Sol 6.1

  1. تَفاخر قَبلي بِالنَسيب جَميلُ

    وَلَكن فَخارى بِالمَديح جَميلُ

    Jamil boasted before me of love poetry;

    But my pride in panegyric is beautiful.

  2. وَأَنفق في حسن التَشبُّبِ عمرَه

    وَما لي بِمَدحي لِلوَزير بَديل

    He spent his life on the beauty of love verse,

    While I have no substitute for praising the minister.

  3. فَكَم لَيلة أَحييتُها بِامتداحه

    وَربي بِهَذا شاهد وَوَكيل

    How many a night I have spent awake praising him,

    And my Lord is witness to this and guarantor.

  4. وَكَم ليَ فيهِ مِن مَعان بَديعة

    تَداولها شُبّانها وَكهول

    How many exquisite themes I have composed about him,

    Passed around by its young men and elders.

  5. وَكُلُّ امرئٍ في مَصر يَعلم أَنني

    أَسيرُ أَيادٍ برُّهنَّ جَزيل

    And everyone in Egypt knows that I am

    A captive of favors whose kindness is abundant.

  6. فَكَيفَ وَأنَّى في جِوارك يَعتدي

    عليَّ مبيرٌ معتدٍ وَدَخيل

    How, and from where, under your protection, could an assault come

    Upon me from a ruinous aggressor and intruder?

  7. وَتَرضى وَأَنتَ اللَيث وَالغَيث أَنَّني

    أُضام وَأَني في حِماك نَزيل

    And would you accept—you, the lion and the rain—that I

    Be wronged, though I am a guest within your sanctuary?

  8. أَأَخشى صُروفاً لِلحَوادث بَعدَما

    أَخذت ذِماماً مِنكَ وَهوَ جَليل

    Should I fear the vicissitudes of calamity, after

    Receiving from you so solemn a pledge of protection?

  9. وَيَطمَع هَذا الدَهر في ضعف جانبي

    وَأَنتَ عَزيز وَالغَريم ذَليل

    And can this age hope to find my flank weak,

    When you are mighty and the adversary abased?

  10. وَتُهمَلُ بَينَ العالمين قضيَّتي

    وَلَيسَ عَلَيها قَد أُقيمَ دَليل

    And is my case to be neglected among mankind,

    Though no evidence against it has been established?

  11. وَلي كُتُبٌ عرّبتُها عمّ نَفعُها

    بِمصر وَمِنها موجزٌ وَطَويل

    I have books I translated into Arabic, whose benefit has spread

    Throughout Egypt, some brief and some long.

  12. وَلي في سَعيد العَصر كُلُّ قَصيدةٍ

    يشير إِلَيها بِالبَنان نَبيل

    And on Sa'id of this age I have many an ode,

    Which a nobleman points out with his finger.

  13. وَهل تمرض الأَحكام يَوماً وَأَنتَ يا

    أَميري طَبيبٌ لِلعُلا وَخَليل

    Can judgments ever fall ill, while you, O

    My prince, are glory's physician and friend?

  14. وَأَنتَ وَزير عادل فيكَ عفة

    وَحسن سَداد بِالصَلاح كَفيل

    You are a just minister, endowed with integrity

    And sound judgment that guarantees righteousness.

  15. وَسَيفك هَذا ذُو الفَقار بِحَدِّه

    مَنيةُ باغٍ في القَضاء يَميل

    This sword of yours is Dhu al-Fiqar; its edge

    Is death to an oppressor who swerves in judgment.

  16. أَما وَالَّذي أَولاك ما أَنتَ أَهله

    فَما أَنتَ إِلا للرَشاد سَليل

    Indeed, by Him who bestowed on you what you deserve,

    You are nothing but a scion of right guidance.

  17. وَقَد صحت الأَخبار أَنكَ واحد

    وَمالك بَين الراشدين مَثيل

    Reports have proved true: you are unique,

    And among the rightly guided you have no equal.

  18. وَحزمك في كُل الأُمور مجرّب

    وَمجدك يا كنز العَطاء أَثيل

    Your resolve is proven in every affair,

    And your glory, O treasure of bounty, is deep-rooted.

  19. وَإِنك بِالمَعروف تَأمر دائِماً

    وَعَن منكرٍ تنهى وَأَنتَ فَضيل

    You always enjoin what is right,

    And forbid wrongdoing, for you are virtuous.

  20. وَتَعفو عَن الجاني بحلم وَرأفة

    وَما لك عَن حفظ الذمام عَدول

    You pardon the offender with forbearance and compassion,

    And never turn aside from honoring your pledges of protection.

  21. وَللحق في الأحكام أَنتَ مؤيد

    وَأَنتَ لكل الطَيبات فَعول

    You uphold justice in judgments,

    And are ever active in every good deed.

  22. وَما كُل مَن حازَ المَناصب صادق

    إِذا قالَ إِني لِلوَزير عَديل

    Not everyone who attains high office speaks truth

    When he says, 'I am the minister's equal.'

  23. فَلولاك لَم تُنشَر بُنودُ مروءةٍ

    عَلى رَأسِها حَتّى يَجود بَخيل

    But for you, no banners of chivalry would be unfurled

    Overhead, until even a miser gives.

  24. وَلم تفتخر بِالرأي لَولاك فتية

    لَها في دَواوين العَزيز حُلول

    But for you, no young men would boast of their judgment,

    Who have their places in the mighty ruler's bureaus.

  25. فَأَنتَ لَها شَمس تُضيء وَما لَها

    بِأُفق دَياجي المُشكلات أُفول

    For them you are a shining sun, with no

    Setting on the horizon of difficulties' dark nights.

  26. وَكلِّي إِذا حاوَلتُ مَدحك أَلسنٌ

    مَتى صادَفت مِنكَ القبول تَقول

    When I attempt your praise, my whole being turns to tongues,

    Which speak whenever they meet with your acceptance.

  27. فَمُر وَاستمع وَاقبل إِذا شئت وَاقترح

    عَليّ تَجدني في ثَناك أَجول

    So command, listen, and accept, if you wish; make a request

    Of me, and you will find me ranging through your praise.

  28. عَلى أَن شكري لِلوَزير وَإِن نَما

    فَما هُوَ إِلا قاصر وَقَليل

    Yet my gratitude to the minister, however much it grows,

    Remains only inadequate and scant.

  29. وَهَل يَستَطيع العَبد حَصر مَناقب

    وَلَيسَ إِلى إحصائهن سَبيل

    Can a servant encompass such virtues,

    When there is no way to count them?

  30. فَلا زلت تَحمي خائِفاً بِصَوارم

    بِها مِن قِراع الدارعين فُلول

    May you never cease protecting the fearful with keen swords

    Bearing notches from clashes with armored men.

  31. وَلا زالَ طُول الدَهر في كُل لَحظة

    نداك بِمصر لِلعفاة يَسيل

    And may, throughout all time, at every moment,

    Your bounty flow in Egypt to those who seek aid.