انظر إلى الأشراف كيف تسود — Abdul Ghafar Al Akhras

انْظُر إلى الأَشراف كيف تسودُ

وإلى أُباة الضَّيم كيف تريدُ

Look at the nobles, how they rule,

And at those who reject oppression, how they aspire.

إذ يدَّعي بالملك من هو أهله

والحزم يقضي والسيوف شهود

When one worthy of kingship lays claim to it,

Resolve decides, and swords bear witness.

يوم ثوى فيه ثويني في الثرى

يوم بسالم للبريَّة عيد

The day Thuwaini lay in the earth

Was, through Salim, a festival for humankind.

ما للذي عبد الصخور من الَّذي

عَبد الإِله ودينه التوحيد

What has one who worshipped rocks to do with one

Who worshipped God, whose faith is divine oneness?

قل للذي ذمَّ الإِمام بشعره

قد فاتك المطلوب والمقصود

Tell the one who disparaged the imam in his verse:

Your goal and purpose have eluded you.

ولقد عميت عن الهُدى فيمن له

نظرٌ بغايات الأُمور حديد

You have indeed been blind to guidance concerning one who has

A keen eye for the outcomes of affairs.

السَّيّد السند الرفيع مقامه

ومقامه الممدوح والمحمود

The lord, the mainstay, whose station is exalted,

And whose station is lauded and praised.

أنَّى تحقّر بالفهاهة سيِّداً

من حقّه التعظيم والتمجيد

How can you, through foolish babble, belittle a lord

Whose due is reverence and glorification?

سخط الحسود بما به من سالم

رضي الإِله الواحد المعبود

The envious man resented that in Salim

With which God, the One worshipped, was pleased.

من لام سالم في أبيه فلومه

حُمْقٌ لعمري ما عليه مزيد

Whoever blamed Salim concerning his father—his blame

Is folly, by my life, that cannot be exceeded.

ما عَقَّ والِدَه ولا صدق الَّذي

نَسَبَ العقوقَ إليه وهو جحود

He was not undutiful to his father, nor did the man speak truth

Who ascribed filial disobedience to him; he is a wilful denier.

وافى ثويني في الفراشِ حمامُه

وأتى عليه يومُه الموعود

Death came to Thuwaini in bed,

And his appointed day overtook him.

هذا قضاء الله جلَّ جلاله

لا والدٌ يبقى ولا مولود

This is God's decree—exalted be His majesty.

Neither parent nor child endures.

رأي رأى فيه الإِصابة سالمٌ

بالله أُقسِمُ إنَّه لسديد

A judgment in which Salim saw the right course—

By God, I swear it is indeed sound.

فلم يصحّ الاجتهاد بعلمه

في شأنه ولغيره التقليد

Yet independent judgment based on his knowledge was not deemed valid

In his own affairs, while others might follow authority.

لما تيقَّظ عزمه من غفلةٍ

فيها عقول الجاهلين رقود

When his resolve awoke from a heedlessness

In which the minds of the ignorant lay asleep,

وأرابه أمرٌ يعمُّ وبالُه

وعلى عمان بما يسوء يعود

And a matter alarmed him whose harm was widespread

And would bring distress back upon Oman,

وَليَ الأُمور بنفسه فتصَرَّمَتْ

تلك الحوادث والخطوب السود

He took charge of affairs himself, and thus ceased

Those calamities and dark misfortunes.

وأقرَّ هاتيك الممالك بعدما

كادت تمور بأهلها وتميد

And he steadied those realms after

They had almost heaved and swayed with their people.

ولقد حماها بالصوارم والقنا

فعمان غيل والرجال أُسُود

Indeed, he protected them with keen swords and spears;

So Oman is a thicket, and its men are lions.

لا خير في ملك إذا لم يحمه

بأس يذوب له الحديد شديد

There is no good in kingship unless it is defended

By fierce might before which iron melts.

ترد الطغاة الحتف من صمصامه

هذا ومنهل جوده مورود

Tyrants meet death through his keen sword;

Such is he; the watering-place of his bounty is frequented.

مه يا عذول مفنّداً من جهله

ماذا يفيد العذل والتفنيد

Desist, O reproacher who finds fault through ignorance!

What use are reproach and disparagement?

ولقد قضى نحباً أبُوه وقد مضى

ما لامرئٍ في الكائنات خلود

His father indeed fulfilled his mortal term and passed away;

No one in all creation has immortality.

خير من المفقود عند وفاته

هذا الإِمام السالم الموجود

Better than the departed at his death

Is this imam, safe and present.

أبقى له الذكر الحميد فصيته

قد يخلق الأَعمار وهو جديد

He preserved a praiseworthy remembrance for him; his renown

May wear out lifetimes, while itself staying new.

سفهاً لهنديّ أراد بنصحه

غِشًّا وكلّ مقاله مردود

What folly in an Indian who intended, through his counsel,

Deceit—and all his words are rejected.

نظم القريض ليستميل قلوبنا

عنه وذاك من المريد بعيد

He composed verse to sway our hearts

Away from him; that is far beyond the aspirant's reach.

خَفِيَتْ على فهم البغيّ مقاصد

فيها وما عرف المرام بليد

Hidden from the transgressor's understanding were purposes

Within it; no dullard grasped the aim.

متوعد الإِسلام من أعدائه

ما ضمنه التقريع والتهديد

A threat to Islam from its enemies

Is what he filled with rebuke and threats,

ليكيد فيها المسلمين بخدعة

لا يعرف الشيطان كيف يكيد

To scheme therein against the Muslims with a trick

That even Satan knows not how to contrive.

ليست عمان ولا صحار ومسقط

هنداً ولا العرب الكرام هنود

Neither Oman nor Sohar nor Muscat

Is India; nor are the noble Arabs Indians.

لو تقرب الأَعداءُ منها لاصطلت

ناراً لها في الملحدين وقود

Were enemies to approach it, they would be scorched

In a fire whose fuel is found among the godless.

وإمام مسقط لا يروع جنابه

عند اللّقاء بوارق ووعود

And Muscat's imam is not struck with fear

At the encounter by lightning flashes and promises.

قد بايعته على عمان رجاله

أكْرِمْ بهم فهمُ الرجال الصيد

His men have pledged allegiance to him over Oman.

How noble they are! They are men of proud bearing.

ووراءه ملك الملوك جميعها

عبد العزيز وظلُّه الممدود

And behind him stands the king of all kings,

Abd al-Aziz, and his outstretched shade.

ملك يقوم بنصره فتمدّه

أنَّى يشاء عساكر وجنود

A king who stands in his support; he is reinforced

Wherever he wishes by armies and troops.

ووراء ذلك أُمَّة عربيَّة

الدِّين فيها والتقى والجود

And behind that stands an Arab nation,

In which are faith, piety, and generosity.

من كانَ عبد الله من أنصاره

آل السعود فإنه لسعيد

Whoever has among his supporters Abd Allah

Of the House of Saud is surely fortunate.

والله خير الناصرين ولم يكن

إلاَّ لديه النصر والتأكيد

And God is the best of helpers; never has there been

Victory and assurance except with Him.