يُفَنِّدونَ وَهُم أَدنى إِلى الفَنَدِ
وَيُرشِدونَ وَما التَعذالُ مِن رَشَدي
They refute while they are closer to refutation
And guide while they are far from guidance
وَكَيفَ يُصغي إِلَيهِم أَو يُصيخُ لَهُم
مُستَغلِقُ القَلبِ فيهِم راهِنُ الكَبِدِ
How can one with a heart locked inside them listen to them
When the liver is a hostage among them
هَل أَنتَ مِن حُبِّ لَيلى آخِذٌ بِيَدي
أَو ناصِرٌ لي عَلى التَعذيبِ وَالسُهُدِ
Are you here out of love for Layla taking me by the hand
Or supporting me against torment and persecution
وَهَل دُموعٌ أَفاضَ النَهيُ رَيِّقَها
تُدني مِنَ البُعدِ أَو تَشفي مِنَ الكَمَدِ
Have tears poured down whose flow brings nearness
Or heals from despair
فَما يَزالُ جَوىً في الصَدرِ يُضرِمُهُ
وَشكُ النَوى وَصُدودُ الأُنَّسِ الخُرُدِ
The embers still burn inside my chest
And doubt of purpose and the loss of petty pleasures
قَد باتَ مُستَعبِراً مَن كانَ مُصطَبِراً
وَعادَ ذا جَزَعٍ مَن كانَ ذا جَلَدِ
The one who was patient has awoken desperate
And the one who was brave returns fearful
إِن أَسخَطِ الهَجرَ لا أَرجِع إِلى بَدَلٍ
مِنهُ وَإِن أَطلُبِ السُلوانَ لا أَجِدِ
If I get angry at estrangement, I will not go back on it
And if I seek solace I will not find it
وَقَد تَجاذَبَني شَوقانِ عَن عَرَضٍ
مِن بَينِ مُطَّرَفٍ عِندي وَمُتَّلَدِ
Two desires have pulled me between an offer
From one well dressed and finely adorned
لا عَيشُ وَجرَةَ يُنسي عَيشَ ذي سَلَمِ
وَلا هَوى القُربِ يُسلي عَن هَوى البُعُدِ
Neither the life of displacement makes me forget the life of peace
Nor does the passion of nearness distract from the longing of distance
تَنَصَّبَ البَرقُ مُختالاً فَقُلتُ لَهُ
لَو جُدتَ جودَ بَني يَزدادَ لَم تَزِدِ
Lightning stood tall and arrogant, so I said to it
If you were to find generosity, you would not increase if given more
الجاعِلينَ عَلى عِلّاتِ دَهرِهِمُ
كَرائِمَ المالِ في الإِنعامِ وَالصَفَدِ
They have made the excellent characteristics
Like generous wealth, a defect for them
فَلَستَ تَنفَكُّ مِن شُكرٍ وَمِن أَمَلٍ
مُكَرَّرَينِ بِيَومٍ مِنهُمُ وَغَدِ
So you will not be rid of gratitude and hope
Repeated day after day by them
تَيَمَّموا الخُطَّةَ المُثلى عَلى سَنَنٍ
لَم يَظلِموهُ وَباعوا الغَيَّ بِالرَشَدِ
They devised the best plan according to principles
Without wronging him and traded wisdom for deviance
بَنو أَغَرَّ مِنَ الأَقوامِ شادَ لَهُم
مَجدَ الحَياةِ وَأَقناهُم عَلى الأَبَدِ
The sons of Gharr built the glory of life for them
And made it eternal for them
يَقفونَ مِنهُ خِلالاً كُلُّها حَسَنٌ
إِن عُدِّدَت غادَرَت فَضلاً عَلى العَدَدِ
They inherit from it only good, however much is counted
It goes beyond the count in virtue
وَما تَزالُ أَواخي المُلكِ ثابِتَةً
مِنهُم بِكُلِّ رَحيبِ الباعِ وَالبَلَدِ
The pillars of the kingdom remain steadfast through them
Throughout the breadth of the land and country
بِنُصحِ مُجتَهِدٍ صَحَّت عَزيمَتُهُ
أَو عَزمِ مُنجَرِدٍ أَو حَزمِ مُتَّئِدِ
With the advice of one who makes effort, his determination succeeded
Or the resolve of one focused, or the firmness of one who braces
فَاللَهُ يَكلَأُ عَبدَ اللَهِ إِنَّ لَهُ
مَكارِماً مَن يُخَوَّل بَعضَها يَسُدِ
So God will protect the servant of God, indeed he possesses
Virtues that suffice even if only some are commissioned
بَحرٌ مَتى تُستَمَح أَمواجُ جَمَّتِهِ
تَفِض وَغَيثٌ مَتى ما يُستَجَد يَجُدِ
An ocean - when the waves of its abundance are summoned -
Overflows, and a rain - when sought - brings rain
تَفَرَّجَت حَلبَةُ الكُتّابِ حينَ جَرَوا
عَن سابِقٍ بِخِصالِ السَبقِ مُنفَرِدِ
The arena of writers showed joy when they flowed
Beyond precedent, uniquely possessing the merits of precedence
إِن يُعمِلوا الجَورَ يَقصِد في تَصَرُّفِهِ
أَو يُسرِفوا في فُنونِ الأَمرِ يَقتَصِدِ
If they commit injustice, his dealings with it aim
To make things right, while if they exceed in authority he shows restraint
أَدّى الأَمانَةَ لَم تَعجَز كِفايَتُهُ
عَنها وَلَم يَستَنِم فيها إِلى أَحَدِ
He fulfilled the trust, his competence
Did not fall short of it, nor was he dependent on anyone for it
مُشارِفاً لِأَقاصي الأَمرِ يَكلَأُها
بِرَأيِ مُحتَفِلٍ لِلأَمرِ مُحتَشِدِ
Handling the peripheries of authority, prostecting them
With the heedful opinion of one firmly centered around it
إِنَّ السِياسَةَ قَد آلَت إِلى يَقِظٍ
مُوَفَّقٍ لِسَبيلِ الحَقِّ مُعتَمَدِ
Indeed, politics came into the hands of one vigilant
And successful towards the path of truth, reliable
لَم يَرجُها بِأَكاذيبِ الظُنونِ وَلَم
يَمتُت إِلى نَيلِها إِذ مُتَّ مِن بُعُدِ
He did not tilt it with the lies of assumptions nor
Incline towards attaining it when absent from it
أَلفى أَباهُ عَلى نَهجٍ فَطاوَلَهُ
عَلى السَواءِ وَجاراهُ إِلى الأَمَدِ
He found guidance like his father in an approach
Matching it in extent and moving with it towards perpetuity
بِمَذهَبٍ غَيرِ مَدخولٍ وَلا طَبِعٍ
وَنائِلٍ غَيرِ مَنزورٍ وَلا ثَمَدِ
With an unprecedented way or nature
Attaining the unvisited without any pillar or support
تِلكَ الخِلافَةُ قَد دارَت عَلى قُطُبٍ
مِن رَأيِهِ الثَبتِ وَاِستَذرَت إِلى سَنَدِ
Authority has revolved around a pole
Of steadfast opinion, seeking support unto a backbone
تُهابُ عَدوَتُهُ مِن دونِ حَوزَتِها
كَما تُهابُ وَتُخشى عَدوَةُ الأَسَدِ
The enmity towards it is feared without its realm
As the enmity and fear towards a lion is feared
يَرُدُّ أَيَّ يَدٍ مُدَّت لِتَنقُصَها
مَجذوذَةَ الزَندِ أَو مَهذوذَةَ العَضُدِ
He repels any hand outstretched to diminish it
Scraped by the sharp edge or severed at the bone
إِسلَم أَبا صالِحٍ لِلمَكرُماتِ فَقَد
أَحيَيتَها وَهيَ مِن مَوتٍ عَلى صَدَدِ
Abu Salih has submitted to acts of grace so you
Have revived them while nearing death and demise
عَمَّت صَنائِعُكَ الراجينَ وَاِبتَعَثَت
آمالَ مَن لَم يَرُم سَعياً وَلَم يُرِدِ
Your crafts have encompassed the hopeful and awakened
Hopes for those who did not strive nor seek
وَرَدَّ تَدبيرُكَ الدُنيا وَقَد صَلُحَت
عَفواً وَلَولاكَ لَم تَصلُح وَلَم تَكَدِ
Your governance returned the world to order, and properly it has,
It would not have succeeded if not for you, nor continued
ما في الخِلافَةِ مِن وَهيٍ فَيُجبِرَهُ
آسٍ وَلا في قَناةِ المُلكِ مِن أَوَدِ
There is no defect in the caliphate for him to mend
No weakness in the conduit of the kingdom to repair
وَلا الكَواكِبُ في لَيلِ الرَبيعِ تَلَت
غَيثاً بِأَبهَجَ مِن أَيّامِكَ الجُدُدِ
Nor do stars in the spring night pour
Rain more delightful than your renewing days
