خَطبْنَ وأَيمانُ الكُماةِ المَنابرُ

بألسُنهِنَّ الحُمْرِ بِيضٌ بَواترُ

The pulpits' speeches and oaths of the veiled women,

With their red tongues as white messages,

فخَرّتْ سُجوداً في الثّرى لِدُعائها

رُؤوسُ عُداةٍ أَسلَمتْها المَغافر

So the heads of the enemies bowed down in prostration to its prayer,

Submitted by the Forgiving.

وما افتَضَّ أبكارَ الفُتوحِ سوى ظُبيً

لأغمادِها هامُ المُلوكِ ضَرائر

And the dawn of conquests did not reveal except gazelles

For sheaths, the desires of kings flutter.

ذُكورٌ إذا الحَربُ العَوانُ تَمخّضتْ

لها طائرُ الفَتْحِ القريبِ البشائر

When war was in labor, males were born,

The bird of imminent victory gave good tidings.

فللنّصرِ ثَغْرُ النّصْلِ يَبْسِمُ ضاحكاً

وفي الأرضِ صِدْقُ الضّرْبِ للهامِ ناثر

So victory's blade smiles with joy,

And the sincerity of the blows on the ground a scatterer.

بيومِ وغىً أُمُّ اللّيالي بمِثْلِه

غدَتْ من أَبي أيّامِها وهْي عاقر

On a day of battle, the mother of nights equal to it

Became, from its days, while she was barren, pregnant.

ودونَ سنا وجْهِ النّهارِ إذا بدا

تَظاهَر للنّفْعِ المُثارِ سَتائر

And below the brilliance of day when it appears

Screens rush to bring benefit.

فما شَمسُه إلاّ شُعاعُ صفائح

وما أَرضُه إلاّ ثَرىً فيه ثائر

Its sun is but the rays of unsheathed swords,

And its land only ground in which there is a rebel.

لِمُدْنٍ ذَراها في الرياح لخيلهم

بكَرٍّ وفَرّ بينهنَّ الحوافر

To cities it has made as ashes in the winds by their horses

Separating between them the hooves.

سقاها سحابٌ والرُّؤوس لسَيله

حبابٌ تنزَّى والدِّماءُ مَواطر

A cloud watered it, and the heads are for its torrent

Bubbles avoided, and the blood pouring.

وبالحربِ كم صُقْعٍ تناهَى خرابُه

وبالسِّلمِ عن قُربٍ غدا وهْو عامر

And with war how many regions were destroyed,

And with peace close ones became inhabited.

كذاك مجاري السَّيلِ غِبَّ انجِلائه

إذا عُدَّ أيّامٌ رياضٌ نواضر

So are the courses of torrents, the disappearance of its violence,

When days have passed, gardens blossomed.

متى تَسْتُرُ الغبراءُ تُستَرَ كاسْمِها

فكم ذا إليها ناظرُ السَّوء ناظر

Whenever the dust settles, it settles over its name,

So how many an evil looker has looked at it.

يَسُرُّك ماضي عَهْدِ عدْلٍ إذا أتى

على حينَ من أهليكَ لم يبقَ غابر

You like the past era of justice when it comes

At a time when none of your family remains disappointed.

فلولا زمانٌ مانعٌ وزَمانةٌ

لطار برَحْلي منك هوجاءُ ضامر

If not for a preventing time and eras,

My saddle would have flown from you raging.

وكم لخطوبِ الدَّهر ساءتْ أوائلٌ

وحال بها حالٌ فسُرَّتْ أواخر

And how many good beginnings the fortune of time has corrupted

And a condition has changed with which last ones rejoiced.

فصابِر تصاريفَ اللّيالي إذا دهَتْ

فما يُدركُ المأمولَ إلاّ المُصابر

So be patient with the rotation of nights when they oppress,

For what is hoped for is only attained through patience.

وللهِ قومٌ لستُ ناسيَ عهدِهم

وإن نقضَتْ عهدي اللَّيالي الغوادر

And to God is a people I do not forget their covenant

Even if the treacherous nights have broken my covenant.

متى زاد دهري غَدْرةً زِدتُ ذُكرةً

لأيّامهم والحرُّ للعهدِ ذاكر

Whenever time betrayed me more, I increased remembering

Their days, and the free man remembers the covenant.

أَباعِدُ أملاكٍ إذا ما طرَفْتهم

كأنْ قد أطافتْ منهمُ بي عشائر

I seek refuge in the possession of a people if I saw them,

As if their clans had been circling around me.

لِقُرْبيَ منهمْ لا لِقُرْبي برحلتي

إليهم يُباهِي كُلُّهم ويُفاخر

Not because I am near to them, but because all of them boast

And take pride in being near to my encampment.

وقد خلَطوني بالنّفوسِ كأنّما

نَماهُم أَبو الأقيالِ عَمْروٌ وعامر

They have mixed me with the souls as if

Amr and Aamer had nurtured them.

ولم يُسْلِني عنهم وإنْ عشتُ بعدهم

بنو زمني هذا الّذينَ أُزاوِر

And the children of my time did not ask me about them though I lived after them,

Those whom I visit.

فكيف وقد أَصبحتُ لا أَنا مُنجدٌ

إلى طَرَفٍ سَيْراً ولا أَنا غائر

So how can it be when I have become unable to support

A journey or become absent.

فإن تَكُ بابنَيْ قَيلةٍ شَطّتِ النّوى

فكم قَولةٍ منّى بها الدَّهْرُ فاخر

If you pass by the sons of Qailah whose pots have boiled,

How many sayings of mine the time has prided over.

وإن أَصبحَ الأنصارُ عنّيَ غُيّباً

فناصرُ ديِنِ اللهِ لي منه ناصر

And if the supporters have become absent from me,

The supporter of God's religion is to me a supporter from it.

لقد شِمتُ من كفَّيهِ عَشْرَ سَحائبٍ

فأوردْتُ آمالي وهُنَّ عَواشر

Indeed I have tasted from his palms ten clouds

So I have watered my hopes, and they are collectors.

إلى أَوحدِ الدُّنيا الكبيرِ الذي غدا

إلى كابرٍ يَنْميهِ في المجدِ كابر

To the One, Master of the world, the great one, who has become

In greatness, a great one nurturing.

هَجرْتُ الورَى طُرّاً وهاجرْتُ طائعاً

فلم يَحْظَ منّي هاجِرٌ ومُهاجر

I have deserted the lands flying and migrated willingly

So neither an emigrant nor immigrant has gained from me.

إمامٌ هو الشَّمسُ المنيرةُ للورى

به تَهْتدي أَبصارُهم والبصائر

An imam, he is the shining sun to the worlds,

By him their sights are guided and the insights.

تَسترّتُ من رَيْبِ الزّمانِ بِظِلِّه

فما هو لي عن عَيْنِ دَهْريَ ساتر

I have concealed myself from the shame of time by his shade

So he is not to me a coverer from the eye of my time.

بأقضَى قضاةِ الدَّهرِ أَعزَزْتُ جانبي

فأحجَم عنّي صَرْفُه وهْو صاغر

With the rightest of judges of time I have strengthened my side

So its caprices have refrained from me overwhelmed.

بمَوْلى مَوالٍ رأيُه العضْبُ صائبٌ

ومُولي نوالٍ بحْرُه العَذْبُ زاخر

By the master of masters whose opinion, ripe, is correct

And the granter of boons, his ocean fresh overflowing.

له أَرقَمٌ ما انفَكَّ يَرقُمُ أحرُفاً

بها الدِّينُ ناهٍ للعِبادِ وآمِر

For him letters that do not cease composing

By them the religion calls to His servants and commands.

تُداوِي وتُدْوي دائماً نفثاتُه

فمِن نابِه التِّرياقُ والسُّمُّ قاطر

His breaths cure and heal always

So from his fang, the antidote and the poison pouring.

يُجِيبُ بفَتْوى أو بجَدْوى سؤالَهم

فما هو عنها طُرْفةَ العينِ فاتر

He answers their question with a decree or wisdom

So he is not about them sluggish of eye at all.

مَليٌّ بتَقْريبِ البعيدِ برأيِه

إذا ما خلا يوماً بَملْكٍ يُشاور

Bringing near the far with his opinion

When alone consulting a king one day.

مَيامِنُه من غيرِ بعثٍ لعَسْكرٍ

غَدتْ دونَ هذا المُلْكِ وهْي عَساكر

His cavalry without dispatching an army

Have become under this kingship armies.

إذا ما رجالَ الدّهرِ عَدَّتْ أناملُ ال

وَرى سجدَتْ عَجلَى إليك الخَناصر

When the men of time the fingers have counted

And hands have prostrated hastily to you the palms.

فإن يُنْوَ تَقديمٌ بها فأيامِنٌ

وإنْ يَنْو تَفْخيمٌ بها فالأياسر

So if a priority is intended by it then advantages,

And if magnification then the left hands.

فِداؤك مِن صَرْفِ الرَّدى كُلُّ كاشحٍ

غدا وهْو عن نابِ العداوةِ كاشر

Your ransom from the caprice of time every bold

Opponent who has become in war biting his fingers.

وخاطَرَ بالنَّفْسِ امْرؤٌ باتَ ليلَه

خِلافُك منه وهْو بالبالِ خاطر

And a man who has risked himself, spent his night

Opposing you and in distress pondering.

أيا رُكنَ إسلامٍ أُراقِبُ حَجَّه

ولي عنه دَهْري مُحصَرٌ ومُحاصَر

O pillar of Islam, I watch over its pilgrimage

And my lifetime to it has been restricted and confined.

متى تَلْتَقي عيني بغُرّةِ وَجْهِه

فقلبي إليه رائدُ الشَّوقِ طائر

Whenever my eye meets the brightness of his face

My heart to it the guide of passion flies.

أأصبِرُ عن نادِيه يوماً يَمرُّ بي

وما أنا فيه حاضِرٌ ومُحاضِر

Shall I be patient from his call one day passing me by

While I am in it neither present nor discoursing?

وإنّ امرأً أرجَا من العُمْرِ ساعةً

ولم يَكْتسِبْ فيها علاءً لَخاسر

A man who expects from life an hour

And does not gain in it glory is at loss.

فِدىً لك نَفْسي من كريمٍ وناصِرٍ

تَملَّكني إنعامُه المُتَناصر

My soul's ransom from a generous helper

Whose successive grace has overcome me.

له مِنَنٌ عندي جَديدٌ رُسومُها

وما الطَّوقُ ما عاش الحمامةُ دائر

To him from me new, permanent favors

And the necklace does not remain while the dove circles.

وكم جاء بي نِضْوٌ طوَى الأرضَ ذارِعاً

فعاد بما أَوْقَرْتَهُ وهْو شابر

And how many a smooth journey across the land speeding

Has returned with what you have made weighty and steadfast.

فيا مالِكي عطفاً عليَّ بنَظْرةٍ

لها منكَ في ماضي الزَّمانِ نظائر

So O my protector, show me kindness with a glance

That has from you in the past of time like ones.

تَماسَكْتُ حتّى لم أَجِدْ لي تماسُكاً

فها هيَ صارتْ بي إليك المصائر

I have held myself together until I have found no composure

So here it is, the destinies have become to you my resort.

ولي شِبْلُ صِدْقٍ غيرَ أنْ ليس حاضري

فَتُنجِدُني أَنيابُه والأظافر

And I have a young cub of sincerity but my presence

Cannot help me, so your power and might.

وصَعْبٌ بلا إسعادِ صَحبٍ نفائسٍ

إذا لم يكنْ بعضٌ لبعضٍ يُضافر

And it is difficult without happy companions of value

When some are not assisting each other and cooperating.

وإنّي لَتُضْنيني حَوالَيَّ أنْ أرَى

معاشرَ كُلٌّ لي خليلٌ مُعاشر

My companions' plight distresses me that I see

A group where each to me a friend associating.

فأشكوهُمُ يَشْكونَ أيضاً إضاقةً

عُمومُ الأذى منها على النّاسِ ظاهر

I complain of them, they also complain of hardship

The general harm from it on the people is evident.

وقد أكّدوا الشَّكْوَى بنادرةٍ حكَوا

وتُبدي خَفّياتِ النّفوسِ النَّوادر

And they have emphasized the complaint with a strange narration they told

And the rare qualities of the souls reveal.

حكَوا أنّ في مِصْرٍ صلاةَ جماعةٍ

رأتْ عينَ بادٍ وهْو إذْ ذاكَ حاضر

They told that in Egypt was a group prayer

Attended by a Bedouin while he was present.

فخالطَهمْ حتّى يصلِّي وما درَى الصْ

صَلاةَ فأضحى واقِفاً وهْو حائر

So he joined them until he prays, and he did not know the ritual

Of prayer, so he became standing confused.

فقالوا له افْعَلْ ما فعَلْنا ولا تخَفْ

إذا لم تكُن منه لشَيْءٍ تُغادر

They said to him, do what we have done, and do not worry

If you have not neglected anything from it.

فلمّا استَوى خلْفَ الإمام وصارَ في الرْ

رُكوعِ تَدلَّى ما حوَتْه المَآزر

So when he stood behind the imam and came during the bowing

He lowered what his pants contained.

فأَمسكَ خِصْيَيْهِ فتىً كان خلْفَه

لَيضْحكَ منه وهْو حَيرانُ سادر

A young man who was behind him held

His testicles to laugh at him overwhelmed.

ومن بعضِ أركانِ الصَّلاة لجَهْلِه

تَوهَّمَهُ رُكناً فأَهوَى يُبادر

And from some of the pillars of prayer in his ignorance

He assumed it a pillar so reached to take it.

وأمسَك بالشّيخ الإمامِ أمامَه

كذلك فاسودَّتْ عليهِ المَناظر

And he grabbed the sheikh imam in front of him

Thus did the sights for him blacken.

وظلَّ البُدَيْوِيُّ المُعنَّى وماجِنٌ

من الظّهْرِ خِصْيَيْهِ إلى العَصْرِ عاصر

And the uncultured one remained clinging

From noon to afternoon grasping.

وخَلَّى الإمامَ حينَ خَلّوهُ بعدَما

أضاعَتْ من الضِّحكِ الصّلاةَ المَعاشر

And they released the imam when they left him after

He had spoiled the communal prayer by laughing.

وما شَبّهوا إلاّ الحواشي بما حكَوا

فجَلَّ عن الشِّبْهِ المَوالي الأكابر

And they did not compare except the marginal notes to what they told

So the eminent lords refrained from resemblance.

وثقْلُ اللّيالي لا الحواشي شِكايَتي

فهل عاذِلٌ لي لو تَحقّقَ عاذر

But the burden of nights, not the marginal notes, are my complaint

So is there someone to excuse me if he is reasonable?

وحاشا حواشي سَيّدٍ أنا عَبْدُه

له ولهم ودّاً صفتْ لي الضمائر

And far be it that the marginal notes of a master whose servant I am

To him and to them affection have described my consciousness.

مكاريمُ للأضياف في عَرصاته

سقَى عهدَهم عنّي الغُيوث البواكر

The generous to guests in his courtyard

Their covenant from me the early rains have watered.

فما قصَّروا بي عن مدىً من كرامةٍ

ولكنّني عن شُكْرِهم أنا قاصر

So they have not been miserly to me from a measure of benevolence

But I from thanking them have been deficient.

إليك إذَنْ لامنكَ نُنْهي شِكايةً

ولا مُشتكَي إلاّ اللّيالي الجَوائر

To you then, not blaming you, we end a complaint

And none complains but the oppressive nights.

فهَبْ نظرةً عَدْلاً يَصِخْ لك ناظِراً

بَواطِنُ من أَحوالنا وظَواهر

So grant an equitable look that to you a looker cries out

The essences of our conditions and the appearances.

إذا ما علَى النُّوّابِ ثُقِّلَ ثَقّلوا

عَلّى فلِي ما ضّرَّ صَحْبِيَ ضائر

When the deputies are burdened they burden

Afflict me with what has harmed my companions.

يقولون نحن الغارمون فما لنا

يُساهِمُنا ذو تُرْفةٍ ويُشاطر

They say we are the losers so what do we have

To share with one of luxury and partner?

فقلتُ هما صِنْفانِ صِنْفٌ مَغارِمٌ

بها استَوجَبوا سَهْماً وصِنْفٌ مَفاقر

I said they are two types, a type has incurred losses

By which they deserve a share, and a type destitute.

ولا تَخْرِقُ العاداتِ أنظارُ مُعْسِرٍ

شكا زمَناً حتّى تَعودَ مَياسر

And the sights of a penniless one do not tear conventions

Complaining an era until ease returns.

وغير بعيدٍ حيثُ كُذِّبَ أَوّلٌ

لطالعِ فَجرٍ أنْ يُصَدَّقَ آخِر

And soon where a first was denied

The dawn of a new light believed another.

لعلّ لعاً إن قلتَ يَرجِعُ ناهِضاً

بإقْبالِك الجَدُّ الّذي هو عاثر

Perhaps misfortune, if you say, will return vigorous

With your favorable decree that has stumbled.

فمُرْ لي بتَسْويغ القضاء ومُرْهُمُ

بقَسْمٍ سواءٍ دامَ منك الأَوامر

So order me the justification of fate and order them

With an equal division, so long as your command remains.

لِيجمعَ كُلاً ظِلُّ دولتِكَ التي

علينا الغِنَى من سُحْبِها مُتَقاطر

So that each the shade of your state that

Wealth from its clouds on us is pouring may gather.

فأنت لنا المَولَى العظيمُ جلالُه

ونحن فأَسعِدْنا العَبيدُ الأصاغر

For you are to us the great guardian, majestic His glory,

And we are the happy servants, the young.

ومادُمْتَ حيّاً فالحقوقُ قديمةٌ

لبَحْرِك يا ابنَ الأكرمينَ أُجاور

And so long as you live the rights are old

To your ocean, O son of the most generous, I neighbor.

فإنّ مَعاشي في بقيّةِ عيشتي

عليك فلا تَشْغَلْكَ عنّي المَعاذر

For my livelihood for the remainder of my life

Is upon you so do not let excuses preoccupy you.

ضَياعي كذا عارٌ على كُلِّ صاحبٍ

وحاشاك أن تغْشَى عُلاكَ المَعاير

My loss is such a disgrace upon every companion

And far be it from you to be overcome by blames.

وإلاّ فَطَيّاً للفيافي تَجوزُ بي

عُذافِرَةٌ أَجوازَها أَو عُذافر

Or else long live the open deserts that locusts cross

Camels whose pacing or the trotting.

ولا عَيْبَ أنّي من جنابِكَ راحلٌ

إلى جانبٍ لي فيه تُرعَى أواصر

And there is no shame that I am traveling from your side

To a side for me in which ties are pastured.

فقد خِفْتُ حتّى خِفْتُ أنْ ستقولُ لي

وأنت على ما شئْتَ لو شئتَ قادر

For I have feared until I have feared that you may say to me

While you over what you will, if you will, are capable:

كما قال زَيْدُ الخيلِ يومَ حفيظةٍ

غدا وهْو فيه للحُطَيئةِ آسر

As Zayd the knight said the day of Hufayzah

When he captured al-Hutay'ah made him prisoner:

أقولُ لعَبْدَيْ جَرْوَلٍ إذْ أسَرْتُه

أَثِبْني ولا يَغْرُرْكَ أنّك شاعر

I say to my slave Jarwal when I captured him:

"Ransom me and do not be fooled that you are a poet."

فقال ألا لا مالَ عندي وإنّما

ثَوابي ثناءٌ في البسيطةِ سائر

So he said: "But I have no money, rather

My reward is fame in the ode spreading."

فأَطلَقَ عن قَيْنَيهِ قَيْدَيهِ مُسرعاً

وعاد إلى أصحابهِ وهْو شاكر

So he released from his fetters his two feet speedily

And returned to his companions thanking.

فيا أيُّها الصّدْرُ الّذي بَحْرُ جُودِه

له الواردُ التّأميلُ والشكرُ صادر

O breast whose sea of generosity

The coming and thanking to it the source.

سريرتُك الإحسانُ والعَدْلُ والتُّقَى

وفي كُلِّ صَدْرٍ إن نظرنا سَرائر

Your conscience is benevolence, justice and piety

And in every breast, if we look, secrets.

حياؤك يَطْوِي ما يُفيدُ منَ الّلها

ولكنّ ما يَطْويِه شُكريَ ناشر

Your shyness conceals what would benefit the reputation

But my gratitude publicizes what it conceals.

فزِدْني جميلاً منك وازْدَدْ بشُكْرِه

جمالاً فَمولِيُّ الجميلِ مُتَاجر

So increase me in bounty from you, and increase

In beauty from thanking it, so the master of bounty trades.

ومُكْرِمُ مثْلي مُكْرِمٌ بي نفسَه

إذا أَعملَ الفِكْرَ الفقيهُ المُناظر

And one honoring the likes of me honors himself

When the wise jurist ponders.

وسيّانِ معنىً أن يُنَوَّلَ ناظِمٌ

مديحَ جوادٍ أو يُقَبّلَ ناظر

And it is equal in meaning whether a composer

Praises a generous one or a looker kisses.

فدُمْ للعُلا والمجدِ مادام دِيمةٌ

تُرَجّي البوادي صَوْبَها والحَواضر

So persist for supremacy and glory as long as

Hoping you the wildernesses and the settlements yearn for.

ودام شهابٌ أنت مَطْلعُ سَعْدِه

وأَنوارُهُ للنّاظرِينَ بَواهر

And so long as a comet remains whose rise of fortune you are

And its lights to the beholders insights.