أَبا العَبّاسِ بَرَّزتَ عَلى قَومِ

أَبا العَبّاسِ بَرَّزتَ عَلى قَومِ

كَ آداباً وَأَخلاقاً وَتَبريزا

كَ آداباً وَأَخلاقاً وَتَبريزا

O Abu al-Abbas, you have surpassed your people

O Abul Abbaas, you have excelled over people

in refinement, character, and distinction.

In manners, morals and distinction

فَلَو صُوِّرتَ مِن شَيءٍ سِوى الناسِ

فَلَو صُوِّرتَ مِن شَيءٍ سِوى الناسِ

إِذاً كُنتَ مِنَ العِقيانِ إِبريزا

إِذاً كُنتَ مِنَ العِقيانِ إِبريزا

For had you been fashioned from anything other than humankind,

If you were made of anything other than human

you would then have been pure, unalloyed gold.

You would have been of solid gold

وَلم يُعلِكَ إِلّا كَرَمُ النَفسِ

وَلم يُعلِكَ إِلّا كَرَمُ النَفسِ

بَلى فَإِزدَدتَ بِالمُعتَزِّ تَعزيزا

بَلى فَإِزدَدتَ بِالمُعتَزِّ تَعزيزا

And nothing exalted you but nobility of soul;

And nothing raised you except your noble soul

yes, and through al-Mu'tazz you gained further strength.

Yes, you became greater due to your dignity

فَأَنتَ الغَيثُ إِذ يَسجُمُ وَاللَيثُ

فَأَنتَ الغَيثُ إِذ يَسجُمُ وَاللَيثُ

إِذا يُقدِمُ وَالصارِمُ مَهزوزا

إِذا يُقدِمُ وَالصارِمُ مَهزوزا

For you are the rain when it pours, and the lion

So you are rain when it pours, and a lion

when it charges, and the keen sword when brandished.

When it attacks, and a sharp sword

فَأَمّا حَلبَةُ الشِعرِ فَتَستَولي

فَأَمّا حَلبَةُ الشِعرِ فَتَستَولي

عَلى السَبقِ بِها فَرضاً وَتَميِيزا

عَلى السَبقِ بِها فَرضاً وَتَميِيزا

As for poetry's racecourse, you seize

As for the field of poetry, you master it

first place there, as your due and by distinction,

Naturally, with distinction

بِإِحكامِ مَبانيهِ وَإِبداعِ

بِإِحكامِ مَبانيهِ وَإِبداعِ

مَعانيهِ وَلا يوجَدُ مَغموزا

مَعانيهِ وَلا يوجَدُ مَغموزا

by perfecting its structures and devising

With solid structure, and creativity

its meanings; no fault is found in it.

Of meaning - nothing convoluted

وَإِن جَنَّستَ لَم تَستَكرِهِ القَولَ

وَإِن جَنَّستَ لَم تَستَكرِهِ القَولَ

وَإِن طابَقتَهُ طَرَّزتَ تَطريزا

وَإِن طابَقتَهُ طَرَّزتَ تَطريزا

And if you use wordplay, you do not force the wording;

If you use metaphor, you don't dislike the words

and if you set it in antithesis, you richly embroider it.

If you match them, you embroider an embroidery

مَدىً مَن رامَهُ غَيرَكَ أَنضاهُ

مَدىً مَن رامَهُ غَيرَكَ أَنضاهُ

وَأَبدى مِنهُ تَقصيراً وَتَعجيزا

وَأَبدى مِنهُ تَقصيراً وَتَعجيزا

A reach that exhausts anyone else who seeks it,

None who covet it reach your level

and exposes his shortcomings and incapacity.

All fall short and fail

فَأَمّا دافِعوا فَضلِكَ بِالظُلمِ

فَأَمّا دافِعوا فَضلِكَ بِالظُلمِ

فَجَوَّزنا عَلَيهِم ذاكَ تَجويزا

فَجَوَّزنا عَلَيهِم ذاكَ تَجويزا

As for those who unjustly deny your excellence,

As for those who reject your superiority unjustly

we have indeed allowed them that.

We allow that, such allowance