ضَحِكَ الدَّهْرُ بعد طُول عُبُوسِ
طَالعاً بالسُّعُودِ لاَ بالنُّحُوسِ
Time laughed after long frowning
Rising with good fortune, not misfortune
وأَتَتْنا الأيَّامُ معْتَذراتٍ
لابسَاتٍ نعيمَها بعدَ بُوسِ
And days came to us apologizing
Wearing their bliss after affliction
بالإِمامِ الرَّاضِي الْمُطلِّ على الآ
داب شَمْسِ الْمُلُوك وابِن الشُّمُوسِ
With the satisfied Imam overlooking
The sun of kings and son of suns
سَبْعَةٌ مِنْ خَلاَئِفٍ ولَدُوهُ
لَمْ يكُنْ ذَا لغيره مِنْ رَئِيسِ
Seven caliphs born to him
To no other did he cede leadership
رَضِيَ الرَّاضِي الإِلَهُ لِمُلْكٍ
أَوْضَحَ النَّهجَ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ الدُّرُوسِ
The Satisfied, God approved his rule
Clarifying the path after ambiguities
فهو كالخِصْبِ بَعْدَ وافِدِ جَدْبٍ
رُعِيَ الغَضُّ مِنْهُ بعدَ الْيَبيسِ
He is like fertility after barrenness
The lean were grazed after dryness
آنسَ اللهُ بالخليفةِ مُلْكاً
مَوحِشَ الرَّبْعِ وَاهِنَ التَّأْسِيسِ
God gladdened the caliph with a kingdom
Lonely quarter and weak establishment
فَهوَ يخْتالُ فِي الْجَدِيدِ مِنَ اللِّبْ
سَةِ والْحُسْنِ بَعْدَ لُبْسِ الدَّرِيسِ
He struts with new glamour and beauty
After wearing coarse clothes
يَا نَسيمَ الْحَيَاةِ أَضْحَكْتَ دَهْراً
كان لَولاكَ دَائِمَ التَّعْبِيسِ
O breeze of life, you made time laugh
Without you, ever frowning
إنَّ أيَّامَكَ اللِّذَاذَ كَوَصْلِ الْ
حِبِّ طِيباً وَنوْمَةِ التَّعْرِيسِ
Your sweet days are like loving embrace
And slumber of wedding night
مَرْدَوَاجٌ بِسَيْفِ حَظِّكَ مَقْتُو
لٌ فَأَهْوِنْ بِذَاكَ منْ مَرْمُوسِ
With the sword of your fortune slain
So slightest by that than trodden
قَصَفَتْهُ رِيَاحُ أَيَّامِكَ الْغُر
رِ فَأَخْمَدْنَ مِنْهُ نَارَ الْمَجُوسِ
Winds of your days blew
Extinguishing fires of Magi
ثُلَّ عَرْشُ اللَّعِينِ أَسْرَعَ مِمَّا
سُلِبَ الْعَرْشُ مِنْ يَدَيْ بِلْقِيسِ
Throne of the damned collapsed quicker
Than Bilqis’ throne stripped
وَتَوَلَّتْ بِمَأْتَمِ الدَّهْرِ أَيَّا
مٌ أَتَتْنَا تَجُرُّ ذَيْلَ الْعَرُوسِ
Days of mourning time came
Dragging train of bride
بَعْدَ كُفْرٍ لِنِعْمَةٍ وَقَبِيحٌ
كُفْرُ عَبْدٍ في نِعْمَةٍ مَغْمُوسِ
Ungratefulness for blessing how ugly
Ungratefulness of slave steeped in bounty
وَجِزَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ تُؤْخَذُ قَسْراً
بِخُرُوجٍ عَلَيْهِمُ وَمُكُوسِ
And reward of Muslims, seized by force
Revolting against them and shackled
حَابسُ الْمَالِ عَنْهُمُ مُسْتَضَامٌ
باتِّسَاعِ الأَذَى وضِيقِ الْحُبُوسِ
Withholding money, so wronged
Expanding harm and narrowing prisons
وكأَنَّ الْعِيالَ إِذْ فَقَدُوهُمْ
أُنْشِرُوا في الْبِلاَدِ بَعْدَ الُّرمُوسِ
As if family when bereft
Strewn in countries after being plucked
وكَأَنِّي بِهِمْ حَمَايِلَ إِقْبَا
لٍ طَوِيلِي الإِطْرَاقِ والتَّنْكِيسِ
As if I see them pregnant camels
Large saddles and stooped
حَسَّهُمْ سَيفُكُ الحُسَامُ فأَضْحَوْا
هُمَّداً مِنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ مِنْ حَسِيسِ
Your sharp sword made them dissolve
Bewildered, no feeling left
يَا حُلِيَّ الزَّمَانِ يَا زينَةَ الأَرْ
ضِ وَرَأْسَ الْمُلُوك وَابْنَ الرُّؤوسِ
O jewel of time, beauty of earth
Head of kings and son of elite
إِنَّ نُصْحِي وَصِدْقَ وَدِّي قَدِيمٌ
لَمْ أَشُبْهُ بِالزُّورِ وَالتَّدْلِيسِ
My honesty and loyalty are old
No pretense or guile
قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ الزَّمانُ شَبابِي
خَالِساً غُرَّتِي بِشَعْرٍ خَلِيسِ
Before time eats my youth
Unalloyed, with no grey hair
مَا أُطيلُ الْمَقاَلَ خَوْفاً لإِضْجا
رِ إمَامٍ مُؤَيَّدٍ مَحْرُوسِ
I do not prolong this ode fearing
Supported Imam, protected
وَأَرَى النَّاسَ أُظْهِرُوا بِمَدِيحٍ
لِيَ مِنْهُ البُكُورُ بالتَّغْلِيسِ
And I see people openly praising me
Early with contrivance
رُبَّ بَذْلٍ سَقَيْتَنِي مِنْهُ كَأْساً
فَأَعِدْ لي مُدَارَ تِلكَ الْكُؤوسِ
With your previous generosity you gave me a cup
Return to me circuit of those cups
حِينَ شَرَّفْتَنِي فَكُنْتُ بِنُعْمَا
كَ جَلِيساً مِنْ قَبْلِ كُلِّ جَلِيسِ
When you honored me, I was with your bounty
A companion before any companion
ثُمَّ أَفْرَدْتَنِي خُصُوصاً بِبِرٍّ
مُفْرَدٍ طَاهِرٍ مِنَ التَّدْنِيسِ
Then you singled me out specially with righteous
Singular, pure kindness
إِنَّ بَيْنِي وَبَيْن دَهْرِيَ حَرْبَاً
جَاوَزَتْ حَرْبَ دَاحِسٍ وَالْبَسُوسِ
Between my fate and I is war
Exceeding war of Dahis and Basus
أَنَا منْهُ لغَيْرِ هَجْرٍ وَوَصْلٍ
وَاقِفٌ بَيْنَ لَوْعَةٍ ورَسِيسِ
I stand between burning anguish and ease
Neither separated nor united
فَاعْتَبِرْ مَا شَكَاهُ عَبْدُكَ مِنْهُ
ثُمَّ دَاوِ الْخُنَاقَ بِالتَّنْفِيسِ
Consider what your slave complained of time
Then relieve choking with relief
هُوَ في مِخْلَبِ الزَّمَانِ فَرِيسٌ
فَارْحَمِ الآنَ نَفْسَ هَذَا الْفَرِيسِ
It is in claws of time, prey
Have mercy now on this prey
وَاسْقِهِ مِنْ سُلاَفِ جودِكَ بَذْلاً
فَاقَ طِيباً سُلاَفَةَ الْخَنْدَرِيسِ
And quench from your generosity with greatest bounty
Finer than meadow saffron rapture
يُطْلَقُ الشِّعْرُ فِي أُناسٍ وَشِعْرِي
وَقْفُ مَدْحٍ عَلَى الإِمَامِ حَبِيسِ
Poetry is released for all, my poetry
Is ode’s confinement praising the Imam
لَمْ تَزَلْ فِي القَدِيمِ تَلْبَسُ مِنْهُ
مُسْتَجَدَّ الطِّرَازِ غَيْرَ لَبِيسِ
You never ceased wearing from it
Renewed finery, no raggedness
لاَ أُعَلِّي بِهِ لعُلْوَةَ فِكْراً
فِي مَشِيبٍ لَهَا وَلاَ لِلْعَمِيسِ
I do not overestimate any thought
In aged or blind minds
مِدَحٌ لَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَيْهَا زِيادٌ
وَهوَ خَاشٍ رَدَى أَبِي قَابُوسِ
Eulogy increased over it no excess
This Khashi refuted Father Qabus
لاَ وَلاَ حَاكَ مِثْلَهُنَّ جَرِيرٌ
عِنْدَ إِيحَاشِ رَبْعِهِ الْمَأْنُوسِ
No, nor did Jarir spin its like
When his quartet frequented
قَامَ هذَا الْمَدِيحِ بِالعُذْرِ مِنِّي
نَائِباً عَنْ نَشيدِ يَوْمِ الْخَمِيسِ
This eulogy arose excusing me
Deputizing song of Thursday
فَالْقَهُ بِالنَّجَاح يَا أَكْرَمَ الأُم
مةِ أُعْطِي بِهِ يَمِينَ غَمُوسِ
Cast it with success, O greatest of nation
I am given with it right hand of graybeard
لِيَ سَبْقُ الْمَدِيحِ فِيكَ عَلَى النَّا
سِ وَفَخْرٌ بِالسَّبْقِ فِي التَّأْسِيسِ
Mine is precedence in praising you
And pride in pioneering foundation
هِيَ حالٌ لَيْسَ الشَّبَابُ وإِنْ فُض
ضِلَ خَيْراً فِيهَا مِن التَّعْنِيسِ
A state not of youth though preferring therein
Better than bleariness
يَا إِمَاماً بِهِ أُمِرَّتْ عُرَى الْحَق
قِ وَحُلَّتْ مَعَاقِدُ التَّلْبِيسِ
O Imam with whom reins of truth commanded
And riddles of confusion solved
أَيَّدَ اللهُ مُلْكُه بِوَزِيرٍ
عَالِمٍ بِالزَّمَانِ طَبٍّ رَئِيسِ
God supported his rule with minister
Learned in times, skilled leader
ضَامِنٍ بِالْوَفَاءِ مِنْهُ رضَى الل
هِ بِحْفظِ الرَّئيسِ والْمَرْؤوسِ
Loyally guarantying from him God’s approval
Protecting leader and subordinate
ظَمِئَ الْمُلْكُ قَبْلَهُ فَسَقَاهُ
رِيَّهُ مِنْ زُلاَلِ نُصْحٍ مَسُوسِ
Rule thirsted for him, so he quenched it
With sincere advice’s clarity
حَاصِدٍ لِلْعِدَى بِأَقْلاَمِ رَأْيٍ
تَقْطَعُ السيفَ عَنْدَ حَمْيِ الْوَطِيسِ
Reaping injustice with quills of opinion
Cutting sword at indignation’s fever
كَيْدُهُ وَافِدٌ عَلَيْهِمْ بِيَوْمٍ
قَمْطَرِيرٍ بِمَا يَشُقُّ عَبُوسِ
His plot came upon them one day
Showery with what shatters sullenness
بَانَ فَضْلاً عَلَى الكُفَاةِ كَمَا با
نَ عَلَى ابْنِ اللَّبُونِ فَضْلُ السَّدِيسِ
He excelled regents as excelled
Son of Labun over flabby Satis
طَابَ أَصْلاً وَبابْنِه طَابَ فَرْعاً
غَرَس الْمُلْكُ منه خَيْرَ عَريس
His origin and through his son his branch sound
Kingdom planted from him best bridegroom
قَدْ أَمَرَّ الزَّمَانُ طَوْعاً عَلَيْهِ
فَسَخَا بَعْدَ نَفْرَةٍ وَشُمُوسِ
Time willingly commanded him
Arrogance vanished after aloofness
فَتَرَى النَّاسَ خَاضِعِينَ إِلَيْهِ
مِنْ قِيَامٍ بِأَمْرِهِ وَجُلُوسِ
You see people obedient to him
Rising at his command and seated
أَمْتَعَ اللهُ بالْوَزِيرِ إِمَاماً
خُصَّ مِنْ نُصْحِهِ بِعلْقٍ نَفِيسِ
God gladdened the Imam with vizier
Privileged by his loyalty precious intimacy
وَأَطَالَ الْبَقَاءَ لِلْمَلِكِ الرَّا
ضِي إِلَهٌ أَصْفَاهُ وُدَّ النُّفُوسِ
And prolonged survival for pleased King
God purified and beloved of souls
