1. أَيُّ المُلوكِ سَعى فَأَدرَكَ ذا المَدى

    أَو حازَ ما حازَ المُعِزُّ مِنَ النَدى

    Which of the kings strove and reached this height,

    or achieved what al-Muʿizz achieved in generosity?

  2. قَصُروا وَطالَ وَجَوَّزوا هَدمَ العُلى

    وَبَنى وَضَلّوا في المَكارِمِ وَاِهتَدى

    They fell short and he rose high; they allowed glory's ruin,

    and he built it up; they strayed in noble deeds, and he found the way.

  3. كُلٌّ بِما صَنَعَ الأَوائِلُ يَقتَدي

    وَبِجودِهِ لا بِالأَوائِلِ يُقتَدى

    Everyone follows what the forebears did,

    but his generosity, not the forebears, is what others follow.

  4. مازِلتَ تَفعَلُ كُلَّ فِعلٍ مُفرَدٍ

    في المَجدِ حَتّى صِرتَ أَنتَ المُفرَدا

    You have kept performing every peerless deed

    in glory, until you yourself became the peerless one.

  5. بَدَّدتَ مالَكَ غَيرَ مُحتَفِلٍ بِهِ

    وَجَمَعتَ شَملاً لِلعَلاءِ مُبَدَّدا

    You scattered your wealth, caring nothing for it,

    and gathered glory's scattered company.

  6. وَلَقيتَ فيما قَد كَسِبتَ من العلا

    تعبا فألقيت القوافي الشرّدا

    And in the eminence you had attained, you encountered

    toil; so I let loose far-roaming rhymes.

  7. وغدا بنو الآمال خلفك في الفلا

    غَضَباً يُزَجونَ المَطِيَّ الوُخَّدا

    The sons of hope set out after you across the wilderness,

    angrily urging on their swift-striding mounts.

  8. قَد طَيَّبوا مِن طِيبِ ذِكرِكَ مَعلَماً

    أَو مَخرِماً أَو سَبسَباً أَو فَدفَدا

    With the fragrance of your name they perfumed a landmark,

    or a mountain pass, a plain, or an open wasteland.

  9. يَقتادُهُم حُسن الرَجاءِ وَمَقصِدٌ

    أَعنى إِلَيكَ الناجِعينَ القُصَّدا

    Fair hope leads them, and a destination

    that wearied the purposeful seekers coming to you.

  10. حَتّى إِذا وَصَلوا إَلَيكَ وَعَقَّلوا

    في جَوزَتيكَ الحائِماتِ الوُرَّدا

    Until, when they reached you and hobbled

    within your two precincts their circling, water-seeking mounts,

  11. أَصدَرتَها بِهِمُ مُنَدَّبَةَ الذُرى

    مِن ثِقلِ ما أَسدَيتَ ناقِعَةَ الصَدا

    you sent them away with their riders, their humps scarred

    by the weight of your gifts, their thirst quenched.

  12. رَيّانَةً لَو أُبرِكَت في جَدجَدٍ

    صَلدٍ لأَوجَلتِ المَكانَ الجَدجَدا

    Fully watered—had they been made to kneel on barren ground,

    hard and unyielding, they would have frightened that barren ground.

  13. حَمَّلتَ مَن حَمَلَت إِلَيكَ صَنائِعاً

    تُوهي الجِمالَ بَلِ الجِبالَ الرُكَّدا

    You loaded those they had carried to you with favors

    that weaken camels—indeed, motionless mountains;

  14. وَمَحامِداً مَلَأَت مَسامِعَ ضارِبٍ

    في الأَرضِ إِمّا مُتهِماً أَو مُنجِدا

    and with praises that filled the ears of every traveler

    across the earth, whether bound for Tihāmah or Najd.

  15. يا مَن يُشَيِّدُ ما تَهَدَّمَ بِالقَنا

    لا خَلقَ أَقدَرُ مِنكَ هدَّ وَشَيّدا

    O you who rebuild what has fallen to the lances,

    no creature is mightier than you at razing and rebuilding.

  16. أَتعَبتَ نَفسَكَ في بِناءِ مَجالِسٍ

    لَم تَبنِها حَتّى بَنَيتَ السُؤدُدا

    You wearied yourself in the building of halls;

    you built them only after you had built your greatness.

  17. وَمَلَأتَ أَكثرَ ما مَلأتَ أَساسَها

    قِمَماً فَما احتاجَ الأَساسُ الجَلمَدا

    And you filled their foundation, chiefly,

    with summits; thus the foundation needed no solid rock.

  18. وَجَلَستَ في دَستِ الخِلافَةِ جلسَةً

    نَظَرَت إِلَيكَ بِها الكَواكِبُ حُسَّدا

    You sat upon the throne of the caliphate in such a way

    that the stars looked upon you enviously.

  19. في سَفحِ شاهِقَةِ البُروجِ كَأَنَّما

    يَكسُو جَوانِبَها الرَبيعُ زَبَرجدَا

    At the foot of a lofty-towered palace, as though

    spring were clothing its sides in chrysolite.

  20. مَوصولَةٌ بِالجَوِّ تَحسَبُ ضوءَها

    ساري الدُجُنَّةِ كَوكَباً أَو فَرقَدا

    Joined to the heavens—you would take its light,

    O traveler through darkness, for a star or Farqad.

  21. رَفَعَت مَشاعِلُها الدُخانَ فقنعت

    وَجهَ السَماءِ بِهِ قِناعاً أَسوَدا

    Its torches sent up smoke and veiled

    heaven's face with it in a black veil.

  22. نَظَروا إِلى مَن فَوقَها في بُعدِهِ

    وَإِلى عُلاكَ فَكُنتَ فيهِ الأَبعدَا

    They looked at the one above it in his remoteness,

    and at your lofty rank: in that, you were farther still.

  23. وَرَأَوكَ في صَدرِ الإِوانِ فَعايَنوا

    نُوراً أَنارَ وَبَحرَ جُودٍ أَزبَدا

    They saw you at the head of the iwan and beheld

    a shining light and a foaming sea of generosity.

  24. سارَت بِذا طُلَلُ الرِكابِ وَغَرَّقَت

    أَمواجُ ذا بِالمَكرُماتِ الوُفَّدا

    By that light the camel silhouettes traveled, and

    that sea's waves submerged the delegations in generous gifts.

  25. يا ساكِنَ القَصرِ المُجَدَّدِ لِلعُلى

    يَهنيكَ إِنعامُ الإِمامِ مُجَدَّدا

    O dweller in the palace newly rebuilt for glory,

    may the Imam's renewed bounty bring you joy.

  26. قُبٌّ مِنَ الخَيلِ العِتاقِ ضَوامِرٌ

    قِيدَت مُحَمَلَةً إِلَيكَ العَسجَدا

    Slender-bellied thoroughbred horses, lean of flank,

    were led to you laden with gold.

  27. أَوهى مَناكِبَها الحُلِيُّ كَأَنَّما

    يَمشي الجَوادُ بِما عَلَيهِ مُقَيَّدا

    Their jewelry weakened their shoulders, as though

    the steed walked fettered by what it bore.

  28. وَمَطارِدٌ لَمّا سَجَدتَ أَمامَها

    كادَت تَخِرُّ لَكَ المَطارِدُ سُجَّدا

    And lances—when you prostrated before them,

    the lances almost fell prostrate before you.

  29. وَلَقَد نَزَلتَ وَما نَزَلتَ وَإِنَّما

    ذاكَ النُزولُ مُحَقِّقٌ أَن تَصعَدا

    You did indeed descend, yet did not descend; rather,

    that descent assures your ascent.

  30. وَلَبِستَ مِن حُلَلِ المَعَدِّ مَلابِساً

    فَضَحَ النُضارُ بِها السَعيرَ المُوقَدا

    And you donned garments from al-Maʿadd's robes of honor,

    whose pure gold put the kindled blaze to shame;

  31. وَشَبيهَةً بِالتاجِ حَلَّت مَوضِعاً

    لِحُلولِ ما شَبِهَ الشَبيبَةَ مِقوَدا

    and a crown-like headdress that settled in the place

    where youth's likeness had dwelt as a guiding rein,

  32. مَنسوجَةً بِالتِبرِ خَصَّ بلِبسِها

    مَن لَيسَ يَنفَدُ هَمُّهُ أَو يَنفَدا

    woven with gold: he reserved its wearing for

    one whose ambition never ends until he himself ends.

  33. جادَ الهُمامُ بِها لِأَكرَمِ مَن مَشى

    فَوقَ التُرابِ مِنَ المُلوكِ وَأَجوَدا

    The magnanimous one bestowed it on the noblest who walked

    upon the dust among kings, and the most generous.

  34. وَرَآكَ ماضي الشَفرَتَينِ مُهَنَّداً

    فَكَساكَ ماضي الشَفرَتَينِ مُهَنَّدا

    He saw you as an Indian blade, keen on both edges,

    so he girded you with an Indian blade, keen on both edges.

  35. وَلَكَ الفَضيلَةُ لا لِسَيفِكَ إِنَّني

    لَأَراهُ أَحرى أَن يُذَمَّ وَتُحمَدا

    The excellence is yours, not your sword's; indeed, I

    surely deem it more worthy of blame, and you of praise.

  36. إِنَّ الحُسامَ إِذا تُلِمُّ مُلِمَّةٌ

    أَصبَحتَ مَسلولاً وَأَصبَحَ مُغمَدا

    Indeed, as for the sword, when calamity strikes,

    you stand unsheathed, while it lies sheathed.

  37. تُحَفٌ تُشَرِّفُ مَن تَراهُ مُشَرَّفاً

    وَحبىً تُسَوِّدُ مَن تَراهُ مُسَوَّدا

    Gifts that honor one whom you see as already honored;

    and grants that make a lord of one already lordly;

  38. وَمَدائِحٌ ما زِيدَ مَمدوحٌ بِها

    شَرَفاً عَلى الشَرَفِ الَّذي قَد وُطِّدا

    and praises by which no praised man gains

    honor beyond the honor already firmly founded.

  39. إِنَّ الشَجاعَةَ في الشُجاعِ غَريزَةٌ

    مِثلُ الأُسودِ غَنِيَّةُ أَن تُوسَدا

    Courage in the brave is an inborn nature,

    like lions, which need not be made lionlike.

  40. يا مَن غَدَوتُ مُقَيَّداً بِجَميلِهِ

    يَفديكَ مَن قَيَّدتَهُ فَتَقَيَّدا

    O you by whose kindness I am now bound,

    may the one you bound, who became bound, ransom you.

  41. أَصبَحتُ مَحسوداً عَلَيكَ وَواجِبٌ

    مَن كُنتَ أَنتَ نَصيبَهُ أَن يحسَدا

    I am now envied for having you, and it is fitting

    that whoever has you as his portion should be envied.

  42. ما كُنتُ آثَمُ لَو عَبَدتُكَ مُنعِماً

    إِن جازَ واهِبُ نِعمَةٍ أَن يُعبَدا

    I would not be sinning if I worshipped you as benefactor,

    if worship of a giver of blessings were permissible.

  43. نَظَمَ اِمتِداحَكَ غَيرُ مَن هُوَ ناظِمٌ

    وَأَجادَ فيكَ القَولَ مَن ما جَوَّدا

    One who is no versifier has versified your praise,

    and one who never excelled has spoken finely of you.

  44. لا فَخرَ إِلّا حينَ تُصبِحُ سامِعاً

    هَذا الثَناءَ وَحينَ أُصبِحُ مُنشِدا

    There is no pride save when you are listening to

    this praise, and when I am reciting it.

  45. إِن كُنتَ في شَرَفِ المَناقِبِ واحِداً

    فَلَقَد أُقِمتُ لَها الخَطيبَ الأَوحَدا

    If you are unrivaled in the nobility of your virtues,

    then I have been appointed their unrivaled orator,

  46. في مَوقِفٍ كَالعِيدِ سَرَّ مُوالياً

    لَكُمُ فَكانَ كَأَنَّهُ قَد عَيَّدا

    at a gathering like a festival that delighted a follower

    of yours, so he seemed to have celebrated a festival.

  47. عِش خالِداً عُمرَ المَديحِ فَإِنَّني

    لَأَراهُ ما خَلَدَ الزَمانُ مُخَلَّدا

    Live forever, for the lifetime of this praise, for I

    surely see it made eternal as long as time endures.

  48. وَاسعَد بِما مَلَكَت يَداكَ ذَخيرَةً

    دُنيا سَعادَةُ أَهلِها أَن تَسعَدا

    And rejoice in what your hands possess as a treasure:

    a world whose people's happiness is your happiness.