أَودى الغَرامُ بِصَبٍّ قادَهُ وَصَبا
أَولاهُ ثوبَ سَقامٍ قَدُّهُ وَصَبا
Passion brought a youth to his ruin, led by desire,
It clothed him in the garb of sickness, his neck bent by yearning.
وافى بِغاراتِهِ صَبري فَما اِنقَلَبَت
حَتّى غَدا سَرحُ نَومي عِندَها سَلَبا
It exhausted my patience with its raids, yet no sooner
Had it gone than my restful sleep became plunder to it.
سَل رَسمَ دارِ الأُلى شَطّوا فَهَل شَرِقَت
بِالرَيِّ مِن عَندَمِ الدَمعِ الَّذي سُكِبا
It asked the way to the abode of those I love - did it rise
With the water from my teardrops, copiously poured?
خطَّ النَوى أَحرُفاً مِن عيسِهِم فيُرى
سَطرُ القِصارِ عَلى طِرسِ العُلى كُتِبا
It traced letters from their procession, so it seems
The short line appears inscribed on the page of exaltation.
أَمَّت رِكابُهُمُ البيدَ القَواءَ بِهِم
وسُمنَ أرجاءَها التَقريبَ وَالخبَبا
Their mounts have made the far desert their own through them
And its expanses are perfumed with musk and ambergris.
كمائِمٌ مِن خُدورٍ حُمِّلَت زَهَرا
وأنجُمٌ جُعِلَت أفلاكُها قِبَبا
Like standards of perfume they carried, their orbits
Were made to be censers revolving in space.
بِهِ زَها عَرضُ بَيداءٍ فَتَحسَبُها
عَلى غَديرِ سَرابٍ قَد طَفا حَبَبا
By it the expanse of Bayda glistens, so you deem it
Foam floating on a mirage that has spread its dust.
فَحَيِّ حَيّاً حَلولاً بِالعَقيقِ وَإِن
أَجرَوهُ مِلءَ جُفوني واكِفاً سَرِبا
Greet them, greet them kindly with carnelian, though
They left my eyelids filled and amply provided.
وَلا تَحِيَّةَ إلّا ما يُعَلِّلُهُ
شَيمُ البُروقِ وَرَيّا مِن نَسيمِ صَبا
No greeting except what the lighting justifies
And a breeze from the zephyr of morning validates.
وَاللَيلُ أسحَمُ جِلباباً وَقَد رَكَدَت
نُجومُهُ فَانطَوى صُبحٌ بِهِ طُنُبا
The night dons its blackest of robes and its stars wane,
So dawn wraps itself in it, thickly layered.
هَصَرتُهُ وَجُفونُ الشُهبِ ساهِرَةٌ
وَأَشقَرُ البرقِ في نَقعِ الغَمامِ كَبا
I stay up while the shooting stars' eyes grow tired
And the lightning in the clouds' belly flashes pale.
كَم ذا أَبِيِّ اغتِرامٍ لا يُدَلِّلُهُ
أَما يَلينُ اِنقِياداً بَعدَ ما صَعُبا
How many dear ones made intractable, whom gentleness
Will not make pliant after they hardened?
أمِط قَذاةَ التَواني عَن شَرائِعِهِ
وَاِشدُد لَهُ بمَضاءِ الهِمَّةِ السَبَبا
Remove the sleep from their lassitude and steady
For them the cord of resolve to climb upward.
أجِل قِداحَ رَشادٍ وَاطَّرِح فُرُطاً
مِنَ الهَوى طالَما استَخفَفتَهُ حِقَبا
Cast the stirrups of guidance and reject the surplus
Of passion you have too lightly dismissed.
أَلقِ العَصا في حِمى العِزِّ الَّذي اِنتخَبَت
لَهُ الأَصالَةُ في بَحرٍ سَما رُتَبا
Throw down your staff in the protected realm you chose
For its origin - a sea whose ways are deposited.
حِمى النَبِيِّ المَكينِ العِلمِ طاهِرِه الز
زاكي المَناقِبِ لاحَت لِلعُلا شُهُبا
The protected realm of the Prophet, secured, pure,
Of commendable traits, virtues for high ones.
مِن طينَةِ المَجدِ وَالتَشريفُ مُطَّرِدٌ
فيها مَعينٌ مِنَ التَقديسِ مُنسَكِبا
Of the clay of glory - and the honor inherent
In it a spring of sanctity poured forth.
نورٌ مِنَ الحَقِّ وَضّاحٌ لِذي رَشَدٍ
بادٍ صَباحَ يَقينٍ يَنسَخُ الرِيَبا
A light of truth giving clear guidance to one of reason
Bringing the dawn of certainty that dispels doubt.
أَبان للجاحِدِ الأَغشى فَبانَ لَهُ
نَهجُ الحَقائِقِ في لَيلِ السُرى كُثُبا
It clarified for the veiled denier, so the path
Of truths appeared to him in the night of mystic journey.
وَشامَ بارِقُها فَارتادَ مُنعَرَجاً
مُفَوَّفاً أرجاً يُهدي شَميمَ كَبا
Its lightning flashed and he found a twisting ascent
Scattered with flowers, guiding the sense of smell.
وَخُصَّ بالقُربِ حَتّى احتَلَّ مَنزِلَةً
مِن دونِها اختَرَقَ الأطباقَ وَالحُجُبا
He was granted exclusivity until he attained a rank
Above which he traversed heavens and barriers.
وَقائِدٌ بِبَراهينٍ يَظَلُّ بِها
حَسودُها قَلِقَ الأحشاءِ مُصطَخِبا
A guide with proofs that keep his envious enemies
Restless, their entrails churned into confusion.
لَو لَم يَكُن غَيرَ آياتٍ مُبَيَّنَةٍ
أَخرَسنَ مَن حاكَ بُردَ الشِعرِ أو خَطَبا
If it were not for clear verses they would have silenced
Those who spin verses of poetry or make speeches.
دَهَت مَعاطِنَ شِركٍ فَانزَوى وَخزى
ضَيئلَ شَخصٍ وَقِدماً قَد عَلا وَرَبا
The foundations of polytheism tottered and withdrew in shame
While the persona and foot of one exalted sank.
حَتّى إِذا لَم تدَع لِلشِركِ قائِمَةً
إلّا وَكَسَّرتَ مِنها النَبعَ والغَرَبا
Until you left no basis for polytheism standing
Except that you severed its spring and west.
يا خَيرَ مَن يَرتَجيهِ المُستَجيرُ إذا
ما كانَ كُلُّ امرِئٍ رَهناً بِما كَسَبا
O best one hoped for by those seeking refuge when
All people are hostage to what they reaped.
صَلّى عَلَيكَ إِلَهُ العَرشِ ما سَجَعَت
قُمرِيَّةٌ فَوقَ بانٍ فَاِنثَنى طَرَبا
The God of the Throne prayed upon you whenever
A Pleiad rose above the cup and bent its wrist.
وَدامَ كافِلُ هَذا الدينِ سِبطُكَ مَن
يَسمو بِكُم في ذُرى فَخرٍ إذا اِنتَسَبا
And may your grandson ‒ the guardian of this faith ‒ endure;
He by whom you rise to the peaks of pride if linked.
خليفَةً صارَ بَينَ الخافِقَينِ لَهُ
صيتُ الثَناءِ عَلى الأَفواهِ قَد عَذُبا
He became the Caliph between the two risers, his name
Is sweet upon tongues, deliciously flavored.
يَنِمُّ مِثلَ شَذا المِسكِ الفَتيقِ إِذا
تَداوَلَتهُ رِفاقُ البيدِ مُنتَهَبا
It spreads like the rare musk when passed
Among the youths of the land, snatched up.
تَشرَّفَت بِكِ أوصافُ العُلى فَكَفى
عِزّاً بِها أَنكَ تُدعى بِاسمِها لَقَبا
Through you the attributes of exaltation were ennobled,
Sufficiently honored that you are called by its name.
ما إِن يُباريكَ ذو زَهوٍ مُفاخَرَةً
إِلّا تَوَلّى كَليلاً أو فليل شبا
If one vaunting himself competes with you
He turns back humiliated and miserable.
وَلا يَجاريكَ في مِضمارِ مَكرُمَةٍ
إِلا تَولّى على الأَعقابِ مُنقلِبا
And none contend with you in the race course of generosity
Except they return upon their heels inverted.
لما اِنتَصَبتَ عَلى دَستِ الفَخارِ رَأى
مِنكَ الوَرى عَلَماً فَرداً قَدِ اِنتَصَبا
When you rose above the hand of glory people saw
In you a singular banner erected tall.
حَتّى خَطَبتَ ارتِجالاً فَتحَ مَملَكَةٍ
كانَ السَفيرُ مُجَيفِلاً لَها فجَبا
Until you proposed extemporaneously and a kingdom opened
Whose ambassador had been resistant and aloof.
وَما مَضى فَهوَ مِن آيِ ابتَداءَتِه
وَضِعفُ أضعافِهِ ما كانَ مُرتَقَبا
What has passed belongs to the signs of his beginnings
While multiples of its weakness were expected.
يُقارِضُ المُعتفي عَلياك حينَ غَدا
يولي الثَناءَ إِذا أَولَيتَهُ نَشَبا
It loans approval to you when approval
Turns to praise you, should you bestow it.
وَمَن يَلُذ بِذِمامٍ مِنكَ كَيفَ إذَن
يَنالُهُ صَرفُ دَهرٍ غالَ أَو غَلَبا
And who clings to your reins - how can
The turns of time overcome him, conquer or conquer him?
تِلكَ السَجايا الَّتي لَم تُبقِ مَكرُمةً
إِلّا وَقَد أَحرَزَت في شَأوِها قَصَبا
Those are the qualities that left no glory
Except that they secured its height as theirs.
وَنَجلُكَ الملِكُ المَأمونُ مُنتَهِجٌ
آثارَ مَجدِكَ لَم يَعدِل بِها أَرَبا
And your son al-Maʾmūn, follower of the tracks
Of your glory – none ever came close.
فَهوَ الَّذي زانَ سِلكَ العِزِّ مُتَّسِقاً
وَهوَ الَّذي كانَ للعَلياءِ مُنتَخَبا
He is the one who adorned the path of power in all its aspects
And he is the one who was chosen by the exalted.
لا زالَ مُلكُكَ بِالتَخليدِ مُقتَرِناً
يَجُرُّ ذَيلاً عَلى الأَملاكِ مُنسَحِبا
Your kingdom continues, bound to eternity,
Dragging its train withdrawn upon realms.
