أقولُ وقد ضاقَتْ قَوافي مَدائحي

بوصْفِ الوزير الصَّدْرِ وهي رِحابُ

I say, though my ode's measures are cramped,

In describing the minister, noble and magnanimous,

إذا اسْتَنْطقتني بالثَّناءِ فَضيلَةٌ

بَدا شَأنُ أخْرى والجَميعُ عُجابُ

When excellence prompts me to praise him,

Another glory appears, and all are amazed.

سَأشْفَعُ مَدْحي والدُّجى مُرْجَحِنَّةٌ

وللنَّوْمِ عِندي جَيْئَةٌ وذَهابُ

I will preface my praise while slumber weighs down,

And to sleep I have a coming and going.

برَفْعِ دُعاءٍ لا يَشوبُ صَريحَهُ

رِياءٌ ولا يَثْني الدُّعاءَ حِجابُ

With a prayer raised pure in its intention,

Neither hypocrisy nor barriers can mar.

عَسى أبْلُغُ المَفْروضَ من حَقِّ شكْرِه

وشَتَّانَ قَلْتٌ ناكِزٌ وعُبابُ

May I fulfil my duty to thank him,

Far apart are insipid words and heated passion!

وكيفَ يَحوزُ البَحرَ والبحرُ زاخِرٌ

سِقاءٌ وتَحْوي الشَّامِخاتِ عِيابُ

How can a cup contain the sea, which overflows?

Or flasks contain the towering waves?

ولكن أؤدِّي ما اسْتَطعتُ ولم يَجِبْ

على تَرْكِ ما لا يُسْتَطاعُ عِقابُ

But I perform what I can and have not shirked

What cannot be done, for which none can punish.

هو الفارسُ الكرَّارُ في البأسِ والنَّدى

إذا صَدَقَتْ حَرْبٌ ومانَ سَحابُ

He's the oft-victorious knight in war and munificence,

When battle proves true and clouds give rain.

ووفى بها مَوْفورَةً مُستريحةً

لَها مَرْجِعٌ لا ينْقَضي وإِيابُ

He fulfils it perfectly, at ease,

With an unending return and renewal.

تَسُحُّ بِلا شَيْمٍ إذا حُبِسَ الحَيا

فأبْعدُهُا للاَّمِحينَ رَبابُ

Unashamed, he releases the living if life is denied them,

So I remove her for those who covet songstresses.

إذا ما حْتَبى يوم السَّلامِ وأذْعَنَتْ

لِهَيْبَتِهِ طوْعاً طُلىً ورِقابُ

When on the day of peace he yields,

Willingly submitting, necks and heads bow to his awe.

وجادَ بحلِّ المُشْكِلاتِ وبالنَّدى

كَذاكَ نَوالٌ صَيِّبٌ وصَوابُ

He excels in solving problems and in munificence,

Such is his customary, judicious bounty.

مَريرُ القُوى سَهْلُ الوِدادِ كأنما

خَلائِقُهُ أرْيٌ يَلَذُّ وصابُ

Bitter when strong, gentle when friendly, as though

His nature is a meadow, sweet and pure.

فلِلْخِلِّ منهُ رَوْضَةٌ ذاتُ بَهْجَةٍ

وللقِتْلِ جَعْجاعُ المُناخِ حُوابُ

To the submissive, gardens of delight from him,

To the hostile, the growling of lionesses.

لهُ مِنْ نِجارِ الأكْرَمينَ صَريحُهُ

ومِنْ حَسبِ الغُرِّ الكِرامِ لُبابُ

His lineage derives from the most noble benefactors,

And from the proud heroes, the choicest part.

طَليقُ المُحَيَّا يُتَّقى وهو باسِمٌ

ويُخْشى على ألْطافِهِ ويُهابُ

Gracious yet feared, revered and stood in awe,

Like an Indian sword, its blade adorned.

كمِثْلِ الحُسامِ العَضبِ زيْنٌ فِرِندُهُ

وللمَوْتِ صَدْرٌ قاطِعٌ وذُبابُ

And for death, a cleaving chest and hornets for stings,

The heap of treasure diminishes not the night of Muhammed.

تَذُمُّ العِشارُ الكُومُ ليْلَ مُحمَّدٍ

ويَحْمَدُ ضَيْفٌ طارِقٌ وصِحابُ

When the guest comes at night, he gives praise.

A minister, when Thursday is too short for his munificence,

وزيرٌ إذا ذَلَّ الخَميسُ عَنِ العِدى

كَفاهُ رَوِيٌّ صائِبٌ وكِتابُ

A pouring rain and scripture suffice him.

When he has resolved on glorious deeds,

إذا ما امْتَطاها عَزْمَةً عَضُدِيَّةً

تَباشَرَ نَسْرٌ ساغِبٌ وعُقابُ

An eagle moves to the attack, and a falcon.

So he lives, obeyed, as long as a turtledove moans,

فعاشَ مُطاعاً ما تَغَنَّتْ حَمامَةٌ

وما لاحَ في جَوِّ الفَلاةِ سَرابُ

And in the expanse of the desert, a mirage gleams.