ما المالُ إِلّا ما أَفادَ ثَناءَ

ما العِزُّ إِلّا ماثَنى الأَعداءَ

Wealth is naught but what spreads praise,

Honor naught but what humbles foes.

شَحَّت عَلى الدُنيا المُلوكُ وَعافَها

مَن لَم يُطِع في حِفظِها الأَهواءَ

Kings are stingy with this world yet it spurns them;

He who obeys not his whims shall guard it close.

باعَ الَّذي يَفنى بِما أَبقى لَهُ

ذِكراً إِذا دَجَتِ الخُطوبُ أَضاءَ

He who sells transient for lasting

Has light when darkness grows gross.

فَليَهنِ سَيفَ الدَولَةِ الشَرفُ الَّذي

لَو كانَ مَرئِيّاً لَكانَ سَماءَ

Let the sword of state make cheap

A honor which, seen, were the sky.

وَطَهارَةُ الخُلُقِ الَّذي لَو لَم يَكُن

عَرَضاً مِنَ الأَعراضِ كانَ الماءَ

A pure soul were it not

An attribute had been water.

وَرَجاحَةُ الحُلمِ الَّذي لَو حَلَّ بِال

هَضَباتِ مِن رَضوى ثَناهُ هَباءَ

And calm wisdom, did it weigh down

Plateaus of bliss, would be vapor.

بَدرٌ تَحَقَّقَتِ البُدورُ بِأَنَّها

لَيسَت وَإِن كَمُلَت لَهُ أَكفاءَ

A moon whose fullness moons confirm

That though complete they are not its peers.

أَلقى إِلَيهِ الدَهرُ صَعبَ قِيادِهِ

فَاِستَخدَمَ الأَيّامَ فيما اِستاءَ

Fate gave its harsh lead to him

So he harnessed days to his fears.

أَمحَقِقِّ الآمالَ بِالكَرَمِ الَّذي

أَحيا العُفاةَ وَبَخَّلَ الكُرَماءَ

He with kindness made hopes real

And brought life to paupers, while generous were mean.

شَكَرَ الإِلهُ مِن أَهتِمامكَ بِالهُدى

ما زادَ باهِرَ نورِهِ اِستِعلاءَ

God thanked your heed to guidance

Which made its brilliant light more keen,

راعِيتَهُ وِسِواكَ في سَنَةِ الهَوى

ما ذادَ عَنهُ لِسَيفِكَ الأَعداءَ

Guarded it, and none but you

In passion’s year warded foes off it clean.

وَفَدَيتَ مِن أَسرِ العَدُوِّ مَعاشِراً

لَولاكَ ما عَرَفوا الزَمانَ فِداءَ

You ransomed many a soul from the enemy’s shackles;

Without you they’d not known an age’s redemption.

كانوا عَبيدَ نَداكَ ثُمَّ شَرَيتَهُم

فَغَدوا عَبيدِكَ نِعمَةً وَشِراءَ

Once your gift then your property,

Now your blessing and purchase redeemed.

وَالأَسرُ إِحدى المَيتَتَينِ وَطالَما

خَلَدوا بِهِ فَأَعدَتهُم أَحياءَ

Captivity is one of two deaths, yet

Often in it they lived again.

وَضَمِنتَ نَفسَ أَبي فِراسٍ لِلعُلا

إِذ مِنهُ أَصبحَت النُفوسُ بَراءَ

You guaranteed the soul of Abu Firas glory

When through him souls were made pure.

ما كانَ إِلّا البَدرُ طالَ سَرارُهُ

ثُمَّ اِنجَلى وَقَد اِستَتَمَّ بِهاءَ

None but the moon whose unveiling was long

Then shone, made perfect in its fullness.

يَومٌ غَذا فيهِ سَماحُكَ يَعتِقُ ال

أَسرى وَمَنَّكَ يَأسُرُ الأُمراءَ

A day when your bounty frees prisoners

While your favors imprison lords.

خُصَّت بَنو حَمدانُ مِنهُ بِنِعمَةٍ

عَمَّت بِفَضلِكَ تَغلبَ الغَلباءَ

Benefiting Hamdan’s sons with a grace

That by your kindness defeated all conquerors.