نَهْجُ الثّناءِ إِلى ناديكَ مُخْتَصَرٌ

لوْ أدْرَكَتْ وَصْفَكَ الأوْهامُ والفِكَرُ

The path of praise to your club is brief,

If imaginings and thought could grasp your description.

ماذا يَقولُ لكَ المُثني وقد نزَلَتْ

على ابنِ عمّكَ في تَقْريظِكَ السُّوَرُ

What does the praiser say to you when

The chapters have descended upon your cousin in your eulogy?

فُتَّ المَدائِحَ حتى قالَ أفْصَحُنا

إنّ البَلاغَةَ في تَحْبيرِها حَصَرُ

The eulogies were eloquent until the most eloquent of us said,

“Eloquence in its embroidery is confined.”

ما ضَرَّ مَنْ كانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ والِدَهُ

إن لم يكنْ أبَويْهِ الشّمسُ والقَمَرُ

It did not harm one whose father was Abdullah,

If his parents were not the sun and the moon.

يا خَيْرَ مَنْ بُشِّرَتْ بعدَ النّبيِّ بهِ

عَدْنانُ وادّرَعَتْ عِزّاً بهِ مُضَرُ

O best of those given good news after the Prophet,

‘Adnan was gladdened and Muḍar was honoured by him.

أحْيا بكَ اللهُ ما كانتْ تُدِلُّ بهِ

عُليا قُرَيْشٍ ومِنها السادَةُ الغُرَرُ

Through you Allah revived what used to indicate to

The nobility of Quraysh, and its excellent chiefs.

لكَ الوَقارُ منَ الصِّدّيقِ تَكْنُفُهُ

مَهابَةٌ كان مَحْبُوّاً بِها عُمَرُ

You have gravity from the Truthful surrounding you,

Awe with which ‘Umar was loved.

وجُودُ عُثمانَ والآفاقُ شاحِبَةٌ

ونَجْدَةٌ منْ عليٍّ والقَنا كِسَرُ

The generosity of ‘Uthmān and horizons downcast,

And the aid of ‘Ali when the spears were broken.

وعِلْمُ جَدِّكَ عبدِ اللهِ شِيبَ بهِ

دهاؤُهُ حينَ أعْيى الوارِدَ الصّدَرُ

And the knowledge of your grandfather Abdullah, with which

His shrewdness grew white when the visitor's heart grew weary.

وهِمّةٌ منْ أبي الأملاكِ طُلْتَ بِها

باعاً وقَصّرَ عنها الأنْجُمُ الزُّهُرُ

And the ambition from Abul-Milaak you aspired with,

Selling and the stars fell short of it dazzled.

وهَيْبَةُ الكامِلِ الموفي على أمَدٍ

ما مَدّ طَرْفاً إِلى أدناهُ مفْتَخِرُ

And the awe of the faithful perfecter lasting

As long as an arrogant glance did not extend to its lowness.

وفيكَ منْ شيَمِ المَنصورِ سَطْوَتُهُ

والبيضُ تَلْمَعُ والهَيْجاءُ تَسْتَعِرُ

And in you there is al-Mansur’s domination,

The whites gleaming and the blades aflame.

ومَكْرُماتٌ منَ المَهْديّ تَنْشُرُها

وأيَّ هَدْيٍ إِلى العَلياءِ تَفْتَقِرُ

And the gifts of al-Mahdi that you spread about,

And what guidance to the lofty you lack.

وللرّشيدِ سَجايا منكَ نُعْرِفُها

فَضْلٌ يُرجّى ورأيٌ تِلْوُهُ القَدَرُ

And for ar-Rashid there are qualities in you we recognize,

Favour hoped for and opinion followed by Fate.

وقد ورِثْتَ أبا إسحاقَ جُرأَتَهُ

في مأزِقٍ حاضِراهُ النّصْرُ والظّفَرُ

And you inherited from your father his boldness

In dire straits, victory and triumph present for him.

وفيكَ منْ جَعْفَرٍ حَزْمٌ يَلوحُ بهِ

على مَساعيكَ منْ مَسْعاتِهِ أثَرُ

And in you there is Ja‘far’s wisdom flashing

In your pursuits, its traces from his pursuits.

وبأسُ طَلْحَةَ في إقْدامِ أحْمَدَ إذْ

وشَتْ بسرِّ المَنايا البيضُ والسُّمُرُ

And the might of Talhah in Ahmad's resolve when

The whites and browns mingled in the secret of death.

ومنْ أبي الفضلِ عِزٌّ يُستَجارُ به

يومَ الوغى وظَلامُ النّقْعِ مُعْتَكِرُ

And from your father there is glory that is sought

On the day of strife when gloom of disaster grows dark.

وحِلْمُ إسحاقَ والألْبابُ طائِشةٌ

بحيثُ يُخْتَضَبُ الصّمْصامَةُ الذّكَرُ

And the forbearance of Ishaq while minds are wild

To the point that the hearty endure pain.

وعَزْمَةُ القادِرِ المَحْبُوِّ سائِلُهُ

والخارجي لَوى منْ جيدِه الأشَرُ

And the determination of al-Qaadir the beloved, asked of him,

While the dissenter twisted away from his neck.

ورأفَةُ القائِمِ المَرجوّ نائِلُهُ

والسُّحْبُ تعْتَلُّ والأنواءُ تَعْتَذِرُ

And the compassion of al-Qaa'im the hoped for, attained by him

While the clouds roared and the breezes apologized.

وللذخيرة فَضْلٌ أنتَ وارِثُهُ

وكانَ أرْوَعَ ما في عُودِهِ خَوَرُ

And for adh-Dhakiyah there is a merit you inherited,

And the most splendid of what was in his return was ruin.

وعزّةُ المُقْتَدي تُكْسى مَهابَتُها

حتى يَعودَ خفيّاً دونَكَ النّظَرُ

And the honour of al-Muqtadi its awe cloaking

Until sight secretly turned away from you.

إنْ أثّلوا لَكَ والدنيا بُعذْرَتِها

عُلاً فهذي عُلاً أثّلْتَها أُخَرُ

If they attributed nobility to you while the world in its prime

Exalted, then this is the nobility you exalted later.

فاسْمَعْ شكيّةَ مَنْ يُلْفى ولاؤهُمُ

منهُ بحيثُ يكون السّمْعُ والبصَرُ

So hear the complaint of those whose loyalty

Is such that hearing and sight are banished from it.

فهذه شَتْوةٌ ألْقَتْ كَلاكِلَها

حتى استَبَدَّ بصَفْوِ العيشَةِ الكَدَرُ

For here is a winter that cast its hailstones

Until sorrow prevailed in the heart of happiness.

ومَنْزِلي أبْلَتِ الأيّامُ جِدَّتَهُ

فشَفّني المُبْلِيانِ الهمُّ والسّهَرُ

And the days eroded my abode until

Worry and wakefulness cured me, the two curing sorrows.

وللفؤادِ وَجيبٌ في جَوانِبهِ

كما يَهُزُّ الجَناحَ الطائِرُ الحَذِرُ

And my heart has a yearning in its sides

As the wary bird flutters its wings.

يُحْكي عِناقَ مُحِبٍّ مَنْ يَهيمُ بهِ

إذا تَعانَقْنَ في أرْجائِهِ الجُدُرُ

It recalls the embrace of a lover, when

They cling together in its spaces.

ولن تُقيمَ بهِ نَفْسٌ فتألَفَهُ

إذ ليسَ للعَيْنِ في أقْطارِهِ سَفَرُ

And no soul will settle in it and befriend it

Since for the eye in its lands there is no travel.

والسّقْفُ يَبكي بأجْفانِ المَشوقِ إذا

أرْسى بهِ هَزِمُ الأطْباءِ مُنهَمِرُ

And the ceiling weeps with the eyelids of longing when

The authority of doctors has settled in it dripping.

وما سَرى البَرْقُ والظّلْماءُ عاكِفَةٌ

إلا وفي القَلْبِ منْ نِيرانِهِ شَرَرُ

And lightning did not flash nor did darkness remain

Except that in the heart there were sparks from its embers.

وابْنُ المُعاوِيِّ يَهْوى أن يكونَ لهُ

مَغْنىً ببغْداذَ لا يُخْشى بهِ الغِيَرُ

The son of Mu‘āwiyah craves to have in Baghdad

A refuge where none other is feared.

مَثْوىً يُدافِعُ عن كُتْبي وأكثَرُها

فيهِ مَديحُكَ أن يَغْتالَها المَطَرُ

A dwelling to defend my writings, most of which

In it are your praises, lest the rain carry it away.

وشافِعي عُمدَةُ الدينِ المَلوذُ بهِ

في الرّوْعِ والخَيلُ في أعْطافِها زَوَرُ

And the mainstay of the faith, my sanctuary

In fright, while the steeds snort in their thickets.

إذا أهَبْتُ بهِ والحَرْبُ لاقِحَةٌ

روّى القَنا مِنْ أعادِيكَ الدّمُ الهَدَرُ

When I set forth with it and war is stirring,

It quenched the spears of your enemies with spilt blood.

فالأرضُ دارُكُمُ والعَبْدُ جارُكُمُ

وأنتُمُ أنتمُ والحَمدُ يُدَّخَرُ

So the earth is your abode and the slave your neighbour,

While praise is hoarded for you.