تَقولُ صِحابي وَالمَطِيُّ بِنا تَخدي
وَتُحدى وَقَد شَمَّت شَميمَ رُبا نَجدِ
My companion says, while the mat is carrying us, it challenges
And taunts, having smelled the scent of high meadows in Najd.
أَما لَكَ مِن حَثِّ السُرى كُلَّ ساعَةٍ
وَإِسآدها في المَهمَهِ البيدِ مِن بُدِّ
Don't you ever spur the caravan every hour
And drive it into peril in the desert wilderness?
فَقُلتُ ذَروني لا أَبا لِأَبيكُمُ
فَبِالقَدحِ يَبدو السُقطُ قَسراً مِنَ الزِندِ
I said, "Leave me be. I am not the one for your fathers."
For with the goblet, splinters become exposed from the firestick.
وَلَولا مَسيرُ الشَمسِ في كُلِّ ساعَةٍ
لَما اِنتَقَلَت مِن بُرجِ نَحسٍ إِلى سَعدِ
Were it not for the sun's movement every hour,
It would not have transferred from the mansion of misfortune to fortune.
وَلَو لَم تَهُزَّ الجِذعَ مَريَمُ لَم يَذُق
مِنَ الرُطَبِ الحُلوِ الجَنِيِّ جَنى الشَهدِ
Had Maryam not shaken the palm trunk, she would not have tasted
The sweet, ripened dates, the fruit of delight.
كَذَلِكَ موسى أَنبَعَ اللَهُ بِالعَصا
لَهُ الماءَ بَعدَ الضَربِ مِن حَجَرٍ صَلدِ
Likewise Moses, Allah made water gush for him
After hitting a solid rock with his staff.
وَلَيسَ الحُسامُ الهِندوانِيُّ حائِزاً
حَميدَ الثَنا لَولا مُفارَقَةُ الغِمدِ
The Indian sword in its sheath has no merit
Nor praised virtue unless separated from its scabbard.
وَلا السَهمُ يَوماً في الكِنانَةِ نافِعاً
إِذا لَم يَلُج في كُلِّ مُحكَمَةِ السَردِ
The arrow one day will be of no use in the quiver
Unless it penetrates into every knot-hole of the shield.
وَسيّانِ عَجزُ السَمهَرِيِّ وَصَدرُهُ
إِذا نَجمُهُ لَم يَسرِ في ظُلمَةِ الكَبدِ
The chest and back of al-Samhari are equal
When his star does not rise in the darkness of his liver.
وَإِنَّ عِتاقَ الخَيلِ لَولا عِداؤُها
لَما وَسَموها بِالمُطَهَّمَةِ الجُردِ
Truly, were it not for their running, the freed horses
Would not have been branded on their shoulders.
وَلَو أَلِفَ اللَيثُ الهَصورُ عَرينَهُ
لَماتَ طوىً فيهِ وَإِن كانَ ذا لِبدِ
Had the formidable lion befriended its den,
It would have died obscured in it, despite its boldness.
وَلَو لَم يَجُب أَبناءُ شادي مَهامِهاً
لَما مَلَكوا مِن أَرضِ قوصٍ إِلى الهِندِ
And had the sons of Shadi not answered her behests,
They would not have ruled from the land of Qaush to India.
وَلا كانَ كُلٌّ مِنهُمُ في مَمالِكٍ
يُعايَنُ كَالأسكَندَرِ البانِيِ السَدِّ
Nor would each of them have been in kingdoms,
Appearing like Alexander the wall builder.
فَحَتّامَ أستَمري جَنا العَجزِ وادِعاً
وَأَكرَعُ في ماءِ الخُمولِ عَلى عَمدِ
So come on, persist in the inability and pretend incapacity,
And I will plunge into the water of indolence deliberately.
فَلا أَنا ذو مالٍ فَتُؤثَر عِشرَتي
وَلَستُ بِذي جاهٍ فَيَرهَبَني ضِدّي
I have no wealth, so none prefers my company,
Nor status, so none fears me as an adversary.
وَلي مَنطِقٌ إِمّا سَلَلتُ غِرارَهُ
يَعُد ناكِصاً عَن حَدِّهِ كلُّ ذي حَدِّ
I have an eloquence. Either I let its deceit flow
Or every person of merit returns from his limit.
سَأَدفَعُ في صَدرِ التَواني بِراحَتي
وَأَلطُمُ خَدّي هَزلِهِ بِيَدَي جِدّي
I will push way the clouds in the breasts of glasses with my palm
And slap my cheek with the jest of my hand, seriously.
وَأَنفُضُ كُمّي في وُجوهِ مَعاشِرٍ
هُمُ زَجَروني فيكَ عَن سنَنِ القَصدِ
I will shake my sleeve in the faces of companions
Who deter me from the ways of propriety concerning you.
وَأَنظِمُ شِعراً كَالعُقودِ طَلاوَةً
يُرى كُلُّ بَيتٍ مِنهُ واسِطَة العِقدِ
And I will string together poetry like necklaces in eloquence,
Where each verse appears to be the centerpiece of the necklace.
وَأَكسوهُ عِزّاً أَقعَساً بِاِنتِمائِهِ
إِلى مَجدِ مَعنٍ يا لَكَ اللَهُ مِن مَجدِ
And I will dress it in blinding glory through belonging
To the glory of Ma`n – what glory from you, O Lord of glory!
إِلى دَوحَةٍ بِالمَكرُماتِ تَهَدَّلَت
فَأَغصانُها تُجنى عَلى القُربِ وَالبُعدِ
To a palm tree laden with favors its branches
Bear fruit near and far.
شَأى العُلَماءَ الراسِخينَ فَكُلُّهُم
عَلى صَدرٍ مِن عِلمِهِ وَعَلى وِردِ
It chose the firmly established scholars, and all of them
Recite from its knowledge and make litanies to it.
إِلَيهِ تُنَصُّ العيسُ مِن كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
فَمِن طالِبٍ عِلماً لَدَيهِ وَمُستَجدي
The fawns gather to it from every place,
So those seeking knowledge with it and newcomers.
تَواضَعَ عَمّا يَستَحِقُّ وَإِنَّهُ
عَلى ذاكَ سامي القَدرِ وَالذِكرِ وَالجَدِّ
It is humble about what it deserves. Yet it
Is most sublime in worth, mention, and vigor.
فَكَم نِعَمٍ أَهدى وَكَم مِن عَمٍ هَدى
فَبورِكَ من هادٍ وَمن ماجِدٍ مُهدي
So how many blessings it gifted and how many days it guided!
Blessed is the one who guides and the one who glorifies, a leader.
وَإِنّي وَإِن يَمَّمتُ بِالمَدحِ غَيرَهُ
لأَبعَدُ خَلقِ اللَهِ عَن طُرُقِ الرُشدِ
Though I intend to praise another, I will be
Farther than all of Allah's creation from propriety.
لَهُ أُسرَةٌ إِن يَدعُهُم لِمُلِمَّةٍ
يُلَبّوهُ بِالبيضِ الظُبى وَالقَنا المُلدِ
It has a family. If it calls them to a skirmish,
They answer it with white-bladed swords and sturdy spears.
هُمُ كَبُدورِ التِمِّ في السِلمِ بَهجَةً
وَهُم في مَجالِ الحَربِ أَدهى مِنَ الأُسدِ
They are like the full moons in their splendor
And on the battlefield more ferocious than lions.
إِذا اِحتَدَمَت نارُ الوَغى اِقتَحموا الرَّدى
عَلى كُلِّ مَحبوكِ الفَرا شَيظَمٍ نَهدِ
When the fires of turmoil rage, they plunge into the fray
Against every intertwined coat of mail, rending chests.
ثَبوتٌ وَأَطرافُ القَنا رُعَّفٌ دَماً
وَلِلبيضِ فَتكٌ في القَوائِس وَالسَّردِ
Firmness – and the spear points shedding blood –
And the white swords have lethal strikes against the armored coats.
أَلا إِن مَعنَ بن المُحَسِّن لَم يَزَل
لَهُ المَكرُماتُ الغُرُّ في الغَورِ وَالنّجدِ
Indeed, Ma`n ibn al-Muhassin always
Possessed favors as precious pearls in deserts and meadows.
لَهُ رَغبَةٌ في الحَمدِ لَم تُغشَ رَهبَةً
وَلَكِنَّهُ في الذَمِّ لَم يَألُ ذو زُهدِ
He has a desire for praise without attaining conceit,
Yet for blame he does not weary, being ascetic.
وَلَولاهُ كانَ الفَضلُ في الشامِ ضائِعاً
وَقَدرُ بَني الآدابِ أَحقَرَ مِن قِردِ
Were it not for him, virtue in Syria would be lost
And the worth of the cultured considered lower than monkeys.
وَإِلّا أَروني فاضِلاً لَيسَ عِندَه
لِمَعنٍ يَدٌ يَوماً وَلا سِيَّما عِندي
Or show me a superior if with him
Ma`n does not one day even have a hand, let alone me.
لبيدٌ بَليدٌ إِن رَوى الشِعرَ مُنشِداً
أَجل وَعَبيدٌ ثُمَّ أَصغَرُ مِن عَبدِ
Labid is a foolish poet if he recites poetry as a rawi,
More insignificant even than a slave.
وَعَى صَدرُهُ ما في خَزائِنِ كُتبِهِ
وَإِن كُنَّ كتباً زائِداتٍ عَنِ العَدِّ
His chest encompasses what is in his library’s treasuries
Even if they are books beyond count.
تَضَمَّنَ أَبكارَ المَعاني وُعونَها
فَجُدنَ لِقاريهِنَّ بِالعيشَةِ الرَغدِ
It includes the finest virgin meanings and helps them,
So they charm their female reciters with prosperous living.
وَسيرَتُهُ في الناسِ أَحسَنُ سيرَةٍ
مُقَصِّرَةٌ عَن شَأوِها سيرَة المَهدي
His conduct among people is the best conduct,
Fall short of his stature even the conduct of al-Mahdi.
وَقَد كانَ جَدّي نائِماً قَبلَ قَصدِهِ
فَمُذ جِئتُهُ أَصبَحتُ منتَبِهَ الجَدِّ
My grandfather was asleep before visiting him.
Since I came to him, I have been wakeful and serious.
أَياديهِ أَنسَتني دِمَشقَ وَأَهلَها
وَإِن أَشبَهَت في حُسنِها جَنَّةَ الخُلدِ
His hands made me forget Damascus and its inhabitants
Even though its beauty resembles the eternal Garden.
وَما ذا عَجيبٌ بَل سَلَوتُ بِنَشرِهِ
وَمَعروفِهِ عَن إِخوَتي وَذَوي وُدّي
What is surprising? Rather, I have been diverted by his company
And kindness from my brothers, loved ones, and friends.
فَعَكسُ اِسمِهِ لا نيطَ عَكسٌ بِجِسمِهِ
جَوابٌ لِمَن يَستَنجِزُ الوَعدَ بِالنَقدِ
The inverse of his name – there is no inverse to his body.
A retort to one who fulfills a promise with the cash at hand.
إِذا كانَ في قَومٍ وَأَصلَدَ زَندُهم
فَما زَندُهُ يَوماً بِكابٍ وَلا صَلدِ
If he frowns among a people and his frown is stern,
His frown is never with a sullen face and without vigor.
عَطاياهُ لِمَن تمنَن بِمَنٍّ وَلَم يَكُن
بِمُعطٍ قَليلاً إِذ يَجودُ وَلا مُكدِ
His gifts are for those hoping with nostalgia while he
Is neither miserly when he gives nor stingy.
يَرى بِصَوابِ الرَّأيِ في اليَومِ كُلَّ ما
يَجيءُ غَداً من حلّ أَمرٍ وَمن عَقدِ
He sees with sound opinion in the day all that
Comes tomorrow, whether settled or knotted.
نَهوضٌ بِأَعباءِ السِيادَةِ لَم يَكُن
بِوانٍ وَلا واهي العُرى واهِنِ الشَدِّ
Undertaking the burdens of authority, he was never
Languid, enfeebled, or frail in his strength.
إِذا اِفتَرَّ ثَغرُ الهَزلِ عَبَّسَ جِدُّهُ
فَيالَكَ مِن هَزلٍ وَيا لَكَ مِن جِدِّ
When the lip of jest parts, his seriousness scowls.
What jest and what seriousness you have!
مفيضٌ عَلى قُصّادِهِ وَعُفاتِهِ
بِسَحّينِ من صَوتَي نَوالٍ وَمِن رِفدِ
Bestowing on his readers and the chaste among them
With two spreading springs of voice and stream.
فَوَرَّثَهُ اللَهُ السَعادَةَ سَرمَداً
عَلى رغمِ آنافِ العِدا وَذَوي الحِقدِ
So Allah granted him everlasting good fortune,
Despite the hostility of enemies and those of envy.
وَلا بَرِحَت أَيّامُهُ مُستَطيلَةً
مُشَيَّدَةَ البُنيانِ بِالعِزِّ وَالسَّعدِ
His days have not ceased to stretch out,
Built with might and fortune.
