سلا هل لديها من مخبرة ذكر — Ibn Alkhatib

سَلا هلْ لدَيْها من مُخَبّرَةٍ ذِكْرُ

وهلْ أعشَبَ الوادي ونمّ بهِ الزّهْرُ

Ask, you two: has she any word from a woman who brings tidings?

Has the valley grown grassy, and have its flowers spread their fragrance?

وهلْ باكَرَ الوَسْميّ داراً على اللِّوى

عفَتْ آيُها إلا التوهُّمُ والذِّكْرُ

Has the autumn rain come early to a dwelling at al-Liwā,

whose traces have faded, save in fancy and memory?

بلادِي التي عاطَيْتُ مشْمولةَ الهَوى

بأكْنافِها والعيْشُ فَيْنانُ مخْضَرُّ

My homeland, where I shared love's north-wind-cooled wine

within its bounds, while life was luxuriant and green;

وجوّي الذي ربّى جَناحيَ وَجْرُهُ

فَها أنا ذا ما لي جَناحٌ ولا وَكْرُ

and my sky, whose shelter nurtured my wing—

here I am now, with neither wing nor nest.

نَبَتْ بيَ لا عنْ جفْوَةٍ وملالَةٍ

ولا نسخَ الوصْلَ الهَنيَّ بِها هَجْرُ

It grew inhospitable to me, not from estrangement or weariness,

nor did separation undo the happy union there.

ولكنّها الدُّنْيا قليلٌ مَتاعُها

ولَذّاتُها دأباً تَزورُ وتَزْوَرُّ

But such is the world: its enjoyment is scant,

and its pleasures ever visit, then turn away.

فمنْ لي بقُرْبِ العَهْدِ منْها ودونَنا

مَدىً طالَ حتّى يوْمُهُ عنْدَنا شهْرُ

Who can restore my recent days there, when between us lies

a distance so prolonged that its day is a month to us?

وللّهِ عَيْنا مَنْ رآنا وللأسى

ضِرامٌ لهُ في كلِّ جانِحةٍ جَمْرُ

God bless the eyes of whoever saw us, while grief

blazed, with a burning coal beneath every rib.

وقد بدّدَتْ دُرَّ الدّموعِ يدُ النّوى

وللشّوْقِ أشجانٌ يَضيقُ لها الصّدْرُ

The hand of separation had scattered the pearls of tears,

and longing brought sorrows too great for the breast.

بكَيْنا على النّهْرِ الشّروبِ عشيّةً

فعادَ أُجاجاً بعْدَنا ذلكَ النّهْرُ

One evening we wept beside the river of sweet drinking water,

and after us that river turned briny.

أقولُ لأظْعاني وقدْ غالَها السَّرى

وآنسَها الحادي وأوْحَشَها الزَّهْرُ

I say to my camel-litters, worn down by night travel,

cheered by the camel-driver but made lonely by the bright stars:

روَيْدَكِ بعْدَ العُسْر يُسْرٌ أنِ ابْشِري

بإنْجازِ وعْدِ اللهِ قد ذهَبَ العُسْرُ

Gently now: after hardship comes ease; rejoice

in the fulfillment of God's promise—hardship is gone.

وللهِ فينا سِرُّ غيْبٍ وربّما

أتى النّفْعُ منْ حالٍ أريدَ بها الضّرُّ

God holds for us a hidden mystery, and sometimes

benefit comes from a condition intended to bring harm.

وإنْ تَخُنِ الأيامُ لمْ تَخُنِ النُّهى

وإنْ يخْذُلِ الأقْوامُ لمْ يخْذُلِ الصّبْرُ

If days betray me, understanding does not;

if peoples forsake me, patience does not.

وإن عرَكَتْ منّي الخُطوبُ مجَرِّباً

نِقاباً تَساوَى عنْدَهُ الحُلْوُ والمُرُّ

Though calamities have battered in me an experienced man,

keenly discerning, to whom sweet and bitter are alike,

فقد عجَمَتْ عوداً صَليباً على الرّدى

وعزْماً كَما تمْضي المهنّدَةُ البُتْرُ

they have tested a shaft firm against destruction,

and a resolve that cuts as keen Indian swords do.

إذا أنتَ بالبيضاءِ قرّرْتَ منزِلي

فَلا اللّحمُ حِلَّ ما حَييتُ ولا الظّهْرُ

If you settle my abode in al-Bayḍā,

neither flesh nor back shall be lawful to me while I live.

زجَرْنا بإبْراهيمَ بُرْءَ هُمومِنا

فلمّا رأينا وجْهَهُ صدَقَ الزّجْرُ

In Ibrāhīm we augured a cure for our cares;

when we saw his face, the omen proved true.

بمُنْتخَبٍ منْ آلِ يعْقوبَ كلّما

دَجا الخَطْبُ لمْ يكْذِبْ لعَزْمَتِهِ فجْرُ

In a chosen scion of the house of Yaʿqūb: whenever

trouble darkened, no dawn failed his resolve.

تناقَلَتِ الرّكْبانُ طيبَ حَديثِهِ

فلمّا رأتْهُ صدّقَ الخَبَرَ الخبرُ

Travelers passed along the sweetness of his story;

when they saw him, experience confirmed the report.

ندىً لو حَواهُ البحْرُ لذّ مذاقُهُ

ولمْ يتعقّبْ مَدَّهُ أبداً جَزْرُ

A generosity which, had the sea contained it, would have sweetened its taste,

and no ebb would ever have followed its flood;

وبأسٌ غَدا يرْتاعُ منْ خوْفِهِ الرّدى

وترْفُلُ في أثْوابِهِ الفَتْكَةُ البِكْرُ

and a might that made death itself tremble in fear,

while the virgin deathblow strutted in its robes.

أطاعَتْهُ حتّى العُصْمُ في قُنَنِ الرُّبى

وهشّتْ الى تأمِيلِهِ الأنْجُمُ الزّهْرُ

Even the white-legged ibexes on the hilltops obeyed him,

and the bright stars rejoiced to place their hopes in him.

قصدْناكَ يا خيْرَ المُلوكِ على النّوى

لتُنْصِفَنا ممّا جَنى عبْدُكَ الدّهْرُ

We sought you, best of kings, despite the distance,

that you might right the wrong wrought upon us by Time, your servant.

كفَفْنا بكَ الأيّامَ عنْ غُلَوائِها

وقدْ رابَنا منْها التعسّفُ والكِبْرُ

Through you we checked the days in their excesses,

for their oppression and arrogance had troubled us.

وعُذْنا بذاك المجْدِ فانْصَرَم الرّدى

ولُذْنا بذاكَ العزْمِ فانهزَمَ الذّعْرُ

We sought refuge in that glory, and death withdrew;

we sheltered in that resolve, and terror fled.

ولمّا أتيْنا البحْرَ يُرْهِبُ موْجُهُ

ذكَرْنا نَداكَ الغَمْرَ فاحْتُقِرَ البحْرُ

When we came to the sea, whose waves were frightening,

we recalled your boundless bounty, and the sea seemed small.

خلافَتُك العُظْمى ومَنْ لم يدِنْ بِه

فإيمانُهُ لغْوٌ وعِرْفانُهُ نُكْرُ

Your caliphate is supreme; whoever does not submit to it,

his faith is empty talk, and his knowledge ignorance.

ووَصْفُكَ يهْدي المَدْحَ قصْدَ ثَوابِهِ

إذا ضلّ في أوْصافِ مَنْ دونَكَ الشِّعْرُ

Describing you guides praise straight toward its reward,

when poetry goes astray describing those beneath you.

دعَتْكَ قُلوبُ المؤمِنينَ وأخْلَصَتْ

وقد طابَ منْها السّرُّ للهِ والجَهْرُ

The hearts of the believers called for you in sincerity,

their inward and outward devotion alike pure before God.

ومُدّتْ إلى اللهِ الأكُفُّ ضَراعَةً

فقال لهنّ اللهُ قد قُضيَ الأمْرُ

Hands were stretched toward God in supplication,

and God said to them: 'The matter is settled.'

وألْبَسَها النّعْمى ببَيْعَتِكَ التي

لَها الطّائِرُ المَيْمونُ والمحْتِدُ الحُرُّ

He clothed them in blessing through allegiance to you, which

has an auspicious omen and a noble origin.

فأصْبَحَ ثغْرُ الثّغرِ يَبسِمُ ضاحِكاً

وقد كانَ ممّا نابَهُ ليسَ يفْتَرُّ

So the frontier's mouth began to smile and laugh,

though what had befallen it had kept it from smiling.

وأمّنْتَ بالسَّلْمِ البِلادَ وأهْلَها

فلا ظُبَةٌ تُعْرى ولا روْعَةٌ تعْرو

Through peace you made the lands and their people secure,

so no blade is bared, nor any terror strikes.

وقد كانَ موْلانا أبوكَ مصَرِّحاً

بأنّكَ في أبنائِهِ الولَدُ البَرُّ

Our lord, your father, had openly declared

that among his sons you were the dutiful child.

وكُنْتَ خَليقاً بالإمارَةِ بعْدَهُ

على الفوْرِ لكِنْ كلُّ شيْءٍ لهُ قَدْرُ

You deserved the rulership after him

at once, but everything has its appointed measure.

وأوْحَشْتَ منْ دارِ الخِلافةِ هالَةً

أقامَتْ زَماناً لا يَلوحُ بها البدْرُ

You left the house of the caliphate a lonely halo,

which lingered long with no full moon shining within it.

فردَّ عليْكَ اللهُ حقَّكَ إذْ قضى

بأنْ تشْمَلَ النّعْمى وينْسَدِلَ السّتْرُ

God restored your right to you when He decreed

that blessings should embrace all and the veil descend.

وقادوا إليْكَ المُلْكَ رِفْقاً بخَلْقِهِ

وقد عدِموا رُكْنَ الإمامةِ واضْطَرّوا

They brought the kingship to you in kindness to His creatures,

having lost the pillar of leadership and been driven to necessity.

وزادَكَ بالتّمحيصِ عِزّاً ورِفْعَةً

وأجْراً ولوْلا السّبْكُ ما عُرِفَ التِّبْرُ

Through trial He increased your honor and elevation,

and reward—without smelting, raw gold would not be known.

وأنت الذي تدْعى إذا دهَمَ الرّدى

وأنتَ الذي تُرْجى إذا أخْلَفَ القَطْرُ

You are the one called upon when death descends,

and the one hoped for when the rains fail.

وأنتَ إذا جارَ الزّمانُ محكَّمٌ

لكَ النّقْضُ والإبْرامُ والنّهيُ والأمْرُ

When Time acts unjustly, you are the appointed arbiter;

yours are annulment and confirmation, prohibition and command.

وهَذا ابْنُ نصْرٍ قد أتى وجَناحُهُ

مَهيضٌ ومنْ عُلْياكَ يُلْتَمَسُ الجَبْرُ

Here is Ibn Naṣr, who has come with his wing

broken; from your highness its mending is sought.

غريبٌ يرجّي منْكَ ما أنتَ أهْلُهُ

فإنْ كنتَ تبْغي الفخْرَ قد جاءَكَ الفخْرُ

A stranger, he hopes from you for what you are worthy to give;

if you seek glory, glory has come to you.

ففُزْ يا أميرَ المؤمنينَ ببَيْعَةٍ

موثّقَةٍ قد حلّ عُرْوَتَها الغَدْرُ

Win, Commander of the Faithful, a pledge of allegiance,

firmly bound, whose knot treachery has undone.

ومثلُكَ مَنْ يرْعى الدّخيلَ ومَنْ دَعا

بِيا لمَرينٍ جاءَهُ العِزُّ والنّصْرُ

One such as you protects the refugee, and whoever cries

'O Marīn, help!' receives honor and victory.

وخُذْ يا إمامَ الحقِّ بالحقِّ ثأرَهُ

فَفي ضِمْنِ ما تأتي بهِ العِزُّ والأجْرُ

Take rightful vengeance for him, Imam of truth;

in what you undertake lie honor and reward.

وأنتَ لها يا ناصِرَ الحقِّ فلْتَقُمْ

بحقٍّ فَما زَيْدٌ يرَجّى ولا عَمْرو

You are equal to it, defender of truth; arise

for justice—neither Zayd nor ʿAmr is looked to.

فإنْ قيلَ مالٌ مالُكَ الدّهْر وافِرٌ

وإنْ قيلَ جيْشٌ عنْدَكَ العسْكَرُ المَجْرُ

If wealth is asked for, your wealth is ever plentiful;

if an army is asked for, you have a vast host.

يُكَفّ بكَ العادي ويُحْيَ بكَ الهُدى

ويَبْني بكَ الإسْلامُ ما هَدَمَ الكُفْرُ

Through you the aggressor is restrained and true guidance revived,

and through you Islam rebuilds what unbelief destroyed.

أعِدْهُ الى أوْطانِهِ عنْكَ راضِياً

وطوِّقْهُ نُعْماكَ التي مالَها حصْرُ

Return him to his homeland pleased with you,

and encircle him with your boundless blessings.

وعاجِلْ قُلوبَ النّاسِ فيهِ بجَبْرِها

فقدْ صدّهُمْ عنْهُ التغَلّبُ والقَهْرُ

Hasten to mend the people's hearts concerning him,

for usurpation and coercion have kept them from him.

وهُمْ يرْقُبون الفِعْلَ منْكَ وصَفْقَةً

تُحاولُها يُمْناكَ ما بعْدَها خُسْرُ

They await action from you, and a bargain

your right hand undertakes, after which there is no loss.

مَرامُكَ سهْلٌ لا يَؤودُكَ كُلْفَةً

سِوى عرَضٍ ما إنْ لهُ في العُلا خطَرُ

Your aim is easy and will impose no burdensome cost on you,

save worldly goods of no weight in the pursuit of greatness.

وما العُمْرُ إلا زينَةٌ مُستَعارَةٌ

تُرَدُّ ولكنّ الثّناءَ هوَ الُعمْرُ

Life is only a borrowed adornment,

to be returned; praise, however, is true life.

ومَنْ باعَ ما يَفْنى بباقٍ مُخَلَّدٍ

فقدْ أنْجَحَ المسْعى وقد ربحَ التّجْرُ

Whoever sells what perishes for something enduring and immortal

has made his endeavor succeed and profited in the trade.

ومن دونِ ما تَبْغيهِ يا ملِكَ العُلا

جيادُ المَذاكي والمحجَّلَةُ الغُرُّ

Before the goal you seek, king of glory, stand

noble, full-grown steeds, white-stockinged and white-blazed:

وِرادٌ وشُقْرٌ واضِحاتٌ شِياتُها

فأجْسامُها تِبْرٌ وأرْجُلُها دُرُّ

bays and chestnuts, their markings distinct,

their bodies gold and their legs pearls;

وشُهْبٌ إذا ما ضُمِّرَتْ يوْمَ غارَةٍ

مطَهّمةٌ غارَتْ بها الأنْجُمُ الزُّهْرُ

and gray steeds, when trained lean for a day of raiding,

finely formed, before which the bright stars set;

وأسْدُ رِجالٍ منْ مَرينٍ مُخيفَةٌ

عَمائِمُها بيضٌ وآسالُها سُمْرُ

and fearsome lion-men of Marīn,

their turbans white and their spears brown;

علَيْها منَ الماذي كلَّ مُفاضَةٍ

تَدافَعَ في أعْطافِها اللّجَجُ الخُضْرُ

upon them every flowing coat of fine steel mail,

within whose folds green waves surge.

همُ القوْمُ إنْ هبّوا لكَشْفِ مُلمّةٍ

فَلا المُلْتَقى صَعْبٌ ولا المُرْتَقى وَعْرُ

These are the men who, if they rise to lift a calamity,

find no encounter hard, no ascent rugged.

إذا سُئِلُوا أَعْطَوْا وإنْ نوزِعوا سَطَوْا

وإنْ واعَدوا وَفَوْا وإنْ عاهَدوْا برّوا

If asked, they give; if challenged, they strike;

if they promise, they fulfill; if they pledge, they keep faith.

وإنْ مُدِحوا اهْتَزّوا ارْتِياحاً كأنّهم

نَشاوَى تمشّتْ في مَفاصِلِهِمْ خَمْرُ

If praised, they sway with delight, as though

drunkards with wine coursing through their joints.

وإنْ سَمِعوا العَوْراءَ فرّوا بأنْفُسٍ

حَرامٌ على هاماتِها في الوَغى الفَرُّ

If they hear foul speech, they flee, though theirs are souls

for whose heads flight in battle is forbidden.

وتَبْسِمُ ما بيْنَ الوَشيجِ ثُغورُهُمْ

وما بيْنَ قُضْبِ الدّوْحِ يبْتَسِمُ الزّهْرُ

Their mouths smile amid the interlaced spears,

and amid the great trees' branches flowers smile.

أمَوْلايَ غاضَتْ فكْرَتي وتبلّدَتْ

طِباعي فلا طَبْعٌ يُعينُ ولا فِكْرُ

My lord, my thought has ebbed, and grown dull are

my faculties; neither talent nor thought lends aid.

ولوْلا حَنانٌ منْكَ دارَكْتَني بهِ

وأحْيَيْتَني لمْ تَبْقَ عيْنٌ ولا أثَرُ

Were it not for a kindness from you, with which you reached me

and revived me, neither living presence nor trace would remain.

فأوْجَدْتَ منّي فائِتاً أيَّ فائِتٍ

وأنْشَرْتَ ميْتاً ضمّ أشْلاءَهُ قَبْرُ

You brought back in me one lost—how utterly lost!—

and resurrected a dead man whose limbs a grave had enclosed.

بدأْتَ بفَضْلٍ لمْ أكُنْ لعَظيمِهِ

بأهْلٍ فحلّ اللُّطْفُ وانفرَجَ الحَصْرُ

You began with a favor whose greatness I was not

worthy of; kindness descended, and distress eased.

وطوّقْتَني النّعْمى المُضاعَفةَ التي

يقِلُّ علَيْها الحمْدُ منّيَ والشُّكْرُ

You encircled me with multiplied blessings, for which

my praise and gratitude fall short.

وأنتَ بتَتْميمِ الصّنائِعِ كافِلٌ

الى أن يعودَ الجاهُ والعِزُّ والوَفْرُ

You pledge to bring your benefactions to completion,

until rank, honor, and abundance return.

جَزاكَ الذي سَنّى مقامَكَ عِصْمَةً

يُفَكُّ بِها عانٍ ويُنْعَشُ مُضْطَرُّ

May He who raised your station as a refuge reward you,

through which a captive is freed and one in distress revived.

إذا نحْنُ أثْنَيْنا عليْكَ بمِدْحَةٍ

فهيْهاتَ يُحْصى الرّمْلُ أو يُحْصَرُ القَطْرُ

When we praise you with a panegyric,

how far beyond reach to count the sand or number the raindrops!

ولكنّنا نأتي بِما نسْتَطيعُهُ

ومَنْ بذَلَ المَجْهودَ حُقّ لهُ العُذْرُ

Yet we offer what we can,

and whoever gives his utmost deserves to be excused.