بَكى فَقْدَكَ العِزُّ المُؤيَّدُ والمَجدُ
ونَاحَتْ عَلَيكَ الحَرْفُ والضُّمَّرُ الجُردُ
The mighty supporter wept your loss, and glory mourned,
Vowels and pronouns, stripped bare, cried for you,
وَقَد نَدَبَتكَ البيضُ والسمرُ في الوَغى
وعدّدَكَ التأييدُ والحَسَبُ العِدُّ
In the tumult, the dark-skinned and the fair lamented you,
Success and noble lineage listed your virtues.
وما فَقدت إلّا عَظيماً وفَقدُهُ
به بين أحشاءِ العلى يُوجَدُ الوَجدُ
You were lost, a great man, and in losing the exalted,
Longing is found in the noble's heart.
وكنتَ أمينَ المَلْكِ حقّاً وسيفَهُ
ومن حَسَناتِ البرِّ كانَ لَكَ الغِمدُ
You were the king's loyal minister, his sword in truth,
Your sheathed blade was your finest trait.
وأَنتَ ابن حَمدونَ الَّذي كانَ حَمدُهُ
يُعَبّرُ عَن نادِيه في عَرفِهِ الندُّ
Son of Hamdun, whose praises were like
A companion calling him in friendship's voice.
هُمامٌ إِلَيهِ كانَ تَقريبُ غُربَتي
بِبُزْلٍ خفيفٍ بين أخفافِها الوَخْدُ
Aspirations towards him brought my distant soul
On easy steed between soft gaits,
بِأرْضٍ فلاةٍ تُنْكِرُ الأُسْدُ وَحْشَها
وَيَرتَدُ في اللَّحظِ العيونُ بها الرُّمدُ
To a desolate land where even lions are lost
And blinking eyes fill with rheum.
وناجِيةٍ تَنجو بِهَمِّ هُمومِهِم
تَولَّى بها عن جِسمِها اللَّحمُ وَالجِلدُ
A coquette who confides her worries' concerns
While her flesh and skin discard her.
قَتَلتُ الأَماني من عَلِيٍّ ولم أزَلْ
مُفَدّى لَدَيه حَيثُ يَعذُبُ ليَ الوِردُ
I killed my hopes of Ali, and remain
His ransom, where blooms torture me.
بَكَيتُ علَيهِ والدُّموعُ سَواكِبٌ
تَخَدّدَ من طولِ البُكاءِ بها الخدُّ
I wept for him while tears poured down
Furrowing my cheeks after long crying.
وذاكَ قليلٌ قَدْرُهُ في مُعَظَّمٍ
له حَسَبٌ ما إن يُعَدَّ له عَدُّ
That's little for one so grand-
His repute, if counted, has no end.
فَلَو صَحَّ في الدُّنيا الخُلودُ لِماجِدٍ
لأُبْقِيَ فيها ثمَّ صَحَّ له الخُلدُ
If immortality in this world were real,
It would remain for the glorious, be allowed them.
ومُختَلِف الطَّعمَينِ من طَبعِ عادِلٍ
فطعمٌ له سَمٌّ وطَعْمٌ له شَهْدُ
Of two contradicting natures from a fair nature-
One taste is poison, one taste is honey.
وَقَد كانَ في عَليائِهِ مُتَرفِّعاً
يَلينُ بِهِ الدَّهرُ الَّذي كانَ يَشتَدُّ
He was lofty in his supremacy,
Time softened that once was harsh.
وكانَ أبِيّاً ذا أيادٍ غمامُها
ندى ماجدٍ في قبره قُبِرَ المَجدُ
He was high-minded, his clouds hands
Raining honor on his grave where glory lies buried.
وحَلَّ الرَّدى من كَفِّهِ عَقْدَ رايَةٍ
وَمِن كَفِّ مَيمونٍ لها جُدّدَ العَقدُ
Loss undid from his palm the knot of a flag,
And from Maimum's palm, it was knotted again.
وَما هُوَ إلّا حازِمٌ ذو كِفايَةٍ
يُناقِضُ هَزْلَ الرَّوْعِ من بَأسِهِ الجِدُّ
He is decisive, adept and serious
His fight refutes the jest of fright.
تقدّمَ من صِنْهاجةٍ كلَّ مُقْدِمٍ
فريستُهُ من قِرْنِهِ أَسَدٌ وردُ
He advanced against each opponent
His prey, their horns, lions turned meek.
بأيديهمُ نَوْرُ البَنَفسَجِ في ظُبىً
ينوّرُ من نارٍ لها حَطَبَ الهندُ
In their hands, the violet's light in thickets
Illuminating with a fire, its wood aloes.
وَقَد لَبِسوا من نَسجِ داود أعيُناً
مُداخَلَةً خُوصاً هي الحَلَقُ السرْدُ
They wore, woven by David, studded eyes
Interlinked discs, ringed coat of mail.
يَسُدُّونَ خلّاتِ الحروبِ إذا طَمَتْ
بِشَوكِ الرّدى حتَّى كأنَّهُمُ السَّدُّ
They block the passes of wars when
Thorny havoc crests, as if a dam.
ويقتادهم منهُ شهامَةُ قائدٍ
به جُمْلَة الجيشِ العَرَمرَمِ تَعْتَدُّ
A leader's boldness herds them on,
The horde of soldiers follows his heed.
جوادٌ عميمُ الجود بيتُ عطائِهِ
لِقاصِدِهِ بالنَيلِ طَيَّبَهُ القَصدُ
Open-handed, bounty's house, its gifts
Pure to the visitor who seeks its hospitality.
له هِمَّةٌ في أُفقِها فَرقَدِيَّةٌ
كَواكبُها زُهْرٌ أحاطَ بِهِ السَّعدُ
His ambition's horizon holds auspicious stars
Happiness surrounds this success.
وَأَثبَتَ لِلعَلياءِ مِنهُم قَواعِداً
لأعدائِهِ منها قواعدُ تَنْهَدُّ
He established for the exalted among them strongholds
His enemies', foundations that tremble.
أَرى يُمْنَ مَيمونٍ تَعاظَمَ في العُلا
بنيلِ مَعَالٍ لا يُحَدّ لها حَدُّ
I see Maymoon's prosperity lofty in state
With unattainable achievements, unlimited.
وهِمَّةُ يَحيَى شَرَّفَتهُ بِخُلَّةٍ
بها يُسْعَفُ المَولى ويَبتَهِجُ العَبدُ
Yahya's ambition ennobled him with strength
By which the patron is aided and the servant elated.
كَأَنَّ نُضَاراً ذائِباً عَمَّ جِسمَها
وإنْ رامَ حُسناً في العُيونِ له حَمدُ
As if fresh bloom permeates his body
Though if it sought beauty in the eyes, it has praise.
وما مُطْرَفٌ إلّا أبيٌّ بِحُرْمَةٍ
عُبابٌ خِضَمٌّ حُلَّ عن حَسرِهِ المَدُّ
Muthrif is high-principled and revered
A torrent, fierce until restrained by the shore.
إذا أَعملَ الآراءَ عَنَّ لهُ الهدى
سَدادٌ هوَ الفَتحُ الَّذي ما لَهُ سَدُّ
When he ponders decisions, guidance is revealed to him
A proper course, the opening nothing can close.
يَروحُ وَيَغدو في المنى وَحَسودُهُ
بعيدُ رَشادٍ لا يَروحُ ولا يَغدو
He wanders and returns in joy while his enviers
Are far from Rashad's wisdom, unable to wander or return.
ومِن حَيثُ ما ساورتَهُ خِفتَ بأسَهُ
وَلِلنّارِ مِن حَيثُ انثَنَيتَ لها وَقدُ
Wherever you confront him you're awed by his might
And fire, when drawn near, has burning flames.
وإن جادَ كانَ الجودُ منه مهنأً
كغَيثٍ هَمَى ما فيه برقٌ ولا رعدُ
If he is generous, generosity from him is comforting
Like rainfall, cloud-filled though without lightning or thunder.
ولِلَّه في الإِجلالِ ذِكرُ مُحَمَّدٍ
بِكُلِّ لسانٍ في الثناءِ له حَمدُ
To God belongs praise of Muhammed
In every tongue glorifying him, all praises.
هُمُ السّادَةُ الأمجادُ والقادَةُ الأُلى
تُعَدُّ المَعالي منهُمُ كُلَّما عُدّوا
They are the noble lords, and leaders sublime
Their greatness, each time recounted, multiplies.
وَيَأمُرُهمْ بالصَّبرِ والحزمِ خاذِلٌ
لَهُم صبرٌ ووجدانُهُ فَقدُ
Though one who deserts commands them patience and care
They have patience, their faith lost to him.
وَأَيَّ اصطِبارٍ فيه للنّفسِ رَحمَةٌ
عَنِ القائِدِ الأَعلى الَّذي ضَمَّهُ اللَّحدُ
What patience in it, a mercy to the soul
From the supreme leader enveloped in earth.
