ضَلَّ مَن يَستَزيرُ طَيفَ الخَيالِ

هَل تُداوى حَقيقَةٌ بِالمُحالِ

He who seeks solace in illusory dreams,

Can reality be cured with the impossible?

سُنَّةٌ سَنَّها المُحِبّونَ جَهلاً

كَسُؤالِ الرُبوعِ وَالأَطلالِ

A tradition the lovers ignorantly made,

Like asking ruins and deserted abodes.

أَو كَمُزجي القِلاصِ في غَيرِ قَصدٍ

أَو مُرَجّي مَكارِمِ البُخّالِ

Or like one who stirs trouble without intent,

Or hopes for generosity from the miserly.

أَو كَلاحٍ سَعى بِمَن لا أُسَمّي

موقِناً أَنَّ سَعيَهُ في ضَلالِ

Or like one who strives with those I shall not name,

Certain that his efforts are in vain.

بِأَبي مَن عَدا فَجاوَزَ أَعدا

ئي وَلَو كانَ مِنهُمُ لَرَثى لي

By the one other than my enemies, even if they eulogized me,

And trespass brings joy to the lover, so I do not care,

وَالتَعَدّي يُسلي المُحِبَّ فَما با

لِيَ لا يَخطُرُ السُلُوُّ بِبالي

Distraction does not cross my mind.

With blame, though not for a crime, and aloofness, not from boredom.

ذو عِتابٍ لِغَيرِ مَعنىً وَسُخطٍ

لا لِجُرمٍ وَهِجرَةٍ عَن مَلالِ

Savagery seized two companionships,

Both led to the path of ruin.

سَلَبَ الوَحشَ خَلَّتَينِ تَصولا

نِ وَكِلتاهُما طَريقُ وَبالِ

One moment it violently subdues with severity,

Another it frolics with the eyes of a gazelle.

فَهوَ طَوراً يُردي بِسَطوَةِ ضِرغا

مٍ وَطَوراً يَعدو بِعَينَي غَزالِ

Its violence intensified and the cunning of battle gathered in it,

And the pounce of the ambusher.

زادَ فَتكاً وَاِستَجمَعَت خُدعَةُ المُح

تالِ فيهِ وَوَثبَةُ المُغتالِ

Thus I still recite a heart,

Lost between guidance and temptation.

فَلِذا ما أَزالُ أَنشُدُ قَلباً

ضَلَّ بَينَ الدَلالِ وَالإِدلالِ

I feared not its straying, nor did I fear

That the beloved would become one of my blamers.

لا مَني ضِلَّةً وَما كُنتُ أَخشى

أَن يَصيرَ الحَبيبُ مِن عُذّالي

Indeed, the time has come for me to cure my youth,

With a cure for the incurable disease of old age.

وَلَقَد آنَ أَن أُداوي صَبابا

تي بِداءٍ مِنَ المَشيبِ عُضالِ

Being just in poetry to the ways of passion,

To a lover of the beauty of deeds.

عادِلاً بِالقَريضِ عَن سُنَنِ العِش

قِ إِلى عاشِقٍ لِحُسنِ الفِعالِ

One whom when perfection raised him above kings,

He increased beyond perfection.

مَن إِذا ما الكَمالُ أَعلى مُلوكاً

طالَ بِالإِزدِيادِ فَوقَ الكَمالِ

His glory and the son of his crown, spreader of hopes,

Generous and killer of burdens.

عِزُّها وَاِبنُ تاجِها مُنشِرُ الآ

مالِ جوداً وَقاتِلُ الأَقيالِ

He raced with zeal, a stallion in spirit,

So he disobeyed the blame, transcended the boredom.

هامَ بِالهِمَّةِ الحَصانِ فُؤاداً

فَهوَ عاصي المَلامِ قاصي المَلالِ

And towered high, thus surpassing the lofty,

After greying and exhaustion.

وَسَما شارِخاً فَزادَ عَلى السا

مينَ بَعدَ المَشيبِ وَالإِكتِهالِ

And a boiling spirit that refuses, however numerous the solicitors,

To let them obtain anything but honesty.

وَخِضَمٌّ يَأبى وَإِن كَثُرَ الوُرّا

دُ أَن يَظفَروا بِغَيرِ زُلالِ

Thus you see the neighbour in his care well-off,

And hope is revived through him for the wretched.

فَتَرى الجارَ عِندَهُ ناعِمَ البا

لِ وَيَحيى بِهِ الرَجاءُ البالي

He made glory clear to all creation and protected it,

So he is manifest but difficult to attain.

أَوضَحَ المَجدَ لِلوَرى وَحَماهُ

فَهوَ بادي المَنارِ صَعبُ المَنالِ

The attainment of wishes flowed, even if greed deluded

A people whose greed deluded them with the impossible.

دَرَّ نَيلُ المُنى وَإِن أَغرَتِ الأَط

ماعُ قَوماً غَرَّتهُمُ بِالمُحالِ

Desolation is answered with generosity and welcome,

Not with leanness and limping.

فَلَواتٌ تُجابُ بِالجودِ وَالإِق

دامِ لا بِالذَميلِ وَالإِرقالِ

Deserted places where one who walked in them

Would be exposed to perdition or straying.

مُقفِراتٌ يَكونُ مَن سارَ فيها

عَرَضاً لِلبَوارِ أَو لِلضَلالِ

The preceding son of Mahmoud crossed them,

The preceding on the day of dew and the day of contention.

جازَها سابِقُ بنُ مَحمودٍ السا

بِقُ يَومَ النَدى وَيَومَ النِزالِ

And he strove with the endeavor of the foremost,

So he attained the peak of virtues and intellect.

وَسَعى سَعيَ أَوَّليهِ فَأَربى

بِاِختِيارِ الفَضائِلِ الأَعقالِ

And he was true to his noble name and nickname,

So both took the place of good omen.

وَوَفى لِاِسمِهِ وَكُنيَتِهِ العَز

مُ فَقاما مَعاً مَقامَ الفالِ

The efforts of his ancestors will not be far from him,

For they are clear in the present.

مَلِكٌ إِن أَتى الوُفودُ ذَراهُ

صَدَّهُم عُرفُهُ عَنِ الإِرتِحالِ

It sufficed them that the Father of Knights charged them,

For the changes of time to flow through them.

حَيثُ لَم يَفصِموا عُزى الظَنِّ بِاليَأ

سِ وَلَم يوصَموا بِذُلِّ السُؤالِ

O son of one who defended my hopes and praise

Against all the riffraff and scum.

وَوَقورُ الأَطرابِ إِن زُفَّتِ الصَه

باءُ بَينَ الأَهزاجِ وَالأَرمالِ

They are a faction whose means are effective,

Just as greying is effective for those with thick locks.

وَطَروبٌ أَوانَ تَجتَمِعُ الأَط

رابُ بَينَ الصَليلِ وَالتَصهالِ

And their help is needed by the destitute, so if they give it,

It is charity for prolonged hopes.

وَلَهُ مِن بَني بُوَيهِ جُدودٌ

ذَهَبوا بِالإِعظامِ وَالإِجلالِ

And when needs are presented to them,

They are obedient to procrastination and disregard.

كُلُّ مَلكٍ قَد حازَ فَضلَ أَبيهِ

مِثلَ حَوزِ البَهاءِ فَضلَ الجَلالِ

I visited him to shade me, so his gifts

Made me generosity's ample shade.

فَمَساعي الأَجدادِ لَن يَبعُدَ العَه

دُ بِها وَهيَ وُضَّحٌ في الحالِ

He left no envious one to denounce me,

Though I came full of hopes.

قَد كَفاها أَبو الفَوارِسِ أَن يَق

دَحَ فيها تَنَقُّلُ الأَحوالِ

Since my hopes in him are dependent on success,

And my fortune is proven since he was true to me.

يا اِبنَ مَن ذادَ عَن رَجائي وَمَدحي

كُلَّ غَثِّ الحِباءِ رَثِّ الحِبالِ

His traces scattered my guided arrows,

And he honored me with expansiveness until

عُصَبٌ مَوقِعُ الوَسائِلِ مِنهُم

مَوقِعُ الشَيبِ مِن ذَواتِ الحِجالِ

I attained the deeds of servants with their masters,

And some of what I gained of his honor,

وَعدُهُم مُعوِزٌ فَإِن بَذَلوهُ

فَهوَ وَقفٌ عَلى المِطالِ المُطالِ

Lord of bounty, Lord of bounty.

Had I persisted improperly in other than its abundance,

وَإِذا ما الحاجاتُ حَلَّت لَدَيهِم

مُتنَ طَوعَ الإِمهالِ وَالإِهمالِ

Such persistence would have sufficed through humiliation.

So Allah watered a land in which settled

زُرتُهُ كَي يُظِلَّني فَأَصارَت

ني عَطِيّاتُهُ مَديدَ الظِلالِ

The abode of virtue, the source of favor.

The firmest lion, whether docile

لَم يَدَع حاسِداً يَفوهُ بِإِخفا

قي وَقَد جِئتُ حاشِداً آمالي

Or ferocious, and the most resolute in contention.

I have long said about those who asked of you,

إِذ رَجائي لَدَيهِ وَقفٌ عَلى النُج

حِ وَفَألي مُصَدَّقٌ مُذ وَفى لي

While my confidence was the guide to the lost,

If you want knowledge of their condition from certainty,

نَضَلَت مَأثُراتُهُ وَلُهاهُ

كُلَّ سَهمٍ أَعدَدتُهُ لِلنِضالِ

Meet them in generosity or war.

You will meet the whites of honors with the blacks of accursed blood,

وَحَباني بِالإِنبِساطِ إِلى أَن

حِزتُ فِعلَ العَبيدِ عِندَ المَوالي

The greens of meadows with the reds of sharp swords.

Nobles, if the nobles of glory wronged them,

وَبِبَعضِ الَّذي أَنالَ مِنَ الإِك

رامِ رَبَّ النَوالِ رَبُّ النَوالِ

They would topple mountain foundations.

And if they fought, you would see the hearts of lions

وَلَوَ اِنّي أَدلَلتُ في غَيرِ مَغنا

هُ لَكَفَّ الإِدلالَ بِالإِذلالِ

Entrusted into the breasts of men.

Through them the land where they battled was shaken,

فَسَقى اللَهُ تُربَةً حَلَّ فيها

مَوطِنُ الفَضلِ مَعدِنُ الإِفضالِ

And they are its safety from tremors.

Yours are the glories of swords, and with them

الأَسَدُّ الأَشَدُّ إِن كانَ سِلمٌ

أَو وَغىً وَالأَلَدُّ عِندَ الجِدالِ

Is the shaking of the buzzing spears.

And you have in praise the most enduring attributes,

طالَما قُلتُ لِلمُسائِلِ عَنكُم

وَاِعتِمادي هِدايَةُ الضَلّالِ

Left by words in epics.

If the House of Darim ibn Tamim

إِن تُرِد عِلمَ حالِهِم عَن يَقينٍ

فَاِلقَهمُ في مَكارِمٍ أَو قِتالِ

Were given some of your continuous superiority,

They would veil a veiler if lineage were listed,

تَلقَ بيضَ الأَعراضِ سودَ مُثارِ ال

نَقعِ خُضرَ الأَكنافِ حُمرَ النِصالِ

And not release a released one's reins.

The overflowing love of souls and wealth

أُشُرٌ إِن طَغى بِهِم أَشَرُ العِز

زِ أَزالوا رَواسِيَ الأَجبالِ

Prevented people from aspiring for your likeness.

And the modern is content with mention of the ancient,

وَإِذا حارَبوا رَأَيتَ قُلوبَ ال

أُسدِ قَد أودِعَت صُدورَ الرِجالِ

Satisfied with old garments.

So when summoned with what necessitates praise,

وَبِهِم زُلزِلَت بِمَن قارَعوا الأَر

ضُ وَهُم أَمنُها مِنَ الزِلزالِ

They refer it to moldering bones.

And you refused to allow yourselves proximity

لَكُمُ عِزَّةُ السُيوفِ وَفيكُم

مَعَها هِزَّةُ القَنا العَسّالِ

To the whites of oryxes and browns of gazelles.

Like the refusal of stars where they descended,

وَلَكُم في المَديحِ أَبقى سِماتٍ

تَرَكَتها الأَقوالُ في الأَقيالِ

Not the refusal of lions in thickets.

And your generosity raced impulsively until

لَو أُتيحَت لِدارِمِ بنِ تَميمٍ

بِضعَةٌ مِن فَخارِكَ المُتَوالي

The judgment of scales and measurement ceased.

And long ago you were known, since you ruled,

حَجَبوا حاجِباً إِذا عُدِّدَ الفَخ

رُ وَلَم يُطلِقوا عِقالَ عِقالِ

To surpass the successor; the predecessor's merit.

For this we forget with Mahmoud's deeds

مَنَعَ الناسَ أَن يَروموا مَداكُم

فَرطُ حُبِّ النُفوسِ وَالأَموالِ

The glories of victory and riches of spoils.

You are their most helpful when the world is arid,

وَاِكتَفى مُحدَثٌ بِذِكرِ قَديمٍ

راضِياً بِالمَلابِسِ الأَسمالِ

And their guide to the roads of glory.

The predecessors fell short of its extent,

فَإِذا طولِبوا بِما يوجِبُ الحَم

دَ أَحالوا عَلى العِظامِ البَوالي

And you possessed it through six traits.

Honors with apology, pardon with power,

وَاِمتَنَعتُم مِن أَن يُباحَ لَكُم جا

رٌ بِبيضِ الظُبى وَسُمرِ العَوالي

And chastity in beauty.

And truly you were peerless in them,

كَاِمتِناعِ النُجومِ في حَيثُ حَلَّت

لا اِمتِناعِ اللُيوثِ في الأَغيالِ

Yet you reached them without an equal.

A morsel you won without proof,

وَهَمى جودُكُم جُزافاً إِلى أَن

زالَ حُكمُ الميزانِ وَالمِكيالِ

Obscure in meaning, narrow in scope.

Taking with your right what your right necessitated,

وَقَديماً عُرِفتُمُ مُذ مَلَكتُم

أَن يَفوقَ المَتلُوَّ فَضلُ التالي

The right, sister of the left.

I have not recalled homelands since my eyelid

وَلِهَذا نَنسى بِأَفعالِ مَحمو

دٍ مَعالي نَصرٍ وَمَجدَ ثِمالِ

Rested in the majesty of these realms.

With a side whose humiliation of wealth

أَنتَ أَنداهُمُ إِذا أَجدَبَ العا

مُ وَأَهداهُمُ لِطُرقِ المَعالي

Expressed the attainment of hopes.

And whenever I said you are some of the nobles of the time,

قَصَّرَ السابِقونَ دونَ مَداها

وَتَمَلَّكتَها بِسِتِّ خِصالِ

I aimed with certainty at the impossibles.

If the daughters of vigor galloped,

مَكرُماتٌ مَعَ اِعتِذارٍ وَعَفوٌ

بِاِقتِدارٍ وَعِفَّةٌ في جَمالِ

They do not race with the daughters of the knight.

How you outstripped wishes with a right inclination,

وَبِحَقٍّ أَن ظَلتَ فيها بِلا مِث

لٍ وَقَد سُدتَها بِغَيرِ مِثالِ

With abundant spontaneity.

They outweighed all cheapness with glory,

لَقَمٌ جُبتَهُ بِغَيرِ دَليلٍ

وَهوَ خافي المَجازِ ضَنكُ المَجالِ

And were exalted, so made all expensive cheap.

Whenever the promises of lightning lagged,

آخِذٌ بِاليَمينِ ما أَوجَبَتهُ

لَكَ قَبلُ اليَمينُ أُختُ الشِمالِ

It lagged behind every pouring cloud.

Honors, when attributes sculpted them,

ما ذَكَرتُ الأَوطانَ مُذ ظَلَّ طَرفي

راتِعاً في جَلالِ هَذي الخِلالِ

The arrows of hyperbole fell short of them.

Had I exaggerated beyond them, I would be

بِجَنابٍ إِذالَةُ المالِ فيهِ

أَعرَبَت عَن إِنالَةِ الآمالِ

Considered to be upon impossible impossibles.

Who distinguished between encirclements and shackles

وَمَتى قُلتُ أَنتَ بَعضُ كِرامِ ال

عَصرِ قِستُ الأَتِيَّ بِالأَوشالِ

Did not desire them from other than you.

You remain in what your hands encompassed and contain,

وَبَناتُ الجَديلِ إِن عَنَّ رَكضٌ

لا تُجاري بَناتِ ذي العُقّالِ

Safe from change or decline.

Indeed, the month of fasting revealed something

كَم سَبَقتَ المُنى بِصَوبِ يَمينٍ

في العَطايا كَثيرَةِ الإِرتِجالِ

We never witnessed in past eras.

The Night of Power was especially in it

هِيَ أَغلَت بِالعِزِّ كُلَّ رَخيصٍ

وَاِستَهَلَّت فَأَرخَصَت كُلَّ غالِ

Created for worshipers and the righteous.

And it came to us this season in general,

كُلَّما أَخلَفَت مَواعيدُ بَرقٍ

خَلَفَت كُلَّ وابِلٍ هَطّالِ

Before its time by seven nights.

So we thanked Him, and gratitude was not lacking,

مَكرُماتٌ إِذا الصِفاتُ نَحَتها

وَقَعَت دونَها سِهامُ المُغالي

A crescent that gave way to Shawwal.

And a crescent indeed won praise,

لَو تَعَدَّيتُها فُواقاً إِذاً عُد

تُ بِظَنٍّ عَلى مُحالٍ مُحالِ

It gave tidings to the full moon with a crescent.

News the ears of your enemies never comprehended,

ما بَغاها مِن عِندِ غَيرِكَ مَن يَف

رُقُ بَينَ الأَطواقِ وَالأَغلالِ

Until it choked them with mortification,

Fearing your struggle, and to the lions

دُمتَ فيما حَوَت يَداكَ وَتَحوي

آمِناً مِن تَغَيُّرٍ أَو زَوالِ

The cubs' feet stumble with terror.

So it made both Eids auspicious with prosperity,

إِنَّ شَهرَ الصِيامِ أَظهَرَ أَمراً

ما عَهِدناهُ في العُصورِ الخَوالي

An inhabitant and assailant alike.

Your good deeds outdid my words, so they came after them,

لَيلَةُ القَدرِ فيهِ كانَت خُصوصاً

خُلِقَت لِلعُبّادِ وَالأَبدالِ

Overburdened by your favors, so forgive their slackness.

Then do not blame them if they are lost

وَأَتَتنا في ذا الأَوانِ عُموماً

قَبلَ ميقاتِها بِسَبعِ لَيالي

Among your lofty, copious favors.

My gratitude is continuous and my loyalty proven,

فَشَكَرنا لَهُ وَلَم يَعدَمِ الشُك

رَ هِلالٌ أَفضى إِلى شَوّالِ

So accept the excuse of the loyal loyal one.

And lighten me if I fall short, though

وَلَقَد فازَ بِالثَناءِ هِلالٌ

بَشَّرَ البِدرَ قَبلَهُ بِهِلالِ

The stumbling of speech is no stumbling.

Although I have not slighted your kingdom with

خَبَرٌ ما وَعَتهُ أَسماعُ أَعدا

ئِكَ حَتّى أَغَصَّهُم بِالزُلالِ

Verses that remain like the nights.

Wild cattle went astray when they sought them,

رَهبَةً مِن نِضالِهِ وَإِلى الآ

سادِ قِدماً تَنَجُّلُ الأَشبالِ

And the crescent gleaned not a crescent from their sea.

فَتَهَنَّ العيدَينِ بِاليُمنِ زارا

مِن مُقيمٍ وَظاعِنٍ في الحالِ

سَبَقَت بِالجَميلِ أَفعالُكَ الغُر

رُ فَجاءَت وَراءَها أَقوالي

أَثقَلَتها أَعباءُ نُعماكَ فَاِبسُط

عُذرَها إِن أَتَتكَ غَيرَ عِجالِ

ثُمَّ لا تَلحَها إِذا هِيَ ضَلَّت

بَينَ آلائِكَ العِراضِ الطِوالِ

قَد تَوالى شُكري وَصَحَّ وَلائي

فَتَقَبَّل عُذرَ المُوالي المُوالي

وَأَقِلني إِذا عَجَزتُ وَإِن كا

نَ عِثارُ المَقالِ غَيرَ مُقالِ

مَعَ أَنّي لَم أُخلِ مُلكَكَ مِن نَظ

مِ لَآلٍ تَبقى بَقاءَ اللَيالي

ضَلَّ غَيلانُ إِذ بَغاها فَلَم يَح

ظَ بِلالٌ مِن بَحرِها بِبِلالِ