1. أُضحِي وأبصاري تغضُّ وتُبصِرُ

    وتبيتُ أفكاري تصوغُ وتَكسِرُ

    I spend the day with my eyes lowering their gaze and looking,

    And my thoughts spend the night fashioning and breaking.

  2. بل أبتدي طوراً وطوراً انتهي

    واقدّمُ العَزَماتِ ثُمَّ أُؤَخّرُ

    Rather, at times I begin, and at times I end,

    And I press my resolves forward, then put them off.

  3. وجعلتُ أُقدِمُ ثم أُحجِمُ ناكصاً

    واغيبُ عن مرأى العِيانِ وأَحضُرُ

    And I started forward, then held back, retreating,

    And I vanish from sight and appear.

  4. أنهى نُهاي وانهُ لي آمرٌ

    فرأَيت ما لا بُدَّ فيما يأمُرُ

    I restrain my reason, though it is my commander,

    So I see what is unavoidable in its command:

  5. في مدح من أَربت محامدهُ على

    متن السِماكِ فمَن تُراهُ يَحسُرُ

    To praise one whose virtues have risen above

    The back of al-Simak—who, do you think, grows weary?

  6. مَن لي بان أُحصِي مآثِرَ مَن غدا

    فيهِ مزايا لا تُحَدُّ وتُحصَرُ

    Who can help me count the noble deeds of one who holds

    Within him merits that cannot be bounded or encompassed?

  7. لو أَنني عدَّدتُ أوصافاً لهُ

    كَثُرَت وأَربَت ظَلَّ ما هو أكثرُ

    If I enumerated qualities of his,

    However numerous and abundant, still more would remain.

  8. لو قيلَ ما هذا الذي يَعيا بهِ

    عن مدحهِ نُطق اللِسانِ ويقصُرُ

    If asked, 'Who is this who baffles

    The tongue's speech, which falls short of praising him?

  9. من ذا الذي من دونِ جَدواهُ الحيا

    من ذا الذي إِنعامُهُ لا يُكفَرُ

    Who is he whose bounty surpasses the rain?

    Who is he whose favors are never denied?

  10. من ذا الذي كيوانُ دونَ علائِهِ

    والفرقدانِ وكلُّ سامٍ يُؤثَرُ

    Who is he beneath whose loftiness lies Kaywan,

    And the two Farqads, and every lofty thing spoken of?'

  11. لأَجابَ مصداقٌ هو الهامي النَدى

    ربُّ المفاخر والمآثر حيدَرُ

    A truthful man would answer: 'He is the showerer of bounty,

    The lord of glories and noble deeds, Haydar,

  12. اللوذعيُّ الأَلمعيُّ الأَريحيُّ

    المولويُّ السُؤدُديُّ الأكبرُ

    The sharp-witted, discerning, open-handed,

    The lordly, the noble, the greatest.'

  13. لو تصمُت الخُطباءُ عن ذكر اسمهِ

    وسُمُوّ سُؤدُدهِ لفاهَ المِنبرُ

    If orators fell silent about his name

    And his exalted nobility, the pulpit itself would speak.

  14. مَن حازَ شأوَ المجد في مَيدانِهِ

    فغدا وكلٌّ عن مَداهُ مُقصِّرُ

    He who reached glory's furthest goal in its arena

    Rose while everyone fell short of his reach.

  15. للخيرِ أَسلَم مصدرٍ ونظيرُهُ

    ما قد يُصرَّف عن حِجاهُ ويَصدُرُ

    The soundest source of good; and equally sound

    Is whatever is shaped by his reason and issues forth.

  16. سَلِمَت بهِ أَفعالهُ من عِلَّةٍ

    ان الفعالَ كما يكونُ المصدرُ

    Through him, his deeds are free of defect;

    For deeds are as their source is.

  17. قد نالَ مجداً لم يُقَس بسُمُوهِ

    كِسرى انو شروانُ ثُمَّتَ قيصرُ

    He won glory whose height could be matched neither by

    Khusrau Anushirwan nor, in turn, by Caesar.

  18. فاقَ الوَرى شَرَفاً فما اسكندرٌ

    أو مُنذِرٌ أو تُبَّعٌ أو حِميَرُ

    He surpassed mankind in honor—what, then, is Alexander,

    Or Mundhir, or Tubbaʿ, or Himyar?

  19. ما أَمَّهُ ذو مِحنةٍ إلا انثنى

    في مِنحةٍ يُثني عليه ويَشكُرُ

    No afflicted person sought him without returning

    With a gift, praising him and giving thanks.

  20. تَندى أَسِرَّتُهُ ليُسرٍ مطبعٍ

    فيهِ فما عُسرٌ لديهِ يَعسُرُ

    His features glisten with an ease ingrained

    In him; no hardship proves hard with him.

  21. تَلقى الهَشاشةَ والبَشاشةَ كلما

    تَلقاهُ إذ هو صائِمٌ أو مُفطِرُ

    You encounter affability and cheerfulness whenever

    You meet him, whether he is fasting or not.

  22. تُزرِي اياديهِ الغَمامَ وانهُ

    من دون كفَّيهِ الغَمامُ المُمطِرُ

    His favors put the clouds to shame; indeed,

    The rain-bearing clouds fall short of his two palms.

  23. فبمهجتي من بالسَماحةِ حاتمٌ

    وحُشاشتي من بالشَجاعةِ عنترُ

    So my life's blood for him who is Hatim in generosity,

    And my life's last spark for him who is Antar in courage.

  24. رَمِدَت عيونُ الشُهبِ من كرَّاتِهِ

    إذ كانَ إِثمِدُهُنَّ منهُ العِثيرُ

    The stars' eyes grew inflamed from his charges,

    For the dust he raised was their antimony kohl.

  25. قد قادَ أَعناقاً وكُنَّ شوامساً

    أَنِسَت وكانت قبلَ ذلكَ تَنفِرُ

    He has led necks that had been rebellious;

    They grew tame, though before they shied away.

  26. وتراهُ مع ذا كلهِ متواضعاً

    باللَهِ لا يزهو ولا يتكبَّرُ

    And despite all this, you see him humble;

    By God, he neither boasts nor grows arrogant.

  27. يا ذا الذي ضاءَت شهائب حزمهِ

    لا بِدعَ إذ انت الشِهابُ النِيرُ

    O you whose resolve's meteors have shone,

    No wonder, since you are the radiant meteor.

  28. اضحى في الداريُّ ذِكرُك عِطرُهُ

    فإذا ذكرتُكَ قبل فاح العنبرُ

    For the perfumer, your mention has become his fragrance,

    And when I mention you beforehand, ambergris wafts.

  29. اجريتَ أمواهاً ككفِّكَ بالعطا

    حتى شكت نَضبَ المياه الأَنهُرُ

    You set waters flowing, like your palm in giving,

    Until the rivers complained of their waters' depletion.

  30. لو يستطيعُ كما استطعتَ لهُ الأُلى

    مرُّوا لأُعدِمَتِ المياهَ الأَبحُرُ

    Had those been able to do as you were able—

    Those who passed before—the seas would have been left without water.

  31. اطلعتَها بصِناعةٍ وبَراعةٍ

    فتَحدَّرَت من شاهقٍ تتكسَّرُ

    You raised them with craftsmanship and skill,

    And they cascaded from a height, breaking apart.

  32. تُحيي غِياضاً مع وَرِيق خمائلٍ

    تسقي رياضاً للنواظر تَبهَرُ

    They revive groves along with the foliage of thickets,

    And water gardens that dazzle onlookers.

  33. تروي فعالك عن أزاهرها وقد

    يروي شَذاها عن ثَناكَ ويُخبِرُ

    They recount your deeds through their blossoms; indeed,

    Their fragrance relates your praise and tells of it.

  34. لو شامَ طلعتكَ المَجُوسُ لو حَّدوا

    رَبَّ الجَمالِ وسبَّحوهُ وكبَّروا

    If the Magi beheld your countenance, they would proclaim the oneness of

    The Lord of beauty, glorifying Him and declaring His greatness.

  35. بل لو رآك الآنَ مَن عَبَدَ الدُمى

    يوماً لقالَ اللَهُ ربي أكبرُ

    Rather, if one who once worshipped idols saw you now,

    He would say, 'God, my Lord, is greatest.'

  36. فالشمسُ أنتَ تُنِيرُ كل مكوَّنٍ

    وبَنُوكَ زُهرٌ في عَلائكَ تَزهَرُ

    For you are the sun, illuminating every created thing,

    And your sons are bright stars shining in your heights.

  37. أدركتمُ بالسبق غاياتٍ فما

    تكبو نهودكمُ ولا تتعثرُ

    You reached the goals by taking the lead; never

    Do your sturdy steeds stumble or falter.

  38. فكأَنَّ كُلاً منكمُ هو عنترٌ

    وخيولكم ما منها الا ابجرُ

    As though each of you were Antar,

    And none of your horses were anything but Abjar.

  39. كم في الملاحكم شَجَّةٌ من مُلحِمٍ

    لم تُبقِ في الياخور عظماً يُجبَرُ

    How many a head-wound in your battles [unclear wording], dealt by a warrior,

    Left no bone in the stable that could be set!

  40. وكذاك أحمدُ من يحقُّ لفخرهِ

    حمدٌ يُباهِي في عَلاهُ ويَفخَرُ

    And likewise Ahmad, whose glory rightfully deserves

    Praise; he glories in his high rank and takes pride.

  41. مع صِنوهِ عُمَرَ النبيهِ ومَن لهُ

    رأيٌ بهِ القفرُ اليَباب يُعمَّرُ

    Alongside his brother, the distinguished Umar, who possesses

    A judgment through which the barren wilderness is settled.

  42. من دُونِ يُونُسَ ليسَ أُنسٌ مُؤنِسٌ

    وسِوى عليٍّ لا عَلاءٌ يُذكَرُ

    Without Yunus, there is no comforting companionship,

    And apart from Ali, no eminence is mentioned.

  43. أرجو بمَعنَ الجُودَ وَهوَ محقَّقٌ

    وارومُ بالمنصورِ أَنّي أُنصَر

    Through Maʿn I hope for generosity, and it is assured,

    And through Mansur I seek to be granted victory.

  44. ذي ذِمَّةٌ مني اليكم فاحفظوا

    ذِمَي فانتم خيرُ وافٍ يخفرُ

    This is a pledge from me to you; so safeguard

    My pledges, for you are the finest faithful guardians.

  45. لما شعرتُ بكم شعرتُ بكم فها أنا

    شاعرٌ بسواكمُ لا أشعرُ

    When I became aware of you, I composed verse about you; here I am,

    A poet—I feel nothing for anyone but you.

  46. يا قائماً إمدادُهُ في ذا الوَرى

    فكانهم عَرَضٌ وانت الجوهرُ

    O you whose aid stands firm among these creatures,

    As though they were accidents, and you the substance.

  47. اهديكمُ بِكراً اعزَّ خريدةٍ

    ورجوتُ اني بارتضائك أَظفَرُ

    I offer you a virgin, the most precious secluded maiden,

    And I hoped to succeed through your approval.

  48. أمهرتُها فِكري الضنينَ وإنما

    قُصوى مرامي في قَبُولك تُمَهرُ

    I gave her my jealously guarded thought as dowry; and only

    In your acceptance do my highest aims receive their dowry.

  49. فاستجلِها عذراءَ بنتَ لُوَيلةٍ

    ولثامُها عن صبح مدحكَ مُسفِرُ

    So unveil her, a virgin daughter of a brief night,

    And her veil reveals the dawn of your praise.

  50. وافت اليك فهاكَها حَلَبيَّةً

    رقَّت طِباعاً وهو ما لا يُنكَرُ

    She has come to you; take her, a maiden of Aleppo,

    Delicate in temperament, as cannot be denied.

  51. واسلم ودُم واعظُم وتِه واملِك وفُز

    ما دارَ ايامٌ وكرَّت أَعصُرُ

    And be safe, endure, grow great, take pride, reign, and triumph,

    As long as days revolve and ages return.