أَسَيفَ الهُدى وَقَريعَ العَرَب

عَلامَ الجَفاءُ وَفيمَ الغَضَب

Sword of guidance and censor of Arabs

Why this aloofness and wherefore the anger?

وَما بالُ كُتبِكَ قَد أَصبَحَت

تَنَكَّبُني مَعَ هَذا النَكَب

Your letters have become

Afflicting me with this adversity

وَأَنتَ الكَريمُ وَأَنتَ الحَليمُ

وَأَنتَ العَطوفُ وَأَنتَ الحَدِب

Yet you are generous and forbearing

Merciful and lofty

وَما زِلتَ تَسبِقُني بِالجَميلِ

وَتُنزِلُني بِالجَنابِ الخَصِب

You still precede me with kindness

And honor me with fertile affection

وَتَدفَعُ عَن حَوزَتَيَّ الخُطوبَ

وَتَكشِفُ عَن ناظِرَيَّ الكُرَب

You ward off troubles from my domain

And reveal to my eyes the alleviation of distress

وَإِنَّكَ لَلجَبَلُ المُشمَخِر

رُ لي بَل لِقَومِكَ بَل لِلعَرَب

Verily you are an imposing mountain

Exalted for me, nay for your people, nay for the Arabs

عُلىً تُستَفادُ وَمالٌ يُفادُ

وَعِزٌّ يُشادُ وَنُعمى تُرَب

Sublimity to be utilized, wealth to be benefited from

Power to be supported, bliss to be gained

وَما غَضَّ مِنِّيَ هَذا الإِسارُ

وَلكِن خَلَصتُ خُلوصَ الذَهَب

This despair has not dimmed me

But I have attained the purity of gold

فَفيمَ يُقَرِّعُني بِالخُمو

لِ مَولىً بِهِ نِلتُ أَعلى الرُتَب

Why then do you reproach me with aloofness

For a master through whom I attained the highest stations?

وَكانَ عَتيداً لَدَيَّ الجَوابُ

وَلَكِن لِهَيبَتِهِ لَم أُجَب

I was prepared to answer

But did not for awe of him

أَتُنكِرُ أَنّي شَكَوتُ الزَمانَ

وَأَنّي عَتَبتُكَ فيمَن عَتَب

Do you deny that I complained of time

And that I reproached you for reproaching?

فَأَلّا رَجَعتَ فَأَعتَبتَني

وَصَيَّرتَ لي وَلِقَولي الغَلَب

Why did you not return and reproach me

And make me and my words prevail?

فَلا تَنسِبَنَّ إِلَيَّ الخُمولَ

عَلَيكَ أَقَمتُ فَلَم أَغتَرِب

So ascribe not to me inactivity

For you I stood so I did not feel estranged

وَأَصبَحتُ مِنكَ فَإِن كانَ فَضلٌ

وَإِن كانَ نَقصٌ فَأَنتَ السَبَب

And I became through you so if there was merit

Or if there was defect, you were the cause

وَما شَكَّكَتنِيَ فيكَ الخُطوبُ

وَلا غَيَّرَتني عَلَيكَ النُوَب

Neither troubles made me doubt you

Nor wrongs made me change toward you

فَأَشكَرُ ماكُنتُ في ضَجرَتي

وَأَحلَمُ ماكُنتُ عِندَ الغَضَب

So I thank that which I was in my discontent

And am forbearing for that which was in anger

وَإِنَّ خُراسانَ إِن أَنكَرَت

عُلايَ فَقَد عَرَفَتها حَلَب

Verily Khorasan, if it denied

My status, Haleb has recognized it

وَمِن أَينَ يُنكِرُني الأَبعَدونَ

أَمِن نَقصِ جَدٍّ أَمِن نَقصِ أَب

How can the distant ones deny me?

Is it from lack of ancestry or lack of father?

أَلَستُ وَإِيّاكَ مِن أُسرَةٍ

وَبَيني وَبَينَكَ فَوقَ النَسَب

Are not you and I of one family?

Between you and I, above lineage,

وَدادٌ تَناسَبُ فيهِ الكِرامُ

وَتَربِيَةٌ وَمَحَلٌّ أَشِب

Is love where nobility is reciprocated

Upbringing, status and youthful vigor

وَنَفسٌ تَكَبَّرُ إِلّا عَلَيكَ

وَتَرغَبُ إِلّاكَ عَمَّن رَغِب

A soul that is too proud except to you

And desires none but you over whom it desires

فَلا تَعدِلَنَّ فِداكَ اِبنُ عَمِّ

كَ لابَل غُلامُكَ عَمّا يَجِب

So do not prefer over me, may I be sacrificed for you,

The son of an uncle, nay your slave for what is due

وَأَنصِف فَتاكَ فَإِنصافُهُ

مِنَ الفَضلِ وَالشَرَفِ المُكتَسَب

And be just to your devotee for his justice

Is of grace, nobility and merit

وَكُنتَ الحَبيبَ وَكُنتَ القَريبَ

لَيالِيَ أَدعوكَ مِن عَن كَثَب

You were the beloved and you were the close

My nights I called you from up close

فَلَمّا بَعُدتُ بَدَت جَفوَةٌ

وَلاحَ مِنَ الأَمرِ ما لا أُحِب

So when I became distant, aloofness appeared

And the matter revealed what I do not love

فَلَو لَم أَكُن بِكَ ذا خِبرَةٍ

لَقُلتُ صَديقُكَ مَن لَم يَغِب

If I did not have knowledge of you

I would say your friend is one who did not depart