يرُومُكَ والجوْزَاءُ دون مَرامِه
عَدُوٌّ يَعيبُ البَدْرَ عند تمامِهِ
You wrong him while the turtledove coos near him,
A foe faults the full moon at its peak.
فإن يكُ أضْحى القوْلُ جَمّاً طيورُهُ
فما تَسْتَوي عِقْبانُه بحَمامهِ
If the saying becomes common gossip
The eagles cannot equal his doves.
وإن يَكُ وادينا من الشِّعْرِ نَبْتُهُ
فغيْرُ خفِيّ أثْلُهُ من ثُمامهِ
If our valley grows poetry as plants,
None hides its defects from its fruits.
وليس بجازٍ حقَّ شُكْرِكَ مُنْعِمٌ
ولو جعل الدّنيا قضاءَ زِمامهِ
No ungrateful person rightly thanks you
Even if he gives the world as ransom.
فلا تُلْزِمَنّي مِن مديحكَ مَنْطِقاً
يُقَصّرُ فِكري عن بُلوغِ التِزامهِ
Do not oblige me with eloquence praising you
That makes my thoughts fall short of obligations.
حَلَلْتَ من العَلْياءِ صَهْوَةَ باذِخٍ
تَوَدّ الضّواري أنها من بِهامهِ
You gained the boldness of the lofty, so much
The beasts wish they gained it from their audacity.
إذا افتخرَ المَسكُ الذكيّ فإنما
يقولُ ادّعاءً إنّه مِن رَغامِهِ
When the fragrant musk brags, it only claims
It is from the perfumes of his clothes.
إذا ما طَريدُ العُصْمِ وافى حَضِيضَه
تَبَوّأ فيهِ واثقاً باعتصامِهِ
When the prey of protection arrives at its nadir,
It settles there trusting its grip.
مَنازِلُ لو رُدّ الحِمامُ بعِزّةٍ
لمَا رِيعَ مَن يحْتَلّها مِن حِمامهِ
Dwellings - if the doves return with dignity -
None who seizes them will be disturbed by their cooing.
إذا أطْلَقَتْ كفّاكَ عارِضَ عسْجدٍ
على سائِلٍ لم تَرْضَيا برِهامِهِ
When your palms release the cheeks of a beggar,
They are not pleased with the crumbs from his meal.
غَمامَانِ مُبْيَضّانِ مُنْذُ بَراهُما
لنا اللّهُ لم نَحْفِلْ بسُودِ غَمامهِ
Two whitened clouds - since Allah showed them to us -
We do not care for the darkness of clouds.
كأنّكَ حَوْضُ المُزْنِ طأطأ نفْسه
إلى وِرْدِهِ حتى ارْتَوى مِن سِجامهِ
You are like the pond of elation lowering itself
To drink from its flowers until it was sated from its thorns.
كأنك دُرّ البحْرِ أصبحَ طافِياً
على الماء فاعْتامَ الوَرَى من تُؤامِهِ
You are like a sea pearl floating
Upon the water, so the land was deprived of its twin.
كأنك رُكْنُ البيتِ أُعطيَ قُدْرَةً
فَسَارَ إلى زُوّارِهِ لاسْتِلامِهِ
You are like the pillar of the house given ability
So it walked to its visitors to greet them.
أفَدْتَ جَزيلَ المالِ لمّا اسْتَفَدْتَه
وحكّمْتَ فيه الدهرَ قبْل احتِكامِهِ
You gave abundant wealth when you gained it
And you empowered fate before consulting it.
ولو نال ذو القرْنينِ ما نِلْتَ من غِنًى
بَنى السّدَّ من ذَوْبِ النُّضَارِ وَسامِهِ
If Al-Qarnayn gained what you gained of wealth
He would build a dam from his vigor and power.
وهلْ يَذْخَرُ الضّرْغامُ قوتاً ليَوْمهِ
إذا ادّخَرَ النّمْلُ الطّعامَ لعامهِ
Does the ant hoard food for its day
When the ants hoard food for the year?
وكم بلَدٍ فارقْتُه مُتَلَهِّماً
عليكَ غَداةَ البيْنِ قلْبُ هُمامهِ
How many lands I left sighing over you
At dawn, the heart of its protector sighing over it.
يَكادُ نسيمُ الرّيحِ مِن نحوِ أرضِهِ
يُخَبّرُنا عن وَجْدِهِ وغرامهِ
The breeze almost informs us from its path to his land
Of its passion and love for him.
جَوادٌ يفوتُ الخيْلَ من بَعد ما وَنَى
فكيْفَ يُجارى بعدَ طُولِ جِمامهِ
A steed that surpasses horses after it weakened
So how can it compete after the length of its bridle?
هِزَبْرٌ تظلّ الأُسْدُ مِن غُرّ قَوْمِهِ
تَحُفّ به من خلْفه وأمامهِ
A band whose lions are timid of the courage of its people
They protect it from behind and in front.
بَنُو الجلَباتِ الباعِثونَ من النّدى
سَرَاياهُ والغازُون وَسْطَ لُهامهِ
The children of powerful tribes who rouse from slumber
Its elite, invaders, and heroes in its assaults.
وهلْ يَدّعي اللّيْلُ الدَّجُوجيُّ أنه
يُضيءُ ضِياء الشمسِ شُهْبُ ظلامهِ
Does the gloomy night claim that the sparks of its darkness
Equal the radiance of the sun from its rising?
وما كان يُغني القِرْنَ عن حملِ سيفه
إذا الحَرْبُ شُبّتْ كَثْرةٌ من سِهامهِ
The spear horn was not helped during battle
By the abundance of its arrows.
ولا يُدرِكُ العُرْبَ الهَجينُ بجُلّهِ
ولا حَلْيِه في سَرْجِه ولِجامهِ
The half-breed Arab is not equal in his clothing
Or his adornments, saddle, or reins.
ومَن يَبْلُ مِن قبْلِ اللّقاءِ سيوفَه
يُميِّزْ ويعْرِفْ عَضْبَهُ مِن كَهامِهِ
Whoever whets his swords before the battle
Distinguishes and knows the wrath from its sheath.
ولولا سَعِيدٌ باتَ نَدمانَ كَوْكَبٍ
يُريقُ له في الأرْضِ شطْرَ مُدامهِ
If not for Sa'eed who stayed up regretting a star
He would pour its rain upon the land.
وكانتْ بَقايا نَعْمةٍ عَضُدِيّةٍ
تَرُدّ إلى الزّوْراء بَعضَ اهتِمامِهِ
It was the remnant graces of royal Udayd
That returned to Zoraa some of its concerns.
سَرَى نحْوَه والصّبْحُ مَيْتٌ كأنما
يُسائِلُ بالوَخْدِ الثّرى عن رِمامهِ
It progressed toward it while the dawn was dead, as though
Asking the ground about its pillar from its debris.
ونكّبَ إلاّ عن قُوَيْقٍ كأنّهُ
يظُنّ سِواهُ زائداً في أُوامِهِ
And it bent away except toward elation, as though
Deeming anything other than it excessive in its intent.
بعِيسٍ تَجُوبُ الدهرَ جوناً كأنها
مُفتّشَةٌ أحْشاءه عن كِرامِهِ
With a spying eye, it roams fate as though
Inspecting its contents for his benevolence.
خِفافٍ يُباهي كلُّ هَجْلٍ هَبَطْنَه
بهِنّ على العِلاّتِ رُبْدَ نَعامهِ
Two whitened clouds - since Allah showed them -
We do not care for the darkness of clouds.
إذا أرْزَمَتْ فيه المَهاري ولم يُجِبْ
حُوَارٌ أجابَتْ عنه أصداءُ هامهِ
You remember from the water of capitals a drink
While the blueness of highlands without the blueness of its buffalo skin.
ولو وَطِئَتْ في سيرِها جَفْنَ نائمٍ
بأخْفافِها لم يَنْتَبِهْ من مَنامهِ
If the clear water spoke in submission to it
They would not repeat greeting it back.
وكُلِّ وَجِيهِيّ كأنّ رُؤالَه
تحَدّرَ من عِطْفَيْهِ فوْقَ حِزامِهِ
Someone veiled in a curly forelock - it married him
But did not reveal the hidden of his veil.
وأعْيَسَ لو وافى به خُرْقَ مِخْيَطٍ
لأنْفَذَهُ من ضُمْرِهِ وانضِمامهِ
How many springs between the Levant and Karkh
Whose sources are mixed with its poison.
يُراقبُ ضَوْءَ الصّبْحِ من كلّ مَطلَعٍ
ولا ضَوْء إلاّ ما بدا مِن لُغامهِ
It is as though the morning there lies in wait
Breaking out to it through its thicket.
تَذكّرْنَ من ماءِ العواصِمِ شَرْبَةً
وزُرْقُ العَوالي دونَ زُرْقِ جِمامهِ
The radiance of dawn passes it in disguise
Fearing it might attack him from its darkness.
فلو نَطَقَ الماءُ النّميرُ مُسَلِّماً
عليْهِنّ لم يَرْدُدْنَ رَجْعَ سَلامهِ
A day as though the full moon endured its heat
So it returned with a pale color from its arrows.
ومُلْتَثِمٍ بالغَلْفَقِ الجَعْدِ عَرّستْ
عليه فلم تَكْشِفْ خَفِيَّ لِثَامهِ
Lands where the star loses its way
And its darkness folds its horizon from its banner.
وكم بينَ رِيفِ الشأم والكَرْخِ مَنْهَلاً
مَوارِدُهُ ممزوجةٌ بسِمامهِ
Spearmint that keeps death away, if not for its donation
To people, death would have respected them.
كأنّ الصَّبا فيه تُراقِبُ كامِناً
يثُورُ إليها من خِلالِ إكامهِ
The night hoped in it to last in its youth
But when it saw the land, it aged before maturity.
يمُرّ بهِ رَأدُ الضّحَى مُتنكّراً
مَخافَةَ أن يَغْتَالَه بقَتامِهِ
So Ali marched his cavalry and riders
And came only above obligation.
نَهَارٌ كأنّ البدْرَ قاسى هجِيرَه
فعادَ بلوْنٍ شاحِبٍ من سَهامهِ
It plows through `Uqaylah while its eyes are still sleepy
Its sustenance all rationed from its swords.
بلادٌ يَضِلّ النّجْمُ فيها سبيلَه
وتُثْني دُجاها طيْفَها عن لِمامهِ
It met the abodes of disorder, each misguided one
Leading the wicked by their bridle.
حَنادسُ تُعشي الموْتَ لولا انجِيابُها
عن المرْء ما هَمّ الرّدى باخْتِرامِهِ
The harshest tragedies to it were maiming its she-camel
And the furthest thing from its guest is its food.
رَجا اللّيْلُ فيها أن يدومَ شبابُه
فلمّا رآها شابَ قبلَ احْتِلامِهِ
A brother of greed whose land the caravan does not alight
Except honored from his blame.
فأنْضَى علِيٌّ خيْلَه ورِكابَهُ
ولم يأتِ إلاّ فوْقَ اعْتِزامهِ
When the fire of firebrands blazed in the darkness
It hastened lighting from its fire with its flints.
تَشُقّ عُقَيْلاً وهْيَ خُزْرٌ عُيونُها
بكلّ كميّ رِزْقُه من حُسامِهِ
And if its tent ropes were struck with a winnowing fork
The hyena kept away fearing its bellowing.
ولاقَى دُوَيْنَ الوِرْدِ كلَّ مُغَيَّبٍ
عنِ الرّشْدِ يَقْتادُ الخَنا بزِمامهِ
When the old camel bone was excited, it wished it
Ransomed it from barrenness with some of its bones.
أشَدُّ الرّزايا عندَهُ عَقْرُ نابِهِ
وأبْعَدُ شيءٍ ضَيْفُه مِن طَعامِهِ
No sound of strings was better to its ear
Than the gurgling of its sheep.
أخو طمَعٍ لا يَنزِلُ الرّكْبُ أرضَه
فيَرْحَلُ إلا مُوقَراً مِن مَلامهِ
O Lord, do not let a house touched by affliction
Pass by it except empty of its germs.
إذا أعرَضَتْ نارُ الحُباحِبِ في الدّجَى
سعَى قابِساً من نارِها بضِرامهِ
If it is rain then divert it from its lands,
If it is death, then pour it from its calamities.
وإنْ ضُرِبَتْ أطْنابُه بتَنُوفَةٍ
نَأى الضّبُّ عنها خِيفَةً من عُرامهِ
If not for Ali's disdain of him due to his status
Blame would unleash upon him its sword of vengeance.
إذا هِيضَ عظمُ البَكْرِ وَدّ لو أنّه
فَداهُ من الإعْناتِ بعضُ عِظامهِ
It is honey but misfortunes made it bitter
And their mouths gaped to devour it.
وما نَغَمُ الأوْتارِ في سمْعِ أُذْنِهِ
بأحْسَنَ صَوْتاً مِن رُغاء سَوامهِ
Its enemies fear its might while it is still
Like the touch of embers before it flares.
فيا رَبّ لا يَمْرُرْ بدارٍ يحُلّها
من المُزْنِ إلا خالِياتُ جَهامهِ
Many armored men are feared while their swords are sheathed,
Serious matters the selves dread without reaching them.
وإن كان غَيْثٌ فاعْدُهُ عن بلادهِ
وإن كان موْتٌ فاسْقِها من زُؤامهِ
When every city is amazed at laughing for him
Its wealth weeps from its injustice and seizure.
ولولا احتِقارٌ من عَلِيّ بشانه
لسَلّ عليه الذّمُّ سيْفَ انتِقامهِ
Many possessions of kingdoms were lost beneath his seal
Guarded from him in fear of his departure.
هوَ الشّهْدُ مَجّتْه الخُطوبُ مرَارَةً
وقد فَغَرَتْ أفْواهَها لالتِهامهِ
The corners of Iraq blamed it, but his departure from them
Is their greatest blame.
تَهابُ الأعادي بأسَه وهْوَ ساكِنٌ
كما هِيبَ مَسُّ الجَمْرِ قبل اضطرامهِ
So when the morning found no fault in him
It blamed the people it faulted for their cessation.
ورُبّ جُرازٍ يُتّقَى وهْوَ مُغْمَدٌ
ولُجٍّ تُهالُ النفْسُ دون اقتِحامِهِ
If Baghdad could, it would stay up for him
Yearning in its corners for his stay.
إذا ضَحِكَتْ عُجْباً به كلُّ بلْدةٍ
بكَى مالُه مِنْ ظُلْمِهِ واهتِضامِهِ
When will the intense darkness imprison a bolt
To resist it and emerge radiant from its ashes?
تَحَفّظَ منه خِيفَةً من رَحِيلِهِ
وكم مال مَلْكٍ ضاعَ تحتَ خِتامِهِ
I advise the rulers of the countries’ possessions
With advice given by one of merit in his positions.
وذامَتْهُ أفْناءُ العِراقِ وإنّما
تَرَحُّلُهُ عنهُنّ أكبَرُ ذامهِ
I specify it over all of its eminent leaders
And shun the riffraff from it.
فكان الصّبا إذْ لم يَجِدْ فيه عائِبٌ
مَقالاً لخَلْقٍ عابَهُ بانصِرامهِ
That Ali - all who gained wealth are poor
If they do not hoard some of his words.
ولو أنّ بَغْدادَ استطاعَتْ لأشّبَتْ
عليه الثّنايا رغْبَةً في مُقامهِ
I legislated praising him for the poets
As Abraham legislated pilgrimage to its site.
متى يَحْبِسِ الدّجْنُ المُطبِّقُ بارِقاً
يَجُبْهُ ويخْرُجْ ساطعاً من رُكامهِ
So Dhigham praises him with its roar,
And Shadin praises him with its groan.
علَيّ لأمْلاكِ البِلادِ نَصِيحَةٌ
يقُومُ بها ذو حِسْبَةٍ في قِيامِهِ
This is legitimate and doctrinal for the eloquent,
Whoever disobeys me breaks his leader’s command.
أخُصّ بها من كُلّ حَيّ عَمِيدَهُ
وأصْرِفُها مُسْتكبِراً عن طَغامهِ
بأنّ علِيّاً كلُّ مَن فازَ بالغِنى
فقِيرٌ إذا لم يَدّخِرْ مِن كلامِهِ
سنَنْتُ لأرْبابِ القَريضِ امتداحَه
كما سَنّ إبراهيمُ حَجَّ مَقامهِ
فيُثْني عليه ضَيْغَمٌ بزَئِيرِهِ
ويُثْني عليه شادِنٌ ببُغامهِ
وهذا لأهلِ النّطقِ شَرْعي ومذهَبي
فمَنْ لم يُطِعْني عَقَّ أمْرَ إمامِهِ
