هُوَ الدَهرُ فَاصبِر لِلَّذي أَحدَثَ الدَهرُ
فَمِن شِيَمِ الأَبرارِ في مِثلِها الصَبرُ
Time passes, so be patient with what time brings,
For patience in such times is the way of the virtuous.
سَتَصبِرُ صَبرَ اليَأسِ أَو صَبرَ حِسبَةٍ
فَلا تُؤثِرِ الوَجهَ الَّذي مَعَهُ الوِزرُ
You will have the patience of despair or calculated patience,
So do not prefer the face that carries sin.
حِذارَكَ مِن أَن يُعقِبَ الرُزءُ فِتنَةً
يَضيقُ لَها عَن مِثلِ إيمانِكَ العُذرُ
Beware that sorrow is followed by tribulation
That will confine the likes of your faith and excuse.
إِذا آسَفَ الثُكلُ اللَبيبَ فَشَفَّهُ
رَأى أَفدَحَ الثَكلَينِ أَن يَهلِكَ الأَجرُ
When bereavement saddens the insightful, healing him,
He sees that losing reward is more devastating than losing loved ones.
مُصابُ الَّذي يَأسى بِمَيتِ ثَوابِهِ
هُوَ البَرحُ لا المَيتُ الَّذي أَحرَزَ القَبرُ
The real loss is not the deceased lying in his grave,
But the one who mourns the death of his reward.
حَياةَ الوَرى نَهجٌ إِلى المَوتِ مَهيَعٌ
لَهُم فيهِ إيضاعٌ كَما يوضِعُ السَفرُ
The life of people is a path leading to death, fleeting,
On which they pace as the journey is set out.
فَيا هادِيَ المِنهاجِ جُرتَ فَإِنَّما
هُوَ الفَجرُ يَهديكَ الصِراطَ أَوِ البَجرُ
So guide of my path, keep going, for dawn
Will guide you on the straight path or the desert.
إِذا المَوتُ أَضحى قَصرَ كُلِّ مُعَمِّرٍ
فَإِنَّ سَواءً طالَ أَو قَصُرَ العُمرُ
When death makes every aged person's home its palace,
Then whether life was long or short is equal.
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الدينَ ضيمَ ذِمارُهُ
فَلَم يُغنِ أَنصارٌ عَديدُهُمُ دَثرُ
Do you not see that when religion was violated
Many protectors did not avail, though their number was countless?
بِحَيثُ استَقَلَّ المُلكُ ثانِيَ عِطفِهِ
وَجَرَّرَ مِن أَذيالِهِ العَسكَرُ المَجرُ
The kingdom took control, dragging behind
Its train the defeated troops in disorder.
هُوَ الضَيمُ لَو غَيرُ القَضاءِ يَرومُهُ
ثَناهُ المَرامُ الصَعبُ وَالمَسلَكُ الوَعرُ
If fate had not decreed it, it would have been prevented
By the difficult attempt and rugged, impassable path.
إِذا عَثَرَت جُردُ العَناجيجِ في القَنا
بِلَيلٍ عَجاجٍ لَيسَ يَصدَعُهُ فَجرُ
When the barefoot army stumbles in the dark of night
With no bright dawn to illuminate it.
أَأَنفَسَ نَفسٍ في الوَرى أَقصَدَ الرَدى
وَأَخطَرَ عِلقٍ لِلهُدى أَفقَدَ الدَهرُ
Has any soul in the world sought perdition more
Or jeopardized guidance, losing the way of life?
أَعَبّادُ يا أَوفى المُلوكِ لَقَد عَدا
عَلَيكَ زَمانٌ مِن سَجِيَّتِهِ الغَدرُ
Loyal servants of the most faithful king, indeed an era
Has wronged you with its spiteful nature.
فَهَلّا عَداهُ أَنَّ عَلياكَ حَليُهُ
وَذِكرُكَ في أَردانِ أَيّامِهِ عِطرُ
Why did it not also wrong that its adornments are yours
And your memory is the perfume of its days?
غُشيتَ فَلَم تَغشَ الطِرادَ سَوابِحٌ
وَلا جُرِّدَت بيضٌ وَلا أُشرِعَت سُمرُ
You are shrouded but did not veil the hunting dogs,
No white banners were hoisted nor red spears sharpened.
وَلا ثَنَتِ المَحذورَ عَنكَ جَلالَةٌ
وَلا غُرَرٌ ثَبتٌ وَلا نائِلٌ غَمرُ
No majesty diverted threats away from you,
No proven valor, no victor overwhelming.
لَئِن كانَ بَطنُ الأَرضِ هُيِّئَ أُنسُهُ
بِأَنَّكَ ثاويهِ لَقَد أَوحَشَ الظَهرُ
If the belly of the earth has been adorned to welcome you
Lying within, it has desolated the surface.
لَعَمرُ البُرودِ البيضِ في ذَلِكَ الثَرى
لَقَد أُدرِجَت أَثناءَها النِعَمُ الخُضرُ
By the white tombs in that soil,
The green bounties have verily been buried inside them.
عَلَيكَ مِنَ اللَهِ السَلامُ تَحِيَّةً
يُنَسِّمُكَ الغُفرانَ رَيحانُها النَضرُ
Peace be upon you from Allah, a greeting
Whose gentle forgiveness perfumes you.
وَعاهَدَ ذاكَ اللَحدَ عَهدُ سَحائِبٍ
إِذا اِستَعبَرَت في تُربِهِ اِبتَسَمَ الزَهرُ
The clouds have vowed to that tomb
To smile with flowers when they weep over its soil.
فَفيهِ عَلاءٌ لايُسامى يَفاعُهُ
وَقَدرُ شَبابٍ لَيسَ يَعدِلُهُ قَدرُ
In it is glorious youth that cannot be rivaled,
And a potential never matched by any other.
وَأَبيَضَ في طَيِّ الصَفيحِ كَأَنَّهُ
صَفيحَةُ مَأثورٍ طَلاقَتُهُ الأَثرُ
Dazzling white in its enclosure as though it were
A well-preserved coin whose traces shine.
كَأَن لَم تَسِر حُمرُ المَنايا تُظِلُّها
إِلى مُهَجِ الأَقيالِ راياتُهُ الحُمرُ
As if the red color of death avoided it
As its crimson standards approached the arena of battle.
وَلَم يَحمِ مِن أَن يُستَباحَ حِمى الهُدى
فَلَم يُرضِهِ إِلّا أَنِ ارتُجِعَ الثَغرُ
Nor did it protect the sanctuary of guidance
Until the lost territory was reclaimed.
وَلَم يَنتَجِعهُ المُعتَفونَ فَأَقبَلَت
عَطايا كَما والى شَآبيبَهُ القَطرُ
The repentant did not avail it, so gifts poured
As abundant as the showers dripping from the clouds.
وَلَم تَكتَنِف آراءَهُ أَلمَعِيَّةٌ
كَأَنَّ نَجِيَّ الغَيبِ في رَأيِها جَهرُ
Its views were not shrouded in ostentation
As if the unseen world was openly voiced in its perspective.
وَلَم يَتَشَذَّر لِلأُمورِ مُجَلِّياً
إِلَيها كَما جَلّى مِنَ المَرقَبِ الصَقرُ
It did not divide authority, leaning towards it
As the falcon divides its gaze towards the prey.
كِلا لَقَبَي سُلطانِهِ صَحَّ فَألُهُ
فَباكَرَهُ عَضدٌ وَراوَحَهُ نَصرُ
The epithets of its sultanate were fulfilled, supporting it,
Aided by victory from early on.
إِلى أَن دَعاهُ يَومُهُ فَأَجابَهُ
وَقَد قَدَمَ المَعروفُ وَاِستَمجَدَ الذُخرُ
Until its day called it, and it responded
When good deeds had been done and provisions stored.
فَأَمسى ثَبيرٌ قَد تَصَدّى لِحَملِهِ
سَريرٌ فَلَم يَبهَضهُ مِن هَضبِهِ إِصرُ
It became an aged knight who had taken on its burden,
A throne it had not failed to carry in its firmness.
أَلا أَيُّها المَولى الوَصولُ عَبيدَهُ
لَقَد رابَنا أَن يَتلُوَ الصِلَةَ الهَجرُ
O Master, your servants' isolation after losing you
Has lasted too long before the hoped for reunion.
نُغاديكَ داعينا السَلامُ كَعَهدِنا
فَما يُسمَعُ الداعي وَلا يُرفَعُ السِترُ
We greet you with peace according to our covenant,
But neither the caller is heard nor the veil lifted.
أَعَتبٌ عَلَينا ذادَ عَن ذَلِكَ الرِضى
فَنُعتَبَ أَم بِالمَسمَعِ المُعتَلي وَقرُ
Regret at that impeded our consent, so we are blamed,
Are our hearing and the exalted assembly to blame?
أَما إِنَّهُ شُغلٌ فَراغُكَ بَعدَهُ
سَيَنصاتُ إِلّا أَنَّ مَوعِدَهُ الحَشرُ
It is your preoccupation, and when free, you will listen,
Unless the appointment is the Day of Resurrection.
أَأَنساكَ لَمّا يَنأَ عَهدٌ وَلو نَأى
سَجيسَ اللَيالي لَم يَرِم نَفسِيَ الذِكرُ
Could I forget you when a covenant has been broken, even if
The prolonged dark nights ceased to blame my soul?
وَكَيفَ بِنِسيانٍ وَقَد مَلَأَت يَدي
جِسامُ أَيادٍ مِنكَ أَيسَرُها الوَفرُ
How can there be forgetfulness when you filled my hands
With generous favors, the least being abundant?
لَئِن كُنتُ لَم أَشكُر لَكَ المِنَنَ الَّتي
تَمَلَّيتُها تَترى لَأَوبَقَني الكُفرُ
If I have not thanked you for blessings
That overwhelmed me, disbelief would ruin me.
فَهَل عَلِمَ الشِلوُ المُقَدَّسُ أَنَّني
مُسَوِّغُ حالٍ ضَلَّ في كُنهِها الفِكرُ
Does the Sacred Side know that I
Justify a condition whose reality perplexes the mind?
وَأَنَّ مَتابي لَم يُضِعهُ مُحَمَّدٌ
خَليفَتُكَ العَدلُ الرِضى وَابنُكَ البَرُّ
That my repentance was not neglected by Muhammad,
Your just Caliph, the Pleased One, and your righteous son.
هُوَ الظافِرُ الأَعلى المُؤَيَّدُ بِالَّذي
لَهُ في الَّذي وَلّاهُ مِن صُنعِهِ سِرُّ
He is the prominent victor, supported by the One
Who entrusted him, and with whom he shares secrets.
رَأى في اِختِصاصي مارَأَيتَ وَزادَني
مَزِيَّةَ زُلفى مِن نَتائِجِها الفَخرُ
He saw in choosing me what you saw, and gave me
The preference of closeness, resulting in pride.
وَأَرغَمَ في بِرّي أُنوفَ عِصابَةٍ
لِقاؤُهُمُ جَهمٌ وَلَحظُهُمُ شَزرُ
And in my devotion he humiliated the noses
Of foes whose meeting is hellfire and glance is spark.
إِذا ما اِستَوى في الدَستِ عاقِدَ حَبوَةٍ
وَقامَ سِماطاً حَفلِهِ فَلِيَ الصَدرُ
When the circle of devotion is aligned in hand
And I stand equal to them, superiority is mine.
وَفي نَفسِهِ العَلياءَ لي مُتَبَوَّأٌ
يُنافِسُني فيهِ السِماكانِ وَالنَسرُ
In his exalted self I have a privileged place,
Competing with Sirius and the eagle.
يُطيلُ العِدا فِيَّ التَناجِيَ خُفيَةً
يَقولونَ لاتَستَفتِ قَد قُضِيَ الأَمرُ
The enemies speak against me in secret gatherings:
"Do not consult him, the matter is decided."
مَضى نَفثُهُم في عُقدَةِ السَعيِ ضَلَّةً
فَعادَ عَلَيهِم غُمَّةً ذَلِكَ السِحرُ
But their plotting in pursuing the goal was misguided,
So it recoiled back upon them, their sorcery failed.
يَشِبَّ مَكاني عَن تَوَقّي مَكانِهِم
كَما شَبَّ قَبلَ اليَومِ عَن طَوقِهِ عَمرُ
My position prevents me from desiring theirs,
As age beforehand prevented youth from its orbit.
لَكَ الخَيرُ إِنَّ الرُزءَ كانَ غَيابَةً
طَلَعَت لَنا فيها كَما طَلَعَ البَدرُ
Goodness to you, grief was an absence
In which, like the full moon, hope shone for us.
فَقَرَّت عُيونٌ كانَ أَسخَنَها البُكا
وَقَرَّت قُلوبٌ كانَ زَلزَلَها الذُعرُ
You performed the obligatory prayer sincerely,
Farewelling it with ritual purity and presence of mind.
وَلَولاكَ أَعيا رَأيُنا ذَلِكَ الثَأيُ
وَعَزَّ فَلَمّا يَنتَعِش ذَلِكَ العَثرُ
Previously, you offered supererogatory prayers in pairs
To match those who fast out of need when breaking fast.
وَلَمّا قَدَمتَ الجَيشَ بِالأَمسِ أَشرَقَت
إِلَيكَ مِنَ الآمالِ آفاقُها الغُبرُ
You went to the palace which was too lofty
For any other palace to approach its loftiness.
فَقَضَيتِ مِن فَرضِ الصَلاةِ لُبانَةً
مُشَيِّعُها نُسكٌ وَفارِطُها طُهرُ
May both continue forever in the goodness of an era
Forbidden from their company is separation.
وَمَن قَبلُ ما قَدَّمتَ مَثنى نَوافِلٍ
يُلاقي بِها مَن صامَ مِن عَوَزٍ فِطرُ
Spare the bereaved from consolation, for if he is gone,
You are not the one lamenting nor the sobbing breast.
وَرُحتَ إِلى القَصرِ الَّذي غَضَّ طَرفَهُ
بُعَيدَ التَسامي أَن غَدا غَيرَهُ القَصرُ
The seventy before the people of proof
Did not attain the tenth of what your decade attained.
فَداما مَعاً في خَيرِ دَهرٍ صُروفُهُ
حَرامٌ عَلَيها أَن يَطورَهُما هَجرُ
Are you not the one who, if a mind was constrained by an event,
The face beamed and the chest expanded?
وَأَجمِل عَنِ الثاوي العَزاءَ فَإِن ثَوى
فَإِنَّكَ لا الواني وَلا الضَرَعُ الغُمرُ
Then do not flap the wing of grief afterwards,
For who but you can mend the adversities of the world?
وَما أَعطَتِ السَبعونَ قَبلُ أُولي الحِجى
مِنَ الإِربِ ما أَعطَتكَ عَشروكَ وَالعُشرُ
You remain, your army abundant in well-being,
Bound to them, their multitude your pride.
أَلَستَ الَّذي إِن ضاقَ ذَرعٌ بِحادِثٍ
تَبَلَّجَ مِنهُ الوَجهُ وَاِتَّسَعَ الصَدرُ
You are a sun in the sky of leadership,
Around it orbiting stars glowing.
فَلا تَهِضِ الدُنيا جَناحَكَ بَعدَهُ
فَمِنكَ لِمَن هاضَت نَوائِبُها جَبرُ
We doubted - did the days of our time
Bring years and old age, or did intoxication make it stumble?
وَلا زِلتَ مَوفورَ العَديدِ بِقُرَّةٍ
لِعَينَيكَ مَشدوداً بِهِم ذَلِكَ الأَزرُ
When it was not wooed by trials,
Or walked in its joints intoxicated.
فَإِنَّكَ شَمسٌ في سَماءِ رِياسَةٍ
تَطَلَّعُ مِنهُم حَولَها أَنجُمٌ زُهرُ
But only the joys from the disposition of a just king,
Whose truth is verified by each succeeding news.
شَكَكنا فَلَم نُثبِت أَأَيّامُ دَهرِنا
بِها وَسَنٌ أَم هَزَّ أَعطافَها سُكرُ
I see if time wreaks havoc, you are its right hand,
And if the world smiles, you are its mouth.
وَما إِن تَغَشَّتها مُغازَلَةُ الكَرى
وَما إِن تَمَشَّت في مَفاصِلِها خَمرُ
How many who asked for rain were answered by you there,
Hands pleading while even and odd joined.
سِوى نَشَواتٍ مِن سَجايا مُمَلَّكٍ
يُصَدِّقُ في عَليائِها الخَبَرَ الخُبرُ
There lies piety, knowledge, forbearance and prohibition,
Giving aid, courage, order and prose and verse.
أَرى الدَهرَ إِن يَبطِش فَأَنتَ يَمينُهُ
وَإِن تَضحَكِ الدُنيا فَأَنتَ لَها ثَغرُ
Ambitions, when meeting the adversary, repelled him,
Its advance a stride, its retreat dignity.
وَكَم سائِلٍ بِالغَيثِ عَنكَ أَجَبتَهُ
هُناكَ الأَيادي الشَفعُ وَالسُؤدَدُ الوِترُ
The beauty of a garden which the dew stirred,
A meadow, when set out its adornments shine, not needing arranging.
هُناكَ التُقى وَالعِلمُ وَالحِلمُ وَالنُهى
وَبَذلُ اللُها وَالبَأسُ وَالنَظمُ وَالنَثرُ
When it blossomed, its enduring musk never
Felt shy nor its ambergris prideful.
هُمامٌ إِذا لاقى المُناجِزَ رَدَّهُ
وَإِقبالُهُ خَطوٌ وَإِدبارُهُ حُضرُ
Giving without favor, wisdom without passion,
Forbearance without weakness, honor without arrogance.
مَحاسِنُ مالِلرَوضِ خامَرَهُ النَدى
رُواءٌ إِذا نُصَّت حُلاها وَلا نَشرُ
Blessing fulfilled its perfection in you to us,
So praise and thanks are due to Allah from us.
مَتى انتُشِقَت لَم تُطرِ دارينُ مِسكِها
حَياءً وَلَم يَفخَر بِعَنبَرِهِ الشَحرُ
عَطاءٌ وَلا مَنٌّ وَحُكمٌ وَلا هَوىً
وَحِلمٌ وَلا عَجزٌ وَعِزٌّ وَلا كِبرُ
قَدِ اِستَوفَتِ النَعماءُ فيكَ تَمامَها
عَلَينا فَمِنّا الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ وَالشُكرُ
