لأيِّ ومَيضِ بارقةٍ أَشيمُ

وَمرْعَى الفَضْلِ في زَمني هَشيمُ

For what flash of lightning should I roam,

And pasture of virtue in my time is desolate?

أَبِيتُ وخَدُّ ليلِ الشِّعْرِ منّي

بكَفِّ الصُّبْحِ من شَيْبي لَطيم

I spent the night while the cheek of the night of poetry turned away from me

With the palm of dawn from my long white hair.

وضَمَّ إليَّ أَفكاري جَناحي

فلي في عُشِّ مُطّرَحي جُثوم

And my thoughts folded their wings around me

So in the nest of my bed I crouch.

فعُذْراً إنْ تَغيَّر عَهْدُ شِعْري

وقد يُغْضي عَنِ الزَّلَلِ الحَليم

Excuse me, then, if the era of my poetry has changed

And the forbearing may overlook errors.

وما قصَّرْتُ عن شَأْوٍ ولكنْ

سَقيمٌ كُلُّ ما نَظَمَ السّقيم

It is not that I fell short of glory but

Every poem by the ill is infirm.

وتَعتلُّ القلوبُ فليس يُرضَى

لها أَثَرٌ إذا اعتَلَّ الجُسوم

And hearts become sick so satisfaction is not

Tolerated for them when bodies fall ill.

وكيف يُجيدُ لي طَبْعٌ عَقيرٌ

يَكوسُ إذا تَخاطَرَتِ القُروم

How can a stubborn nature that falters

Whenever destinies clash do well by me?

ولا أَرْضَى بي عُذْراً ولكِنْ

غدْوتُ إلى قَبولِكَ أَسْتَنيم

I make no excuse for myself but

I have crept to gain your acceptance.

كما اعْوجَّ الكتابُ على فُصوصٍ

وتَقْلُبُه الخُتومُ فيَسْتَقيم

As the book became warped in its binding

And its seals flip it straight.

وكنتُ وكُلُّ ما أُسقَى جِمامٌ

أُعدُّ وكُلُّ ما أَرعَى جَميم

While all I was given to drink was bitter

And all I was led to graze was loathsome.

أَيُفْطَمُ عن لِبانِ العِزِّ مثْلي

وأَعجَبُ حادثٍ شَيْخٌ فَطيم

Should one like me be weaned from the milk of honor

Or an aged fool find wonders novel?

وأَسكُبُ بالتَّبذُّلِ ماءَ وَجْهي

على حينَ استَشنَّ لي الأَديم

I spill freely on my face the water of my pool

While for others the water skin was stingy.

فإنْ يك قد تَناساني لدَهْري

كريمٌ من بَنيهِ أَو لئيم

If my people have forgotten me for my lifetime

A generous one or mean one of their sons,

فهَبْ نَجْداً لساكِنِهِ وأَعْرِضْ

فحَسْبُكَ من عَرارتِهِ شَميم

Then bestow wealth on its inhabitant and turn away

It suffices you the stench of its wasteland.

ومَوْقِفُ ساعةٍ في رَسْمِ دارٍ

وأَيدي العيسِ في لُجَجٍ تَعوم

And stopping for an hour to sketch a house

With hands of loving hope swimming in faraway valleys,

وَقفْتُ ومُقْلتي بَخِلَتْ بدَمْعي

وأَنكْرَ صاحبي فغَدا يلوم

I stopped while my tears were stingy to me

And my friend denied me so began to blame me.

فيا عَوْني ويا عَيْني جميعاً

قَبيحٌ منكُما لَوْمٌ ولُوم

Oh my support and my eye together

Reproach and blame are ugly from both of you

أُحِبُّ المرءَ ظاهْرُهُ جَميلٌ

لصاحبِه وباطِنُهُ سَليم

I love a man whose outward expression is beautiful

To his companion while his depths are sound

بأُولَىدَعْوَتيَّ يُجِيبُ طَوْعاً

إذا ما عَنَّ لي شَرَفٌ مَروم

He will willingly respond to my appeal

When a highborn one of proud lineage makes it known to me

وفي الفِتيانِ كُلُّ رَبيطِ جَأْشٍ

يَرى حَرْبَ الزَّمانِ ولا يَخيم

And among the youth is every well-guided striver

Who sees the war of fate but does not waver.

مَوَدَّتُهُ تَدومُ لكلِّ هَوْلٍ

وهل كُلٌّ مَودَّتُه تَدوم

His affection endures for every horror—

But does everyone's affection endure?

حَلفْتُ بربِّ مكّةَ والمُصلَّى

وحيثُ يُزارُ زَمْزَمُ والحَطيم

I swore by the Lord of Mecca and the Sacred Mosque

And wherever the Well of Zamzam and Stone are visited

أَرومُ النُّجَح إلاّ عنْدَ مَلْكٍ

سَما فَرْعٌ له وزكا أَروم

I seek success only in the shadow

Of a King whose branch prospers and thrives.

وأَنظِمُ مِدْحَتي إلاّ لنَدْبٍ

له مِن مَجْدِه مَدْحٌ نَظيم

And I compose my poem of praise for none but excellent men—

For him from his glory there is composed praise.

وأَحسَنُ حِلْيةٍ بَيْتٌ حديثٌ

يُصاغُ لمَنْ له بَيْتٌ قَديم

And the best jewelry is a new verse

That is fashioned for one whose home is old.

فإنْ يكُ طالَ بي سَفَرُ انْقباضٍ

فها أنا حانَ لي منه قُدوم

So if the journey of my contraction has dragged on for me

Well, here I am, the time for me to return has arrived!

فأُقسِمُ لا عكَفْتُ على خيالٍ

كما عكفَتْ على البَوِّ الرَّؤوم

And I swear I did not cling to a fantasy

As disasters cling resolutely to the abyss.

ولي من نَجْمِ دينِ اللهِ هادٍ

ففي وادي الضّلالةِ لا أَهيم

And I have a guide to the religion of God

So in the valley of misguidance do I not wander.

ولم تكُنِ الشُّموسُ لها كِفاءً

كنَجْمِ الدّينِ لو كانَ النُّجوم

Nor were suns for it suitable matches

Like the star of religion, if it were among stars.

جَوادٌ منه لي ضَوْءٌ ونَوْءٌ

فَيوْميَ مُشْمِسٌ منْه مُغِيم

A generous one from whom I have ample light and brilliance

So my day from him is sunny even when cloudy.

تَهلّلَ منْه في عَيْني غَمامٌ

تَمزَّقَ منْه عن قَلْبي غُموم

From it clouds in my eye burst into celebration

And from it worries over my heart burst.

كَريمٌ قد جَلاهُ لي زَمانٌ

كَثيرٌ أَنْ يُرَى فيه كَريم

A generous one, his face fills with water

Upon which rest the birds of my hopes.

وتَكْفي غُرَّةٌ للطِّرْفِ تَبْدو

فتَأْبَى أَنْ يُقالَ لَهُ بَهيم

Oh he whose lofty office is exclusive

And whose abundant attainments are shared by all!

كفاني أَنْ جلا عَيْني هُمامٌ

بدا ليَ فانْجَلَى عَنّي هُموم

To you I complained of the night's betrayal

And your capacity suffices me for help.

كريمٌ وَجْهُهُ مَلآْنُ ماءً

عليهِ طَيْرُ آمالي تَحوم

And for me in the most high court a place remains

To where the banners long have been raised to you by right.

أَيا مَنْ عُظْمُ مَنْصِبِهِ خُصوصٌ

ويا مَنْ جَزْلُ نائِلهُ عُموم

Though emblems may be overlooked when

Contradictions between them occur, like people forgiving faults.

إليكَ شكَوتُ عاديةَ اللَّيالي

وجاهُكَ بالكِفايةِ لي زَعيم

So secure it for me through your effort, for if not

For the breath of spirits, no clouds would form.

ولي في الحَضْرةِ العَلْياءِ رَسْمٌ

إليه بأيْنقُي طالَ الرَّسيم

For how many messages have your fingers traced

That humble even a grave speech?

وقد تَعْفو الرُّسومُ إذا تَبدَّى

تَناقُضُها كما تَعْفو الرُّسوم

With a mouth whose lips he wets at night

That peel dry again by daylight.

فَوفِّرْها بسَعْيِكَ لي فلولا

يَدُ الأَرواحِ ما اجْتُلِبَ الغُيوم

By it you have displayed a tremendous miracle

As did the Chosen by his sign.

فكم خَطّتْ بنانُكَ من خِطابٍ

تَضاءلَ عندَهُ خَطْبٌ جَسيم

Just like that the best came from you in multitudes

To a protective shadow and solemnly swore not to fail.

بأَرقَمَ تَحْتسي شَفتاهُ لَيْلاً

فَتُقلَسُ بالنّهارِ بهِ رُقوم

And Mentor of Virtue’s people, when you are attributed

Are the continuance of noble deeds so that they endure

به أُبديتَ إعجازاً عظيماً

كما أَبدَى بآيتهِ الكَليم

So people of merit, if they gain your backing

The sincere meet the sincere, as is known.

كذلك حطَّ منْك الرَّحْلَ فَضْلى

إلى كَنَفٍ وأَقْسَمَ لا يَريم

And how many groups faulted and failed!

The vanguards of which nights have relayed

وآلُ الفَضْلِ إذْ يُعْزَوْنَ أَنْتُمْ

دَوامُ المكْرماتِ بأن تَدوموا

And so the war with time has been imposed on me

With clouds that cannot be penetrated.

فأهْلُ الفَضْلِ إنْ رفَدوا لَقُوكُمْ

كما يَلْقَى الحَميمَ له الحميم

It shook the pillars of religion so tremendously

A vengeance is gained thereby that cannot be brushed aside.

وكم ليَ فيهمُ من خالداتٍ

لأَجْبِنَةِ الزَّمانِ بها وُسوم

So you are to the Minister at a point that enriches

the destitute with but a glance from you

تَسيرُ كما تَسير الرّيحُ عَصْفْاً

وتَعْطَرُ مثْلَما عَطِرَ النَّسيم

Because you are related to him closely

Each reason for your ties being a tremendous source of pride.

ولم نَمدَحْهمُ عَبَثاً بقَوْلٍ

عَلَكْناه كما عُلِكَ الشَّكيم

The steps of the Master under whom we gather

I and others dismissed by him shall recover

ولكنّا أَجدْنا حينَ جادوا

وكم من مَعْشَرٍ لَؤموا فلِيموا

And the broadcasting of my praises is a fault

That answers the easy or the rough road.

لقد بثَّتْ طلائِعَها اللّيالي

وأَصبحَ حَرْبيَ الزَّمنُ الغَشوم

The tongues of my burdens are highest in praise

So their essence matches their outward behavior.

فهُزَّ لها قِوامَ الدّينِ هَزّاً

يُنالُ بِمثْلِهِ الثّأْرُ المُنيم

And by the eyes they are heard to speak

The wings of my envious enemy thereby fettered.

فأَنْتَ منَ الوزيرِ بحَيْثُ يُثْرِي

بأَدْنَى نَظْرةٍ منكَ العَديم

I shall adhere to the train of your supreme council, passionately

As the enamored clings, lovingly.

لأَنّكَ منْه ذو قُرْبٍ وقُرْبَى

كِلا سَبَبَيكَ مُفْتَخَرٌ عَظيم

After it would be forbidden, if I ever again

Frequent anywhere but your house being prohibited to me.

ستَرجِعُ عنْ ذُرا المولَى رِكابي

وغَيْريَ الّذي يُولى كَتوم

And how much they have said figuratively that sciences

Have not encompassed the realities we know!

وراويةُ المدائحِ لي عِيابٌ

تُجابُ بها السُّهولُ أَوِ الحُزوم

So when I visited the Star of Religion intentionally

And around his praise a cup passed intoxicatingly,

لِسانُ حقائبي أَعْلَى ثَناءً

فظاهرُها بباطِنها نَموم

I gained proximity so as to confirm my claim

That the star is to me a companion in it.

ويُسمَعُ بالعيونِ لها كَلامٌ

جَوانحُ حاسِديَّ به كليم

So be silent beyond words and celebrate in the shadow

Of endless good fortune whether settled or wandering.

سأَلْزَمُ ذَيْلَ مَجْلسكَ المُعلَّى

غَراماً مثْلَما لَزِمَ الغَريم

When men boast pridefully of possessions

Then the sterile kingdom boasts pridefully of you!

حَرامٌ بعْدَها إنْ عُدْتُ يوماً

وغَيْرُ فِناءِ دارِكَ لي حَريم

If they become base then you rise above it

If they sit then you straighten because of it.

وكم قالوا مَجازاً ما أَحاطَتْ

له بحقيقةٍ منّا العُلوم

And you always pass in the garb of prosperity

Embroidered for which are ease and bounty.

فلمّا زُرْتُ نجْمَ الدِّينِ قَصْداً

ودارَ بمَدْحِهِ كَأْسٌ رَذوم

طَرقْتُ ذُراً أُصدَّقُ في ادِّعائي

بأنَّ النَّجْمَ لي فيه نَديم

فَصُمْ أُلْفاً وَعيِّدْ في ظلالِ الْس

سعادةِ إذْ تُعيِّدُ أَو تَصوم

إذا افتْخَرَتْ بأَملاكٍ رِجالٌ

فمُفْتَخِرٌ بكَ المُلْكُ العَقيم

إذا اسْتَفَلوا فأَنتَ إليه تَعلُو

وإن قَعَدوا فأَنتَ بهِ تَقوم

وتَخْطِرُ دائماً في ثَوْبِ عُمْرٍ

له النُّعْمَى طِرازٌ والنَّعيم