أرى الشرف الأعلى إليك مسلما — Abn Hius

أَرى الشَرَفَ الأَعلى إِلَيكَ مُسَلَّما

فَلا مَجدَ إِلّا ما إِلى مَجدِكَ اِنتَما

I see the highest honor surrendered to you.

There is no glory except what belongs to your glory.

وَما نالَ هَذا الفَضلَ ماضٍ مِنَ الوَرى

وَإِن نالَهُ آتٍ فَمِنكَ تَعَلَّما

No one of past generations attained this excellence;

If someone yet to come attains it, he learned it from you.

وَهَذا مَجالٌ قَد رَكِبتَ طَريقَهُ

بِكُلِّ الوَرى عَنها وَإِن أَبصَروا عَما

This is a field whose road you have traveled;

All humankind, though they see, are blind to it.

وَمَن أَدرَكَ العَلياءَ وَالعَجزُ خُلقُهُ

وَقالَ كَفاني الحَظُّ أَن أَتَهَمَّما

Who has attained the heights with incapacity his nature,

And said, 'Fortune has spared me the need to strive'?

فَما نِلتَها إِلّا عَنِ الحوبِ مُعرِضاً

وَفي الجَدبِ فَيّاضاً وَفي الحَربِ مُقدِما

You attained them only by turning away from sin,

Overflowing in drought and advancing boldly in war.

عَفافٌ وَإِنصافٌ أَنالا جَلالَةً

وَجودٌ وَإِقدامٌ أَفادا تَقَدُّما

Self-restraint and fairness bestowed majesty;

Generosity and courage brought precedence.

إِذا ما مُلوكُ الأَرضِ تيهاً تَعَظَّموا

كَفاكَ عَظيمُ القَدرِ أَن تَتَعَظَّما

When earth's kings aggrandize themselves in arrogance,

Your great worth spares you self-aggrandizement.

لَقَد قَصَّروا أَن يُبرِموا ما نَقَضتَهُ

كَتَقصيرِهِم عَن نَقضِ ما ظَلتَ مُبرِما

They have failed to bind what you have undone,

Just as they fail to undo what you keep firmly bound.

لِهَذا العُلى مُلكٌ بِغَيرِ مُشارِكٍ

لِأَكرَمِ مَن أَعطى وَأَشرُفِ مَن سَما

For this man, the heights are a dominion shared with none:

For the most generous giver and the noblest to rise,

لِأَبدَعِهِم فَضلاً وَأَقطَعِهِم ظُبىً

وَأَبرَعِهِم فِعلاً وَأَمنَعِهِم حِما

The most wondrous in excellence and sharpest in blades,

The finest in deeds and most impregnable in sanctuary,

وَأَوسَعِهِم صَدراً وَأَسرَعِهِم نَدىً

وَأَمرَعِهِم أَرضاً وَأَرفَعِهِم سَما

The broadest of heart and swiftest in generosity,

The lushest in land and loftiest in sky;

وَمَن قَدَّمَتهُ نَفسُهُ وَإِباؤُهُ

وَهِمَّتُهُ عَلى الأَنامِ تَقَدَّما

And him whom his spirit and proud refusal,

And his resolve, have advanced far above mankind.

كَفى الدَولَةَ المُستَنصِرِيَّةَ عَضدُها

نَوائِبَ لَو قارَعنَ رَضوى تَهَدَّما

The Mustansiri state's strong arm has shielded it

From calamities that, had they struck Radwa, would have shattered it.

وَقَد قَلَّدَتهُ الأَمرَ في الدينِ وَالدُنا

وَكانَ أَميناً بِالمَغيبِ عَلَيهِما

It has entrusted him with command in religion and worldly affairs,

And he was trustworthy over both, even in absence.

فَلا يَرهَبِ الناسُ الخُطوبَ وَرَيبَها

فَمُنذُ رَأى إِقدامَكَ الدَهرُ أَحجُما

Let the people not fear calamities and their uncertainties;

Since Time saw your boldness, it has recoiled.

وَلا يَطلَبوا إِلّا بَقاءَكَ عِصمَةً

فَهُم في أَمانٍ ما بَقيتَ مُسَلَّما

Let them seek no protection but your continued life;

They are safe as long as you remain unharmed.

تُريدُ العِدى إِطفاءَ نارِكَ خُيِّبوا

ظُنوناً وَما تَزدادُ إِلّا تَضَرُّما

Your enemies seek to quench your fire; they are thwarted

In their expectations, while you only blaze more fiercely.

وَعَجزُهُمُ عَن أَن تُراعَ بِحَدِّهِم

كَعَجزِ الصَبا عَن أَن تَهُزَّ يَلَملَما

Their inability to frighten you with their cutting edge

Is like the east wind's inability to shake Yalamlam.

وَلَم تَدنُ عَينُ الشَمسِ مِن كَفِّ لامِسٍ

فَتَقذى وَلا لانَ الحَديدُ فَيُعجَما

The sun's eye has never approached a toucher's palm,

To suffer irritation, nor has iron softened enough to be bitten.

وَما زالَ حَسمُ الظُلمِ وَاللَمُّ لِلهُدى

هَواكَ الَّذي يُضنيكَ لا الظَلمُ وَاللَما

Ending oppression and rallying men to guidance have always been

Your consuming passion, not gleaming teeth and dusky lips.

وَلَمّا تَعَدّى الرومُ جَهلاً بَعَثتَها

كَتائِبَ يَحمِلنَ الوَشيجَ المُقَوَّما

When the Byzantines transgressed in ignorance, you sent forth

Battalions bearing straightened spear-shafts:

قَناً جَدَّلَ الفُرسانَ قَبلَ اِنحِطامِهِ

وَنابَت سُيوفُ الهِندِ لَمّا تَحَطَّما

Lances that felled horsemen before they splintered,

And Indian swords took their place when they shattered.

وَإِنَّكَ مَن يَمضي الكَهامُ بِكَفِّهِ

فَكَيفَ إِذا جَرَّدتَ أَبيَضَ مِخذَما

You are one in whose hand a blunt blade cuts keenly;

How then when you draw a bright, slicing sword?

وَتُردي بِرُمحٍ لَم يُرَكَّب سِنانُهُ

فَكَيفَ إِذا أَشرَعتَهُ مُتَلَهذِما

You slay with a spear whose point has not been fitted;

How then when you level it, keen-edged?

وَتَحكُمُ بِالإيعادِ في مُهَجِ العِدى

فَكَيفَ إِذا جَهَّزتَ جَيشاً عَرَمرَما

You command your enemies' lifeblood by threats alone;

How then when you muster an immense army?

فَغَرَّقَهُم بَحرُ الرَدى وَهوَ ساكِنٌ

فَماذا يَظُنّونَ الشَقِيّونَ إِن طَما

The sea of death drowned them while still;

What do those wretches expect if it overflows?

وَلَو لَم يَذُد عَنهُم طُغانُ وَجَيشُهُ

لَكانَ عَلى شاطي الخَليجِ مُخَيِّما

Had Tughan and his army not defended them,

He would have encamped upon the gulf's shore.

وَقَد عَلِموا مَن راشَ بِالعِزِّ سَهمَهُ

وَمَن طاشَ إِذ دارَت رَحى الحَربِ مِنهُما

They know who feathered his arrow with might,

And which of the two missed when war's millstone turned.

أَظُنُّهُمُ لَم يَفهَموا ما أَمَرتَهُم

بِهِ فَجَعَلتَ السَيفَ عَنكَ مُتَرجِما

I think they did not understand what you commanded them

To do, so you made the sword your interpreter.

حُسامٌ هُمامٌ ظَلَّ بِالحَقِّ ناطِقاً

فَما صَلَّ في الهاماتِ إِلّا وَأَفهَما

A valiant, keen sword kept speaking truth;

It never rang within their skulls without making them understand.

وَعِندَهُمُ صَبرٌ عَلى الضَيمِ وَالأَذى

يُرَجّونَ أَن يُضحي إِلى السِلمِ سُلَّما

They endure humiliation and harm,

Hoping it may become a ladder to peace.

وَقَد طالَما اِستَنقَذتَ بِالأَمنِ خائِفاً

وَبِالجودِ مِعداماً وَبِالعَفوِ مُجرِما

How often you have rescued a fearful man with security,

A destitute man with generosity, and an offender with pardon.

وَإِن كُنتَ تَسطو عِزَّةً وَحَفيظَةً

فَإِنَّكَ تَعفو رَحمَةً وَتَكَرُّما

If you strike out of pride and protective zeal,

You pardon out of mercy and nobility.

فَدَعهُم إِلى وَقتٍ فَلَو لَم يُمِتهُمُ

يَقينُ الرَدى الآتي لَماتوا تَوَهُّما

Leave them for a while; even if they were not killed

By the certainty of coming death, they would die imagining it.

وَقَد أَصبَحوا في غُمَّةٍ ما تَكَشَّفَت

وَمَن لَهُمُ أَن يُترَكَ الأَمرُ مُبهَما

They are now in distress that has not lifted;

Who can assure them that the matter will remain unclear?

وَما زالَ ميخائيلُ مِن قَبلُ مُقدِماً

فَلَمّا رَأى عَينَ الرَدى عادَ مُحجِما

Michael had always been bold before,

But when he saw death itself, he drew back.

وَإِن كانَ أَبدى إِذ نُصِرتَ عَلَيهِمُ

سُروراً فَقَد أَخفى أَسىً وَتَأَلُّما

Though he displayed, when you were granted victory over them,

Joy, he concealed sorrow and pain.

وَقالَ لَكَ اِحكُم في بِلادي وَأَهلِها

وَهَل حَكَّمَتكَ البيضُ إِلّا لِتَحكِما

He said to you, 'Rule over my lands and their people.'

But did the bright swords empower you except to rule?

أَلا فَليُعَلِّم نَفسَهُ ما بَدا لَهُ

فَإِنَّكَ أَغنى الناسِ عَن أَن تُعَلَّما

Let him teach himself whatever he wishes;

You, of all men, have least need to be taught.

وَلَم أَرَ خُلداً بَصَّرَ البازَ صَيدَهُ

وَلا ضَبُعاً دَلَّت عَلى الفَرسِ ضَيغَما

I have never seen a mole show a falcon its prey,

Nor a hyena guide a lion to a kill.

وَلَو قَصَدَت ذي البيضُ بَيضَةَ مُلكِهِ

لَأَسلَمَ إِعظاماً لَها وَلَسَلَّما

Had these bright swords aimed at the heart of his kingdom,

He would have yielded in awe of them and surrendered.

حَوى حَلَباً مَن صارَ مِن تَحتِ حُكمِهِ

وَكانَ عَلى مُلّاكِها مُتَحَكِّما

One who came under his rule held Aleppo,

And had ruled over its masters.

فَيا رَوعَةَ اليَعقوبِ صاقَبَ أَجدَلاً

وَيا صَرعَةَ العُصفورِ جاوَرَ أَرقَما

What terror for the partridge that came beside a falcon!

What a fall for the sparrow that lived beside a speckled serpent!

وَإِنَّ السُهى أَدنى إِلى مُتَناوِلٍ

وَأَيسَرُ مِن ثَغرٍ بِأَسيافِكَ اِحتَما

Indeed, al-Suha is nearer to a reaching hand

And easier to gain than a frontier town sheltered by your swords.

وَقَد صارَ طَيرُ الأَمنِ فيها مُغَرِّداً

وَكانَت لِطَيرِ الذُلِّ وَالخَوفِ مَجثَما

The bird of safety now sings within it,

Though it had been a perch for the birds of abasement and fear.

وَبَدَّلتَ مَن ضَمَّت سُروراً مِنَ الأَذى

وَنُعمى مِنَ البُؤسى وَرَيّاً مِنَ الظَما

You gave those it sheltered joy in place of pain,

Bliss in place of misery, and refreshment in place of thirst.

وَأَمَّنتَهُم لَمّا أَخَفتَ عَدُوَّهُم

فَنَوَّمتَ أَيقاظاً وَأَيقَظتَ نُوَّما

You made them safe when you terrified their enemy,

Lulling the wakeful to sleep and rousing the sleepers.

وَأَورَدتَهُم بَحراً مِنَ الجودِ مُفعَماً

وَأَسكَنتَهُم طَوداً مِنَ العِزِّ أَيهَما

You brought them to a brimming sea of generosity,

And lodged them upon an inaccessible mountain of might.

فَلا تَأمَنِ الرومَ المُظَفَّرَ إِنَّهُ

وَحِيُّ الرَدى إِن هَمَّ وَالغَيثُ إِن هَما

Let the Byzantines not feel safe from the victorious one, for he

Is swift death when he resolves, and rain when he pours.

وَما عَرَضَ الأَمرانِ يَوماً لِرَأيِهِ

فَحادَ عَنِ الداعي إِلى المَجدِ مِنهُما

Never, when two courses were laid before his judgment,

Did he turn from the one that called to glory.

عَليمٌ بِعُقبى الأَمرِ إِن جاءَ مُشكِلاً

بَصيرٌ إِذا ما حِندِسُ الشَكِّ أَظلَما

He knows an affair's outcome even when it comes confused,

And sees clearly when doubt's thick darkness deepens.

فَيَترُكُ أَقوالَ الأَنامِ كَأَنَّما

بِهِ صَمَمٌ عَنها وَيَمضي مُصَمِّما

He leaves men's sayings as though

He were deaf to them, and goes on resolute.

شَروبٌ إِذا ما أَصبَحَ الحَمدُ قَهوَةً

طَروبٌ إِذا كانَ الصَليلُ تَرَنُّما

A deep drinker when praise becomes wine,

Enraptured when the clash of blades becomes song.

رَأى أُفُقَ العَلياءِ لا شَكَّ عاطِلاً

فَأَطلَعَ فيهِ مِن مَساعيهِ أَنجُما

He saw the horizon of high honor bare, beyond doubt,

And made stars of his endeavors rise within it.

وَلَو أَنَّ أَحكامَ النُجومِ صَحيحَةٌ

لَخِلناكَ مِن صِدقِ النُجومِ مُنَجِّما

If the decrees of the stars were true,

We would take you for an astrologer, from the stars' truthfulness.

وَما هُوَ عِلمٌ عَن سِواكَ أَخَذتَهُ

وَلَكِن بَراكَ اللَهُ لا شَكَّ مُلهَما

It is no knowledge you acquired from another;

Rather, God created you inspired, beyond doubt.

تَوَخّى التُقى وَالعَدلَ فِعلُكَ كُلُّهُ

فَلَم تَقتَرِف إِثماً وَلَم تَجنِ مَحرَما

All your deeds have sought piety and justice;

You have committed no sin nor done anything forbidden.

فَلَو أَنَّهُ شَخصٌ قَضى الناسُ أَنَّهُ

تَكَوَّنَ مِن نورِ الهُدى وَتَجَسَّما

If your deeds were a person, people would judge that he

Was formed from the light of guidance and took bodily shape.

لَقَد حُزتَ فَضلَ الأَنبِياءِ وَهَديَهُم

فَصَلّى عَلَيكَ اللَهُ مَلكاً وَسَلَّما

You have gained the prophets' excellence and guidance;

May God bless you as a king and grant you peace.

فَضائِلُ أَعلى مِن ذُكاءَ مَحَلَّةً

وَأَشرَفُ أَنواراً وَأَبعَدُ مُرتَما

Virtues higher in station than Dhuka, the sun,

Nobler in radiance and farther in reach,

غَدَت فَوقَ رَأسِ المَجدِ تاجاً مُرَصَّعاً

وَفي عُنُقِ العَلياءِ عِقداً مُنَظَّما

Have become a jeweled crown upon glory's head,

And a strung necklace around high honor's neck.

يُفيدُ بِرُؤياها القَريبُ تَنَزُّهاً

وَيَحظى بِرَيّاها البَعيدُ تَنَسُّما

Those nearby gain delight from seeing them,

And those distant enjoy inhaling their fragrance.

فَكُلُّ نَدىً في الخَلقِ جودُكَ أَصلُهُ

فَفي ضِلَّةٍ مَن عَدَّ غَيرَكَ مُنعِما

Your bounty is the root of all generosity among creation;

Anyone who counts another a benefactor is astray.

لَأَظهَرَ أَهلُ الأَرضِ حُبَّكَ رَهبَةً

فَأَنعَمتَ حَتّى خالَطَ اللَحمَ وَالدَما

Earth's people surely showed their love for you out of fear;

Then you bestowed favors until that love mingled with flesh and blood.

فَيا ذا العَطايا لَم تَدَع مُتَطَلِّباً

وَيا ذا القَضايا لَم تَدَع مُتَظَلِّما

O giver of gifts, you have left no seeker unsatisfied;

O judge of cases, you have left no one crying injustice.

بَسَطتَ يَدَ العَدوى فَلَم تُبقِ حائِفاً

وَأَسرَفتَ في الجَدوى فَكَم تُبقِ مُعدِما

You extended the hand of redress, leaving no oppressor,

And lavished bounty—how many paupers have you left?

فَلا بَرِحَت تَعلو يَداً تُنهِلُ القَنا

دِماءً أَعاديها وَتَنهَلُّ أَنعُما

May yours ever be the upper hand, giving the spears to drink

Its enemies' blood and showering blessings.

وَقَد سَمِعَ اللَهُ الكَريمُ لِأُمَّةٍ

تَيَمَّمَتِ البَيتَ العَتيقَ المُحَرَّما

The generous God has heeded a people

Who sought the ancient, sacred House.

وَلَولاكَ لَم يَنزِل غَريبٌ بِمَكَّةٍ

وَلا وَرَدَت تِلكَ الخَلائِقُ زَمزَما

Without you, no stranger would have alighted in Mecca,

Nor would those multitudes have come to Zamzam.

وَمَوسِمُها في كُلِّ عامٍ وَإِنَّنا

نَرى كُلَّ يَومٍ في جَنابِكَ مَوسِما

Their festival comes each year, while we

See a festival every day in your presence.

وَإِن جَلَّ ما خَوَّلتَني وَكَتَمتَهُ

جَلالاً فَما اِستَودَعتِنيهِ لِأَكتُما

Though what you granted me is great, and you concealed it

Out of dignity, you did not entrust it to me to hide.

فَدونَكَ فَاِسحَب في الثَناءِ مَلابِساً

وَأَفخَرُها ما كانَ بِالحَمدِ مُعلَما

Take these, then, and trail garments of praise,

The most splendid being those embroidered with acclaim:

مَدائِحَ تَبقى ما يَلي الغَسَقَ الدُجى

وَما بَلَّ ريقٌ في بَني آدَمٍ فَما

Panegyrics that endure as long as darkness follows dusk,

And saliva moistens a mouth among Adam's children.

حَبَستُ عَلَيكَ الظَنَّ وَالشِعرَ فِعلَ مَن

يَرى النيلَ إِلّا مِن يَدَيكَ مُحَرَّما

I have reserved my hopes and poetry for you, as one

Who deems gifts forbidden unless they come from your hands.

وَمَن عَدَّ جودَ القَومِ غُنماً فَإِنَّني

أَرى مَغنَماً ما أَنتَ موليهِ مَغرَما

Whoever counts others' bounty a gain, I

Regard any gain you do not bestow as a loss.

وَإِلّا تَأَمَّل حُرَّ وَجهِيَ هَل تَرى

بِصَفحَتِهِ إِلّا لِجودِكَ ميسَما

Otherwise, examine my noble face: do you see

Upon its surface any brand but that of your bounty?

وَحاشا لِحَظّي أَن يُرى وَهوَ ناقِصٌ

لَدَيكَ وَظَنّي أَن يَكونَ مُرَجَّما

Far be it that my allotted share should be seen diminished

With you, or my expectation prove mere conjecture.

فَمَكَّنَكَ الإِسلامُ عِزّاً لِأَهلِهِ

فَما زِلتَ لِلإِسلامِ عيداً مُعَظَّما

May Islam establish you as might for its people;

You have ever been a revered festival for Islam.

وَدُم لِلمُنى كَنزاً وَلِلحَقِّ عِصمَةً

وَلِلبَغيِ مُجتاحاً وَلِلإِفكِ مُرغِما

Remain a treasure for aspirations and a safeguard for truth,

An uprooter of tyranny and a humiliator of falsehood.