لَوِ استطعتُ ولو مُلِّكْتُ أمرِيَ في

قضاءِ فرضِكَ عما فَاتَ من خِدَمِي

If I could, and was empowered over my affairs

To fulfill your obligation from what my services have missed

مشَيْتُ أحملُ أثقالَ الثّناءِ إلى

جنابِك الخَضِلِ الأكنافِ كالقَلَمِ

I would carry the burdens of praise to your

Most kind and gentle side, like a pen

خُلْقٌ تحلّى به سَلمانُ بينِك من

أخلاقِكَ الغُرِّ يا ذا البأسِ والنِّعَمِ

A character with which Salman was adorned between you

From your sublime traits, O mighty and benevolent one

مَولَى عُلاكَ وكم قد عَاد شائِهُهُ

بيأسِه من ملوكِ العُرْبِ والعَجَمِ

Your protection, and how much it has brought back in despair

Those who despaired of the kings of Arabs and non-Arabs

يُقرُّ بالمُلْكِ للمَلْكِ الذي نَشَر الرْ

رَحمنُ أيّامَه ظِلاًّ على الأُمَمِ

He approves the kingdom for the King who

The Most Merciful has spread his days as a shadow over the nations

للصّالِحِ الملِكِ الميمونِ طائرُهُ

بِجِيدِهِ طوقُ مَنٍّ غيرُ منفَصِمِ

For the righteous king, his bird soars

With its neck a collar of favor from which none can be released

حمَى ذَوِيه وكم من بَاسطٍ ليدٍ

لولا حماهُ وكم من فاغِرٍ لِفَمِ

It protected his followers, and how many outstretched hands

Were it not for his protection, and how many gaping mouths

وذادَ عنهُم صروفَ الدّهرِ إذ كَلِبَت

عليهِمُ وهُمُ لحمٌ على وَضَمِ

He warded off the turns of fate when it pounced

Upon them while they are flesh over bone

ونالَهم من تَوالِي سُحْبِ نائِلهِ

ما نال نبتَ الثّرَى من وابِلِ الدِّيَمِ

And gave them from the succession of rain clouds

What the plants of the land attained from the pouring rain

يا حاسدِيهِ اكظِمُوا جِرَّاتِكم فأنا النْ

نَذيرُ مِن أخذِه إن همَّ بالكَظَمِ

O you who envy him, swallow your rage, for I am the

Warner of his seizure if you intend to swallow (your envy)

إياكُمُ عَثراتِ البغيِ إنَّ لِمن

يبغيهِ يوماً يُواري الشّمسَ بالظُّلَمِ

Beware the pitfalls of tyranny, for he who

Tyrannizes him one day will veil the sun in darkness

حَذَارِ من مصرَعِ الباغِينَ قبلكُمُ

فالسّيفُ منصلِتٌ في كفِّ مُصْطَلِمِ

Beware the death of past tyrants

For the sword lies bared in the grip of an unsheather

وفِي تَميمٍ ومَن والاه موعظةٌ

إنذارُها يُسمع الأمواتَ في الرَّجَمِ

In Tameem and those who allied with him is an admonishment

Whose warning makes the dead in the graves hear

توهّموا أنَّ ضَارِي الأُسْدِ يَنفِرُ عن

عَرينِه لحشُودِ البُومِ والرَّخَمِ

They supposed the lion’s prey would flee

From its lair because of the howling packs and grunting swine

وما دَرَوْا أنّه في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبٍ

من بأسِه غيرُ هيّابٍ ولا بَرِمِ

And did not realize that it leads troops of warriors

Whose might none dare or charge against

مُغامِرٌ ترهبُ الآجالُ سطوتَه

وتَفرَق الأسدُ منه في حِمَى الأجَمِ

A daring attacker whose might makes eras tremble

And lions scatter before it into thickets

يستقبلُ الحربَ بسّاماً وقد كشَرتْ

بها المنيَّةُ عن أنيابها الأُرُمِ

He meets war with a bare blade and death

Bares its fangs before it

يلقَى الأُلوفَ ويَحبُوها ففي يَدِه

من العَطا والسّطا بحرَا ندىً ودَمِ

He encounters legions and loves to plunge into them, for in his hand

Are oceans of generosity and blood when called

ما غرَّكُم بصَدوقِ الظَّنِّ يُخبرُهُ الرْ

رَأْيُ الصحيحُ بما في الصدْرِ من سَقَمِ

What deceived you into trusting assumptions while

Sound opinion informs you of the sickness in your chests

يرى الضّغائِنَ في قلبِ الحسودِ له

تدبُّ مثلَ دبيبِ النَّارِ في الفَحَمِ

It sees resentments in the hearts of those envious of it

Seething like the kindling of fire in embers

فإن سطَا عن يقينٍ أو عفا كَرَماً

فإنّه خيرُ ذي عَفوٍ ومنتقِمِ

So if he relents due to certainty or pardons generously

Then he is best of those who pardon and avenge

أدناكُمُ فاعتليتُم عن ذَوي رَحِمٍ

وحاطكُم فاغتديتم منه في حَرَمِ

You grew insolent so he distanced you from caring kinsmen

And surrounded you so you transgressed against his sanctity

وعمَّكم سيبُ جودٍ منهُ نبَّهَ ذا ال

خُمولِ منكم وأغنَى كلّ ذِي عُدُمِ

And his overflowing generosity awakened one slumbering among you

And enriched every destitute one

كم غُمَّةٍ كشَفَتْ عنكم صوارمُه

ولم يزل كاشفَ اللأْواءِ والغُمَمِ

How many worries has he uncovered from you with his swords

And he never stopped uncovering pains and worries

لولاه لا زالَ عنكُم ظلُّه أبداً

علمتُمُ كيف تأتي فجأةُ النِّقَمِ

If not for him, his shade over you would never

Cease, as you know sudden vengeance comes

إن رابهُ منكُمُ أمرٌ فلا وَزَرٌ

لكُم ولا عاصِمٌ من سيلِهِ العَرِمِ

If he is angry with you, then no blame

Lies on you, and none can protect from his torrent

يا مالكاً مالكاً رِقِّي بأنعُمِهِ

ومِلْكُ مثلِيَ لا يُبتاعُ بِالقِيَمِ

O sovereign, sovereign! Value his favors!

A rule like mine cannot be bought with riches

ما الشكرُ كُفءٌ لِمَا أوليتَ مِن مِنَنٍ

وإن تسهَّلَ لي مستوعِرُ الكَلِمِ

Gratitude cannot match what you have given me

Of blessings, even if eloquent speech comes easily to me

وإن أكُنْ كزُهيرٍ في الثّناء فقَد

علوتَ مجداً وجُوداً عن مدَى هَرِمِ

And if I am like Zuhair in praise, you have

Surpassed in glory and generosity beyond the reach of any nobleman

وإن تكُن مِدَحِي وقفاً عليكَ فلا

تظنَّ أنَّ ثَنائي منتهَى هِمَمِي

If my praise of you continues, think not

That my praise has reached the pinnacle of my hopes

ففي يمينِك منّي صارمٌ خَذِمٌ

يَفْرِي إذا كَلَّ حدُّ الصَّارمِ الخَذِمِ

For in your right hand lies my tested, stern

Sword which casts off when the edge of the tested blade casts off

في حدِّه حتفُ من ناوَاكَ وهْو لِمَن

والاَك مُنبجسٌ بالبارِدِ الشَّبِمِ

In its edge lies the death of those hostile to you, it is stained

With the icy blood of your transgressing enemies

فمُرْ بما شئتَ ألقَى الأمرَ ممتثلاً

بِهمَّةٍ ما اعترتها فَترةُ الهِمَمِ

So order whatever you wish! I carry out the command obediently

With a resolve no weakness of purpose has corrupted

مجرّباً طاعتِي تجريبَ مُختبِرٍ

إنّ التّجاربَ تجلو شُبهةَ التُّهَمِ

Testing my obedience as a tester tests

Trials surely clarify suspicions of doubt

فبذلُ نفسِيَ عندِي في رضاكَ فلا

حُرِمتُهُ بعضُ ما أنويه من خِدَمِي

I see sacrificing myself for your satisfaction alone as

No deprivation of what services I intend

وحَقَّ ذاكَ لِمَن أنشَرْتَ أسرَتَه

من بعدِ ما عدّهُم من نَاخِر الرَّمَمِ

I swear this by those whose lineage

You resurrected after the remains decayed away

صرفتَ صَرفَ اللّيالِي دون غَشْمِهِمُ

وكفّ بأسُك عنهم كفّ مُهتَضِمِ

You turned the nights away from their humiliation

And your might sufficed to protect them like one who suppresses (his anger)

وأوصلْتُهم صلاتٌ من نَداك إلى

أرضِ الشّآمِ لقد أغربْتَ في الكَرَمِ

Family ties you established with your aid reached

The land of Syria! How exceptional is your nobility!

وما الذي نِلُت من نعمَاكَ غايةُ آ

مالي ولا منتَهى حظّي ولا قِسَمِي

What I attained of your blessings is not

The limit of my hopes, nor the extent of my fortune or destiny

نيلُ العُلا دونَ ما أرجوهُ مِنك كما

أنّ الغِنَى دون ما تحبوهُ من نِعَمِ

Attaining glory beyond what I hope for from you

Is like riches beyond what you love of comforts

شرّفتَنِي فاعتلَى قدري وأصحَبَ لي

دَهري وأصبحَ فيما رُمتُ من خَدَمِي

You have ennobled me so my worth became great

And my days prosperous in what I sought to serve

وطُلْتُ عَمّن يُسامِيني ففخرُهُم

أن يبلغوا إن سمَتْ هِمَّاتُهم قَدَمي

I asked who could rival me, yet the pinnacle

Of their pride was if their ambitions could reach my feet

للهِ درُّ طُروسٍ ضُمِّنتْ دُرَراً

أكْرِمْ بمنتثرٍ منها ومُنتظِمِ

By God, the pearls of the ostriches are precious

Please bestow an organized scattering of them