ما مَدْمَعي حَذرَ النَّوى بقريحِ
فدعِ الغُرابَ يَصِيحُ كلَّ مَصيحِ
My tears did not deter fate's determination,
So leave the raven to caw each cry.
شُغْلي بإطراءِ الذي مَهْمَا ادَّعَى
مُطْرِيهِ أعربَ عنه بالتَّصْحيحِ
My preoccupation is with praising him who, though he claims,
My eulogy corrects his claim.
أعني المُسَمَّى باسم أصدقِ واعِدٍ
وَعْداً ذَبيحَ الله خَيْرَ ذبيحِ
I mean him named with the name of the most truthful promising one,
A promise slaughtered by God - the best slaughtered.
للّه إسماعيلُ جِدلُ كتَابَةٍ
أعني أخا شَيْبَان لا ابن صَبيحِ
To God is Ismael, the debate of writing,
I mean the brother of Shayban not the son of Sabeeh.
حمل الفَوادحَ فاستقلَّ ومثْلُه
حمل الفوادح غَيْر ذي تَبليحِ
He carried burdens so he gained independence, and the like of him
Carried burdens other than the exhausted.
ما ضرَّ من زمَّ الكتابةَ زَمَّةً
أن كان مَنْبتُهُ بأرض الشِّيحِ
It did not harm that he made writing his career,
If his origin was in the land of Sheeh.
ما ضرَّه أن لم تكن سَمُرَاتُهُ
نَخْلاً يُلَقِّحُهُ ذوو التلقيحِ
It did not harm him that his offspring were not
Date palms pollinated by those of pollination.
حَلَّ العِصَاب عن الذين يليهُمُ
وأدَرَّ بالإبْساسِ والتَّمْسيحِ
He relieved the helpless, so he began
With gentleness and stroking.
وأراحَ من أهل الفداء فأصبحتْ
غاراتُهم مأمُونَةَ التصبيحِ
And gave relief to the people of redemption, so their
Raids became safe at dawn.
إلَّا يُزِحْ عِلَلَ الرَّعيَّةِ عَدْلُهُ
فيهمْ فما شَيْءٌ لها بمُزيحِ
Except he removes the illness of the subjects with his justice,
So nothing of it remains with them.
ولقدْ بلاَهُ إمامُهُ وأميرُه
فكلاهما ألْفَاهُ حَقَّ نَصيحِ
His imam and prince tested him,
Yet he found both to be truly advising.
وأراهُ لا يِنْسى الوفاءَ لشدةٍ
تُنْسي الوفاءَ ولا لفتْرَةِ ريحِ
And he saw him not forget loyalty despite
Severity that makes one forget loyalty, and not due to apathy.
كم ضربةٍ رَعْلاَءَ بل كم طعنةٍ
نجلاء بل كم رَمْيَةٍ إذْبيحِ
How many deadly blows, but how many fatal stabs,
And how many deathly shots.
خطرتْ بها كفَّاهُ دون إمامِه
في ظلِّ يوْمٍ للأكفِّ مُطيحِ
His palms warded off from his imam
In the shade of a day lethal for palms.
سائل بذلك عَنْه حربَ المهتدِي
وكباشَهَا من ناطح ونطيحِ
Ask regarding this the war of the Guided one,
And its ferocious camels of butting and goring.
فلتخبرنَّك عن جِلاَدِ مُغَامِسٍ
ولتخبرنَّك عن طِرَادِ مُشِيحِ
So let it inform you of the brave plunging,
And let it inform you of the quick stabbing.
ولتخبرنَّك عن نضال مُطَمَّح
باليَثْربيَّة أيَّما تطميحِ
And let it inform you of the eager struggle
For Yathrib - what great ambition.
ممن إذا حَفَزَ السهامَ بِقوسه
فَحَّتْ أفاعِيهنَّ أيَّ فحيحِ
When he incites the arrows with his bow,
Their snakes pour out deadly hisses.
أعطى الكريهَةَ حقَّها عَنْ غيْرِهِ
وكفَى كِفَاحَ الموتِ كُلَّ كَفِيحِ
He gave ugliness its right from another,
And sufficed to fight death - every gasping.
والحربُ تَعْذِمُ بالسيوف مُدِلَّةً
دَلّاً على الخُطَّابِ غيرَ مَلِيحِ
And war grows fierce with swords bared,
Evidence to the letters of no beauty.
صَعْبٍ إذا صَعُبَتْ عليه قرينةٌ
حَتَّى تُسمِّحَ أيَّمَا تسميحِ
Difficult when a mate becomes difficult for him
Until she allows what allowance she allows.
فإذا القرينةُ سَمَّحَتْ لمْ يُولِها
خُلُقْاً من الأخلاَقِ غيرَ سجيحِ
So when the mate allowed, he did not show her
A manner from manners other than honorable.
خُلِقَتْ يداه يَدٌ لتجرَحَ في العدا
ويدٌ لِتَأْسُوَ جُرْحَ كُلِّ جريحِ
His hands were created - a hand to wound the enemies
And a hand to dress the wound of every wounded.
وإذا ارْتأى رَأياً فأثْقَبُ ناِظرٍ
نظراً وأبْعَدُهُ مَدَى تطريحِ
And if he opines an opinion - the most insightful
Insight, and the furthest in its scope.
تُبدِي له سِرَّ الغُيوُبِ كَهَانةٌ
يوُحِي بها رِئْيٌ كَرِئْيِ سطيحِ
Divination reveals to him the unseen secrets
Suggested by dreams like the dreams of the truthful.
سَبَقَتْ بحُنْكتِهِ التجارِبَ فطرةٌ
كالشَّوكَةِ اسْتَغْنَتْ عن التنقيحِ
His instinct surpassed experiences, so his nature
Sufficed without refinement.
لو لا أبُو الصقر الفسيحُ خَلائِقاً
أضحى فَسِيحُ الأرض غيرَ فسيحِ
If not for Abu Al-Saqr Al-Faseeh in manners,
The spacious earth would be other than spacious.
رحُبَتْ به الدنيا على سُكَّانِها
من بعدما كانت كَخَطِّ ضريحِ
It welcomed him over its inhabitants
After it had been like a burial ground.
طَلْقُ المُحَيِّا واليدين سَمَيْدَعٌ
سَهْلُ المَبَاءَةِ ذو عِراضٍ فِيحِ
Easy, gentle, soft hands,
Easy pardon, loud voice.
نَهَكَ الحياءُ جُفُونَهُ وكلامَهُ
فغدا مريضاً في ثيابِ صحيحِ
Shyness weakened his eyelids and speech
So he became outwardly healthy but inwardly sick.
لا من قِراف دَنيَّةٍ لكنه
كرم بلا مَذْق ولا تضييحِ
Not of low worldly pleasures, but he is
Generous without taste or seasoning.
تبدُو لسائله صَفيحَةُ وجهه
وكأنها سَيْفٌ بِكَفِّ مُلِيحِ
His bright face appears to the asker
As if a sword in a graceful palm.
وكأنَّ فيهِ أرْيَحِيَّةَ نَشْوَةٍ
من قهْوَةٍ تُرْخي الإِزارَ قَدِيحِ
And as if in it is the stimulation of delight
From coffee that loosens the waistband.
أعلى المحامدَ بعد رُخْصٍ إنه
يبْتاعُ كاسدها بِكُلِّ ربيحِ
He extols virtues after easiness, he
Buys its impurities with any profit.
بذل الكرائمَ في المكارم تاجِرٌ
جَلَّتْ تجارَتُهُ عن التَّرْقِيحِ
A merchant of generosity in magnanimity,
His trade is too lofty for bartering.
حَامٍ حَقِيقَتَهُ مُبِيحٌ مَالَهُ
ناهيكَ من حام به ومُبيحِ
A protector whose reality a bestower makes public his wealth -
Not to mention one who protects and makes public.
يعطي اللَّهَا إعطاءَ سمْحٍ باللُّهَا
لَحزٍ على الحَسَبِ التَّلِيدِ شحيحِ
He gives spontaneously without stinginess,
To a cheeky one of noble lineage yet miserly.
إلّا يُتِحْ صَرْفُ الزمان لمالِهِ
حَيْناً يُتِحْهُ دونَ كل مُتيح
Except that the course of time makes his wealth incline
At times he inclines it without any incliner.
أضحت حِيَاضُ المُعْطِشينَ بجوده
فَهَفَتْ جَوَانِبُها من التَّطْفِيح
The thirst quenchers became - through his generosity -
Overfilled, their sides spilling over.
وردوا مناهِلَه فَمَاحُوا واسْتَقَوْا
منهنّ أعذبَ مُسْتقىً وَمُمِيحِ
They returned to his springs so they wiped off and quenched their thirst
From them - the sweetest and most gratifying drink.
لو أنه وَسَمَ الرياضَ بجودِهِ
أَمِنَتْ حَدائِقُها من التَّصْوِيحِ
If he marked the gardens with his generosity,
Their orchards would be safe from plunder.
ذو صُورَةٍ قَمَريَّةٍ بَشَرِيَّةٍ
تَسْتَنْطِقُ الأفواهَ بالتسبيح
Of lunar beauty and human handsomeness -
That makes mouths pronounce the declaration of faith.
وإذا تأمَّلَ نَفْسَه لمْ يقْتَصِرْ
منها على التصوير والتَّشْبِيحِ
And if he contemplates himself, he does not stop
At depicting and adorning himself.
حتى يُزَيِّنَهَا بزينةِ ماجدٍ
ليست بتطويقٍ ولا توشيحِ
Until he adorns it with the decoration of glory
That is not a crown or jewelry.
بَرَعَتْ محاسِنُه فَأقْسَمَ صادقاً
أنْ لا يُعَرِّضَهُنَّ للتّقْبِيحِ
His beauty dazzled so he truthfully swore
To not expose it to vilification.
لكن لِتَلْويح الهَواجِرِ طالباً
إسْفَارَهُنَّ بذلك التلويح
But to vaguely hint to the bashful ladies,
To reveal their wrists with that hinting.
ما زال يبعث بالعُطاس ركابه
ويروع قائلهنَّ بالترويحِ
He keeps sending his desires to them
And startling their sayers with pretense of departure.
وتقود كلَّ نَوَى شَطُون هِمَّةٌ
ونوى الكريم بعيدةُ التَطْويحِ
And every purpose guides determination,
And the purpose of the generous is far reaching.
حتى تَعَمَّمَ بالسيادة ناشئاً
ولِذَاك رشَّحَهُ ذوو الترشيحِ
Until he wore the garb of authority as a youth,
And so those of nomination nominated him for that.
عَشِقَ العلا وَعَشِقْنَهُ فكأنما
وافى هوى لُبْنَى هوى ابن ذَرِيحِ
He loved knowledge and it loved him, so it is as if
He fulfilled the love of the beloved of the son of Dhareeh.
وَهَبَتْ له القلمَ المُعلّى هِمَّةٌ
رَفَضتْ من الأقلام كلَّ مَنِيحِ
And the supreme pen gifted him determination
That refused the pens - all of them flexing.
لم أمتدحه لِخلَّةٍ ألفَيْتُهَا
في مجده فَسَدَدْتُهَا بمَدِيحِ
I did not praise him for a fault I found
In his glory, so I corrected it with eulogy.
لكنْ لكْي تَزْهى محاسنُ وصْفِهِ
شعري فيحسُنَ منه كلُّ قبيحِ
But so that the beauty of his description manifests,
My poetry beautifies every ugliness.
حَبَّرْتُ شعري باسمه إنَّ اسمَهُ
في الشِّعْر كالتَّحْبير والتسبيحِ
I scented my poetry with his name - his name
In poetry is like perfume and glorification.
لما رأيتُ الشعرَ أصبحَ خاملاً
نَبَّهْتُه بفتى أغرَّ صريحِ
When I saw poetry become languid,
I awakened it with a witty youth.
لاّ يَضْربُ الركبُ الطلائحَ نحوَهُ
بل باسمه يُزْجونَ كلَّ طَليحِ
The caravan does not beat the hills toward him,
But with his name they spur on every hill.
تُحْدَى الرِّكابُ بذكره فترى الحصَى
منْ بين مَنْجُول وبين ضَريحِ
The riders are challenged by mentioning him, so you see
The pebbles between manjul and burial.
وَيَهُزُّ كلُّ مُبَلَّدٍ أَعْطافَه
طَرَباً كفعل الشَّارب المِرِّيحِ
And every lazy one shakes his shoulders
Agitated like the intoxicated shaking.
مِنْ بعد ما انْتُقيتْ أواخِرُ مُخِّه
وَخَوتْ مَحَاجرُهُ من التقديحِ
After the ends of his mind were picked
And his brain cells withered from burning.
ثِقَةً بِسَيْبٍ منه ليس يعوقُهُ
مهما جرى من سَانح وبريحِ
Trusting in a sword from him that nothing stops
No matter what presents itself of easy or calamity.
مَلِكٌ إذا الْحاجاتُ شدَّ عِقَالُهَا
وَثقَتْ لديه بعاجل التسريحِ
A king - if needs tighten their reins
And seek refuge with him for quick relief.
مِمَّا تراه الدهْرَ يُصْدر وارداً
عن نَائلٍ قَبْلَ السؤال نجيحِ
Of what you see time produces
For an obtaining before asking - success.
يا من إذا التَّعْريضُ صافح سَمْعَهُ
غَنِي العُفاةُ به عن التصريحِ
O you - if allusion greets your hearing
The eloquent are satisfied with it over clarification.
أشْكُو إليك خَصَاصَةً وتَجَمُّلاً
قَدْ بَرَّحَا بي أَيمَا تبريحِ
I complain to you of reticence and mannerism
That detached from me - what detachment.
لتَصُونَ وَجْهِي عَن وُجُوهٍ وُقِّحتْ
بالرَّدِّ تَوْقيحاً على توقيحِ
To protect my face from faces censured
With refusal - protection over protection.
سُئِلَتْ وقد سَالتْ ففي صفحاتها
لِلرَّدِّ تَكْدِيحٌ على تكديحِ
Asked though they asked, so in their pages
Is distress over distress for refusal.
يا مَنْ أراحَ عَوَازِبَ الشِّعْرِ التي
لَوْلاَهُ أعْزَبَهُنَّ كلُّ مُرِيحِ
O you who gave rest to the estranged poetry that
Without you every comforter estranged it.
أنطَقْتَ مُفْحَمَنَا فأصبح شاعراً
وأَعَرْتَ أَعْجَمَنَا لسانَ فصيحِ
You made our confused eloquent, so he became a poet,
And you loaned our foreigner an eloquent tongue.
بِلُهاً فتحْنَ لُهَا الرجالِ فَكُلُّهُمْ
ذو منطقٍ سَلِسٍ عليه سَرِيح
Confused, so you opened eloquence to men, so they are all
Of smooth, fluent speech - eased.
أَحْيَيْتَ ميْتَ الشِّعْر بعدَ ثَوَائِهِ
في الرَّمْسِ تحت جنادلٍ وصفيحِ
You revived dead poetry after its writhing
In the sands under plaited palm leaves and pebbles.
حتى لَقال الناسُ فيكَ فأكثروا
هذا المسيح وَلاَتَ حينَ مَسِيحِ
Until people said about you and exaggerated:
"This is the Messiah" - if not the Messiah.
