تجرَّدَ من غمدين سيفٌ مُهَنَّدُ

هُمامٌ مضت أسلافُهُ فهو أوْحَدُ

A sword unsheathed from two scabbards and honed,

A resolute one whose ancestors have passed, and he alone remains,

شهابٌ أجاد البدرُ والشمسُ نَجْلَهُ

وغابا فأمسى وهو في الأرض مُفرَدُ

A meteor excelling the full moon and sun in giving light,

While they set he remains fixed upon the earth alone,

قد اعتَضَدَتْ بالله والحقِّ نفسُه

فأصبح مَعضوداً وما زال يُعْضَدُ

He took refuge in God and righteousness,

So he became supported, and continues to be supported,

فلا يفرحنَّ الشامتون فإنما

يُصمِّمُ حدّ السيف حين يجرَّدُ

Let not the gloaters rejoice, for when bared,

The edge of the sword is tempered by removal from the sheath,

ولا يعْثُرَنَّ العاثرون فإنما

لهم جندَلٌ يُدمي الوجوهَ وجلمَدُ

Nor let the stumbling make him stumble, for he is

A sword that makes the faces of the unjust bleed, while it is sheathed,

مضى شافعاً من كان يخطىء مرة

فلا تُخْطئنْ رِجْلٌ ولا تُخطئنْ يَدُ

One who forgave when others transgressed,

So no foot should err, nor hand miss its aim,

أتاكمْ صريحُ العدل لا ظُلمَ عنده

ولا خُلُقٌ للظالمين مُمهَّدُ

The embodiment of justice has come to you, no injustice with him,

No disposition to wrongdoers made smooth,

أراكمْ وليَّ العهد حامي حماكُمُ

ومُردي عداكم والمآثمُ شُهَّدُ

I see you as the crown prince, protector of your subjects,

Repeller of your enemies, while wrongs remain sheathed,

أتاكمْ أبو العباس لا تنكرونَهُ

يُسَلَّلُ فيكم تارةً ويجرَّدُ

Abu al-Abbas has come to you, do not deny him,

Sometimes drawing near you, and sometimes unsheathed,

كريمٌ يظلّ الأمسُ يُعْملُ نحوه

تلفُّتَ ملْهوف ويشتاقُهُ الغَدُ

A generous one whom yesterday works toward,

Yearning turns to him while tomorrow awaits,

يودُّ زمانٌ ينقضي عنْه أنه

عليه إلى أن ينْفَدَ الدهرُ سرمَدُ

A time wishes to pass from him, that for him

Until the end of time, it remains eternal,

تواضَعَ إذ نال التي ليس فوقها

مَنالٌ وهل فوق التي نال مَصْعَدُ

He was humble when he attained that which nothing is above,

No ascent above that which he attained,

سوى غُرُفات أصبحتْ نُصبَ همَّةٍ

له في جوار الله منهن مَقعَدُ

Save rooms that have become the ambition of his soul,

For him in the vicinity of God, a dwelling place,

وذاك إذا مرّتْ له ألف حجَّةٍ

وسلطانُه في كل يوم يؤكَّدُ

And that, when a thousand arguments pass him

His authority every day is reaffirmed,

ستفتح أبوابُ السماء برحمة

وتنزل عن برٍّ له يتصعَّدُ

The gates of the heavens will open with mercy,

And good will descend for him ever rising,

وبالعدل أو بالحقِّ من أُمرائنا

تُفَتَّحُ أبوابُ السماء وتوصَدُ

With justice or truth from our commanders,

The gates of heaven open and close,

إليك وليَّ العهد أُهْدي مقالةً

مسدَّدةً لا يجتويها مُسَدَّدُ

To you, O Crown Prince, I dedicate words

Made firm, which none firm in purpose can dispel,

وليتَ بني الدنيا فَنُكِّرَ مُنْكرٌ

وعُرِّفَ معروفٌ وأُصْلح مُفْسَدُ

Would that the good in this world be shown, and wrong suppressed,

And good be known, and corruption reformed,

وأنت أبو العباس إنْ حاصَ حائصٌ

وإن لَزِمَ المُثلى فإنك أحمدُ

As for you Abu al-Abbas if one contends,

And if one clings to ideals, you are most praiseworthy,

نذيرٌ لما تُكْنَى به لذوي النُّهى

بشيرٌ لما تُسْمى به لا تُفنّدُ

Warner of what is alluded to those of forbidden acts,

Giver of good tidings of what is named, you do not reject,

لك اسمٌ وجدناه بخيرك واعدٌ

وإن قارَنَتْهُ كُنْيةٌ تتوعَّدُ

You have a name we found epitomizing your virtues,

Even if a nickname follows it, it threatens,

عِدات لمن يأتي السَّداد وراءها

وعيدٌ لمن يطغى ومن يتمرّدُ

Threats to one who comes short of integrity,

And warning to one who transgresses and rebels,

ألا فليخفْ غاوٍ ولا يخشى راشدٌ

فَعَدلُكَ مسلولٌ وجوْرُكَ مُغمَدُ

So let the misguided fear, and the righteous not worry,

For your justice is unsheathed, and your tyranny sheathed,

وعِشْ والذي كَنَّيْتَهُ بمحمَّدٍ

ذوي غبطةٍ حتى يشيخ محمّدُ

Live - and He whom you are named for, Muhammad -

With joy, until Muhammad grows old,

ولا برحت من ذي الأيادي عليكُمُ

أيادٍ توالت في شبابٍ تُجدَّدُ

And never depart from the One of bountiful hands upon you,

Hands that follow in succession, renewed in youth,

ومن لا تخلِّده الليالي فكلُّكُمْ

بِخُلْدِ الذي يبني ويَثْني مُخَلَّدُ

While you are immortalized by the nights, all of you,

With the eternity of the One who builds and folds, the Everlasting,

وسمعاً أبا العباس قولاً مُسدَّداً

أتى من وليّ مجتبيه مُسَدَّدُ

And listen, Abu al-Abbas, to upright words

That have come from the guardian, your upright one,

لعمري لقد حَجَّ الولاةَ خَصِيمُهُمْ

وأنَّى لسيفٍ أمكن الجورَ مُغْمَدُ

By my life, the rulers' adversary has performed the pilgrimage,

And how can wrong be enabled when the sword is sheathed!

فما يَنْقِمون الآن لا درَّ دَرُّهم

وقد قام بالعدل الرضيُّ المحمَّدُ

They resent nothing now, may their flowing tears not flow,

Since the approved, the praised Muhammad, upheld justice,

وفي العدل ما أرضاهُمُ غير أنهم

حصائد سيف الله لا بدَّ تحصَدُ

And in justice what pleased them, except they

Are crops of the Sword of God, inevitably harvested,

وقد كان منهنّ الكَفُور ابن بلبل

فهل راشدٌ يهديه غاوٍ فيسعدُ

Among them was the ungrateful Ibn Bulbul,

Can a righteous one guide a misguided one and make him prosper?

كفورٌ أبى إلا جُحُوداً لنعمةٍ

تُكذِّبه شهّادُها حين يجحدُ

An ungrateful one who refused anything but ingratitude for a blessing,

Whose testimony denying it belies him when he denies,

ألا فعليه لعنةُ الله دِيمةً

ووبْلاً كثيراً شِرْبه لا يُصرّدُ

Upon him is the curse of God eternally,

And abundant misfortune whose drinking does not diminish,

ألا وعلى أشياعه مثل لَعْنَةٍ

رماهُ بها داعٍ عليه وأوْكَدُ

And upon his followers the like of a curse,

With which a supplicant against him determined and insisted,

حَبَاك بها عن شكر أصدق نِيَّةٍ

وَليٌّ وموْلى في الولاءِ مردّدُ

He wove it for ingratitude despite the sincerity of the intention,

Of a loyal friend and master repeatedly professing loyalty,

يرى أن إهلاك الكفور ابن بلبلٍ

حياة له أسبابُها لا تُنكَّدُ

Who sees that destroying the ungrateful Ibn Bulbul

Is a life whose causes cannot be undermined,

ويُسألُ للعَظْم الذي كان هاضَه

جُبوراً بِرِفْدٍ والمرجِّيكَ يُرْفدُ

And he asks for the authority that roused him with might

Generously, and your well-wisher supports you,