سعدت نجد إذا وافيت نجدا — Abdul Ghafar Al Akhras

سَعِدتْ نجدٌ إذا وافيتَ نجدا

بقدومٍ منك إقبالاً وسَعْدا

Najd is blessed when you come to Najd,

Through your arrival, with prosperity and good fortune.

وإذا أصبحتَ في أحسائها

قيل للشرّ عن الأَحساء بُعْدا

And when you find yourself in its al-Ahsa,

Evil is told: “Away from al-Ahsa!”

أقبل الخير عليها كلُّه

منجزاً فيك بلطف الله وعدا

All goodness has come to it,

Fulfilling a promise through you, by God's grace.

وأَراد الله أنْ يعصمها

من شرار كادتْ الأَخيار كيدا

And God willed to protect it

From wicked men who plotted against the good.

كانَ كالضائع ملكاً هُملاً

فاستردَّ الملك أهلوه فَرُدَّا

The kingdom had been as though lost and neglected;

Its people reclaimed the kingdom, and it was restored.

إذ تصدَّيت لأمرٍ لم نجد

قبل علياك له من يتصدَّى

When you undertook a task for which we found

No one before your eminence who would undertake it.

منجداً مستنجداً أنقذته

بفريق صالح سارَ مجدا

Bringing aid, you rescued it as it sought help,

With General Salih, who advanced resolutely,

ورجالٍ أنت قد أعددتهم

يوم تلقى الأُسدُ في الهيجاء أُسْدا

And men whom you had prepared

For the day when lions meet lions in battle.

كلّ مقام إلى الحرب يرى

شكر نعمائك فرضاً أنْ يؤدَّى

Each man posted for war considers

Thanks for your favors a duty to be fulfilled.

كاللواء المقدم الشهم الَّذي

كانَ في الهيجاء لا يألوك جهدا

Like the gallant, foremost major-general, who

Spared no effort for you in battle;

وفريق نفذت أحكامه

بالَّذي تأمره حلاًّ وعقدا

And a lieutenant-general whose commands took effect

In whatever you ordered him, loosening and binding;

والسَّعيد السّيّد الشهم الَّذي

كانَ من اسعد خلق الله جدا

And the gallant lord, Sa'id the fortunate, who

Was among God's creatures most blessed in fortune.

إنَّما التوفيق والإِسعاد ما

برحا سيفاً لعلياك وزندا

Indeed, success and good fortune

Have ever remained a sword and an arm for your eminence.

جرّبوا الأيام سخطاً ورضاً

وَبَلَوْا أهوالها شيباً ومردا

They tested the days in discontent and contentment,

And endured their terrors, gray-haired and beardless.

بذلوا أنفسهم في خدمة

أورَثَتْهم بعدها عزًّا ومجدا

They gave themselves in a service

That afterward bequeathed them honor and glory,

بعقول لم تزل مشرقة

وسيوف تحصد الأَعمار حصدا

With minds that have never ceased to shine,

And swords that reap lifespans like a harvest.

فعلت آراؤهم ما لو جرى

معها العضب اليمانيّ لأكدى

Their counsels achieved what, had

The keen Yemeni blade raced beside them, it would have failed to do.

عامَلوا باللّطف منهم أمَّةً

لم تجد من طاعة السلطان بدَّا

They treated a people with kindness on their part,

Who found no alternative to obedience to the sultan.

جلبت طايعهم عن رغبة

حين أقصت من أبى الطَّاعة طردا

It drew their obedient ones in willingly,

While casting out those who refused obedience.

صدقوا الله على ما عاهدوا

إنَّهم لم ينقضوا في الله عَهْدا

They were true to God in what they pledged;

They broke no covenant with God.

شَمِلَتْهُمْ منك باستخدامهم

أنْعُمٌ تترك حُرَّ القوم عبدا

Through your employment of them, they received from you

Favors that make a free man among the people a slave.

ولَعمري ليس بالمغبون من

يشتري منك الرضا بالروح نقدا

By my life, no man is cheated who

Buys your approval with his soul in ready payment.

لمزايا خصَّك الله بها

أكثرَ الناسُ لها شكراً وحمدا

For merits with which God singled you out,

The people offered abundant thanks and praise.

يا مشيراً بالذي يرشدنا

إنَّما أنتَ بطرق الرُّشد أهدى

O Marshal, whose counsel guides us,

You know best the paths of right guidance.

كلّ ما جئت به مبتكر

من عموم النفع فعلاً يتعدَّى

Everything you bring is original,

A deed of universal benefit reaching far beyond itself.

فاركب البحرَ وخض لُجَّتَهُ

يا شبيه البحر يوم الجود مدَّا

So ride the sea and plunge into its depths,

O likeness of the sea in full tide when giving.

وانظر الملك الَّذي استنقذته

واجرِ ترتيبك فيه مستبدا

And inspect the kingdom you rescued,

And put your arrangements into effect there, in sole command.

يتلقَّاك بأعلى همَّةٍ

فتُحيَّا بالتَّهاني وتُفدَّى

It greets you with the highest zeal,

And you are hailed with congratulations and pledges of sacrifice.

قد أقَرَّتْ واستقرَّت عندما

زجرت طائرك الميمون سعدا

It found repose and grew settled when

You divined good fortune from your auspicious bird.

أصْبَحْت في عيشة راضية

وبأيَّامك نلقى العيش رغدا

You came to enjoy a contented life,

And in your days we find life abundant.

يسَّر اللهُ لم الأمر كما

ينبغي لطفاً وإحساناً وقصدا

God made bringing the affair together easy, as

Was fitting, with kindness, beneficence, and moderation.

لا دم سالَ ولا دمعٌ جرى

وكفاها ربّك الخصمَ الألدَّا

No blood flowed, nor did any tears run,

And your Lord spared it the most implacable foe.

يهنك السيف الَّذي أُهدي من

ملك أهداه إنعاماً وأسدى

May the sword bestowed upon you bring you joy, from

A king who gave it as a favor and bestowed bounty.

لستُ أدري سيِّدي أيَّكما

هو أمضى إذ يكون الروع حدا

I do not know, my lord, which of you two

Is keener when terror reaches its height.

كلَّما جرّدته من غمده

كانَ برقاً في أياديك ورعدا

Whenever you draw it from its sheath,

It becomes lightning and thunder in your hands.

وإذا أغْمَدْتَهُ كانَ له

هام من يعصيك في الهيجاء غمدا

And when you sheathe it, it has

The heads of those who defy you in battle for a sheath.

دُمْتَ للدَّولة عَيناً ويَداً

والحسامَ العضبَ والركنَ الأشدَّا

May you remain the state's eye and hand,

Its keen sword and its strongest pillar:

دولة قد أيَّدت واتَّخذت

من جنود الله أنصاراً وجندا

A state you have strengthened, and which has taken

Supporters and troops from the hosts of God.

ويميناً إنَّها إن صَدَمَتْ

جبلاً بالبأس منها خرَّ هدَّا

And a right hand that, should it strike

A mountain with its might, the mountain would fall shattered;

أَو أَتَت نار عدوٍّ أُوقِدَت

لأَحالت حَرَّ تلك النار بردا

Or come upon an enemy's kindled fire,

Would turn that fire's heat to coolness.

يا لك الله هماماً بالذي

يَدْحَضُ الغيَّ وما جانب رشدا

God be with you, O hero, in all that

Repels error, never departing from right guidance.

مرُّ طعم السُّخط حلويّ النَّدى

يجتني المشتار من أيدي شهدا

Bitter is the taste of your wrath, sweet your bounty;

The honey-gatherer harvests honey from hands.

ما رأتْ عيناي أندى راحة

منك في الجود ولا أثقب زندا

My eyes have never seen a more generous palm

Than yours in giving, nor a readier firestick.

راحة الدُّنيا وناهيك به

مخلصٌ لله ما أخفى وأبدى

The world's comfort—and what a man he is—

Devoted to God in what he conceals and reveals.

فلوَ انِّي فُزت في أنظاره

جعلت بيني وبين البؤس سدَّا

And if I won a place in his regard,

I would set a barrier between myself and misery.

أنت كالدُّنيا إذا ما أقبلَتْ

لامرئٍ والدهر إعراضاً وصَدَّا

You are like the world when it turns favorably

To a man, and like time in aversion and rebuff.

أنتَ أسنى نِعَم الله الَّتي

نحنُ لا نحصي لها حصراً وعدَّا

You are the most splendid of God's favors, which

We cannot fully reckon or count.

لك في النَّاس على الناس يدٌ

نظمت في جيد هذا الدهر عقدا

Among the people, yours is a hand of favor over them,

That has strung a necklace around this age's neck.

فقدت وجدان ما نحذره

لا أراعتنا بك الأيام فقدا

May you never encounter what we dread;

May the days never frighten us with the loss of you.

فعلى الأَقطار مُذْ وُلِّيتَها

ظلُّك الضافي على الأَقطار مُدَّا

For over the regions, since you were appointed to them,

Your ample shade has been spread across the regions.

فتوجَّه حيثُ ما شئت لكَي

تملأَ السَّاحل إحساناً ورفدا

So set forth wherever you wish, that

You may fill the coast with kindness and gifts.

في أمان الله محفوظاً به

تصحب النصر ذهاباً ومردَّا

In God's protection, guarded by Him,

May victory be your companion in departure and return.