وافاك يصحبه الإسعاد والظفر — Alhbal

وافاكَ يصحبُهُ الإسْعادُ والظَّفَرُ

عيدٌ به سُحُبُ الإقبال تَنْهمِرُ

It has come to you, accompanied by good fortune and victory:

A feast day on which clouds of prosperity pour down.

فالْبسْ بهِ حُلَلَ المجدِ المؤثّل لا

يَعْرُو فُؤادكَ لا بُؤْسٌ ولا ضَجَرُ

So don on it the robes of deep-rooted glory; may neither

Misery nor weariness afflict your heart.

واحْكُمْ مطاعاً بما تَهْوى على زمنٍ

أيّامُ مُلْكِكَ في أيّامِه غرَوُ

Rule, obeyed, as you desire, over an age

Among whose days the days of your reign are a marvel.

واستقبل الملكَ مُخضرّاً جوانبُهُ

يَزْهو ويُزْهر حُسْناً عِطفُه النّضِرُ

Welcome kingship, green on every side;

Its verdant flank shines and blossoms with beauty.

ولا برحتَ قرير العينِ مُمْتَدَحاً

تأتي إليك الأَماني وهي تَعْتَذرُ

May you remain contented of eye and praised;

Wishes come to you, making their apologies.

يَعْنو لِفضلكَ مَنْ في أنفِه شمَمٌ

طوعاً ويَسْجدُ مَن في خدِّ صَعَرُ

Whoever holds his nose high bows to your excellence,

Willingly; he whose cheek is turned in pride prostrates himself.

تَرْقَى إلى فلكِ العَلياءِ مُرْتَفِعاً

عِزّاً ويَجْري عَلَى ما تشتهي القَدَرُ

You ascend to the sphere of eminence, rising

In glory, while fate runs as you desire.

الحمدُ للهِ وجهُ السّعْدِ مُقْتَبِلٌ

كما تشاء وقَلبُ النَحْسِ مُنكَسِرُ

Praise be to God: the face of good fortune approaches,

As you wish, and misfortune’s heart is broken.

بكَ لا نَسْطيعُ نشكرها

في جَنْبها سَيّئاتُ الدَّهر تُغْتَفَرُ

Through you [...] we cannot give thanks for it;

Beside it, the wrongs of time are forgiven.

ذِكَر ملوكِ الأرضِ قاطبَةً

إنّ الكواكبَ يُخفي ضوءَها القَمَرُ

The mention of the earth’s kings, all of them—

Indeed, the moon hides the light of the stars.

ذِكرَ ملوكِ الأرضِ قاطبَةً

إنّ الكواكبَ يُخفي ضوءَها القَمَرُ

The mention of the earth’s kings, all of them—

Indeed, the moon hides the light of the stars.

جيادُ المعالي دونَ غايتِها

وأنتَ تبلُغُ أَقْصَاها وتَنْتظِرُ

The steeds of lofty achievement fall short of its goal,

While you reach its furthest extent and wait.

يُدْرِكُ ما أصْبَحْتَ مُدْرِكَهُ

بِطولِ باعِكَ مَن في باعِهِ قِصَرُ

He attains what you have come to attain—

Through your long reach, one whose reach is short.

دُونك جسمٌ لا حيَاة به

وأنتَ رُوحُ العُلَى والسَّمعُ والبَصَرُ

Apart from you, a body with no life in it;

You are the spirit of high glory, its hearing and its sight.

عْنىً فخيم مِنكَ مُكتَسَبٌ

منكَ المعاني ومن أقرانِكَ الصّورُ

A majestic [meaning], acquired from you;

From you come meanings, and from your peers, forms.

يحاكِيكَ كفُّ المزْنِ هَاطِلةً

والبحرُ جوداً ويَحكي خُلقكَ الزّهَرُ

The hand of the rain clouds, pouring down, imitates you,

And the sea in generosity; blossoms mirror your character.

هيهات وجْهُ الفَرْقِ مُتّضحٌ

والصّبح لا يختفي عَمّنْ لَهُ نَظَرُ

Far from it! The distinction is plain;

Dawn is not hidden from anyone with sight.

البحرُ والأَنْوا يديك وقَدْ

جادَتْ وما كانَ لا بحرٌ ولا مَطرُ

The sea and the rain-stars [...] your hands; already

They gave freely when there was neither sea nor rain.

فَالينَ في العلياء حَسبْكُمُ

فقد حَمَى سَوْحَها الصَّمصَامَةُ الهَصِرُ

[...] in lofty eminence—enough for you!

For the crushing, keen-edged sword has guarded its precincts.

يكفّلَ أرزاق الورى مَلكٌ

مُسَوّدٌ في يَديْهِ النَّفعُ والضَّررُ

A king guarantees the sustenance of all people,

Acknowledged as lord, in whose hands lie benefit and harm.

في اكْتِساب الفخر سَعْيكُمُ

فما لِغَيرِ إمامِ الحَقّ مُفتخَرُ

Your striving to acquire glory—

For none but the Imam of Truth has grounds for pride.

البيضَ في الأجفانِ مُغمدةً

فإنّها لِسَواهُ ليسَ تأتَمِرُ

The bright swords, sheathed in their scabbards—

For they obey no one but him.

ودُ وكفّ القطر حابسَةٌ

ويَسْتهِلّ ونار الحرب تَسْتَعِرُ

[...] while the hand of the rain holds back,

And he pours forth while war’s fire blazes.

دَوْلَتهِ غُرٌّ مُحجَّلَةٌ

على معاطفها من عَدْلِهِ حِيَرُ

His reign’s [...] are white-blazed and white-stockinged;

Upon their folds, from his justice, are [...].

الغِيدُ من خَوفِ المشيب بهِ

إذاً مَا مَسَّهُنَّ الشيبُ والكِبَرُ

The graceful women, fearing gray hair, [...] with him;

Then gray hair and old age would not touch them.

صَارمُهُ عوناً لفاطمةٍ

لم يغتَصِبْها أبو بكرٍ ولا عُمَرُ

His keen sword, as an aid to Fatimah—

Abu Bakr did not dispossess her, nor did Umar.

خُلدٍ وافاها الورى فرأوا

فوقَ الذي سَمعوا منها الَّذي نَظَروا

[...] of eternity; people came to it and saw

That what they beheld there surpassed what they had heard of it.

قَ ادّعاء السَّمع أعينُهم

ورُبّ خُبرٍ لَديهِ يَصغُرُ الخَبَرُ

Their eyes [...] the claim made by hearing;

And many a firsthand experience makes hearsay seem small beside it.

ما زلْتَ سيفاً لدين الله منصلتاً

إذا تقلَّده الإسلامُ ينتصرُ

You have never ceased to be an unsheathed sword for God’s faith;

When Islam girds itself with it, it triumphs.

كَمْ معشرٍ نَقَضوا ميثاقَهُمْ وبغوا

أذقْتَهُمْ غِبَّ ما خانوا وما غَدَرُوا

How many a company broke its covenant and transgressed!

You made them taste the aftermath of their treachery and betrayal.

جاؤا لِحربكَ من خوفٍ ومن حذرٍ

كذاَ على الأُسدِ خَوْفاً تقدمُ الحُمُرُ

They came to wage war on you out of fear and caution;

Thus, in fear, asses advance against lions.

قتلْتَ حاضرَها ضرباً وغائِبَهمْ

خوفاً فسيَّان إنّ غابوا وإنْ حَضَروا

You killed those present with blows, and those absent

With fear; it is all the same whether they were absent or present.

أصْلَيتَهُمْ جمراتٍ من سيوفكِ لا

تُبقي على أحدٍ منهمْ ولا تَذرُ

You scorched them with embers from your swords, which do not

Spare any of them, nor leave any.

نغَّصْتَ في هذه الدّنيا معيشتَهُمْ

ومُستقرّهُمِ مِن بَعْدِها سَقَرُ

You embittered their livelihood in this world,

And their abode thereafter is Saqar.

فرّوا حذاراً وهل يثنيكَ وَيْلَهُمُ

فِرارُهمْ عَنك أَوْ يُغنيهمُ الْحَذرُ

They fled in dread; can you be deterred—woe to them—

By their flight from you, or can caution avail them?

شرّدْتَهُمْ في الفَلاَ حَتَّى لو اعترضَتْ

لهم جهنّمُ في نيرانها عَبَروا

You scattered them in the wilderness, until even if it barred the way—

Hell, before them—they would cross through its fires.

ودَوُّا وحاشاك أن ترضَى ومَن لهم

أن يَجعَلوا لكَ ما صَلْوا وما نَحَروا

They wished—far be it from you to consent; and who could grant them leave

To dedicate to you their prayers and their sacrifices?

وهكذَا لَم تَزَلْ في كُلّ مَلْحَمَةٍ

غرّاء يُسْعدُكَ الإقبالُ والظَّفَرُ

And thus you have always, in every battle

Of renown, been favored by good fortune and victory.

حتّى أضاء مُحيّا الدِّين مُبتَلِجاً

وزالَ عن مُقلَتيهِ السوءُ والضَّرَرُ

Until the face of faith shone radiant,

And evil and harm departed from its eyes.

يا نثرَ الدرَّ إن وافهُ مُمتَدحٌ

ومَنْ لِتاجِ عَلاهُ تُنْظَمُ الدّرَرُ

O you who scatter pearls if a panegyrist comes,

And for whose crown of eminence pearls are strung!

قد حَبَّر النّاسُ فيكَ المدحَ واجْتَهدوا

وعنك قصَّر ما قالوا وما شَعُروا

People have embellished their praise of you and striven hard,

Yet what they said and versified fell short of you.

وقَدْ مُدِحتَ بآي الذّكرِ مُحكمَةً

فما عَسَى قدرُ مَا تَأْتي بهِ الفِكَرُ

You have been praised in the Remembrance’s definitive verses;

So what can be the worth of what thoughts bring forth?

هَيْهات أن يَدّعي حَصراً لِفضْلِك مَنْ

قد كانَ يعْجِزُهُ مِنْ وَصْفِكَ العشرُ

Impossible for anyone to claim to encompass your excellence,

When even a tenth of describing you has defeated him.

فلا تُكلّفْهُم ما لا يُطاقُ وعُدْ

بفَضْل صَفحِك واعذِرْ إنّهُم بَشرُ

So do not burden them beyond endurance; return

With your gracious pardon, and excuse them—they are human.

وانْعمْ بمقدمِ عيدِ النّحر يا مَلكاً

يخافُ سطوتَهُ الصَّمصامةُ الذّكرُ

Rejoice at the coming of the Feast of Sacrifice, O king,

Whose might the mighty, keen-edged sword fears.

وافَى يجرّرُ أَذْيالَ السّرور لِكيْ

يفوزَ مِنكَ ببرٍّ ليسَ يَنْحَصِرُ

It has come, trailing the hems of joy, so that

It may win from you kindness beyond all bounds.

واحمَدْ إلاهكَ واشكرهُ فَقَدْ وعَدَ

العِبادَ مِنْهُ مَزِيدَ الْفَضْلِ إنْ شكروا

Praise your God and thank Him, for He has promised

His servants greater bounty from Him if they give thanks.

واسْتجْلِها بنتَ فكْرٍ لا يُقَاسُ بها

يكاد يخجَلُ مِنها المندَل العَطِرُ

Behold her unveiled, a daughter of thought beyond compare;

Fragrant aloeswood almost blushes before her.

وابْسُطْ لي العُذرَ في تركي إطالتَها

لأنّ كلَّ طويلٍ فيكَ مُخْتَصَرُ

Grant me your pardon for not making her longer,

For every lengthy piece in your praise is brief.

لكنّها حلوة الأَلفاظ ما طمعَتْ

ربيعةٌ أن تدانيها ولا مُضَرُ

Yet her words are sweet; no ambition stirred

Rabi'ah to rival her, nor Mudar.

لَو أنّها أَدْركَتْها لم تكنْ أبداً

بغَيْرِها العَرَبُ العَرْباءُ تَفْتَخِرُ

Had they attained her, never would

The Arabs of pure descent boast of anything else.

فإن تكُنْ أنتَ فوقَ النّاسِ قاطبَةً

فإنها فوقَ ما قَالُوا وما شَعَروا

If you are above all people,

Then she is above all they said and versified.

لا زَالَ سوحُكَ مَعْموراً ولا برحَتْ

سُحْبُ الصَّلاةِ على ناديك تَنهَمرَ

May your precincts remain flourishing, and may

Clouds of blessing never cease to pour upon your assembly,

بَعْدَ النبي الْمصْطَفى الْهادي وعُتْرته

مَا لاحَ بَرقُ شرى أو ما سَرىَ قَمَرُ

After the Chosen Prophet, the Guide, and his family,

As long as lightning flashes over Shara or the moon travels by night.