ضَنّ السَّمَاحُ عَلَيْه بِالتَّرحالِ

وأفَادَهُ الإحْسَانُ حُسْنَ الحَالِ

The tolerant pardoned him for wandering,

And kindness improved his condition.

فَبَنَى عَزَائِمَهُ على تَقْويضِها

وَثَنَى رَكَائِبَهُ عن الإرقَالِ

So he built his resolves upon ruining them,

And folded back his mounts from galloping.

يُمْنُ الخِلافَةِ بُورِكَتْ وَيَمِينُها

جَادا عَلَيْها بِالْجَدا الهَطَّالِ

With the caliphate's good fortune he was blessed,

Generous upon it with intense determination.

وَلَقَدْ شَفَى إِقْبَالُهَا مَا شَفَّه

فَاعْتَاضَ مِنْ شَكْواه بِالإبْلالِ

Indeed its prosperity cured what it cured,

So he complained of his illness with submission.

لَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْها عَادَةً عَدَوِيَّةً

كَرُمَتْ عَن الإخْلافِ والإخْلالِ

No hostile habit came from it,

It was too noble for betrayal or perfidy.

وَأَبَى المعالي أنَّ ما بَذَلَتْ لهُ

عَطَفَاتُها لِمَكَارِم وَمَعَالِ

And the Exalted One refused what it offered him

Of its kind acts and favors.

لَوْلا النَّدى والحلْمُ نَادَتْهُ النَّوى

فَأجَابَها بِتَحمُّلٍ ورِحَالِ

Had it not been for calm and forbearance, worries

Would have called him, and he would have answered with endurance and travel.

أيُقيمُ لَيْسَ يَريمُ بَيْنَ إضَافَةٍ

عَالَتْ فَريضَتُها وَبَيْنَ عِيَالِ

Does he who cannot support a dependent woman

Whose duty soared, and his own family, stay?

هَلْ شَرْبَةٌ مِنْ أَبْحُرِ الجَدْوَى سِوَى

ثَمَدٍ يَفِيضُ لِرَأسِ كُلِّ هِلالِ

Is one draft from the sea of ardor enough,

Except overflowing at the head of each crescent moon?

مَنْ ذا يُوَافيهِ الخُمُولُ فَلا يَفِي

وَسَطَ الفَلا بِتَقَحُّمِ الأَهوالِ

Who is there whom sluggishness meets but doesn't repay

Amidst perils with boldly plunging ahead?

رِحَلاً طِوَالاً رَامَ إذْ لَم يَحْتَقِبْ

إلا أذَى حِقَبٍ عَلَيْهِ طِوالِ

Lengthy travels he assumed when he did not fear

Anything but the harm of a long period against him.

قَصَرَتْ مَداهَا لِلخَليفَةِ رَحْمَةٌ

مُنْثَالَةٌ بِنَوالِهِ المُنْثَالِ

Shortened for the Caliph were the days of mercy,

Agitated by his agitated fortune.

واللّهُ يَشْكُرُ مَا أتَى مِنْ صَالِحٍ

لَوْلاهُ وَالى حَاصِدُ الآمالِ

And God is thankful for the righteous things

That came were it not for Him, the Reaper of Hopes.

حَسْبُ الأَماني أنَّ يَحْيَى المُرْتَضَى

يُجْرِي عَلى الإسْعافِ كُلَّ سُؤالِ

Hopes are fulfilled: al-Murtaza Yahya

Answers all requests with aid.

مَلِكٌ يَرَى دِيناً ودُنْيا أنْ تَرَى

أدْنَى مَوَاهِبه بُيُوتُ الْمَالِ

A king who sees religion and world, that they see

The least of his gifts are homes of wealth.

وكَذَا إذَا الهَيْجَاءُ صُفَّتْ أُسْدُها

فَصَرِيعُهَا مِنْهَا أبُو الأَشْبَالِ

And likewise, when the frenzied lionesses rank themselves,

Then the one killed by them is the Father of Cubs.

لا يَرْتَضي إلا الفُتُوحَ جَلِيلَةً

بِحُلِيِّ عِزٍّ أقْعَسٍ وَجَلالِ

He accepts nothing but mighty conquests

In the dignity of a dread and mighty dominion.

مَلَكِيَّةٌ أخْلاقُهُ فَكَأنهُ

مَا صِيغَ في الأمْلاكِ مِنْ صَلْصالِ

Royal are his manners, so it is as if

He was cast in kingdoms from steel.

مَولايَ لِي فِي الشكرِ مُعْتَمَدٌ فَهَلْ

يَمْضِي لِمَا أَرْجُو مِن اسْتِعْمَالِ

My patron, I depend on you in gratitude, so will

What I hope for from employment come to pass?

إنْ لَم تُفِدنِي ضَيْعَة أوْ صَنْعَة

فَضَياعُ أحْوالِي من الأحْوالِ

If neither an estate nor office benefits me,

Then the loss of my circumstances is a circumstance.