1. لِعَلائك التّأييدُ والتأميلُ

    ولمُلْكِكَ التَّأْبيدُ والتّكميلُ

    May support and hope attend your eminence,

    and may your dominion endure and be perfected.

  2. أبداً تُهِمّ وتقتفي فَتنالُ ما

    عَزَّ الوَرى إدراكُهُ وتُنيلُ

    Ever you aspire and pursue, attaining what

    mankind finds hard to reach—and you bestow it.

  3. إِمّا كِتابٌ يَستَقيلُ بِهِ الكتا

    ئب أَو رَسولٌ لِلنّجاحِ رسيلُ

    Either a letter through which battalions seek release,

    or a messenger who keeps company with success.

  4. لَكَ مِن أَبي سعدٍ زَعيمِ سعادة

    قمن تَفاءَلَ فيكَ لَيسَ يفيلُ

    In Abu Sa'd you have a guarantor of good fortune,

    a worthy man who augurs well of you and never falters.

  5. نِعْمَ الحُسَامُ جَلَوْتَهُ وبَلَوْتَهُ

    يُرضيكَ حينَ يصلُّ ثمَّ يَصولُ

    What a fine sword you polished and put to the test!

    It pleases you when it rings, then strikes.

  6. سَهمٌ تُعوّدَ في الكنانة عودُهُ

    وَيُقصّرُ المطلوبَ وهوَ طَويلُ

    An arrow whose shaft was seasoned in the quiver,

    bringing the goal within reach, though it is long.

  7. سَدَّدتَهُ فَمَضى وَقَرطسَ صادراً

    كَالنّجمِ لا وَهْلٌ ولا تَهليلُ

    You aimed it; it flew and hit the mark as it set forth,

    like a star, without fear or retreat.

  8. فَثَنا القُلوبَ إِلى وَلائِكَ حُوَّلٌ

    مِنهُ بِما يَجني رضاكَ كَفيلُ

    A resourceful one turned hearts toward allegiance to you—

    one from him, a guarantor of whatever wins your favor.

  9. وَأَقامَ يَنشُرُ في العراق ودِجلةٍ

    آياً تَأَوّلها لمصرَ النّيلُ

    And he set about spreading in Iraq and along the Tigris

    signs that the Nile interpreted for Egypt.

  10. وَكَساكَ مِن رأيِ الخليفةَ جُبَّةً

    لا النّقصُ يُوهيها ولا التّقْليلُ

    By the caliph's choice, he clothed you in a robe

    that neither deficiency nor diminution can weaken.

  11. كُنتَ الشّريفَ أَفَضت في تَشريفِهِ

    ماءٌ عَلَيهِ مِن سَناكَ دليلُ

    You were noble; into his robe of honor you poured

    a luster bearing the mark of your radiance.

  12. أَلِيُوسفٍ لَمّا طَلَعتَ مُقَرطقاً

    طَمَثت حِصانٌ وَاِستَخفّ أبيلُ

    Was it for Joseph, when you appeared in your tunic,

    that a chaste woman menstruated and a monk grew excited?

  13. أَم عن سُليمانَ يفرج ضاحِكاً

    سجفَ الرواقِ وَضَعضع الكيّولُ

    Or was smiling Solomon revealed as

    the pavilion's curtain parted and the rearguard trembled?

  14. ومُمَلَّكٌ في السّرج أمْ ملكٌ سَطَت

    لِبَهائِهِ عَقلٌ وَتاهَ عقولُ

    A crowned king in the saddle—or an angel who overwhelmed

    reason with his splendor and left minds bewildered?

  15. وَبَرَزت في لبسِ الخِلافَةِ كَالهِلا

    لِ جَلاهُ في حُلَل الدُّجا التهليلُ

    You appeared in the caliphate's attire, like the crescent

    revealed amid night's robes by cries proclaiming God's oneness.

  16. خِلَعٌ خَلَعْن على القلوب مَسَرَّةً

    سَدكاتُها التَعظيمُ وَالتَبجيلُ

    Robes of honor that clothed hearts in gladness,

    their bonds, reverence and veneration.

  17. نَثرت نُضاراً جامداً أَعلامها

    وَتَكادُ تَجري رِقَّةً وتَسيلُ

    Their ornamental bands scattered solid gold,

    yet, so delicate, they almost run and flow.

  18. لَقَضى لَها أَنْ لا عَديلَ لِفَخْرِها

    رَبٌّ بَراكَ فَما تلاكَ عَديلُ

    Surely it was decreed for them that their glory have no equal

    by the Lord who fashioned you; no equal has followed you.

  19. أَنتَ المُهَنَّد مُنذُ سَلَّتْهُ العُلا

    لم يَخْلُ من مُهَجٍ عَلَيه تَسيلُ

    You are the Indian-forged sword: since high honor drew it,

    it has never lacked lifeblood streaming over it.

  20. مُذْ هَزَّ قائمَهُ الإِمامُ تَأَلَّقَتْ

    غُرَرٌ شُدِخنَ لِمُلكِهِ وَحجولُ

    Since the Imam shook its hilt, there have shone

    broad forehead-blazes and white leg markings for his dominion.

  21. والَيْتَ دولَته فتِهْتَ بدولةٍ

    مُتَكلِّلٌ بِصَعيدِها الإكليلُ

    You upheld his dynasty and so gloried in a dominion

    with whose very soil the diadem is crowned.

  22. وَنَصرتَهُ فَحلاكَ أَبيضَ دونَهُ

    صَرْفُ الزَّمانِ إِذا اِستَكلَّ كليلُ

    You aided him, so he adorned you with a bright sword, before which

    time's vicissitudes are blunt, even when the blade is dulled.

  23. قُلِّدْتَهُ وكِلاكما مُتَلَهْذِمٌ

    عَضْبٌ فزانَ المغمد المسلولُ

    You were girded with it; both of you are fiercely cutting,

    keen blades: the unsheathed adorned the sheathed.

  24. وَحَبا رِكابَكَ حينَ قَرَّ بِزَحفِهِ ال

    قرآنُ وَاِستَخْذَى له الإنجيلُ

    And he graced your stirrups—when his advance established the

    Qur'an and the Gospel humbled itself before him—

  25. بأَقَبَّ أَصفر مشرف الهادي له الت

    تَحْجيل لونٌ واللّما تَحجيلُ

    with a slender-flanked yellow horse, high-necked; white stocking-marks

    are its coat's color, and dark shading its stocking-marks.

  26. قَسَم الدُّجا بَينَ الغَدائِرِ والشّوى

    وَاِعْتامَ رَونَقَهُ الأَصيلَ أصيلُ

    It divided the darkness between its mane-locks and legs,

    and late afternoon chose its noble luster.

  27. وَتَقاسَمَ الرّاؤُوهُ تَحتَكَ أَنَّه

    حَيزومُ يصرفُ عطفَهُ جبريلُ

    Those who saw it beneath you swore together that it

    was Hayzum, with Gabriel guiding its turns.

  28. تَختالُ في حُبِّك الحُليّ مُخَيِّلاً

    أَنَّ الشّوامِخَ لِلبدورِ خيولُ

    You strut in your love of ornaments, making it seem

    that towering peaks are steeds for full moons.

  29. مُرْخَى الذَّوائِبِ كَالعَروسِ يزينُهُ

    طرْفٌ بِأَطرافِ الرّماحِ كَحيلُ

    With loose-flowing locks like a bride, it is adorned

    by an eye kohled with the tips of spears.

  30. تَتَصاعَقُ النّعرات تَحتَ لبانه

    إنْ شبَّ زفْرٌ واسْتَجَشَّ صهيلُ

    Cries clash like thunder beneath its breast

    when a snort flares up and a neigh grows hoarse.

  31. لَم يَحْبُ مثلَك مثلَهُ مُهدٍ وَلَم

    يَشلُل عَلى سرقٍ سِواهُ شليلُ

    No giver has granted your like its like, nor

    has a saddlecloth been spread over silk other than this steed.