حَيَّى رُبُوعَ الْحَيِّ مِن نَعْمَانِ
جَوْدُ الْحَيَا وَسَوَاجِمُ الأَجْفَانِ
The splendor of life revived Na'man's meadows
Generosity's tide and eyelids’ darkness fell
دَارٌ عَهِدْتُ بِهَا الشَّبِيبَةَ دَوْحَةً
طِيبُ الْحَياةِ بِهَا جَنِيُّ دَانِي
A home where I lived the prime of youth serenely
Life's goodness therein a nearby crop that swells
أَيَّامَ جَفْنُ الدَّهْرِ عَنَّا مُطْبِقٌ
فِيهَا وَأَجْفَانُ السَّعُودِ رَوَانِي
Days when destiny shut its eyelids over us
When in them fortune's eyelids were wells
بِتْنَا نَجُرُّ بِهَا بُرُودَ عَفَافِنَا
قُشُبَ الْجُيُوبِ صَوَافِي الأَردَانِ
We lived pulling with it our chastity's coolness
Young chests' purity, robes' loose folds
فِي فِتْيَةٍ يَتَحَاوَرُونَ بَدَائِعاً
كَلَقِيطِ دُرٍّ أَوْ سَقِيطِ جُمَانِ
Amid lads conversing with unmatched wonders
Like scattered pearls or falling stars that dwells
وَإِذَا ثَنَتْهُمْ أَرْيَحِيَّةُ مُطْرِبٍ
قُلْتَ النُّعَامَى فِي غُصُونِ الْبَانِ
When a gentle breeze bent them, you would say
Ostriches on the branches of acacia knells
غَاظَ الزَّمَانَ بِهَا تَنَعُّمُ عِشَةٍ
فَأَحَالَهَا وَالدَّهْرُ ذُو أَلْوَانِ
An age exulted therein, basking in bliss
Which time made transient, though colorful spells
وَسَرَوْا وَقَدْ أَقْعَى الظَّلاَمُ وَغَمَّمَتْ
نُمُرَ الثُّرَيَّا غَابَةُ السَّرَطَانِ
They left, and darkness fell, obscuring
The Pleiades' cluster in Sartan's dells
فَالسُّهْدُ بَعْدَهُمُ أَلِيفُ مَحَاجِرٍ
وَالْوَجْدُ إِثْرَهُمُ حَلِيفُ جَنَانِ
Afterwards, only yearning in the heart remains
And in their trace, pining in the soul dwells
حَسْبِي مِنَ الأَيَّامِ أَنّي بَعْدَهُمْ
لاَ أَبْتَغِي سَبَباً إِلَى السُّلْوَانِ
It suffices me of days that after them
No path to ease my heartache avails or wells
وَلَرُبَّ مُعْتَادِ السِّفارِ رَمَتْ بِهِ
أَيْدِي الرِّكَابِ نَوَازِحَ الْبُلْدَانِ
Many accustomed to travel, the hands of riders
Have cast to the horizons of countries and fells
أَلِفَ التَّرَحُّلَ لاَ يُقِيمُ بِبلْدَةٍ
إِلا مُقَامَ الْعَذْلِ فِي الآذَانِ
Who loves roaming, settling in no land
Save guesthood's stay during prayers' knells
عَاطَيْتُهُ رَاحاً مِنَ الأَدَبِ الَّذِي
مُزجَتْ سُلاَفَتُهُ بِصِرْفِ بَيَانِ
I've met him with the literature whose craft
Is mingled with eloquent, lucid spells
وَهَزَزْتُ دَوْحَ بَدَائِهِي فَتَساَقَطَتْ
رُطَبُ الْمَعَانِي تَسْتفَزُِّالْجَانِي
I shook the boughs of my grove, so down fell
Ripe fruits of meaning, fascinating and compels
فَأَصَاخَ مُسْتمِعاً وَقَالَ تَعَجُّباً
إنَّ الْخُمُولَ نَتِيجَةُ ألاْوْطَانِ
A listener cried out, astonished, and said
Indolence is the trait of homelands that dwells
وَلأنْتَ يَا هَذاَ ضَيَاعٌ مُغْفَلٌ
بَيْنَ الْكَسَادِ وَمُرْخَصِ الاْثْمَانِ
As for you, oblivious fool, lost between
Recession and cheapening prices that tells
هَلاّ حَلَلْتَ ذُرَى قَلُوصِكَ ظَاعِناً
لِتَحُلّ إعْظَاماً ذُرَى كِيوَانِ
Why not untie your miserliness' bags, wandering
To solve venerating Chosroes' palace's spells?
تصدا سيوف الهند في أجفانها
وَالْفَخْرُ إنْ بَانَتْ عَنِ الاْجْفَانِ
Indian swords in their sheaths rebuke
Boasting, if displayed outside their dwells
إنّ الثّوَانيَ جَدُّ مُسْتَوْدَعِ التَّوى
وَكَذاَ الْهُوَيْنَي اُمُّ كُلِّ هَوَانِ
Repentance is the essence of remorse's abode
And passion is the mother of every shame that fells
فَأجَبْتُهُ لَيْسَ التَّنَقُّل مَذْهَبِي
كَلاّ ولاَ حَثُّ الرَّكَائِبِ شَانيِ
I answered: Roaming is not my doctrine
No, nor spurring on of riders impels
أيُّ الْبِلادِ أَؤُمُّ أَمْ أَيَّ الْوَرَى
أَبْغِي فَأَصْرِفُ نَحْوَ ذَاكَ عِنَانِي
What land is my motherland, or what place
Would I seek, steering my reigns towards its dells?
وَبِبَابِ مَوْلاَنَا الْمُؤَيَّدِ يُوسُفٍ
مَاشِئْتَ مِن حُسْنَى وَمِنْ إِحْسَانِ
In the court of our master al-Mu'ayyad Yusuf
Whatever beauty and kindness you will or wells
النَّهْرُ مِنْ مِصْرٍ بِهِ وَالْقَصْرُ مِنْ
إِرَمٍ وَرَوْضُ الشِّعْبِ من بوان
The Nile from Egypt through him, the palace from
Aleppo, and the meadows of Shibab's dells
وَسَحابُ جُودِ يَميِيِنهِ لاَ يَنْثَني
تَسْكابُهَا عَنْ وَابِلٍ هَتَّانِ
The clouds of his generosity's rain never cease
Pouring a pouring that descends and excels
أيقَنْتُ لَمّا أَنْ مَثَلْتُ بِباَبِهِ
أَنَّ النُّجُومَ تَشَوَّفَتْ لِمَكاَنِي
I knew when I stood at his door
The stars craned in longing for where I dwells
شَاهَدْتُ كِسْرَى منِهُ فِي إِيَوانِهِ
وَلَقيِتُ رَبَّ التّاجِ ِمِنْ غُمْدَانِ
I saw his Chosroes in his hall
And found the Lord of the Crown sans guards that tells
مِنْ آلِ سَعْدِ الْخَزْرَجِ بْنِ عُبَادَةٍ
صَحْبِ الرَّسُولِ وَأَسْرَةِ الْفُرْقَانِ
Of Sa'd al-Khazraj clan, son of 'Ubadah
The Prophet's comrades, folk of the Criterion that dwells
الْمُؤثِرِينَ عَلَى النُّفُوسِ بِزَادِهِمْ
وَالْمفْعِمِينَ حَقَائِبَ الضِّيفَانِ
Who prefer others over themselves with their provisions
Filling the guest's bags, they are excels
إِنْ سُوبِقُوا سَبَقُوا النَّدَى أَوْ كُوثِروا
فَهُمُ النُّجُومُ عُلاً وَعِزُّ مَكَانِ
Whether foremost or made to abound, they are the stars
Lofty, honored wherever their glory dwells
قَوْمُ إذَا لاَثُوا الْعَمَائِمَ وَاحْتَبْوا
ذَلَّتْ لِعِزِّهِمُ ذَوُو التِّيجَانِ
A people when they don headdresses and inspire awe
Those with crowns bow to their splendor that compels
أوْ قَامَ فِي نَادِي الْمُلُوكِ خَطِيبُهُمْ
خَرُّوا لَهُ رَهَباً عَلَى الأَذْقَانِ
If their orator in the kings' club rises to speak
They fall before him in dread that quells
أسَلِيلَ مَجْدِهِمُ وَسِبْطَ فَخَارِهِمْ
وَمُؤَمَّلَ الْقَاصِي وَقَصْدَ الدَّانِي
Scion of their glory, inheritor of their pride
And the judge's hope and caller's aim that excels
أَعْلَيْتَ بُنْيَاناً عَلَى مَا أَسَّسُوا
فَتَعَاضَدَ الْبُنْيَانُ بِالْبُنْيَانِ
You built edifices on their foundations
So the structures buttressed each other's dwells
فَهُمُ الأُصُولُ زَكَتْ وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا
فَضْلُ الْجَنَا مِنْ شِيمَةِ الأَفْنَانِ
They are the roots, flourishing, but fruits' merit is only
From the branches' nature the ripeness that swells
عَجَباً لِمَنْ يَعْتَدُّ دُونَكَ جُنَّةً
وَغِرَارُ سَيْفِكَ فِي يَد الرَّحْمَانِ
Wondrous is one who counts beside you a paradise
While the flash of your sword is in the Merciful's hands that excels
وَلِمَن عَصَاكَ وَظَنَّ أَنْ سَتُجِيرُهُ
أَنْصَارُ جَارٍ أَوْ سَحِيقُ مَكَانِ
And one who disobeys you and thinks that allies
Of a neighbor or towering place will save him from hells
لكُمُ بَنِي نَصْرٍ مَآثِرُ لَمْ تَكُنْ
لِبَنِي الرَّشِيدِ وَلاَ بَنِي مَرْوَانِ
You have, O Banu Nasr, remarkable feats
Unlike any by Banu Abbas or Banu Marwan's tells
بَاهَتْ بِلاَدُكُمُ الْبِلاَدَ فَأَصْبَحَتْ
غَرْنَاطَةٌ تَزْهُو عَلَى بَغْدَانِ
Your lands have outshone all other lands until
Granada exults over Baghdad's shells
قُمْتُمْ بِأَمْرِ اللهِ فِي أَقْطَارِهَا
مَا بَيْنَ غِلْظَةِ قُدْوَةٍ وَلِيَانِ
By God's command in its regions, what lies
Between solid base and delicate spire that dwells
قُدْتُمْ بِهَا الْجُرْدَ الْمَذَاكِيَ قُرَّحاً
غُبْرَ النَّوَاصِي ضُمَّر الأَبْدَ انِ
You led its well-groomed armies rent and wounded
The dust of foreheads humbled, necks that fells
وَقَهَرْتُمُ مَنْ رَامَهَا بِمَسَاءَةٍ
فَغَدَا مُعَنَّى رِبْقَةِ الإِذْعَانِ
You vanquished those who wronged it so they became
Bowed in submission's yoke that quells
لِلَّهِ يَوْمُ الْمَرجِ لاَ بَعُدَتْ بِهِ
أَيْدِي الزَّمَانِ وَشَفَّعَتهُ بِثَانِي
God's day has no shifting with time
And no second intercedes or tells
صَدَمَتْهُ أَحْزَابُ الضَّلاَلِ كَأَنَّمَا
طُولُ الْجِبَالِ تَخُبُّ فِي أَرْسَانِ
Assailed by armies of misguidance as if
Tall mountains are pebbles in giants' hands that swells
هَابُوا الشَّرَى فَتَخَاذَلَتْ عَزَمَاتُهُمْ
جَهْلُ الرُّعَاةِ قَضَى بِهُلْكِ الضَّانِ
They feared evil so their resolves recoiled
The ignorance of shepherds destroys the lambs and fells
فَكَأَنَّهُمْ والمشْرفِيَّةُ فَوْقَهُمْ
نَارُ الْقَبُولِ أَتَتْ عَلَى قُرْبَانِ
As if they and the Shamiyya above them
Are the fire of acceptance that came to the offering and dwells
لِلَّهِ نَاراً أَهْلَكَتْ عُبَّادَهَا
هِنْدِيَّةً تَغْدُو بِغَيْرِ دُخَانِ
By God, a fire that destroyed its worshippers
Indian, proceeding without smoke that tells
نَارٌ وَلَكِن فِي مُتُونِ غِرَارِهَا
مَاءٌ يُؤَجِّجُ غُلَّةَ الظَّمْانِ
A fire, but in its flames' depths
Is water, kindling the thirst of souls that dwells
وَكَذُا السُّيُوفُ مُلِثَّةٌ أَنْوَاؤُهَا
وَالشَّمْسُ فِي جَدْيٍ وَفِي سَرَطَانِ
So too are the swords, their edges bloodied
The sun in Cancer or Capricorn that dwells
وَرَسَمْتُمُ تَارِيخَ كُلّ وَقِيعَةٍ
فِي مُهْرَقِ التَلْعَاتِ وَالْكُثْبَانِ
You inscribed the date of every calamity
In the erasing sands and dunes' swells
أَعْضَاؤُهُمْ فِيهَا حُرُوفٌ قُطِّعَتْ
أَثَرُ الْمِدَادِ بِهَا نَجِيعٌ قَانِي
Their body parts therein are disjointed letters
The trace of the pen therein bloody that tells
فَاضْرِبْ بِجَيْشِكَ مَا وَرَاءَ ثُغُورِهِمْ
فَمِنَ الْمَلاَئِكِ دُونَهُ جَيْشَانِ
Then strike with your army what lies beyond their frontiers
For beyond it are two armies of angels that excels
لَمْ تَلْقَ مُجْتَمَعاً لِكُفْرٍ بَعْدَهَا
قَدْ حِيلَ بَيْنَ الْعَيْرِ وَالنَّزَوَانِ
Never again will disbelief meet assembled
After it, the path between mounts is barred and dwells
بُشْرَاكَ إِنَّ اللهَ أَكْملَ عِيدَنَا
بِالْعَفْوِ مِنْكَ وَمِنْهُ بِالْغُفْرَانِ
Congratulate yourself, God has perfected our celebration
With pardon from You and forgiveness from Him that excels
عِيدٌ أَعَادَ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ شَبَابَهُ
فَاعْجَبْ لأَشْمَطَ عِيدَ فِي رَيْعَانِ
A feast that restored the age's youth
Marvel at a feast in the days of youth that dwells
أَضْحَى بِكَ الأَضْحَى وَقَدْ طَلَعَتْ بِهِ
شَمْسُ وَكِلاَهُمَا شَمْسَانِ
The feast has risen with you, and with it rose
A sun, both suns that excels
وَمَدَدْتَ لِلتَّقْبِيلِ يُمْنَاكَ الَّتِي
هِيَ وَالْحَيَا فِي نَفْعِهَا سِيَّانِ
You extended your right hand, which, for kissing
It and life are equal in benefit, that tells
شكَرَتْ لَكَ الدُّنْيَا صَنِيعَكَ عِنْدَها
لَمَّا شَفَيْتَ زَمَانَهَ الأَزْمَانِ
The age thanked You for Your deed with it
When You healed its illness in the days that fells
أَنْذَرْتَ قَبْلَ النُّضْجِ لَمَّا جِئْتَهَا
مَلِكاً وَكَانَ الْبُرْءُ فِي البُحْرَانِ
You warned before maturity when you came
King, though judgment was between two oceans that dwells
مَوْلاَيَ لاَ تَنْسَى وَسَائِلَ مَنْ لَهُ
لِلدَّوْلَةِ الْغَرَّاءِ سَبْقُ رِهَانِ
My lord, forget not the efforts of those who
Have prior service to the splendid state that excels
وَاسْأَل مَوَاقِفَنَا بِبَابِكَ يَوْمَ لَمْ
يُدْعَ لِخِدْمِتهِ سِوَى الْخُلْصَانِ
Ask about our positions at your door the day none
Was called to serve but the sincere that tells
قَدْ كَانَ وَالِدُكَ الرِّضَي يَرْعَى لَهَا
ذِمماً وَيَذْكُرُهَا مَعَ الأَحْيَانِ
Your father, may he rest in peace, used to guard For it
Obligations and mention it amid the times that dwells
خِدَماً رَآهَا بِالْعِيَانِ حَمِيدَةً
وَالْمَوتُ يَخْطُرُ مِنْ ظُبىً لِسِنَانِ
A servant whom he saw with his eyes as praiseworthy
While death lurked with grinding teeth that excels
فَلَكُمْ أَيَادِي الرِّقِّ فِي أَعْنَاقِنَا
وَلَنَا حُقُوقُ نَصَائِحِ الْعُبْدَانِ
For you are the necks' shackles, and ours
Are the rights of advice from servants that tells
خُذْهَا أَمِير الْمُسْلِمِينَ بَدِيعَةً
سَحَبَتْ بَدَائِعَهَا عَلَى سَحْبَانِ
Take them, Commander of the Faithful, excellent
Drawing with its excellence on the orbit that dwells
تَطْوِي الْبِلاَدَ مَشَارِقاً وَمَغَارِباً
قُسِّيَّةً تَثْنِي بِكُلِّ لِسَانِ
It folds countries together, east and west
Eloquent, folding with every tongue that tells
وَيُقِرُّ بِالتَّقْصِيرِ عِنْدَ سَمَاعِهاَ
رَبُّ الْقَصَائِدِ فيِ بَني حَمْدَانِ
While its lord admits his falling short upon hearing it
The poems' lord of the clan of Hamdan that excels
سَلَبَتْ نَسِيمَ الرَّوْضِ رِقَّةَ عِطْفِهِ
وَوَقَارُهَا يَزْكُو عَلَى ثَهْلاَنِ
It robbed the garden's breeze of its gentle air
Its dignity purer than Thahlan's gazelles
قَضَتْ الْفَصَاحَةُ لِي بِفَوْزِ قِدَاحِهاَ
فِي الشعْرِ يَوْمَ تَنَازَعَ الخَصْمَانِ
Eloquence decreed that I win its competition
The day opponents vied and competing excels
وَنبَغتُ فِي زمَنٍ أَخيرٍ أهْلُهُ
مَا ضَرَّ أنَّي لَسْتُ مِنْ ذُبْيَانِ
I became eminent in a late age whose people
It matters not that I am not from Dhubyan that dwells
مَا كُلُّ مَنْ نَظمَ الْقَوافِيَ شَاعِرٌ
أَوْ كُلُّ مَصْقُولِ الْغِرَارِ يَمَانِي
Not every versifier is a poet
Nor every polished sword a Yemeni that excels
إنْ لَمْ أَدَعْهاَ فِي امْتدَاحِكَ فَذَّةً
مَثَلاً شُروداً لَسْتُ مِنْ سَلْمَانِ
If I did not leave it scattered loosely in your praise
An example roaming, I am not of Solomon's tells
