يا نجعة الوزراء والنواب — Ibn Alkhatib

يَا نُجْعَةَ الْوُزَرَاءِ وَالنُّوَّابِ

وَالْمَلْهَمُ الْمَهِديُّ لِكُلِّ صَوَابِ

O haven of viziers and deputies,

and inspired one, guided to every right course,

وَابْنَ الْمَجَادَةِ وَالسِّيَادَةِ وَالتُّقى

وَالْفَضْلِ وَالأَنْسَابِ وَالأَحْسَابِ

and son of nobility, lordship, and piety,

of excellence, noble lineages, and ancestral honors!

وَمَنِ الَّذِي أَيَّامُهُ مَذْكُورَةٌ

وَسُعُودُهُ مَوْصُولَةُ الأَسْبَابِ

And you whose days are remembered,

whose good fortunes are linked in an unbroken chain,

مَنْصُوَر دَوْلَةِ آلِ عَبْدِ الْحَقِّ ذَا الْ

أَثَرِ الْغَرِيبِ لُبَابَ كُلِّ لُبَابِ

Mansur of the dynasty of the house of Abd al-Haqq, possessor of

wondrous deeds, quintessence of every quintessence!

سَيْفُ السَّعِيدِ وَكَافِلَ الأَمْرِ الَّذِي

قَدْ نَابَ عَنْ مَوْلاَهُ خَيْرَ مَنَابِ

Sword of al-Sa'id and steward of rule, who

has served in his lord's stead as the finest deputy.

قَدْ كُنْتَ تُذْخَرُ لِلأَمُورِ وَتُرْتَجَى

لِلْمُعْضِلاتِ وَأَنْتَ فِي الْكُتَّابِ

You were held in reserve for great affairs and looked to

for difficult trials, even while you were in school.

وَيُقَالُ هَذَا كَافِلٌ لِخِلاَفَةٍ

تَخْتَالُ لِلْبَرَكَاتِ فِي جلْبَابِ

And it was said: 'This is a guardian of a caliphate

that walks proudly in a cloak of blessings.'

بُشْرَى أَتَتْ مِثْلَ الصَّبَاحِ لِنَاظرِ

لَمْ تُعْزَ نِسْبَتُهَا إِلَى كَذَّابِ

Glad tidings came like morning to the beholder;

their origin was never ascribed to a liar.

وَوُعُودُهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَا مُسْتَمْنَحٌ

إِنْجَازُهَا مِنْ مُنْعِمٍ وَهَّابِ

And for their promises thereafter, the gift sought was

their fulfillment from a gracious, lavish giver.

اللهُ حَسْبُكَ يَا أَبَا يَحْيَ فَقَدْ

أَحيَيْتَ رَسْمَ الْمَجْدِ بَعْدَ ذَهَابِ

God suffices you, O Abu Yahya, for you have

revived the traces of glory after their disappearance.

أَنْصَفَتَ جَيْشَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَمَا الْقَنَا

صَعْبَ الْمَهَزِّ وَمَا الْحُسَامُ بِنَابِي

You dealt justly with the Muslim army, so the spears are not

hard to wield, nor does the sword fail to cut.

وَأَعَدْتَ سَكَّتَهُمْ كَأَنَّ وُجُوهَهَا

زَهْرُ الرِّيَاضِ رَبَتْ بِصَوْبِ رَبَابِ

You restored their coinage, whose faces seem

like garden flowers grown lush under showers from clouds.

وَجَبَيْتَ مَالَ اللهِ وَاسْتَخْلَصْتَهُ

مِنْ بَيْنَ ظُفْر لِلسِّيَاعِ وَنَابِ

You collected God's wealth and wrested it free

from between the claw and fang of waste.

وَخَلَفْتَ مَوْلَى الْخَلْقِ خَيْرَ خلاَفَةٍ

تُرْضِيهِ فِي الأَعْدَاءِ وَالأَحْبَابِ

You succeeded the people's lord with the finest stewardship,

pleasing him in your dealings with enemies and friends.

وَرَعَيْتَهُ بَعْدَ الْمَمَاتِ كَأَنَّهُ

رَهْنُ الْحَيَاةِ يَرَاكَ خَلْفَ حِجَابِ

You cared for him after death as though he were

still in life's keeping, seeing you from behind a veil.

هَذَا الْوَفَاءُ يَقِلُّ مَا حُدِّثْتَهُ

مِنْ مُقْتَضٍ لِلنَّفْيِ وَالإِيجَابِ

This is loyalty; all you have been told amounts to little,

of grounds for negation and affirmation.

فَالْعَدْلُ يُحْكِمُ فِي الْوَرَى قِسْطَاسَهُ

وَالأَمْنُ ظِلٌّ وَافِرُ الإِطْنَابِ

Thus justice sets its scales true among mankind,

and safety is a shade of ample reach.

وَالدَّهْرُ بَعْدَ مَشِيبهِ بِكَ لاَبِسٌ

مَا شِئْتَهُ مِنْ عُنْفُوَانِ شَبَابِ

And Time, after going gray, wears through you

whatever you wish of the vigor of youth.

جَعَلَ الإِلاَهُ عَلَى كَمَالِكَ عُوذَةً

مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ فِي جِيئَةٍ وَذَهَابِ

God has set a protective charm upon your perfection,

from remembrance of Him, in coming and going.

يَهْنِيكَ مَا أولاكَ مِنْ ألْطَافِهِ

فِي خَلْقِهِ تَجْرِي بِغَيْرِ حسَابِ

May what He bestowed on you of His favors bring you joy,

flowing among His creatures without reckoning.

غَلَبَ الظُّنُونَ الرَّوْعُ أَوَّلَ وَهلَةٍ

فَقَضَى بِسَعْدِكَ غَالِبُ الْغلاَّبِ

Fear overcame conjecture at the very first instant;

then the Vanquisher of conquerors decreed your good fortune.

وَأَهَلَّ مُحْتَبسُ الْغَمَامِ بِجُمْلَةِ ال

رُّحْمَى بِفَضْلِ مُتَمِّمِ الآرَابِ

And the clouds' withheld rain poured forth with all

mercy, through the grace of the Fulfiller of desires.

لَطْفٌ يَدُلُّ عَلَى الْعِنَايَةِ وَالرِّضَى

فَكَأَنَّهُ الْعُنْوَانُ فَوْقَ كِتَابِ

A kindness that bespeaks care and favor,

as though it were the title upon a book.

وَمَقَاصِدٌ شَكَرَ الإِلاَهُ ضَمِيرَهَا

وَدُعَاءُ مَسْمُوعِ الدُّعَاءِ مُجَابِ

And purposes whose inward intent God rewarded,

and a prayer of one whose prayers are heard and answered.

وَوَسَائِلٌ خَلَصَتْ لِمَنْ رَحَمَاتُهُ

لِلْقَاصِديِنَ رَحيبَةُ الأَبْوَابِ

And means of approach devoted solely to Him whose mercies

have wide gates for those who seek Him.

أَنْتَ الْوَزِيرُ ابْنُ الْوَزيرٍ حَقِيقَةً

إِرْثٌ أَصِيلُ الْحَقِّ فِي الأَحْقَابِ

You are truly the vizier, son of the vizier:

an inheritance whose rightful claim is rooted through the ages.

وَأَبُوكَ مَوْقِفُهُ أَنَا شَاهَدْتُهُ

فَسَلِ الْمُحِقَّ فَلَيْسَ كَالْمُرْتَابِ

And your father—I myself witnessed his stand;

so ask the truthful man, for he is not like one in doubt.

صَدَقَ الإِلاَهَ وَبَاعَ مِنْهُ نَفْسَهُ

فَجَزَاهُ بِالزُّلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبِ

He was true to God and sold Him his soul;

so He rewarded him with nearness and a good return.

مَنْ لِلطَّعَامِ وَلِلطَّعَانِ وَللِتُّقَى

إلاَّكَ أَوْ لِلْحَرْبِ وَالْمِحْرَابِ

Who is there for food, for spear-thrusts, and for piety,

except you—or for battle and the prayer niche?

تُهدي الأسِنَّة للكتائب هاديا

بِسَنا الهدى من سُنَّةٍ وكتاب

You offer spearheads to the battalions, guiding them

by the radiance of guidance from the Sunna and the Book.

لَمْ يُعْطِ مَا أَعْطَيْتَ مُعْطٍ قَبْلَهَا

مِنْ صَامِتِ بُرٍّ وَمِنْ أَثْوَابِ

No giver before this gave what you have given,

in wheat, that silent wealth, and in garments.

تَسْتَعْبِدُ الأَحْرَارَ بَيْنَ تَحِيَّةٍ

مَبْرُورَةٍ وَتَوَاضُعٍ وَثَوَابِ

You win free men into servitude through a greeting

kindly offered, humility, and reward.

وَتُمَهِّدُ الْمُلْكَ الَّذِي بِكَ جَاوَزَتْ

أَسْيَافُ عَزْمَتِهِ تُخُومَ الزَّابِ

You consolidate the kingdom that, through you, has carried

the swords of its resolve beyond the borders of the Zab.

دَامَتْ سُعُودُكَ مَا تَأَلَّقَ بَارِقٌ

وَبَدَا بِأَفْقِ الشَّرْقِ ضَوْءُ شِهَابِ

May your good fortunes endure as long as lightning flashes

and a meteor's light appears on the eastern horizon.

وَحَلَلْتَ مِنْ كَنَفِ الإْلاَهِ وَسِتْرِهِ

أَبَدَ الَلَّيَالِي فِي أَعَزِّ جَنَابِ

May you dwell within God's protection and shelter,

through endless nights, in the most honored sanctuary,

حَتَّى يَكُونَ اسْمُ السَّعِيدِ مُضَمَّناً

فِي كُلِّ مِنْبَر خُطْبَةِ وَخطَابِ

until the name of al-Sa'id is included

in every pulpit's sermon and address,

وَتَقَرُّ عَيْنُ عَلاَكَ مِنْهُ بِوَارِثٍ

بَهَرَتْ حُلاَهُ نُهَى أَولى الأَلْبَابِ

and the eye of your eminence finds joy in an heir of his,

whose virtues dazzle the minds of the discerning.

مِنْ عِزِّهِ تَرْوِي الْعُلَى عَنْ مَالِكِ

أَوْ فِطْنَةٍ تَرْوي عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابِ

Greatness recounts his might on Malik's authority,

or recounts his discernment on Ibn Shihab's authority.

مَنْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ حُسَامَهُ فَالنَّصْرُ سَا

رَ أَمَامَهُ حِزْباً مِنَ الأَحْزَابِ

Whoever has you as his sword, victory marches

before him, a host among the hosts.

إِنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ لِي جُودُ كَفِّكَ حَاجةً

أَسْمُو لَهَا بِشَفَاعَةِ الآدَابِ

Even if the generosity of your hand has left me no need

to which I might aspire through the intercession of letters,

لَكِنَّنِي أَثْنِي عَلَيْكَ بِوَاجِبِ

شُكْرَ الرِّيَاضِ الدَّائِمِ التَّسْكَابِ

yet I praise you with the due

gratitude of gardens for unceasing rain.

وَأَخَلِّدُ الذِّكْرَ الْجَمِيلَ وَأَنْثُرُ الْ

فَخْرَ الأَصِيلَ مُصَاحِبَ الأَحْقَابِ

And I immortalize fair remembrance and proclaim

deep-rooted glory, to accompany the ages.

وَفَضَائِلُ الْفُضَلاَءِ يَذْهَبُ رَسْمُهَا

مَا لَمْ تُشَدْ بَصَحَائِفِ الْكُتَّابِ

And the virtues of the virtuous lose their trace

unless celebrated in the pages of writers.

فَهيَ الَّتِي تُرْوَى عَلَى بُعْدِ الْمَدَى

وَتُشَدُّ فَوْقَ رَوَاحِلِ الأَقْتَابِ

For they are recounted even across distant reaches,

and strapped atop saddle-bearing camels.

وَاللهُ غَايَةُ كُلِّ طَالِبِ غَايَةٍ

وَسِوَاهُ فِي التَّحْقِيقِ لَمْعُ سَرَابِ

God is the goal of every seeker of a goal,

and all else, in truth, is a mirage's gleam.

فَعَلَيْهِ عَوِّلْ فِي أَمُورِكَ وَاعْتَمِدْ

تَنَلِ الْمُنَى وَتَفُزْ بِكُلِّ طِلاَبِ

So rely on Him in your affairs, and trust in Him:

you will attain your wishes and succeed in every quest.