يا مَغاني الأَحبابِ صِرتِ رُسوما
وَغَدا الدَهرُ فيكِ عِندي مَلوما
O dwellings of loved ones, you have become traces of ruins,
O dwellings of my loved ones, you have become ruins
and Time, for what befell you, has earned my blame.
And time has become blameworthy to me in you
أَلِفَ البُؤسُ عَرصَتَيكِ وَقَد كُن
تِ لَنا قَبلُ رَوضَةً وَنَعيما
Misery has grown familiar with your two courtyards, though you were
Misery has settled in your courtyard though once
once a garden and bliss for us.
You were to us a meadow and bliss
رَحَلَ الظاعِنونَ عَنكِ وَأَبقَوا
في حَواشي الأَحشاءِ حُزناً مُقيما
The departing travelers left you, and left behind
The people have departed from you, leaving
in the recesses of the heart an abiding sorrow.
In the edges of my heart lasting sadness
أَينَ تِلكَ الظِباءُ أَصبَحنَ في الحُس
نِ بُدوراً وَفي البَعادِ نُجوما
Where are those gazelles, who became in beauty
Where are those gazelles? They have become
full moons, and in their remoteness, stars?
In beauty distant stars, and in distance moons
قَد وَجَدنَ السُلُوَّ بَرداً سَلاماً
إِذ وَجَدنا الهَوى عَذاباً أَليما
They have found forgetting to be coolness and peace,
They have found peace and tranquility though we
while we have found love a painful torment.
Found passion painful and severe
يا أَبا الفَضلِ وَالَّذي وَرِثَ الفَض
لَ عَنِ الفَضلِ حادِثاً وَقَديما
O Abu al-Fadl, you who inherited excellence
O Abu al-Fadl, inheritor of merit from the
from al-Fadl, both new and old.
Meritorious, latest and earliest
قَد لَعَمري أَعدَت شَمائِلُكَ الدَه
رَ فَأَضحى مِن بَعدِ لُؤمٍ كَريما
Indeed, by my life, your virtues have infected Time,
By my life, your qualities have made time
and it has become generous after its meanness.
Noble after being ignoble
لَكَ مِن ذي الرِئاسَتَينِ خِلالٌ
مُعطَياتٌ في المَجدِ حَظّاً جَسيما
You have virtues from Dhu al-Riyasatayn,
You have from the two excellencies traits
granting you an immense share of glory.
That give you abundant glory
جُمَلٌ فيكَ لَو قُسِمنَ عَلى النا
سِ لَما أَصبَحَ اللَئيمُ لَئيما
Stores of virtue in you, if divided among the people,
Attributes in you which if divided among
would leave no base man base.
People would leave no wretch wretched
شِيَمٌ غَضَّةٌ تَروحُ وَتَغدو
أَرَجاً في هُبوبِها وَنَسيما
Fresh virtues that go forth at dusk and dawn,
A giving nature going and coming gently
as fragrance in their wafting, and as a breeze.
Like a breeze in its blowing and softness
قَد تَعالَت بِكَ المَآثِرُ حَتّى
قَد حَسِبناكَ لِلسِماكِ نَديما
Your glorious deeds have raised you so high
Your great deeds have risen so high
that we have thought you al-Simak's boon companion.
We imagine you a companion of the heavens
كُلَّ يَومٍ آمالُنا فيكَ لِلأَم
رِ الرِئاسِيِّ تَقتَضيكَ النُجوما
Each day our hopes in you, for the work
Each day our hopes in you for leadership
of leadership, exact their installments from you.
Are dictated by the stars
آلَ سَهلٍ أَنتُم غُيوثُ بَني سا
سانَ جوداً وَنَجدَةً وَحُلوما
O house of Sahl, you are the rains of the sons of
O Aal Sahl, you are rescues for mankind
Sasan, in generosity, valor, and forbearance.
In generosity, aid, and clemency
أَيُّ فَضلٍ وَأَيُّ بَذلٍ وَجودٍ
لَم يُحالِف ذا الجودِ إِبراهيما
What excellence, what giving and generosity
What merit, giving, or munificence has not
has not allied itself with Ibrahim, the generous one?
Befriended this open-handed one, Ibrahim?
كَسرَوِيُّ تَلقاهُ في الحَربِ لَيثاً
قَسورِيّاً وَفي النَدِيِّ حَكيما
Khosrow-like, in war you find him a lion,
Like a lion he met in war the Kisrawi
fierce, and in the assembly a sage.
And in wisdom the philosopher
واضِحُ الوَجهِ وَالفَعالِ إِذا ما
كانَ وَجهُ الزَمانِ جَهماً بَهيما
Radiant of face and deed, whenever
Bright of face and deed when the face
the face of Time is scowling and dark.
Of time was fierce and brutal
هِبرِزِيٌّ قَد نالَ مِن كُلِّ فَنٍّ
مِن فُنونِ الآدابِ حَظّاً عَظيما
An accomplished man, who has gained from every branch
A Hibrizi who attained of every art
of the literary arts a mighty share.
Of the literary arts an ample share
وَرَقيقُ الأَلفاظِ يَرصُفُ في الأَس
ماعِ دُرّاً وَلُؤلُؤاً مَنظوما
And delicate in diction, he arrays in the ears
And refined of diction, stringing pearls
fine pearls and pearls strung together.
And precious gems into poetry
أَتعَبَتهُ العُلا فَأَبقَت نُدوباً
مُتعَباتٍ بِجِسمِهِ وَكُلوما
Greatness has wearied him, leaving scars
Exertions wearied him, leaving traces
that afflict his body, and wounds.
Of wearying wounds on his body
فَتَراهُ في حالَةٍ مَحسوداً
وَتَراهُ في حالَةٍ مَرحوما
So you see him in one state envied,
So you find him in a state to be envied
and in another you see him pitied.
And find him in a state to be pitied
كُلَّ يَومٍ يُفيدُهُ البَذلُ وَالجو
دُ مَتى كانَ ظاعِناً أَو مُقيما
Every day, giving and generosity bring him—
Every day giving and munificence profit him
whether he is traveling or staying—
Whether he be resident or traveling
حَمدَ عافٍ وَذَمَّ لاحٍ فَيَغدو
في جَزيلِ اللُهى حَميداً ذَميما
a supplicant's praise and a censurer's blame; so he becomes,
He praises the virtuous and blames the wicked, becoming
amid lavish gifts, both praised and blamed.
Esteemed in abundant glory, and despised in disgrace.
Sol 6.1