Sol 6.1

  1. نَشرت في مَدح سُلطان الوَرى علما

    مِن حَيث صرت لَدَيهِ مفرداً علما

    I unfurled a banner in praise of the sovereign of humankind,

    Since I became, in his eyes, a singular name of renown.

  2. وَطاوعتني القَوافي في الثَناء عَلى

    علاه وَاستخدمت في نظمها قلما

    And the rhymes obeyed me in praising

    His eminence, and I employed a pen to compose them.

  3. وَسابقتني المَعاني في بَيان حُلَى

    مؤيدٍ لَم يَزَل بِالعَدل محتكما

    And meanings raced with me in revealing the adornments of

    A ruler upheld, who has always made justice his arbiter.

  4. فَجالَ منيَ في مضمار مدحته

    جَوادُ فكرٍ غَدا لِلسَبق مُلتَزِما

    So from me, in the racecourse of his praise, galloped

    A steed of thought that became intent on winning the race.

  5. وَنلت ما رمت في وَصفي لدولته

    بِما تَزيد بِهِ في تُونس شمما

    And I attained what I sought in describing his reign,

    With words that heighten its proud stature in Tunis.

  6. وَكَيفَ لا أُحسن الأَقوال في ملك

    ماضي العَزيمة فيما شاءَ إِن عزما

    And how could I not speak eloquently of a king

    Of unflinching resolve in whatever he wills, once he decides?

  7. إِن باشر الحكم أَنسى في عَدالته

    كسرى أنوشروان الفرس إِن حكما

    If he undertakes rule, his justice makes one forget

    Kisra Anushirwan of the Persians, whenever he judges.

  8. أَو جادَ بِالمال لَم يُذكَر بنسبته

    معْنٌ وَإِن كانَ مِمَّن شَرَّف الكرما

    Or, if he gives generously of his wealth, beside him no mention is made of

    Ma'n, though he was among those who brought honor to the generous.

  9. وَإِن سَطا في الوَغى مِن فَوق سالبة

    فاقَ الثَمانيَّ لَيث الحَرب مُعتصِما

    And if he charges into battle from atop a swift mare,

    He surpasses the Eightfold, Mu'tasim, the lion of war.

  10. وَما إِياس لَديهِ في الذَكاء سِوى

    أَغبى البرية إِن عرباً وَإِن عجما

    And Iyas, beside him in intelligence, is nothing but

    The dullest of mankind, Arab or non-Arab alike.

  11. وَعِندَه رَأيُ قَيسٍ في صَرامته

    يُعَدُّ أَسفهَ رَأيٍ حسبما فهما

    And beside him, Qays's judgment, for all its decisiveness,

    Is deemed the most foolish judgment, as he understands it.

  12. وَحلم أَحنفَ لَم يَعدل لَدى أَحد

    معشارَ حلم إِمامٍ سادَ وَاِحتَكَما

    And no one finds Ahnaf's forbearance equal to

    A tenth of the forbearance of an imam who held sway and judged.

  13. سلني عَن الصادق المَنصور إن لَهُ

    مناقباً تاهَ في إِحصائِها العُلَما

    Ask me about al-Sadiq al-Mansur, for he has

    Virtues whose enumeration has left the scholars lost.

  14. يا سَيد العصر في فَضل وَفي هِمَم

    بِها عَلى الدَهر في كُل الأُمور سَما

    O master of the age in excellence and lofty aspirations,

    Through which you rose above Time in every affair.

  15. وَيا مَليكاً بِهِ الأَوطان قَد رفلت

    في حالة الخصب وَاِزدادت بِهِ نعما

    And O king, through whom the homelands have trailed their robes

    In plenty, and through whom their blessings have increased.

  16. وَيا إِماماً لَهُ في حكمه تليت

    آيات عدل بِها المَظلوم قَد رحما

    And O imam, in whose reign were recited

    Verses of justice through which the oppressed were shown mercy.

  17. وَيا حَكيماً تربَّى في مدارسه

    وَزيره الأَكبر السامي مَع الحُكَما

    And O sage, in whose schools was nurtured

    Your exalted chief minister, among the sages.

  18. فَصار شَهماً أَبيّ النَفس ديدنه

    إنصاف مَن في سِوى أَحكامه ظلما

    So he became noble-hearted and unbowed in spirit, his constant practice

    Doing justice to those wronged by rulings other than his.

  19. وَقامَ في ظل مَولاه بِواجبه

    وَهوَ الأَمير الَّذي قَد دبَّر الأمما

    And he attended to his duty in the shelter of his lord,

    And he is the emir who has governed the nations.

  20. وَقَد تَحقق في كُل العُهود عَلى

    طُول المَدى أَن هَذا يَحفَظ الذِمَما

    And it has been proved in every age, over

    The long span of time, that this man keeps his pledges.

  21. فَيا إِمام الوَرى يا اِبن الذين سَموا

    في كُل أَمر عَلى الأَملاك وَالعُظَما

    So, O imam of humankind, O son of those who rose

    Above kings and magnates in every affair,

  22. لَكَ البَشائر بِالعيد الَّذي ظهرت

    بَعدَ الصِيام لَهُ ما عمم الكَرَما

    Yours are the glad tidings of the feast, for which there appeared

    After the fast, that which spread generosity to all.

  23. وَاقبل هدية مَملوك مَدائحه

    تَنوب عَنهُ إِذا ما قبَّلت قدما

    And accept the gift of a bondservant, whose verses of praise

    Stand in for him when they kiss your foot.

  24. فَتلكَ مِنهُ عروس لا تزف إِلى

    سِواك يا أَوحَد الأَقيال وَالزُعَما

    For that gift from him is a bride, not led in procession to

    Anyone but you, O peerless one among princes and leaders.

  25. لا سيما وَهيَ مِن مصرٍ إِلَيكَ سَعَت

    مِن ناثر لَكَ بِالمَنظوم قَد خَدَما

    Especially since she has journeyed to you from Egypt,

    From a writer of prose who has served you in verse,

  26. مِن مُخلص لَكَ يُبدي ما تَجود بِهِ

    قَريحةٌ نَثرُها كَالدُرّ منتظما

    From one devoted to you, revealing what is lavished by

    An inspired mind, whose prose is like pearls strung together.

  27. تَصبو إِلَيك عَلى بعد الدِيار وَلا

    تَرى سِواك يُوالي كُل من قدما

    It yearns for you, though the lands are far apart, and

    Sees none but you favoring everyone who has arrived.

  28. فَعش بِدَولة إِقبال تَدوم عَلى

    مَدى الزَمان وَتَبقى لِلأَنام حمى

    So live in a reign of good fortune that lasts throughout

    All time and remains a refuge for humankind,

  29. ما قالَ مَجدي لَدى عيد يؤرخه

    عيد بصدق لِنُور الصادق اِبتَسَما

    As long as Majdi says at a feast, recording its date:

    “A feast has truly smiled at the light of al-Sadiq.”