بَقَيتَ وَلا عَزَّت عَلَيكَ المَطالِبُ
فَإِنّا بِخَيرٍ ما عَدَتكَ النَوائِبُ
You remained, though demands no longer impress you,
For we live well whenever misfortunes bypass you.
لَقَد كَذَبَت مُذ ذُدتَ عَنّا ظُنونُها
فَلا صَدَقَت تِلكَ الظُنونُ الكَواذِبُ
Indeed they lied when they incited their suspicions about you -
Those lying suspicions were never truthful.
وَلا بَرِحَت تُثنى عَلى الدَهرِ أُمَّةٌ
نُفوسُهمُ مِن بَعضِ ما أَنتَ واهِبُ
No nation has ceased praising fate,
Whose souls you granted along with what you bestowed.
وَهَبتَ لَها الأَرواحَ فيما وَهَبتَهُ
فَجاوَزتَ مَن أَثنَت عَلَيهِ الحَقائِبُ
You surpassed those whom packages extolled,
Could those packages once contain thousands unable to ride mounts?
وَهَل ضَمِنَت تِلكَ الحَقائِبُ آنِفاً
أُلوفاً بِها لا تَستَقِلُّ الرَكائِبُ
You singled out one who secured your kingdom,
Returning, hoping for his generosity though late.
حَبَوتَ بِها مَن أَمَّ مُلكَكَ عائِلاً
وَعاوَدَ يُرجى جودُهُ وَهوَ آيِبُ
The deceits continue watering their waters,
As memories fade however pleasant.
وَلَم تَزَلِ الغُدرانُ تَروي مِياهُها
وَتَذهَبُ بِالذِكرِ الجَميلِ السَحائِبُ
You summoned the tents of Qilas entirely,
Brave heroes and mighty men of renowned feats.
وَأَتبَعتَها كومَ القِلاصِ جَميعُها
عِرابُ المَتالي وَالفُحولُ المَصاعِبُ
You prepared the son of Salman as if no misfortunes afflicted him,
Or as if no usurper seized what an usurper seized.
أَعَدتَ اِبنَ سَلمانٍ كَأَن لَم تُنِخ بِهِ
خُطوبٌ وَلَم يَغصِبهُ ما حازَ غاصِبُ
The gifts of a generous man beyond any description,
Which no speech enumerates or counter totals.
عَطايا كَريمٍ لا يُحيطُ بِوَصفِها
مَقالٌ وَلا يُحصي لَها العَدَّ حاسِبُ
In his chambers are magnificent boons for the healthy
That ensue and seem to ensue.
وَأَروَعَ لِلعافينَ في حُجُراتِهِ
مَواهِبُ تَتلوها وَتَترى مَواهِبُ
It pours and mouths of valleys to life
Are thirsty, and eyes of sentinels wakeful.
يَفيضُ وَأَفواهُ الشِعابِ إِلى الحَيا
ظِماءٌ وَأَمواهُ العُيونِ نَواضِبُ
You forgave sins but vengeance is absent,
As clemency remains ceaseless.
صَفوحٌ عَنِ الأَجرامِ أَمّا اِنتِقامُهُ
فَغِبٌّ وَأَمّا عَفوُهُ فَهوَ دائِبُ
Able of conciseness while hazardous,
Clear of miracles while addressing.
قَديرٌ عَلى الإيجازِ وَهوَ مُخاطِرٌ
مُبينٌ عَنِ الإِعجازِ وَهوُ مُخاطِبُ
His enemies are fettered by frustration,
His fearers in a pit of worries trapped.
مُعاديهِ في قَيدٍ مِنَ العَجزِ راسِفٌ
وَخاشيهِ في يَمٍّ مِنَ الهَمِّ راسِبُ
Thus kingdoms cannot climb his ranks,
Nor do his actions meet reproach.
فَما تَرتَقي الأَملاكُ في دَرَجاتِهِ
وَلا تَلتَقي أَفعالُهُ وَالمَعايبُ
In it are the essence of knowledge, forbearance and argument,
Its conversations amid the two abodes a blazing star.
ضَرائِبُ فيها العِلمُ وَالحِلمُ وَالحِجى
أَحاديثُها في الخافِقَينِ ضَوارِبُ
It was not mentioned but died of its affliction
An envious, hateful, genetic or sly enemy.
وَما ذُكِرَت إِلا وَماتَ بِدائِهِ
حَسودٌ حَقودٌ أَو كَنودٌ مُوارِبُ
You triumphed in attaining glories and possessing them,
For none other singular has determination as a companion.
تَفَرَّدتَ في كَسبِ المَعالي وَحَوزِها
وَغَيرُ فَريدٍ مَن لَهُ العَزمُ صاحِبُ
Its Lord is not who rivals its youth,
And whose step in its path is not nearby.
وَما رَبُّها مَن رَبَّها نابِيَ الشَبا
وَمَن خَطوُهُ في طُرقِها مُتَقارِبُ
Leave worries to the ambitious without gain,
And whom misfortunes do not eradicate.
ذَرِ الهَمَّ لِلمُرتادِ ما لا يَنالُهُ
وَمَن لَم تُنَكِّبهُ الخُطوبُ النَواكِبُ
Subjugate the difficulty of sleep with that by which
You solaced the sleep of creation while single.
وَذَلِّل عَصِيَّ النَومِ بِالسَطوَةِ الَّتي
أَرَحتَ بِها نَومَ الوَرى وَهوَ عازِبُ
With fine praise that covered the land so it was adorned
By its east and its west.
وَطيبِ ثَناءٍ طَبَّقَ الأَرضَ فَاِكتَسَت
مَشارِقُها مِن عَرفِهِ وَالمَغارِبُ
A Nusayri kingdom, Saalihi kingdom,
Whose ambitions and thin ships were duties.
وَمَملَكَةٍ نَصرِيَّةٍ صالِحِيَّةٍ
هَمَتها العَوالي وَالرِهافُ القَواضِبُ
An resolve prevented its possession by foreign hands,
Which safeguarded what relatives squandered.
أَبَت حَوزَها أَيدي الأَباعِدِ هِمَّةٌ
حَفِظتَ بِها ما ضَيَّعَتهُ الأَقارِبُ
You were agony to those who offended it,
And were it not for agony, no drinker would gag on water.
وَكُنتَ شَجىً لِلآخِذيها تَعَدِّياً
وَلَولا الشَجى ما غَصَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُ
You added to turbulence fear, though
Its waters had calmed and its beddings soothed.
أَضَفتَ إِلى التَكديرِ خَوفاً وَقَد صَفَت
مَشارِبُ فيها وَاِطمَأَنَّت مَسارِبُ
You reconciled it and reconciled enemy to enemy,
Stabbing one another until you protected it and it fought back.
وَواصَلتَها وَصلَ الغَريمِ غَريمَهُ
تُطاعِنُ حَتّى حُزتَها وَتُضارِبُ
Valour inspired you to attack depravity,
So you did not flee the horror which you rode.
وَأَلهَمَكَ البَأسُ الهُجومَ عَلى الرَدى
فَلَم تَهَبِ الهَولَ الَّذي أَنتَ راكِبُ
It refused you accept anything but remarkable feats,
In which the reed attains lofty positions.
أَبَت لَكَ أَن تَرضى بِدَيمٍ وَقائِعٌ
تُعِلُّ القَنا فيها فَتَعلو المَراتِبُ
Your positions belied what the enemies claimed,
And who said the swords have no striker?
مَواقِفُكُم كَذَّبنَ ما اِدَّعَتِ العِدى
وَمَن قالَ قِدماً أَينَ بِالسَيفِ ضارِبُ
How so when you chronicled in every predicament
Pages recited with melancholic lines?
وَأَنّى وَقَد سَطَّرتَ في كُلِّ مَأزِقٍ
صَحائِفَ تُتلى وَالسُطورُ الكَتائِبُ
Pages which time must preserve,
For it has strong purpose and the clerk is steadfast.
صَحائِفُ مَفروضٌ عَلى الدَهرِ حِفظُها
لَها العَزمُ مُملٍ وَالمُهَنَّدُ كاتِبُ
That purpose and wisdom were coupled with ingenuity
That relates what endings concealed.
وَضافَرَ ذاكَ العَزمَ وَالحَزمَ فِكرَةٌ
تُحَدِّثُ عَمّا أَضمَرَتهُ العَواقِبُ
You revealed to days both softness and hardness,
Which you alternate befriending and combatting.
وَأَظهَرتَ لِلأَيّامِ ليناً وَقَسوَةً
تُسالِمُها طَوراً وَطَوراً تُحارِبُ
It passes pleasing you that you triumphed over it
With your view, audacity, while it is defeats.
تَمِرُّ وَتَحلَولي عَلى أَن غَلَبتَها
بِرَأيِكَ وَالإِقدامِ وَهيَ غَوالِبُ
In those efforts you clarified a discrepancy
By which this consistent suit was completed.
وَأَوضَحتَ في تِلكَ المَساعي تَبايُناً
بِهِ تَمَّ هَذا السُؤدُدُ المُتَناسِبُ
Destiny obeyed you as if it were
Under your command or fleeing your assault.
وَطاعَ لَكَ المِقدارُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ
بِأَمرِكَ جارٍ أَو لِبَطشِكَ هائِبُ
Are you not from those foremost people for whom protection
Against humiliating their enemies is a duty of lethal swords?
أَلَستَ مِنَ القَومِ الأُلى كَفَلَت لَهُم
بِإِذلالِ مَن عادَوا عِتاقٌ سَلاهِبُ
If they ignite at night no darkness falls,
And if they blaze at dawn no fugitive escapes.
إِذا قَدَحَت في اللَيلِ لَم يَدجُ غاسِقٌ
وَإِن ضَبَحَت في الصُبحِ لَم يَنجُ هارِبُ
An Indian sword if unsheathed for war
Its scabbards are filled with dyes and accessories.
وَهِندِيَّةٌ إِن جُرِّدَت لِكَريهَةٍ
فَأَغمادُها فيها الطُلى وَالتَرائِبُ
Places of prayer which when they bow, enemies bow down
Prostrating while effects of planets are conflicts.
مَواضٍ إِذا صَلَّت وَصَلَّت لَها العِدى
سُجوداً فَآثارُ المَذاكي مَحارِبُ
A mare whose chase is followed by depravity,
When it dashes into battlefields hunting beasts emerge.
وَخَطِّيَّةٌ يُلفى الرَدى تَبَعاً لَها
إِذا مَرَقَت في الأُسدِ مِنها الثَعالِبُ
Their bottoms are in seas of your palms,
They plunged while their peaks are orbiting stars.
أَسافَلُها في أَبحُرٍ مِن أَكُفِّكُم
طَمَت وَأَعاليها نُجومٌ ثَواقِبُ
Illuminating the ascent of meteors while rising
And building the beacon of glory while setting.
تُضيءُ مُثارَ النَقعِ وَهيَ طَوالِعٌ
وَتَبني مَنارَ العِزِّ وَهيَ غَوارِبُ
The asset of kings who care not in generosity
And daring into detested peril however much time brings.
عَتادُ مُلوكٍ لا يُبالونَ في النَدى
وَخَوضِ الرَدى المَكروهِ ما الدَهرُ جالِبُ
You love of valour what existence hates
And feel tranquillity as passions rave.
تُحِبُّ مِنَ الإِقدامِ ما أَبغَضَ الوَرى
وَتَسلو عَنِ الأَرواحِ وَهيَ حَبائِبُ
Victors of Shaddad and pride of Rabee’ah
And the masters of Ka’b wherever virtues are counted.
نَصِيَّةُ شَدّادٍ وَفَخرُ رَبيعَةٍ
وَسادَةُ كَعبٍ حينَ تُحصى المَناقِبُ
Glories in your likeness are wondrous,
Hostile parties while among you are adolescents.
تَظَلُّ المَعالي في سِواكُم غَرائِباً
ذَواتِ نِفارٍ وَهيَ فيكُم رَبائِبُ
When your deeds are counted to a boastful one,
You are without need to count suits.
إِذا عُدِّدَت أَفعالُكُم عِندَ مَفخَرٍ
غَنيتُم بِها عَن أَن تُعَدَّ المَناسِبُ
Every conversation that was joyful was not
Among you nonsense which youth and calamities arise.
وَكُلُّ حَديثٍ سارَ لَم يَكُ فيكُمُ
هَباءٌ أَثارَتهُ صَباً وَجَنائِبُ
The children of Sa’sa’ah reached through you,
Threads of noble lineage which planets do not claim.
لَقَد بَلَغَت أَبناءُ صَعصَعَةٍ بِكُم
ذُرى شَرَفٍ لا تَدَّعيهِ الكَواكِبُ
And were it not for God’s Messenger, you would not
Adorn sublimity, and no victor would dominate glory.
وَلَولا رَسولُ اللَهِ لَم تُلوِ بِالعُلى
لُؤَيٌّ وَلَم تَغلِب عَلى المَجدِ غالِبُ
You are the most faithful of people in might and aid
When processions come from every desolate abode.
وَإِنَّكَ أَوفى الناسِ بَأساً وَنَجدَةً
إِذا أَقبَلَت مِن كُلِّ أَوبٍ مَواكِبُ
And the most composed among them in adversity, if a mood was annoyed,
When a poet suppresses and a speaker is silenced.
وَأَحضَرُهُم في الخَطبِ إِن عَزَّ خاطِرٌ
إِذا شاعِرٌ أَكدى وَأُفحِمَ خاطِبُ
I see my camels have settled a habitat and awoken
Submissive with their saddles and returning.
أَرى إِبِلي أَلفَت مُناخاً فَأَصبَحَت
مُسالِمَةً أَقتابُها وَالغَوارِبُ
Its decline and fertility have doubled
What the destiny and predestinators manifested.
وأَسعَفَها خَفضُ المُقامِ وَخِصبُهُ
بِأَضعافِ ما بَزَّ السُرى وَالسَباسِبُ
If it left aside the crown of kings behind,
What is sought would be unattained and seeker fails.
وَلَو تَرَكَت تَاجَ المُلوكِ وَراءَها
تَعَذَّرَ مَطلوبٌ وَأَخفَقَ طالِبُ
I found wealth, honour, security and sublimity,
Thus no surprise that paths became obstructed before me.
وَجَدتُ الغِنى وَالعِزَّ وَالأَمنَ وَالعُلى
فَلا غَروَ أَن سُدَّت عَلَيَّ المَذاهِبُ
Some people want my humiliation and pleading,
Yet who adorned you with honour cannot be stripped.
يُريدُ أُناسٌ بِذلَتي وَضَراعَتي
وَلَيسَ لِمَن سَربَلتَهُ العِزَّ سالِبُ
Your hands made praise of a group needless,
Their praises to composers are downfalls.
أَياديكَ أَغنَت عَن مَدائِحِ مَعشَرٍ
مَدائِحُهُم لِلناظِميها مَثالِبُ
When fires were kindled against villages and homes,
No fire remains but what the examining behold.
إِذَ شُبَّتِ النيرانُ لِلقُرِّ وَالقِرى
فَلا نارَ إِلّا ما يُريهِ الحُباحِبُ
So I turned away from whom if I stood at his door,
A doorman would glare and a frown would turn away.
فَأَضرَبتُ عَمَّن لَو وَقَفتُ بِبابِهِ
تَنَمَّرَ بَوّابٌ وَأَعرَضَ حاجِبُ
And one whom enemies attain through him their desire,
Though they fall short in capability and seekers lose hope.
وَمَن تَبلُغُ الأَعداءُ فيهِ مُرادَها
وَإِن قَصَّرَت عَجزاً وَراجيهِ خائِبُ
Yet he lives and duty to loyalists is not incumbent,
Nor is making enemies love incumbent.
فَيَحيا وَما حَقُّ المُواليهِ واجِبٌ
عَلَيهِ وَلا قَلبُ المُعاديهِ واجِبُ
So, you whose benevolence is known white-haired!
You prepared the tent and the head became white-haired.
فَيا شائِبَ المَعروفِ بِالبِشرِ مُنعِماً
أَعَدتَ الخَبابَ الغَضَّ وَالرَأسُ شائِبُ
And were it not for a time during which I visited you,
What is lost of the flowers of youth would not go.
وَلَولا زَمانٌ في ذَرَاكَ قَطَعتُهُ
لَما عادَ مِن شَرخِ الشَبِيبَةِ ذاهِبُ
You were sculpted by rhymes which are assistants,
And here they are chaste with you, adoring.
نَحَتكَ القَوافي وَهيَ عونٌ عَوانِسٌ
وَها هِيَ أَبكارٌ لَدَيكَ كَواعِبُ
Virtuous qualities refuse to be weighed by doubt,
And my treaty with them while they are flirtatious maidens.
عَقائِلُ تَأبى أَن تُزَنَّ بِرِيَبةٍ
وَعَهدي بِها وَهيَ الإِماءُ الحَواطِبُ
My sin is they were sent to other than their worthy ones,
But I now repent to glory from it.
وَذَنبِيَ أَن زُفَّت إِلى غَيرِ أَهلِها
أَلا إِنَّني مِنهُ إِلى المَجدِ تائِبُ
Ugly is one guiding after being guided,
And nullifying what trials have chronicled.
قَبيحٌ دَلالُ المَرءِ بَعدَ اِهتِدائِهِ
وَإِبطالُهُ ما خَبَّرَتهُ التَجارِبُ
With you unconcealed in this time were found, O son of Nasr son of Saalih,
Wondrous things amid wonders.
وَعِندَكَ لاقَت يا اِبنَ نَصرِ بنِ صالِحٍ
رَغائِبَ في هَذا الزَمانِ غَرائِبُ
And from fear of shortcoming I returned saying,
And their heat was not diminished by ages wasting away:
وَمِن رَهبَةِ التَقصيرِ عاوَدتُ قائِلاً
وَلَم تَحوِ شَرواها العُصورُ الذَواهِبُ
“Is not the feast but some of your days?
Which resembles it in beauty and corresponds”.
هَلِ العيدُ إِلّا بَعضُ أَيّامِكَ الَّتي
تُماثِلُهُ في حُسنِهِ وَتُناسِبُ
You continue adorning it with beauties when present,
And succeed it among its people while absent.
فَلا زِلتَ تَكسوهُ المَحاسِنَ حاضِراً
وَتَخلُفُهُ في أَهلِهِ وَهوَ غائِبُ
Impenetrable refuge, you bestow upon it garments
Whose trails above the sky are clouds.
مَنيعَ الحِمى تَضفو عَلَيكَ مَلابِسٌ
لِأَذيالِها فَوقَ السَماءِ مَساحِبُ
The nights did not rob me of you, and I
desire no life but in your side.
وَلا سَلَبَتنيكَ اللَيالي فَإِنَّني
عَنِ العَيشِ إِلّا في جَنابِكَ راغِبُ
