أَلَمْ تَكُ لِلْمُلُوكِ الْغُرِّ تاجا
وَلِلدُّنْيا وَعالَمِها سِراجا
Were you not a crown for the virtuous kings,
And a lamp for the world and its affairs?
أَلَمْ تَحْلُلْ ذُرى الْمَجْدِ الْتِهاماً
بِغاياتِ الْمَكارِمِ وَالْتِهاجا
Did you not eagerly pursue the particles of glory
With the most noble and joyous of goals?
لَقَدْ شَرُفَ الزَّمانُ بِكَ افْتِخاراً
كَما سَعِدَ الأَنامُ بِكَ ابْتِهاجاً
The era was ennobled by your pride,
Just as people rejoiced in your joy.
رَأَوْا مَلِكاً أَنامِلُهُ بِحارٌ
مَنَ الْمَعْروفِ تَلْتَجُّ الْتِجاجا
They saw a king whose acts were seas
Of benevolence overflowing with generosity.
حَقِيقاً أَنْ يُجابَ عَلَى اللَّيالِي
بِهِ ثَوْبُ الثُّناءِ وَأَنْ يُساجا
It is truly right to reciprocate these nights
With the garment of praise and felicity.
يَكادُ الْغَيْثُ يُشْبِهُهُ سَماحاً
إِذا انْهَلَّ انْسِفاحاً وَانْثِجاجا
The rain resembles you in its generosity
When it pours forth copiously with abundance.
أَغَرُّ يهِيجُ طِيبُ الذِّكْرِ مِنْهُ
هَوىً بِرَجائِهِ ما كانَ هاجا
The most fragrant aroma stirs up passionate love,
And yearning hearts that long for you.
تَبِيتُ رِكابُنا ما يَمَّمَتْهُ
تُخالِجُنا أَزِمَّتَها خِلاجا
My stead mounts the saddle at night
As anxieties churn within me.
كأَنَّ الْعِيسَ خابِرَةٌ إِلى مَنْ
بِنا تَطْوِي الْمَخارِمَ وَالْفِجاجا
It is as if the stallion gallops towards one
Who traverses the rugged terrain and clefts.
كَأَنَّ الْفَوْزَ بِالآمالِ تُمْسِي
إِلَيْهِ النَّاجِياتُ بِهِ تُناجا
As if attaining hopes leads those who call to you
At night to privately confide in you.
مَلِيٌّ حِينَ يُنْذَرُ بِالأَعادِي
وَأَمضى الْعالَمِينَ إِذا يفاجا
A formidable king when threatened by enemies,
And the firmest of all when embroiled in fury,
يَرُوحُ وَخَيْلُهُ تَخْتالُ تِيهاً
بِأَشْجَعِ مَنْ بِها شَهِدَ الْهِياجا
His horsemen roam confusedly
With the bravest who witnessed the battles.
وَما الْمِسْكُ السَّحِيقُ إِذا امْتَطاها
بِأَهْلٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ لهَا عَجاجا
Pure musk is not befitting when carried
By the unworthy; it would be adulterated.
يَطُولُ بِها الثَّرى إِنْ صافَحَتْهُ
وَإِنْ سَلَكَتْ بِهِ سُبُلاً فِجاجا
The ground is lengthened when it meets him,
And the roads expanded wherever he travels.
كَأَنَّ بِسَهْلِهِ وَالْحَزْنِ مِنْها
عِضاضاً لِلسَّنابِكِ أَوْ شِجاجا
It is as if his plains and sorrows
Are like windows or perforated coverings.
مَدَدْتَ إِلى اقْتِناءِ الْحَمْدِ كَفَّاً
طِمى بَحْرُ السَّماحِ بِها وَماجا
You have extended your hand to gain praise
While the sea of generosity has ebbed.
وَغادَرْتَ الْعَوالِيَ بِالْمَعالِي
كَخِيسِ اللَّيْثِ عَزَّ بِهِ وِلاجا
You have abandoned vanity for noble deeds
As a despised lion still garners might.
وَأَنْتَ جَعَلْتَ بَيْنَهُما انْتِساباً
بِما آلى إِباؤُكَ وَانْتِساجا
You have made a lineage between them
Through what your forefathers established.
ضَرَبْتَ مِنَ الظُّبى سُوراً عَلَيْها
وَمِنْ شَوْكِ الرِّماحِ لَها سِياجا
You have made impregnable walls against calamities
And a fence of spear thorns around them.
وَلَمْ تَقْنُ الْقَنا يَوْماً لِتَقْضِي
بَغِيْرِ صُدُورِها لِلْمَجْدِ حاجا
You have never sheathed a sword to attain glory
Except by boldly drawing it forth.
وَلَوْلا الطَّعْنُ فِي الْهَيْجاءِ شَزْراً
لَما فَضَلَتْ أَسِنَّتُها الزِّجاجا
If not for the piercing sparks of swords
Their blades would not have been so sharpened.
إِذا داءٌ مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَعْيا
عَلَى الأَيّامِ طِبَّاً أَوْ عِلاجا
When the days brought an illness,
You prepared a remedy or cure for them.
أَعَدْتَ لَهُ بِبِيضِ الهِنْدِ كَيَّاً
وَأَشْفى الْكَيَّ أَبْلَغُهُ نِضاجا
You made healing poultices of eggs
And the ripest cure is the most potent.
وَكَمْ سَيْلٍ ثَنَيْتَ بِها وَمَيْلٍ
أَقَمْتَ فَلَمْ تَدَعْ فِيهِ اعْوِجاجا
How many torrents have you diverted, and slopes
Leveled, leaving no crookedness?
وَقِيلٍ قَدْ دَلَفْتَ لَهُ بِخَيْلٍ
كَشُهْبِ الْقَذْفِ تَرْتَهِجُ ارْتِهاجا
How many enemies have you confronted with horses
Like sparks of flint colliding and scattering?
كَأَنَّ دَبىً وَرِجْلاً مِنْ جَرادٍ
بِها وَالْغابَ يُرْقِلُ وَالْحِراجا
It is as if there are locusts swarming
Making the thorns and bushes rustle.
عَصَفْنَ بِعِزِّهِ وَضَرَبْنَ منْهُ
مَعَ الهامِ الْمَعاقِدَ وَالْوِداجا
They have ravaged his glory and struck
The tightly-knotted alliances.
وَكُنْتَ إِذا عَلَوْتَ مَطا جَوادٍ
مَلأْتَ الأَرْضَ أَمْناً وانْزِعاجا
When you rode the backs of noble steeds,
You filled the land with safety and tremors.
وَكَمْ أَحْصَدْتَ مِنْ عَقْدٍ لِجارٍ
وَلا كَرَباً شَدَدْتَ وَلا عِناجا
How many have you liberated from the shackles of neighbors,
Without tightening or unbinding a knot?
إِذا باتَتْ لأبناءٍ عِظامٍ
بَناتُ الصَّدْرِ تَعْتَلِجُ اعْتِلاجا
When the noble ladies are sleepless at night
With breasts churning restlessly,
جَزاكَ اللهُ نَصْراً عَنْ مَساعٍ
حَمَيْنَ الدِّينَ عِزّاً أَنْ يُهاجا
May God reward you with victory over exertions
To preserve the dignity of the faith.
فَلَمْ تَكُ إِذْ تَمُورُ الأَرْضُ مَوْراً
وَتَرْتَجُّ الْجِبالُ بِها ارْتِجاجا
So you have not been, when the earth quakes,
And mountains tremble and shake,
لِثَغْرِ مَخُوفَةٍ إِلاّ سِداداً
وَبابِ مُلِمَّةٍ إِلاّ رِتاجا
Like a fearful gap, except a barrier,
And a closed door, except its bolt.
وَلَمْ تَضِقِ الْخُطُوبُ السُّودُ إِلا
جَعَلْنا مِنْ نَداكَ لَها انْفِراجا
Adversities' darkness did not narrow
Except that your aid made an opening for us.
كَفى ظُلَمَ النَّوائِبِ واللَّيالِي
بِبَهْجَتِكَ انْحِساراً وَانْبِلاجا
Your joy diminishing gloom and nights
Is enough, like the unveiling of dawn.
وَحَسْبُ الْعِيدِ عِيدٌ مِنْكَ يَحْظى
بِهِ ما عادَ مُرْتَقِباً وَعاجا
A feast with you is the only holiday needed,
Not expecting any other celebration.
فَدُمْتَ لَهُ وَلِلنِّعَمِ اللَّواتِي
غدَوْتَ بِها لِرَبِّ التَّاجِ تاجا
So may you remain, and your bounties
With which you came to your Lord as a crown,
تَجِلُّ حِلىً إِذا ما الْقَطْرُ حَلى
بِرَيِّقِهِ الأَناعِمَ وَالنَّباجا
That shine brilliantly when the rain drips
With its soft droplets and showers.
إِذا ما كُنْتَ تاجَ عُلىً فَمَنْ ذا
يَكُونُ لَكَ الْجَبِينَ أَوِ الْحَجاجا
If you are a crown above all others, then who
Could be the forehead or the pulpit for you?
إِلَيْكَ زَفَفْتُ أَبْكارَ الْقَوافِي
وُحاداً كَالْفَرائِدِ أَوْ زَواجا
I have presented to you the prime of my poems
Pristine, like chaste brides or pairs.
سَوامِي الْهَمِّ لا تَعْدُوكَ مَدْحاً
إِذا اخْتَلَجَ الضَّمِيرُ بها اخْتِلاجا
The summits of my concerns do not transcend you in praise
When the heart churns with them restlessly.
تَزُورُ عُلاكَ مَرَّاً وانْثِناءً
وَقَصْداً بِالْمَحامِدِ وانْعِراجا
They visit your ascension time and again
With purpose, eulogies, and devotion.
فَكَمْ شادٍ لَها طَرِبٍ وَحادٍ
بها غَرِدٍ بُكُوراً وادِّلاجا
How many have been ecstatic and enraptured by them,
Singing praises at dawn and twilight!
وَكَمْ راوٍ كَأَنَّ بِفِيهِ مِنْها
مُجاجَ النَّحْلِ حُبَّ بِهِ مُجاجا
How many conveyors are as though by them
Is the buzzing of bees dripping with honey!
يَزِيدُ بِها الشَّجِيُّ شَجىً وَبَثّاً
وَيَهْتاجُ الْخَلِيُّ بِها اهْتِياجا
They increase the lover's passion and fervor,
And the dreamer is frenzied by their rapture.
أَقُولُ بِحَقِّ ما تُسْدِي وَتُولِي
وَلَيْسَ بِحَقّ مَنْ حابى وَداجا
I say in truth without reserve or bias,
Not in the right of one who stubbornly refused.
وَأَنْتَ أَعَدْتَ لِي بِيضاً حِساناً
لَيالِيَ دَهْرِيَ السُّودَ السِّماجا
You have prepared radiant white nights for me
To replace my gloomy bleak nights.
أَتَيْتُكَ لَمْ أَدَعْ لِلْحَظِّ عُذْراً
إِلَيَّ وَلا عَلَيَّ لَهُ احْتِجاجا
I came to you without making excuses
For fate against me or using it as a plea.
وَلَمْ أَجْعَلْكَ دُونَ الْخَلْقِ قَصْدِي
لِتَجْعَلَ لِي إِلى الْخَلْقِ احتِياجا
I did not make you my sole pursuit
So you would make me need all the people.
أُقِيمُ عَلَى الصَّدى ما لَمْ يُهَبْ بِي
إِلى الْوِرْدِ الْكَرِيمِ وَلَمْ يُجاجا
I will settle for longing as long as I am not
Deprived of the dear rose and objected to.
فَكَمْ جاوَزْتُ مِنْ عَذْبٍ زُلالٍ
إِلَيْكَ أَعُدُّهُ ملْحاً أُجاجا
How much sweet delicate water have I passed
To reach you, counting it as briny!
إِلى مَلِكٍ سَقى الإِحْسانَ صِرْفاً
فَلَمْ يَذَرِ الْمِطالَ لَهُ مِزاجا
To a king who freely bestowed kindness
Without leaving a remainder or portion.
سَنِيِّ الْبَذْلِ ما حَمَلَتْ تَماماً
مَواعِدُهُ وَلا وَضَعَتْ خِداجا
Of beautiful giving - his promises
Did not carry unfulfilled, nor any burden.
وَخَيْرُ لَقائِحِ الْمَعْرُوفِ عِنْدَ النَّ
دى ما كانَ أَسْرَعها نَتاجا
The swiftest requitals for good deeds are
With you the finest offspring.
إِذا ما عاتَبَ الأَيّامَ حُرٌّ
بِغَيْرِكَ لَمْ تَزِدْ إِلاّ لَجاجا
When a freeman complains of days
To other than you, it only increases anguish.
