بَقاءُ الدينِ وَالدُنيا جَميعاً
إِذا بَقِيَ الخَليفَةُ وَالوَزيرُ
The endurance of faith and the world alike depends on the survival of the Caliph and the Vizier.
Yahya guards the sanctuary of Islam with zeal, even when the vigilant lose their resolve.
يُغارُ عَلى حِمى الإِسلامِ يَحيى
إِذا ما ضَيَّعَ الحَزمَ الغَيورُ
None sustains the cause of Islam but a refuge sought by all, who himself seeks refuge in God.
In both your power to benefit and to harm, generosity and goodness guard the way.
وَلَيسَ يَقومُ بِالإِسلامِ إِلّا
مَعاذٌ يُستَجارُ وَيَستَجيرُ
Neither the bliss of kingship nor soft silken beds have distracted you from your charge.
Our path leads to you from every horizon, for you possess insight into every matter at hand.
كِلا يَومَيكَ مِن نَفعٍ وَضَرٍّ
يَحوطُ حِماهُما كَرَمٌ وَخَيرُ
I have tested mankind, both Arab and non-Arab, yet none treads the path that you tread.
Every burden, whether of word or deed, becomes trivial once your hands take hold of it.
وَما أَلهاكَ عَمّا أَنتَ فيهِ
نَعيمُ المُلكِ وَالوَطِىءُ الوَثيرُ
In your palms lie the pathways of death, yet from their bounty flows the torrential rain.
You are the source of glory in war and in peace; upon your shoulders, victory is ascribed.
إِلَيكَ سَبيلُنا مِن كُلِّ وَجهٍ
وَكُلُّ الأَمرِ أَتَ بِهِ بَصيرُ
You have known the turns of Fortune, good and ill, making you an expert in every judgment.
You do not repay malice with malice, even when a supporter openly turns against you.
بَلَوتُ الناسَ مِن عُجمٍ وَعُربٍ
فَما أَحَدٌ يَسيرُ كَما تَسيرُ
All people stand between your riches and your pardon; with you, both flow in abundance.
Nothing is hidden from you, skilled healer that you are—neither the secrets of affairs nor their surfaces.
فَكُلُّ الأُمورِ مِن قَولٍ وَفِعلٍ
إِذا عَلِقَت يَداكَ بِهِ صَغيرُ
The flowing robes of praise hang loosely upon you, adorned with the finest embroidery.
You are not swayed by worldly trifles toward which the eyes of other ministers incline.
وَفي كَفيكَ مَدرَجَةُ المَنايا
وَمِن جَدواهُما الغَيثُ المَطيرُ
No desire of yours, be it small or great, has ever compromised faith for the sake of the world.
Before you, the ministers were in chaos, the great among them led by the small.
وَأَنتَ العِزُّ في حَربٍ وَسِلمٍ
يُضافُ إِلى مَناكِبِكَ الظُهورُ
No ascent or descent of your desire has ever trespassed the cutting edge of truth.
Troubles have been dispelled by a Barmakid, for whom the pulpits and the throne shine bright.
عَرَفتَ الدَهرَ مِن خَيرٍ وَشَرٍّ
فَكُلُّ الرَأيِ أَنتَ بِهِ خَبيرُ
You have borne the crushing burdens on our behalf and for Islam, deserving the deepest gratitude.
How excellent are the King and the King’s Vizier, crowned with the luminous dignity of hoary age.
وَلَستَ مُجازِياً بِالضِغنِ ضِغناً
وَلَو أَبدى المُظاهَرَةَ الظَهيرُ
His intuition matches his deliberation whenever a great calamity befalls.
His judgment is most profound precisely when the advisor and the advised are struck blind.
فَكُلُّ الناسِ بَينَ غِنىً وَعَفوٌ
لَدَيكَ كِلاهُما دَرٌّ دَرَورُ
None has planted the seeds of affairs nor harvested them like Yahya when he resolves to act.
If the endeavors of glory were to rise upon their feet one day, or if steadfast strength were praised,
وَما يَخفى عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ طَبٌّ
بُطونٌ لِلأُمورِ وَلا ظُهورُ
Then no benefit compares to that of Abu Ali, and no one achieves what he achieves.
سَرابيلُ المَحامِدِ ضافِياتٌ
عَلَيكَ يَزينُها الوَشيُ الحَبيرُ
وَما نَزَعَتكَ لِلدُّنيا هَناتٌ
إِلَيها أَعيُنُ الوُزَراءِ صورُ
وَما إِن نالَ مِن دينٍ لِدُنيا
قَليلٌ مِن هَواكَ وَلا كَثيرُ
وَكانَت قَبلَكَ الوُزَراءُ فَوضى
يَؤُمُّ كَبيرَهُم فيها الصَغيرُ
وَما إِن جازَ مَقطَعَ كُلِّ حَقٍّ
صُعودٌ في هَواكَ وَلا حُدورُ
تَفَرَّجَت الأُمورُ بِبَرَمَكِيٍّ
تُضيءُ لَهُ المَنابِرُ وَالسَريرُ
حَمَلتَ فَوادِحَ الأَعباءِ عَنّا
عَنِ الإِسلامِ أَن شَكَرَ الشَكورُ
لَن مَلِكٌ نِعمَ وَوَزيرُ مَلكٍ
عَلَيهِ مِن لِباسِ الشَيبِ نورُ
بَديهَتُهُ وَفِكرَتُهُ سَواءٌ
إِذا ما نابَهُ الخَطبُ الكَبيرُ
وَأَجزَلُ ما يَكونُ الدَهرُ رَأياً
إِذا عَمِيَ المُشاوَرُ وَالمُشيرُ
وَلا غَرَسَ الأُمورَ وَلا اِجتَناها
كَيَحيى حينَ يَعزِمُ أِو يَسيرُ
إِذا قامَت مَساعي الفَخرِ يَوماً
عَلى الأَقدامِ أَو مُدِحَ المَريرُ
فَما نَفعٌ كَنَفعِ أَبي عَلِيٍّ
وَلا أَحَدٌ يَصيرُ كَما يَصيرُ
