لا حُزنَ إلّا أراه دون ما أجدُ
وهل كمن فقدت عيناي مفتقَدُ
No sadness but I see it less than what I find,
Is one who lost his eyes like one deprived?
لا يبعدَن هالكٌ كانت منيّتهُ
كما هوى عن غطاء الزبيةِ الأسدُ
Let not a doomed one think I wished his doom,
As fiercely as a lion on its prey has pounced.
لا يدفعُ الناس ضيماً بعد ليلتهم
إذ لا تمَدُّ إلى الجاني عليك يدُ
People cannot undo wrongs after their night,
When you cannot against your wronger raise a hand.
لو أنّ سيفي وعقلي حاضران له
أبليتهُ الجهد إذ لم يبله أحدُ
Had but my sword and mind about him been,
I would have wearied him, since none wearied him.
جاءت منيّته والعينُ هاجعةٌ
هلّا أتته المنايا والقنا قصد
His death came while the eye was sleeping,
Would that death had come to him while the spear was seeking.
هلّا أتته أعاديه مجاهرةً
والحربُ تسعر والأبطالُ تجتلد
Would that his enemies had come openly,
While war was raging and heroes were resolute.
فخرّ فوقَ سرير الملك منجدلاً
لم يحمه ملكه لمّا انقضى الأمَدُ
He fell proudly above the throne praising,
His kingdom did not protect him when his term was over.
قد كان أنصارُه يحمون حوزتَهُ
وللردى دون أرصاد الفتى رصَدُ
His supporters had been guarding his territory,
But destiny for the young man was lying in wait.
وأصبح الناس فوضى يعجبون له
ليثاً صريعاً تنزّى حولهُ النقَدُ
And people were in disarray wondering about him,
A fallen lion, around which eagles circle.
علتكَ أسيافُ من لا دونهُ أحَدٌ
وليسَ فوقَكَ إلّا الواحدُ الصمَدُ
Your swords were raised by those below whom there was no one,
And above you was none but the One, the Eternal.
جاءوا عظيماً لدنيا يسعدون بها
فقد شقوا بالذي جاءوا وما سعدوا
They came great, happy with this world,
But they cracked because of that which they came, and were not happy.
ضجّت نساؤكَ بعد العزّ حين رأت
خدّاً كريماً عليهِ قارِتٌ جسِدُ
Your women cried bitterly after power,
When they saw a noble cheek, upon which rests a body.
أضحى شهيدُ بني العباس موعظةً
لكلّ ذي عزّةٍ في رأسهِ صيَدُ
The martyr of the Abbasids is a lesson,
To everyone honored, upon whose head is a crown.
خليفةٌ لم ينل ما نالَهُ أحدٌ
ولم يضع مثلَهُ روحٌ ولا جسد
A caliph who attained what no one attained,
And no soul or body has been brought down like him.
كم في أديمك من فوهاء هادرةٍ
من الجوائفِ يغلي فوقَها الزبَدُ
How much froth flows in your skin,
Boiling over it from the insides.
إذا بكيتَ فإنّ الدمعَ منهملٌ
وإن رثيتَ فأنَ القول مطرِدُ
If you cry, tears are condemned,
And if you eulogize, words fail.
إنّا فقدناكَ حتى لا اصطبار لنا
وماتَ قبلك أقوامٌ فما فُقدوا
We lost you until we have no patience,
And people died before you who were not missed.
قد كنتُ أسرِفُ في مالي وتخلف لي
فعلّمتني الليالي كيف أقتصدُ
I used to be extravagant with my money and some was left,
The nights have taught me how to economize.
لمّا اعتقدتُم أناساً لا حلوم لهم
ضعتم وضيّعتم من كان يعتَقَدُ
When I thought you were merciless people,
You lost him who believed in you.
ولو جعلتُم على الأحرار نعمتُكم
حمَتكم السادةُ المذكورةُ الحُشُدُ
Had you bestowed your bounty upon the noble,
The mentioned chiefs would have protected you.
قومٌ هم الجذمُ والأنسابُ تجمعُهُم
والمجد والدين والأحلامُ والبلدُ
A people who are the essence and lineage unites them,
As well as glory, religion, dreams and homeland.
إنّ العبيدَ إذا أذللتهم صلحوا
على الهوان وإن أكرمتَهُم فسدوا
Slaves, when humiliated, are reformed,
And when honored, they are spoiled.
ما عندَ عبدٍ لمن رجّاهُ محتملٌ
ولا على العبد عند الحرب معتمدُ
A slave has nothing for one who hopes in him,
And in war, no dependent is trusted.
فاجعل عبيدكَ أوتاداً مشمّخةً
لا يثبت البيتُ حتى يقرعَ الوتدُ
So make your slaves firmly rooted stakes,
No house stands unless the peg is driven.
إذا قريشٌ أرادوا شدَ ملكهمُ
بغير قحطانَ لم يبرح بهِ أوَدُ
If Quraysh wanted to strengthen their kingdom
With other than Qahtan, no harmony would remain.
قد وتِرَ الناس طُرّاً ثمّ قد صمتوا
حتّى كأَنّ الذي نيلرا به رشَدُ
People were coupled then fell silent,
As if what we hoped for from them was right guidance.
من الأُلى وهبوا للمجد أنفسَهم
فما يبالونَ ما نالوا إذا حمدوا
Those destroyed themselves for glory,
And they do not care what they attained, if praised.
