أجَأٌ وسلْمى أمْ بلادُ الزَّابِ

وأبو المُهَنَّدِ أمْ غضنْفرُ غابِ

Is it Auga and Salma, or the country of Zaab,

Or Abu Al-Muhandid, or Ghaznafar who disappeared?

رفعَ المَنارَ بنو زُهيرٍ في العلُى

بالفارسِ المُتَغَطرفِ الوهَّابِ

The sons of Zuheir raised the minaret on high,

With the knight, the generous, prodigal donor.

بأغَرَّ بَسَّامٍ كأنَّ بَنانَه

في كلِّ مكْرُمةٍ قطارُ سَحابِ

With the whiteness of Passam's fingers, as though they were

Clusters of clouds at every honored assembly.

بالمانِعِ البَذَّالِ غيرَ مُدافَعٍ

في بذلِ مروفٍ وعِزِّ صِحابِ

With the Preventer, the Generous, who does not refuse

To be benevolent and honor his companions.

عمَّتْ فواضلُه وعَمَّ ثَناؤهُ

فالحمدُ والاِحْسان في اِطْنابِ

His transcendent virtues spread, and his praise

Ascended, so praise and grace belong to the Most High.

وغَدا غُدُوَّ السَّيْل يفْعمُ وادياً

رحْباً ويشْرقُ منه ضنْكُ شِعاب

And it flows in the morning like a torrent, flooding a

Vast valley, as the narrow mountain paths shine.

فاغْرب حُوَيْتِمُ اِنَّ ذكرك خاملٌ

مُذْ جَال هنديٌّ بمتْنِ ركابِ

Depart, my dear home, for the memory of you

Has faded since the Indian passed with his mounts.

نسف الغُبار يوجه فخرك فارسٌ

زيْنٌ بيوميْ نائِلٍ وعِقابِ

The dust clouds cleared, revealing your glory, O knight

Honored in both the present and future days.

كنت الجواد لدى زمانٍ مُسْعِدٍ

وهو الجوادُ لدى زَمانٍ نابِ

You were the steed in times of good fortune,

And he is the steed in times of hardship.

واذا الفَلاةُ تضايقتْ أرجاؤها

يومَ الهياجِ بجحفلٍ غَلاَّبِ

And when the arid desert closed in around us

On a day of turmoil with hordes of warring tribes—

وتمطرت قُبُلُ العيونِ كأنها

بالقاعِ تحت القومِ مُعْطُ ذئابِ

Eyes rained tears as though they were, in the battlefield,

Wolves gnawing at the slain under the warriors—

ظمأى إِلى ماءٍ الجِراحِ كأنما

تجري مواردُها بخَدْع سَرابِ

Thirsty for the blood of wounds that seemed to flow

Like the deceptive mirage of a shimmering brook—

تطوي نصيَّ الثَّعْدِ وهي سواغبٌ

طَلَباً لرعْي جَماجمٍ ورِقابِ

Winding the turbans of death while they, still untamed,

Sought to feast on skulls and necks—

واحْلَوْلكَ اليومُ المُضيئة شمسهُ

فالظُّهْرُ جُنْحٌ غيرُ ما مُنْجابِ

Today your glittering sun rises

While yesterday's sun sinks away without glory—

فعلى الدُّورع غلائلٌ من عِثْيَرٍ

وعلى مِجَنِّ الشمس فضلُ نِقاب

Over your coats of mail are locks of fresh perfume

While yesterday's sun leaves only its veil—

لاقيتَ فخر الدين يكْشفُ نقْعها

كشف الغزالةِ مُضْمحلَّ ضبَاب

You met Fakhr al-Din, who lifts aside its cover,

As the rising sun unveils the faded mist,

لا يرتضي طعْنَ النُّحور فَطعْنهُ

في مقلة الجبَّارِ ذي الاعْجابِ

Scornful of piercing chests, his own thrust

Pierces the pupil of the arrogant despot.

ذِمْرٌ يُقَحِّمُ في الغِمار ومحجم

عَفٌّ عن الاُسَراءِ والأسْلابِ

A destroyer who plunges into the fray, yet gentle

To captives, sheathing his sword, leaving them unharmed.

فعلية عند الحرب قسوةُ جَلْمدٍ

واذا انْتَدى فَلَطافةُ الزِّرْيابِ

In war he is hard as granite,

But relaxed as a cloak when his blade rests.

خِرْقٌ اذا بخل الملوكُ بِثَلَّةٍ

وهَبَ الجيادَ كريمةَ الأنْسابِ

A breach when kings are stingy with bounty,

Yet freely gives his noble steeds.

فجيادُه في جيش كل مُسَوَّدٍ

كلُّ الخميسِ بعُدَّة ولِبابِ

His steeds amidst the blackened armies

Are Thursday's full moons shining in the gloom.

بالحُسْن تُعْرف لا السمات لأنه

لم يُعْطِ غير لواحقِ الأقْرابِ

Recognized by their beauty, not their brands,

For he gave them no marks but his seal.

يا با المُهنَّد والنَّداءُ لأِصْمَعٍ

ندْبٍ كحدِّ الصَّارمِ القِرْضابِ

O Abu Al-Muhandid, though the call is to Asma'i,

It is a lament, like the bite of a cutting sword.

أنا منْ عَلِمْتَ أبِيَّةً وتَرَفُّعاً

عن كلِّ جَيْئةِ مَطْلبٍ وذَهابِ

You knew me to be too proud

To beg from any that would come and go.

لا أرتضي نيلَ الغِنى بمذَلَّةٍ

والعِزُّ أكرمُ مَطْعمي وشَرابي

I scorn to gain wealth by degradation,

Honor is my choicer food and drink.

وأرى المَديحَ لغيرِ قَيْلٍ سُبَّةً

تبْقى مَعائبُها على الأحْقابِ

And I see praising one undeserving as disgrace,

Its shame enduring through the ages.

ولقد حَبَستُ قلائدي وكتمْتُها

كيْ لا تُذال َ بمِنْحَةٍ وثَوابِ

Long have I held back my necklaces of verse and hid them,

Lest I shame them by bestowing them as gifts and rewards.

واقْتادني حَرَجٌ فسرت إِلى الذي

مدحي له فخْرٌ بغيرِ مَعابِ

But need drove me to him whose praise

Is a glory free of any blemish.