لَهانَ عَلَينا أَن نَقولَ وَتَفعَلا
وَنَذكُرَ بَعضَ الفَضلِ عَنكَ وَتُفضِلا
It is incumbent upon us to speak and act,
And mention some of your merit, while you bestow favor.
أَبا جَعفَرٍ أَجرَيتَ في كُلِّ تَلعَةٍ
لَنا جَعفَراً مِن فَيضِ كَفَّيكَ سَلسَلا
Abu Ja'far, you have granted us in every barren place
A Ja'far from the overflowing of your palms, flowing down.
فَكَم قَد أَثَرنا مِن نَوالِكَ مَعدِناً
وَكَم قَد بَنَينا في ظِلالِكَ مَعقِلا
So we have gained much bounty from your gifts,
And in your shade we have built many a fortress.
رَجَعتَ المُنى خُضراً تَثَنّى غُصونُها
عَلَينا وَأَطلَقتَ الرَجاءَ المُكَبَّلا
You have returned hope to us, fresh and green are its branches,
And you have freed our hopes, though they were shackled.
وَما يَلحَظُ العافي جَداكَ مُؤَمِّلاً
سِوى لَحظَةٍ حَتّى يَؤوبَ مُؤَمِّلا
The eye of the healthy man does not look to you expectantly
Except for a moment, before it turns expectantly again.
لَقَد زِدتَ أَوضاحي اِمتِداداً وَلَم أَكُن
بَهيماً وَلا أَرضى مِنَ الأَرضِ مَجهَلا
You have increased the range of my pastures and I was not
A beast, content with ignorant grazing on the land.
وَلَكِن أَيادٍ صادَفَتني جِسامُها
أَغَرَّ فَأَوفَت بي أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلا
But hands have befallen me, their bodies tempted me
And led me astray, more misguided than a lost camel.
إِذا أَحسَنَ الأَقوامُ أَن يَتَطاوَلوا
بِلا نِعمَةٍ أَحسَنتَ أَن تَتَطَوَّلا
When the people do well to boast without merit,
You have done well to show more merit.
تَعَظَّمتَ عَن ذاكَ التَعَظُّمِ مِنهُمُ
وَأَوصاكَ نُبلُ القَدرِ أَلّا تَنَبَّلا
You have risen above that boastfulness of theirs
And the nobility of your worth has advised you not to act pretentiously.
تَبيتُ بَعيداً أَن تُوَجِّهَ حيلَةً
عَلى نَشَبِ السُلطانِ أَو تَتَأَوَّلا
You are far from scheming against the authority of the Sultan,
Or wrongly interpreting his actions.
إِذا ما أَصابوا غِرَّةً فَتَمَوَّلوا
بِها راحَ بَيتُ المالِ مِنكَ مُمَوَّلا
When they chance upon some gain and enrich themselves,
The public treasury becomes full because of you.
هَزَزتَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً
فَكانَ رُدَينِيّاً وَأَبيَضَ مُنصُلا
You have shaken the Commander of the Faithful, Muhammad,
So he has been fair and straightened what was crooked.
فَما إِن تُبالي أَن تُجَهِّزَ رَأيَهُ
إِلى ناكِثٍ أَلّا تُجَهِّزَ جَحفَلا
You do not hesitate to prepare his opinion
Against one who breaks allegiances, you do not prepare armies.
تَرى شَخصَهُ وَسطَ الخِلافَةِ هَضبَةً
وَخُطبَتَهُ دونَ الخِلافَةِ فَيصَلا
You see his person as a summit amidst the Caliphate,
And his sermon just below the Caliphate, a separate chapter.
وَأَنَّكَ إِذ أَلبَستَهُ العِزَّ مُنعِماً
وَسَربَلتَهُ تِلكَ الجَلالَةَ مُفضِلا
When you clothed him in honor, bestowing favor,
And wrapped him in that venerable authority, preferring him,
لِتَقضي بِهِ حَقَّ الرَعِيَّةِ آخِراً
وَتَقضي بِهِ حَقَّ الخِلافَةِ أَوَّلا
It was so he could establish the rights of the public, finally,
And establish the rights of the Caliphate, firstly.
فَما هَضبَتا رَضوى وَلا رُكنُ مُعنِقٍ
وَلا الطَودُ مِن قُدسٍ وَلا أَنفُ يَذبُلا
Yet neither summits of Rada' are calm, nor a neck of a staunch pillar,
Nor the towering mountain of Quds, nor a towering nose withers
بِأَثقَلَ مِنهُ وَطأَةً حينَ يَغتَدي
فَيُلقي وَراءَ المُلكِ نَحراً وَكَلكَلا
With a weight heavier than his when he is unrestrained
And he throws behind the kingdom, slaughter and shackles.
مَنيعُ نَواحي السِرِّ فيهِ حَصينُها
إِذا صارَتِ النَجوى المُذالَةَ مَحفِلا
Impregnable are the sides of secrecy with him, a fortress,
When dishonorable whispers become a gathering.
تَرى الحادِثَ المُستَعجِمَ الخَطبِ مُعجَماً
لَدَيهِ وَمَشكولاً إِذا كانَ مُشكَلا
You see a sudden, grave matter as coherent before him
And understandable if it was problematic.
وَجَدناكَ أَندى مِن رِجالٍ أَنامِلاً
وَأَحسَنَ في الحاجاتِ وَجهاً وَأَجمَلا
We have found you gentler than men with soft hands,
And better in tribulations, of finer face and feature.
تُضيءُ إِذا اِسوَدَّ الزَمانُ وَبَعضُهُم
يَرى المَوتَ أَن يَنهَلَّ أَو يَتَهَلَّلا
You shine when the times darken and some of them
See death felling lives or creeping slowly.
وَوَاللَهِ ما آتيكَ إِلّا فَريضَةً
وَآتي جَميعَ الناسِ إِلّا تَنَفُّلا
By God, I do not come to you except out of duty,
And I come to all people for no other reason.
وَلَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ في الناسِ كُنتَ سِلاحَهُ
عَشِيَّةَ يَلقى الحادِثاتِ بِأَعزَلا
No man among the people was your weapon
As disasters descended upon him, while he was unarmed.
يَرى دِرعَهُ حَصداءَ وَالسَيفَ قاضِياً
وَزُجَّيهِ مَسمومَينِ وَالسَوطَ مِغوَلا
Who saw his armor reaping lives, his sword judging,
His whips poisoned, and his lash devastating.
سَأَقطَعُ أَمطاءَ المَطايا بِرِحلَةٍ
إِلى البَلَدِ الغَربِيِّ هَجراً وَموصِلا
I will set out on a journey to the western land,
Emigrating and reaching the womb of the world that was made barren
إِلى الرَحِمِ الدُنيا الَّتي قَد أَجَفَّها
عُقوقي عَسى اَسبابُها أَن تَبَلَّلا
By my undutifulness, perhaps its causes will be softened.
A tribe and family I did not meet with yearning
قَبيلٌ وَأَهلٌ لَم أُلاقِ مَشوقَهُم
لِوَشكِ النَوى إِلّا فُواقاً كَلا وَلا
Until the intention came close, except in passing, no, nor at all.
It was as if they were, due to my brief sojourn,
كَأَنَّهُم كانوا لِخِفَّةِ وَقفَتي
مَعارِفَ لي أَو مَنزِلاً كانَ مَنزِلا
Known to me, or homes where I lodged for a night.
Had I wished, I would not have burdened them with my righteous claim
وَلَو شيتُ لَمّا اِلتاثَ بِرّي عَلَيهِم
وَلَم يَكُ إِجمالاً لَكانَ تَجَمُّلا
And it would not have been a generality, but mere pretense.
So I did not find morals except as affectation,
فَلَم أَجِدِ الأَخلاقَ إِلّا تَخَلُّقاً
وَلَم أَجِدِ الأَفضالَ إِلّا تَفَضُّلا
Nor merit except as favor granted.
I turn my face from lands whose tongues and hearts
وَأَصرِفُ وَجهي عَن بِلادٍ غَدا بِها
لِسانِيَ مَشكولا وَقَلبِيَ مُقفَلا
Have been shackled and locked against me.
A people like me lived there and found
وَجَدَّ بِها قَومٌ سِوايَ فَصادَفوا
بِها الصُنعَ أَعشى وَالزَمانَ مُغَفَّلا
Favor blind and fate inattentive there.
Dogs who snatched at the prey of a fleeing hyena,
كِلابٌ أَغارَت في فَريسَةِ ضَيغَمٍ
طُروقاً وَهامٌ أُطعِمَت صَيدَ أَجدَلا
Gazelles who were fed the game of a vigorous youth.
A man's sincere opinion and wisdom change
وَإِنَّ صَريحَ الرَأيِ وَالحَزمِ لَاِمرُؤٌ
إِذا بَلَغَتهُ الشَمسُ أَن يَتَحَوَّلا
When the sun shifts, so he changes too.
Unless those hopes remain untainted,
وَإِلّا تَكُن تِلكَ الأَمانِيُّ غَضَّةً
تَرِفُّ فَحَسبي أَن تُصادِفَ ذُبَّلا
Luxuriant, it is enough that they meet dry and withered.
The one who faced ordeals at dawn
فَلَيسَ الَّذي قاسى المَطالِبَ غُدوَةً
هَبيداً كَمَن قاسى المَطالِبَ حَنظَلا
Is not like the one who faced ordeals at twilight.
If my ambitions have left me tossed in my wanderings
لَئِن هِمَمي أَوجَدنَني في تَقَلُّبي
مَآلا لَقَد أَفقَدنَني مِنكَ مَوئِلا
To a fate, they have deprived me of your shelter.
If I choose a considered course, I will surely
وَإِن رُمتُ أَمراً مُدبِرَ الوَجهِ إِنَّني
سَأَترُكُ حَظّاً في فِنائِكَ مُقبِلا
Leave some fortune in your courtyard, approaching.
If I tread the field of the encampment, I will surely
وَإِن كُنتُ أَخطو ساحَةَ المَحلِ إِنَّني
لَأَترُكُ رَوضاً مِن جَداكَ وَجَدوَلا
Leave a garden from your stream, and a flowing brook.
That is how the traveler does not cast down his baggage
كَذَلِكَ لا يُلقي المُسافِرُ رَحلَهُ
إِلى مَنقَلٍ حَتّى يُخَلَّفَ مَنقَلا
Until he leaves a campsite behind to replace the one before.
The pilgrim does not inhabit a halt or quarter
وَلا صاحِبُ التَطوافِ يَعمُرُ مَنهَلاً
وَرَبعاً إِذا لَم يُخلِ رَبعاً وَمَنهَلا
If he does not vacate a quarter and a halt.
Who can approach or withdraw from me? Is there a young man
وَمَن ذا يُداني أَو يُنائي وَهَل فَتىً
يَحُلُّ عُرى التَرحالِ أَو يَتَرَحَّلا
Who can loosen the reins of wandering, or wander?
Order me with a piercing, biting command—I have seen
فَمُرني بِأَمرٍ أَحوَذِيٍّ فَإِنَّني
رَأَيتُ العِدا أَثرَوا وَأَصبَحتُ مُرمِلا
Enemies thrive while I grow frail.
To me, it is equal whether they have prepared for me a feast
فَسِيّانِ عِندي صادَفوا لي مَطعَماً
أُعابُ بِهِ أَو صادَفوا لي مَقتَلا
That I can enjoy, or whether they have prepared my death.
By God, I will not cease to guide stray arrows
وَوَاللَهِ لا أَنفَكُّ أُهدي شَوارِداً
إِلَيكَ يُحَمَّلنَ الثَناءَ المُنَخَّلا
To you, loaded with polished praise.
You reckon it a necklace, strung together,
تَخالُ بِهِ بُرداً عَلَيكَ مُحَبَّراً
وَتَحسَبُهُ عِقداً عَلَيكَ مُفَصَّلا
Cooling to you, embroidered and tailored.
Sweeter than sweet nectar, more fragrant than musk
أَلَذَّ مِنَ السَلوى وَأَطيَبَ نَفحَةً
مِنَ المِسكِ مَفتوقاً وَأَيسَرَ مَحمَلا
Gently steamed, lighter to carry.
Lighter on the heart, weightier in meaning,
أَخَفَّ عَلى قَلبٍ وَأَثقَلَ قيمَةً
وَأَقصَرَ في سَمعِ الجَليسِ وَأَطوَلا
Shorter to a listening friend, longer in verses.
A people shine through it though they were not praised by it
وَيُزهى لَهُ قَومٌ وَلَم يُمدَحوا بِهِ
إِذا مَثَلَ الراوي بِهِ أَو تَمَثَّلا
When the narrator represents it, or shapes representation from it.
Though excessive shyness has inclined me to you
عَلى أَنَّ إِفراطَ الحَياءِ اِستَمالَني
إِلَيكَ وَلَم أَعدِل بِعِرضِيَ مَعدِلا
And I have not made my honor deviate or change course.
I have been burdensome to you by lightening my load, while some
فَثَقَّلتُ بِالتَخفيفِ عَنكَ وَبَعضُهُم
يُخَفِّفُ في الحاجاتِ حَتّى يُثَقِّلا
Lighten loads in their needs until the loads become heavy.
