لقد رام كتم الوجد يوم ارتحاله — Ibn Alkhatib

لَقَدْ رَامَ كَتْمَ الْوَجْدِ يَوْمَ ارْتِحَالِهِ

وَلَكِنَّ دَمْعَ الْعَيْنِ بَاحَ بِحَالِهِ

He sought to conceal his longing on the day of his departure,

But the eye's tears betrayed his condition.

فَجَادَ وَلَمْ يَمْلِكْ بَوَادِرَ عَبْرَةٍ

حَدَاهَا مَعَ الأظْعَانِ حَادِي جمَالِه

So he wept freely, unable to check a tear's first rush,

Urged on with the departing litters by his camels' driver.

أَخُو زَفْرَةٍ لاَ يَسْتَقِيمُ كَأنَّمَا

يَجُولُ فَرَاشُ الْفِكْرِ حَوْلَ ذُبالِهِ

A man of sighs, unable to stand straight, as though

The moths of thought were circling round his wick.

إِذَا حَنَّ لاَقَى دَمْعَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ

وَإِنْ أَنَّ حَامَى قَلْبَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ

When he yearned, he met his tears with his right hand;

And when he groaned, he shielded his heart with his left.

تَذَكَّرْتُ عَهْداً كَانَ أَحْلَى مِنَ الْكَرَى

وَأَقْصَرَ مِنْ إِلْمَامِ طَيْفِ خَيَالِهِ

I recalled a time sweeter than slumber,

And briefer than a visit from his dreamlike shade.

فَيَالَيْتَ شِعْرِي مَنْ أَتَاحَ لِيَ الْجَوَى

وَعَذَّبَ بَالِي هَلْ أَمُرَّ بِبَالِهِ

Ah, would I knew: the one who brought me love's anguish

And tormented my mind—do I ever cross his mind?

خَلِيلَيَّ هُبَّا فَازْجُرَاهَا وَعَرِّجَا

عَلَيْهَا بِكُثْبَانِ الْحِمَى وَرِمَالِهِ

My two companions, rise, urge her on, and turn aside

Toward her, by the sanctuary's dunes and sands.

وَإِنْ غَالَهَا حَرَّ الْهَجِيِرِ فَذَكَّرِا

غَضَارَةَ وَادِيهِ وَبَرْدَ ظِلاَلِهِ

And if the noonday heat overcomes her, remind her

Of its valley's lushness and the coolness of its shade.

وَقُولاَ لَهَا رَيّاً فَأَكْنَافُ رِيَّةٍ

مَأَمَّ نَوَانَا فَابْشِرِي بِاحْتِلاِلِه

And tell her, 'Drink your fill: the environs of Rayya

Are our journey's goal; rejoice in alighting there.

سَتَجْنيِنَ غَضَّ الْعَيْشِ مِنْ مَضَضِ السٌّرى

إذَا حُطَّ عَنْكِ الْكُورُ بَيْنَ حِلاَلِهِ

You shall reap life's freshness from the anguish of night travel,

When the camel saddle is taken off you among its encampments.'

وَتَأَتِي أمِيرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ خَوَامِسا

فَتَكْرَعُ مِنْ بَعْدِ النَّوى فِي نَوَالِهِ

And reach the Commander of the Muslims, thirsty for your fifth-day drink,

Then drink deep of his bounty after the long journey.

خَلِيفَةُ صِدْقٍ لَمْ يَجُدْ بِشَبِيهِهِ

زَمَانٌ وَلَمْ تَأَتِ الدٌّنَا بِمِثَالِهِ

A true caliph, whose like has never been bestowed

By time, nor has the world brought forth his equal.

يَرفٌّ إلَى الْعافِينَ لألاَءُ بِشرِهِ

كَمَا رَفَّ مَتْنُ الْعَضْبِ عِنْدَ صِقَالِهِ

The radiance of his cheerful face gleams upon those seeking bounty,

As the flat of a keen sword gleams when polished.

إذَا هَمَّ كَانَ الدَّهْرُ عَبْدَ مَقَامِهِ

وإنْ قَالَ كَانَ الْحَقَّ عِنْدَ مَقَالِهِ

When he resolves, Time becomes the servant of his station;

And when he speaks, truth attends his words.

مُجِيرُ مَنِ اسْتِعْدَاهُ قَبْلَ نِدَائِهِ

وَمُغْنِي مَنِ اسْتَجْدَاهُ قَبْلَ سُؤالِهِ

Protector of whoever seeks his redress, before he calls,

And enricher of whoever seeks his bounty, before he asks;

مُثِيِرُ رِيَاحِ الْعَزْمِ فِي حَوْمَةِ الْوَغَى

وَمُخْتَطِفُ الأبْطَالِ يَوْمَ نِزَالِهِ

Rouser of the winds of resolve in the thick of battle,

And snatcher of champions on the day he takes the field;

وَمُوقِدُ نَارِ الْعَدلِ فِي عَلَمِ الْهُدَى

وَمُطْفِئُ نَارِ الْبَغْيِ بَعْدَ اشْتِعَالِهِ

And kindler of justice's fire upon the beacon of guidance,

And quencher of oppression's fire after its kindling;

وَمُطْلِعُ شَمْسِ الْبِشْرِ فِي سُحُبِ النَّدَى

وَبَانِي مَعَالِيهِ وَهَادِم مَالِهِ

And raiser of the sun of cheerfulness amid clouds of bounty,

And builder of his high glory, destroyer of his wealth.

وللَّهِ مِنْ مَجْدٍ رَفِيعٍ عِمَادُهُ

تَبِيتُ النَّجُومُ الزَّهْرُ دُونَ مَنَالِهِ

God be praised for glory whose pillar is so lofty

That the bright stars spend the night unable to reach it.

وَأُقْسِمُ مَا رَوْضُ الرَّبَى عَقِبَ الْحَيَا

بِأعْطرَ عَرْفاً مِنْ ثَنَاءِ خِلاَلِهِ

And I swear, no hillside garden after rain

Is sweeter in scent than praise of his virtues.

أيوسف دُمْ للِدِّينِ تَحْمِي ذِمَارَهُ

وَتَجْنِي الأمَانِي تَحْتَ ظِلِّ ظلالِهِ

O Yusuf, live on for the faith, guarding its sacred charge,

And reaping hopes beneath its sheltering shades;

وَلِلْجُودِ تُهْمِي سَاجِماً مِنْ سَحَابِهِ

وَلِلْبَأَسِ تُذْكي جَاحِماً مِنْ نصَالِهِ

And for generosity, pouring torrents from its cloud,

And for valor, kindling a blaze from its blades.

حَثَثْتَ رِكَابَ الْعَزْمِ فِي خَيْرِ وِجْهَةٍ

أُتِيحَ بِهَا الإسْلاَمُ بَرْدَ اعْتِلاَلِهِ

You urged the mounts of resolve toward the best of destinations,

Where Islam was granted cool relief from its sickness.

نَشْرَتَ لِوَاءَ الدِّينِ حِينَ طَوَيْتَهاَ

مَرَاحِلَ غَزْوٍ مِنْكَ فِي نَصْرِ آلِهِ

You unfurled the banner of faith as you folded away

The stages of your campaign in support of its people.

إذَا جِئْتَ قُطْراً أوْ حَلَلْتَ بِمَرْبَعٍ

ثَوَى الأمْنُ والتَّمْهِيدُ بَيْنَ حِلاَلِهِ

When you enter a region or settle in a dwelling place,

Security and settled order dwell among its encampments.

وَصَابَ غَمَامُ الْجُودِ فَوْقَ بِطَاحِهِ

وَأشْرَقَ نُورُ الْهُدَى فَوْقَ جِباَلِهِ

The cloud of generosity rains upon its plains,

And guidance's light shines above its mountains.

كَأنَّكَ بَدْرٌ وَالْبِلاَدُ مَنَازِلٌ

إذَا جِئْتَ أُفْقاً رَاقَ نُورُ جَمَالِهِ

You are like a full moon, and the lands its stations;

Whenever you reach a horizon, its beautiful light enchants.

وَإنْ فُقْتَهُ بِالْحِلْمِ وَالْعِلْمِ وَالنَّدَى

وَشَارَكْتَهُ فِي نُورِهِ وَانْتِقَالِهِ

Yet you surpass it in forbearance, knowledge, and bounty,

While sharing its light and its passage from place to place.

فكَمْ بَيْنَ مَحْفُوظِ الْكَمَالِ مِنَ الرَّدَى

وَمُتَّصِفٍ بِالنَّقْصِ بَعْدَ كَمَالِهِ

How great the gulf between one whose perfection is guarded from ruin

And one marked by waning after reaching fullness!

وَلَمَّا أَرَحْتَ السَّيْرَ فِي قَصْرِ رية

بِعَزْمٍ تَضِقُ الأرْضُ دُونَ مَجَالِهِ

And when you rested from travel in the palace of Rayya,

With a resolve whose range the earth cannot contain,

رَأَى مِنْكَ بحر الماء بَحْراً مِنَ النَّدَى

فَوَاصَلَ مِنْهُ الْمَوْجُ لَثْمَ نِعَالِهِ

The sea of water saw in you a sea of bounty,

So its waves went on kissing his sandals.

زَجَرْتَ بِهَا الأسْطُولَ يَبْتَدِرُ الْعِدَى

وَيَمْضِي إِلَى مَا اعْتَادَهُ مِنْ فَعَالِهِ

There you urged the fleet to race against the foe,

And proceed to the deeds it had long made its habit,

بِكُلِّ خَفِيفٍ ذِي حَفِيفٍ مُطَاوِعٍ

مُثَارَ صَبَاهُ أوْ مَهَبَّ شَمَالِهِ

With every light, rustling vessel, obedient

To the stirring of its east wind or the blowing of its north wind.

فَلِلَّهِ عَيْناً مَنْ رَآهَا صَوَافِناً

أَفَاضَ عَلَيْهَا الْقَارُ سُحْمَ جِلاَلِهِ

God be praised—what a sight for whoever saw them poised like steeds,

Pitch having spread its black saddlecloths over them!

إذَا سَاعَدَتْهَا هَبَّةُ الَّريحِ أسْرَعَتْ

كَمَا انْسَابَ أيْمُ الَّروْضِ غِبّ انْسلاَلِهِ

When a gust of wind assisted them, they sped

As a meadow serpent glides after slipping out.

وَغرْبَانِ اثْبَاجٍ زَجَرتَ سَينِحَهَا

وَيَظْهَرُ نُجْحُ الأمْرِ فِي حُسْنِ فَالِهِ

And ravens of the swells, whose auspicious flight you read for omens;

Success in the undertaking shows in its favorable omen.

سَحَابٌ إذَا تَهْفُو بُرُوقُ صِفَاحِهِ

هَمَى عَارِضٌ جَهْمٌ بِوَدْقِ نِبَالِهِ

A cloud: when the lightning of its blades flickers,

A grim storm cloud pours down showers of its arrows.

وَغِيلُ لُيُوثٍ غَابُهُ مِنْ سِلاَحِهِ

وَآسَادُهُ يَوْمَ الْوغَى مِنْ رِجَالِهِ

And a lions' lair, whose forest is its weaponry,

And whose lions on the day of battle are its men.

وَرَوْضٍ سَقَاهُ النَّصْرُ صَوْبَ غَمَامِهِ

وَدَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ مُفْعَمَاتُ سِجَالِهِ

And a garden that Victory watered with its cloud's downpour,

While its brimming buckets passed over it in turn.

فأَغْصَانُهُ مُلْتَفَّةٌ مِنْ رِمَاحِهِ

وَأَوْرَاقُهُ مُخْضَرَّةٌ مِنْ نِصَالِهِ

Its intertwined branches are its lances,

And its green leaves are its blades.

جَوَارٍ غَذَاهَا الْغَزْوُ دَرَّ لِبَانِهِ

وَحَجَّبهَا الإسْلاَمُ تَحْتَ حِجَالِهِ

Maiden ships, whom warfare nourished with its flowing milk,

And Islam secluded beneath its bridal canopies,

هَوَافٍ إِلَى حَرْبِ الْعَدُوِّ وإِنَّمَا

وَثِقْنَ بِنَصْرِ الله يَوْمَ قِتَالِهِ

Hastening eagerly to war against the enemy; they only

Trusted in God's help on the day they fought him.

لِمُلْكِكَ عُقْبَى النَّصْر فارْقبْ طُلُوعَهَا

فَقَدْ آنَ لِْلإِسْلاَمِ آنُ اقْتِبَالِهِ

The final victory belongs to your kingdom: await its rising,

For Islam's hour of renewal has now arrived.

هُوَ اللهُ يُمْلِي للْعِدَى وَيَدُ الْهُدَى

بِبُرْهَانِهَا تَجْلُو ظَلاَمَ مُحَالِهِ

It is God who grants the foes respite, while the hand of guidance

With its proof dispels the darkness of the enemy's falsehood.

وَهَلْ يَسْتَوِي مُسْتَبْصِرٌ فِي يَقيِنِهِ

وَمُسْتَبْصِرٌ فِي غَيِّهِ وَضَلاَلِهِ

Are one who sees clearly in his certainty

And one who sees clearly in his error and delusion alike?

هَنِيئاً لَكَ الْعِيدُ السَّعِيدُ فإِنَّهُ

أَتَاكَ بِبُشْرَى الْفَتْحِ قَبْلَ أتِّصَالِهِ

Joy to you on the happy feast, for it

Has brought you glad tidings of conquest before its arrival.

طَوَى الْبُعْدُ عَنْ شَوْقٍ وَحَثَّ رِكَابَهُ

وَأوْشَكَ فِي مَغْنَاكَ حَطَّ رِحَالِهِ

It folded up the distance in longing and urged its mounts on,

And almost set down its baggage in your dwelling.

وَلَمَّا شَجاَهُ الُبُعْدُ عَنْكَ وَشَفَّهُ

تَبَدَّى نُحُولُ الشَّوْقِ فَوْقَ هِلاَلِهِ

And when distance from you saddened and wasted it,

Longing's thinness appeared upon its crescent.

وَلَوْلاَ اخْتِصَاصُ الشَّرْعِ يَوْماً بِعَيْنِهِ

وَأَنَّا نُوَفِّي الأَمْرَ حَقَّ امْتِثَالِهِ

Were it not that sacred law singles out one particular day,

And that we render the command its due obedience,

لَمَا امْتَازَ يَوْم الْعِيدِ مِنْ يَوْم غَيْرِهِ

فَذِكْرُكَ عِيدٌ كُلُّهُ فِي احْتِفَالِهِ

The feast day would not differ from any other day,

For mention of you is a feast, complete in its celebration.

وَدُونَكَهَا كَالرَّوْضِ عَاهَدَهُ الْحَيَا

وَجَرَّ عَلَيْهِ الْفَضْلُ ذَيْلَ اعْتِدَالِهِ

And here it is for you, like a garden tended by rain,

And over which excellence has trailed the hem of its harmony.

إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي السَّيْفِ مِنْ طِيبِ طَبْعِهِ

لَهُ صَيْقَلٌ لَمْ يُنْتَفَعْ بِصِقَالِهِ

If a sword does not, through the excellence of its temper,

Have a burnisher of its own, polishing it brings no benefit.