جَرى لَكَ بِالتَّوْفِيقِ أَيْمَنُ طائِرِ

وَمُلِّيتَ مَأْثُورَ الْعُلى وَالْمآثِرِ

Good fortune smiled on you, auspicious bird,

And you fulfilled the heights of fame and virtues,

وَأَيَّدَكَ اللهُ الْعِليُّ ثَناؤُهُ

بَعاجِلِ نَصْرٍ خالِدِ الْعِزِّ قاهِرِ

And God the Most High lent you support, glory to Him,

With immediate victory, strong and victorious vanquisher.

وَلا زِلْتَ وَرّاداً إِلى كُلِّ مَفْخَرٍ

مَوارِدَ مَحْمُودٍ سَعِيدِ الْمَصادِرِ

And you remain replenishing every proud one,

With praiseworthy, fortunate springs,

لَقَدْ دَلَّ تَشْرِيفُ الْخَلِيفَةِ أَنَّهُ

بِخَيْرِ بَنِي أَيّامِهِ خَيْرُ خابِرِ

Indeed the Caliph honoring you indicates

That you are the best of the people of his days, the superior one.

وَأَنَّ لَهُ فِي حَوْطَةِ الدِّينِ هِمَّةً

بِها يَسْتَحِقُّ النَّصْرَ مِنْ كُلِّ ناصِرِ

And that in defending the religion you have determination,

With which you deserve victory from every supporter,

تَسَرْبَلْتَ عَضْبَ الدَّوْلَةِ الْمُلْكَ فَخْرَهُ

وَما الْفَخْرُ إِلاّ لِلسُّيُوفِ الْبَواتِرِ

You donned the ferocity of the exalted state, the kingdom its pride,

And pride belongs only to effective, penetrating swords.

وما جَهِلَتْ نُعْماهُ عِنْدَكَ قَدْرَها

وَقَدْ كَشَفَتْ عَمّا طَوى فِي الْضّمائِرِ

You knew the value of his gifts to you,

And uncovered what was veiled in consciences,

وَما نَبَّهَتْ إِلاّ عَلَى ذِي نَباهَةٍ

كَما سُقِي الرَّوْضُ الْخَطِيبُ بِماطِرِ

You alerted only one of vigilance,

As the meadow was watered, the eloquent one, with rain.

وَما كانَ إِلاّ الْعَنْبَرَ الْوَرْدَ فِعْلُهُ

أُضِيفَ إِلى نَشْرٍ مِنَ الْمِسْكِ عاطِرِ

It was only fragrant ambergris, its deed,

Added to the diffusion of aromatic musk,

وَما شاءَ إلاّ أَنْ تُحَقِّقَ عِنْدَهُ

مَحَلَّكَ مِنْ طاوٍ هَواهُ وَناشِرِ

It only desired that it establish your station with him

As one whose love he harbored and disseminated.

وَأَنَّكَ مَعْقُودٌ بِأَكْبرِ هِمَّةٍ

وَأَنَّكَ مَعْدُودٌ لَهُ فِي الذَّخائِرِ

And that you are bound with the greatest determination,

And counted among his treasures,

وَلَيْسَ يَبِينُ الدَّهْرَ إِخْلاصُ باطِنٍ

إذا أَنْتَ لَمْ تُدْلَلْ عَلَيْهِ بِظاهِرِ

Sincerity of inner self is not revealed by time

If you do not prove it with the outer.

رَآكَ بِعَيْنِ اللُّبِّ أَبْعَدَ فِي الْعُلى

وَأَسْعَدَ مِنْ زُهْرِ النُّجُومِ الْبَواهِرِ

He saw you with the eye of affection, in the highest,

And happier than the blossoms of brilliant stars,

وَأَبْهى مَحَلاً فِي الْقُلُوبِ وَمَوْقِعاً

وَأَشْهى إِلى لَحْظِ الْعُيُونِ النَّواظِرِ

And finest in station in hearts and position,

And most delicious to the gaze of beholding eyes.

وَأَطْعَمَ فِي الَّلأْواءِ والدَّهْرُ ساغِبٌ

وَأَطْعَنَ فِي صَدْرِ الْكَمِيِّ الْمَغامِرِ

And most nourishing in intimacy while time is arid,

And most piercing in the chest of the venturesome.

فَناهَزَ فَخْراً باصْطِفائِكَ عاجِلاً

عَلَى كُلِّ باقٍ فِي الزّمانِ وَغابِرِ

So he surpassed quickly in choosing you

Over all remaining in time and passing away.

وَما ذاكَ مِنْ فِعْلِ الْخَلِيفَةِ مُنْكَرٌ

وَلا عَجَبٌ فيض البحور الزواخر

This is not strange from the Caliph,

Nor wonder, the outpouring of stormy seas,

وما عد إلا من مناقبه التي

مثلن بِهِ فِي الفِعْلِ طِيبَ الْعَناصِرِ

And it counts only among his outstanding qualities,

That were exemplified through him in deed, good traits.

وَما كانَ تَأْثِيلٌ شَرِيفٌ وَسُؤْدُدٌ

لِيُنْكَرَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النُّهَى وَالْبَصائِرِ

It was not a noble, exalted deed,

For it to be denied by people of ethics and insights.

وأَنْتَ الَّذِي مِنْ بَأْسِهِ فِي جَحافِلٍ

وَمِنْ مَجْدِهِ فِي أُسْرَةٍ وَعَشائِرِ

You are the one whose might in regiments,

And whose glory among kinfolk and clans,

بِعَزْماتِ مَجْدٍ ثاقِباتٌ هُمُومُها

وَآراءِ مَلْكٍ مُحْصَداتِ الْمَرائِرِ

With penetrating judgments of glory, their concerns,

And views of a kingdom, reaping insights,

يَراها ذَوُو الأَضْغانِ بَثَّ حَبائِلٍ

وَما هِيَ إلاّ أَسْهُمٌ فِي الْمَناحِرِ

Those harboring grudges see it as a web of problems,

Yet it is only arrows in throats.

وَآياتُ مَجْدٍ باهِراتٌ كَأَنَّها

بَدائِعُ تَأْتِي بِالْمَعانِي النَّوادِر

And brilliant signs of evident glory, as if

They are marvelous novel concepts.

وَأَخْلاقُ مَعْشُوقِ السَّجايا كَأَنَّما

سَقاكَ بِها كَأْسَ النَّدِيمِ الْمُعاقِرِ

And manners of the beloved traits, as though

He offered you from them a cup of vintage to sip.

يَبيتُ بَعِيداً أَنْ تُوَجَّهَ وَصْمَةٌ

عَلَى عِرْضِهِ والدَّهْرُ باقِي الْمَعايرِ

Far it remains that any blemish be directed

Toward his reputation, while time remains testing morals.

إِذا دَفَعَ الطُّلابَ إِلْحاحُ لَزْبَةٍ

فأَنْتَ الَّذِي لا يَتَّقِي بِالْمُعاذِرِ

When the insistence of insistent seekers is deflected,

You are the one who does not defend with excuses.

وَما لِلْبُدُورِ أَنْ تَكُفَّ ضِياءَها

وَلا الْبُخْلُ فِي طَبْعِ الْغَمامِ البَواكِرِ

It is not for full moons to veil their illumination,

Nor is stinginess in the nature of pouring clouds.

لَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ أَتْعَبْتَ بِالْحَمْدِ مَنْطِقِي

وَأَكْثَرتَ مِنْ شُغْلِ الْقَوافِي السَّوائِرِ

By my life, you have exhausted with thanks my rhetoric,

And multiplied the occupation of roving rhymes.

وَما نَوَّهَتْ مِنْكَ الْقَوافِي بِخامِلٍ

وَلكِنْ رَأْيْتُ الشِّعْرَ قَيْدَ الْمَفاخِرِ

The rhymes have not roused you with any sluggish one,

But I saw poetry bound by pride.

إِذا أَنْتَ لَمْ تَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْكَ جانِباً

فَمَنْ يَقْتَنِي الْحَمْدَ اقْتِناءَ الْجَواهِرِ

If you do not make for it through you an aspect,

Then who attains praise as gathering jewels?

وَما زِلْتَ مَشْغُوفاً لَدَيَّ مُتَيَّماً

بِكُلِّ رَداحٍ مِنْ بَناتِ الْخَواطِرِ

You remain passionate toward me, infatuated

With every bit of inspiration from spontaneous thoughts.

لَهُنَّ إِذا وافَيْنَ مَجْدَكَ قُرْبَةُ الْ

حِسانِ وَدَلُّ الآنِساتِ الْغَرائِرِ

They, if the favor of benevolence attends your glory,

And the visiting of intimate thoughts, secrets.

يَرِدْنَ رَبِيعاً مِنْ جَنابِكَ مُمْرِعاً

وَيَرْتَعْنَ فِي إِثْرِ الْغُيُومِ الْمَواطِرِ

Return from your side a flourishing spring,

And pasture in the wake of pouring rains,

وَإِنِّي لَقَوّالٌ لِكُلِّ قَصِيدَةٍ

إِذا قِيلَ شِعْرٌ أَقْحَمَتْ كُلَّ شاعِرِ

And I am saying to every ode,

If it is said there is poetry, it provokes every poet,

فَمِنْ كَلِمٍ يَكْلُمِنْ أَكْبادَ جُسَّدِي

وَمِنْ فِقَرٍ تَرْمِيهِمْ بِالفَواقِرِ

So from anxiety that makes my liver ache,

And from poverty that casts them with spears.

ألا لَيْتَ شِعَرِي هَلْ أَفُوزُ بِدَوْلَةٍ

تُصَرِّفُ كَفِّي فِي عِنانِ الْمَقادِرِ

Oh if only my poetry gains a state

That guides my palm in the reins of fate,

وَهَلْ تَنَهْضُ الأَيّامُ بِي فِي مَقاوِمٍ

تَطُولُ بِناهٍ لِلزَّمانِ وَآمِرِ

And if only the days carry me to opponents

That stand long for time and command.

فإِنَّ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ الْمُبِينِ وَأَنْتَ لي

نُزُولِي عَلَى حُكْمِ اللَّيالِي الْجَوائِرِ

For it is clear incapacity while you are for me

My descent into the judgment of cruel nights.