يَا غِياثَ العِبادِ إِنْ بَخِلَ المُزْ
نُ سقاهُمْ وَبْلاً وَمَا اسْتَمْطَرُوهُ
O succor of servants, if the clouds are stingy
With rain for them, and they seek but find none,
والذي أَمَّنَ العِبادَ بِبِيضٍ
مُرْهَفاتٍ لِقاؤُهُنَّ كَرِيهُ
He who secured servants with shining white gifts -
To meet them is hated, their looks give disdain -
شَهِدَ الناسُ أَمْسِ مَا لَمْ يَرَوْهُ
فِي الَّذِي أَدْرَكُوا ولا شَهِدوهُ
Witnessed yesterday what they'd not seen before
In their time, nor in times they were told about:
قَتلَ المشركونَ مِنَّا شهيداً
فَتَمَنَّوْا بأَنَّهُمْ أَنْشَرُوهُ
The pagans killed a martyr of our number,
And wished that they tore him utterly apart.
سُفِكَتْ بالدَّمِ الكريمِ دِماءٌ
وكذا يُوبِقُ الحَليمَ السَّفِيهُ
With his noble blood, blood was spilled,
Thus does the rash destroy the forebearing.
قَتلوهُ مُصَفَّداً فَوَدَوْهُ
لَوْ عَلا ظَهْرَ طِرْفِهِ لَمْ يَدُوهُ
They killed him fettered, else had he not been overpowered,
Had he reared his steed's back they'd not subdued him.
لَقِيَ الموتَ فِي الرَّصِيفِ رِجالٌ
كُلُّهُمْ فِي بَنِي أَبيهِ وَجِيهُ
Men met their death on the pavement, all of them
Noble in their father's line, high of repute.
غادَرَتْهُمْ صوارِمُ الهندِ والزُّرْ
قُ حَصِيداً يَا بُؤْسَ يَوْمٍ لَقُوهُ
Indian swords and the swords of Zurq abandoned them
As carrion - oh, misery on the day they met!
ورأَيْنا الوزيرَ كاللَّيْثِ أَنَّى
غيرَ هَذَا والعامِريُّ أَبوهُ
We saw the vizier like an enraged lion Opening his jaws at that but not this.
When they spied the doves they despaired,
أَيْقَنُوا بالحِمامِ لما رَأَوْهُ
مُقْبِلاً نحوَهُمْ وسِيئَتْ وُجُوهُ
As he bore down on them, their faces turned pale.
We saw him burning like an unsheathed blade,
ورأَيناهُ كالحسامِ مضاءً
فَشَهِدْنا أَنَّ الحُسامَ أَخُوهُ
Thus we testify that the blade is his brother.
The stallion darted off, panic-stricken, driven
زَرَقَ العِلْجَ زَرْقَةً تركَتْهُ
حَرِضاً قَدْ أَظلَّهُ المكروهُ
To frenzy by the horrors that affrighted him.
Many died of fright because of him, while many
ماتَ ذُعْراً منه وكم لَقِيَ الأَب
طَالَ فِي هَبْوَةٍ فما ذَعَرُوهُ
He long harried, but they feared him not.
And how many days his prisoner, and his slain?
ولكَمْ أَيِّماً لَهُ وقَتِيلاً
صَمَّ عن أَنْ يُجِيبَ مَنْ يَدْعُوهُ
Deaf to those begging his ear, to their cries oblivious.
A captive in fetters, trapped in his bonds,
وأَسيراً مُصَفَّداً فِي وَثَاقٍ
وغِياثاً لطارِقٍ جَفَّ فُوهُ
Succor for one who knocked whose mouth decay sealed.
That until the battle summoned and the people
ذَاكَ حَتَّى إذَا اللقاءُ دَعاهُ
عَايَنَ الناسُ منهُ مَا اسْتَعْظَمُوهُ
Saw in him what filled them with greatest awe.
A fallen lion because of his cub's greenness,
أَسَداً ساقِطاً لِزَرْقَةِ شِبْلٍ
لَوْ دَرَوْا حَيْثُ أَوْغَلَتْ عَذَرُوهُ
Had they known his lair, they would have excused him.
They stood in fright from him but when
وَقَفُوا يُذْعَرُونَ منهُ فَلَمَّا
عايَنُوا الفضلَ مائِلاً أَمَّلُوهُ
They saw virtue itself incline from him, they hoped.
And so, as long as the Amīr was a child,
وكذا العامِريُّ مَا دامَ طِفْلاً
ولَعَمْرِي لَنِعْمَ مَا شَبَّهُوهُ
By my life, how aptly they likened him!
A branch ever nourished on the date palm of glory
غُصُنٌ مَا يزالُ من دَوْحَةِ المَجْ
دِ فروعٌ كثيرةٌ تَغْذُوهُ
Many branches feeding from it luxuriant.
But when he passed nine and three years,
فإِذا جازَ تِسْعَةً وثَلاثاً
جَلَّ عن أَنْ يَحُدَّهُ تَشْبِيهُ
He was too tall for them to limit with similes.
O elect of noble chiefs, o prince of the world,
يا ثِمالَ العُفاةِ يَا مَلِكَ الدُّنْ
يا ومن فازَ بالغِنى آمِلُوهُ
You whom good fortune graced, we hope in you.
My fate gifted me with an age I see
قَدْ حَبانِي دَهْرِي بإِدراكِ دَهْرٍ
مَا بِهِ ناجِهٌ ولا مَنْجُوهُ
In which no confidant avails, no escape.
Had my prime of youth been gifted with that,
لو حَبانِي بذاكَ عَصْرُ شبابِي
لَرآنِي عَلَى العبادِ أتِيهُ
You'd have seen me excel all mankind in glory!
My thanks you know, and my praise of you
ورجائِي مَا قَدْ عَلِمْتَ وشُكْرِي
وثنائِي فِي الناسِ مَا عَلِمُوهُ
Among people, they know it and have heard it.
Except that old age made my back hunch,
غير أَنَّ الزمانَ ثَقَّل ظهري
فَهْوَ ثِقْلٌ عليَّ صعبٌ كريهُ
A heavy burden, hateful and detested.
By my life, I have no lord but you, o victorious king,
ولَعَمْرِي مَا لي سِوى المَلِكِ المَنْ
صُورِ فِي الأَرضِ سَيِّدٌ أرجوهُ
On earth whom I wish for and hope in!
