أُنظُر إِلى العَلياءِ كَيفَ تُضامُ

وَمَآتِمُ الأَحسابِ كَيفَ تُقامُ

I gaze at the sublime, see how they huddle

And the resolute, see how they stand

حُطَّت سُروجُ أَبي سَعيدٍ وَاِغتَدَت

أَسيافُهُ دونَ العَدُوِّ تُشامُ

My father Abū Saʿīd’s armor was removed

His swords unsheathed against the foe slash

خَبَرٌ ثَنى رُكَبَ الرِكابِ فَلَم يَدَع

لِلرَكبِ وَجهَ تَرَحُّلٍ فَأَقاموا

A report came, the riders doubled their mounts but left

The riders no respite to depart, so they stayed

وَرَزيئَةٌ حَمَلَ الخَليفَةُ شَطرَها

وَالمُسلِمونَ وَشَطرَها الإِسلامُ

At Raẓīya, the Caliph took one side

The Muslims the other, and Islam

مَن يَعتَفي العافي بِهِمَّتِهِ وَمَن

يَأوي إِلَيهِ المُعتِمُ المُعتامُ

Who will the gallant assist with his resolve, who

Will the benighted darkened take refuge in

أَينَ السَحابُ الجودُ وَالقَمَرُ الَّذي

يَجلو الدُجى وَالضَيغَمُ الضِرغامُ

Where is the rain cloud of munificence, the moon that

Dispels the gloom and dense darkness

أَينَ العَبوسُ المُشمَئِزُّ إِذا رَأى

جَنفاً وَأَينَ الأَبلَجُ البَسّامُ

Where is the frowning disgusted when he sees

Cowardice, where is the smiling slayer

سَكَنُ العُلا أَودى فَهُنَّ ثَواكِلٌ

وَأَبو العُفاةِ ثَوى فَهُم أَيتامُ

The exalted settled the valleys, they are dependents

Abu Al-ʿUfā settled them, they are orphans

وَلّى وَقَد أَولى الوَرى مِن جودِهِ

نِعَماً يَقومُ بِشُكرِها الأَقوامُ

He turned away, and indeed he conferred on mankind from his munificence

Blessings, for which nations would give thanks

لا تَهنَإِ الرومَ اِستِراحَتَهُم فَقَد

هَدَأوا بِأَفواهِ الدُروبِ وَناموا

Do not congratulate the Romans for resting, for they

Have calmed at the mouths of the roads and slept

أَمِنوا وَما أَمِنوا الرَدى حَتّى اِنطَوى

في التُربِ ذاكَ الكَرُّ وَالإِقضامُ

They felt safe, but did not, until was enfolded

In dust that destruction and vengeance

أَسَفاً عَلَيهِ لِآسِفٍ بَينَ القَنا

أَسوانَ تُعذَلُ خَيلُهُ وَتُلامُ

Alas for him the anguished weep between Qināʾ

And Aswan, his horses insulted and blamed

وَلِمُجتَدٍ رَجَعَت يَداهُ بِلا جَداً

أَعيا عَلَيهِ البَذلُ وَالإِنعامُ

And for the prodigal his hands returned fruitless

Exhausted by spending and conferring favors

يا صاحِبَ الجَدَثِ المُقيمِ بِمَنزِلٍ

ما لِلأَنيسِ بِحَجرَتَيهِ مُقامُ

O dweller in the burial-ground abiding settled

What place has the companion in his two chambers

قَبرٌ تَكَسَّرُ فَوقَهُ سُمرُ القَنا

مِن لَوعَةٍ وَتُشَقَّقُ الأَعلامُ

A grave broken above it, the heat of Qinā bright

From agony, standards torn

مَلآنُ مِن كَرَمٍ فَلَيسَ يَضُرُّهُ

مَرُّ السَحابِ عَلَيهِ وَهوَ جَهامُ

Filled with nobility, so the clouds' passage matters not

And it is unassailable and firm

بي لا بِغَيرِيَ تُربَةٌ مَجفُوَّةٌ

لَكَ في ثَراها رِمَّةٌ وَعِظامُ

For me, not another, is desiccated soil

For you in its pebbles some softness and bones

حالَت بِكَ الأَشياءُ عَن حالاتِها

فَالحُزنُ حِلٌّ وَالعَزاءُ حَرامُ

Things changed their states around you

Grief becomes permitted, consolation forbidden

تُستَقصَرُ الأَكبادُ وَهيَ قَريحَةٌ

وَيُذَمُّ فَيضُ الدَمعِ وَهوَ سِجامُ

Livers are deemed paltry though they grieve

And the flow of tears deprecated though copious

فَعَلَيكَ يا حِلفَ النَدى وَعَلى النَدى

مِن ذاهِبينِ تَحيَّةٌ وَسَلامُ

So upon you, oath of dew, and upon the dew

From the departed, greetings and peace

وَبِرُغمِ أَنفي أَن أَراكَ مُوَسَّداً

يَدَ هالِكٍ وَالشامِتونَ قِيامُ

And despite my nose, to see you supported

By a gloating foe and the hostile stand

أَو أَن يَبيتَ مومِلوكَ بِلَوعَةٍ

مُتَمَلمِلينَ وَخائِفوكَ نِيامُ

Or your panicking supervisors sleepless

Fearful of you and slumbering

كُنتَ الهِمامَ عَلى العَدُوِّ وَلَم أَخَف

مِن أَن يَكونَ عَلى الحِمامِ حِمامُ

You were ardent against the foe, and I never feared

That resolve itself would resolve

ما كُنتُ أَحسِبُ أَنَّ عِزَّكَ يُرتَقى

بِالنائِباتِ وَلا حِماكِ يُؤامُ

I did not reckon your glory would be climbed

By misfortunes, or your resolve broken

قَدَرٌ عَدَت فيهِ الحَوادِثُ طَورَها

وَتَجاوَزَت أَقدارَها الأَيّامُ

A foreordained destiny whose events took their course

And fates o’erstepped their appointed terms

فَاِذهَب كَما ذَهَبَت بِساطِعِ نورِها

شَمسُ النَهارِ وَأَعقَبَ الإِظلامُ

So go as the daylight sun went with its brilliant light

And nightfall followed

لا تَبعُدَنَّ وَكَيفَ يَقرُبُ نازِلٌ

بِالغَيبِ تَفنى دونَهُ الأَعوامُ

Do not go too far, for how can one who dwells

In the unseen, the years perish before him

وَلَقَد كَفاكَ المَكرُماتِ مُهَذَّبٌ

يُرضيكَ مِنهُ النَقضُ وَالإِبرامُ

Munificence sufficed you, refined

Pleased whether given or withheld

حُزتَ العُلا سَبقاً وَصَلّى ثانِياً

ثُمَّ اِستَوَت مِن بَعدِهِ الأَقدامُ

You grasped glory first, and prayed second

Then feet stood equal afterward

وَوَراءَ غَضبَةِ يوسُفَ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ

سَطوٌ يَفُلُّ السَيفَ وَهوَ حُسامُ

And in the wake of Yuṣuf ibn Muḥammad's rage

A domination that makes the sword a razor

رَبُّ الخَلائِقِ لَو تَكَلَّفَ بَعضَها

لَم يَستَطِعها الغَيمُ وَهوَ رُكامُ

Lord of creation, even if it took on some

The clouds amassed could not, toppling

زَوّارُ أَرضِ الخالِعينَ إِذا غَزا

رَتَعَت وَراءَ رِماحِهِ الأَقلامُ

When the raiders of the Khāliʿī’s land attacked

Pens galloped behind his spears

مُستَعبِدٌ حُرَّ الأُمورِ يَقودُها

رَأيٌ لِخَطمِ الصَعبِ مِنهُ خِطامُ

Tamer of free affairs, led by

A reason whose slightest hint curbs resolve

أَعلى العُيونَ فَما بِهِنَّ غَضاضَةٌ

وَشَفى الصُدورَ فَما بِهُنَّ سَقامُ

Highest of eyes, no sickness in them

Breasts healed, no illness within