يا لَلصَّوارم والرِّماحِ الذُّبَّلِ

نصراً ومَنْ أنجدتُما لم يُخْذَلِ

O swords and spears with bent tips,

Victory and whoever you have supported will not be failed.

لو شئتما ومشيئةٌ بمشيئةٍ

جادَ الزمانُ وبالعُلى لم يبْخلِ

Had you willed with a will conforming to the Divine Will,

Time would have been generous and would not have been miserly with the high positions.

نكَّبْتُما شَرفي وظِلُّ حِماكُما

لحمى الوضيعِ ونُصرة المُسترذل

You have debased my honor and the protection of both of you,

To defend the ignoble and help the despised one.

وعصيتماني في الَمرام وقُلْتما

درستْ تميمٌ فالخفارُ بِمَعْزلِ

And you disobeyed me in my affairs and said:

Tamim learned and the light cavalry is isolated.

كم راحَ مُلكٌ فارْعوي بعَزيمةٍ

فَضَلَ الأخيرُ بها مَقامَ الأوَّلِ

How many kings have departed, so be determined

and the last of them in it will surpass the status of the first.

فاقْنَيْ فخارَكِ يا مُجاشعُ واعلمي

أنِّي لكمْ من هِمَّتي في جَحْفلِ

So suffice with your pride, O compliant one, and know

That for you from my determination I am in the army formation.

أنا فارسُ اليومين يومِ مقالةٍ

ووغىً أصولُ بصارمي وبمقْولي

I am the brave knight of the days of plea

and clamor that I establish with my sword and my saying.

فالحبْرُ والرجلُ الكميُّ كلاهما

مُسْتأصَلانِ بمعْركٍ وبمُشكلِ

Indeed, ink and the prolific man both

Are rooted out by battle and crisis.

رَحلَ الشبابُ فقيل فاتتهُ العُلى

مَهْلاً فانَّ عزائمي لم تَرْحَلِ

Youth has departed so it was said that eminence missed it.

Slow down, for my determination has not departed.

سِيَانِ شَيبْي والشَّبابُ تَوّقُّراً

فكذاكَ في ادْراكِ كلِّ مُؤمَّلِ

Both my old age and youth are equally in veneration,

For that is how it is in achieving every hopeful one.

كرُمَ الدُّجى عما يشينُ فلم أبتْ

خشْيانَ واشيةِ الصَّباحِ المُقبلِ

Nobility denied what would disgrace me so I did not spend the night

In fear of the advent of the coming dawn.

فلئنْ أخذتُ من الزمانِ فَسابحٌ

جارٍ بفخر السَّبْقِ أيُّ موكَّلِ

So if I gained a swimmer from fate I am

A custodian racing with the pride of the first entrusted one.

ولئنْ غرضتُ فصارمٌ ذو رونقٍ

خفيَتْ جواهرُه لفقْدِ الصَّقيلِ

And if I aimed then a sword with luster

Its gems were hidden for lack of polishing.

ولئن جُهلت وغيرُ شعري واصفي

فالعيْبُ أنِّي حازمٌ لم أجْهَلِ

And if I am unknown and others describe my poetry

Then the fault is that I am determined and have not shown ignorance.

ما للملوكِ تسنَّموا شَعَفاتها

ورسبتُ في قعر الحضيض الأسفل

Why have the kings assumed its lofty positions

While I remained in the depth of the lowest abyss?

انْ كان بأساً فالمعاركُ والوغى

أو كان فضلاً فهي حقُّ الأفضلِ

If it was about courage then wars and clamor

Or if it was about merit then it is the right of the most meritorious.

ظلمتْ فضائليَ المَقاولُ مثْلما

ظَلمتْ جمال الدين مأوى العُيَّل

My merits were wronged just as

The beauty of Jamal al-Din was wronged, the shelter of the wretched one.

مدحوهُ كي يحووا مناقبَ نفسهِ

فَطمتْ فسالتْ بالمدائحِ منْ عَلِ

They praised him so they could include the virtues of his soul

So it overflowed with praise as the water skin overflows.

فأتيت أبذل ما استطعت ومنْ بُردْ

نقْلَ الخِضَمِّ إِلى المَزادة يخجل

So I have come to give what I could, and there is no shame

In moving dregs to the place of sale.

شمسٌ من الاحسان عَمَّ ضياؤها

بل أيةٌ جاءَتْ لحُجَّةِ مُرسَلِ

A sun whose light has spread to be an argument

Rather a clear verse has come as evidence from the Sender.

اِعجازها عَدمُ النَّظيرِ وصَرْفةٌ

حَسبتْ بنانَ الباذلِ المُتَطوِّلِ

Its inimitability is the lack of an equal, and a gentleness

That sufficed the builder, the prolonger.

فالناس بين أخي ندى توْفيقهُ

قاصٍ وآخَرُ في العَطاءِ مُبخَّلِ

So people vary between the generosity of my brother Nada's success

A storyteller, and another one being stingy in gifting.

ومُحمدٌ تَوفيقُه ونَوالُه

يتجاريانِ إِلى المُسيفِ المُرْمِلِ

Muhammad's success and generosity

Both compete to the drawn sword.

يُعطي الجزيلَ لسائلي معروفهِ

يجودُ بالنُّعْمى إذا لم يُسْألِ

He gives generously to those asking his favors

He is charitable with blessings even if he is not asked.

ويزيدهُ شوس الخطوب طَلاقةً

فيكونُ أبْسم ما يُرى في المُعضلِ

And the difficulties of life increase his composure

So he becomes the most cheerful face in predicaments.

لو بزَّهُ عافوهُ في خضرِ الدجى

ما ضمَّهُ من لبْسةِ المُتفضلِ

If the darkness of night masked him

It would not contain him like one showing favor.

لم يُحدِث القُرٌّ العنيفُ بوجههِ

نَدَماً ولو جاءَ الشتاءُ بأفْكلِ

Neither severe poverty changed his face

Nor did winter come to him with clenched teeth.

ثقلتْ به الأعنْاقُ من منن النَّدى

فالهامُ مُطرقةٌ لذاكَ المُثقلِ

Necks weighed down by the blessings of his dew

So the mind is burdened by that weight.

فاذا تَلاقي الناس كان حديثُهمْ

عن كل جَفنِ بالخجالةِ مُسدلِ

So when people meet, their talk

Is about every eyelid closed in shame.

أُسَراءُ معروفِ الوزيرِ فكلُّهمْ

عانٍ تَراهُ مُطلقاً كمُكبَّلِ

The captives of the minister's favors, all of them

A helper you see him as though shackled.

من سَمْرَقَنْدَ إِلى تِهامةَ شاهدٌ

فضلَ الجمالِ على الحَيا المُتَهلِّلِ

From Samarkand to Tihama a witness

To the superiority of beauty over the fox with wagging tail.

السُّحبُ تُمطر ما تُظِلُ وجوده

يسري ودارُ مُقامهِ بالمَوْصلِ

The clouds rain what his existence covers

Flowing while his abode is in Mosul.

وتَقرُّ عينُ مُحمدٍ بمَحَمَّدٍ

مُحيْي دريسيْ شَرْعهِ والمَنزل

And the eye of Muhammad is delighted with Muhammad

Reviver of his law and place of descent,

مِعْمارِ مرْقدهِ وحافِظ دينهِ

ومُعينِ أمتَّهِ بجودٍ مُسْبل

Builder of his tomb and guardian of his religion,

And helper of his nation with flowing generosity.

جعل المدينةَ مصْرَ ريفٍ آهِلاً

نشوْانَ يمْرحُ بالنَّعيمِ المُخضلِ

He made Medina a populated countryside

Luxuriant, frolicking in adorned bliss.

فكأنها بالخِصْبِ منْ قُرُباتهِ

بلدٌ على شطِّ الفُراتِ السَّلْسلِ

So it is as if it became fertile by his gifts

A land on the coast of the chained Euphrates.

فلو انه في عصرهِ نَزلتْ لهُ

في مدحهِ سُوَرُ الكِتابِ المُنْزلِ

If in his time the chapters of the Book were revealed praising him

It would be a patch sewing his shirt and cloak

خِرْقٌ يُناطُ قميصهُ ورداؤهُ

بعُبابِ زخَّارٍ وهضبةِ يَذْبُلِ

With the thickets of Zakhkar and ridges of Yathbul

A servant, brother in his hospitality and love

عبْدٌ أخٌ في ضيفهِ وودادهِ

لا يستحيلُ وسيدٌ في المَحْفِلِ

Who does not change and master in the assembly.

If he lodged in a barren desert, his embers lit up

لو حلَّ قفراً أوقدتْ رمضاؤهُ

ظُهراً لبُدِّلَ بالربيعِ المُبْقِلِ

A back that would be transformed into blossoming spring.

And a spurned outcast whose harm he alleviates

وطريد مُجدبةٍ يُظاهر ضُرَّهُ

خوفٌ يُريهِ أمْنَهُ كالمَقْتلِ

Fearing it would show him safety like death.

The lands have flourished through him so every bridegroom

نَبَتِ البلادُ به فكلُّ مُعَرَّسٍ

قلِقٌ عليه صارِخٌ بتَرَحُّلِ

Is worried about him, crying "Do not depart!"

The mottled star clusters of its horizons trouble him

عرقتهُ غبراءُ المطالع أزْمةٌ

شوهاءُ عضْبُ شمالها كالمُنْصُلِ

The left side of its Pleiades is ugly like an awl.

Ugly, deprived of its stars, its south

شنعاءُ مُخْلِفةٌ النجومِ جَنوبُها

مطْرودةٌ عن جوِّها بالشَّمْألِ

Expelled from its atmosphere with arrows.

The blind make up for its tastes

يتعَّوضُ العيْمانُ من مَذَقاتها

بَوْلاً ويقْدِرُ منْ هَبيد الحنظل

With urine and measures rotten colocynth.

The prayers have left with its blinkers and leaders

ذهبَ الصَّلى بجفانها وقُتودها

فالحيُّ غيرُ مُدعْدعٍ ومُرَحَّل

So the living is not shaken and departing.

If desolation and fertility lodged him

تركتْهُ لو حَلَّ النَّعيمَ وخِصبهُ

حوْلاً لغيرهُ اغْبرارُ المُمْحل

He would make both for others, the earth sprinkler.

I sheltered him so I protected him and aided him

آويتهُ فحميتهُ ورفَدتَهُ

فغَدا بجْورِ زمانه لم يحْفِلِ

He became, despite the injustice of fate, inattentive.

Indeed, with the sword of your view you uncovered layers

ولقد كشفت بسيف رأيك غَيْهَباً

نسخَ النَّهارَ بليلِ نقْعٍ ألْيَلِ

That copied daylight with pitch black night.

And you returned them to tombs as if their limbs

ورددتها قُبْلاً كأنَّ عَجاجَها

بالقاعِ مرْكومُ الغَمام الأكْحلِ

Were piled up with cloud mass and darkness.

They left the water springs while their extremities were thirsty

تَطْوي الموارد وهي ظامئة الحشا

وتَشيمُ ورْداً من نَساً أو أكْحلِ

And they smelled roses from forgetfulness or colocynth.

They flowed with zeal against the armor as if they were

تجري بحُمسٍ في الدروع كأنهم

جِنَّانُ عبْقرَ أو ضَراغمُ غيطل

Jinn of Abqar or soldiers of Ghitl.

They ground the armor on boulders and tied

سنُّوا الدروع على الصخور وركَّبوا

عزمانهمْ في المُشْرَعاتِ العُسَّلِ

Their resolve on the honeycombed cliffs.

And they dragged the looters fiercely

وجروا إِلى الأسلاب شدَّةَ ساغبٍ

ضارٍ تمكَّنَ منْ شهيِّ المَأكلِ

A harmful one who got hold of the tasty meal.

So you sufficed them with a scheme and a stratagem

فكفيتَهم بمكيدةٍ ورويَّةٍ

جعلتْ ديارهُمُ تُرابَ القسْطلِ

That made their homes the dust of al-Qistl.

O Muhammad, I have called you the praised one and the colors

أمُحمَّدٌ ولقد دعوتُ مُمَدَّحاً

ومن النَّجاح نداءُ سمْحٍ مُفْضلِ

Of success are a fair, generous call.

This is the time and these are the opportunities of eminence

هذا الزمانُ وهذه فُرصُ العُلى

وأنا المُشارُ وما بدا لكَ فافْعَلِ

And I am the one pointing, so do what seems best.