أرِيحُ الصَّبا هَبَّتْ عَلَى زَهرِ الرُّبَا
فأصْبَحَ منها كلُّ قُطْرٍ مُطَيَّبا
Did the eastern wind blow across the flowers of the hills, leaving every land fragrant with its breath?
Or did the wine offer its intoxicating aura to the winds, so its passing thrilled and sweetened all existence?
أمِ الرَّاحُ أهْدَتْ للرِّياحِ خمارَها
فأسْكَرَ مَسْرَاهَا الوُجُودَ وطَيَّبا
Do you not see how youthful passion has stirred my being, and the radiant splendor of youth has returned to me?
Who will tell me what this spreading joy might be? For certainly, there must be some great tidings behind it.
ألمْ تَرَني هَزَّ التَّصابي مَعاطِفي
وراجَعَني ما راقَ مِنْ رَوْنَقِ الصِّبا
They said, 'Allah has restored to the people their pride: a master deeply beloved by every heart.'
I asked, 'Is it Fakhr al-Din Uthman?' He replied, 'Yes! Say to him: Welcome, greetings, and be at ease.'
فمنْ مُخْبِري ماذا السُّرُورُ الذي سَرَى
فلا بُدَّ حَتْماً أنْ يكونَ لهُ نَبَا
The people said, 'Blessings upon your arrival! Through him, we are quenched by the pouring rain of Allah's mercy.'
A herald cried out among them, announcing his return, instilling both awe and hope in all who listened.
فقالوا أعادَ اللَّهُ للناسِ فَخْرَهُم
وَلِيَّاً إلى كلِّ القلوبِ مَحَبَّبا
He showered them with grace, granting safety to the fearful, giving justice to the oppressed, and making the barren earth fertile.
The wide earth took on adornment from him, as he silvered and gilded its blooming flowers.
فقلت أَفَخْرُ الدِّينِ عثمانُ قال لي
بَلَى قُلْ له أهْلاً وَسَهْلاً وَمَرْحَبا
O joy of the world and the joy of its people, on a day made bright and clear by Uthman's face!
In his procession, one witnesses a form like Joseph's, boasting of both matchless beauty and martial valor.
وقال الورَى للَّهِ دَرُّكَ قادِماً
سُقِينا به من رحمةِ اللَّهِ صَيِّبا
The affairs of the worlds are entrusted to his judgment, for he is the most worthy, most knowing, and most eloquent among them.
Repeat to our ears the sweet fragrance of his name, to extinguish the passionate longing blazing in our hearts.
ونادَى مُنادٍ بينهم بِقدُومِهِ
فَرَهَّبَ منهُم سامِعينَ ورَغَّبا
And do not veil our eyes from the beauty of his face, for he had long been veiled from them by distance.
A patron who, when my hand is empty and I invoke him, grants me wealth or elevates me to high station.
فأَوْسَعَهُمْ فضلاً فآمَنَ خائِفاً
وَأنْصَفَ مظلوماً وَأخْصبَ مُجْدِبا
Seek mediation through him in all you desire, for how many desires have I attained by pleading through him!
Live safely under his prestige, for his prestige tames and refines the harshness of time for those who seek him.
وقد أخَذَتْ منه البسيطةُ زِينةً
فَفَضَّضَ منها الزهرَ حَلْياً وذَهَّبا
One day I journeyed from my homeland to visit him, and I attained wealth such as no traveler had ever won.
Though indeed, through his blessings, I have always been wealthy and constantly basking in his graces.
فيا فرحَةَ الدُّنيا وَفَرحَةَ أهلها
بِيَوْمٍ له مِنْ وَجْهِ عثمانَ أعربا
In his absence, I would do only what pleases him, and I would avoid whatever he disapproves.
My coin of sincere counsel was never counterfeit to him, nor was my lightning of affection a false, rainless flash.
وشاهد منهُ صُورةً يُوسُفِيَّةً
تباهَى بها في الحُسْنِ وَالبَأْسِ مَوْكِبا
O my master, you made mankind forget the memory of those who passed, and your generosity enriched your praisers while exhausting them.
I possess a noble, free literature whose sale I forbid, and selling a free man has never been a free man's way.
مُفَوِّضُ أمْرِ العالمينَ لِرَأْيه
فكان بهمْ أوْلَى وأدرَى وأذْرَبَا
I would forsake pure, sweet water despite my burning thirst, if the spears of enemies were to muddy my drinking spring.
Sometimes I cast the nets of contentment, hunting with them only a fish, a lizard, or a locust.
أعيدُوا على أسماعِنا طِيبَ ذِكْرِهِ
لِيُطْفِئَ وجْداً في القلوب تَلَهَّبَا
Whenever a poet acting like a lion sees me, he turns into a fearful wolf and slinks away like a fox.
I watch those among them with whom I associate, as though I am watching a dog or a scorpion.
ولا تَحْجُبُوا الأبصارَ عَنْ حُسْنِ وجهِه
فقدْ كانَ عنها بالبِعادِ مُحَجَّبا
When I try to guide them away from their error, it is as if I am making the blind see or straightening a hunchback.
May the band of employed clerks never be blessed, for how many tyrants among them have zealously conspired against me!
وَلِيٌّ إذا ضاقتْ يَدِي وَذكَرْتُهُ
مَلَكْتُ نِصَاباً أوْ تَوَلَّيْتُ مَنْصِبا
Whenever one sharpens his pens, I imagine he is whetting his nails, his fangs, and his claws.
Some Christian clerks falsely argue with me out of ignorance, validating the void and voiding what is binding.
تَوَسَّلْ به في كلِّ ما أنتَ طالبٌ
فكم نلتُ منهُ بالتوسُّلِ مطلبا
And he who counts three as one is neither more knowledgeable in mathematics nor a better writer than I.
Truth does not reside in the mouths of a people whose mouths are like vessels holding foul, algae-ridden water.
وعِشْ آمِناً في جاهِهِ إِنَّ جاهَهُ
لِقُصَّادِهِ راضَ الزمانَ وهَذَّبا
Their gapped teeth look as though verdigris has stained stones of yellow amber.
It is as if their teeth became foul from the malice that soured like unripe grapes in their intentions, then hardened into raisins.
تَغَرَّبْتُ يَوْماً عَنْ بِلادِي وزُرْتُهُ
فَنِلْتُ غِنَىً ما نَالَهُ مَنْ تَغَرَّبَا
I marveled at a matter that led the sincere Sheikh to be stripped naked and beaten like a thief.
I wept for him when I uncovered his clothes and saw a body dyed in blood.
على أنني ما زِلْتُ مِنْ بَرَكاتِهِ
غنِيّاً وفي نَعْمائِهِ مُتَقَلِّبَا
I made him swear by Allah as to what his crime was, and he swore to me by Allah that he was not guilty.
Saying: 'But a beloved friend came to believe concerning me the words of an enemy who is forever a liar.'
وكُنْتُ لِمَا يَرْضَاهُ بالغيبِ فاعِلاً
وَكُنْتُ لِمَا لَمْ يَرْضَهُ مُتَجَنِّبا
I said: 'Whoever has the Prince as his beloved must expect both his pleasure and his anger.'
'So bear it with beautiful patience, for destiny is inevitable, and this was a decree from which you could find no escape.'
ولا كان دِيناري مِنَ النُّصحِ بَهرَجاً
لَدَيْهِ ولا بَرْقِي مِنَ الوُدِّ خُلَّبا
'When Iblis stood as an enemy to Adam, he acted with deceit to cause his disobedience and downfall.'
'Yet the good end belonged to Adam, not to him, for Allah later accepted his repentance and chose him.'
أمَوْلايَ أَنْسَيْتَ الوَرَى ذِكْرَ مَنْ مَضَى
وأغنى نَداك المادحينَ وأَتعَبا
'And before this—if you remember—I had forbidden you from meeting the Prince with a frown.'
'He summoned you for an urgent matter, but you came to him as though you were attending a wedding, playing the gallant.'
ولِي أدبٌ حُرٌّ أُحَرِّمُ بَيْعَهُ
وما كانَ بَيْعُ الحُرِّ لِلحُرِّ مَذْهَبَا
'So do not forget the Prince's mandate among us, lest you open a well-tested door to reprimand.'
'And beware of delaying my salary, for then blame will remain constantly fixed upon you from him.'
وقد أَهْجُرُ العذْبَ الزُّلالَ عَلَى الصَّدَى
إذَا كَدَّرَتْ لِي السَّمْهَريَّةُ مَشْرَبا
Fear a sharp sword whose gleam is stirred by praise, a beloved to whom being brandished and drawn is dear.
May success never depart from its hilt, and may the trials of time never notch its blade.
وأَنْصِبُ أَحْياناً شِباكَ قَنَاعَةٍ
أَصِيدُ بها نُوناً وَضَبَّاً وجُنْدبا
And may the religion of Allah continue to approve whatever he decrees regarding the Banu al-Ghali, and reject what he rejects.
ومَهْمَا رآني شَاعِرٌ مُتَأَسِّدٌ
تَذأَّبَ منها خِيفَةً وتَثَعْلَبَا
أُراقِبُ مَنْ عَاشَرْتُ منهم كأنَّني
أُراقِبُ كلباً أَوْ أُراقِبُ عَقْرَبا
كأني إذا أهْدِيهِمُ عَنْ ضَلالِهِمْ
أُبَصِّرُ أَعْمىً أَوْ أُقَوِّمُ أَحْدَبا
فلا بُورِكَ المُسْتَخْدمونَ عِصابةً
فكمْ ظالمٍ منهم عَلَيَّ تَعَصَّبا
إذَا ما بَرَى أَقْلامَهُ خلْتُ أَنَّه
يَسُنُّ لَهُ ظُفْرَاً وناباً ومِخْلَبَا
يغالِطُني بعضُ النَّصَارَى جَهالةً
إذا أَوْجَبَ المُلْغَى وَأَلْغَى المُوجَّبَا
ومَا كانَ مَنْ عَدَّ الثَّلاثَةَ وَاحداً
بِأَعْلَمَ مِنِّي بالحِسَابِ وأكْتَبَا
وَما الحَقُّ في أَفْوَاهِ قومٍ كأنّها
أَوَانٍ حوَتْ ماءً خَبِيثاً مُطَحْلَبَا
مُفَلَّجَةٍ أَسْنَانُها فكأنَّها
أَصَابَ بها الزِّنْجَارُ أَحْجَارَ كَهرَبا
كأنَّ ثَناياهُم من الخَبَثِ الذي
تَحَصْرَمَ في نِيَّاتِهِمْ وتَزَبَّبا
عجِبْتُ لِأمرٍ آلَ بالشَّيْخ مخْلصاً
إلى أَنْ يُعَرَّى كاللُّصوصِ وَيُضْرَبا
بَكَيْتُ لَهُ لَمَّا كَشَفْتُ ثيابَهُ
وأَبْصرتُ جسماً بالدِّماءِ مُخَضَّبا
وَحَلَّفْتُهُ باللَّهِ ما كانَ ذَنْبُهُ
فأَقْسَمَ لِي باللَّهِ ما كانَ مُذْنِبَا
وَلكنْ حبيبٌ راحَ فِيَّ مُصَدِّقاً
كلامَ عَدُوٍّ ما يزالُ مُكَذّبا
فقلت ومن كان الأَميرُ حبيبَه
فلا بد أَنْ يَرضَى عليه وَيَغْضَبا
فصَبْراً جميلاً فالمُقدَّرُ كائِنٌ
فقد كانَ أمراً لم تجِدْ منهُ مَهْرَبَا
فإبليسُ لَمَّا كانَ ضِدَّاً لِآدمٍ
تَخَتَّلَ في عِصْيانِهِ وَتَسَبَّبَا
وقد كانت العُقْبَى لآدمَ دونَه
فتابَ عليه اللَّهُ مِنْ بعْدُ وَاجْتَبَى
وَمِنْ قبْلِ ذَا قد كُنتُ إذ كُنتَ ذاكِراً
نَهَيْتُكَ أنْ تَلْقَى الأَميرَ مُقَطِّبَا
دَعَاكَ إلى أَمرٍ مُهِمٍّ فجِئْتَهُ
كَأَنَّكَ في عُرْسٍ أَتَيْتَ مُشَبّبا
فلا تنْسَ فينا للأَميرِ قضِيَّةً
فَتَفْتَحَ باباً لِلْعِتَابِ مُجَرَّبا
وَإياكَ أَنْ تُبْطِي عَلَيَّ بِرَاتبي
فيَبْقَى عليكَ اللَّومُ منه مُرَتَّبا
وَخَف صارِماً هَزَّ المَدِيحُ فِرِنْدَهُ
حَبِيبٌ إِليه أَنْ يُهَزَّ ويُنْدَبَا
فلا فارَقتْ منه السَّعَادَةُ قائماً
وَلا فَلَّتَتْ منه الحَوادِثُ مَضْرِبا
ولا زالَ دينُ اللَّهِ يَرْضَى الَّذي قَضَى
به في بَنِي الغالِي وَيأبى الذي أبَى
