أَبَعدَ الشَبابِ المُنتَضى في الذَوائِبِ
أُحاوِلُ لُطفَ الوُدِّ عِندَ الكَواعِبِ
After the bloom of youth has passed in vicissitudes,
I seek the charm of love from coquettes.
وَكانَ بَياضُ الرَأسِ شَخصاً مُذَمَّماً
إِلى كُلِّ بَيضاءِ الحَشا وَالتَرائِبِ
The whiteness of my hair was an ill-omened spectre
To every white-skinned beauty and straight-haired maiden.
وَما اِنفَكَّ رَسمُ الدارِ حَتّى تَهَلَّلَت
دُموعي وَحَتّى أَكثَرَ اللَومَ صاحِبي
No sooner had I finished tracing the abode's outline
Than my tears flowed and my companion blamed me more.
وَقَفنا فَلا الأَطلالُ رَدَّت إِجابَةً
وَلا العَذلُ أَجدى في المَشوقِ المُخاطَبِ
We stood still but neither did the ruins respond
Nor did the excuse avail with the addressed yearner.
تَمادَت عَقابيلُ الهَوى وَتَطاوَلَت
لَجاجَةُ مَعتوبٍ عَلَيهِ وَعاتِبِ
The tribulations of love intensified and prolonged
As the insistence of a displeased, reproachful lover.
إِذا قُلتُ قَضَّيتُ الصَبابَةَ رَدَّها
خَيالٌ مُلِمٌّ مِن حَبيبٍ مُجانِبِ
When I said I had given up passionate love,
An oppressive apparition of an estranged beloved returned it.
يَجودُ وَقَد ضَنَّ الأُلى شَغَفي بِهِم
وَيَدنو وَقَد شَطَّت دِيارُ الحَبائِبِ
He is generous though the intimate ones stinted my fervor in him
And he comes near though the lands of sweethearts were distant.
تُرينيكَ أَحلامُ النِيامُ وَبَينَنا
مَفاوِزُ يَستَفرِغنَ جُهدَ الرَكائِبِ
Dreams of sleep show me you while between us
Lie vast tracts exhausting the efforts of riders.
لَبِسنا مِنَ المُعتَزِّ بِاللَهِ نِعمَةً
هِيَ الرَوضُ مَولِيّاً بِغُزرِ السَحائِبِ
We were graced with a garden watered bountifully
From the Exalted in Might after the drought's tribulation.
أَقامَ قَناةَ الدينِ بَعدَ اِعوِجاجِها
وَأَربى عَلى شَغبِ العَدُوِّ المُشاغِبِ
He set aright the crooked path of religion
And cultivated the mischief of the hostile troublemaker.
أَخو الحَزمِ قَد ساسَ الأُمورَ وَهَذَّبَت
بَصيرَتَهُ فيها صُروفُ النَوائِبِ
The brother of resolve managed affairs and
His insight refined them through the turns of tribulations.
وَمُعتَصِمِيُّ العَزمِ يَأوي بِرَأيِهِ
إِلى سَنَنٍ مِن مُحكَماتِ التَجارِبِ
Al-Mu'tasim of resolute purpose takes his view
To the exemplary ways of experienced tests.
تُفَضِّلُهُ آيُ الكِتابِ وَيَنتَهي
إِلَيهِ تُراثُ الغُلبِ مِن آلِ غالِبِ
The verses of the Book give him preference and
The heritage of conquest from the family of the victor comes to him.
تَوَلَّتهُ أَسرارُ الصُدورِ وَأَقبَلَت
إِلَيهِ القُلوبُ مِن مُحِبٍّ وَراغِبِ
The secrets of hearts turned to him and hearts
Inclined to him out of loving and desiring.
وَرُدَّت وَما كانَت تُرَدُّ بِعَدلِهِ
ظُلاماتُ قَومٍ مُظلِماتِ المَطالِبِ
With his justice he returned shadows
Of a wrongdoing people making unjust demands.
إِمامُ هُدىً عَمَّ البَرِيَّةَ عَدلُهُ
فَأَضحى لَدَيهِ آمِناً كُلُّ راهِبِ
The Imam of guidance - his justice encompassed all creation
So every devout worshipper was safe with him.
تَدارَكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ أَنفُسَ مَعشَرٍ
أَطَلَّت عَلى حَتمٍ مِنَ المَوتِ واجِبِ
After God, he protected a group of souls
Who faced a compulsory death.
وَقالَ لَعاً لِلعاثِرينَ وَقَد رَأى
وُثوبَ رِجالٍ فَرَّطوا في العَواقِبِ
He denounced those who slipped in fateful events
When he saw the actions of men who lacked foresight.
تَجافى لَهُم عَنها وَلَو كانَ غَيرُهُ
لَعَنَّفَ بِالتَثريبِ إِن لَم يُعاقِبِ
He ignored pardoning them though another
Would have rebuked with blame, if not punished.
وَهَبتَ عَزيزاتِ النُفوسِ لِمَعشَرِ
يَعُدّونَها أَقصى اللُهى وَالمَواهِبِ
You granted the most prized souls to a company
Who deemed them the utmost pleasures and gifts.
وَلَولا تَلافيكَ الخِلافَةَ لَاِنبَرَت
لَها هِمَمُ الغاوينَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ
Had you not opposed it, the caliphate would have been seized
By the ambitions of the misguided from every side.
إِذاً لَاِدَّعاها الأَبعَدونَ وَلَاِرتَقَت
إِلَيها أَمانِيُّ الظُنونِ الكَواذِبِ
Then the most remote would have claimed it and
The hopes of the false assumptions would have aspired to it.
زَمانَ تَهاوى الناسُ في لَيلِ فِتنَةٍ
رَبوضِ النَواحي مُدلَهِمِّ الغَياهِبِ
An age when people plunged into the night of strife
With regions overwhelmed by shadows of darkness.
دَعاكَ بَنو العَبّاسِ ثَمَّ فَأَسرَعَت
إِجابَةُ مُستَولٍ عَلى المُلكِ غالِبِ
The Abbasids called you so the response came swiftly
From one in control, a victor over the kingdom.
وَهَزّوكَ لِلأَمرِ الجَليلِ فَلَم تَكُن
ضَعيفَ القُوى فيهِ كَليلَ المَضارِبِ
They roused you for the momentous affair but you were not
Weak in it, like one making feeble strikes.
فَما زِلتَ حَتّى أَذعَنَ الشَرقُ عَنوَةً
وَدانَت عَلى صُغرٍ أَعالي المَغارِبِ
You did not stop until the East willingly submitted
And the lofty heights of the West bowed in humility.
جُيوشٌ مَلَأنَ الأَرضَ حَتّى تَرَكنَها
وَما في أَقاصيها مَفَرُّ لِهارِبِ
Armies filled the land until they left it
With no escape for anyone fleeing.
مَدَدنَ وَراءَ الكَوكَبِيِّ عَجاجَةً
أَرَتهُ نَهاراً طالِعاتِ الكَواكِبِ
They extended behind the Taurus mountains boldly
As ascendants saw them in daytime.
وَزَعزَعنَ دُنباوَندَ مِن كُلِّ وُجهَةٍ
وَكانَ وَقوراً مُطمَئِنَّ الجَوانِبِ
They shook Dvin from every side
While it had been tranquil and stable.
وَقَد أَفِنَ الصَفّارُ حَتّى تَطَلَّعَت
إِلَيهِ المَنايا في القَنا وَالقَواضِبِ
The yellow one despaired until death glanced
At him among the reeds and boats.
حَنَوتَ عَلَيهِ بَعدَ أَن أَشرَفَ الرَدى
عَلى نَفسِ مُزوَرٍّ عَنِ الحَقِّ ناكِبِ
You were lenient after he neared destruction
Turning away from the truth, an apostate.
تَأَتَّيتَهُ حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ رُشدَهُ
وَحَتّى اِكتَفى بِالكُتبِ دونَ الكَتائِبِ
You brought him until his guidance was clear
And he sufficed with books instead of scrolls.
بِلُطفِ تَأَتٍّ مِنكَ ما زالَ ضامِناً
لَنا طاعَةَ العاصي وَسِلمَ المُحارِبِ
With your gentle attention, he continues to guarantee
For us the obedience of the disobedient and the peace of the combatant.
فَعادَ حُساماً عَن وَلِيِّكَ ذَبُّهُ
وَحَدَّ سِنانٍ في عَدُوِّكَ ناشِبِ
After your patronage, his lies turned to a sword
And a sharp spear against your enemy.
بَقيتَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُؤَمَّلاً
لِغَفرِ الخَطايا وَاصطِناعِ الرَغائِبِ
You remained Commander of the Faithful, hoped
For forgiving sins and fulfilling wishes.
وَمُلّيتَ عَبدَ اللَهِ مِن ذي تَطَوُّلٍ
كَريمِ السَجايا هِبرِزِيِّ الضَرائِبِ
You have filled Abdallah - so haughty
Of noble traits, taxing in levies -
شَبيهُكَ في كُلِّ الأُمورِ وَلَن تَرى
شَبيهَكَ إِلّا جامِعاً لِلمَناقِبِ
With your likeness in all matters and you will not see
Your likeness unless combining all virtues.
أُؤَمِّلُ جَدواهُ وَأَرجو نَوالَهُ
وَما الآمِلُ الراجي نَداهُ بِخائِبِ
I have hopes for his success and desire his attainment
While the hopeful aspirant - his call is not unanswered.
