سَرَت تَستَجيرُ الدَمعَ خَوفَ نَوى غَدِ
وَعادَ قَتاداً عِندَها كُلُّ مَرقَدِ
She went seeking refuge, her tears fearing the evils of fate tomorrow,
And every resting place again became narrow for her.
وَأَنقَذَها مِن غَمرَةِ المَوتِ أَنَّهُ
صُدودُ فِراقٍ لا صُدودُ تَعَمُّدِ
He saved her from the depths of death, for verily
It was the estrangement of parting, not intentional estrangement.
فَأَجرى لَها الإِشفاقُ دَمعاً مُوَرَّداً
مِنَ الدَمِ يَجري فَوقَ خَدٍّ مُوَرَّدِ
So compassion made the shedding tears flow for her
Bloody tears flowing down a cheek.
هِيَ البَدرُ يُغنيها تَوَدُّدُ وَجهِها
إِلى كُلِّ مَن لاقَت وَإِن لَم تَوَدَّدِ
She is the full moon whom the intimacy of his face would suffice,
To every one she met even if she was not intimate.
وَلَكِنَّني لَم أَحوِ وَفراً مُجَمَّعاً
فَفُزتُ بِهِ إِلّا بِشَملٍ مُبَدَّدِ
But I could not attain success which has all been assembled
Except through a disunited family.
وَلَم تُعطِني الأَيّامُ نَوماً مُسَكَّناً
أَلَذُّ بِهِ إِلّا بِنَومٍ مُشَرَّدِ
And the days did not give me tranquilizing sleep
Except the sleep of a restless wanderer.
وَطولُ مُقامِ المَرءِ في الحَيِّ مُخلِقٌ
لِديباجَتَيهِ فَاِغتَرِب تَتَجَدَّدِ
The length of one's stay in life breeds
The ability to change and renew.
فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ زيدَت مَحَبَّةً
إِلى الناسِ أَن لَيسَت عَلَيهِم بِسَرمَدِ
For I saw the sun increase the love
Of the people since it is not eternal.
حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ البيضِ تَدمى مُتونُها
وَرَبِّ القَنا المُنآدِ وَالمُتَقَصَّدِ
I swear by the Lord of the white domes whose bases leak
And the Lord of the minaret of the called upon sought out refuge
لَقَد كَفَّ سَيفُ الصامِتِّيِ مُحَمَّدٍ
تَباريحَ ثَأرِ الصامِتِيِّ مُحَمَّدِ
Indeed the sword of the silent one Muhammad
Quenched the vengeance of the silent one Muhammad
رَمى اللَهُ مِنهُ بابَكاً وَوُلاتَهُ
بِقاصِمَةِ الأَصلابِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدِ
God cast with it the leaders and their authority
With a cutting blade in every battle scene
بِأَسمَحَ مِن غُرِّ الغَمامِ سَماحَةً
وَأَشجَعَ مِن صَرفِ الزَمانِ وَأَنجَدِ
More clement than the deluge of clouds in clemency
And braver than the ebb of time and most supportive
إِذا ما دَعَوناهُ بِأَجلَحَ أَيمَنٍ
دَعاهُ وَلَم يَظلِم بِأَصلَعَ أَنكَدِ
When we call him, of good omen most fortunate,
He answers unlike the bald head most sinister
فَتىً يَومَ بَذِّ الخُرَّمِيَّةِ لَم يَكُن
بِهَيّابَةٍ نِكسٍ وَلا بِمُعَرِّدِ
A man, the day of Buzurjmihr he was not
Depressed, dejected, or left uncertain
قِفا سَندَبايا وَالرِماحُ مُشيحَةٌ
تُهَدّى إِلى الروحِ الخَفِيِّ فَتَهتَدي
Stand oh Sandabay while the spears are bare
Directed at the hidden spirit so they are guided
عَدا اللَيلُ فيها عَن مُعاوِيَةَ الرَدى
وَما شَكَّ رَيبُ الدَهرِ في أَنَّهُ رَدي
The night transgressed in it the transgression of Mu'awiyah
And no doubt did the vicissitudes of time have in that he transgressed
لَعَمري لَقَد حَرَّرتَ يَومَ لَقيتَهُ
لَوَ اِنَّ القَضاءَ وَحدَهُ لَم يُبَرِّدِ
By my life you made it a free day when you met him
If only destiny alone had not chilled
فَإِن يَكُنِ المِقدارُ فيهِ مُفَنِّدا
فَما هُوَ في أَشياعِهِ بِمُفَنِّدِ
For if it was negated in it
Then it was not negated in its parties
وَفي أَرشَقِ الهَيجاءِ وَالخَيلُ تَرتَمي
بِأَبطالِها في جاحِمٍ مُتَوَقِّدِ
In the midst of the awakened commotion and the horses prancing
With its heroes in ferocious heating zeal
عَطَطتَ عَلى رَغمِ العِدا عَزمَ بابِكٍ
بِصَبرِكَ عَطَّ الأَتحَمِيِّ المُعَضَّدِ
You triumphed over the enemy’s will with your resolve and the support of Attahumayy
Unless he turned away with a weakened and impaired determination
فَإِلّا يَكُن وَلّى بِشِلوٍ مُقَدَّدٍ
هُناكَ فَقَد وَلّى بِعَزمٍ مُقَدَّدِ
Then he surely turned away with resolute determination
And though the spears could see his heart
وَقَد كانَتِ الأَرماحُ أَبصَرنَ قَلبَهُ
فَأَرمَدَها سِترُ القَضاءِ المُمَدَّدِ
The cover of destiny made them blind
Mawqan was his place of emigration so you descended upon it
وَموقانَ كانَت دارَ هِجرَتِهِ فَقَد
تَوَرَّدتَها بِالخَيلِ أَيَّ تَوَرُّدِ
With the horses - what descent!
You eclipsed its glory the day you brought glory to Arabism
حَطَطتَ بِها يَومَ العَروبَةِ عِزَّهُ
وَكانَ مُقيماً بَينَ نَسرٍ وَفَرقَدِ
While he was staying between eagle and watchful
He saw you shrewd in opinion and in spear-thrust amidst the fray
رَآكَ سَديدَ الرَأيِ وَالرُمحِ في الوَغى
تَأَزَّرُ بِالإِقدامِ فيهِ وَتَرتَدي
Girded with daring therein and wearing it
And a resolute opinion does not dispel worry
وَلَيسَ يُجَلّي الكَربَ رَأيٌ مُسَدَّدٌ
إِذا هُوَ لَم يُؤنَس بِرُمحٍ مُسَدَّدِ
Unless accompanied by a resolute spear-thrust
So he passed being obedient to lofty goals as was his custom
فَمَرَّ مُطيعاً لِلعَوالي مُعَوَّداً
مِنَ الخَوفِ وَالإِحجامِ ما لَم يُعَوَّدِ
Of fear and restraint that which he was not accustomed
And he was of strong mettle so you dispossessed him
وَكانَ هُوَ الجَلدَ القُوى فَسَلَبتَهُ
بِحُسنِ الجِلادِ المَحضِ حُسنَ التَجَلُّدِ
With excellent dispossession, the excellence of admirable composure
By my life you left him being quenched
لَعَمري لَقَد غادَرتَ حِسيَ فُؤادِهِ
قَريبَ رِشاءٍ لِلقَنا سَهلَ مَورِدِ
Near a meadow easy to reach
He was so very deep you left him being freely drunk
وَكانَ بَعيدَ القَعرِ مِن كُلِّ ماتِحٍ
فَغادَرتَهُ يُسقى وَيُشرَبُ بِاليَدِ
With hands put in without need of rope
And for high-aspiring stars, an ambition set forth
وَلِلكَذَجِ العُليا سَمَت بِكَ هِمَّةٌ
طَموحٌ يَروحُ النَصرُ فيها وَيَغتَدي
Soaring in which the victory comes and goes
It squeezed the nose in humiliation of the son of Hazim
وَقَد خَزَمَت بِالذُلِّ أَنفَ اِبنِ خازِمٍ
وَأَعيَت صَياصيها يَزيدَ بنَ مَزيَدِ
And exhausted his hosting, Yazid son of Mazid
You fettered their absolute violence with courage
فَقَيَّدتَ بِالإِقدامِ مُطلَقَ بَأسِهِم
وَأَطلَقتَ فيهِم كُلَّ حَتفٍ مُقَيَّدِ
And unleashed upon them every confined fate
In Abarshtawim and Darwaza with Hizb
وَبِالهَضبِ مِن أَبرِشتَويمَ وَدَروَذٍ
عَلَت بِكَ أَطرافُ القَنا فَاِعلُ وَاِزدَدِ
The peaks of Qanat rose up and multiplied through you
The spying out helped you attain glorious feats
أَفادَتكَ فيها المُرهَفاتُ مَآثِراً
تُعَمَّرُ عُمرَ الدَهرِ إِن لَم تُخَلَّدِ
That make immortal the life of time if not immortalized
On the night you tested the hero with an affliction
وَلَيلَةَ أَبلَيتَ البَياتَ بَلاءَهُ
مِنَ الصَبرِ في وَقتٍ مِنَ الصَبرِ مُجحِدِ
From patience at a time of frustrated patience
So what a charge that does not deny his dignity
فَيا جَولَةً لا تَجحَديهِ وَقارَهُ
وَيا سَيفُ لا تَكفُر وَيا ظُلمَةُ اِشهَدي
And what a sword that does not deny and what darkness bears witness
And what a night, if only I were in your place after it
وَيا لَيلُ لَو أَنّي مَكانَكَ بَعدَها
لَما بِتُّ في الدُنيا بِنَومٍ مُسَهَّدِ
I would not have slept in the world with eased sleep
And the events are the origin and branch of victory in them
وَقائِعُ أَصلُ النَصرِ فيها وَفَرعُهُ
إِذا عُدِّدَ الإِحسانُ أَو لَم يُعَدَّدِ
Whether good is enumerated or not enumerated
So whatever subsequent event may occur, let it not be
فَمَهما تَكُن مِن وَقعَةٍ بَعدُ لا تَكُن
سِوى حَسَنٍ مِمّا فَعَلتَ مُرَدَّدِ
Other than good of what you have done over and over
The beauties of all sorts of singers are bland
مَحاسِنُ أَصنافِ المُغَنّينَ جَمَّةٌ
وَما قَصَباتُ السَبقِ إِلّا لِمَعبَدِ
And the crooks of concurring are only for purpose
You removed the darkness from Azerbaijan after it had turned
جَلَوتَ الدُجى عَن أَذرَبيجانَ بَعدَما
تَرَدَّت بِلَونٍ كَالغَمامَةِ أَربَدِ
With a complexion like gloomy clouds more cold
It had been dark and the dawn therein not white
وَكانَت وَلَيسَ الصُبحُ فيها بِأَبيَضٍ
فَأَمسَت وَلَيسَ اللَيلُ فيها بِأَسوَدِ
Then it became eve and the night therein not black
Babak saw from you that which arose for him
رَأى بابَكٌ مِنكَ الَّتي طَلَعَت لَهُ
بِنَحسٍ وَلِلدينِ الحَنيفِ بِأَسعُدِ
With ill omen and for the Hanif religion most fortunate
You brandished for him a sword of deceit which only
هَزَزتَ لَهُ سَيفاً مِنَ الكَيدِ إِنَّما
تُجَذُّ بِهِ الأَعناقُ ما لَم يُجَرَّدِ
Severs necks when not sheathed
He who imposes with it sheathed feels at ease
يَسُرُّ الَّذي يَسطو بِهِ وَهُوَ مُغمَدٌ
وَيَفضَحُ مَن يَسطو بِهِ غَيرَ مُغمَدِ
And he is exposed who imposes without sheath
And I do hope you adorn his neck
وَإِنّي لَأَرجو أَن تُقَلِّدَ جيدَهُ
قِلادَةَ مَصقولِ الذُبابِ مُهَنَّدِ
With a necklace of polished steel most honored
Adorned with death - its wearer is privileged
مُنَظَّمَةً بِالمَوتِ يَحظى بِحَليِها
مُقَلِّدُها في الناسِ دونَ المُقَلَّدِ
Amongst the people over the adorned
To you we surrendered the wings of a night as though
إِلَيكَ هَتكَنا جُنحِ لَيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ
قَدِ اِكتَحَلَت مِنهُ البِلادُ بِإِثمِدِ
Through it the lands were lined with kohl
The red leather of skilled riders and their brands shake me
تَقَلقَلُ بي أُدمُ المَهارى وَشومُها
عَلى كُلِّ نَشزٍ مُتلَئِبٍّ وَفَدفَدِ
Upon every startled terrified and weakened
Turning in the horizons spears as though
تُقَلِّبُ في الآفاقِ صِلاً كَأَنَّما
يُقَلِّبُ في فَكَّيهِ شِقَّةَ مِبرَدِ
Turning in its jaws a piece of ice
Missing your strong temple they became
تَلافى جَداكَ المُجتَدينَ فَأَصبَحوا
وَلَم يَبقَ مَذخورٌ عَلى كُلِّ مَوعِدِ
When no treasure remained upon any appointment
When the mill turned you showed clemency
إِذا ما رَحىً دارَت أَدَرتَ سَماحَةً
رَحى كُلِّ إِنجازٍ عَلى كُلِّ مَوعِدِ
A mill of all fulfillment upon every appointment
I came to you, not seeking refuge to other than the refuge
أَتَيتُكَ لَم أَفزَع إِلى غَيرِ مَفزَعٍ
وَلَم أَنشُدِ الحاجاتِ في غَيرِ مَنشَدِ
And not seeking needs from other than the sought
And whoever hopes for the absent favor then verily
وَمَن يَرجُ مَعروفَ البَعيدِ فَإِنَّما
يَدي عَوَّلَت في النائِباتِ عَلى يَدي
My hands have depended in calamities upon my hands
