ضحك الدهر بعد طول عبوس — Ibrahim Alsoli

ضَحِكَ الدَّهْرُ بعد طُول عُبُوسِ

طَالعاً بالسُّعُودِ لاَ بالنُّحُوسِ

Time laughed after long frowning,

rising under auspicious stars, not ill-omened ones.

وأَتَتْنا الأيَّامُ معْتَذراتٍ

لابسَاتٍ نعيمَها بعدَ بُوسِ

And the days came to us apologizing,

clothed in their bliss after hardship.

بالإِمامِ الرَّاضِي الْمُطلِّ على الآ

داب شَمْسِ الْمُلُوك وابِن الشُّمُوسِ

Through the Imam al-Radi, presiding over the

arts—the sun of kings and son of suns.

سَبْعَةٌ مِنْ خَلاَئِفٍ ولَدُوهُ

لَمْ يكُنْ ذَا لغيره مِنْ رَئِيسِ

Seven caliphs were his progenitors;

no other ruler ever had this.

رَضِيَ الرَّاضِي الإِلَهُ لِمُلْكٍ

أَوْضَحَ النَّهجَ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ الدُّرُوسِ

God approved al-Radi for a kingship

whose path he made clear after its effacement.

فهو كالخِصْبِ بَعْدَ وافِدِ جَدْبٍ

رُعِيَ الغَضُّ مِنْهُ بعدَ الْيَبيسِ

He is like fertile pasture after the coming of drought,

its tender growth grazed after the dried herbage.

آنسَ اللهُ بالخليفةِ مُلْكاً

مَوحِشَ الرَّبْعِ وَاهِنَ التَّأْسِيسِ

Through the caliph, God brought cheer to a realm

desolate in its dwellings, weak in its foundations.

فَهوَ يخْتالُ فِي الْجَدِيدِ مِنَ اللِّبْ

سَةِ والْحُسْنِ بَعْدَ لُبْسِ الدَّرِيسِ

Now it struts in new

raiment and beauty, after wearing threadbare clothes.

يَا نَسيمَ الْحَيَاةِ أَضْحَكْتَ دَهْراً

كان لَولاكَ دَائِمَ التَّعْبِيسِ

O breeze of life, you made an age laugh

that, but for you, would have frowned forever.

إنَّ أيَّامَكَ اللِّذَاذَ كَوَصْلِ الْ

حِبِّ طِيباً وَنوْمَةِ التَّعْرِيسِ

Your delightful days are like union with the

beloved in sweetness, and sleep at a late-night halt.

مَرْدَوَاجٌ بِسَيْفِ حَظِّكَ مَقْتُو

لٌ فَأَهْوِنْ بِذَاكَ منْ مَرْمُوسِ

Mardawaj lies slain by the sword of your good fortune;

so how contemptible that buried man is!

قَصَفَتْهُ رِيَاحُ أَيَّامِكَ الْغُر

رِ فَأَخْمَدْنَ مِنْهُ نَارَ الْمَجُوسِ

The winds of your radiant days shattered him,

and quenched the Magians' fire within him.

ثُلَّ عَرْشُ اللَّعِينِ أَسْرَعَ مِمَّا

سُلِبَ الْعَرْشُ مِنْ يَدَيْ بِلْقِيسِ

The accursed one's throne was toppled more swiftly

than the throne was snatched from Bilqis's hands.

وَتَوَلَّتْ بِمَأْتَمِ الدَّهْرِ أَيَّا

مٌ أَتَتْنَا تَجُرُّ ذَيْلَ الْعَرُوسِ

And days departed with Time's mourning—

days that had come to us trailing a bride's train.

بَعْدَ كُفْرٍ لِنِعْمَةٍ وَقَبِيحٌ

كُفْرُ عَبْدٍ في نِعْمَةٍ مَغْمُوسِ

After ingratitude for bounty—how ugly

a servant's ingratitude, when steeped in bounty!

وَجِزَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ تُؤْخَذُ قَسْراً

بِخُرُوجٍ عَلَيْهِمُ وَمُكُوسِ

And the Muslims' tribute was taken by force,

through levies upon them and tolls.

حَابسُ الْمَالِ عَنْهُمُ مُسْتَضَامٌ

باتِّسَاعِ الأَذَى وضِيقِ الْحُبُوسِ

Anyone withholding money from them was oppressed

with boundless harm and cramped prisons.

وكأَنَّ الْعِيالَ إِذْ فَقَدُوهُمْ

أُنْشِرُوا في الْبِلاَدِ بَعْدَ الُّرمُوسِ

And the families, when they lost them, seemed

raised to life throughout the land after burial.

وكَأَنِّي بِهِمْ حَمَايِلَ إِقْبَا

لٍ طَوِيلِي الإِطْرَاقِ والتَّنْكِيسِ

And I seem to see them, the baldrics of good fortune,

long with eyes cast down and heads bowed.

حَسَّهُمْ سَيفُكُ الحُسَامُ فأَضْحَوْا

هُمَّداً مِنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ مِنْ حَسِيسِ

Your keen-edged sword cut them down, and they became

lifeless through it, without the faintest sound.

يَا حُلِيَّ الزَّمَانِ يَا زينَةَ الأَرْ

ضِ وَرَأْسَ الْمُلُوك وَابْنَ الرُّؤوسِ

O ornament of Time, O adornment of the

earth, chief of kings and son of chiefs,

إِنَّ نُصْحِي وَصِدْقَ وَدِّي قَدِيمٌ

لَمْ أَشُبْهُ بِالزُّورِ وَالتَّدْلِيسِ

my loyal counsel and true affection are longstanding;

I have not tainted it with falsehood or deceit.

قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ الزَّمانُ شَبابِي

خَالِساً غُرَّتِي بِشَعْرٍ خَلِيسِ

From before Time devoured my youth,

stealing my youthful bloom with gray-streaked hair.

مَا أُطيلُ الْمَقاَلَ خَوْفاً لإِضْجا

رِ إمَامٍ مُؤَيَّدٍ مَحْرُوسِ

I do not prolong my speech, for fear of wearying

an Imam supported and guarded.

وَأَرَى النَّاسَ أُظْهِرُوا بِمَدِيحٍ

لِيَ مِنْهُ البُكُورُ بالتَّغْلِيسِ

I see others coming forth in daylight with praise,

while mine had the early start in the dark before dawn.

رُبَّ بَذْلٍ سَقَيْتَنِي مِنْهُ كَأْساً

فَأَعِدْ لي مُدَارَ تِلكَ الْكُؤوسِ

Many a gift from which you gave me a cup to drink—

so let those cups go round for me again.

حِينَ شَرَّفْتَنِي فَكُنْتُ بِنُعْمَا

كَ جَلِيساً مِنْ قَبْلِ كُلِّ جَلِيسِ

When you honored me, and through your favor I became

a companion before every other companion.

ثُمَّ أَفْرَدْتَنِي خُصُوصاً بِبِرٍّ

مُفْرَدٍ طَاهِرٍ مِنَ التَّدْنِيسِ

Then you singled me out especially for kindness

unique and pure of any stain.

إِنَّ بَيْنِي وَبَيْن دَهْرِيَ حَرْبَاً

جَاوَزَتْ حَرْبَ دَاحِسٍ وَالْبَسُوسِ

Between me and my age there is a war

that has surpassed the wars of Dahis and al-Basus.

أَنَا منْهُ لغَيْرِ هَجْرٍ وَوَصْلٍ

وَاقِفٌ بَيْنَ لَوْعَةٍ ورَسِيسِ

With it I am neither parted nor united,

standing between burning anguish and a lingering ache.

فَاعْتَبِرْ مَا شَكَاهُ عَبْدُكَ مِنْهُ

ثُمَّ دَاوِ الْخُنَاقَ بِالتَّنْفِيسِ

So consider your servant's complaints against it,

then cure the choking by giving breathing room.

هُوَ في مِخْلَبِ الزَّمَانِ فَرِيسٌ

فَارْحَمِ الآنَ نَفْسَ هَذَا الْفَرِيسِ

He is prey in Time's talon;

have mercy now on this prey's life.

وَاسْقِهِ مِنْ سُلاَفِ جودِكَ بَذْلاً

فَاقَ طِيباً سُلاَفَةَ الْخَنْدَرِيسِ

And give him a gift to drink, the first pressing of your bounty,

surpassing in sweetness the first pressing of aged wine.

يُطْلَقُ الشِّعْرُ فِي أُناسٍ وَشِعْرِي

وَقْفُ مَدْحٍ عَلَى الإِمَامِ حَبِيسِ

Poetry is set loose among people, but my verse

is an endowment of praise, reserved for the Imam.

لَمْ تَزَلْ فِي القَدِيمِ تَلْبَسُ مِنْهُ

مُسْتَجَدَّ الطِّرَازِ غَيْرَ لَبِيسِ

You have always, from days of old, worn from it

freshly embroidered garments, never worn-out cloth.

لاَ أُعَلِّي بِهِ لعُلْوَةَ فِكْراً

فِي مَشِيبٍ لَهَا وَلاَ لِلْعَمِيسِ

I raise no thought in it toward 'Ulwa,

in my gray-haired age, nor toward al-'Amis.

مِدَحٌ لَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَيْهَا زِيادٌ

وَهوَ خَاشٍ رَدَى أَبِي قَابُوسِ

Praises that Ziyad never surpassed,

even while fearing death at Abu Qabus's hands.

لاَ وَلاَ حَاكَ مِثْلَهُنَّ جَرِيرٌ

عِنْدَ إِيحَاشِ رَبْعِهِ الْمَأْنُوسِ

No, nor did Jarir weave their like

when his familiar dwelling fell desolate.

قَامَ هذَا الْمَدِيحِ بِالعُذْرِ مِنِّي

نَائِباً عَنْ نَشيدِ يَوْمِ الْخَمِيسِ

This praise has served as my apology,

standing in for a recitation on Thursday.

فَالْقَهُ بِالنَّجَاح يَا أَكْرَمَ الأُم

مةِ أُعْطِي بِهِ يَمِينَ غَمُوسِ

So receive it with success, O noblest of the

community; I pledge on it an oath that damns if false.

لِيَ سَبْقُ الْمَدِيحِ فِيكَ عَلَى النَّا

سِ وَفَخْرٌ بِالسَّبْقِ فِي التَّأْسِيسِ

I was first in praising you, ahead of all

people, and glory in my precedence at the founding.

هِيَ حالٌ لَيْسَ الشَّبَابُ وإِنْ فُض

ضِلَ خَيْراً فِيهَا مِن التَّعْنِيسِ

This is a state in which youth, though preferred,

is no better than growing old unwed.

يَا إِمَاماً بِهِ أُمِرَّتْ عُرَى الْحَق

قِ وَحُلَّتْ مَعَاقِدُ التَّلْبِيسِ

O Imam through whom the bonds of truth were made firm,

and the knots of deception undone,

أَيَّدَ اللهُ مُلْكُه بِوَزِيرٍ

عَالِمٍ بِالزَّمَانِ طَبٍّ رَئِيسِ

God strengthened his reign with a vizier

versed in the times, skilled and eminent,

ضَامِنٍ بِالْوَفَاءِ مِنْهُ رضَى الل

هِ بِحْفظِ الرَّئيسِ والْمَرْؤوسِ

securing, through his faithfulness, the pleasure of

God, by safeguarding ruler and ruled.

ظَمِئَ الْمُلْكُ قَبْلَهُ فَسَقَاهُ

رِيَّهُ مِنْ زُلاَلِ نُصْحٍ مَسُوسِ

The realm thirsted before him; he gave it to drink

its fill from the limpid water of wisely guided counsel.

حَاصِدٍ لِلْعِدَى بِأَقْلاَمِ رَأْيٍ

تَقْطَعُ السيفَ عَنْدَ حَمْيِ الْوَطِيسِ

He reaps his foes with the pens of judgment

that cut through the sword when battle's furnace blazes.

كَيْدُهُ وَافِدٌ عَلَيْهِمْ بِيَوْمٍ

قَمْطَرِيرٍ بِمَا يَشُقُّ عَبُوسِ

His stratagem brings upon them a day

grim and scowling with all that brings distress.

بَانَ فَضْلاً عَلَى الكُفَاةِ كَمَا با

نَ عَلَى ابْنِ اللَّبُونِ فَضْلُ السَّدِيسِ

He stands above the able in merit, just as

a camel in its eighth year excels one in its third.

طَابَ أَصْلاً وَبابْنِه طَابَ فَرْعاً

غَرَس الْمُلْكُ منه خَيْرَ عَريس

He is noble in root, and through his son noble in branch;

the realm has planted from him the finest thicket.

قَدْ أَمَرَّ الزَّمَانُ طَوْعاً عَلَيْهِ

فَسَخَا بَعْدَ نَفْرَةٍ وَشُمُوسِ

Time has firmly bound itself to obey him,

and grown generous after aversion and unruliness.

فَتَرَى النَّاسَ خَاضِعِينَ إِلَيْهِ

مِنْ قِيَامٍ بِأَمْرِهِ وَجُلُوسِ

You see the people submissive to him,

rising and sitting at his command.

أَمْتَعَ اللهُ بالْوَزِيرِ إِمَاماً

خُصَّ مِنْ نُصْحِهِ بِعلْقٍ نَفِيسِ

May God let the Imam enjoy the vizier,

favored with a precious treasure of his counsel.

وَأَطَالَ الْبَقَاءَ لِلْمَلِكِ الرَّا

ضِي إِلَهٌ أَصْفَاهُ وُدَّ النُّفُوسِ

And may the life of King al-Radi be prolonged

by God, who has granted him the sincere love of souls.