دم بالصيام مهنأ ما داما — Abn Hius

دُم بِالصِيامِ مُهَنَّأً ما داما

تُفني الشُهورَ وَتُنفِدُ الأَعواما

May you remain blessed in fasting as long as it lasts,

outliving the months and exhausting the years,

في عِزِّ مَملَكَةٍ تَذِلُّ لَكَ العِدى

وَسَعادَةٍ تَستَخدِمُ الأَيّاما

in the might of a kingdom whose enemies submit to you,

and happiness that commands the days.

أَخَذَ الفَضائِلَ آخِرٌ عَن أَوَّلٍ

وَحَباكَها رَبُّ الوَرى إِلهاما

The later received virtues from the earlier,

but the Lord of creation bestowed them upon you by inspiration.

فَاِفخَر فَما لَكَ مَذهَبٌ عَن مَذهَبٍ

تُرضي الخَليفَةَ فيهِ وَالإِسلاما

So take pride: you have no turning from a path

on which you please the caliph and Islam.

وَلتَعلُ دَولَتُهُ بِأَنَّكَ مَجدُها

وَليَعتَصِم بِأَنِ اِنتَضاكَ حُساما

Let his state rise, for you are its glory,

and let him find protection in having drawn you as his sword.

وَمَتى تُبارى أَو تُجارى بَعدَ أَن

فُتَّ الرِجالَ سَكينَةً وَعُراما

When could you be matched or rivaled, after you

surpassed men in calm and fierceness,

وَمَحاسِناً تَبقى بَشاشَتُها إِذا

عادَت أَحاديثُ الكِرامِ حُطاما

and in fine qualities whose radiance remains when

the tales of noble men have crumbled to debris?

كَالدُرِّ لَمّا فارَقَ الأَصدافَ لا

كَالنورِ لَمّا فارَقَ الأَكماما

Like pearls once they leave their shells, not

like blossoms once they leave their calyxes.

وَمَناقِباً لَو لَم يُوَعَّر نَهجُها

لاقَيتَ لِلساعينَ فيهِ زِحاما

And in noble deeds whose path, had it not been made rugged,

you would have found crowded with those striving along it.

أَغلَيتَ يا شَرَفَ المُلوكِ مُهورَها

في بَثِّكَ الإِنعامَ وَالإِرغاما

You made their bride-prices costly, O glory of kings,

through your spreading of bounty and subjugation.

فَعَلَت فَما يَسمو إِلَيها مُرتَقٍ

وَغَلَت فَلَستَ تَرى لَها مُستاما

They rose so high that no climber can ascend to them,

and grew so costly that you see no bidder for them.

يا رُبَّ نارٍ أُجِّجَت فَأَحَلتَها

بَرداً عَلى مَن حُطتَهُ وَسَلاما

Ah, how many a fire was kindled, and you turned it

to coolness and peace for those you protected!

وَضَراغِمٍ زَأَرَت فَمُنذُ أَزَرتَها

صُمَّ القَنا عادَ الزَئيرُ بِغاما

And lions roared, but since you girdled them with

solid spears, their roaring has become a bleat.

كَالدَوقَسِ المَغرورِ ظَنَّ بِجَهلِهِ

أَنَّ الوِهادَ تُطاوِلُ الآكاما

Like the deluded Dawqas, who in his ignorance thought

that lowlands could rival hillocks in height.

وَرَجا فَأَقدَمَ كَي يُعِزُّ بِلادَهُ

وَرَآكَ عَن بُعدٍ فَخابَ وَخاما

He hoped, and advanced to strengthen his country,

but saw you from afar, failed, and shrank back.

لَمّا تَيَقَّنَ مَن أَشَدُّ شَكيمَةً

عِندَ النِزالِ وَمَن أَلَدُّ خِصاما

When he realized who was stronger in resolve

in combat, and who more obstinate in contention,

فَاِعتاضَ مِن خُيَلائِهِ بِتَخَيُّلٍ

وَرَأى الرَدى خَلفاً لَهُ وَأَماما

he traded his arrogance for fearful imaginings,

and saw death behind him and ahead.

فَلِذا اِستَجارَكَ كَي يَفوزَ بِنَفسِهِ

فَأَطَعتَ فيها الواحِدَ العَلّاما

So he sought your protection to escape with his life,

and concerning it you obeyed the One, the All-Knowing.

كانَت مُحَلَّلَةً فَحينَ حَمَيتَها

صارَت عَلى البيضِ الرِقاقِ حَراما

His life was lawful to take, but when you protected it,

it became forbidden to the slender, bright swords.

لاقى البَوارَ فَعاذَ بِالعَفوِ الَّذي

يَمحو الذُنوبَ وَيَغفِرُ الإِجراما

He faced destruction and took refuge in the pardon that

erases sins and forgives crimes.

وَمَضى مُضِيَّ الطَيرِ يَطلُبُ وَكرَهُ

يَلحى القِتالَ وَيَحمَدُ الإِحجاما

He departed like a bird seeking its nest,

reviling battle and praising holding back,

مُتَحَقِّقاً أَن لَو دَعَوتَ مَليكَهُ

لَأَتاكَ إِسلاماً أَوِ اِستَسلاما

certain that, had you summoned his king,

he would have come embracing Islam or surrendering.

هِيَ فَعلَةٌ ما أَنتَ مَأمومٌ بِها

لَو لَم يَكُن مَلِكُ المُلوكِ إِماما

This is a deed in which you would have followed no one,

had the King of Kings not been your leader.

وَبِحُكمِهِ فيهِم حَكَمتَ مُبَيِّناً

عَزماً يَحوزُ القَهرَ وَالإِنعاما

By his judgment concerning them, you judged, displaying

resolve that combines subjugation and benefaction.

أَغنى سُيوفَكَ عَن فِراقِ غُمودِها

وَجِيادَكَ الإِسراجَ وَالإِلجاما

It spared your swords from leaving their sheaths,

and your steeds from saddling and bridling.

وَلَقَد لَقيتَ جَمائِعاً فَشَلَلتَها

فَرداً كَما شَلَّ الخَميسُ نَعاما

Indeed, you met massed troops and scattered them

alone, as an army scatters ostriches.

وَطَعَنتَ فيهِم حاسِراً لا تَتَّقي

وَخزَ الرِماحِ وَلا تَهابُ سِهاما

You thrust among them unarmored, not guarding against

the thrusts of spears, nor fearing arrows.

وَنَحاكَ سَهمٌ عارَضَتهُ مُديَةٌ

لُطفاً بِنا فَثَنَتهُ عَمّا راما

An arrow aimed at you, but a knife intercepted it,

out of kindness to us, and deflected it from its aim.

لَو أَنَّ بِسطاماً رَآكَ وَعامِراً

وَاللَذ فَعَلتَ لَأَوسَعاكَ مَلاما

Had Bistam and Amir seen you

and what you did, both would have heaped reproaches upon you.

هَل تَبتَغي بَدَلاً بِمُهجَتِكَ الَّتي

وِجدانُها قَد شَرَّدَ الإِعداما

Do you seek a substitute for your lifeblood, whose

very existence has driven destitution away?

أَم خِلتَ أَنَّ المَجدَ لَيسَ يَنالُهُ

مَن لا يَكونُ عَلى الرَدى هَجّاما

Or did you think that glory cannot be attained

by one who does not boldly assail death?

لَو أَصحَروا لَم تَحوِ أَنطاكِيَّةٌ

إِلّا أَرامِلَ تَكفُلُ الأَيتاما

Had they come out into the open, Antioch would have held

only widows caring for orphans.

دونَ الَّذي أَمَلوا حُسامٌ صارِمٌ

وَوَحِيُّ عَزمٍ يَسبِقُ الأَوهاما

Barring what they hoped for stands a keen-edged sword,

and swift resolve that outstrips imagining,

ماضٍ يُزيلُ الهَمَّ إِن خَطبٌ عَرا

وَوَراءَهُ ضَربٌ يُطيرُ الهاما

decisive, dispelling worry whenever calamity strikes,

with a blow behind it that sends heads flying.

وَأُسودُ هَيجاءٍ إِذا قَصَدَت وَغىً

حَمَلَت عَلى أَكتافِها الآجاما

And lions of battle who, when they make for combat,

carry thickets on their shoulders.

ما ضَرَّهُم لَمّا تَناسَبَ فِعلُهُم

في الرَوعِ أَن يَتَباعَدوا أَرحاما

It did not harm them, since their deeds were alike

in battle's terror, that they were distant in kinship.

إِن طالَما آثَرتَهُم فَلَطالَما

خاضوا الرَدى وَتَحَمَّلوا الآلاما

If you have long favored them, so too have they long

plunged into death and endured pain.

تُصليهِمُ نارَ الحُروبِ مُغَرِّراً

بِهِمُ وَإِن كانوا عَلَيكَ كِراما

You make them burn in the fire of wars, endangering

them, though they are dear to you.

لا يَسلُبونَ سِوى النُفوسِ كَفَتهُمُ

نِعَمٌ جَنَوها مِن يَدَيكَ جِساما

They plunder nothing but lives; sufficient for them are

the great favors they reaped from your hands.

تَهذيبُ نَصرٍ إِنَّهُ المَلِكُ الَّذي

يُسني اللُهى وَيُعَلِّمُ الإِقداما

Such is Nasr's schooling: he is the king who

makes gifts lavish and teaches boldness.

وَيَكونُ لِلراجي هَياةً حُلوَةً

وَلِمَن طَغى فَبَغى عَلَيهِ حِماما

He is sweet life to the hopeful,

and death to whoever transgresses and rebels against him.

مَن لا يَرى أَنَّ الجَميلَ فَضيلَةٌ

مَعدودَةٌ حَتّى يَكونَ لِزاما

One who deems beneficence no virtue

worth counting until it becomes a binding duty.

في الجودِ وَالإِقدامِ لا يَصغو إِلى

حَزمٍ وَلا يُصغي إِلى مَن لاما

In generosity and boldness, he inclines neither toward

prudence nor toward those who reproach him.

هِيَ صَبوَةٌ كَثُرَ العِتابُ لِأَجلِها

أَوفى الهَوى ما كَثَّرَ اللُوّاما

It is a passion for which reproach has multiplied;

the fullest love is that which multiplies reproachers.

يا نَصرُ إِنَّ النَصرَ خَلفَكَ ظاعِنٌ

أَنّى ظَعَنتَ وَإِن أَقَمتَ أَقاما

O Nasr, victory journeys behind you

wherever you journey; if you stay, it stays.

أَقدَمتَ حَتّى لَم تَجِد مُتَقَدَّماً

وَهَمَمتَ حَتّى ما تَرَكتَ هُماما

You advanced until you found no further advance,

and aspired until no champion remained unsurpassed.

وَحَسَمتَ داءً لا يُصابُ دَواؤُهُ

لَو غَيرُكَ الآسي لَكانَ عُقاما

You eradicated a disease whose cure could not be found;

had anyone else been the healer, it would have proved incurable.

وَقَدِمتَ مَنصوراً فَزالَت غُمَّةٌ

وَحَلَلتَ مِن بَعضِ القُنوطِ غَماما

You arrived victorious, and gloom departed;

and amid some despair you came as a raincloud,

وَحياً أَزالَ المَحلَ يَتلو عارِضاً

فاقَ الغُيوثَ تَبَجُّساً وَدَواما

swift, banishing drought, following a raincloud

that surpassed all rains in outpouring and duration:

هامٍ يَشِفُّ البِشرُ عَن أَمواهِهِ

وَالغَيمُ يُحمَدُ أَن يَكونَ رُكاما

pouring, its cheerfulness revealing its waters,

though clouds are praised for being piled high.

وَإِذا السَحابُ الجَونُ أَظلَمَ أُفقُهُ

أَلفَيتَهُ مُتَهَلِّلاً بَسّاما

Yet when a dark cloud's horizon grows black,

you find it beaming and smiling.

وَيَبينُ لِلرُوّادِ أَبيَضَ ساطِعاً

لَولا تَدَفُّقُهُ لَظُنَّ جَهاما

To seekers of pasture it appears white and radiant;

but for its outpouring, it would be thought rainless.

كَم قَد أَخَفتَ وَما صَبَحتَ بِغارَةٍ

أَهلَ العِنادِ وَما ذَعَرتَ سَواما

How often you have frightened, without a dawn raid,

the defiant, without startling grazing herds!

قامَت مَقامَ البَطشِ فيهِم هَيبَةٌ

تَنفي الظَلامَ وَتَكشِفُ الإِظلاما

Awe took the place of violence among them,

banishing darkness and dispelling gloom.

سَنَّت بِسُنَّتِكَ الوُلاةُ فَما أَتَت

حَيفاً وَأَعدى عَدلُكَ الحُكّاما

Governors followed your example and committed no

injustice; your justice spread to the judges.

فَجَميعُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ مُذ سَمِعوا بِهِ

تَرَكوا البِلادَ وَيَمَّموا ذا الشاما

All the people of the earth, since hearing of it,

left their lands and headed for this Syria.

إِنَّ الرَعايا مُذ مَلَكتَ تَقَيَّلوا

مِن ظِلِّ عِزِّكَ يَذبُلاً وَشَماما

Indeed, since you began to rule, the subjects have rested at noon

in your might's shade—a Yadhbul and a Shamam—

أَمناً أَنامَ الساهِرينَ وَقَبلَهُ

خَوفٌ لَعَمرُكَ أَسهَرَ النُوّاما

in safety that lulled the wakeful, whereas before it

fear, by your life, kept the sleepers awake.

مَعَ أَنعُمٍ لَو لَم تَكُن مَوصولَةً

لَتَوَهَّموا يَقَظاتِهِم أَحلاما

With blessings which, were they not continuous,

would make them mistake their waking hours for dreams.

تَفديكَ مِن غَيرِ النَوائِبِ أَنفُسٌ

أَنتَ الَّذي أَوطَنتَها الأَجساما

May souls ransom you from the reversals of misfortune—

you are the one who settled them in their bodies.

وَمُمَوَّلٌ عَبَدَ الثَراءَ فَعَدَّهُ ال

راجونَ فيمَن يَعبُدُ الأَصناما

And a wealthy man worshiped riches, and was counted by the

petitioners among those who worship idols.

أَوَما دَرى أَنَّ الثَراءَ يَزيدُهُ

هوناً إِذا ما زادَهُ إِكراما

Did he not know that wealth increases his

abasement whenever he increases its honor?

أَدنَيتَ لي الحَظَّ الَّذي عَهدي بِهِ

وَإِذا دَنا يَوماً تَأَخَّرَ عاما

You brought near to me the fortune I had known

to retreat a year whenever it drew near for a day.

وَبَلَغتَ بي أَقصى الغِنى هِمّاً وَقَد

قَصَّرتُ عَنهُ يافِعاً وَغُلاما

You brought me to the utmost wealth in old age, though

I had fallen short of it as a youth and a boy.

وَوَجَدتُ دُرَّ المَأثُراتِ مُبَدَّداً

حَتّى جَعَلتُ لَهُ القَريضَ نِظاما

I found the pearls of glorious deeds scattered,

until I made poetry their string.

أَبلِ اللَيالِيَ وَاِستَجِدَّ وَلا تُبَل

قَعَدَ المُنافِسُ راضِياً أَم قاما

Outwear the nights, stay ever renewed, and do not wear out,

whether your rival sits content or rises.

ما في البَسيطَةِ مَن يُساجِلُكَ العُلى

شَتَّ المَدى مَرمىً وَعَزَّ مَراما

No one on earth rivals you in eminence;

far is the range to aim at, and hard the goal to reach.

خالَفتَ أَملاكاً إِذا ما فاخَروا

عَدّوا مَآثِرَ قَد عَفَت وَعِظاما

You differ from kings who, when they boast,

enumerate faded glories and bones.

وَكَفاكَ سُؤدُدُكَ الَّذي لا يُدَّعى

أَن تَذكُرَ الأَخوالَ وَالأَعماما

Your unquestionable nobility spares you

the need to mention maternal and paternal uncles,

مَعَ أَنَّهُم قَد سَطَّروا في المَجدِ ما

أَفنى الطُروسَ وَأَتعَبَ الأَقلاما

though they have written in glory what

exhausted the parchments and wearied the pens.

فَهُمُ كِتابٌ لِلفَضائِلِ جامِعٌ

وَأَراكَ مِن مِسكٍ عَلَيهِ خِتاما

For they are a book encompassing virtues,

and I see you as its seal of musk.