ألا يا أَيُّهَا الشَّاكـ
ـرُ والمطْنِبُ في المدحِ
Lo! O doubter given to praise,
Though Abu Eissa has shown
لئن أبدى أبو عيسى
لأهل الصفح والمنحِ
To a people of clemency and grace
Good hope for the one who's prone
فأمِّلْ خير مأمولٍ
لحمْل الثِّقْلِ ذي الفدْحِ
To bear a heavy burden well
And drive the glooms of time away,
وَرِدْهُ الغَبَّ والرِّفْهَ
فحاشاهُ مِن النَّزْحِـ
Restore him from want and travail;
Far be he from all disarray!
ـومن أن يرجع المَاتِـ
ـحُ عنْه خائب المتْحِ
Let not the deceased return in sadness,
Disappointed, unsuccessful in his quest.
فتى نَزَّهَهُ الله
عن التقْبيح والقُبْحِ
God has kept him far from ugliness,
From all dishonor and uncomeliness.
لنا في مَدْحِهِ سَبْحٌ
طويلٌ أيّمَا سَبْحِ
Our praise of him is rich and long
However rich, it's not too long.
غدا الشِّعْرُ لنا سَمْحاً
بحمد السَّيِّدِ السَمْحِ
Song comes to us forgiving now,
Praising this most gentle, gentle sir.
تَأتّى فيهِ إسجاحاً
بلا كَدٍّ ولا كدحِ
It flows facile, active, spry
Without toil or industry.
ولوْلاهُ لما دَانَ
وَلا لانَ على المسْحِ
But for him, song had not bent low
Nor would it be humbled so.
حَبَا اللَّهُ أبَاً أدَّا
هُ بالنَّصْر وبالفتْحِ
God granted him a fatherly role
With triumph and openings to extol.
ولا أعْرَاهُ مِنْ عيْشٍ
كظلِّ السِّدْرِ والطَّلْحِ
He denied him no easeful life
Like the shade of lote tree rife.
بما يَجْبُرُ مِنْ كسْرٍ
وما يَدْمُلُ من جُرْحِ
To mend the broken, bind the gored
And heal the cut, the wounded sore,
فقدْ أضْحَى به المُلْكُ
مَحُوطاً آمِنَ السرحِ
So kingship came in his hold
To shelter, unafraid or overbold.
وزيرٌ ناصِحُ الجيْب
نَقِيُّ الصدْر والكَشْحِ
An honest counselor, pure in deed,
Open-hearted and open-breasted, heedful,
حليمٌ راجحُ الحِلم
حمِيٌّ صادق الضَّرْحِ
Forbearing, true, wise and stable,
Lofty, above vulgarity's table.
علتْ حالاه من سُخْطٍ
وَمَرْضَاةٍ عن المزحِ
His state rose above anger or rejection,
Could no more be quenched than lit without reflection.
فما يُضْرَمُ بالنَّفْخِ
ولا يُطْفَأُ بالنَّضْحِ
How many aspects of gentleness in his sword!
How much does his blade accord!
وكم في السيف من لين
وكم في السيف من ذبحِ
Say to him of kindling and rushes,
He'll meet you with goodness and hushes.
فَقُولا لِلَّذي أصْبَـ
ـحَ ذا حَطْبٍ وذا قدحِ
To the full moon, what's a barking whelp?
Nothing! And fools cannot jump from rut to help.
هَنَاةٌ يَتَلقَّاها
وزيرُ الصِّدْقِ بالصَّفْحِ
Those gone too far will drink their bitter cup.
And fire contains enough heat pent up.
ألا أهْوِنْ على البدْر
بكلبٍ لَجَّ في النَّبْحِ
Let no fool be tricked by feigned affection.
Dawn broke on those nighttimes shoot to hit not protect.
ولا يَخْرُج ذَوو الجهلِ
من الجرْي إلى الجمْحِ
Do not look on gentleness as weak,
Lest it turn from you those who are meek!
فيلْقَى المتَمَادُونَ
لِجَاماً صادقَ الكبْحِ
Caution! Gentleness owns claws and fangs.
It can anchor ships and men in its pangs.
نَهَتْ عن نفسها النَّارُ
بما فيها من اللفحِ
When the mill turns round the grain,
Nothing remains to grind again.
ولا يَغْتَرُّ مُغْتَرٌّ
من الطُّوفان بالرشحِ
It is the towering height, great and grand,
Mankind's recourse so safe at hand.
تَصَبَّحْ رامِيَ اللَّيْلِ
بمنْ ترميه أوْ أضْحِ
In it the frightened find a cave,
The fallen, on its slopes a save.
ولا تَسْتضْعِفِ الحلْمَ
فَيَلْحَي منْكَ مُسْتَلْحِي
So cease, O critic, cease your goring,
That hill's beyond all vain clawing!
حَذَارِ الحلْمَ إنَّ الحلْـ
ـمَ ذو أسْوٍ وذُو جَرْحِ
The faceted summit is higher yet
Than the goring critic can get.
وقد ترسُو مَرَاسِيهِ
وقد تجري لَهُ أَرْحي
وما عنْدَ الرَّحَى بُقْيَا
إذا دَارتْ على القَمْحِ
غَدَا صَاعِدٌ الصَّاعِ
دُ يعْلو منتهى اللَّمْحِ
هو الطَّوْدُ الذي أضحى
عَتَادَ النَّاس للبرْحِ
فَآوٍ منْهُ في كهْفٍ
وراعٍ منْه في سفْحِ
فَمَهْلاً أيها الكائِـ
ـدُ ذاك الطَّوْدَ بالنَّطْحِ
فرأْسُ النَّاطِح الصفْوا
ن أدنى منْه للرَّضْحِ
