رُنُوُّ ذاكَ الغَزالُ أَو غَيدُه
مولِعُ ذي الوَجدِ بِالَّذي يَجِدُه
The soft bleat of that gazelle or its cooing,
The passionate one is infatuated with what he finds.
عِندَكَ عَقلُ المُحِبِّ إِن فَتَكَت
بِهِ عُيونُ الظِباءِ أَو قَوَدُه
If the eyes of the wild deer captivate,
The mind of the lover, or fuel his ardour.
دَمعٌ إِذا قُلتُ كَفَّ هامِلُهُ
أَجراهُ هَجرُ الحَبيبُ أَو بُعُدُه
A tear, when I say halt its carrier,
The estrangement of the beloved drives it or his distance.
وَلا يُؤَدّي إِلى الحِسانِ هَوىً
مَن لا تَرى أَنَّ غَيَّهُ رَشَدُه
Passion cannot lead to devotion,
One whose delirium you do not see guides him.
أُخَيَّ إِنَّ الصِبا اِستَمَرَّ بِهِ
سَيرُ اللَيالي فَأَنهَجَت بُرُدُه
O brother, youth persisted with it,
The passing of nights, so its cold overwhelmed him.
تَصُدُّ عَنّي الحَسناءُ مُبعِدَةً
إِذ أَنا لا قُربُهُ وَلا صَدَدُه
The beautiful one shuns me, distancing herself,
When I have neither her proximity nor her affection.
شَيبٌ عَلى المَفرِقَينِ بارِضُهُ
يَكثُرُني أَن أَبينَهُ عَدَدُه
Grey hair over the temples whose multitude,
Troubles me when I enumerate it.
تَطلُبُ عِندي الشَبابَ ظالِمَةٌ
بُعَيدَ خَمسينَ حَيثُ لا تَجِدُه
Youth unjustly seeks from me,
Far, at fifty, where it cannot find it.
لا عَجَبٌ إِن مَلِلتِ خُلَّتَنا
فَاِفتَقَدَ الوَصلِ مِنكِ مُفتَقِدُه
No wonder if you were bored with our companionship,
When its pursuer from you misses it.
مَن يَتَجاوَز عَن مُطاوَلَةِ العَي
شِ تَقَعقَع مِن مَلَّةٍ عَمَدُه
Whoever transcends indulging time,
His purpose from doctrine strengthens him.
عادَ بِحُسنِ الدُنيا وَبَهجَتِها
خَليفَةُ اللَهِ مُرتَجي صَفَدُه
The Caliph of Allah has returned with,
The beauty of the world and its splendor hoping for its shackles.
مُنخَرِقُ الكَفِّ بِالعَطاءِ مَكي
ثُ السَطوِ دونَ الجانينَ مُتَّئِدُه
With hands torn by generosity, abounding in,
Power without equals enjoying its feast.
فَخمٌ إِذا حَطَّتِ الوُفودُ إِلى
فِنائِهِ لَم يَضِق بِها بَلَدُه
A mouth into which delegations descend,
His country is not too narrow for them.
رِدءُ لِأَهلِ الإِسلامِ أَينَ عَنَوا
مُتَّصِلٌ مِن وَرائِهِم مَدَدُه
A refuge for the people of Islam wherever,
Its aid continuous behind them supports them.
تَكلَؤُهُم عَينُهُ وَتَرجُفُ مِن
نَقيصَةٍ أَن تَنالَهُم كَبِدُه
His eye worries over them and trembles from,
Any harm that might afflict their livers.
كَأَنَّهُ والِدٌ يَرِفُّ بِهِ
مُفرِطُ إِشفاقِهِ وَهُم وَلَدُه
As if he were a father feeling compassion for,
His prodigal sons while they are his children.
قَد خَصَمَ الدَهرُ مِن مِقِلِّهِم
بِالجودِ وَالدَهرُ بَيِّنٌ لِدَدُه
Time has disputed with him over his few,
And time is evident in its hostility.
مُعتَمِدٌ فيهِمِ عَلى اللَهِ تَنقا
دُ إِلى سَيبِهِ فَتَعتَمِدُه
Relying on Allah in them, charging,
Against its swords so it supports him.
لا تَقرَبَن سُخطُهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ
مُستَنقَعاً يَجتَويهِ مَن يَرِدُه
Do not let his wrath approach you, for it has,
A quagmire that engulfs whoever desires it.
مُظَفَّرٌ ما تَكادُ تَسري مِنَ الآ
فاقِ إِلّا بِمُفرِحٍ بُرُدُه
Victorious, scarce does any joy spread,
From horizons except with good news its cold reaches him.
أَرسالُ خَيلٍ إِذا أَطَلَّ بِها
عَلى أَقاصي دَهرٍ دَنا أَمَدُه
Cavalry charges when he unleashes them,
On the ends of time, its support approaches.
إِن رُفِعَت لِلعِدى قَساطِلُها
أَنجَزَ صَرفُ الزَمانِ ما يَعِدُه
If its swords are raised against the enemy,
The passage of time fulfills what it promises him.
واقَعنَ جَمعَ الشُراةِ مُحتَفِلاً
بِالزابِ وَالصُبحُ ساطِعٌ وَقَدُه
He attacked the horde of evildoers celebrating,
With the morning draught while dawn kindles its flames.
غَداةَ يَومٍ أَعيا عَلى عُصَبٍ
مِنَ المُحِلّينَ أَن يُكَرَّ غَدُه
On a day the locals despaired would,
Be reversed on the morrow.
أَينَ نَجَوا هارِبينَ عارَضَهُم
باغٍ مِنَ المَوتِ مُشرِفُ رَصَدُه
Where did the fugitives fleeing its perils escape,
When death's snare overlooking its prey enclosed them?
باتوا وَباتَ الخَطِّيُّ آوِنَةً
مُنشَبَةً في صُدورِهِم قِصَدُه
They spent the night and the swordsman spent it,
With determined stabs implanted in their chests.
يَختَلِطُ الزابُ في دِمائِهِمِ
حَتّى غَدا الزابُ مُشرَباً زَبَدُه
The blood mingles in their blood,
Until the blood became saturated with its foam.
أَرضى المَوالي نُصحٌ يَظَلُّ عُبَيدُ ال
لَهِ يَغلو فيهِم وَيَجتَهِدُه
Satisfying the loyal is honest advice; slaves of,
God whose devotion in them abounds and who strive.
يَجري عَلى مَذهَبِ الإِمامِ لَهُم
وَيَحتَذي رَأيَهُ فَيَعتَقِدُه
They follow the imam's doctrine for them,
And emulate his view so believe it.
وَيَغتَدي في صَلاحِ شَأنِهِمِ
لِسانُهُ المُكتَفى بِهِ وَيَدُه
And exceed in improving their affairs,
Their tongues suffice them and their hands.
يَستَثقِلُ النائِمونَ مِن وَسَنٍ
وَهُوَ طَويلٌ في شَأنِهِم سُهدُه
The sleeping loathe the one who is tireless in,
Their affairs his vigilance alert.
تَرَفُّقاً في اِطِّلابِ مالِهِمِ
وَجَمعِهِ أَو يَعُمُّهُم بَدَدُه
Gentle in seeking their wealth,
And gathering it or its division spreads among them.
تَرَفُّقَ المَرءِ في ذَخيرَتِهِ
آذاهُ ضيقُ الزَمانِ أَو صَلَدُه
A man's gentleness in his provisions,
Are hurt by hard times or its stinginess.
وَزيرُ مُلكٍ تَمَّت كِفايَتُهُ
فَلَم يَهِن حَزمُهُ وَلا جَلَدُه
Minister of a king whose competence is complete,
So neither his wisdom nor poise embarrass him.
مَأخوذَةٌ لِلأُمورِ أُهبَتُهُ
تَسبِقُها قَبلَ وَقتِها عُدَدُه
Grasping of matters, his talents,
Precede them before their time enumerates them.
لا تَهضِمُ الراحُ حَدَّهُ أُصُلاً
وَلا تَبيتُ الأَوتارُ تَضطَهِدُه
Rest does not diminish his limit at all,
Nor do crises spend the night oppressing him.
لا يَصِلُ الصاحِبُ الأَخَصُّ إِلى
مَطوِيِّ سِرٍّ أَجَنَّهُ خَلَدُه
An intimate friend does not attain,
The fold of a secret its eternity conceals from him.
إِن غَلَّسَ المُدهِنونَ في خَمَرٍ
أَضحى عَلى الحَقِّ ظاهِراً جَدَدُه
If the flatterers are steeped in wine,
Truth appears to him renewing its preservation.
أَو عالَجَ الأَمرَ وَهُوَ مُمتَنِعٌ
تَيَسَّرَت لِاِنحِلالِهِ عُقَدُه
Or if he tackles an impossible matter,
Its knots untangle yielding to him.
قَوَّمَ مَيلَ الزَمانِ فَاِطَّأَدَت
لَنا أَواخيهِ وَاِستَوى أَوَدُه
He straightened the inclination of time so,
Its valleys leveled out and its affection equaled.
