ماذا يَهيجُكَ مِن دارٍ بِمَحنِيَةٍ
كَالبُردِ غَيَّرَ مِنها الجِدَّةَ العُصُرُ
What arouses your interest in a house of affliction
Whose new look has been changed by the cold
عَفَّت مَعارِفَها ريحٌ تُنَسِّفُها
حَتّى كَأَنَّ بَقايا رَسمِها سُطُرُ
Its landmarks have been erased by a devastating wind
As if its vestiges were but lines
أَزرى بِجِدَّتِها بَعدي وَغَيَّرَها
هوجُ الرِياحِ الَّتي تَغدو وَتَبتَكِرُ
I visited it after its new look changed
By the winds that blow night and day
دارٌ لِواضِحَةِ الخَدَّيَنِ ناعِمَةٍ
غَرثى الوَشاحِ لَها في دَلِّها خَفَرُ
A house of a soft-cheeked graceful woman
A guard of her wraps guards her wraps
كَأَنَّها دُرَّةٌ أَغلى التِجارُ بِها
مَكنونَةٌ رَبِحوا فيها وَما خَسِروا
As if it were a pearl the merchants competed for
Treasured, they profited without losing
قُل لِلخَليفَةِ موسى إِنَّ نائِلَهُ
جَزلٌ هَنِيٌّ وَما في سَيبِهِ كَدَرُ
Tell the Caliph Musa that his attainment
Is abundant, pleasant, with no trace of turmoil
مُتَوَّجٌ بِالهُدى بِالحَمدِ مُلتَحِفٌ
مُسَربَلٌ بِالنَدى بِالمَجدِ مُتَّزِرُ
Adorned with guidance, clad with praise
Wrapped in dew, dressed in glory
موسى الَّذي بَذَلَ المَعروفَ يُنهِبُهُ
في الناسِ فَالجودُ مِن كَفَّيهِ يَنهَمِرُ
Musa who spent good deeds that loot him
Among people, so generosity overflows from his palms
أَشَمُّ تَنميهِ آباءٌ جَحاجِحَةٌ
شُمُّ الأُنوفِ عَلى ما نابَهُم صَيَروا
I smell the upbringing of resolute forefathers
Keen of scent regarding what they attained
لَن يُؤمِنَ الناسُ مَن لَم يُؤمِنوا أَبَداً
وَاللَهُ يُؤمِنُ مَن آوَوا نَصَروا
People will never believe those who never believed
And Allah gives faith to those who supported and protected
لا يَكسِرُ الناسُ ما شَدّوا جَبائِرَهُ
وَلَيسَ يُجبَرُ طولَ الدَهرِ مَن كَسَروا
People do not break what they tied strongly
And those broken are not mended for long
أَنتَ الدَعامَةُ يا موسى إِذا اِحتَدَمَت
نيرانُها وَحُماةُ الحَربِ تَجتَزِرُ
You are the pillar, O Musa, when its
Fires are raging and war igniters are kindling
وَإِن غَضِبتَ فَما في الناسِ مِن بَشَرٍ
إِلّا عَلى خَطَر ما مِثلُهُ خَطَرُ
If you get angry, then no human among people
Is safe from a danger like yours
ما مُخدِرٌ خَدِرٌ مُستَأسِدٌ أَسَدٌ
ضُبارِمٌ خادِرٌ ذو صَولَةٍ زَئِرُ
No drowsy, no docile, no lion, no young lion
No sleepy, no ferocious with might roaring
غَضَنفَرٌ غَضِفٌ قِرضابَةٌ ثَقِفٌ
مُستَرعِبٌ لِقُلوبِ الناسِ مُصطَبَرُ
No angry, no biter, no fighter, no thick
Terrifying people’s hearts, enduring
ذو بُرثُنٍ شَرِثٍ ضَخمٌ مُزَوَّرُهُ
خُبَعثَنُ الخَلقِ في أَخلاقِهِ زَعَرُ
With a wide chest and body, his appearance augmented
Evil-natured, in morals and deeds disdainful
جَأبُ الشَراسيفِ رَحبُ الجَوفِ مُفتَرِسٌ
عِندَ التَجاوُلِ لِلأَقرانِ مُهتَصِرُ
Driving off the brave, wide-bellied, predating
When the peers meet, overpowering
عَفَرنَسٌ أَهرَتُ الشِدقَينِ ذو حَنَقٍ
لِلقِرنِ عِندَ لِقا الأَقرانِ مُقتَسِرُ
Bleary-eyed, angry when the peers meet
Able to subdue the peers when they clash
جَهمُ المُحَيّا هَموسٌ لا يُنَهنِهُهُ
صَوتُ الرِجالِ وَلا لِلزَجرِ يَنزَجِرُ
Deaf, not hindered by men’s voices
Or chiding, does not refrain from aggression
في خَطمِهِ خَنَسٌ في أَنفِهِ فَطَسٌ
كَأَنَّما وَجهُهُ مِن هَضبَةٍ حَجَرُ
With a flat nose, snub nose, his face like
A plateau of stone, expressionless
ذو أَلَّةٍ قَيسَرِيٌّ حينَ تَبرِزُهُ
غَشَمشَمِيٌّ فَلا يُبقي وَلا يَذَرُ
Owner of a twisted mouth, when battles emerge
He snarls, leaves no survivors
بِبالِغٍ عُشرَ عُشرٍ مِن شَجاعَتِهِ
إِذا تَنازَلَتِ الأَبطالُ وَاِشتَجَروا
With unprecedented courage when warriors
Parley and the heroes clash
بَل أَنتَ أَجرَأُ مِنهُ في تَقَدُّمِهِ
وَأَنتَ أَقدَمُ مِنهُ حينَ يَجتَئِرُ
But you are braver than him when advancing
And older than him when raging
بَل لَو يُلاقيكِ أَضحى اللَيلُ مِن فَرَقِ
وَخيفَةً مِنكَ لا قى يَومَهُ القَدَرُ
In fact, if he met you, from fear of you
The night would lose its darkness and value
يا خَيرَ مَن عَقَدَت كَفّاهُ حُجزَتَهُ
وَخَيرَ مَن قَلَّدَتهُ أَمرَها مُضَرُ
O best of those whose palms held his reigns
And the best of those he appointed as leaders of Mudar
إِلّا النَبِيَّ رَسولَ اللَهِ أَنَّ لَهُ
فَضلاً وَأَنتَ بِذاكَ الفَضلِ تَفتَخِرُ
Except the Prophet, Allah’s Messenger, for he
Has merit you pride yourself in boasting
