عاش وصلاً وغيره مات صدّا
مستهامٌ لسلوةِ ما تصدَّى
He lived united while others died divided,
Aiming for the gentle pace of his steadiness.
بأبي زائرٌ وقد شرعَ الإص
باحُ يطوي من الدجنة برْدا
My father visits while he starts the evening,
The morning folds away the darkness’ cold.
ونسيم الصّبا على الأفقِ يُذكي
سحراً من مجامر الزهرِ ندَّا
The breeze of the zephyr enlivens the horizon,
Spreading the magic of flowers’ nectar.
يا رعى الله سفحَ نعمانَ سفحاً
وسقى الله عهد نعمان عهدا
O Allah, make Ne’man’s valley a fertile valley,
And give Ne’man’s era its share of water.
ومهاة تعدّ نعمان داراً
واللوى والعقيقَ صدغاً وخدَّا
And Maha counts Ne’man as home,
The twisting roads and carnelian a cheek and bosom.
مشتهاة اللقا كما تشتهى الدن
يا وإن أتعب النفوس وأكدى
Yearned for like the religion yearns for faith,
Yes, though it wearies souls and subjects them.
يتثنى الأراكُ زهراً فينبي
إنَّ في ثغرها مداماً وشهدا
The small pearls bend like flowers blooming,
In their smile is a draft of wine and honey.
ومن الجوهر الصغير يتيماً
لم يدع للهوى لرائيه رشدا
And a small orphaned jewel,
That did not leave passion for its viewer any sanity.
ما علمنا من قبله في تصاني
ف الهوى إنَّ لابن بسَّام عقدا
We did not know before him such refinement in passion,
Ibn Bissam has indeed a necklace in passion.
كيراعِ الوزيرِ جوداً وبأساً
حين تذكو في الحالتين وتندى
Like the minister’s generosity and might,
When remembered in both situations, he aspires.
الوزير الذي نهى الخطب عنا
فتعدَّى عنا ولم يتعدى
The minister who forbid us from loving,
So we turned away and did not transgress.
يتقي جانب التقيّ وتخشى الإن
سُ والجن من سليمان حدا
He fears the side of the devout and dreads
Ins and Jinn feared Solomon and his limits.
أوفر العالمين عزًّا وعزماً
وهو أوفى العباد نسكاً وزهدا
The most glorious and determined of both worlds,
And the most pious of worshipers in devotion and asceticism.
طالع يجتلي به الملكُ بدراً
ووقور يحبه الملك أُحدا
A rising full moon in the king’s sight,
And dignified whom the king loves completely.
ومهيبٌ لو يلمح الدّمَ لم يخ
رج من العرق حين يفصد فصدا
Awe-inspiring, if he saw blood he would not
Sweat until blood flows from him forcefully.
وحليمٌ قد راقه الحلم حتى
كاد مخطي الذنوب يذنب عمدا
Clement, so that clemency suits him,
Until the sinner of sins would intentionally sin.
وجواد لو رام فيض الغوادي
أن يحاكيه عُدّ ذلك فردا
Generous, if the rain of generosity,
Wanted to emulate him, that would be unique.
ورئيس كما تريد المعالي
لا كمن آده المسيرُ فردَّا
A leader as glory wants,
Not like whom the journey made slow and tumble.
وبليغ تنضد المدح فيه
وهو أبهى منه وأنضر نهدا
Eloquent whom praise in him gushes,
While he is more radiant than it, brighter chested.
يرتجى سيبه ويخشى ذكاه
فيرجى نقداً ويحذَرُ نقدا
Whose sword is hoped for and whose intellect feared,
So his minted coins are hoped for and his coins dreaded.
خطبته وزارةٌ وجدته
في اكتساب العلى أجدَّ وأجدى
His speech is ministry and his essence found
In reaching the heights most productive and useful.
ورأت صَلْصَلاً بفضل علاه
شهدت في الورى صحابٌ وأعدا
And it saw a necklace due to his sublime merit
That both East and West bear witness to.
ولعمري لقد دعته وزيراً
منتهى معشرٍ لعلياهُ مبدا
By his life, it has named him minister,
The utmost of a society whose nobility he began.
فكفى الجانبين مصراً وشاماً
وأفاض العينينِ عدلاً ورِفدا
So it sufficed for Egypt and Damascus,
And made both eyes overflow with justice and plenty.
ومشى في الورى على نهج حقٍّ
مستبين الهدى وساد وأسدى
And he walked in life by the path of truth,
Clarifying guidance, dominating, lionizing.
وارتدى فيهم رداءً من الع
زِّ وأما حسودُه فترَدَّى
And he wore among them a gown of honor, while his envious enemies recoiled.
O envious tortured one against him,
أيها الحاسد المعذب فيه
جئت شيئاً من الشقاوَة إدَّا
You have come with some misery, pause!
How do you intend to blame a master whenever
كيف ناوَيت سيداً كلما زا
دَ عِداةً يزيده الله مجدا
His enemies increase, God increases his glory?
If he extends his palm to the lowly,
إن يكن في العفاة ابسط كفًّا
فهو في المكرماتِ أبسط زندا
He is most generous in gifts and strengthened it.
Fear his meetings and be wary until
خاف خلاَّقه فخيف إلى أن
ضمَّ من عدلهِ ظباءً وأسدا
He assembles you in his justice, lions and lionesses.
And he destroyed the tyrants with might and awe,
وأبادَ الطغاةَ بأساً ورعباً
وأعاد الجميل فينا وأبدَى
And renewed kindness among us and initiated.
Singular in the ranks of virtue you will find,
واحداً في مراتبِ الفضلِ تلقى
حول أبوبهِ من الخلقِ جندا
Around his door from mankind an army.
He has mercy on the group without his equal, a group
يرحم الجمع دون مغناه جمعاً
مستميراً ويتبع الرفد رفدا
Guided and follows provision with provision.
Glory does not prevent him from the lowly, nor does he
ما ثنى الجاهَ عن ذليلٍ ولا أع
طى لذي حاجةٍ عطاء وأكدى
Give the needy a gift or strengthen it.
Successful of opinion, a slayer of enemies,
مسعد الرأيِ ذابحٌ للأعادِي
فهو مهما خبرتهُ كانَ سعدا
However you experience him, he is always blessed.
No fault in him can be counted except:
ليس فيه عيبٌ يعدُّ سوى أنَّ
أياديهِ تجعلُ الحرَّ عبدا
His hands make the free man a slave.
He has resolved Damascus after a time
يمَّم الشام بعد إقتار وقت
لم تجد فيه للمناجح قصدا
Where the complainers could find no purpose.
How many messages we sent to the bureaus
كم بعثنا إلى الدواوين طرساً
خائباً كاده الزمان فكدا
Disappointed, as if fate abandoned them.
Long did their back and forth to the people last,
طال تردَادُهُ إلى القومِ حتَّى
لو بعثناه وحدَه لَتَهدَّى
As if we sent them alone they would have collapsed.
So that hardship is now ease,
فغدا الآنَ ذلك العسرُ يسراً
بحقيقٍ وذلكَ المنعُ رِفدا
With truth, and that prevention, plenty.
And money flowed from Damascus and Egypt
وسرى المال من شآمٍ ومصرٍ
كعمومِ السحابِ قرباً وبعدا
Like the downpour of rain, near and far.
Resolute actions whose blessings,
عزماتُ تحفها بركاتٌ
مثلها منه للممالكِ تهدى
The likes of which guide kingdoms.
And he observes from his limit and bounty,
ويراعٌ من حدِّه ونداه
كادَ بينَ السيوف أن يتحدَّى
Almost challenging between the swords.
A green-feathered pen, no crookedness,
قلمٌ أخضرُ المرابع لا غرْ
وَ إذا كانَ عيش راجيه رغدا
When his life is prosperous, plentiful.
Carried by the minister’s hands we became
حملته أيدي الوزير فخلنا
بارِقاً في سحابةٍ قد تبدَّى
Radiant in a lofty cloud that manifested.
O minister whose praise his career guides,
يا وزيراً يهدي الثناءَ سناه
ولهاه إلى المقاصدِ تهدى
And his ingenuity to purposes is guided.
The reciters thank you on my behalf with might
شكرَتك الرُّواةُ عنِّي بعزِّ
قاطعات السرى آكاماً ووهدا
Cutting paths, biting, and leveling.
Memories beautiful in your making with me,
ذاكراتٌ جميلَ صنعك عندِي
بقوافٍ بها الركائب تحدى
In rhythms the mounts and camels compete over.
Traveling on the horizon among the maidens,
سائرات في الأفقِ بين الجواري
والجواري في حسنها كالعبدا
And the maidens in their beauty like servants.
Every meaning like a star, and every verse,
كلُّ معنًى كالنجمِ أو كلّ بيتٍ
هو أهدى في الأفقِ من أن يهدى
More guided on the horizon than one can guide.
I give them to you to immortalize praise in meanings,
هاكها تخلد الثنا بمعانٍ
تتركُ الضدّ بالأشعَّة خلدا
Leaving my opposite faded away forever.
Thus good work grows vegetation,
هكذا ينبتُ الصنيعُ نباتاً
وكذا تحصد المعادي حصدا
And thus the enemy harvests his harvest.
Live in the shade of love and you are hoped for,
عشْ بظلِّ الحبا وأنت المرجى
وتبيدُ العدى وأنت المفدَّى
And the enemy will perish while you are the redeemer.
The house was filled by your hand with sustenance,
ملئَ البيتُ من يديك نوالاً
فملأنا أبيات مدحك حمدا
So fill us with verses praising you with praise.
