صَبابَةٌ راحَ عَنها غَيرَ مَزجورِ
وَلَوعَةٌ باتَ فيها جِدَّ مَعذورِ
A lovelorn mood from which undesired has departed,
And a grief in which sincere excuse has slept the whole night.
لا يَلبَثُ الحُلمُ يَدعوهُ فَيَتبَعُهُ
تَأَلُّقَ البَرقِ في طَخياءِ دَيجورِ
Hope beckons him to follow; he does not delay,
Like lightning flashing in a gloomy, rainy night.
إِذا اِستَقَلَّ شَآمِيّاً تَضَرَّعَ في
مُضَرَّمٍ بِالغَمامِ الجَونِ مَسعورِ
When the late summer star rose he pleaded
In a rainy cloud filled with abundant downpour,
حَتّى يَكادَ يُرينا ضَوءُ عارِضِهِ
مِنَ العِراقِ مُحِلّاً بِالسَواجيرِ
Until its transient glow almost showed us
Iraq itself adorned with necklaces.
تَاللَهِ كَم دونَ تِلكَ الأَرضُ إِن طُلِبَت
لِلرَكبِ مِن طولِ إِدلاجٍ وَتَهجيرِ
By God! How much land that would be sought for the caravan
From the length of night and the distance of travel,
حَتّى تَظَلَّ عِتاقُ العيسِ طَيِّعَةً
صِعابُها بَينَ تَعريسٍ وَتَغويرِ
Until the hilltops of Al-Ais obediently yielded
Their obstructions between wedding and estrangement.
وَما اِستَعَنتُ عَلى دارٍ وَإِن بَعُدَت
كَالمُرتَجى بنِ نُصَيرٍ مَعدِنِ الخيرِ
I did not seek the aid of any house, no matter how distant,
Like Al-Murtada ibn Al-Numayr, abode of bounty.
يُدنيهِ مُجتَهِداً مِن كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ
سَعيٌ قَديمٌ وَنَيلٌ غَيرُ مَنزورِ
He brought it near, striving, from every glorious deed -
Continuous effort and gain, not measly or stinted.
مُرَدَّدٌ في بُيوتِ المَجدِ يوضِحُ عَن
مُرَدَّدٍ مِن فِعالِ الخَيرِ مَكرورِ
Circulating in the houses of glory, he makes clear concerning
A circulator among beneficent acts, repeated.
مُوَجَّهُ الوَفرِ مَسؤولاً وَمُبتَدِئاً
إِلى عَطاءِ سَليمِ الوَفرِ مَوفورِ
His overflowing munificence is addressed and initiated
Toward the copious, wholesome giving, that gushes forth.
لا يَثلِمُ الحَمدَ بِالتَسويفِ في عِدَةٍ
وَلا يُطيلُ المَعالي بِالمَعاذيرِ
He does not blemish praise with procrastination in any period,
Nor make lofty deeds long by means of excuses.
إِن أَعجَزَ القَومَ حَملُ الحَقِّ قامَ بِهِ
ثَبتَ المَقامِ جَهيراً غَيرَ مَغمورِ
If the burdens of truth overwhelmed the people, he took it on -
Firm stance, bold, not obscured or veiled.
صَدرٌ رَحيبٌ وَطَرفٌ ناظِرٌ أَمَماً
عِندَ الحُقوقِ وَوَجهٌ ظاهِرُ النورِ
Open breasted, observing the nations
In rights, and bright, shining face.
