أَتُراهُ يَظُنُّني أَو يَراني
ناسِياً عَهدَهُ الَّذي إِستَرعاني
Does he think I forget his pact with me,
Or see me as oblivious to what binds me?
لا وَمَن مَدَّ غايَتي في هَواهُ
وَبلاني مِنهُ بِما قَد بَلاني
No! By the one whose love rules o’er my soul,
And whose sweet torment pierces me whole.
سَكَنٌ يَسكُنُ الفُؤادَ عَلى ما
فيهِ مِن طاعَةٍ وَمِن عِصيانِ
My heart is still, obedient to his will,
Be that submission or be it defiance.
شَدَّ ما كَثَّرَ الوُشاةُ وَلامَ ال
ناسُ في حُبِّ ذَلِكَ الإِنسانِ
Much have the scandalmongers criticized
My love for that most wondrous man.
أَيُّها الآمِري بِتَركِ التَصابي
رُمتَ مِنّي ما لَيسَ في إِمكاني
You who command I turn from my beloved,
Ask of me what is beyond mortal man!
خَلِّ عَنّي فَما إِلَيكَ رَشادي
مِن ضَلالي وَلا عَلَيكَ ضَماني
Leave me be! For I cannot be guided
By you, nor will you answer for my sins.
وَنَديمٍ نَبَّهتُهُ وَدُجى اللَي
لِ وَضَوءُ الصَباحِ يَعتَلِجانِ
A friend I roused when night was pitch and black
And false dawn vied with day to reawaken.
قُم نُبادِر بِها الصِيامَ فَقَد أَق
مَرَ ذاكَ الهِلالُ مِن شَعبانِ
“Rise, let us take our fast,” I said, “for lo!
The crescent moon of Sha’ban is taken.”
بِنتَ كَرَمٍ يَدنو بِها مُرهَفُ القَدِّ
غَريرُ الصِبا خَضيبُ البَنانِ
A daughter of benevolence, drawing near,
Coy beauty, red lips like fruits ripened.
أُرجُوانِيَّةً تُشَبَّهُ في الكَأ
سِ بِتُفّاحِ خَدِّهِ الأُرجُواني
Carnation-pink, in form her cheek contends
With apples, flushed too as if sunburnt.
باتَ أَحلى لَدَيَّ مِن سِنَةِ النَو
مِ وَأَشهى مِن مُفرِحاتِ الأَماني
To me, one night with him is sweeter far
Than years of sleep and all that dreams contain,
لِلإِمامِ المُعتَزِّ بِاللَهِ إِعزا
زٌ مِنَ اللَهِ قاهِرِ السُلطانِ
For the Caliph firm in his faith, made great
By God who topples tyrants without strain.
مَلِكٌ يَدرَءُ الإِساءَةَ بِالعَف
وِ وَيَجزي الإِحسانَ بِالإِحسانِ
A King who counters harm with pardons kind,
And good deeds with better deeds again.
سَل بِهِ تَخبَرِ العَجيبَ وَإِن كا
نَ السَماعُ المَأثورُ دونَ العِيانِ
Ask of him, though hearsay falls short of sights
That amaze, of wonders plain and arcane.
وَتَأَمَّلهُ مِلءَ عَينَيكَ فَاُنظُر
أَيَّ راضٍ في اللَهِ أَو غَضبانِ
Gaze on him well, see if he is devout
Or wrathful; observant or newspaper?
بَسطَةٌ تَرهَقُ النُجومَ وَمُلكٌ
عَظُمَت فيهِ مَأثُراتِ الزَمانِ
An empire stretching the stars, a glorious reign
Where legends flood in and wonders remain.
أَذَعَنَ الناكِثونَ إِذ أَلقَتِ الحَر
بُ عَلَيهِم بِكَلكَلٍ وَجِرانِ
The oath-breakers humbled themselves when war
Descended on them, destructive as a hurricane.
فَفُتوحٌ يَقصُصنَ في كُلِّ يَومٍ
شَأنَذ قاصٍ مِنَ الأَعادي وَدانِ
Conquests told daily in wondrous detail,
Foes bested, made to surrender or slain.
كُلُّ رَكّاضَةٍ مِنَ البُردِ يَغدو ال
ريشُ أَولى بِها مِنَ العُنوانِ
When the mail was doffed, finer garb beneath
Than ostentatious gold brocade had lain.
قَد أَتانا البَشيرُ عَن خَبَرِ الخا
بورِ بِالصِدقِ ظاهِراً وَالبَيانِ
Tidings from one returned from the frontier came,
True and eloquent though not verbose or vain.
عَن زُحوفٍ مِنَ الأَعادي وَيَومٍ
مِن أَبي الساجِ فيهِم أَرونانِ
Of enemies flanking and the valor that day
Of the father of candles against them did stain.
حَشَدَت مَربَعاءُ فيهِ مَردٌ
وَقُصورُ البَليخِ وَالمازِجانِ
At Marraba the foe was a seething sea
With their towers, their courts, their walls a-reign.
وَتَوافَت حَلائِبُ السَلطِ وَالمُرَج
جينَ مِن دابِقٍ وَمِن بُطنانِ
The Salt and the Merj giants rallied their clans,
Daabiq and Buthan answered the call amain.
تَثَنّى الرِماحُ وَالحَربُ مَشبو
بُن لَظاها تَثَنّى الخَيزُرانِ
Lances bent where raging battle bowed them low
As snakes that hiss bend low but rise again.
كُلَّما مالَ جانِبٌ مِن خَميسٍ
عَدَّلَتهُ شَواجِرُ الخِرصانِ
Whenever their left flank stumbled and lost men,
The brave swords of Khorasan righted them plain.
فَلَجَت حُجَّةُ المَوالي ضِراباً
وَطِعاناً لَمّا إِلتَقى الخَصمانِ
Our stalwart friends charged the gap, stabbing through,
When the two armies finally did meet and engage.
فَقَتيلٌ تَحتَ السَنابِكِ يَدمى
وَأَسيرٌ يُراقِبُ القَتلَ عانِ
Below the portico the slain soaked the dust with red,
While captives eyed the living with a mixture of dread and disdain.
لَم تَكُن صَفقَةُ الخِيارِ عَشِيّاً
لِاِبنِ عَمرٍو فيها وَلا صَفوانِ
For Ibn Amr no lucky gambles were thrown last eve,
Naught remained for them but disaster and bane.
جَلَبتَهُم إِلى مَصارِعِ بَغيٍ
عَثَراتُ الشَقاءِ وَالخِذلانِ
Missteps mid calamity and fortunes forlorn
Had lured them to fields where they were destined to wane.
أَسَفاً لِلحُلومِ كَيفَ إِستَخَّفَت
بِغُلُوِّ الإِسرافِ وَالطُغيانِ
Alas for minions foolish, having mocked
Moderation, now choked with blood-mortal stain.
كَيفَ لَم يَقبَلوا الأَمانَ وَقَد كا
نَت حَياةٌ لِمِثلِهِم في الأَمانِ
Why, when offered, security spurned they,
Choosing demise when lasting life did remain?!
يا إِمامَ الهُدى نُصِرتَ وَلا زِل
تَ مُعاناً بِالِيُمنِ وَالإيمانِ
O Leader True! Victory and aid belong to you,
Blessings and faith will ever pleasure sustain.
عَزَّ دينُ الإِلَهِ في الشَرقِ وَالغَر
بِ بِبيضِ الأَيّامِ مِنكَ الحِسانِ
In East and West the faith of God now stands supreme,
Thanks to your perfect reign's enduring gain.
وَاِضمَحَلَّ الشِقاقُ في الأَرضِ مُذ طا
عَ لَكَ المَشرِقانِ وَالمَغرِبانِ
Strife fades from this earth since you came to command
All that lies east and all that westward lain.
لَم تَزَل تَكلأُ البِلادَ بِقَلبٍ
أَلمَعِيٍّ وَناظِرٍ يَقظانِ
You have held the realm with mind judicious,
Gaze circumspect, consideration never vain.
إِنَّما يَحفَظُ الأُمورَ وَيُتوي
هِنَّ بِحَزمٍ مُواشِكٍ أَو تَوانِ
None but you owns my heart, none but you
Inspires my praise, by lips and song heralded fain.
ما تَوَلّى قَلبي سِواكُم وَلا ما
لَ إِلى غَيرِكُم بِمَدحٍ لِساني
I have thanked and loved you since my youth;
And it is but right that you now raise me again
شَأني الشُكرُ وَالمَحَبَّةُ مُذ كُن
تُ وَحَقٌّ عَلَيكَ تَعظيمُ شاني
From my low station, else ingratitude
And baseness in lieu of grace will remain.
ضَعَةٌ بي إِن لَم أَنَل بِمَكاني
مِنكَ عِزّاً مُستَأنَفاً في مَكاني
