وجَد الصَّبا للعاشِقينَ رسولا

فشفَى بإهداء السَّلامِ عليلا

The morning breeze found a messenger for the lovers,

And cured the sick with greeting of peace.

قُلْ للأحبّةِ إنّني مُذْ غِبتُمُ

لم أَلْقَ وَجْهاً للسُّلُوِّ جميلا

Say to the loved ones since I've been away,

I have not seen a beautiful face smiling.

وخلَعْتُ أيّامَ الوِصالِ قصيرةً

ولَبِستُ ليلاً للفراقِ طويلا

I took off the short days of union,

And wore the long night of separation.

وأبَى اللَّيالي ما ذمَمْتُ أخِيرَها

إلاّ ذكَرْتُ بها العُهودَ الأُولى

The nights refused except I remembered in them

The old covenants and pacts.

سَرق الزّمانُ من الأوائلِ فانقضَتْ

بدْراً وزادَتْها الأواخِرُ طُولا

Time has stolen the early days, so they vanished,

The later days have increased in length.

أنجومَ لَيْلي أينَ بَدْري طالعاً

أوَ منْه ما تَتعلّمِينَ أُفولا

Where is my rising full moon, O stars of my night?

Or from it what are you learning to set?

ليت الَّذي دَلَّ البُدورَ على النَّوى

أَمسَى عليه للنُّجومِ دَليلا

I wish the one who showed the full moons the stars

In the evening found the stars as guides for him.

قالوا عَشِقْتَ وذاك شَيءٌ إنّما

قد كنتُ أَخشَى أن يُقالَ فقِيلا

They said you fell in love, and that is something,

I had feared the saying until it was said.

يَشْكو إليّ منَ الصَّبابةِ صاحِبي

وأبَى غريقٌ أن يُغيثَ بَليلا

My friend complains to me of youth,

And a drowning man refuses to be saved with little water.

إنّي لأُطلِعُ في الجُفونِ سَحائباً

وأُجِنُّ في طَيَّ الضُّلوع مُحولا

I look at the clouds in my eyelids,

And reap in the fold of ribs, a twisted life.

فيَظلُّ قلبي للهمومِ مَنازلاً

ويَبيتُ طَرْفي للنُّجومِ نَزيلا

My heart becomes a home for worries,

And my eyes spend the night hosting stars.

مُتملْمِلاً أَرْمي بمُقلْةِ ساخِطٍ

فلَكاً على حَرْبِ النُّهَى مَجْبولا

Angrily, I throw with a burning glance,

A sphere on the war of prohibition that is destined.

في ليلةٍ أَسَر الظّلامُ نُجومَها

فثَوتْ تَلوحُ على الدُّجَى إكْليلا

On a night whose darkness captured its stars,

So they remained waving in the darkness like a crown.

وتَناهَبتْ خَيلُ الوزيرِ صبَاحَها

فقَسمْنَهُ غُرَراً لها وحُجولا

And the horses of the minister competed at dawn

And divided it among them as beautiful unique horses.

جُرْداً إذا حَثَّ الأعِنّةَ للوغَى

تَركَتْ دِيارَ المارِقينَ طُلولا

When the spears were stirred for the fight,

They left the lands of the rebels completely deserted.

يَرْمي بها الأعداءَ لَيْثُ كتيبةٍ

يَجْتابُ من شَوْكِ الأسِنِّةِ غِيلا

The lion of the brave battalion throws them with it

Reaping with the thorns of the spears carnage.

مَلِكٌ غدا للهِ سابغَ عَدْله

ظِلاًّ يُمَدُّ على العِبادِ ظَليلا

A King whose justice has been fulfilled for God

Extending over the servants a shaded refuge.

فإذا سَخا مطَر الأكُفَّ مواهباً

وإذا سَطا مطَر الرِّقابَ نُصولا

So when the clouds rain down gifts generously,

And when it rains necklaces on necks.

ومُحجَّبٌ تَغْدو الملوكُ ببابِه

حتّى تُجابَ إلى اللّقاء مُثولا

And he is veiled, Kings go to his door,

Until they are allowed to meet him and enter.

فإذا بدا رفَلوا إليه على الثَّرى

من بَعْدِ ما جَعلوا الخدودَ ذُيولا

So when he appears, they crawl to him on the ground,

After making their cheeks the ground.

وتَخالُ طُولَ الدّهْرِ في عَرصاتهِ

غَيْثاً عليها بالوفودِ هُطولا

You see the time on its plains through its seasons

Pouring on them rain of delegations and visitors.

تُزْجَى إليه العِيسُ ما وَسِعَ الفَلا

قُوداً يُبارِينَ الرِّياحَ ذَميلا

The camels are driven to him in multitudes

As gifts competing with the winds in beauty.

حتّى تُناخَ بحيثُ يُنتجَعُ النّدى

ويَبِيتُ عَقْدُ رِحالها مَحْلولا

Until they are tied down where the dew is collected

And the knots of their saddles are untied.

يَغْدونَ أرسالاً إليه وإنّما

يَجِدونَ جُوداً للفَخارِ رَسيلا

Going to him in delegations, but they only find

Generosity for the noble guests.

ومُعوِّدٌ سَبْقَ السُّؤالِ برفْدِه

حتّى تَعذَّر أن يُرى مَسْؤولا

And he who is accustomed to preceding requests with his gifts

Until it becomes difficult for him to be asked.

لا عَيبَ فيه غيرَ أنَّ يَمينَهُ

تُبْقي بأغصانِ الرِّماح ذُبولا

He has no shortcoming other than that his right hand

Keeps the branches of spears withering.

حَيّاكَ مَن تُحْيي بسَيْفِك دِينَه

مهما غدا خَطْبُ الشِّقاقِ جَليلا

Greetings to you, who with your sword revive your religion

No matter how great the discord becomes.

وَسقاكَ مَن يَسقي بكَفِّكَ خَلْقَه

دِيَماً إذا انْهَلَّ الغمامُ هُمولا

And quench your thirst, you who with your palm give drink to your people

A rain, when the clouds pour heavily.

وفَداكَ مَن يَفْدي برِفْدِك نَفْسَه

إذْ لا خليلَ بها يُجيرُ خَليلا

And sacrifice for you, he who ransoms himself with your ransom

When he has no intimate friend to protect an intimate friend.

مِن ماجدٍ صَعْبِ الإباء مُناجِدٍ

حَلُمَ الزّمانُ به وكان جَهولا

From the glorious and steadfast Majid

Time is dreamy with him, and he was ignorant.

ومضَتْ صَرائمهُ فكُنَّ صَوارماً

وصفَتْ شمائلُه فكُنَّ شَمولا

And his poems have passed and were like swords,

And his features were described, and they were like moles.

وسَطا فما ينفَكُّ طَرْفُ عُداتِه

بظُباهُ أو بخَيالها مَكْحولا

His eyes do not fail to watch his enemies

Or his imagination with his horse bridled.

ولكَمْ رأوْا في النّومِ جَيشَك ليلةً

صَدَقوا قُبَيلَ صَباحِها التَّأْويلا

And how often they saw your army in a dream at night

Believing its interpretation before dawn.

لم يَشْعروا حتّى طرَقْتَ كأنّما

حَوَّلْتَ في الحَدَقِ الخَيال خُيولا

They were not aware until you knocked as if

You turned imagination in the eyelids into horses.

يَبْغي الوُثوبَ على الجيادِ خَفيفُهمْ

فيَرى له وَطْأً عليهِ ثَقيلا

Their nimble horses long to race fiercely,

So one sees for it a heavy tread upon it.

فيَقِل ظَهْراً بالحوافِرِ مُنْعَلاً

ويُديرُ طَرْفاً بالسِّنانِ كحيلا

So its back bends with the hooves tied,

And its eye turns with the spear blinking.

إن يَلْتَمِسْ يدَهُ لتَلْحَق عَيْنَه

يَر بَعْضَه عن بَعْضِه مَشْغولا

If its hand reaches to meet its eye,

It sees some of it busy away from the other.

وكأنّ قَرْعَ شِفاهِهمْ بنِعالِها

حتّى تُعلِّمَهمْ لها التَّقْبيلا

As if the striking of their lips with its shoes,

Until it teaches them to kiss it.

مَن لم يَضَعْ فيما يَطأْنَ جَبينَه

غادرْنَه مِمّنْ يَطأْن قَتيلا

Do not place on what treads your forehead,

One who does not make those it treads a martyr.

ما يَعثُرُ الباغي بحَرْبِك عَثْرةً

فيرَى من الموتِ الزُّؤامِ مُقيلا

The transgressor does not stumble in your war,

And see from death an inviting bed.

إنْ حادَ بَلّدهُ الجِيادُ فلم يَفُتْ

أو ذادَ غافَصَه الرَّدى فاغْتِيلا

If his horse took him away, and he did not escape,

Or his destiny attracted him, so he was killed.

فهوَى انْطِلاقُ يَمينِه وجَوادُه

مُتقدِّماً للضّرْبِ أو مَفْلولا

So the release of his right hand and his steed fell,

Going forward to strike or defeated.

فتَخالُها بحُجولها مشكولةً

وتَظُنُّه بحُسامِه مَغْلولا

You imagine them with their horse armor

And think of him with his sword as captured.

أنَصيرَ دينِ اللهِ والمَلكِ الّذي

ما شاهدوا لكَ في المُلوكِ عَديلا

To support the religion of God and the King whom

They did not see your equal among kings.

درَسوا لنا سِيَرَ الكرامِ وإنّما

كانَ النّدى حتّى فَعْلتَ مَقولا

They studied for us the ways of the generous, but

It was rare until you made it common.

ففدَتْكَ أملاكٌ تُريكَ فَعالُهمْ

حسَباً على سِمَنِ الجسومِ هَزيلا

Noble possessions make you see their actions

As enough against the fat of lean bodies.

نَفَرٌ أُعايِنُهمْ وأَمسَحُ ناظري

مِمّا أَظُنُّ شُخوصَهم تَنْبيلا

Some, their eyes and my gazing at them

From what I think their rising is nobility.

يا أَيُّها المَولَى الأجلُّ دُعاءَ مَن

أَضحَى يُوجِّهُ نَحْوكَ التَّأْميلا

O most glorious master, the prayer of one

Who has come to direct his hopes to you.

ما للمَصالحِ يَنتظِرْنَ مَواعِداً

سَبقتْ ولم تكُ للعفاة مَطولا

The interests do not wait for appointed times

And your generosity has not ceased to flow.

وعِمارةُ الدُّولابِ عُوِّقَ أمْرُها

عجَباً ورِفْدُك لم يَزَلْ مَبْذولا

Astonishingly, the running of affairs has been hindered

While your support continues to be given.

صِلةً لوَجْهِ اللهِ فيه فما لَنا

لم نَلْقَ بَعْدُ لِما وصَلْتَ وُصولا

As a connection to the face of God in it, so why

Have we not yet reached what you have reached?

وإذا جلَوْتَ من المَواهبِ غادةً

ألفَيْتَ أحسَنَ حَلْيِها التَّعْجِيلا

And if you have advanced from gifts departing,

You would find hastening its best adornment.

هي غُرَّةٌ في وَجْهِ عَسْكَرِ مُكْرَمٍ

فُقِدَتْ فشانَتْ حُسْنَه المَقْبولا

It is an atom on the face of the honored army

It was lost, so its beauty spread and was accepted.

جَنَتِ السُّيولُ عليه حتّى أنّه

سفَحتْ لعُطْلتِه العُيونُ سُيولا

The torrents flowed over it until

Its springs poured in weeping torrents.

كانتْ له قدَمٌ تُريحُ بسَعْيِها

أقدامَ قَومٍ بُكْرَةً وأَصيلا

It had a foot that rested with its effort

The feet of a people morning and evening.

وبُكاءُ عَيْنٍ كان منه لأهلِها

ضَحِكٌ فأصبحَ رَنّةً وعَويلا

And the crying of an eye that made those of its people

Laugh, but it became moaning and wailing for them.

ولأنتَ أكرمُ أن تُخَيِّبَ مَعشَراً

قد حاولوا أن يَبْلُغوا بكَ سُولا

But you are too generous to disappoint a group

Who tried to reach you in requesting.

بَلْ لو رَجَوْكَ بأن تُديرَ مكانَه

من عَسجدٍ فلَكاً لكان قَليلا

But if the one who prostrated aspired for you

To turn his place from a temple into a sphere, it would be little.

فابْعَثْ بما تُولي تَكُنْ أُهُباتُها

مَأْخوذةً أن أَلقَوْا الشّاقُولا

So send with what you turn, their landmarks be

Taken after they cast the spears.

وتَهنَّ بالعيدِ السّعيدِ ولَقِّه

منَ بِشْرِك التّرحيبَ والتّأْهيلا

And congratulate with the auspicious feast, and meet it

With your greeting and reception and honor.

واجْعَلْ عِداكَ من الأضاحي الّتي

يَدْمَى لَها خَدُّ الحسامِ صَقيلا

And make your enemies sacrifices for which

The cheek of the sword bleeds, sharpened.

في كلِّ يومٍ ذَرَّ شارِقُه تَرَى

فَتْحاً بآخَرَ غيرِه مَوْصولا

You see every day whose rising brings

A victory connected to another continuously.

وتَخالُ سُكّانَ الحُصونِ تُطيعُه

قَطْراً يَزِلُّ من الغمامِ هُمولا

And you imagine the inhabitants of citadels obeying it

Drop by drop, falling from the pouring clouds.

هي دَولةٌ أحيَيْتَها فاسلَمْ لها

حتّى تَنالَ بها المُنَى وتُنيلا

It is a state you have revived, so submit to it

Until you reach the purpose through it.

يا مَنْ عَلِقْتُ بذَيْلِ خِدْمتِه الّتي

ألقَتْ جَلالَتُها عليَّ قَبولا

O you whose service skirt I clung to

And its majesty bestowed acceptance on me.

جَدِّدْ كَرامتيَ الّتي عَوَّدْتَني

بالكُتْبِ تُودَعُ بِرَّكَ المَأمولا

Renew my generosity that you have accustomed me to

Through scriptures bestowing your expected kindness.

فلوِ استطَعْتُ لمَا التفَتُّ بنَظْرةٍ

حتّى أَزورَ جَنابَك المَأْهولا

If I could, I would not glance

Until I visit your populated abode.

ورَكِبْتُ أجنحةَ الرّياحِ حَثيثةً

أَبْغي بِهنَّ إلى ذُراكَ رَحيلا

And I rode the winds hurrying

Seeking with it to travel to your place of dwelling.

ولئن أقَمْتُ فإنّ مَدْحي سائرٌ

تَجِدُ الرُّواةُ به إليك سَبيلا

And if I stay, my praise goes on

The narrators find through it a way to you.

فأَعِدْ إلينا دامَ مُلْكُكَ نَظْرةً

للفَضْلِ من سُوقِ الكَسادِ مُديلا

So turn your eyes back to us, may your reign last,

To preferring virtue in the market of recession.

لم يَشْدُدِ الفَلَكُ المُدارُ نِطاقَه

إلاّ ليَسْمعَ طائعاً وتَقولا

The sphere of orbit did not tighten its belt

Except to hear you willingly saying: