تَرى الظاعِنَ الغادي مُقيماً عَلى العَهدِ

وَفاءً أَمِ الأَيّامُ غَيَّرنَهُ بَعدي

Do you see the ardent lover remaining faithful to his vow

Or have the days changed him after me?

وَهَل ماطِلٌ ديني مَعَ الوَجدِ عالِمٌ

بِما بِتُّ أَلقى في هَواهُ مِنَ الوَجدِ

Does the procrastinator of my debt, acquainted with passion

Know what I have poured into his love of passion?

إِذا مَطَلَت لَمياءُ وَهيَ قَريبَةٌ

فَأَجدَرُ أَن تُلوى الدُيونُ عَلى البُعدِ

When the shining eyes of the beloved are slow to appear

It is best that debts should be discharged from afar

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَبيتَنَّ لَيلَةً

وَما أَنا مِن نَأيِ الحَبيبِ عَلى وَعدِ

Oh, would that I knew! Did you spend a night

While I am not consoled by the absence of the beloved as promised?

وَهَل مِن سَبيلٍ وَالأَماني تَعِلَّةٌ

إِلى مَعهَدٍ بِالرَملِ طالَ بِهِ عَهدي

Is there a way when hopes are disabled

To the trysting-place in the sands whose period with me was long?

وَهَل لِلَيالٍ مِن شَبابٍ صَحِبتُها

أُجَرِّرُ أَذيالَ البَطالَةِ مِن رَدِّ

Are there nights of my youth whose companionship

I drag the train of unemployment and refusal?

وَأَيّامُ وَصلٍ كُلُّهُنَّ أَصائِلٌ

وَماضي زَمانٍ كُلُّهُ زَمَنُ الوِردِ

Days of union - all of them bringers of loving companionship

And my past time - all of it the season of devotion

سَمَحتُ بِدَمعي لِلدِيارِ مُسائِلاً

رُسومَ الهَوى لَو أَنَّ تَسآلَها يُجدي

I allowed my tears to wander the dwellings

Questioning the vestiges of passion, if questioning could avail

وَكُنتُ ضَنيناً أَن يُحَلَّ عُقودُهُ

عَلى مَنزِلٍ لَولا هَوى رَبَّةِ العِقدِ

I was miserly lest its knots should be loosed

Upon a dwelling, were it not for the lady of the knot

وَلَم أَبكِ أَطلالاً لِهِندٍ مَواثِلاً

بِذي الأَثلِ لَكِنّي بَكيتُ عَلى هِندِ

I did not weep over a Hind's ruins, drawing near,

By her side; but I wept over Hind

فَيا مَن لِعَينٍ يَستَهِلُّ غُروبُها

غُروباً عَلى خَدٍّ مِنَ الدَمعِ ذي خَدِّ

So to you whose eye's setting brings about

A setting upon a cheek from the tears of down

عَلى القَلبِ تَجني كُلُّ عَينٍ بِلَحظِها

وَعَيني عَلى قَلبي جَنَت وَعَلى خَدّي

Upon the heart does every eye reap with its glance

While my eye reaped upon my heart and my cheek

فَرِفقاً بِعان في يَدِ الشَوقِ مُفرَدٍ

بِأَشجانِهِ يا ظَبيَةَ العَلَمِ الفَردِ

Gently, then, with a solitary eye in the hand of passion

With its sorrows, O doe of the unique banner

وَعودي لِمَسجورِ الجَوانِحِ يَلتَظي

غَراماً إِلى ما في ثَناياكِ مِن بَردِ

My promise to the entrails roasted by passion awaits

A yearning for what is in your cool hollows

يُكَلِّفُ عُرّافَ العِراقِ دَواؤُهُ

وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّ البُرء في عَلَمي نَجدِ

It tasks the healer of Iraq with his cure

And he knows that well-being lies in my Najd

وَطَيفِ خَيالٍ باتَ يُؤنِسُ مَضجَعي

بِوارِدَةِ الفَرعَينِ وَردِيَةَ الخَدِّ

The specter of a daydream has come to cheer my bed

With the roseate forearms and rosy cheek

أَلَمَّ فَداوى القَلبِ مِن أَلَمِ الجَوى

وَأَسرى فَسَرّى مِن غَرامي وَمِن وَجدي

It pained, then healed my heart from the anguish of love

And captivated me from my passion and fervor

وَطافَ بِرَحلي عائِداً لي وَزائِراً

فَأَعدى بِزورِ الوَصلِ مِنهُ عَلى الصَدِ

It went round about my saddlecloth returning to and visiting me

So it exceeded in the false union more than the estrangement

هَزَزتُ لَهُ عِطفَيَّ شَوقاً وَصَبوَةً

كَما هَزَّ عِطفَيهِ الخَليفَةُ لِلحَمدِ

I swayed my shoulder to it in yearning and impulse

As the Caliph swayed his shoulder to praise

فَكَم مِن يَدٍ لِلطَيفِ لا بَل لِأَحمَدَ ال

إِمامِ أَبي العَبّاسِ مَشكورَةٍ عِندي

So many a hand to the specter - no, to Ahmad - not

The Imam Abu al-Abbas - is obligated to me

أَخي العَدلِ أَمسى أُمَّةً فيهِ وَحدَهُ

وَإِنِّيَ في مَدحي لَهُ أُمَّةٌ وَحدي

O brother of justice - the community has become in him alone

And I, in my praising him, am a community alone

لِيَ العَفوُ مِن مَعروفِهِ وَحَبائِهِ

وَلا غَروَ إِن أَفنَيتُ في حَمدِهِ جُهدي

His pardon is mine, from his kindness and gifts

And no wonder if I exhaust my utmost in praising him

إِمامٌ يَخافُ اللَهَ سِرّاً وَجَهرَةً

وَيَضمِرُ تَقوى اللَهِ في الحَلِ وَالعَقدِ

An Imam fearing God secretly and openly

And harboring the fear of God in [times of] peace and conflict

إِلى جَدِّهِ المَنصورِ يَنزَعُ جَدُّهُ

فَناهيكَ مِن جَدٍّ سَعيدٍ وَمِن جَدِّ

From his grandfather the Mansur his grandsire derives

So cease from a fortunate lineage and grandsire!

يُفَرِّقُ ما بَينَ الجَماجِمِ وَالطُلى

وَيَجمَعُ بَينَ الشاءِ وَالأَسَدِ الوَردِ

He distinguishes between what is between skulls and foreheads

And conjoins sympathizer and lion foe

وَتَعرِفُ أَطرافُ العَوالي بَلائَهُ

مَشيجاً وَأَعرافُ المُطَهَّمَةِ الجُردِ

The fringes of the lofty places know his tribulation

Terrifying and the bare tops of al-Muṭahhamah

يُعِدُّ لِإِرهابِ العِدى كُلَّ لَيِّنِ ال

مَهَزَّةِ لَدنِ المَتنِ مُعتَدِلِ القَدِّ

He prepares for subjugating the foe every sharp soft-hided one

[Straight and] proportionate in stature, steady of hand

وَذي شُطَبٍ كَالماءِ يَجري صِقالُهُ

وَسابِحَةٍ شَطباءَ كَالحَجَرِ الصَلدِ

With a frontal gleam like water flowing is his burnishing

And smooth-rubbed blades like solid rock

فَيَفري بِها قَبلَ اللِقاءِ مَهابَةً

وَمِن عَجَبٍ أَن يَقطَعَ السَيفُ في الغَمدِ

With these he takes flight before the encounter

In awe, and how wondrous that the sword cuts while sheathed!

لَهُ خاتَمُ المَبعوثِ أَحمَدَ خاتَمٍ

النُبُوَّةِ مَوروثاً مَعَ السَيفِ وَالبُردِ

To him belongs the seal-ring of Ahmad the Chosen seal

Of prophethood, inherited along with sword and chill night

وَما بَرِحَت طَيرُ الخِلافَةِ حَوَّماً

عَليهِ كَما حامَ الظِماءُ عَلى الوِردِ

The bird of the caliphate did not cease hovering over him

As the thirsty dove hovers over the myrtle

فَآلَ إِلى تَدبيرِهِ الأَمرُ وادِعَ العَزيمَةِ

مِن غَيرِ اِعتِسافٍ وَلا كَدِّ

So the matter inclined unto his command, while determination

Shrank without exhaustion or toil

وَقامَ يَرُدُّ الخَطبَ عَنها بِساعِدٍ

قَوِيٍّ عَلى دَفعِ العَظائِمِ مُشتَدِّ

He rose to fend off grave affairs with his mighty

Arm, vigorous in repelling matters of great import

يُقيمُ حُدودَ اللَهِ غَيرَ مُراقِبٍ

بِقائِمٍ مَطرورِ الشِبا باتِرِ الحَدِّ

He upholds God's ordinances without watchman

With a drawn, well-honed, Indian blade

وَعارِضِ مَوتٍ أَحمَرٍ بَكَرَت بِهِ

سَراياهُ في يَومٍ مِنَ النَقعِ مُسوَدِّ

With them are wild cows' forearms like gardens

Their tall ones like spear-points fixed in the ground

يُزَمجِرُ في أَرجائِهِ أُسُدُ الشَرى

وَيَلمَعُ في حافاتِهِ قُضُبُ الهِندِ

Winds from his wrath rain upon the enemy

Showers of arrows from seasoned bows twisted back

يُسَدُّ الفَضاءُ الرَحبُ مِنهُ بِجَحفَلٍ

كَأَنَّكَ قَد أَشرَفتَ مِنهُ عَلى السَدِّ

Say to the kings of earth: obey his command

And waver not, straying from the goal

بِأَيديهِمُ مِثلُ الرِياضِ مِنَ الظُبى

وَعاليهِمُ مِثلُ النَهاءِ مِنَ السَردِ

Conceal not disobedience of your Imam's decree

Opposing him, for disobedience destroys

مَرَتهُم رِياحٌ مِن سُطاهُ فَأَمطَرَ ال

عَدُوُّ رِهاماً مِن مُثَقَّفَةٍ مُلدِ

Obey him whether freeman or slave, for he

Is the deputy of an envoy to freeman and slave

فَقُل لِمُلوكِ الأَرضِ دينوا لِأَمرِهِ

وَلا تَتَوَلَّوا حائِرينَ عَنِ القَصدِ

Trust not in his pardon to strike you

With a terrible blow - water and fire in his power

وَلا تُضمِروا عِصيانَ أَمرِ إِمامِكُم

مُخالَفَةً عَنهُ فَعِصيانُهُ يُردي

Unto the victorious son of the luminous morning our she-camels bore us

Not grazing at pasture, nor contending with other mounts at the water-spring

أَطيعوهُ مِن حُرٍّ وَعَبدٍ فَإِنَّهُ

خَليفَةُ مَبعوثٍ إِلى الحُرِّ وَالعَبدِ

She-camels that were not roped for guests yet did not

Crave gifts from other than the Caliph for their provender

وَلا تَأمَنوا مَع عَفوِهِ أَن يُصيبَكُم

بِقارِعَةٍ فَالماءُ وَالنارُ في الزَندِ

So they arrived at the abode of security and plenty, pasturing

In the meadows of munificence and bounty from the theater of glory

إِلى الناصِرِ اِبنَ المُستَضيءِ رَمَت بِنا

رَكائِبُ ما ريعَت بِنَصٍّ وَلا وَخدِ

Not a pregnant she-camel whose sack swells, promising

Fertility, truthful of promise

وَلا سُرِحَت تَرتادُ مَرعىً دَنِيَّةً

وَلا زاحَمَت هيمَ المَطايا عَلى وِردِ

Driving the sand-grouse before her visage

To one glowering, frowning of face, dust-covered,

رَكائِبُ ما زُمَّت لِرِفدٍ وَلَم تَكُن

لِتَرغَبَ مِن غَيرِ الخَليفَةِ في رَفدِ

When the breeze inclines them, swaying,

You see the smile of lightning in the roar of thunder

فَحَلَّت بِدارِ الأَمنِ وَالخِصبِ تَرتَعي

رِياضَ النَدى وَالجودِ مِن مَسرَحِ المَجدِ

They flow upon the ridge of the hill, hastening down

To the hollow until the sandgrouse overtakes the ostrich

وَما مُزنَةٌ وَطفاءُ دانٍ سَحابُها

مُبَشِّرَةٌ بِالخِصبِ صادِقَةُ الوَعدِ

Attaining more abundant than the Caliph's palm

When his favors are abundant with delegations

يُساقُ الثَرى مِنها فَيُسفِرُ وَجهُها

إِلى مُكفَهِرٍّ عابِسِ الوَجهِ مُربَدِّ

So hear, Commander of the Faithful, my free-born she-camels

When they claim lineage, excelling in ancestry

إِذا ما أَمالَتها الصَبى مُرجَحِنَّةً

أَرَتكَ اِبتِسامَ البَرقِ في صَخَبِ الرَعدِ

Chosen by a servant for praising you, conceded

Extemporizing, disposed to sport and earnestness

تَسِحُّ عَلى هامِ الأَهاضيبِ هامِياً

مِنَ الوَدقِ حَتّى يَلحَقُ القورُ بِالوَهدِ

Who comes and goes, scheming his loyalty

Having no fatigue save praising you

بِأَغزَرَ مِن كَفِّ الخَليفَةِ نائِلاً

وَرِفداً إِذا اِغتَصَّت مَغانيهِ بِالوَفدِ

He makes your foes drink a draught that he seasons for them

With words of praise for you sweeter than honey

فَسَمعاً أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ لِحُرَّةٍ

إِذا اِنتَسَبَت فاءَت إِلى حَسَبٍ عِدِّي

You see them sticks among the spittle when they hear it

And it seethes up in foam

تَخيَّرَها عَبدٌ لِمَدحِكَ مُسمِحُ ال

بَديهَةِ مَطبوعٌ عَلى الهَزلِ وَالجِدِّ

So glance at them and they will appear nooses

Upon them the marks of good fortune and purpose

يَروحُ وَيَغدوا مِن وَكيدِ وَلائِهِ

وَليسَ لَهُ غَيرَ اِمتِداحِكَ مِن وَكدِ

No arrow of fortune missed one at whom you glanced

Drawing near, with the auspicious planet in ascendance

يُجَرِّعُ مِن عاداكَ صاباً يُذيقُهُ

بِأَلفاظِ مَدحٍ فيكَ أَحلى مِنَ الشُهدِ

Still you cast a shade upon the earth, ample

Far-reaching, and of age coextensive with time

تَراها شَجاً بَينَ التَرائِبِ مِنهُمُ

إِذا سَمِعوها فَهيَ تَحنُقُ بِالزُبدِ

فَحُطها بِلَحظٍ مِنكَ تَبدوا لَوائِحاً

عَليها إِماراتُ السَعادَةِ وَالجَدِّ

فَما فاتَ سَهمُ الحَظِّ مَن كُنتَ ناظِراً

إِلَيهِ قَريباً مِنهُ بِالكَوكَبِ السَعدِ

فَلا زِلتَ ذا ظِلٍّ عَلى الأَرضِ وارِفٍ

مَديدٍ وَذا عُمرٍ مَعَ الدَهرِ مُمتَدِّ