عَداكَ الحادثاتُ إلى عِداكا

فما للنّاسِ مَعنىً ما عَداكا

Events have led to your lofty rank,

For people, there is no significance without you.

ولا بَرَحَ المُصادِقُ والمُعادي

إذا ما نابَ نائبةٌ فِداكا

Neither friend nor foe ever ceased

When a misfortune befell, you were their ransom.

فأنتَ سنَنْتَ للنّاسِ المَعالي

وإن لم يَبلُغوا فيهما مَداكا

You instituted honorable ways for people,

Though they cannot reach the extent of your integrity.

إذا نظَر الملوكُ إليكَ يَوماً

رأَوْك لأمْرِ مُلكِهمُ مِلاكا

When kings look upon you someday,

They will see you as the guardian of their kingdom.

فإن يَكُ مُلكُهمْ أمسَى سَماءً

فَرَأْيُكَ لم يَزْل فيها سِماكا

And if their rule becomes as high as the sky,

Your opinion remains the pillar in it.

خُلقْتَ منَ العُلا والمجدِ حتّى

تَضمّنتِ الفضائلَ بُرْدَتاكا

You were created from glory and honor,

So you encompassed all virtues in your cloak.

فلو كان العُلا والمجدُ شَخصاً

يَراهُ النّاظرونَ لكنتَ ذاكا

Were glory and honor a living being,

Seen by all, you would be that one.

نَصُدُّ عنِ الغمائمِ هاطلاتٍ

إذا مطَر الوفودَ غَمامتاكا

We shield from pouring rainclouds

When clouds of delegations rain at your door.

ونَسمَعُ عن كرامِ النّاسِ ذكْراً

ونَنظرُ ما نَرَى أحداً سِواكا

We hear talk of people's generosity,

Yet see none compared to you.

فلا نَعْبا بأنْ سَخِطَ اللّيالي

وأهلُوها إذا حُزنا رِضاكا

We do not complain if nights become angry,

And their people, when you are content with us.

لقد مَرِضتْ لنا الآمالُ حتّى

شَفاها اللهُ لمّا أن شَفاكا

Hopes were sick until God cured them

When He healed you of your plight.

فلا حُرِمَ السَّناءَ بكَ المعالي

ولا خلَتِ المَمالكُ من سَناك

Excellence in you must not be forbidden,

Nor should realms be devoid of your excellence.

فما اكتحلَتْ بوَجهِ السَّعْدِ يَوماً

من الدُّنيا سوى عَينٍ تَراكا

No eye has adorned itself with the face of fortune,

Unless it is one that sees you.

تَقسَّمتِ الوُفودُ غداةَ سارَتْ

وخَيلُ الدَّهرِ تَعترِكُ اعْتراكا

Delegations set out one morning,

And time's steeds raced for your competition.

فسار الطّارقاتُ إلى الأعادي

وسار الطّارِقونَ إلى ذُراكا

Those who rebel marched against enemies,

While loyalists marched to your realm.

بنو الدّهرِ العُفاةُ لديكَ لكنْ

بَناتُ الدّهرِ تَقصِدُ مَن قَلاكا

The time's vagabonds may be with you,

But time's daughters seek lesser men.

مَنِ استَكْفاكَ أمرَهمُ كفيلٌ

إذا راب الزّمانُ بما كَفاكا

Whoever entrusts you with their affairs has a guarantor,

When time tests with what has tested you.

لك المَعروفُ دونَ النّاسِ مُلْكٌ

يَداكَ بصِدقِ ذلكَ شاهِداكا

Goodwill to people is your possession,

Your hands honestly bear witness to this.

ولمّا صارَ حَمدُ النّاسِ وحْشاً

نَصبتَ من الجميلِ له شِباكا

And when people's praise turned hostile,

You erected for it a net of kindness.

أرى الإمساكَ من عاداتِ قَومٍ

وما اعتادَتْ سوى بَسْطٍ يَداكا

I see abstinence among the morals of a people,

Yet only openhandedness has been your habit.

فأعجَبُ كيف مَعْ تلك السَّجايا

أطاقَ بكفِّك القلَمُ امتِساكا

So I wonder how despite such traits,

The pen could restrain itself with you.

لدِيوانَيْ حسابِكُمُ وشِعْري

أرَى في الرَّعْيِ للذِّمَمِ اشْتِراكا

My poetry and your accounts have

A partnership in herding the worthless.

مَعاشيَ هاهُنا ما زالَ يُجْرَى

ومَدحُكَ هكذا يُتْلَى هُناكا

My livelihood continues to flow here,

While my praise of you continues recited there.

فما في أمرِ إدراري مَعابٌ

ولا دُرَري إذا جُعِلَتْ حُلاكا

So there is no flaw in my flowing,

Nor are my pearls defective as your necklace.

أُنَظَمُهنَّ أشعاراً رِقاقاً

إذا ما غَيرُها أضحَى رِكاكا

I string them into delicate poems

When others would turn into lifeless prose.

وما شُكري لمِا أَولَيْتَ إلاَّ

رَهينٌ ما أُطيقُ له فَكاكا

My gratitude for your patronage

Remains hostage to what I can afford.

إذا طلَب الحسودُ لدَيكَ شَأْوي

نهَتْه عن مُطاولتي نُهاكا

When enviers seek to ruin me with you,

Your prohibition protects me from their onslaught.

وكيف أخافُ للواشي مَقالاً

وقد عُقدَتْ على طَوْدٍ حُباكا

How can I fear the slanderer's talk

When our bond is tied securely?

إلى المَولَى الصِّفيّ سَرتْ رِكابي

وحَسْبُك بالصَّفيِّ إذا اصْطَفاكا

My travels led me to the loyal master,

And your selection by the loyal one suffices.

وَليُّ الدَّولةِ الحاكي نَداهُ

وَليَّ المُزْنِ والقَطْرَ الدَّراكا

The holder of the state saluted you,

As did the governor of provisions and wealth.

لتَهنِكَ كَعبةٌ زارتْكَ شَوقاً

إليك ورَّفهَتْ كَرماً خُطاكا

May Mecca rejoice in visiting you eagerly,

And generously kissing the ground you tread.

ودَوحةُ سُؤْدَدٍ تَدعوكَ فَرْعاً

فَزادَ اللهُ مَفْخَرَ مَن نَماكا

The palm tree of Sowda calls you its branch—

May God increase the pride of the one who brought you up.

أتَتْ بك أوّلاً وأتتْ أخيراً

تَزورُكَ بعدَ ما شَطَّتْ نَواكا

It came to you first and last,

Visiting after having yearned for you.

بمَقْدَمكَ اعْتراها من سُرورٍ

مُشابِهُ ما بمَقْدَمها اعْترَاكا

Your arrival filled it with joy

Matching what your arrival had brought it.

لكَ البُشرَى بها ولَها قديماً

لقد عَظُمَتْ وجَلّتْ بُشرَياكا

Congratulations to you and long ago to it!

Indeed, its esteem and veneration for you were great.

طَرِبتُ لجَمْع شَملك بَعْدَ لأْيٍ

لَعلّك جامعٌ شَمْلي كَذاكا

I rejoiced that your kinship was united after separation—

Perhaps you will unite my kinship too.

أرى لي طِيّةً عَرُضَتْ وطالَتْ

وليسَ مَطيّتي إلاّ نَداكا

I see a folding and lengthening deviation,

While my steed is none but your call.

ولي وَطَنٌ ولي وَطَرٌ جَميعاً

سَيُدْني لي بَعيدَهُما جَداكا

I have a homeland and destination, both

Will lead me to their distant proximity through you.

وسَوقُ الرّاحتَيْنِ إليّ سَهْلٌ

عليكَ إذا استَهلتْ راحتاكا

The path to my two comforts is smooth

When you initiate your comfort.

أَحِنُّ إلى السُّرَى وَعلَيَّ قَيْدٌ

منَ التَّعويقِ يَمنَعُني الحَراكا

I yearn for the dwellings, bound

By constraints hindering movement.

فحُلَّ عِقالَ نِضْوٍ من رَجائي

يَسِرْ بي من ديارِكمُ ابْتِراكا

So untie for my hope a firm rope,

Facilitate my travel from your lands.

وأيّاً ما حلَلْتُ فلي لسانٌ

مَلئٌ بالثّناء على عُلاكا

Wherever I lodge, my tongue

Is full of praise for your sublime rank.

فحيثُ نزلْتُهُ يَأْتيكَ شُكْري

على بُعْدٍ وتَأْتيني لُهاكا

So wherever I express it, my gratitude will reach you

From afar, and your gifts will reach me in plenty.

وما مَدْحي وإنْ خطبَتْه قَومٌ

سوى عَبَقٍ بثَوبِ عُلاكَ صاكا

However much people covet my praise,

It remains but a scent clinging to the cloak of your height.

فلا يَزلِ الزّمانُ بكُلِّ حال

يُطيعُك صَرْفُهُ في مَن عَصاكا

Time, in all circumstances, will never

Cease to turn its course according to your command.

رأيتُك في يَدِ الإقبالِ سَيْفاً

فلا شامَتْكَ كَفُّ من انْتَضاكا

I saw you in the hands of fortune as a sword—

No palm can gloat at grasping you.

ولا لَقّاكَ مَن تَرجوهُ يأساً

فإنّكَ لستَ تُؤْيسُ مَن رَجاكا

You do not disappoint those who hope in you,

For you do not despair the ones who wish for you.