أَمّا الخَيال فَما يَغيب طُروقاً

يَدنو بِوَصلك شائِقاً وَمشوقا

The imagination never disappears for long

It comes nearer to you, longing and arousing

وَآفٍ يُحقِقُ لِلوَفاء وَلَم يَزَل

خدن الصَبابة لِلوَفاءِ خَليقا

Always fulfilling loyalty, it has never ceased

To be naturally disposed to loyalty

وَمَضى وَقَد مَنَعَ الجُفونَ خفوقها

قَلبٌ لذكرك لا يَزالُ خَفوقا

It went away, though sleep had banned its eyelids from trembling

A heart remembering you that does not cease pulsating

هَل عهدنا بِلوى الشَقيقة راجِعٌ

فَيَعود لي فيهِ الوِصالُ شَقيقا

Has the time of our misfortunes returned

So that union with you returns to me again?

أَيام تسلك بي الصَبابَة مجهلاً

لا يَعرِف السلوان فيهِ طَريقا

Days make me tread the paths of youth confused

Not knowing the road in them

أَهوى أَنيق الحُسنِ مُقتَبِل الصبا

وَأَزور مختصر الشَباب أَنيقا

I love the graceful beauty, embracing youth

And I visit the epitome of youth, gracefully

لا أَلحظ الأَيام لحظةَ وامِقٍ

حَتّى يَعود زَماننا مَرموقا

I do not notice the days for a fleeting moment

Until our time returns glorified

وَرَكائِبٍ يخرجنَ من غَلس الدُجى

مثل السِهام مرقن فيهِ مُروقا

And riders who come out of the darkness of night

Like arrows polished among them sharpened

وَالفَجر مَصقول الرِداء كَأَنَّهُ

جِلبابُ خَودٍ أَشربته خَلوقا

And the dawn, its gown polished as if it were

A cheek's robe that sucked something delicious

نَحوَ الهُمام القائِد القرم الَّذي

قرن الإِلَه بِعَزمِهِ التَوفيقا

Towards the noble leader, the brave hero

Whom God matched in his determination to grant success

ملك يَروقك منظراً وَمَقالَةً

أَبَداً وَيوسع بِالصَوارِم ضيقا

A king who pleases you in appearance and speech

Forever, and widens with swords the narrow

يَلقى النَدى بِرَقيقِ وَجهٍ مُسفِرٍ

وَإِذا التَقى الجَمعانِ عادَ صَفيقا

He meets pleasure with a cheerful face

And if the two groups meet he returns reconciled

رحبُ المَجالِسِ ما أَقامَ فإِن سَرى

في جَحفَل ترك الفَضاء مَضيقا

Vast are the places where he stays, but if he travels

He leaves the horizon narrow in his entourage

وَإِذا طَما بَحرُ الكَريهة خاضَهُ

وَأَماتَ مَن عاداهُ فيهِ غَريقا

And if the sea of hatred surges he crosses it

And kills those who oppose him in it drowned

حُجِبَت بِهِ شَمس النَهارِ وَأَشرَقت

شَمس الحَديد بِجانبيه شُروقا

The sun of day was veiled by him and the

Iron sun shone at his sides rising

أَضحى أَبو الفَضل السَميدع في الوَرى

فَرداً وَأَمسى في الذُرى مَرموقا

Al-Samida’ became singular in the world

And attained heights among the people

وَحسامه أَبَداً بوار عِداتِهِ

وَتواله في العالمين مُحيقا

His sword forever vanquishes his enemies

And his assault in both worlds is burning

اللَهَ صوَّرَهُ جَواداً خلقه

أَعلى بِهِ نور الزَمانِ أَنيقا

God shaped him as a generous one, created him

To elevate the light of time gracefully

أَضحى السَخاء بِجَعفَرٍ مُتَخَيِّماً

فَغَدا بِهِ عقد الزَمانِ وَثيقا

Generosity became shaded with Ja’far

So the knot of time became bound to him

يَختالُ في حُلَلِ الرَجاءِ وَيَمتَطي

هِمَماً أَقامَت لِلمَكارِمِ سوقا

He struts in garments of hope and rides

Ambitions that set up a market for glorious deeds

فَلَضاعَ أَمر لا تَبيت تديره

وَلَظَلَّ ركب ما انتَحاكَ طَريقا

So the matter you do not spend a night planning is lost

And the caravan whose road you do not pave

فَهَناكَ يَوم العيد يَومٌ عائِد

أَبَداً عَلَيكَ موفقاً تَوفيقا

There, the holiday is an everlasting day

Returning to you, a success granting success

ببقا أَمير المؤمِنينَ وَظلُّهُ

تَرجو النَجاة وَتأمن التَعويقا

Remaining, O Commander of the Faithful, and your shade

You hope for salvation and fear no hindrance

فاسلم لِدَهرٍ أَنتَ دُرَّة تاجِهِ

لا زِلتَ رَبّاً للفَخارِ حَقيقا

Surrender to fate, you are the pearl of its crown

You have always been a lord for the eminent, truly

واسلم لمكرمة شَغَلتَ بِحُبِّها

قَلباً بِحُبِّ المكرمات عَلوقا

Surrender to the kindness that busied you with loving it

A heart bound to loving the kind ones

وَبَديع شعرٍ يانِعٍ حَبَّرتُهُ

فنظمتُ منه لؤلؤاً وَعَقيقا

And excellent poetry I have perfumed

So I strung pearls and rubies from it

شَعشَعتُ مِنهُ اللَفظ ثم نظمته

فَكَأَنَّما شَعشَعتُ منه رَحيقا

I made its expression gleam then composed it

As if I gleamed perfume from it