إلى خيالٍ خَيالٌ في الظّلام سَرَى

نَظيُره في خَفاء الشَّخصِ إن نُظِرا

To an imagination an imagination in the darkness set forth,

Its peer in the concealment of the person, if seen, set forth.

سارٍ ألَمّ بسارٍ كامنَيْنِ مَعاً

عن النّواظرِ في لَيلٍ قدِ اعتكَرا

A wanderer met a wanderer both hidden together

From sights in a night that was overcast set forth.

كلاهما غابَ هذا في حِجابِ ضنىً

عنِ العيونِ وهذا في حِجابِ كَرى

Both are absent, this one in the veil of estrangement,

And this one in the veil of intoxication from sights set forth.

تَشابَها في نُحولٍ وادّراعِ دُجىً

وخَوْضِ أهوالِ بيدٍ واعْتيادِ سُرى

They resembled each other in leanness and the garb of gloominess

And traversing the horrors with hand and being accustomed to travel by night set forth.

فليسَ بينهما إلا بواحدةٍ

فَرْقٌ إذا ما أعادَ النّاظرُ النَّظرا

So between them is naught but one thing

The difference when the onlooker looks again set forth.

بأنّه ما دَرى السَّيفُ الطَّروقُ بما

لاقَى من اللَّيلِ والصَّبُّ المَشوقُ دَرى

That the sword at nightfall and the one urging at dawn do not know

What they encountered from the night and he who urges at dawn knew set forth

سَرى إليّ ولم يَشتَقْ ومن عَجَبٍ

إلى المَشوقِ إذَنْ غيرُ المشَوقِ سَرى

He came to me and was not troubled and out of wonder

Indeed, to the urgent one if not the urgent came set forth.

ظَبْيٌ من الإنْسِ مَجبولٌ على خُلُقٍ

للوَحشِ فهْو إذا آنْستَه نَفَرا

A gazelle from mankind created with the nature

Of wild beasts so if you socialize with it, it becomes alarmed set forth.

مُعَقْرَبُ الصُّدغِ يَحِكي نُورُ غُرَّتِه

بَدْراً بدا بظلامِ اللّيلِ مُعتَجِرا

The reddish dark star seems with the light of its redness

A full moon that rose in the darkness of night shining set forth.

مُذْ سافَر القلبُ من صَدْري إليه هوىً

ما عادَ بعدُ ولم أعرِفْ له خَبَرا

Since the heart traveled from my chest infatuated with him

It hasn't returned and I don't know any news of it set forth.

وهْو المُسيءُ اختياراً إذا نَوى سَفَراً

وقد رأى طالعاً في العَقْربِ القَمَرا

He is the one who makes the wrong choice if he intends to travel

When he saw the Scorpion star rising with the moon set forth.

أشكو إلى اللهِ لا أشكو إلى أحَدٍ

أنّ الزّمانَ أحالَ العُرّفَ والنُّكُرا

I complain to God, I don't complain to anyone

That fate made the known and unknown change set forth.

وأنّ عَصري على أنْ قد تَجمَّلَ بي

ما إن أصادِفُ فَضْلي فيه مُعتَصَرا

And that my time though it adorned itself with me

Whenever I attained glory in it, diminished set forth.

أتَى بشَرحٍ بَسيطٍ للحوادثِ لي

دَهْري وصَنَّف حَظّي فيه مختصَرا

It came with a simple explanation of my fortunes in life

And classified my fortune in it briefly summarized set forth.

علَتْ منازلُ أملاكٍ رجَوتُهمُ

وما أرى بيَ من إنعامِهمْ أثَرا

The hopes I had in lords were raised up high

And I don't see from their favors any trace set forth.

كلٌّ إلى المُشتِري في الأُفْقِ ذو نَظَرٍ

والشّأْنُ فيمن إليه المُشتري نَظَرا

Everyone looks to the buyer in the horizon with insight

And the main thing is who the buyer looked to set forth.

أُخَيَّ والحُرُّ بالأحرارِ مُعتَرِفٌ

من اللّيالي إذا ما صَرْفُها غَدَرا

My brother and the free man admit

The nobles if their turns betrayed set forth.

إن قَصّرتْ قُدرةٌ عن عادةٍ عُهِدَتْ

فاعذُرْ فأكرمُ مَن صاحَبْتَ مَن عَذَرا

If ability falls short of expectation

Excuse me and he who befriended you the most excuse set forth.

ولي هُمومٌ توالَتْ بي طَوارقُها

حتّى حوَى خاطري من قَطْرِها غُدُرا

I have worries whose afflictions on me increased

Such that my mind from its drops held grudges set forth.

وما رَضِيتُ لضيفِ الهَمِّ قَطُ سوى

شحمِ السّنامِ من العَنْسِ الأَمونِ قِرى

And I was never content for the guest of worries

Except the fat from sparks of fire that's safe being kindled set forth.

فَثُرْ بِها أيّها الحادي على عجَلٍ

فكم تَرى سفَراً عن مَغنَمٍ سَفَرا

So travel quickly Oh guide

For you see how much traveling without war spoils traveled set forth.

وقلّما أمكنَ الإنسانَ في دَعَةٍ

أن يَجمعَ الوطنَ المألوفَ والوَطَرا

And rarely was a human being at leisure

Able to combine the familiar homeland and traveling set forth.

وَاحْدُ المطايا إلى أرضِ العراق بنا

فما أَرى بيَ عن زَورائها زَوَرا

The mounts to Iraq take us

But I don't see from its pastures any pastures set forth.

واقْصِدْ كريماً له عبدُ الكريمِ أَبٌ

تَجِدْ هُماماً لأمرِ المجدِ مُؤْتَمِرا

And seek out the generous one who has Abd al-Karim a father

You find great ambitions for the matter of glory deliberating set forth.

مُحسَّدُ المجدِ والعُلْيا إذا رُمِقَتْ

مُحمّدُ الإِسْمِ والأوصافِ إن ذُكرا

Envy of glory and highest rank, when glanced at

Every person deems it a burden and a burden set forth.

فما أَرى لي منَ الأيامِ إن ظَلَمَتْ

إلاّ مُؤيِّدَ دينِ اللّهِ مُنتَصِرا

The virtue of his words, for him the distinguishing of positions

Whether it is organized or unorganized scattered set forth.

هو الّذي إن سَخا دَهْري برؤيتهِ

من بعدِ ما شَفّ قلبي بُعدُه فِكَرا

A lion if it advances, no selves remain steadfast for it

Lions of evil oppose it or lions of evil set forth.

في الحالِ أَغدو إذا استقبلتُ طلعتَه

لِما مضَى من ذُنوب الدّهرِ مُغْتَفِرا

It overpowers them fang against fang and claw against claw

Without needing to borrow fang or claw set forth.

فاحْلُلْ بِسامي ذُراه وَاغْدُ مُنتَجِعاً

سَمْحاً إذا شامَ راجٍ بَرقَهُ مُطِرا

By his palm if swords pass I say the swords passed

Or their scabbards flow I say destiny flowed set forth.

مُوكّلاً باللّيالي جُودُ أَنمُلِه

فكلّما كسَرتْ من فاضلٍ جَبَرا

He enriches the weak just as he destroys the enemies by it

As if it is the sea containing benefit and harm set forth.

كلوءُ مُلْكٍ برأْيٍ ما يزالُ له

يُعِدُّه وَزَراً كُلُّ امرئٍ وَزرا

He came in an inactive period but he is perceptive

Since he strove hard in attaining praise not being inactive set forth.

فضْلُ الخطابِ له فصْلُ الخُطوبِ به

إن كان مُنتَظَماً أو كان مُنتثَرا

How much he protected us and how much did his watcher spend the night

Keeping us safe and suffering sleeplessness instead of us set forth.

ليثٌ إذا صالَ لم تَثْبُتْ له نفَساً

لُيوثُ شَرٍّ تَصدَّتْ أو ليوثُ شَرى

The custom of generosity has not changed from him

Unless his days changed set forth.

يَراعُه نابَ عن نابٍ وعن ظُفُرٍ

له فلم يَستعرْ ناباً ولا ظُفُرا

A rain from generosity that does not invite

Except the barren land when rain refused except the invitation of meadows set forth.

بكفِّه إن مضَتْ قلتُ الحسامُ مضَى

شَباتُها أَو جَرتْ قلتُ القضاءُ جرى

Its attainment enriches during the year of drought

If the hopes of the hopeful rushed to it and it gushed set forth.

يُغني العُفاةَ كما يُفْني العداةَ به

كأنّه البحرُ يَحوي النَّفْعَ والضَّررا

He satisfies the subjects and the guardian with his conduct

And both were hardly satisfied together set forth.

قد جاء في فترةٍ لكنّه فَطِنٌ

مُذْ جَدّ في كسبِه للحمد ما فتَرا

He exerts himself for the nation and the imam together

Exertion a slave and the worshiped thanked set forth.

كم ذادَ عنّا وكم قد بات ناظِرُه

يُنيمُنا ويُقاسي دونَنا السَّهرا

The imam delegated authority to him due to his noble lineage

When he adhered to the order of the Lord of the Throne and harvested set forth.

وما تَغيَّر عنه عَهدُ مكرمةٍ

ألا فلا لَقِيَتْ أيّامُه الغِيَرا

He let loose an eloquent tongue from him in his hand

Clarifying what he forbade in the kingdom or ordered set forth.

غيثٌ من الجودِ لا يدعو سوى الجَفَلى

إذا أَبى الغيثُ إلاّ دَعوةَ النّقَرى

It would suffice the regions for him to pass a pen

Which none rivals with it white or brown set forth.

يُغِنى عنِ القَطرِ عامَ الجدْبِ نائلُه

إذا انهمَى لبني الآمالِ وانهَمرا

It takes care of its edges in his palm an edge

From a paper and that suffices it boasting set forth.

يُرضي الرعيّةَ والرّاعي بسِيرتِه

ولم يَكادا معاً أَن يُرضِيا سِيَرا

He draws black lines on a white page from books

As if it is an eye that eyeliner was applied to set forth.

للأُمَّةِ الدَّهرَ يَسعَى والإمام معاً

سعْياً له العَبْدُ والمعبود قد شَكَرا

As if the sorcery of his eloquence in his writing

Has captivated every eyelid that captivates with sorcery set forth.

له استنابَ الإمامُ المُقْتَفي شرفاً

لمّا اقتفى أَمرَ رَبِّ العرشِ واقْتفرا

No flaw in a pearl of speech he records in books

Except that it was written with halves set forth.

أَلقى فصيحَ لسانٍ عنه في يَدِه

يَبينُ عمّا نهَى في المُلكِ أَو أَمَرا

If not for an official logo he followed he would not

Have clad the blackness of ink his pearls clad set forth.

يَكْفي الأقاليمَ أَن يُمضي له قلماً

فلا يضاهي به بِيضاً ولا سُمُرا

But it would have been in gold the same way pure gold clothes pearls

The pearls of eloquence if its sea surged set forth.

يَسوسُ أَطرافَها في كفِّه طَرَف

من أَرقَشٍ وكَفاها ذاكَ مُفتَخَرا

Indeed the caliph and divine aid surround him

When he aimed to test the hands that grasp the kingdom set forth.

يَخُطُّ سَوداءَ في بيضاءَ من كتُبٍ

كأنّما هيَ عينٌ أُودِعَتْ حَوَرا

His palm included none other than righteous and unique

While arrows for stinginess places to hide he scattered set forth.

كأنَّ سِحْرَ بيانٍ في كتابتِه

أعدَى به كُلِّ طَرْفٍ أحورٍ سَحَرا

Firm determination his former glory state if

He shot his goals the greatest set forth.

لا عَيبَ في دُرِّ لَفْظٍ منه يُودِعُه

كتْباً سوى أنّه بالنِّقْس قد سُطِرا

If fate darkened as an intense night then surely

His efforts appeared in it stars blossomed set forth.

لولا شِعارٌ إماميٌّ رَعاهُ لمَا

كسَتْ سوادَ مِدادٍ كفّه الدُّررا

Oh you whose days before in his presence

Were the actions for it aspects renewed set forth.

بل كان في ذَهبٍ يَجلو البنانُ به

دُرَّ البيانِ إذا ما بَحْرُه زَخرا

I am grateful for the blessings you bestowed on me

And he who disbelieves blessing has certainly blasphemed set forth.

إنّ الخليفةَ والتّأييدَ يَكنُفُه

لمّا اغتدَى لكفاةِ المُلْكِ مُختَبِرا

You are the spring and my distinction is in anticipation of it

Like wood that returned to being green after needing set forth.

لم تَحْوِ إلاّ سديداً واحداً يَدُه

وللكنانةِ مَلاْءَى أسهُماً نثَرا

So instigate for me the compassion of our minister and say

About me whatever I say of words famed set forth.

سديدُ دولةِ ماضٍ عَزْمُه فمتَى

رمَى أصابَ به أغراضَه الكُبَرا

Strive for me with a sincere glance from you only one

Until I say to suspicions of fate how do you see set forth.

إن أصبحَ الدَّهرُ ليلاً داجياً فلقد

بدَتْ مساعيهِ فيه أنجماً زُهُرا

And order time whose crimes we forgave

Obliging with excuses so he who made excuses did not sin set forth.

يا مَن سَوابقُ أيّامي بحَضْرتِه

كانٍتِ لأوجُهِها أفعالُه غُرَرا

Renew the mark of two favors previously granted

Since marks are like marks even if time is long set forth.

إنّي لشاكرُ ما أسلفْتَ من نِعَمٍ

عندي ومَن كَفَر النُعمَى فقد كفَرا

You both remain in bliss and blessings together

A life that refused for you both to ward off bliss set forth.

أنت الرّبيعُ وفَضْلي في تَرقُّبِه

كالعُودِ عاد إلى الإيراقِ مُفتَقِرا

So how much did an envier desire and found your purity

Casting dirtiness in it but it did not succeed set forth.

فَهُزَّ لي عِطْفَ مولانا الوزيرِ وقُلْ

عنّي ومهما أقُلْ من قَولٍ اشْتَهَرا

Oh glorious one I never visited intimacy warmed at peace

Except he saw for praise a chance and aimed to pluck set forth.

جُدْ لي بنَظرةِ صِدقٍ منكَ واحدةٍ

حتّى أقولَ لريْبِ الدّهرِ كيفَ تَرى

How much I wasted my fortune and he preserved it

And I forgot myself and he remembered set forth.

ومُرْ زماناً صفَحْنا عن جرائمِه

يَحِتْم بعُذْرٍ فلم يذْنِبْ منِ اعْتذرا

When will crimes in speech and action be related from both of us

Pleasing to hearing and sight set forth.

جَدِّدْ ندَى رَسْمِ إنعامَيْنِ قد قَدُما

فالرَّسْمُ كالرَّسْم إن طالَ المَدى دَثرا

When will we return to our ways again

Tell me will that be possible at all in time you think set forth.

بَقِيتُما في نَعيمٍ واردَيْنِ معاً

عَيشاً أبَى لكما عن وِرْدهِ الصَّدَرا

In the cup of my lifetime time left naught

Except bitterness slightly soiled by distance from you set forth.

فكم بغَى حاسدٌ لاقَى صفاءَكما

إلقاءهُ كدَراً فيه فما قَدَرا

So what remains of my breaths all of it

Gratitude for previous blessings shining set forth.

يا ماجداً لم أَزُرْ مأْنوسَ سُدّتِه

إلاّ رأَى فُرصةً للحمدِ فابْتَدَرا

My excuse is the fortunes of life clearly apparent

Their sufficiency so accept the excuse which is evident set forth.

كم قد أُضيعُ أنا حَظّي ويَحفظُه

وكم نَسيِتُ أنا نَفْسي وقد ذَكرا

I was short since I did not find me from you a companion

And I returned since I did not find me from you patient set forth.

متى لنا ولكم تُقصَى الفَوائتُ من

قولٍ وفعلٍ يَروقُ السَّمْعَ والبَصَرا

Below you the guidance of poetry its conveyer brought

Who if able to travel would perform hajj and umrah set forth.

متى نَعودُ إلى العاداتِ ثانيةً

قُلْ لي أذلكَ في وُسْعِ الزّمانِ تُرى

The house of who the favors draw near did not come

And the absent one whose gratitude was present was not absent set forth.

في كأْسِ عُمْريَ ما أبقَى الزَّمانُ سوى

سُؤْرٍ قليلٍ ببُعْدي منك قد كَدِرا

Indeed the highest of palaces for its pursuer

Is a house that, if one of my poems for whoever feels set forth.

فالْحَقْ بقيّةَ أنفاسي فجُملَتُها

شُكْرٌ لسالفِ نُعماكَ الّذي بَهَرا

You remain for praise and the praiser hears them

In the shade of a kingdom that kept its purity from harm set forth.

عُذْري حوادثُ دَهري وهْي ظاهرةٌ

كُفيتَها فاقْبَلِ العُذْرَ الّذي ظَهَرا

As long as the planting by hands in their positions is seen

Gratitude of the free people of the world its fruit set forth.

قَصّرتُ إذ لم أَجِدْ لي منك مُقتَرَباً

وعُدْتُ إذْ لم أجِدْ لي عنك مُصطَبرا

فدونكمْ هَدْيَ شِعْرٍ ساقَ مُشعِرُه

مَن لو أطاقَ مَسيراً حَجّ واعتَمرا

وما نأَتْ دارُ مَن تدنو فواضِلُه

ولم يكُن غائباً مَن شُكرُه حضَرا

وإنّ أرفعَ من قَصرٍ لشائدِه

بَيتٌ إذا سار مِن شِعْري لمَنْ شَعَرا

بَقِيتَ للمدحِ والمُدّاحِ تَسمَعُهمْ

في ظلِّ مُلْكٍ نفَى عن صَفْوهِ الكَدرا

مادام غَرْسُ الأيادي في مَواضعها

يُرَى لها شُكْرُ أحرارِ الوَرى ثَمَرا