَ وَالتَكميلا

A new lease, but if not, you have left me no choice—

For I’ll not be content among vital men breathing

وَلَقَد عاقَ عَن لِقائِكَ خَطبٌ

لَيتَهُ لا يَعوقُ عَن أَن أَقولا

If I can not meet you nor gaze on your face

I will press on my feet though they shudder and weaken

عارِضٌ صِرتُ فيهِ كَالصَعدَةِ السَم

راءِ لَوناً وَدِقَّةً وَذُبولا

Be I blameworthy or blameless, absolved or accused

Tracers tracing the traces, convincingly recognizing

فَلتُبَلَّغ مِصرٌ عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ

أَنَّني عَن وِدادِها لَن أَحولا

Both the frowning of strangers and the smiles of true intimates

Of lightnings revealing the distant as near

إِن أَعَلَّت جِسماً صَحيحاً فَأَوهَت

هُ فَقَد صَحَّحَت رَجاءً عَليلا

When you are their quest, and the gloomy as bright plains

Who’d deem brevity best should know I’m enamored

وَعَدِمتُ الحَياةَ إِن كُنتُ أَرضى

بِحَياتي مِن أَن أَراكَ بَديلا

Of prolixity solely when writing your name

وَسَأُدمي أَخفافَها كُنتُ مَعذو

راً عَلى ما أَتَيتُ أَو مَعذولا

راسِماتٍ لِلرامِساتِ يُناسِب

نَ وَيُنكِرنَ شَدقَماً وَجَديلا

مِن قِلاصٍ تَرى البَعيدَ قَريباً

حينَ تَنحوكَ وَالحُزونَ سُهولا

مَن يَعُدُّ الإيجازَ فَضلاً فَإِنّي

في مَديحيكَ أَعشَقُ التَطويلا