وجْنَةٌ فوقَها عِذارٌ أَطلاَّ
روضةٌ مدَّ فوقها الحسنُ ظلاَّ
A garden above which a maiden peers,
A meadow over which beauty casts its shade.
وجْنَةٌ مِثلُ جنَّةِ الخلد في الحسـ
ـن ولكن بها الأَحبةُ تَصْلَى
A garden like the garden of eternity in charm,
But in it loved ones offer their prayers.
لا عجيبَ بأَن يُسيءَ بنا الحسـ
ـنُ فقد يَقْتُل الحسامُ المحلَّى
No wonder beauty does us wrong,
For even the sheathed sword may kill.
وبنفسي من لي به كلُّ شُغْلٍ
مع أَنِّي لم أَقْض لي منه شُغْلا
And I - what fills my every thought
Is he who has not filled my thoughts at all.
بأَبي ما أَشدَّ بأساً وما أَلـ
ـين عِطْفاً وما أَمَرَّ وَأَحْلَى
My father - none is harsher or more gentle,
Sweeter or more bitter.
فَبِحُسْنِ البُدورِ ليس يُضَاهَى
وبفكِّ اليَديْن ليس يُخَلَّى
His features need no praise;
His hands require no jewels.
وقِحُ الحسنِ غير أَني أَرى الور
دَ في وجْهه من الرَّوض خَجْلا
That fawn - I see shame
Crimsoning his cheek like meadow blooms.
كَحَلٌ في جُفونِه فاضَ حتَّى
جَعَلوُا حَشْوَها المكاحِلَ كُحْلا
Kohl in his eyes overflowed till
They made their lining all of kohl.
شَمْل دَمْعِي به تَشَتَّت لمَّا
جمعَ الله فيه للحُسْنِ شَمْلا
My tears were scattered at his sight,
For God combined all beauty in him.
إِن تكلمتُ شاكياً قال قَد أَضـ
ـجَرني أَو سكتُّ قال تسلَّى
If I complain he says I vex him; if I'm silent he says I'm cold.
He said: “You bear a grudge for my love”; I said: “God forbid! Never!”
قال لي قد حملتَ كَلاًّ بعشقي
فاسْلُ عَنِّي فقلتُ حاشا وكَلاَّ
O gazelle of the plain and the nightfall,
No gazelle between the arrows and prayer niche!
يا غَزالاً بين الحَشا والحشَايا
لا غزالاً بين النَّقَا والمُصَلَّى
Do not tyrannize me, be not unjust.
Fear tyranny and be just.
لا تَجُرْ ظالماً عَليَّ ولا تعـ
ـدِلْ عن العدل واخش جوراً وعدلا
I fear that if he knows my love he'll think me fair game;
The authorized is prone to excess.
أَنا أَخشى عليك أَن بعلم الصا
حبُ قَتْلي فيستبيحُك قَتْلا
The minister who gives asylum to the frightened man in the wasteland
when panic has stampeded his reason,
الوزيرُ الذي يُجيرُ من الدَّهـ
ـرِ إِذَا جارَ في البَرِيَّة جَهْلا
The dear one whom fortune has strengthened
when he was weakest, too exalted to be called most noble,
والعزِيزُ الَّذِي إِذا عزَّه المِقـ
ـدارُ وهو الأَغَرُّ صارَ الأَذلا
Too lofty to be called the Greatest, as it were.
He assumed the governance of men, and favors
عزَّ أَن يدعى الأَعزَّ كما قد
جلَّ قدراً عن أَن يُسمَّى الأَجلاَّ
Turned to us when he assumed it.
He took charge of the world but never sampled
قد تولَّى أَمرَ الأَنامِ وقد أَقـ
ـبل فينا الإِقبالُ لمَّا تولى
A dismissal ever from his exalted office.
He was granted wisdom with his authority
وتولَّى الدنيا فلا ذاق منها
أَبداً عن ولاية العزِّ عَزْلا
Even in his youth - what more need be said
When he is grown mature!
أُوتي الحُكم حِكْمةً وهو في المهـ
ـدِ فماذَا تقولُ إِذ صارَ كَهْلا
He followed a method of government and an exemplary, excellent approach.
Days obeyed him in fear; had he sought breach
أَمَّ نهجا من السِّيَاسَة قَصْداً
وطَرِيقاً من السِّيادَةِ مُثلَى
He'd have turned remoteness into nearness.
East and west paid him homage,
طاوعَتْه الأَيَّامُ خوفاً فَلو حا
ول نقضاً لحوَّل البَعْدَ قَبْلا
And countries came to him submissive or compliant.
The meteors seemed about to descend to him -
خدمته الملوكُ شرقاً وغرباً
وأَتته البلادُ حزْناً وسَهْلا
Hence it was said: the meteors have minds.
With loss and gain he took life and gave it;
همَّت الشهبُ بالنزولِ إِليه
فلذا قيل إِنّ للشُّهبِ عَقْلا
His content and anger brought health or misery.
Thus we saw him dispense chastisement and forgiveness,
بالرَّدى والنَّدى أَماتَ وأَحيا
ورضاهُ والسخطِ عَافَى وأَبْلَى
Raise up and cast down.
And by his knowledge we saw him make separation
فرأَينا منه المُعِلَّ المعافي
ورأَينَا منه المُعِزَّ المُذِلاَّ
In judgment, and clean-cut distinction in speech.
Like a right hand extended with bounty
وأَرَانَا بعلمِه الحكْمَ منه
فيْصلاً في القضاءِ والقولَ فَصْلا
Whose hand the clouds envy out of impotence.
A generous man who, in fulfilling his word, made promises
كك يدٍ مستطيلةِ منه بالجُو
دِ لديها يدُ الغَمَامةِ شَلاَّ
into corpses and gifts into blood-prices.
No fault in him but that he poured out rainclouds
كرمٌ صيَّر المواعيد بالإِنـ
ـجاز صرْعى وبالمواهِب قَتلى
And cast down treasures on the covetous.
The son of him who is his foe in nature
عيب ما فيه أَنَّه نحلَ السُّحـ
ـبَ وأَلقى على الضَراغم ذُلاَّ
Is thus an orphan, and the mother of one who hates him childless.
O friend, who has relied on God as minister,
فلذا ابْنُ الذي يُعادِيه في الخلـ
ـقِ يَتيمٌ وأُمُّ شَانِيه ثَكْلى
And leaned on power as invincible blade,
You've won men's hearts, heart after heart,
أَيُّها الصاحب الذي اعتز
بالله وزيراً واهتزَّ بالبأْس نصْلا
Since you were generous to men, favor on favor.
You became singular in the highest distinction,
قد ملكْتَ القلوبَ قلباً فَقَلْباً
إِذ وَسِعْتَ الأَنَام فضلاً ففضلا
And peerless in the most elevated place.
To you belong the arrows of fulfilled vows,
وتفرَّدت بالذي هو أَسمى
وتوحَّدت بالذي هو أَعلى
And you brandish the blade of sublime ambitions.
Leave a cloud that spurts, a hill that flows,
ولك السَّهم في الوفاءِ الموفَّى
ولك القِدْحُ في المعَالي المُعلَّى
A pool that glitters, and a moon that wanes.
You are open-handed, kindly companion, passionate protector,
دع غماماً هَمَى ودُرّاً تلالا
وهِزَبْراً عَدا وبَدْراً تَجَلَّى
Lofty-minded - and your glory is sublime.
When you are resolute your exploits are amazing,
أَنت أَسْخَى كفّاً وأَحسن أَلفا
ظاً وأَحمى حِمىً وأَعلى مَحَلاَّ
And when others are resolute it is mere pretence.
There the feast day that is yours -
فإِذا جُدْتَ كان طَلُّك وَبْلا
بالأَيادي وَوَبْلُ غَيرِكَ طَلاًّ
It has come in your august precinct.
Witness that what you have raised to God,
وهناك العيدُ الذي لك قد أَمَّ
وفي رَبْعك المعظَّمِ حَلاَّ
Uttered by angels' tongues, is recited!
One who has not your probity
شَاهِدٌ أَنَّ ما رفعتَ إِلى الله
على أَلْسُنِ الملائكِ يُتْلَى
Could not obtain it though he fasted a thousand years and prayed.
Your gifts have overwhelmed me; in my eyes
لن ينالَ البِرَّ الَّذِي نِلْت مَخْلو
قٌ ولو صامَ أَلفَ عام وصلَّى
Each day offers me bright-faced brides.
I am fit to gain high rank
وهَنَتْني منكَ الأَيادِي فعندي
كلَّ يومٍ منها عرائسُ تُجلَى
When your words make me worthy.
Then live forever, safe and sound, and wear
صرتُ أَهلاً لأَنْ أَنالَ الثُّريا
حين صيَّرْتَني بقولِكَ أَهْلا
Ever-renewed robes of honor from my eulogies that do not wear out.
All poetry said of you apart from mine
فَابقَ واسْلَم في الدَّهر والْبَسْ ثِياباً
جُدداً من مدائحي ليس تَبْلى
Is more fit to be recited as rhymed prose and then burnt up.
كلُّ شعر يقالُ فيك سوى شعـ
ـرِي يُقرَا سَرْداً وفي الحال يُقْلى
