حَلَلتَ حُلولَ الغَيثِ في البَلَدِ المَحلِ

وَإِن جَلَّ ما تولي يَداكَ عَنِ المِثلِ

You settled like rain pouring down in the homeland

Though your eminent deeds have kept you from ideals

وَفارَقتَ أَرضَ الشَأمِ لا عَن مَلامَةٍ

وَلا أَنَّ فيها عَن فِراقِكَ ما يُسلي

You left the land of Syria, not out of blame

Nor because being away from you brought solace there

وَلَكِن لِيَستَشفي البِلادُ وَأَهلُها

بِفَضلِكَ مِن داءِ الجَهالَةِ وَالبُخلِ

But so the country and its people could gain

From your grace, be cured of ignorance and stinginess

فَيَأخُذُ كُلٌّ مِن لِقائِكَ حَظَّهُ

وَما زِلتَ بِالقِسطاسِ تَحكُمُ وَالعَدلِ

Thus each would get their share from seeing you

While you kept the balance of justice and fairness

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا العارِضَ الجونَ

جَلجَلَت رَواعِدُهُ فَاِنحَلَّ في الحَزنِ وَالسَهلِ

You were but a towering pillar

Whose foundations crumbled, so it collapsed in grief and the valley

وَقالوا رَسولٌ أَعجَزَتنا صِفاتُهُ

فَقُلتُ صَدَقتُم هَذِهِ صِفَةُ الرُسلِ

They said a messenger whose qualities overwhelmed us

And I said you speak truly, such are the traits of messengers

جَمالٌ إِلى المَولى الكَمالِ اِنتِسابُهُ

وَبارِعُ فَضلٍ بارِعٍ مِن أَبي الفَضلِ

A beauty stemming from the Absolute Perfection is his lineage

And a shining virtue from the Father of Excellence

بِكُم أَيَّدَ اللَهُ المَمالِكَ فَاِغتَدَت

مَوَطَّدَةَ الأَكنافِ مَجموعَةَ الشَملِ

Through you God fortified the kingdoms, so they became

United in alliance, gathered in oneness

فَمِن سائِسٍ لِلمُلكِ فيها مُدَبِّرٍ

وَمِن عالِمٍ حَبرٍ وَمِن حاكِمٍ عَدلِ

Thus there was one to run the kingdom wisely

A scholar, a judge, and one to rule justly

فَلا طَمِعَت ما دُمتُمُ مِن حُماتِها

يَدُ الدَهرِ في طَردٍ لَهُنَّ وَلا وَشلِ

So long as you remain, no time can hope

To expel them or divide them with its hand

وَعِشتُم لِدَهرٍ أَنتُمُ حَسَناتُهُ

وَمَجدُكُمُ حَليٌ لِأَيّامِهِ العُطلِ

You lived an age whose goodness you were

And your glory was its adornment in days of emptiness

وَأُنشِرَ أَمواتُ المَكارِمِ مِنكُمُ

بِكُلِّ جَوادٍ يُتبِعُ القَولَ بِالفِعلِ

The deceased virtues were revived through you

With every generosity matching words with deeds

فَأَنتُم بُناةُ المَجدِ بِالبيضِ وَالقَنا

وَأَنتُم وُلاةُ العَقدِ في الناسِ وَالحَلِّ

You build glory with clarity and spear

You rule people's necks, arbitrating disputes

تُجيرونَ مِن صَرفِ اللَيالي فَجارُكُم

عَزيزٌ إِذا ما الجارُ أُسلِمَ لِلذُلِّ

Your neighbors gain security against the nights' twists and turns

For the neighbor is mighty when he submits to humiliation

يَحِلُّ البَعيدُ الدارِ وَالأَهلِ فيكُم

فَيُلهى عَنِ الجيرانِ وَالدارِ وَالأَهلِ

The distant one feels at home with kin through you

Forgetting other neighbors, home, and family

خُلِقتَ أَبا العَباسِ لِلبَأسِ وَالنَدى

وَلِلغارَةِ الشَعواءِ وَالقَولَةِ الفَصلِ

Abu Al-Abbas you were created for valor and high resolve

For fierce raids and conclusive words

فَنَدعوكَ في الهَيجاءِ ياقاتِلِ العِدى

وَنَدعوكَ في اللَأواءِ يا قاتِلِ المَحلِ

We call upon you in turmoil, slayer of enemies

We call upon you in battle, slayer of the pretentious

لَقَد ناطَ نورُ الدينِ مِنكَ أُمورَهُ

بِأَغلَبَ شَثنِ الكَفِّ ذي ساعِدٍ عَبلِ

Indeed, the light of faith entrusted its matters to you

Relying on the most decisive grip of a strong-armed one

وَأَلقى مَقاليدَ الأُمورِ مُفَوِّضاً

إِلَيكَ فَأَضحى المُلكُ في جانِبٍ بَسلِ

And handed over the reins of command, deputizing

You, so the kingdom was set aside

فَقُمتَ بِما حُمِّلتَهُ مِنهُ ناهِضاً

وَقَد ضَعُفَت عَنهُ قُوى الجِلَّةِ البُزلِ

You took up what was entrusted to you energetically

Though it exhausted the strength of the weak

وَحَمَّلَ أَعباءَ الرِسالَةِ ناصِحاً

أَمينَ القُوى خالي الضُلوعِ مِنَ الغِلِّ

You carried the burdens of the message sincerely

A trustee of strength, pure of treachery

تَخَيَّرَهُ أَمضى الأَنامِ عَزيمَةً

وَأَحمَلَهُم يَومَ الكَريهَةِ لِلثِقلِ

He chose you as the most resolute of people

And on the day of hardship, carried the heaviest loads

تَخَيَّرَ مَنصورَ السَرايا مُؤَيَّداً

خَواطِرُهُ تُملي عَلى الغَيبِ ما يُملي

He chose Mansur the victorious commander, supporting

Him so his thoughts could dictate the unseen

مَلَكتَ قُلوبَ الناسِ وَدّاً وَرَغبَةً

بِأَخلاقِكَ الحُسنى وَنائِلِكَ الجَزلِ

You won people's hearts through love and desire

With your excellent character and abundant giving

غَفَرتُ لِدَهري ما جَنَتهُ خُطوبُهُ

بِقُربِكَ وَالأَيّامُ في أَوسَعِ الحِلِّ

I forgave the days their afflictions in your presence

As time flowed in its most expansive condition

وَوَجَّهتُ آمالي إِلَيكَ وَقَلَّما

شَدَدتُ عَلى غَيرِ المُنا قَبلَها رَحلي

I directed my hopes to you, and scarcely ever

Moved my camels' necks except heading toward you

فَقَد عِشتُ دَهراً ما تُمَدُّ لِنائِلٍ

يَدايَ وَلا تَسعى إِلى آمِلٍ رِجلي

For I lived an age where my hands reached out to none

And my feet strode toward no hopeful person

أَصونُ عَنِ الجُهّالِ شِعري تَرَفُّعاً

وَأُشفِقُ مِن مَدحِ البَخيلِ عَلى فَضلي

I guarded my poetry from the ignorant disdainfully

And feared praising the stingy would stain my merit

فَأَذوي وَلا أُبدي لِخلَّةٍ شِكايَتي

وَأَعيا وَلا أُلقي عَلى أَحَدٍ ثِقلي

So I faded away, not revealing my complaints to anyone

And I suffered without placing my burden on anyone

حَليماً عَلى صَحوِ الزَمانِ وَسُكرِهِ

وَقوراً عَلى جَدِّ النَوائِبِ وَالهَزلِ

Clement in the drunkenness and sobriety of time

Dignified in the intensity of catastrophes and frivolity

أَبِيّاً عَلى الرَواضِ لا يَستَفِزُّني

ذَواتُ القُدودِ الهيفِ وَالأَعُينِ النُجلِ

Disdainful in meadows, not aroused by

Beasts with scowling faces and glancing eyes

فَلا يَملِكُ المُسني العَطِيَّةِ مِقوَدي

وَلا يَطمَعُ البيضُ الرَعابيبُ في وَصلي

So neither the wealthy have power over my reins

Nor do the rabble hope for my connection

وَمالي هَوىً أَسمو إِلَيهِ سِوى العُلى

وَلا سَكَنٌ يُمسي ضَجيعي سِوى الفَضلِ

I have no passion I aspire to but the Sublime

No home where I lay to rest but Merit

وَلَولا السَماحُ الشَهرَزورِيُّ لَم تَبِت

عَقائِلُ أَشعاري تُزَفُّ إِلى بَعلِ

Were it not for generous Samah Sharzuri

My poetry's knots would not be sent to a husband

وَعِندَ عِمادِ الدينِ لي ما اِقتَرَحتُهُ

عَطاءٌ بِلا مَنٍّ وَوَدٌّ بِلا غِلِّ

With Imam Al-Din I found what I sought

Giving without stinting, affection without malice

هُوَ المَرءُ يُثني عَن كَريمِ نَجارِهِ

شَمائِلُهُ وَالفَرعُ يُثني عَنِ الأَصلِ

He is the man whose traits excuse his noble roots

As the branch excuses the origin

طَويلُ نَجادِ السَيفِ في حَومَةِ الوَغى

رَحيبُ مَجالِ الباعِ وَالهَمِّ في الأَزلِ

Long in generous sacrifice in battlefields

Vast in breadth and care since time immemorial

تَعَرَّضَ لِلجَدوى وَكُلُّ أَخي نَدىً

إِذا هُوَ لَم يُسأَل تَعَرَّضَ لِلبَذلِ

He took the initiative, though every brother is a helper

If he is not asked, he takes the initiative to give

وَحَنَّت إِلى أَن يَبذُلَ العُرفُ كَفَّهُ

كَما حَنَّتِ الأُمُّ الرَقوبُ إِلى الطِفلِ

He yearned to extend his palm, like

A compassionate mother yearning toward her child

تَمَلَّ بِها يُصبى الحَليمُ بِحُسنِها

فَلا بانَةَ الوادي وَلا ظَبيَةَ الرَملِ

With it, the forbearing one is dyed, neither desert doe

Nor gazelle of the sands can match it

وَراعِ لَها ما أَسلَفَت مِن مَوَدَّةٍ

وَما أَحكَمَتهُ مِن ذِمامٍ وَمِن إِلِّ

Guard the affection she engendered and the reins

And ropes she fastened tightly

وَلا تَنسَها إِن جَدَّ بَينٌ وَحاذِها

عَلى البُعدِ حَذوَ النَعلِ في الوَدِّ بِالنَعلِ

If the distance comes between you, keep her pace

Step-for-step, like strapped sandals in the valley

فَحاشا لِعَهدٍ مِن وَلاءٍ عَقَدتَهُ

بِمَدحِكَ يُمسي وَهوَ مُنجَذِمُ الحَبلِ

It would be a disgrace for a pact of loyalty you tied

With your praise to fade and unravel

وَلا زِلتَ مَرفوعَ العِمادِ لِآمِلٍ

يُرَجّيكَ مَسكوبَ النَدى وَارِفَ الظِلِّ

You remain the pillar for a hopeful one

Who seeks you, poured drink and extending shade