دع العيس والبيداء تذرعها شطحا — Abn Razakh

دَعِ العيسَ وَالبَيداءَ تَذرَعُها شَطحا

وَسِمها بُحورَ الآلِ تَسبَحُها سَبحا

Let the pale camels traverse the desert in wide strides,

And drive them through seas of mirage, swimming on and on.

وَلا تَرعَها إِلّا الذَميلَ فَطالَما

رَعَت ناضِرَ القَيصومِ وَالشيحَ وَالطَلحا

Pasture them on nothing but a steady trot, for long enough

They have grazed on fresh yarrow, wormwood, and acacia.

وَلا تُصغِ لِلنّاهِينَ فيما نَوَيتَهُ

وَخَف حَيثُ يُخفي الغِشَّ مَن يُظهِرُ النُّصحا

And heed no dissuaders in what you have resolved to do,

And beware where one professing counsel conceals deceit.

فَكُن قَمَراً يَفري الدُجى كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

وَلا تَكُ كَالقُمرِيِّ يَستَعذِبُ الصَدحا

So be a moon that cleaves the darkness every night,

And not a turtledove that delights in singing.

وَقارِض هُمومَ النَّفسِ بِالسَّيرِ وَالسُّرى

عَلى ثِقَةٍ بِاللَهِ في نَيلِكَ الرِبحا

And counter the soul's cares with travel and journeys by night,

With trust in God that you will attain gain.

وَأُمَّ بِساطَ اِبنِ الشَريفِ مُحَمَّدٍ

مُبيدِ العِدا ذِكراً وَمُبدي الهُدى صُبحا

And make for the carpet of the son of the Sharif Muhammad,

Destroyer of foes' memory, revealer of guidance as dawn.

فَتىً يَسَعُ الدُنيا كَما هِيَ صَدرُهُ

فَأَمسى بِهِ صَدرَ الدِيانَةِ مُندَحّا

A youth whose breast embraces the world just as it is,

So through him the breast of religion has opened wide.

وَمَن هَديُهُ ساوى النَهارَ وَلَيلُهُ

فَأَمسى يُنيرُ الخافِقَينِ كَما أَضحى

One whose guidance, and whose night, equal the day;

So at evening he lights both horizons as he does in the morning.

وَمَن هُوَ غَيثٌ أَخضَلَ الأَرضَ رَوضُهُ

فَلا يَظمَأُ الآوي إِلَيهِ وَلا يَضحى

And one who is rain, whose garden has made the earth lush,

So whoever shelters with him neither thirsts nor suffers the sun.

وَلَيثٌ بِحَقِّ اللَهِ لَم يُبقِ رُعبُهُ

عُواءً لِكَلبِ التُرَّهاتِ وَلا نَبحا

And a lion—by God's truth—whose terror has left

The dog of nonsense neither a howl nor a bark.

هِزَبرٌ عَدا في شِرعَةِ الرُّمحِ وَالعِدا

غَدَوا بَقَراً يَستَعمِلُ النَحرَ وَالذَبحا

A lion who charged by the spear's law; his foes

Became cattle on whom he practiced throat-piercing and slaughter.

أَميرٌ مُلوكُ الكُفرِ أَضحَوا لِسَيفِهِ

كَما تَتَبَغّى الذَبحَ في عيدِها الأَضحى

A prince: the kings of unbelief have become, before his sword,

As if seeking slaughter at their Feast of Sacrifice.

تَزيدُ عَلى الفاقاتِ فَيضاتُ كَفِّهِ

فَيَغرَقُ في التَيّارِ مَن يامُلُ النَضحا

The outpourings of his hand exceed all needs,

So one hoping for a sprinkling drowns in the torrent.

فأَيُّ مُنىً لَم نَروَ مِنها فَإِن تَكُن

فَمَحزومَةٌ أَن تُبرِدَ الظَّمَأَ البَرحا

What wishes have we not drunk our fill of? If any remain,

They are bound to cool the agonizing thirst.

فَلا تَرُمِ التَّشبيهَ فيهِ فَقَد جَرى

مَعَ الظاهِرِ المُدني إِلى السُكَّرِ المِلحا

So seek no likeness for him; such comparison follows

Outward semblance, which brings salt beside sugar.

سَعى وَسَعَوا لِلمَكرُماتِ فَأَقصَروا

وَلَم يَرضَ حَتّى اِستَكمَلَ الكَرَمَ القُحّا

He strove, and they strove, for noble deeds; then they stopped short,

But he was not content until he attained unalloyed nobility.

وَفَلَّقَ فيهِم بَيضَةَ المَجدِ قاسِمٌ

فَناوَلَهُم قَيضاً وَناوَلَهُ المُحّا

A divider split the egg of glory among them,

Then gave them the shell and gave him the yolk.

فَتىً يَستَقِلُّ البَحرُ جودَ بَنانِهِ

عَلى حالَةِ اِستِكثارِ حاتِمٍ الرَشحا

A youth whose fingers' bounty reckons the sea a trifle,

While Hatim reckons a mere trickle abundant.

مَساعيهِ في الخَطبِ الجَليلِ يَرومُهُ

كَآمالِ مَن يَرجوهُ تَستَصحِبُ النُجحا

His efforts in the great undertaking he pursues,

Like the hopes of those who seek him, are attended by success.

صِفاتٌ كَدُرِّ البَحرِ صَفواً وَلُجِّهِ

حِساباً فَمَن يَأتي عَلى مائِهِ نَزحا

Qualities like sea pearls in purity, and like its deep waters

In number—who could drain its waters dry?

وَآياتُ عِلمٍ أَغمَدَ الجَهلَ نورُها

وَغاياتُ جِدٍّ لَيسَ تَطلابُها مَزحا

And signs of learning whose light has sheathed ignorance,

And goals of earnest striving whose pursuit is no jest;

وَرَأيٌ يُريهِ اليَومَ ما في حَشا غَدٍ

وَيَكشِفُ عَنهُ مِن دُجى لَيلِهِ جُنحا

And judgment that shows him today what lies in tomorrow's breast,

And lifts from it a stretch of its night's gloom;

وَحَزمٌ يَهُزُّ الراسِياتِ ثَباتُهُ

وَعَزمٌ يُحاكي الزَندَ ماضيُهُ قَدحا

And prudence whose firmness shakes the rooted mountains,

And resolve whose keenness rivals the fire-stick in striking sparks;

وَكَفٌّ تُري وَكفَ الحَيا كَيفَ يَنهَمي

إِلى خُلُقٍ يُري نَسيمَ الصَبا النَفحا

And a hand that shows falling rain how to pour,

With a character that teaches the east wind's breeze to waft;

وَبِشرُ مُحَيّا عَلَّمَ الصُبحَ ما السَّنا

وَقَبضٌ أَرى النارَ التَأَجُّجَ وَاللَفحا

And a cheerful face that taught dawn what radiance is,

And sternness that showed fire how to blaze and scorch;

وَتَأليفُهُ أَشتاتَ كُلِّ فَضيلَةٍ

وَمَكرُمَةٍ غَرّاءَ تُعجِزُنا شَرحا

And his uniting the scattered parts of every virtue

And radiant noble deed defies our explanation.

كَفانا اِتِّخاذَ الفالِ في القَصدِ يُمنُهُ

فَلَسنا نَخُطُّ الرَملَ أَو نَضرِبُ القِدحا

His auspiciousness spared us taking omens for our journey,

So we neither trace the sand nor cast the divining arrow.

مَهيبٌ مَخوفٌ بَطشُهُ تَحتَ حِلمِهِ

عَفُوٌّ يَرى إِلّا عَنِ الباطِلِ الصَفحا

Awe-inspiring, with feared might beneath his forbearance,

Forgiving, he favors pardon—except toward falsehood.

فَهَل كانَ مَعزُوّاً إِلى الحِلمِ قَبلَهُ

نَعَم أَو كَريمٌ يَدَّعي غَيرَهُ سَمحا

Was anyone credited with forbearance before him?

Yes—or does a generous man call anyone else open-handed?

فَأَقدَمَ حَتّى فارَقَ الجُبنَ صافِرٌ

وَجادَ إِلى أَن عافَ مادِرٌ الشُحّا

He was so bold that Safir abandoned cowardice,

And so generous that Madir came to loathe miserliness.

وَلَم تذعنِ الأَعداءُ مَحضَ مَوَدَّةٍ

إِلَيهِ وَلكِن إِنَّما كَرِهوا القَرحا

The enemies did not submit, out of pure affection,

To him; rather, they merely dreaded wounds.

رَأَو ضَيغَماً يُعطي الحُروبَ حُقوقَها

وَإِن تَضَعِ الأَوزارَ يُبرِم لَها صُلحا

They saw a lion who gives wars their due,

And if war lays down its burdens, he concludes peace for it.

وَيَستَغرِقُ الأَوقاتَ في الجِدِّ كُلَّها

وَلا يَهَبُ التَلعابَ ما يَسَعُ اللَّمحا

He devotes all his time to earnest work,

And gives play not even enough time for a glance.

مُواصِلَةً حَبلَ الجِهادِ جِيادُهُ

وَوَقفاً عَلى غَزوِ العِدا عَدوُها ضَبحا

His steeds keep the cord of jihad unbroken,

And their panting gallop is dedicated to raiding foes.

مُعاديهِ مُعطى بِالحَياةِ مَنِيَّةً

وَبِالجَنَّةِ الأُخرى وَبِالسُندُسِ المِسحا

His foe is given death in place of life,

And the other abode instead of Paradise, and haircloth instead of fine silk.

أَيا اِبنَ أَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ وَسَيفَهُ

وَصَمصامَهُ أَن يَرفَع الضَربَ وَالنَطحا

O son of the Commander of the Faithful, and his sword,

And his keen blade for fending off blows and butting,

تُشابِهُهُ خَلقاً وَخُلقاً فَسامِهِ

إِلى الفَلكِ الأَعلى فَإِنَّكَ لا تُلحى

You resemble him in form and character, so vie with him

For the highest celestial sphere; you will not be blamed.

تَهَندَسَتِ العَليا فَأَحرَزَت جِسمَها

لِإِحرازِكَ النُقطاتِ وَالخَطَّ وَالسَطحا

High glory took geometric shape and gained its solid form,

Through your mastery of points, line, and plane.

فَكَم مِن حَديثٍ كانَ يُسنَدُ لِلنَدى

وَلَكِنَّهُ لَولا نَوالُكَ ما صَحّا

How many a report was attributed to generosity,

But without your giving, it would not have proved sound!

فَأَعطَيتَني الأَعيانَ وَالعَينَ وَالكِسا

وَبيضَ الظُبا وَالنوقَ والخَيلَ وَالطِلحا

You gave me tangible goods, coin, and clothing,

And gleaming sword-blades, she-camels, horses, and weary camels.

فَلا زِلتَ لِلإِسلامِ عيداً مُنَغِّصاً

تُنَغِّصُ حُسناهُ السَعانينَ وَالفُصحا

May you ever remain a festival for Islam, a spoiler of joys,

Whose beauty spoils Palm Sunday and Easter.

أَبوكَ لِحُكمِ الشَرعِ وَلّاكَ عَهدَهُ

فَلَم تَلقَ كَدّاً في السُؤالِ وَلا كَدحا

Your father entrusted his succession to you under sacred law,

So you suffered no weariness in asking, nor hard toil.

وَأَعطاكَهُ إِذ لَيسَ غَيرُكَ أَهلَهُ

وَلِلعَقلِ نورٌ مَيَّزَ الحُسنَ وَالقُبحا

And he gave it to you because no one else was fit for it,

And reason has a light that distinguishes good from evil.

كَفى دُرَّهُ فَخراً تَحَلّيكَ سمطَهُ

وَمَنعَكَهُ تِلكَ المَعرَّةَ وَالقَدحا

Your wearing its necklace was glory enough for its pearls,

And your shielding it from that disgrace and reproach.

فَأَهدى إِلَيكَ الدَهرُ بِلقيسَ مُلكِهِ

وَأَبدى لَكَ الكُرسِيَّ وَالعَرشَ وَالصَّرحا

So Time gave you the Bilqis of its kingdom,

And showed you the seat, the throne, and the palace.

وَوَلّاكَ رَبُّ العَرشِ مُلكَ بِقاعِها

وَأَصحَبَكَ التَمكينَ وَالنَصرَ وَالفَتحا

And the Lord of the Throne gave you dominion over her lands,

And furnished you with established power, victory, and conquest.

إِلَيكَ بِها يا كَعبَةَ المَجدِ كاعِباً

مِنَ الشِعرِ لا تُسطاعُ أَركانُها مَسحا

To you, O Kaaba of glory, I bring her—a budding maiden

Of verse, whose corners cannot be touched.

إِذا شَهِدَت زَكّى الأَعادي حَديثَها

وَإِن أَثخَنَت عَنّا قُلوبَهُم جُرحا

When she testifies, even enemies attest the truth of her words,

Though she grievously wounds their hearts on our behalf.

أُكَلِّفُها فَرضَ المُحالِ أَداءَها

لِشُكرِ نَدىً لا يَنتَهي مُزنُهُ سَحّا

I impose on her an impossible duty: her rendering

Thanks for a bounty whose rain-clouds never cease pouring.

فَخُذها اِبنَةَ الحاءِ الَّتي الحَمدُ مُبتَدىً

لَها وَبِها خَلّاقُها كَمَّلَ المَدحا

So take her, daughter of the letter ḥāʾ: praise is a beginning

For her; and through her, her maker has completed the panegyric.