أَفنى وَلَيلي لَيسَ يَفنى آخِرُه
هاتا مَوارِدُهُ فَأَينَ مَصادِرُه
My youth has passed, yet my night does not end
Whence came its flow? Where went its source?
نامَت عُيونُ الشامِتينَ تَيَقُّناً
أَن لَيسَ يَهجَعُ وَالهُمومُ تُسامِرُه
The eyes of my critics close satisfied
That he will not rest though cares converse with him
أَسرَ الفِراقُ عَزائَهُ وَنَأى الَّذي
قَد كانَ يَستَحيِيهِ إِذ يَستاسِرُه
Parting has uncovered its sorrows and gone is he
Who once was shy to screen himself from me
لا شَيءَ ضائِرُ عاشِقٍ فَإِذا نَأى
عَنهُ الحَبيبُ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ ضائِرُه
Nothing hurts a lover, so when the beloved
Turns from him, everything hurts him
يا أَيُّهاذا السائِلي أَنا شارِحٌ
لَكَ غائِبي حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ حاضِرُه
O questioner, I explain my absent one until
You feel as if you are in his presence
إِنّي وَنَصراً وَالرِضا بِجِوارِهِ
كَالبَحرِ لا يَبغي سِواهُ مُجاوِرُه
I and victory and acceptance of his neighbor
Are like the sea that desires none but its neighbor
ما إِن يَخافُ الخَذلَ مِن أَيّامِهِ
أَحَدٌ تَيَقَّنَ أَنَّ نَصراً ناصِرُه
None who is sure of Nasr as his supporter
Fears any betrayal from his days
يَفدي أَبا العَبّاسِ مَن لَم يَفدِهِ
مِن لائِميهِ جِذمُهُ وَعَناصِرُه
Abu Al-Abbas’ constitution and pillars
Would ransom those who do not ransom him
مُستَنفِرٌ لِلمادِحينَ كَأَنَّما
آتيهِ يَمدَحُهُ أَتاهُ يُفاخِرُه
Inciting panegyrists as though he comes
To eulogize him but finds him vying
ماذا تَرى فيمَن رَآكَ لِمَدحِهِ
أَهلاً وَصارَت في يَدَيكَ مَصايِرُه
What do you think of one who saw you eulogizing him
As worthy and put his fate in your hands?
قَد كابَرَ الأَحداثَ حَتّى كَذَّبَت
عَنهُ وَلَكِنَّ القَضاءَ يُكابِرُه
He resisted events until they denied
Him, but destiny insists on overcoming him
مُر دَهرَهُ بِالكَفِّ عَن جَنَباتِهِ
فَالدَهرُ يَفعَلُ صاغِراً ما تامُرُه
Rein in the nights of his epoch with your palm
For time acts submissive to your command
لا تَنسَ مَن لَم يَنسَ مَدحَكَ وَالمُنى
تَحتَ الدُجى يَزعُمنَ أَنَّكَ ذاكِرُه
Do not forget one who did not forget your praise
And hopes under cover of darkness you remember him
اُبكُر فَقَد بَكَرَت عَلَيكَ بِمَدحِهِ
غُرَرُ القَصائِدِ خَيرُ أَمرٍ باكِرُه
Rise early, for the choicest lyrics have risen early
To praise you; the earliest matter is the best
لاقاكَ أَوَّلُهُ بِأَوَّلِ شِعرِهِ
فَأَهِب بِأَوَّلِهِ يَكُن لَكَ آخِرُه
The first of his poetry meets you, so begin
With its beginning that its end may be yours
لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِن ثَنائِيَ سائِراً
وَنَداكَ في أُفقِ البِلادِ يُسايِرُه
Nothing is finer than my poetry circulating
And your echo through the horizons accompanying it
وَإِذا الفَتى المَأمولُ أَنجَحَ عَقلَهُ
في نَفسِهِ وَنَداهُ أَنجَحَ شاعِرُه
When the hoped-for youth has perfected his reason
In himself and his call, his poet has perfected it
