قفا فاسألا في ساحة الأجرع الفرد — Ibn Alkhatib

قِفا فاسْأَلا في ساحَةِ الأجْرَعِ الفَرْدِ

مَعالِمَ محّتْها الغَمائِمُ منْ بَعْدي

Halt, you two, and question, in the grounds of the solitary sandy rise,

the traces the clouds have erased since my departure.

وجرّتْ علَيْها الرّامِساتُ ذُيولَها

على أنّها تزْدادُ طِيباً على البُعْدِ

The effacing winds dragged their skirts across them,

although they grow sweeter with distance.

وعُوجا علَيْها فاسْأَلا عنْ أنيسِها

وإنْ كانَ تسْآلُ المَعالِمِ لا يُجْدي

Turn aside toward them, you two, and ask after their companion,

even though questioning the traces avails nothing.

ولكنّها نَفْسٌ تَجيشُ ونَفْثَةٌ

تُروِّحُ منْ بَثٍّ وتُطْفِئُ منْ وَجْدِ

But it is a soul in turmoil, and a sigh

that relieves anguish and quenches yearning.

مَرابِعُ أُلاّفِي وعهْدُ أحِبّتي

سَقى اللهُ ذاكَ العَهْدَ مُنْسَكِبَ العِهْدِ

My companions' spring abodes, and my loved ones' days—

may God water that bygone time with pouring, recurrent rain,

وجادَ بِها منْ جودِ كفِّ محمّدٍ

مُلِثٌّ هَمولٌ دونَ بَرْقٍ ولا رَعْدِ

and may there fall upon them, from Muhammad's generous hand,

a ceaseless downpour, without lightning or thunder.

وإنّ أحَقَّ الغيْثِ أنْ يَرْوِيَ الثّرَى

لَغَيْثٌ زكيٌّ صابَ منْ مَنْشإِ المجْدِ

For the rain most worthy to water the soil

is surely pure rain that fell from the source of glory.

إمامُ هُدىً منْ آلِ سَعْدٍ نِجارُهُ

ونَصْرُ الهُدى ميراثُهُ لبَني سعْدِ

A leader of guidance, whose lineage is from the house of Sa'd,

and championing guidance is his legacy to the sons of Sa'd.

غَمامُ نَدىً جادَ البِلادَ فأصْبَحَتْ

تُجرِّرُ ذيْلَ الخصْبِ والعِيشةِ الرّغْدِ

A cloud of bounty showered the lands, and they began

to trail the hem of plenty and a life of ease.

وفرْعٍ زدكيٍّ منْ أصولٍ كريمَةٍ

حَباها كما قُدَّ الشِّراكُ منَ الِجلْدِ

And a pure branch [uncertain reading] from noble roots,

he endowed them, as a sandal thong is cut from hide.

فتُلْحَظُ منْ أنْوارِهِ سورَةُ الضُّحى

وتُحْفَظُ منْ آثارِهِ سورَةُ الحَمْدِ

Thus in his radiance one glimpses the Surah of Morning Brightness,

and from his deeds one learns by heart the Surah of Praise.

منَ النَّفَرِ الوضّاحِ والسّادَةِ الأُلى

يُغيثونَ في الجُلّى ويوفونَ بالعَهْدِ

One of the radiant company and the lords who

bring relief in great calamity and keep their covenant.

محمّدُ قد أحْيَيْتَ دينَ محمّدٍ

وأنْجَزْتَ من نصْرِ الهُدَى سابِقَ الوَعْدِ

Muhammad, you have revived the faith of Muhammad,

and fulfilled the earlier promise of victory for guidance.

طَلَعْتَ على الدُّنْيا بأيْمَنِ غُرّةٍ

أضاءَ بها نورُ السّعادَةِ في المَهْدِ

You rose upon the world with the most auspicious brow,

through which the light of good fortune shone in the cradle.

وكمْ رصَدَتْ منّا العُيونُ طُلوعَها

فحُقِّقَ نصْرُ اللهِ في ذلِكَ الرّصْدِ

How often our eyes watched for its rising,

and God's victory was realized in that vigil.

هَنيئاً لمُلْكٍ فاتَحَتْكَ سُعودُهُ

وعِزٍّ على الأيّامِ مُنْتَظِمِ العِقْدِ

Blessings on a kingdom whose auspicious stars greeted you,

and on glory whose necklace stays strung through the days,

وعُقْدَةِ مُلْكٍ كانَ ربُّكَ كالِئاً

لَها وأصيلُ السّعْدِ يُغْني عنِ النّقْدِ

and on a bond of kingship: your Lord has been a guardian

over it; and genuine good fortune needs no assay.

جمَعْتَ بِها الأهْواءَ بعْدَ افتِراقِها

فقَدْ كانَ فيها الضِّدُّ يأنَسُ بالضِّدِّ

Through it you united wills after their division,

for within it even opposites found fellowship with one another.

أمَوْلايَ هَذا الأمْرُ جِدٌّ وإنّما

يَليقُ بِه مَنْ عامَلَ الجِدَّ بالجِدِّ

O my lord, this charge is serious, and only

one who meets seriousness with seriousness is fit for it.

ودونَكَها منْ ناصِحِ الجيْبِ مُخْلِصٍ

وصيّةَ صِدْقٍ أعْرَبَتْ لكَ عنْ وُدِّ

And take this from one sincere of heart and devoted:

a truthful counsel that has spoken to you of affection.

أفِضْ في الرّعايا العَدْلَ تحْظُ بحُبِّها

وحَكِّمْ علَيْها الحَقَّ في الحَلِّ والعَقْدِ

Spread justice among your subjects, and you will win their love,

and let right govern them in loosening and binding.

وما منْ يَدٍ إلا يَدُ اللهِ فوقَها

ومنْ شِيَمِ الموْلَى التّلطُّفُ بالعَبْدِ

There is no hand but God's hand is above it,

and among a master's virtues is gentleness toward the servant.

فكُنْ لهُمْ عَيْناً على كلِّ حادِثٍ

وكُنْ فيهمُ سمْعاً لدَعْوَةِ مُسْتَعْدي

So be their eye over every event,

and among them be an ear for the plea of one seeking redress.

وأنْتَ ثِمالُ اللّهِ فابْسُطْ نَوالَهُ

إذا بسَطَ المُحْتاجُ راحةَ مُسْتَجْدي

And you are God's shelter, so extend His bounty

when the needy stretches out a supplicant's palm.

وأوْجِبْ لأرْبابِ السّوابِقِ حقَّها

ولا تمْنَعِ المعْروفَ مَنْ لكَ منْ جُنْدِ

And secure for those with past merits their due,

and do not withhold kindness from your soldiers.

همُ الحَدُّ في نحْرِ العدوِّ وهلْ تَرى

دِفاعاً لمَنْ يَلْقى العدوَّ بِلا حدِّ

They are the cutting edge at the enemy's throat; can you see

any defense for one who meets the enemy without an edge?

وشاوِرْ أولي الشّورى إذا عنّ مُعْضِلٌ

فمَنْ أعْملَ الشّورى فَما ضَلّ عنْ قَصْدِ

And consult the people of counsel when a hard problem arises,

for whoever employs consultation does not stray from the right course.

وكُنْ بكِتابِ اللهِ تأتَمُّ دائِماً

هوَ الحقُّ والسّورُ المُبينُ الذي يَهْدي

And always follow the Book of God as your guide:

it is the truth and the manifest rampart that guides.

ألا لا يَرُعْ منّا الزّمانُ عِصابَةً

مؤكَّدَةَ الميثاقِ مرْهَفةَ الحدِّ

Lo, let time not terrify a band among us,

firm in covenant, keen of edge,

تُقابِلُ أمْرَ اللهِ بالبِشْرِ والرِّضى

وتلْقى الذي ترْضاهُ بالشُّكْرِ والحمْدِ

meeting God's decree with cheerfulness and contentment,

and receiving what it welcomes with gratitude and praise,

وتَخْلُفُ فيمَنْ خلّفَتْهُ مُلوكُها

برَعْي الذِّمامِ الحُرِّ والحِفْظِ للعَهْدِ

and taking charge of those its kings have left behind,

by honoring noble obligations and keeping the pledge.

وما هيَ إلا أنْفُسٌ مُسْتَعارةٌ

ولابدّ يوْماً للعَواريِّ منْ رَدِّ

And they are nothing but souls on loan,

and all things borrowed must one day be returned.

غَنينَا عنِ البحْرِ الذي غاضَ بالحَيا

وعنْ كوْكَبِ العَلْياء بالقَمَرِ السّعْدِ

With rain we no longer need the sea that ebbed,

nor the star of high glory, with the auspicious moon.

حياةٌ جَناها النّهْرُ منْ شجَرِ الرّدى

سَريعاً ووِجْدانٌ تكوّنَ عنْ فَقْدِ

Life the river harvested from the trees of death,

swiftly, and a gain born of loss.

وسَيْفانِ هَذا سَلَّهُ الدّهْرُ ماضِياً

صَقيلاً وهَذا رَدُّهُ الدّهْرُ في غِمْدِ

And two swords: this one Time drew, keen

and polished; that one Time returned to a sheath.

وقَتْ مُلْكَكَ المَحْروسَ منْ كُلِّ حادِثٍ

عِنايَةُ مَنْ يُغْني عن الآلِ والجُنْدِ

Your well-guarded kingdom was shielded from every calamity

by the care of Him who suffices in place of kin and troops.

ودونَكَها منْ بحْرِ فِكري جَواهِراً

تُقلَّدُ في نَحْرٍ وتُنْظَمُ في عِقْدِ

And take them—jewels from the sea of my thought—

worn upon a throat and strung into a necklace.

رَكَضْتُ بِها خيْلَ البَديهَةِ جاهِداً

وأسْمَعْتُ آذانَ المَعاني على بُعْدي

For them I spurred the horses of improvisation, striving hard,

and made the ears of meanings hear, despite my distance.

فَجاءَتْ وفي ألْفاظِها لَفَفُ الكَرى

سِراعاً وفي أجْفانِها سِنَةُ السُّهْدِ

So they came, with slumber's tangles in their words,

swiftly, their eyelids drowsy with sleeplessness.

وإنّي وإنْ أطْنَبْتُ فيكَ لَقاصِرٌ

ومَنْ ذا يُطيقُ الرّمْلَ بالحَصْرِ والعَدِّ

And I, though I have spoken of you at length, still fall short,

and who can encompass the sand by tallying and counting?