لَم تَبغِ هِمَّتُكَ المَحَلَّ العالي

إِلّا وَأَنتَ مُوَفَّقٌ لِكَمالِ

Your ambition did not seek heights sublime,

Except you were destined for perfections time.

وَكَذاكَ ما عَشِقَت خَلائِقُكَ العُلى

إِلّا وَلِلأَموالِ قَلبُكَ قالي

Just so, nothing did your nature love,

Except to wealth your heart was ever strove.

أَمُجَدِّلَ الأَبطالِ بَل يا باذِلَ ال

أَموالِ بَل يا حامِلَ الأَثقالِ

Or do you laud the valiant and the brave?

Rather you, spender of wealth, burdens grave

صَيَّرتَ أَسحارَ السَماحِ بَواكِراً

وَجَعَلتَ أَيّامَ الكِفاحِ لَيالي

Made dawn's generosity the mornings cure,

And days of toil as nights of calm endure.

بِحَماسَةٍ مَقرونَةٍ بِسَماحَةٍ

وَجَلادَةٍ مَشفوعَةٍ بِجِدالِ

With passion bound to grace,

And valor graced by trial's face,

تُحمي الجِوارَ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ مِثلَما

يَحمي فَريسَتَهُ أَبو الأَشبالِ

You guard your neighbor as a lion guards,

Its prey from all misfortunes' jagged shards.

أَغياثَ دينِ اللَهِ يا مَن رَأيُه

يُغنيهِ عَن خَطِّيَّةٍ وَنِصالِ

Savior of God's religion, your sight,

Makes you needless of sin or arms might.

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ قَبلَ لُحتَ لِناظِري

أَنَّ الخُيولَ تَسيرُ بِالأَجبالِ

I did not know before your figure met my eye,

That horses stride atop the mountains high.

طاوَعتُ فيكَ تَفَرُّسي وَتَوَسُّمي

وَعَصَيتَ فيكَ مَلامَةَ العُذّالِ

I obeyed in you my sense and reason's call,

But disobeyed in you the critics' gall.

ما زِلتُ مِنذُ سَرى رُكابُكَ مائِلاً

أَتَوَقَّعُ الإِقبالَ بِالإِقبالِ

Since your steed strode inclined, I have not ceased,

To anticipate fortune with fortunes feast.

وَجَهَدتُ أَنّي لا أَسيرُ مُيَمَّماً

حَتّى أُمَثَّلَ بِالمَقَرِّ العالي

And I have tried that I walk not in haste,

Until I reach the sublime palace graced.

في جَنَّةِ الفِردوسِ كانَ مُقامُناً

وَبِمِثلِها في الحَشرِ يَنجَحُ فالي

In Paradise's garden was our stay,

And with its like shall our fortune greet resurrection's day.

فَكَأَنَّ ذاكَ اليَومَ رِقدَةِ نائِمٍ

وَكَأَنَّ عَيشي فيهِ طَيفُ خَيالِ

So that it's as if that day we slept,

And my living in it was a fancy swept.

ما تِلكَ لِلسُلطانِ أَوَّلَ مِنَّةٍ

عَمَّت يَداهُ بِمِثلِها أَمثالي

That is no first favor for the Sultan great,

The likes of me have equal fortunes fate.

مَلَكٌ عَرَفتُ بِهِ المُلوكَ فَلَم يَزَل

شِعري بِهِ عالي سِعرِيَ غالي

A king I knew through whom I knew all kings,

My poetry of him ever upwards sings.

لَمّا رَأَيتَ لِسانَ شُكري قاصِراً

وَعَلِمتَ وِدّي مِن لِسانِ الحالِ

When you saw my tongue of thanks falling short,

And knew my love from my countenance's report.

وَحَفَظتُ عَهدَكَ مِثلَ حِفظي صِحَّتي

وَشَهِدتَ في ذاكَ المَقامِ مَقالي

As I kept your pact like keeping health safe guarded,

And you witnessed on that stand my words recorded.

أَغَراكَ جودُكَ بي فَجُدتَ تَبَرُّعاً

وَسَأَلتَني لَمّا أَمِنتَ سُؤالي

Your munificence made you think me a voluntary donor,

And when assured, you asked me signor.

فَأَبَيتُ أَن أَرضى لِصِدقِ مَحَبَّتي

ثَمَناً وَأُرخِصُ قَدرَ وُدّي الغالي

But I refused to for my love's sincerity,

Sell its price or make my beloved's value cheap.

وَمَنَحتَني فَبَذَلتُ مالَكَ في يَدي

وَحَسَدتُ جودَكَ لي فَجُدتُ بِمالي

So you gifted me and I spent your possessions in my hand,

And envied your charity so gave with my own wealth's demand.

إِذ كُنتُ أَرغَبُ في رِضاكَ وَلَم يَكُن

لي مَع وِدادِكَ رَغبَةٌ في المالِ

For I preferred your approval and had no desire,

With your affection, for wealth acquire.

وَأَوَدُّ أَن أُجري بِبالِكَ بَعضَ ما

يُجري مَديحُكَ وَالثَناءُ بِبالي

And I wish to make your mind flow somewhat,

As does my praise of you and acclaim allot.

ما كُنتُ أَنهَكُ بِالتَوَقُّعِ بِالعَطا

عِرضي فَأُسمِنَ جارَتي بِهُزالي

I did not weary myself anticipating gift,

So my neighbor fattens while I face hunger adrift.

لَكِن أُزيلُ نَفيسَ ما مَلَكَت يَدي

أَنفاً وَماءُ الوَجهِ غَيرُ مُزالِ

Rather I remove from myself what my hands held,

Pride, and tears are not to be withheld.

شِيَمٌ عَهِدتُ بِها مَساعي مَعشَري

فَسَحَبتُ في آثارِهِم أَذيالي

It's a practice my clan's efforts have known,

So I followed their trails though I walked alone.

ما طالَ في الدُنيا تَنَعُّمَ راحَتي

إِلّا وَقَد قَصُرَت بِها آمالي

However long my comfort lasted in life,

My hopes were shortened by that rife.

ما في نِظامي غَيرَ تَركِ مَدائِحي

نَقصٌ وَذاكَ النَقصُ غَيرُ كَمالي

Nothing in my system but leaving praise wants,

And that want is not of merits scant.