رأتْ واللّيْلُ قد سَدَلَ الرِّواقا

شُعاعَ البرْقِ يأتَلِقُ ائْتِلاقَا

She saw as night had let down its curtains,

The flash of lightning glittering brightly.

وحقّقَتِ الوَميضَ وميضَ نجْدٍ

فهاجَ فؤادَها نجْدٌ وشاقَا

It realized the lightning flash of Nejd,

So her heart was stirred - Nejd and yearning!

ونازَعَها الزِّمامُ فَما ثَناها

وعارَضَها العِقالُ فما أطاقَا

The reins struggled with her, but didn't stop her,

The halter confronted her, but she couldn't bear it.

تَقولُ ليَ السُّراةُ وقدْ أجَدَّتْ

أخَبْلاً تشْتَكي قُلْتُ اشتِياقا

The horsewomen say to me, crying from lovesickness,

"A crazed one complains." I said, "From longing,

إلى عُمَرَ بن عبْدِ اللهِ حنّتْ

رِكابِي فهْيَ تسْتَبِقُ اسْتِباقا

For Umar ibn Abdallah she sighs,

My she-camel strives ahead impetuously.

إلى الغَيْثِ الذي إنْ شحّ غيْثٌ

فمِنْ يمْناهُ ينْدَفِقُ انْدِفاقا

For the rain which, if it is scarce,

From his right hand pours profusely.

إلى اللّيْثِ الذي راعَ الأعادِي

وأمّنَ رِفْقُ سِيرتِهِ الرِّفاقا

For the lion who guarded enemies

And his gentle behavior secured companions.

إلى حبْرِ السّياسَةِ لا يُجارَى

ولا يَبْغِي مُعارِضُهُ اللِّحاقَا

For the sea of politics, none contends,

Nor do opponents seek to catch up.

إلى الفَطِنِ الذي لوْلا نَداهُ

إذا ما جُسْتَهُ خِفْتَ احْتِراقا

For the brilliant one, who, if you tested him

You'd fear conflagration from his heat.

إلى قمَرِ الوِزارَةِ جلّلَتْهُ

إياةُ السّعْدِ نوراً واتّساقَا

For the moon of ministry whom the auspicious days

Have adorned with light and proportion.

وَحيدُ الفضْلِ مُشتَرَكُ الأيادِي

بمَيْدانِ العُلا حازَ السِّباقا

Unique in nobility, his hands open

He won the race to lofty levels.

إذا نسَقَ الحَديثَ الرّطْبَ قُلْنا

أهَذا الشّهْدُ أمْ أحْلَى مَذاقا

When he pours cool soft speech we say

'Is this honey or sweeter taste?'

وإنْ ذُكِرَتْ مَفاخِرُهُ ابْتَدَرْنا

مهَبَّ الطّيبِ يُنْتَشَقُ انْتِشاقا

If his glories are mentioned we sense

The wafting fragrance diffuse rapidly.

مَرينِيُّ النِّجارِ فَلا ادِّعاءً

تَقولُ إذا مدَحْتَ ولا اخْتِلاقا

Not pretentiously do I praise

The carpenter from Mureyni.

ومَنْ كأبِيهِ عبْدِ اللّهِ رأياً

إذا ما المُعْضِلُ انْطَبَقَ انْطِباقا

He who's like his father Abdullah in opinion

If a problem arises, resolves it completely.

لَعَبْدُ اللّهِ في الوِزارَةِ مهْما

تُذوكِرَ خيْرُ مَنْ ركَضَ العِتاقَا

Abdullah, as much as is said of excellence in ministry,

Is its pillar and gilded arrow.

ظَهيرُ الأمْرِ والقِدْحُ المعَلّى

وأكْرَمُ مَنْ نَضا البِيضَ الرِّقاقَا

Its noblest support, its honored one,

He who aided the weak and needy.

غَدَتْ عُلْياهُ فوْقَ البَدْرِ تاجاً

وللجوْزاءِ قدْ مثَلَتْ نِطاقَا

His excellence became, above the moon, a crown,

And for the belt of Aldebaran a band.

لقدْ غَدَتِ الوِزارةُ منْكَ تُزْهى

بمَنْ رقّتْ سَجاياهُ وَراقا

Truly through you is the ministry adorned

By one whose nature is gentle and agreeable.

وسيْفُ المُلْكِ أنتَ وأيُّ سيْفٍ

كَفى الأزَماتِ دونَ دَمٍ أراقَا

You are the sword of the kingdom - which sword

Sufficed crises without blood spilled?

ركِبْتَ الهَوْلَ في سُبُلِ المَعالي

فَلُقّيتَ السّعادَةَ والوِفاقَا

You mounted the terrible in the paths to glory

And so met with harmony and concord.

ضرَبْتَ الصّخْرَ فانْفجَرَ انْفِجاراً

ضرَبْتَ البَحْرَ فانْفرَقَ انْفِراقا

You struck the rock so it burst asunder,

You struck the sea so it separated apart.

وِزارَتُكَ التي حقّاً تُهنَّى

فَما هَدَراً وَلِيتَ ولا اتِّفاقا

Your ministry which truly is congratulated

Didn't squander or exhaust or overburden.

فلَمْ تَزْدَدْ برُتْبَتِها عُلُوّاً

ولمْ تزْدَدْ بنِعْمَتِها ارْتِفاقَا

It didn't grow haughtier through its elevation,

Nor greedier through its wealth.

ولكِنْ بعْضُ حقِّكَ قُمْتَ فِيهِ

بحقِّكَ بعْدَما استُرِقَ اسْتِراقا

But you stood for some of your right

Through your right, after it was stolen.

خطَبْتُ عُلاكَ قبلَ اليوْمِ وُدّاً

بذَلْتُ منَ الوَفاءِ لهُ صَداقا

I courted your eminence before this with affection,

Paying sincerity's dowry to it.

وأوْعَدْتُ الزّمانَ بِكَ انتِصاراً

وأرْغَمْتُ الخُطوبَ بكَ اعْتِلاقا

I promised time your triumph,

And made misfortunes submissive to you.

فسامِحْني فعُذْري غيْرُ خافٍ

إذا ما العُذْرُ في التّقْصيرِ ضاقَا

So forgive me - my excuse isn't obscure -

If the excuse in falling short is constrained.

شَكَوْتُ لكَ التّغرُّبَ قبْلَ هَذا

وها أنا بعْدَهُ أشْكُو الفِراقَا

Before this I complained of estrangement to you,

And now, here I am, complaining of parting!

فلَوْلا ما تَوالَى منْ حَديثٍ

بعِزِّكَ لمْ أكُنْ ممّنْ أفاقَا

If it weren't for successive talk of your mightiness

I wouldn't be one who recovered.

فقَرِّرْ حالَتي منْ غيْرِ لُبْثٍ

هَناءً واحْتِراماً وانْطِلاقا

So determine my condition without delay,

Comfort, respect, and release!"

ركِبْتَ الدّهْرَ مُنْقاداً ذَلولاً

بحُرْمَةِ مُصْطَفَى ركِبَ البُرَاقا

You mounted time submitting humbly

In reverence for Mustafa who mounted Al-Buraq.