عاذَ بِالصَفحِ مَن أَحَبَّ البَقاءَ

وَاِحتَمى جاعِلُ الخُضوعِ وِقاءَ

He who loved survival sought refuge in forgiveness

And made humility his protection

فَلتَنَم أُمَّةُ المَسيحِ طَويلاً

كَفَّ مَن يَمنَعُ العِدى الإِغفاءَ

So let the community of the Messiah sleep long

Enough withholding aggression from dozing off

مَلِكٌ يَطلُبُ المُلوكُ رِضاهُ

مِثلَما يَطلَبُ العَليلُ الشِفاءَ

A king whose pleasure other kings seek

As the ill seek healing

قَسَمَت راحَتاهُ جوداً وَفَتكاً

في الأَنامِ السَرّاءَ وَالضَرّاءَ

He divided his comfort, generosity and ferocity

Between happy and dire times

ما بَهَرتَ العُقولَ يا مُعجِزَ الآ

ياتِ إِلّا لِتَجمَعَ الأَهواءَ

You did not dazzle minds, O miracle of verses

Except to reconcile passions

هُدنَةٌ بَقَّتِ النُفوسَ عَلى الرو

مِ فَكانوا بِشُكرِها أَملِياءَ

A truce that kept souls hopeful

So they were full of thanks for it

وَإِنِ اِستَعجَمَ المَقالُ فَذي الأَف

عالُ قَد أَصبَحَت بِهِ فُصَحاءَ

If speech was hasty, then the man of deeds

Became eloquent through them

لَم يُفِد رَأيُ مَن يُصانِعُ بِالشَي

ءِ رَجاءً أَن يَمنَعَ الأَشياءَ

The view of one who pretends for something’s sake

Hoping to prevent things, was of no use

أَمِنوا بِالإِهداءِ ما خيفَ مِن هَ

ذي العَوادِي حَتّى لَظُنَّ اِهتِداءَ

Trust in making peace what roused fear

Lest you think it right to set out

نَظَرٌ ثَبَّتَ المَمالِكَ فيهِم

رُبَّ أَخذٍ تَخالُهُ إِعطاءَ

A look that stabilized realms in them

Much taking, imagining it giving

لا يَعُدّوا هَذي المَنائِحَ خُسراً

إِنَّما الخُسرُ لَو عَزَمتَ لِقاءَ

They should not count these expenses as losses

But the loss would be if you intended meeting

لَن يُريدَ الَجزاءَ مِنكَ عَلَيها

مَلكُهُم حَسبُهُ رِضاكَ جَزاءَ

Their king does not want any reward from you for them

Your pleasure with him is enough reward

سَلَّ مِنهُ سَيفاً عَلى غَيرِ الأَي

يامِ وَاِجتابَ نَثرَةً حَصداءَ

Ask from him a sword for other than the appointed times

And bestow a scattered harvest

يا مُبيدَ الأَحقادِ أَعظَمُ طَبٍّ

واحِدٌ عَمَّ نَفعُهُ الأَعضاءَ

O killer of grudges, the greatest good

Whose benefit covered all limbs

وَبِرَأيٍ رَدَّ العَداوَةَ في الدي

نِ وِداداً وَاِستَأصَلَ الشَحناءَ

With an opinion, he returned enmity to amity in religion

And uprooted discord

وَبِعَفوٍ أُنيلَ فَاِستَملَكَ الأَح

رارَ عَفواً وَاِستَنقَذَ الأُسَراءَ

With pardoning he gained control of bitterness

Pardoning and rescuing prisoners

حُزتَ حُكمَ الجُيوشِ فيهِم وَما جَه

هَزتَ جَيشاً وَلا عَقَدتَ لِواءَ

You won command of armies over them and did not mobilize

An army or raise a banner

فَأَقِم وادِعاً فَما نِلتَ بِالآ

راءِ تُفني العِدى وَتُبقي العِداءَ

So remain peaceful, for you have not, with views

Eliminated enemies but perpetuated enmity

وَعَظَتهُم آياتُكَ اللائي حَطَّت

عَن رِجالِ الخِلافَةِ الأَعباءَ

And your verses that relieved

The men of succession of burdens admonished them

قَتَلَت مَن دَنا مِنَ الحَربِ جَهلاً

وَأَخافَت أَخبارُها مَن تَناءَى

You killed whoever ignorantly drew near war

And reports of them frightened whoever held back

وَكِلابٌ إِذ صَبَّحَتهُم بيَومٍ

أَكثَرَ القَتلَ فيهِمُ وَالسِباءَ

They were dogs—when it gave them a day

In which there was much killing and captivity

في كُماةٍ تَمشي البَراحَ إِلى المَو

تِ إِذا دَبَّتِ الكُماةُ الضَراءَ

In a blizzard, the sails walk toward death

When the blizzard turns dire

كَيفَ يَقوى عَلى مُحارَبَةِ الطا

رِدِ مَن لا يُواجِهُ الطُرَداءَ

How can one who does not withstand expulsion

Resist fighting off someone repelled?

كانَ إِقدامُ عامِرٍ لَكَ إِضرا

ءً وَقَد أَحسَنوا هُناكَ البَلاءَ

The recklessness of ‘Amir was harmful to you

And they behaved well there through testing

عَجَباً لِلَّذي حَوى مَفخَرَ الفَت

حِ وَلَمّا يُشاهِدِ الهَيجاءَ

Wondrous is he who contained the pride of the conquest

And did not witness tumult

فَأَقامَت وَلَو أَقَمتَ عَلى السُخ

طِ لَجاءَت في أَهلِها شُفَعاءَ

So it stood, but had you been violent

Intercessors would have come among its people

حينَ راؤا السُيوفَ لَم تُغنِ شَيئاً

أَغمَدوها وَجَرَّدوا الآراءَ

When they saw swords, they were of no use

They sheathed them and bared views

رَهِبوا أَن يَكونَ حَربُكَ لِلمُل

كِ اِنتِهاءً فَاِستَعطَفوكَ اِبتِداءَ

They feared your war would mean

The end of the kingdom, so they placated you at first

وَأَناخوا بِكَ المُنى حينَ أَلفَوا

في يَدَيكَ الآراءَ وَالإِجراءَ

And pinned hopes on you when they found

In your hands views and actions

فَسَقَيتَ المُنى مِنَ الأَمنِ رَيّاً

وَرَكَزتَ القَنا اللِدانَ ظِماءَ

So you watered their hopes with security

And implanted springs in the barren

هَبكَ أَعطَيتَهُم أَماناً أَعَدَّي

تَ إِلى أَشرَفِ الخِلالِ العَطاءَ

Your gift gave them safety—you prepared

Them for the noblest traits of giving

مِنَّةً عَلَّمَت ذَوي البَخَلِ الجو

دَ وَسَنَّت لِلعادِمينَ الوَفاءَ

A blessing that taught the stingy generosity

And exemplified loyalty for the destitute

فَعَلوا ما حَبَاكَ مَجداً فَلَم أَذ

رِ اِعتِماداً أَبَوهُ أَم إِخطاءَ

So they did what brought you glory—I have not

Discerned reliance or mistake in it

حينَ فَكّوا أَسرى فَأَحرَزتَ أَجراً

وَأَنالوا وَفراً فَخُزتَ ثَناءَ

When they released prisoners, you gained reward

And they attained advantage, so you gained praise

فَلِهذا أَطلَقتَهُم مِن إِسارِ ال

خَوفِ بَعضاً مَنّاً وَبَعضاً فِداءَ

So for this you released them from captivity of fear

Some as favor, some as ransom

فَاِشكُرِ الآنَ لِلمَساعي اللَواتي

جَعَلَت في إِسارِكَ الطُلَقاءَ

Thank now for the efforts that

Made the emancipated yours

وَإِذا رُمتَ غايَةً بَعدَت نَي

لاً أَخَذتَ الظُبى بِها كُفَلاءَ

And if you seek a distant goal

You take zebras to reach it as mounts

لَو تَيَمَّمتَ أَرضَ خَفّانَ يَوماً

لَأَحَلتَ الزَئيرَ فيها عِواءَ

Had you one day resolved on Khaffan’s land

You would have let out roaring there

عَطَفوا دَهرَهُم بِعَطفِكَ عِلماً

أَنَّهُ لَن يَشاءَ حَتّى تَشاءَ

They adapted their lives by your care, knowing

It will not want until you want

عَرَفَ الناسُ مِنهُمُ الحَزمَ قِدماً

فَلِهَذا سَمَّوهُمُ حُكَماءَ

People recognized wisdom in them long ago

So for this they named them sages

لَم تَزَل تَقَهرُ العِدى فَلِهَذا

كُلَّما أَنجَبوا اِستَزَدتَ سَناءَ

You never ceased subduing enemies—for this,

Whenever they sired, your glory increased

يُحرِزُونَ المَدى وَتَذهَبُ بِالحَم

دِ فَما يَربَحونَ إِلّا العَناءَ

They seize extent, while you take away praise

So they profit only fatigue

أَيُّ حَيفٍ وَلِلخِلافَةِ سَيفٌ

تَستَمِدُّ السُيوفُ مِنهُ المَضاءَ

What injustice that the caliphate has a sword

From which swords derive sharpness!

فَلتُفاخِر بِحَدِّهِ بَعدَ عِلمٍ

أَنَّ صَفوَ الحَياةِ مِمّا أَفاءَ

So boast of its blade, knowing

The essence of life is what it yielded

ما تَخَلَّفتَ عَن صَلاحٍ لِهَذا ال

دينِ مُذ ظَلتَ تَخلُفُ الخُلَفاءَ

You never failed goodness for this religion

Since you continued to succeed the successors

رُقتَهُم بِالإِباءِ وَالنُصحِ فَالآ

باءُ مِنهُم توصي بِكَ الأَبناءَ

You cared for them with coercion and advice—so

Fathers from them advise sons about you

وَأَبَنتَ الغِنى لَهُم عَن جَميعِ ال

خَلقِ مُذ صادَفوا لَدَيكَ الغَناءَ

You made independence from all people available

Since they found with you self-sufficiency

تُوقَدُ النارُ في الظَلامِ وَلَكِن

لَيسَ يَجلو الهَزِيعَ كَاِبنِ ذُكاءَ

Fires blaze in darkness but

A keen mind does not illuminate gloom like high intelligence

ما سَبَقتَ الكُفاةَ في الأَمَدِ الأَب

عَدِ إِلّا لِتِعدَمَ الأَكفاءَ

You never preceded averages in the farthest future

Except to eliminate peers

خابَ راجي العُلُوِّ يا عَضُدَ الدَو

لَةِ مُذ أَحرَزَت يَداكَ العَلاءَ

Who hopes for greatness—O pillar of the state—has failed

Since your hands seized the heights

وَلِمَن يَبتَغى عُقوقُكَ ظَنٌّ

عَوَّدَتهُ صِفاتُكَ الإِكداءَ

Whoever seeks to wrong you, qualities

Accustomed him to biting misfortune

مَن بَغى أَن يَعِزَّ سِلماً وَحَرباً

فَليُقارِع قِراعَكَ الأَعداءَ

Whoever craves esteem in peace and war

Must take up arms against your enemies

يا أَميرَ الجُيوشِ لا عَدِمَت مِن

كَ أَميراً يَستَخدِمُ الأَمَراءَ

O commander of armies—you never lacked

A commander employing commanders

فَإِذا ما الأَصحابُ خامَت عَنِ الأَر

بابِ كانوا بِسَيفِهِ عُتَقاءَ

So whenever the loyal peers decline

His sword will emancipate them

أَنتَ غَيثٌ إِذا اِعتَرى الأَرضَ مَحلٌ

وَدَواءٌ إِذا اِشتَكى الدينُ داءَ

You are a rain when dearth befalls the land

And a cure if religion ails

فِضتَ حَتّى عَلى التُرابِ نَوالاً

وَفَكَكتَ العُناةَ حَتّى الماءَ

You have poured on the ground rennet

And drained springs until the water

أَفَعيناً حَفَرتَ أَم هُوَ بَحرٌ

بانَ لَمّا كَشَفتَ عَنهُ الغِطاءَ

Were they snakes that you dug up?

Or was it a sea that surfaced when you lifted its veil?

لَم نَخَل قَطُّ أَنَّ في العَزمِ سَيلاً

تَذهَبُ الراسِياتُ فيهِ جُفاءَ

We never supposed resolve had a torrent

Sweeping away towering things into nothingness

فَمِنَ الناسِ مَن يَقولُ تَعالَت

هِمَّةٌ تَترُكُ الجِبالَ هَباءَ

Of people one says, “High ambitions that leave

Mountains as dust,”

وَمِنَ الناسِ قائِلٌ لَيسَ يُستَن

كَرُ أَن تُجرِيَ البِحارُ النِهاءَ

And one says, “It cannot be denied oceans might be made to flow”

A legacy—though ages pass

أَثَرٌ سَوفَ تَنقَضي حِقَبُ الدَه

رِ وَلَم تَستَطِع لَهُ إِخفاءَ

It cannot be concealed

Kings have seen your view and, falling short,

قَد رَأَت رَأيَكَ المُلوكُ وَعَجزاً

تَرَكوا ما أَتَيتَ لا إِلغاءَ

They have left what you came for untouched

Were it not for what you watered, winter would envy

لَأَفَضتَ الأَمواهَ حَتّى لَخيلَ ال

صَيفُ مِمّا سَقَت فَرَوَّت شِتاءَ

Even horses in summer for the watering you brought it

How many plateau around Damascus

كَم بِقُطرَي دِمَشقَ مِن قَفرَةٍ حَص

صاءَ صارَت خَميلَةً خَضراءَ

Were rough gravel—now verdant meadows!

Its people enjoyed the water’s yield

جادَها مِن جَميلِ رَأَيِكَ نَوءٌ

قَد كَفاها أَن تَرقُبَ الأَنواءَ

Surely irrigating land yields riches

So let others endure clouds—you created

فَجَنى أَهلُها مِنَ الماءِ مالاً

إِنَّ رَيَّ الثَرى يُفيدُ الثَراءَ

In the land an everlasting tap

One blessing covered the lands

فَليَشِم غَيرُنا السَحابَ فَقَد أَن

شَأتَ في الأَرضِ ديمَةَ وَطفاءَ

And another in the son of Saif covered the living

Ask and it would be set loose even if

نِعَمةٌ عَمَّتِ البِلادَ وَأُخرى

في اِبنِ سَيفٍ قَد عَمَّتِ الأَحياءَ

Not for you, the seeker would endure a long time

And if adversity went on in repelling adversity

فَاِنكَفا مُطلَقاً وَلَو غَيرُكَ الطا

لِبُ إِطلاقَهُ لَطالَ ثَواءَ

And weakened, you remedied it with a hint

What you lavished on enemies so surpassed kindness

وَإِذا الخَطبُ طالَ في دَفعِهِ الخَط

بُ وَأَعيا فَصَلتَهُ إيماءَ

Clouds withdrew from them—excelling boons

Every day you offer them a white hand

مِنَّةٌ في عَدِيَّ قَد جَلَّتِ الغَم

ماءَ عَنهُم وَفاقَتِ النَعماءَ

That twists with black crisis

So return his verbal injury with kindness and pardon

عَظُمَت مَوقِعاً وَما زِلتَ بِالآ

لاءِ قِدماً تُطَرِّزُ الآلاءَ

Doing good even if he does evil

Matching kindness with the traits

كُلَّ يَومٍ تُسدي إِلَيهِم يَداً بَي

ضاءَ تُلوي بِأَزمَةٍ سَوداءَ

Of a dog—so the living would be equal

A king called out at adversity

فَتَغَمَّد سَمِيَّهُ مَنكَ بِالرَأ

فَةِ وَالعَفوِ مُحسِناً إِن أَساءَ

With a call, so respond to the call

So remedy recklessness which time’s circumstances

مُلحِقاً بِالإِحسانِ مَعناً بِكَلبٍ

لَيَكونَ الحَيّانِ فيهِ سَواءَ

Have left with only blame

If his crimes exhausted mercy

قَد أَصَمَّ الخُطوبَ مِن حَيثُ نادى

مَلِكٌ بِالنَدى يُجيبُ النَداءَ

Then pardon with protective zeal and refusal

This king is not pleased that Romans are seen

فَتَدارَك حُشاشَةً لَم تَدَع مِن

ها صُروفُ الزَمانِ إِلّا ذَماءَ

As guards among Arabs after them

Kings succeeded you over them but

وَإِنَ اِستَنفَدَت جَرائِمَهُ الرَح

مَةَ فَاِصفَح حَميَّةً وَإِباءَ

As darkness succeeds light

Your deeds distinguished you from the world’s savant

لَيسَ ذا المُلكُ راضِياً أَن تُرى الرو

مُ لِعُربٍ مِن بَعدِها خُفَراءَ

So no wonder you won heaven

Have you continued to be creative out of inspiration

خَلَفَتكَ المُلوكُ فيهِم وَلَكِن

مِثلَما يَخلُفُ الظَلامُ الضِياءَ

Or has transcendence become your allotted share?

Or did the one who taught Adam names

لَم تَزَل مُبدِعاً فَلَم أَدرِ إِلها

ماً عَرَفتَ الإِعجازَ أَم إيحاءَ

Teach you then to ride trainable zebras?

Deeds singled you out from the earth’s folk

أَم أَصارَ السُمُوَّ قِسمَكَ مَن عَل

لَمَ مِن قَبلُ آدَمَ الأَسماءَ

So no wonder if you gain heaven

Your generosity’s boons overwhelmed me

فَتَجاوَز رُكوبَ جُردِ المَذاكي

أَنَفاً مِنهُ وَاِمتَطِ الجَوزاءَ

Leaving me no hopes in either world

So I shunned creation, with none to blame,

مَيَّزَتكَ الأَفعالُ عَن عالَمِ الأَر

ضِ فَلا غَروَ أَن تَنالَ السَماءَ

Abandoning aspiration when I achieved fullness

May my life in your presence continue happily!

غَمَرَتني آلاءُ جودِكَ حَتّى

لَم تَدَع لي في العالَمينَ رَجاءَ

So let my poetry thrive happily in your yards!

Your efforts look beautiful in eyes

فَرَفَضتُ الوَرى وَغَيرُ مَلومٍ

تارِكُ الرَشحِ مَن أَصابَ الرَواءَ

And reports of you became good among people

God created in you such superiority

دامَ عَيشي في ذا الجَنابِ هَنيئاً

فَليَدُم في ذَراهُ شِعري هَناءَ

So let each praiser say what he wants!

You filled the earth entirely with justice

حَسُنَت في العُيونِ مَرأىً مَساعي

كَ وَطابَت بَينَ الوَرى أَنباءَ

So its inhabitants filled the heavens with prayer

You protected us from evils in every way

خَلَقَ اللَهُ فيكَ ما شِئتَ فَضلاً

فَليَقُل كَلُّ مادِحٍ ما شاءَ

He who protected us from evils by your nearness

قَد مَلَأتَ الأَرضَ القَريضَةَ عَدلاً

فَمَلا أَهلُها السَماءَ دُعاءَ

فَوَقانا الأَسواءَ فيكَ جَميعاً

مَن وَقانا بِقُربِكَ الأَسواءَ