يا حسنها من أربع وديار — Ibn Alkhatib

يا حُسْنَها منْ أرْبُعٍ ودِيارِ

أضْحَتْ لباغي الأمْنِ دارَ قَرارِ

How lovely these dwelling places and homes,

now a lasting haven for whoever seeks safety;

وجِبالِ عِزٍّ لا تذِلُّ أُنوفُها

إلا لعِزِّ الواحِدِ القهّارِ

and mountains of might whose proud noses bow

only to the might of the One, the All-Subduing;

ومقَرِّ توْحيدٍ وأسِّ خِلافَةٍ

آثارُها تُنْبي عنِ الأخْبارِ

a seat of divine oneness and a foundation of the caliphate,

whose traces tell the stories of the past.

ما كُنْتُ أحْسَبُ أنّ أنْهارَ النّدى

تجْري بِها في جُملَةِ الأنْهارِ

I had not thought that rivers of generosity

flowed through it among the rivers.

ما كنتُ أحسَبُ أنّ أنْوار الحِجَى

تلْتاحُ في قُنَنٍ وفي أحْجارِ

I had not thought that the lights of wisdom

gleamed on mountain peaks and amid stones.

مُحّتْ جوانِبَها البُرودُ وإنْ تكُنْ

شبّتْ بِها الأعْداءُ جُذْوَةَ نارِ

The mantles along its flanks were worn thin, though

the enemies had kindled there a brand of fire.

هُدّتْ بِناه في سَبيلِ وفائِها

فكأنّها صرْعى بغَيْرِ عُقارِ

Its buildings were demolished for its fidelity,

as though they lay fallen senseless, without wine.

لمّا توعّدَها على المَجْدِ العِدى

رضِيَتْ بعَيْثِ النّارِ لا بالعارِ

When foes threatened it because of its glory,

it accepted fire’s ravages, but not dishonor.

عمَرَتْ بحِلّة عامِرٍ وأعزِّها

عبْدِ العزيزِ بمُرْهَفٍ بتّارِ

It flourished with ʿAmir’s encampment, and was fortified

by ʿAbd al-ʿAziz with a keen, cleaving blade.

فَرَسا رِهانٍ أحْرَزوا قصَبَ النّدى

والبأسَ في طَلْقٍ وفي مِضْمارِ

Two racing steeds, they won the victor’s reed for generosity

and valor, in the gallop and on the racecourse.

ورثا عنِ النّدْبِ الكريمِ أبيهِما

محْضَ الوَفاءِ ورِفْعَة المِقْدارِ

They inherited from their gallant, noble father

pure fidelity and exalted rank.

وكذا الفُروعُ تَطولُ وهْيَ شَبيهةٌ

بالأصْلِ في ورَقٍ وفي إثْمارِ

Thus branches grow tall, resembling

their stock in foliage and in fruit.

أزْرَتْ وُجوهُ الصّيدِ منْ هنْتاتَةٍ

في جوِّها بمَطالِعِ الأقْمارِ

The faces of Hintata’s proud chieftains put to shame,

in its sky, the rising moons.

للهِ أيُّ قَبيلةٍ تركَتْ لَها النُّظَرا

ءُ دَعْوى الفخْرِ يوْمَ فَخارِ

By God, what a tribe! Its peers yielded to it

the claim to glory on the day of boasting.

نصَرَتْ أميرَ المسْلِمينَ ومُلْكَهُ

قد أسْلَمَتْهُ عَزائِمُ الأنْصارِ

It supported the Commander of the Muslims and his kingdom,

when his supporters’ resolve had abandoned him.

آوَتْ عليّا عندَما ذهبَ الرّدى

والرّوْعُ بالأسْماعِ والأبْصارِ

It sheltered ʿAli when death

and terror swept away hearing and sight.

وتَخاذَلَ الجيْشُ اللُّهامُ وأصْ

بَحَ الأبطالُ بينَ تقاعُدٍ وفِرارِ

The mighty army’s men failed one another, and

the champions turned to hanging back or flight.

كُفِرَتْ صَنائِعُهُ فيمّمَ دارَها

مُسْتَظْهِراً منْها بعِزِّ جِوارِ

His benefactions went unacknowledged, so he sought its abode,

seeking support in its mighty protection.

وأقامَ بيْنَ ظُهورِه لا يتّقي

وقْعَ الرّدى وقد ارْتَمى بشَرارِ

He dwelt in its midst, fearing no

assault of death, though it was hurling sparks.

فكأنّها الأنْصارُ لمّا آنسَتْ

فيما تقدّمَ غُرْبةَ المُخْتارِ

It was like the Ansar when they perceived,

in former days, the Chosen One’s exile.

لمّا غدا لحْظاً وهُمْ أجفانُهُ

نابَتْ شِفارُهُمُ عنِ الأشْفارِ

When he became a gaze and they his eyelids,

their blade-edges took the place of lashes.

حتى دعاهُ اللهُ بينَ بُيوتِهِمْ

فأجابَ مُمْتَثِلاً لأمْرِ الباري

Until God called him among their homes,

and he answered, obeying the Creator’s command.

أوْ كانَ يمنَعُ منع قضاءِ اللهِ ما

خلَصَتْ إلَيْهِ نوافِذُ الأقْدارِ

Or, had protection been able to avert God’s decree,

fate’s piercing shafts would never have reached him.

قد كانَ يأمُلُ أن يُكافِئَ بعضَ ما

أوْلَوْهُ لوْلا قاطِعُ الأعْمارِ

He had hoped to repay some of what

they bestowed on him, but for the severer of lives.

ما كان يُقْنِعُهُ لوِ امْتدّ المَدى

إلا القِيامُ بحقِّها منْ دارِ

Had his span been prolonged, nothing would have satisfied him

but rendering this abode its due.

فيُعيدُ ذاكَ الماءَ ذائِبَ فِضّةٍ

ويُعيدُ ذاكَ التّرْبَ ذوْبَ نُضارِ

He would turn that water into molten silver,

and turn that soil into molten gold,

حتّى تفوزَ على النّوى أوْطانُها

منْ غيْرِ ما ثُنْيا ولا اسْتِقْصارِ

so that its homelands might prosper, despite the distance,

without exception or stinting.

ما كان يرْضى الشّمسَ أو بدْرَ الدُّجى

عنْ دِرْهمٍ فيهِمْ ولا دِينارِ

He would not have been content to give the sun or the night’s full moon

for a dirham among them, or a dinar,

أو أنْ يتوِّجَ أو يُقلِّدَ هامَها

ونُحورَها بأهِلّةٍ ودَراري

or to crown their heads or adorn

their throats with crescents and brilliant stars.

حقٌّ على المَوْلى ابْنِهِ إيثارُ ما

بَذَلوهُ منْ نصْرٍ ومنْ إيثارِ

His son, the lord, is bound to honor what

they offered in support and selfless devotion.

فلمِثْلِها ذُخِرَ الجَزاءُ ومثْلُهُ

مَنْ لا يُضيعُ صَنائِعَ الأحْرارِ

For such a tribe, recompense is stored; and one like him

does not let noble men’s good deeds go to waste.

وهوَ الذي يَقْضي الدّيونَ ومثْلُهُ

يُرْضيهِ في علنٍ وفي إسْرارِ

And he is the one who pays the debts; and one like him

pleases him in public and in private,

حتّى تُحَجَّ محَلّةٌ رفَعوا بِها

علَمَ الوَفاءِ لأعْيُنِ النُّظّارِ

until pilgrims seek the encampment where they raised

the banner of fidelity before the eyes of onlookers.

فيَصيرُ منْها البيْتُ بيْتاً ثانياً

للطّائِفينَ إليْهِ أيَّ بِدارِ

Then its house will become a second House

for those coming to circle it—how they hasten!

تَعْنى قُلوبُ القوْمِ عنْ هَدْيٍ بِهِ

ودُموعُهُمْ تكْفي لرَمْيِ جِمارِ

The people’s hearts suffer there in place of sacrificial offerings,

and their tears suffice for casting the pebbles.

حُيّيتِ منْ دارٍ تكفّلَ سعْيُها

المَحْمودُ بالزّلْفى وعُقْبى الدارِ

Hail, abode, whose striving has secured,

praiseworthy as it is, nearness to God and the final abode.

وُضِعَتْ عليْكِ منَ الإلاهِ عِنايةٌ

ما كرّ ليْلٌ فيكِ إثْرَ نَهارِ

Upon you has been laid a care from God,

as long as night returns within you after day.