وفي حَشيَّة دست المجد ذو طَربٍ

لكن بحُبِّ المعالي ذلك الطَّرَبُ

In the palm of glory lies exultant pleasure,

Yet with love of nobility that pleasure is tempered.

يهابُ جدْبُ المشاني ضيفَ منزله

وتتَّقي جارهُ الأحْداثُ والنِّوَبُ

The neighbor fears his guest will harm his dwelling,

And events and mishaps are dodged.

أغرُّ إِحسانُه والحُسنُ يحسدُه

في حالتيه مِجَنُّ الشمس والسُّحب

His benevolence is tempting, and envy pursues his grace,

Like the sun and clouds in their two states.

فساكِبٌ ومُضيءٌ عَمَّ نَفْعُهما

فما يكُفُّهُما الإعدامُ والحُجُبُ

Pouring and radiating, their benefit spreads,

Not contained by darkness or barriers.

مُطهَّمٌ سابقٌ في كلِّ مأثُرَةٍ

مسيرهُ الشَّدُّ لا التَّقريب والخَبَب

A pioneer surpassing in every great feat,

His path is fervor, not gradual steps or stumbles.

فيه انْقيادٌ إذا يُدْعى لمكْرُمَةٍ

وذو جِماحٍ إلى غير العُلى شَغِبُ

When called to generosity, he obediently responds,

While to anything less, his wings refuse.

قد أدرك الغاية القصوى وأحرزها

فكلُّ قاصٍ على إِحضاره صَقِب

He has attained the utmost goal and grasped it,

So every storyteller sings his praises.

وسلسلٌ سائغٌ في وُدِّهِ خَصِرٌ

وفي تنكُّرهِ نارٌ لها لَهَبُ

A delicate chain around his neck,

And in his disfavor, a fire with flames.

إذا الكتائب أعيْى السيف سورتها

قامتْ بنُصْرته الأقلامُ والكُتُب

When battalions fatigue the sword’s blade,

The pens and books rise in his defense.

وزيرُ مجدٍ له في سعيه شَرَفٌ

ومن عُلا خِنْدِفٍ في محضها نسب

An eminent vizier, his effort has nobility,

And his pure origin an exalted lineage.

حيث الرضا مرتعٌ نامٍ ومُرتَبعٌ

والمحلُ والخوف واللأواء إن غضبوا

Where contentment is a resting place, he settles,

And should anger or unease stir,

بنَوْا وشادوا فخافتْ كلُّ شامخةٍ

تطاوُلَ الفخر حتى السَّبعةُ الشُّهب

They build and fortify, so every lofty one fears,

Pride ascends until the seven stars.

يلقى الكُفاةَ كما يلقى الكُماة إذا

كلَّ المَزابرُ والخطِّيَّةُ السُّلُبُ

He receives the competent as he receives the unskilled, when

Tombs and lowly plots are all that remain.

فجاء ديمةَ جودٍ غيرَ مُنْجمَةٍ

تهْمي إذا غاضتِ الغُدرانُ والقُلب

So he came with a flood of generosity, sudden,

To follow righteousness when passions raged within.

فيُتْبعُ الحُجَّةَ الغَرَّاء ضرْبتهُ

الرَّعْلاء حتى يحين الحتف والهرب

So eloquence and song are routed by a hero—

Had he not shown restraint, ruin would have come.

فالحَبر والذِّمْر مهزومان من بطلٍ

لولا سجاجتُه أرْداهُما العَطَبُ

Congratulations to time and days entire

For his survival; the grass thrives with the rain.

فهنَّأ الدَّهرَ والأيامَ قاطِبَةً

بَقاؤُهُ ما نَمى بالوابلِ العُشُبُ

None but Abu Ja'far is a friend of piety;

All his days from his devotion are blessed.

فما أبو جعفرٍ إِلا حليفُ تُقىً

أيامُهُ كُلها من نُسْكهِ رَجبُ

The crown of kings and feast of night when

Winter rages and food and milk grow scarce.

تاجُ الملوك ومِطْعامُ العَشيِّ إذا

هَرَّ الشتاءُ وعَزَّ الودْق والحَلَب

God reward you for tending to knowledge

And company when covenants and kinship are forgotten.

للّهِ دَرُّكَ من راعٍ لمَعْرفَةٍ

وصُحبةٍ حين يُنسى العهد والقُرب

No covenant like yours in the son of a companion

Brought joy to the eminent, prolonged glory and repute.

ولا كعهدك في ابن الصاحب ابتهجت

له المعالي وطالَ الفخرُ والحسَب

You raised from the house of Majd al-Din one deposed—

Had you not protected him, ropes would not have cinched.

رفعْتَ من بيت مجد الدين منخفضاً

لولا حِفاظُك لم يُشدد به طُنُبُ

Affectionate affinity never led you to opposition,

Nor did contention or anger make you swerve.

لم يُنْسك الود واشٍ في مُناقضةٍ

ولا ثَنَتْكَ مُماراةٌ ولا غَضبُ

You preserved a house of ancient glory and import

Praised within for your deed by Arab and non-Arab.

حفِظتَ بيت قديم المجد ذي خَطرٍ

أثنى بفعلكِ فيه العُجْمُ والعربُ

Until you left the halls of Muslims for it

Echoing with the praise of you in all its regions.

حتى تركتَ رحابَ المسلمين لها

من رفْعِ حمدك في أرجائها لَجَب

Fate's hands folded it after its unfurling,

As roses and basilico gently intertwine.

طَوَتْهُ أيدي الليالي بعد بسْطتهِ

وشْكاً كما يَتدانى الوِردُ والقَرب

And I, in my patience after its defeat by death,

Am more patient than a willow switch in binds.

وإنَّني واصطباري بعد صِرْعَتهِ

للموت أصبرُ من عَوْدٍ به جُلَب