لاح شيبٌ فنهنَه الحلمَ جهلا

ومشى جائرٌ على القصدِ رَسْلا

The dream of youth has faded into gray,

And he walked arrogantly with no purpose.

إنَّ في الحلم للسّفاهِ وفي عي

سى بن شيخٍ لكلّ عاتٍ لنِكلا

Verily in dreams there is folly for the unwise one,

And the sword of Isa son of Sheikh submitted to all the despicable.

دانَتِ الأرضُ سيفَ عيسى بن شيخٍ

مثلما دانتِ الحليلةُ بعْلا

The land submitted to the sword of Isa son of Sheikh,

Just as the anklet submitted to its mate.

قام للَّه والإمام بحقٍّ

قد أطالت به الصناديدُ مَطْلا

He stood up for God and the Imam rightly,

As the grinders prolonged their grinding of him.

فتحَ المُغلقاتِ من سُبُل الأر

ضِ وسدَّ الثغورَ خَيْلاً ورَجْلا

He opened the closed ways of the earth,

And closed the gaps with cavalry and infantry.

قالتِ الحربُ إذ تخمَّط عيسى

يا ابن شيخٍ لقد تخمَّطت فحلا

War said when Isa was wrapped up:

O son of Sheikh, you have wrapped yourself up as a stallion.

صالَ بالمشرفيِّ صولاتِ صِدْقٍ

لم تدعْ فيهم لذي الذَّحل ذحلا

He charged with the truthful charges of al-Mushrifi,

He left no chance for the sneaky.

وأخاف المُخيف ذا العيْث حتَّى

أمِن الخائفُ المشتَّتُ شمْلا

And he frightened the frightening scarecrow,

So the scattered fearful could feel safe.

قلتُ للسائلي بعيسى بن شيخٍ

زادكَ اللَّهُ بالمعالم جَهْلا

I said to those who asked about Isa son of Sheikh:

May God increase you in landmarks of ignorance.

أنت كالمستضيء شمساً بنارٍ

ولعمري للشَّمسُ للعين أجْلى

You are like one seeking light from a fire,

While the sun is much brighter to the eye.

كلُّ مجدٍ تراه في الناس حيّاً

هو أحياهُ بعدما مات هزلا

Every glory you see in people while alive,

He brought to life after it died out.

كان عيسى في نشره ميِّتَ الجو

دِ كعيسى مكلّم الناس طِفلا

Isa was dead in his dedication,

Like Jesus speaking to people as an infant.

جبلٌ عاصم ووادٍ خصيبٌ

لا ترى الدهرَ في جنابيه مَحلا

An impenetrable mountain and a fertile valley,

You see no change in its sides.

ذو أفاعٍ لمن يُعاديه صُمٍّ

كائناتٍ لمن يُواليه نَحْلا

With stings for those who oppose him, deaf,

And swarms for those who befriend him, honey.

تَقلِسُ الأرْيَ والسّمامَ وناهي

كَ بهذا وذا شفاءً وخَبْلا

It makes the land and highlands barren,

With this and that, as cure and trial.

أوسعَ الراغبين فضلاً كما أو

سع أهلَ العنادِ نفْياً وَقَتْلا

He is most generous to the hopeful,

And harshest in rejection and murder to the obstinate.

واحدُ الجودِ لا تمجُّ سؤالاً

أُذناهُ ولا تُليقانِ عَذْلا

The One of generosity, no request fills His ears,

Nor befit attachment and blame.

أيها الوافدُ المُيمّمُ عيسى

اغترفْ لي من ذلك البحرِ سَجْلا

O you newcomer making pilgrimage to Isa,

Draw from that sea a bucket for me.

ولك اللَّهُ إنْ عرضْتَ عليه

حاجتي أن تقول أهلاً وسهلا

And may God grant you, if you present my need to Him,

To say "welcome!"

ذاك ظني بسيّد الناسِ طرّاً

وابن منْ سادَهم غُلاماً وكهلا

That is my view of the best of people, honorable,

And son of the one who led them as a boy and old man.

قُلْ له عن مؤمّلٍ من بعيدٍ

ديمةً من نَدى يديه وَوَبْلا

Say to him from one hopeful from afar,

Longing for the dew of his hands and dampness,

إنَّ جوْراً عمومُك الناسَ بالفض

لِ سوى واحدٍ مُحقّ فعدْلا

Verily the favor you show all people unjustly,

Except one deserving is injustice.

لا تكُنْ حسرةً عليَّ فقدْ أو

سعتَ هذا الأنام غيريَ فضلا

Be not a regret upon me, for you have

Favored others besides me.

وشفيعي إليك حاملُ شعرِي

وهْو من لا تراهُ للرد أهلا

My intercessor with you is the bearer of my poetry,

He is not one to refuse a request.

مع أني إذا شفعْتُ بأخلا

قِك كانت شفاعةُ الناس فضلا

Although if I interceded through your most loyal,

The intercession of people would be a favor.

قد أردْتُ الإطنابَ فيك فقالت

ليَ غاياتُك البعيدةُ مَهْلا

I wanted verbosity in praising you, but

Your distant goals said "wait!"

ورأيتُ القليلَ يكفي من المد

حِ إذا المرءُ طاب فرعاً وأصْلا

And I saw brevity suffices in praise

If the branch is good and the root.

حسْبُ ذي الهزّ باليسير من الهزْ

زِ إذا النَّصْلُ كان مثلكَ نصْلا

It suffices the shaky one to give little praise

If the sword is like you a sword.

قد تُثيبُ القليلَ مدحاً من القو

مِ كثيراً من المثوبةِ جَزلا

You may reward little praise from the people

Abundantly from the rewarder most generous.

أبْلِها خُلَّةً برغمِ عدوٍّ

جعلَ اللَّهُ خدَّهُ لك نعلا

Give it to them in spite of the enemy

Who God made his cheek as your sandal.

ورمَيْتَ الذين ترمي فكانت

لك آجالهُم قِسِيّاً ونَبلا

You threw those you throw, and they were for you

Their lifespans hard and arrows.

لستُ أخشى صروف دهري إذا ما

عقدَ اللَّهُ لي بحبلك حَبْلا

I do not fear the turns of fate if

God ties me to you with a rope.