لكَ ما يُرَوِّقُهُ الغَمامُ الهاطِلُ

إنْ ردَّ عَبْرَتهُ الجَموحَ السّائِلُ

You deserve whatever pleasing the pouring clouds grant,

If the overflowing torrent returns its moistness.

وعليكَ يا طَلَلَ الجَميعِ تحيّةٌ

أصغى ليَسْمَعَها المَحَلُّ الآهِلُ

And upon you, O relic of all, is a greeting,

That the inhabited place listens to and comprehends.

أمِنَ البِلى هذا النُّحولُ أمِ الضّنى

فالحُبُّ مِنْ شِيَمي وأنتَ النّاحِلُ

Is this emaciation from affliction or sorrow?

For passion is part of my nature, and you are the achiever.

خلَعَ الرَّبيعُ منْ أنوارِهِ

حَلياً تَوَشَّحَهُ ثَراكَ العاطِلُ

Spring has taken off its lights

Adorning your abandoned remnants.

والرّوضُ في أفوافِهِ مُتَبرِّجٌ

والزَّهْرُ في حُلَلِ السِّحائِبِ رافِلُ

The meadow in its extremities is flourishing,

And the flowers are abundant within the rain clouds.

وغَنِيتَ في حِجْرِ الحَيا مُستَرضَعاً

يَغْذوكَ واشِلُ طَلِّهِ والوابِلُ

You were suckled in the lap of life,

Fed by the friendly neighbor and the pouring rain.

كانت أيادي الدّهْرِ فيكَ كَثيرةً

لكنْ لَياليهِ لدَيكَ قَلائلُ

The hands of fate were plenty upon you,

But its nights towards you were few.

في حيثُ يَقتَنصُ الأسودَ ضَوارِياً

لَحْظٌ تُمَرِّضُهُ المَهاةُ الخاذِلُ

Where the lions ambush their prey,

There is a moment nursed by devastating misfortune.

إذ لم يكنْ والليلُ يَسحَبُ ذَيلَهُ

لسُعادَ غيرَ يَدي وِشاحٌ جائِلُ

Since, while the night was dragging its tail,

There was no happiness except my hand and a tilting cup.

فكأنّنا غُصنانِ يَشكو منهُما

بَرْحَ الغَرام إِلى الرّطيبِ الذّابِلُ

It is as if we are two branches complaining

Of the harm of passion to the moist decomposer.

هَيفاءُ إنْ خَطَرَتْ فقَدٌّ رامِحٌ

نَجلاءُ إنْ نظَرَتْ فطَرْفٌ نابِلُ

If Hayfa appear, there is a penetrating longing,

If Najla look, there is a weeping eye.

وكأنّ فاها بعدَما نَشَرَ الدُّجى

فَرْعاً يَلوحُ بهِ الخِضابُ النّاصِلُ

And it is as if her mouth, after the darkness spreads,

Is a branch flourished by the intimate blood relationship.

صَهباءُ تُعْشي النّاظِرينَ نَضَتْ بِها

عَذَبَ الفَدامِ عنِ اللّطيمَةِ بابِلُ

Grayish, which intoxicates the beholders,

The fresh portion of the sweet from the insipid is evident.

وأبي اللّوائِمِ لا أفَقْتُ منَ الهَوى

ولَئِنْ أفَقْتُ فأينَ قَلبٌ ذاهِلُ

And I refuse blames, I did not wake up from passion,

And if I wake up, where is the inadvertent heart?

حتّى يرُدَّ قِوامَ دولَةِ هاشِمٍ

مَنْ يَرتَجيهِ لِما يَقولُ العاذِلُ

Until the pillar of the Hashimite state returns

To whom the reproacher hopes for what he says.

مُرُّ الحَفيظَةِ والرِّماحُ يَشِفُّها

ظَمَأٌ ومَنْ ثُغَرِ النُّحورِ مَناهلُ

Bittersweet and spears quench it,

Thirst, and from the mouths of throats are streams.

يَرمي العُدُوَّ ودِرْعُهُ مِنْ حِلْمِهِ

فيَقيهِ عاديةَ المَنون القاتِلُ

It throws at the enemy while its armor is tolerance,

Thus it protects him from the killer misfortune.

والرّايةُ السّوداءُ يخفُقُ ظِلُّها

والرُّعْبُ يَطلُعُ والتّجَلُّدُ آفِلُ

The black flag’s shadow flutters,

Fright emerges and determination declines.

والقِرْنُ قَلقَلَ جأْشَهُ حَذَرُ الرّدى

فأُعيرَ نَفْرتَهُ النَّعامُ الجافِلُ

The horn was disturbed, fearing havoc,

So the ostrich lent it its hastiness.

نامَ المُلوكُ وباتَ سرحانُ الغَضى

مَرعِيُّ سَرحِهِمُ لهُ والهامِلُ

Kings slept and the slumber of indignation stayed up,

Grazing their flock and bearing their burdens.

فأعادَ أكْنافُ العِراقِ على العِدا

شَرَكاً يَدِبُّ بهِ الضَّراءَ الحابِلُ

So the environs of Iraq returned the enemy

To a partnership stirred by devastating misfortune.

ويَمُدُّ ساعِدَهُ الطِّعانُ كما لَوَتْ

للفَحْلِ مِنْ طَرَفِ العَسيبِ الشّائِلُ

And the assailant extends his arm as if

For the stallion from the side of the tilting cup.

وطَوى إِلى أمَدِ المَكارِمِ والعُلا

نَهْجاً تجَنَّبَ طُرَّتَيْهِ النّاعِلُ

And he turned to the course of glories and supremacy,

A path whose two sides the accomplished avoided.

ولهُ شَمائِلُ أُودِعَتْ مِنْ نَشْرِها

سِراً يَبوحُ بهِ النّسيمُ خَمائِلُ

And he has traits that were entrusted with concealment,

A secret the gentle breeze whispers to confidants.

ويَدٌ يَتيهُ بِها اليَراعُ على الظُّبا

ويُشابُ فيها بالنّجيعِ النّائِلُ

A hand by which the prey wanders upon the mountain cliffs,

And mingles in it the attainable.

عَلِقَتْ بِكِلْتا راحتَيْهِ أربَعٌ

نفَضَ الأنامِلَ دونَهُنَّ الباخِلُ

Four were attached to each of his palms

That the stingy has shaken off his fingers.

نِعَمٌ يَشِفُّ وراءها نَيْلُ المُنى

وأعِنَّةٌ وأسِنّةٌ ومَناصِلُ

Favors by which the wishes are fulfilled,

And helpers, defenders, and confidants.

مِنْ مَعشَرٍ فرَعوا ذَوائِبَ سُؤْدَدٍ

أغصانُ دَوحَتِهِ الكَميُّ الباسِلُ

From a group who groomed the tails of Saud,

The branches of its towering fertile palm tree.

تُدْعى زُرارَةُ في أواخِرِ مَجدِهِمْ

يومَ الفَخارِ وفي الأوائِلِ وائِلُ

Called Zarara at the end of their glory,

On the day of pride, and during the early times, Wa'il.

يا خَيرَهُمْ حَيثُ السّيوفُ تَزيدُها

طولاً وقَد قَصُرَتْ عليكَ حَمائِلُ

O best of them wherever the swords give them

Additional length while the burdens upon you are short.

إنّ الصّيامَ يهُزُّ عِطفَيْ شَهرِهِ

أجْرٌ بما زَعَمَ التّمَنّي كافِلُ

Fasting certainly shakes the sides of its month,

A reward for what wishful thinking claimed was guaranteed.

وافاكَ طَلقَ المُجْتَلى فثَوابُهُ

لكَ آجِلٌ ونَداكَ فيهِ عاجِلُ

Its voluntary act reached you so its reward is deferred for you

While its call in it is immediate.

وإذا السِّنونَ قَضى بِسَعْدِكَ حاضِرٌ

مِنها تَبَلّجَ عنهُ عامٌ قابِلُ

And when the years decree your happiness present,

From it a fulfilling year is smiled upon.

وحَمى بِكَ المُستَظْهِرُ الشَّرَفَ الذي

يزوَرُّ دونَ ثَنِيَّتَيْهِ الواقِلُ

The one seeking help protected through you the nobility

That double-dealing falls short of its two sides.

وبِكَ استَفاضَ العَدْلُ واعتَجَرَ الوَرى

بالأمْنِ وانتَبَه الزّمانُ الغافِلُ

And through you justice has spread and the world has taken advice

With security, and the inadvertent time has awakened.

لمّا أرَحْتَ إليهِ عازِبَ سِربِهِمْ

هَدَأ الرّعيّةُ واستَقامَ الماثِلُ

When you brought relief to its frightened flock,

The commoners became calm and the course became straightforward.

ودَعاكَ للنّجْوى فكُنتَ لرَأْيِهِ

رِدْءاً كَما عَضَدَ السِّنانَ العامِلُ

And it called you for discreet counsel so you were

A shield just as the compress strengthens the staff.

وبَرَزْتَ في حُلَلِ الجَلالِ أنارَها

بأنامِلِ العِزِّ النّعيمُ الشّاملُ

And you emerged in the garments of glory illuminated

By the pleasures of honor, the inclusive prosperity.

متَوَشِّحاً بالمَشْرَفيِّ يُقِلُّهُ

أسَدٌ مَخالِبُهُ الحُسامُ القاصِلُ

Wearing the striped garment, diminished by

A lion whose claws are the cutting sword.

فوقَ الأغرِّ يَلوحُ في أعطافِهِ

مِنْ آلِ أعوَجَ والصّريحِ شَمائِلُ

Above the thick hair, the traits of

The family of Aquj and the honest shine.

ومُعرَّسُ النُّعْمى دَواةٌ حلْيُها

حَسَبٌ تحُفُّ بهِ عُلاً وفضائِلُ

The star of good fortune is a jewel whose adornment

Is enough lineage and virtues.

نَشَرَ الصّباحُ بِها الجَناحَ ورَقْرَقَتْ

فيها منَ الشَّفَقِ النُّضارَ أصائِلُ

The morning spread its wings and sparkled upon it

The sprouts of dawn, the fine threads.

وكأنما أقلامُها هِندِيّةٌ

بيضٌ أحدَّ مُتونَهُن الصّاقِلُ

As if its pens are Indian white

Whose surfaces the polished ironed.

والعِزُّ مُقتَبَلٌ بحيثُ صَريرُها

وصَليلُ سَيفِكَ والجَوادُ الصّاهِلُ

And glory faces whereby the clanking of it

And the clashing of your sword and the neighing horse.

فَفداكَ منْ رَيْبِ الحَوادثِ ناقِصٌ

في المَكْرُماتِ وفي المَعايِبِ كامِلُ

May you be spared from the suspicion of misfortunes, complete

In generosity and perfect in reputation.

بِيَدٍ يُشامُ لَها بُرَيْقٌ خُلَّبٌ

عَلِقَتْ بهِ ذَيلَ الجَهامِ مَحائِلُ

By a hand which is perfumed with musk,

The tails of skulls have clung to it.

غُلَّتْ عن المَعروفِ فهْيَ بكِيَّةٌ

والضَّرْعُ تَغْمُرُهُ الأصِرَّةُ حافِلُ

It was stingy with good deeds so it is tearful

While abundance fills its udder.

قَسَماً بخُوصٍ شَفَّها عَقْبُ السُّرى

حتى رَثى لابنِ اللَّبونِ البازِلُ

By the sadness thatgrayed its good-bye,

Until the son of Laboun's lion mourned.

وفَلَتْ بأيديهنَّ ناصِيةَ الفَلا

فشَكا الكَلالَ إِلى الأظَلِّ الكاهلُ

And by their hands the horse's lead slipped away

So the already graying darkness complained to the shady thin.

والليلُ بحرٌ والغَياهِبُ لُجّةٌ

والشُّهْبُ دُرٌ والصّباحُ السّاحِلُ

The night is a sea and the depths are surging,

The stars are pearls and the dawn is the coast.

ومُرنَّحينَ سَقاهُمُ خَدَرُ الكَرى

نُطَفاً يَعافُ كُؤوسَهُنَّ الواغِلُ

The intoxication of distress made them gulp

A drink which its very concentrated cup allows.

نَزَلوا بمُعْتَلِجِ البِطاحِ وعِندَهُ

لُفَّت على الحَسَبِ الصّميمِ وَصائِلُ

They descended at the valley’s slopes, and there

The tested sincere loyalty was wrapped.

لأُقلِّدَنّكَ مِدْحَةً أمَويَّةً

فانْظُرْ مَنِ المُهدي لَها والقائِلُ

I will bestow upon you an Umayyad praise poem

So look who is appropriate for it and its sayer.

فالوِرْدُ إلا في ذَراكَ مُرَنَّقٌ

والظِّلُّ إلا في جَنابِكَ زائلُ

The flowers are only fresh in your presence,

And shade is only fleeting without your side.

والحقُّ أنتَ وكُلُّ ما نُثْني بهِ

إلا عَليكَ منَ المَدائِحِ باطِلُ

The truth is you, and everything we praise with

Is falsehood unless it is about you.