خَليفَةَ اللَهِ الَّذي

وُعودُهُ لا تُخلَفُ

The caliph of Allah whose promises are never broken

And O leader whom attributes have rendered speechless

وَيا إِماماً أَعجَزَت

صِفاتُهُ مَن يَصِفُ

He who has no hesitation or pause for any questioner

His habit is generosity and softness

ما عِندَهُ لِسائِلٍ

رَدٌّ وَلا تَوَقُّفُ

O you whose determination is like the sharp edge of a sword

Remaining firm when heroes’ feet tremble

وَلِلسَماحِ وَالنَدى

تَليدُهُ وَالمُطرَفُ

And whose qualities are most subtle

With glances that do not glance

يا مَن لَهُ عَزمٌ كَحَد

دِ المَشرَفِيِّ مُرهَفُ

His days are a garden of sorrow

Without injustice, tyranny or arrogance

يَثبُتُ في الرَوعِ وَأَق

دامُ الكُماةِ تَرجُفُ

With cheeks whose bloom is plucked in moments

And saliva with which bitter aloes are tempered

وَمَن لَهُ شَمائِلٌ

مِنَ الشَمولِ أَلطَفَ

With a stature that makes my heart flutter madly

And a stolen glance - when I see it I am carried away

وَمُقلَةٌ عَنِ الرَعا

ياطَرفُها لا يَطرِفُ

I incline toward him yet his heart is like rock, unbending

And a life with him the like of which is matchless

أَيّامُهُ لِحُسنِها

رَوضَةُ حَزنٍ أُنُفُ

Can the past be compensated or replaced?

I yearn for those days though yearning is futile

لَيسَ بِها ظُلمٌ وَلا

جَورٌ وَلا تَعَجرُفُ

A pact of flowing sincerity when he swears an oath

Indeed, al-‘Abbas rules justly in his judgement

أَما وَخَدٍّ وَردُهُ

بِاللَحَظاتِ يُقطَفُ

And he is the noblest who has trodden the earth

My praise of him is free of pretence

وَريقَةٍ يُمزَجُ لي

بِها السُلافُ القَرقَفُ

More radiant than a pearl when cleft from its shell

Like water - no affectation in its composition

وَقامَةٍ يَهفو بِقَل

بي قَدُّها المُهَفهَفُ

I have filled the pages with all I have dictated of it

So make the most of my praise, for I am a fleeting visitor

وَمُخطَفٍ لَوني إِذا

رَأَيتُهُ يَنخَطِفُ

I have grown old in your service, an honor to me

And the slave is a fragile vessel, prone to decay

أَعطِفُهُ وَقَلبُهُ

كَالصَخرِ لا يَنعَطِفُ

After old age there remains only death or senility

And he leaves behind a family with conflicting interests

وَعيشَةٍ دَهري عَلَي

يَ مِثلَها لاتَخلِفُ

They burden him with unwanted duties

Where is the wherewithal for such duties?

وَهَل لِماضٍ مِن شَبا

بٍ عِوَضٌ أَو خَلَفُ

And with financial woes he carries stoically

His soul recoils from praising the worthless

لَهفي عَلى أَيّامِها

لَو يَنفَعُ التَلَهُّفُ

He is not like others, guarded and restrained

Singing praises of the palm even when it bears no fruit

حِلفَةَ بَرٍّ صادِقِ ال

لَهجَةِ حينَ يَحلِفُ

So look upon him, now that the critic is tested

Your wise governance will improve his situation

إِنَّ أَبا العَبّاسِ عَد

لٌ في القَضاءِ مُنصِفُ

And there has grown for the community, O Lord of Men, an heir

Who is accustomed to the cage and flutters around it

وَإِنَّهُ أَكرَمُ مَن

داسَ الثَرى وَأَشرَفُ

He brings me joy - the little one still fluttering

Without inheritance or one to inherit after me

وَإِنَّ مَدحي فيهِ لا

يَدخُلُهُ التَكَلُّفُ

I have no possessions or household to bequeath

My tears of affection for him flow freely

مَدحٌ كَنُوّارِ الرَبي

عِ وَشيُهُ مُفَوَّفُ

I have tested him and found him refined and learned

With no arrogance, vanity or haughtiness

أَبهى مِنَ الدُرِّ إِذا

ما شُقَّ عَنهُ الصَدَفُ

His fruits have ripened and will soon be plucked

His desire is service in the office and administration

كَالماءِ ما في نَظمِهِ

كَلٌّ وَلا تَكَلُّفُ

So plant him in a position where he can rise high

And be recognized among the people for his rank

قَد مُلِئَت عَنّي بِما

أَملَيتُ مِنهُ الصُحُفُ

As long as the grasps of the Pleiades twist and turn

And after two months when the fodder is depleted

فَاِغتَنِموا مَدحي فَإِن

ني زائِرٌ مُنصَرِفُ

And the feast day arrives with its celebrations

You will see him in the procession, banner held high

قَد شِبتُ في خِدمَتِكُم

وَلي بِذاكَ الشَرَفُ

As if in his black garb he were a rising moon

Remaining with us, dispelling doubts and revealing truths

وَالعَبدُ كَيءٌ شامِطٌ

يُخشى عَلَيهِ التَلَفُ

A protected and victorious ruler, gentle yet firm

What travels in darkness and a flash of lightning that captures.

وَلَيسَ بَعدَ الشَيبِ إِل

لا ميتَةٌ أَو خَرَفُ

وَخَلفَهُ عائِلَةٌ

أَغراضُهُم تَختَلِفُ

قَد أَلزَموهُ كُلَفاً

وَأَينَ مِنهُ الكُلَفُ

وَفيهِ مَع مَغارِمٍ

يَحمِلُها تَعَقُفُ

تَأنَفُ مِن مَدحِ اللِئا

مِ نَفسُهُ وَتَعزِفُ

ما هُوَ مِثلُ غَيرِهِ

مُدَروِزٌ مُقَيِّفُ

يَمتَدِحُ الكَنّافَ إِس

فافاً وَلا يَستَنكِفُ

فَاُنظُر إِلَيهِ نَظرَةً

وَقَد أَبَلَّ المُدنِفُ

فَحالُهُ يُصلِحُها

تَدبيرُكَ المُلَطَّفُ

وَقَد نَشا لِلكَيِّ يا

مَولى الأَنامِ مُخلِفُ

قَد أَلِفَ القُفصَةَ وَه

وَ حَولَها يُرَفرِفُ

يَشعَفُني حُبّاً وَما

زالَ الصَغيرُ يَشعَفُ

وَما لَهُ بَعدِيَ مَو

روثٌ وَلا مُخَلِّفُ

وَلَيسَ لي مِلكٌ وَلا

دارٌ عَليهِ توقَفُ

وَأَدمُعي مِن فَرطِ إِش

فاقي عَليهِ تَذرِفُ

وَهوَ وَقَد بَلَوتُهُ

مُهَذَّبٌ مُثَقَّفُ

ما فيهِ لا كِبرٌ وَلا

تيهٌ وَلا تَعَجرُفُ

قَد أَينَعَت أَثمارُهُ

وَعَن قَليلٍ تُقطَفُ

وَهَمُّهُ الخِدمَةُ في ال

ديوانِ وَالتَصَرُّفُ

فَاِغرِسهُ لي في خِدمَةٍ

يَسمو بِها وَيَشرُفُ

يَعلو بِها بَينَ الأَنا

مِ قَدرُهُ وَيُعرَفُ

مادامَ رَيّانَ القَضي

بِ عودُهُ مُنعَطِفُ

وَبَعدَ شَهرَينِ إِذا

ما دارَ فيهِ العَلَفُ

وأَقَبَلَ العيدُ الَّذي

تُنفَقُ فيهِ العُرَفُ

تَراهُ في المَوكِبِ وَه

وَ كَاللِواءِ مُشرِفُ

كَأَنَّهُ في الهَيئَةِ ال

سَوداءِ بَدرٌ مُسدِفُ

فَاِبقَ لَنا تَدفَعُ ما

يُريبُنا وَتَكشِفُ

مُمَلَّكاً مُظَفَّراً

ماضَمَّ لاماً أَلِفُ

وَما سَرى تَحتَ الدُجى

وَميضُ بَرقٍ يَخطِفُ