هبني كتمتُ لواعجَ البُرَحاءِ
فمن المكتِّمُ عبْرتي وبُكائي
The anguish I hide bursts forth,
Who can conceal my tears and lament?
لا تنْهَ عن قلقي فإنَّ تَصَبُّري
فيما ألمَّ مُباينٌ لوفائي
Do not forbid my turmoil, for patience
Is contrary to my loyalty for him who caused me pain.
كيف التصبُّرُ والهمومُ أسِنَّةٌ
يخْطرْن بين حيازمي وحَشائي
How can I be patient when sorrows pierce
Between my ribs and lungs?
كيف التبصر والرزية بالذي
جلت رزيته عن الأرزاء
How can I see clearly when the calamity of him
Whose calamity I concealed is greater than all calamities?
بمُطاردِ الأيام في آمالهِ
كَطِرادِه في مأزقِ الهَيْجاءِ
The days pursue their course deceiving his hopes,
Like their pursuit into the abyss of annihilation.
والماليء الدُّنيا بذكرِ مناقبٍ
صُرِّفْنَ بين السَّير والإسْراءِ
They filled the world with tales of virtues
That fluctuated between travel and ascension.
بفتى الندى والبأس والمُرضي العُلى
في يوم مكْرمةٍ ويوم لِقاء
Of the youth of benevolence, valor and utmost satisfaction
On a day of glorification and day of meeting.
بأبي الأغر وأيُّ كُنيةِ ماجدٍ
فقد الزمانُ وأيُّ خِدْنِ عَلاءِ
Of the father of excellence - and what an honorable agnomen -
Time has passed, and what lofty glory!
منْ طالما شُجع الردى فأعادهُ
من بأسه والرأي في الجُبناء
He who constantly foiled the schemes of the enemies
With his might and wise counsel against the cowards.
وتجمَّعتْ غِيَرُ الزمانِ فَرَدَّها
مَغلولةً بأسِنَّةِ الآراءِ
Many adversaries gathered against him but he repelled them,
Shackled by the sharp blades of opinions.
وتضايقتْ خططٌ به فأباحها
خُدعاً قضيْنَ بمخلصٍ ونَجاءِ
Strategies shrank before him but he overcame them,
By sincerity and salvation from ruin.
طرقَ النَّعيُّ فلم يكن لي مسمعٌ
يصغي إلى المكروهةِ الروْعاءِ
When the news of his death reached me I had no hearing
To listen to the terrifying, horrible message.
فطفِقْتُ أنَّهم الحديثَ كغيره
من سائر الأخبار والأنباءِ
So I began to speak of it like any other
News and reports I hear.
وإذا الردى قد أمْكنتْهُ غِرَّةٌ
منْ قِرْنه فجرى بلا إبْقاءِ
But suddenly betrayal seized him
And he departed without delay.
لا طعم بعد أبي الأغَرُّ لحالةٍ
وإن اكتست من رونقٍ وبهاءِ
Without Abu Al-Agharr no situation retains
Its splendor and beauty, even if adorned.
صُرعتْ لمصرعه المقاصِدُ والمُنى
فالناسُ كلُّهمُ بغيرِ رجاءِ
With his death, ambitions and wishes fell.
People everywhere now lack hope.
ترك الجنودَ بضيعةٍ من بعدهِ
يمشونَ للأرزاقِ في عشواءِ
He left the troops neglected after him,
Wandering for sustenance confusedly.
ما زالَ يُعطيهم ومنْ لم يُعْطهِ
فرض العطاء له على الأعْداءِ
He always gave them [sustenance], and to those from whom he withheld,
He made giving obligatory upon the enemies.
فلتبكه البيضُ الصَّوارمُ والقَنا
والسَّباقاتُ لواحِقُ الأمطاءِ
So let the shining swords, the spears
And the galloping steeds traversing the desert weep for him.
وليبكه اليوم العصيب من الوغى
ينزو بكل كتيبة حمساء
And let the fateful day of battle's din weep for him
When every angry battalion attacks.
وليبكهِ رأدُ الصباحِ أعادهُ
بطرادهِ كالليلةِ اللَّيْلاءِ
And let the pleasant morning whose freshness he restored
Weep for him, like the darkest night.
وليبكهِ اللُّطْفُ الذي لم تؤتَهُ
خَمْرٌ ولم يُرْزَقْهُ صَفوُ الماءِ
And let the kindness that neither wine augmented
Nor was sustained by the purest water, weep for him.
وتألُّفُ القلب الشَّريد بمنطقٍ
أغْنى مُومِّلَهُ عن الإعْطاءِ
And let the wayward heart be gladdened by eloquence
That enriched its speaker, beyond giving.
وإذا تغبَّرتِ الفِجاجُ وهُتِّكت
سُتُرُ البيوتِ بزعزعٍ هَوْجاءِ
When suburbs were violated and homes' covers torn
By a tumultuous attack,
واستنَّ ماءُ الوُطف يشفع سحَّه
خصرٌ تُرَضُّ له حصى المَعْزاءِ
When the killing of the beloved interceded by its severity,
Though stones of the goat-hair tent consoled it,
وغَدتْ حشايا العبقري كأنها
وسط البيوتِ نمارقُ الأنْقاء
And the belongings of the genius were like
The furnishings of homes placed in howdahs.
وتنوَّر الساري لقصْدِ سبيلهِ
نار اليفاع فلم يفُزْ بضِياءِ
And the lofty standard set out to pursue its course
Like the nocturnal fire that obtained no illumination.
إبان مُثْري الحي مثلُ فقيرهِ
لِترادُفِ اللَّزَباتِ والَّلأواءِ
At the time of the living's prosperity, the destitute
Were equal to the wealthy in successive misfortunes and calamities.
فقِري دُبيسٍ كان عند عُفاته
جملُ الغِنى فضْلاً عن الكوْماءِ
The poverty of Dubais was, in his chastity,
A treasure beyond mounds of riches.
وعرمرمٍ كاليمِّ هيجَ بعاصفٍ
فضلتْ غواربُه على الدَّأماءِ
And the poverty of Armarram was like a stirred-up sea
Whose waves surpassed those of the ocean.
صخبٌ لو أنَّ الرعد يجلبُ عنده
ما نَمَّ صاعقُ من الضّوضاءِ
A clamor such that if thunder produced it near him
No lightning bolt would sleep from the commotion.
سترتْ سَنابكُه وما ثَوَّرْنهُ
لوْحَ السَّماءِ وقاعَةَ الفَيفاءِ
His lances covered it, though they did not stir
The banner of the sky nor the horizon's expanse.
ظامي الصّوارم والكماة يشوقُهُ
ورْدانِ وردُ طُلىً ووردُ نِهاءِ
The gathering of swords and reserve forces delighted him,
As well as the roses, the narcissi and the lilies.
من كل مُحْتدمِ الحفيظةِ ثابتٍ
كي لا يُزنَّ بنَزْقةِ الجُبناءِ
He was always resolute in the thick of battle,
So as not to be shaken by the threat of cowards.
لو لم يُحصِّنْ سره عن دعوةٍ
يومَ الوغى لجَرَتْ على البيْداءِ
If he did not fortify his secret on the day of battle,
It would have flowed openly in the wilderness.
عصف الأمير بهم وقد وضح الضحى
عصف الشمال بمَنْغضِ الوطْفاءِ
The prince cursed them as dawn broke clearly,
Cursing them like the bitter desert winds.
للهِ منْ ودَّعْتُ يوم مراغَةٍ
والدمعُ مُنحدرٌ بغير رياءِ
Oh God, how I bade farewell on the day of Maragha,
As tears flowed unpretentiously!
أسفاً على بُعْدِ المزارِ وكيف لي
ببعيدِ دارٍ كافلٍ ببقاءِ
Grieving the distant shrine - how can I endure
The remoteness of a land that harbors my survival?
أعددتهُ لشدائِدي فأصابني
من فقْده بالشِّدَّةِ الصَّماءِ
I prepared it for my woes, but its loss struck me
With deafening adversity.
هجر الجيوش وحَلَّ بين كتائبٍ
مُستسلمينَ لحادثٍ وقضاءِ
It abandoned the armies and came between brigades
Submitting to fate and destiny.
سَدِكاً برمْسٍ لا يريمُ وطالما
نحلتْ سوابقُه من الإنضاءِ
An impregnable stronghold, never weakening, whose vanguards
Were always distinguished with glory.
في معشرٍ أغضوا على جورِ الردى
بالرُّغمِ منهم أيَّما إغضاءِ
Amidst a people who overlooked the injustice of enemies
Out of spite towards them, however much they overlooked.
رقدوا على غير الكرى وتوسَّدوا
بعد الرحالِ نمارقَ الدَّهْناءِ
They slept heedlessly, resting their heads
On feather pillows after pitching tents.
وتضمَّخوا دُفعَ الصَّديد وطالما
رَثَموا بكل لَطيمةٍ ذفْراءِ
They were smeared by the discharge of pus, and they have often
Bound every festering wound.
قد شوَّه الحُسن البِلى بوجوههم
وأسالَ كل كحيلةٍ نجْلاءِ
Decrepitude disfigured their faces with ugliness
And diseased every eyelid with inflammation.
النَّومُ بعدك للجفونِ مُحرَّمٌ
إلا الغِشاش وغالِطَ الإغْفاءِ
After you, sleep is forbidden to my eyes
Except drowsing and dozing off unawares.
ولد شفى نفسي وهوَّنَ وجْدها
خَلَفَ العُلى وبقيَّةُ الكُرماءِ
A son was born who delighted my soul and eased its pain -
Your remainder and the rest of the generous ones.
من كلَّما نظرتْ إليه عُيوننا
عَدَّتْك في الباقين والأحْياءِ
Whenever our eyes look at him,
They count you among the living.
بلغَ المدى في المجدِ وهو مُراهقٌ
وتَلا إليه طرائِقَ الآباءِ
He has reached the furthest extent in glory while still a youth,
And attained the ways of his forefathers.
لبِقُ الشَّمائلِ بالإمارة دارهُ
مأوى العُفاةِ ومربعُ الفُقراءِ
The fine manners befitting rule are his abode -
Shelter of the chaste and courtyard of the destitute.
فبقيتَ سيف الدولة بنِ سيوفها
عُمْر الزمان لنجدةٍ وعَطاءِ
So you remained the Sword of the State among its swords
For the duration of time, for aid and giving.
فلئن تكَنَّفت الكُروبُ جوانحي
حُزْناً فإنك كاشفُ الغمَّاءِ
So if sorrows have surrounded my wings
In sadness, you are the dispeller of gloom.
طربتْ جيادُ الخيلِ تحتك وانثنى
يهفو سُروراً بانُ كل لواءِ
The steeds of horses pranced under you, and every
Banner leaned over, twittering with joy.
وخلفْت قومك في المناقب كُلِّها
وملكْتَ كلَّ البأسِ والنَّعماءِ
You left your people ahead in all merits
And possessed all might and bounty.
وهناك فخر الدين رِدْءاً باسلاً
أسَدُ الهياجِ وفارسُ الجَأواءِ
And there is the pride of the faith, Fakhr Al-Din,
The intrepid lion and horseman of valor.
من لم يزل فيكم أمينَ مودَّةٍ
صفْوَ الهوى من شائبِ الأقْذاءِ
He who has always been loyal in his affection for you,
The essence of love, untainted by any blemish.
ما غابَ قطُّ ولا عَدا بوفائه
في الحادثاتِ تَفَلُّبُ الأعْداءِ
He never was absent nor severed his loyalty
Amidst the schemes of enemies.
أنا منكُمُ فارعوا عُهودَ مودَّتي
ولكم كريمُ مدائحي وثَنائي
I am one of you, so fulfill your pledges of affection,
For you deserve my praises and panegyric.
أوجبْتُ حقاً في أبٍ لم يَقْضهِ
وجزاءهُ أرجو من الأبْناءِ
I am obligated to a father whose due I have not paid,
And I hope for reward from his sons.
