قف بالركائب ساعة واستوقف — Ibn Farkoun

قف بالرّكائِبِ ساعةً واسْتوقِفِ

تحْظَ الرّكابُ ضُحىً بأشْرَفِ مَوْقفِ

Halt with the riding camels a while, and bid them halt;

the mounts will be favored, at midmorning, with the noblest stopping place.

وارْبَعْ بها دِمَناً ألِفْتُ بها الهَوى

أكْرِمْ بها من مرْبعٍ أو مألَفِ

And linger with them at old campsite traces where I came to know love—

how fine a dwelling or familiar haunt it is!

راقت مَحاسِنُها ورقّ نسيمُها

فالرّوضُ بيْنَ مؤرَّجٍ ومُفوَّفِ

Its beauties delighted, and its breeze grew gentle;

so the garden is both perfumed and striped with color.

تسْري الصَّبا بشذاهُ حين تُميلُهُ

فالقُضْبُ بينَ تعطُّرٍ وتعطُّفِ

The east wind wafts its fragrance as it bends it;

the boughs mingle fragrance with graceful swaying.

وافَى عَليلُ نسيمِها ثمّ انثَنى

والقلْبُ من ألَمِ الصبابةِ يخْتَفي

Its gentle breeze came, then turned away,

while the heart fades from the pain of ardent love.

لولا النُّحولُ وإنّهُ لمَزيّةٌ

لم ترْهَبِ الأبْطالُ حَدَّ المُرهَفِ

Were it not for slenderness—and it is surely a distinction—

heroes would not fear the sharpened blade's edge.

يا أهْلَ نجْدٍ هل لنا في حَيّكمْ

أو حُبّكمْ من مسْعِدٍ أو مُسْعِفِ

O people of Najd, is there for us in your encampment

or in your love a comforter or helper?

فإلى مَعاهِدِكمْ أطَلتُ تشوُّقي

وعلى عُهودِكُمُ قصَرتُ تشوُّفِي

Toward your familiar places I have prolonged my longing,

and to your pledges I have confined my expectant gaze.

هامَ الفُؤادُ بظَبْيةِ البانِ التي

منها اسْتفاد البانُ لِينَ المَعْطِفِ

My heart is love-distracted by the gazelle of the ban tree, who

taught the ban tree the suppleness of her figure.

لم يَثْنِها قوْلُ الوُشاةِ وإنما

ريحُ الصَّبا مالَتْ بغصْنٍ أهْيَفِ

The slanderers' words did not turn her away; it was only

the east wind that bent a slender bough.

وتبسَّمتْ بعقِيقِها عن لُؤلُؤٍ

شَفَةٌ شفَتْ وجْدي وإنْ لمْ تُرْشَفِ

And, with its carnelian, it smiled to reveal pearls—

a lip that healed my longing, though never sipped.

ولطالَما أذكَتْ جوىً بجوانِحي

فطَفِقْتُ بيْن تَلهّبٍ وتلطُّفِ

How often it kindled burning love within my ribs,

so I found myself between burning and tender pleading.

دعْ ما يَريبُ فإنّني أصْبحْتُ من

ريْبِ الحوادثِ تحتَ ظِلٍّ أوْرَفِ

Leave what causes doubt, for I now shelter from

the uncertainties of events beneath a broad-spreading shade.

حَكَمي ابْنُ نصْرٍ ناصرُ الدّين الرضا

إن لمْ يكُنْ حُكْمُ الزّمانِ بمُنْصِفِ

My arbiter is Ibn Nasr, defender of the faith, the well-pleasing,

if time's judgment should prove unjust.

حَسْبي من العَلياءِ أنّي عبْدُهُ

وكَفى به شرَفاً بذلك أكْتَفي

It is enough exaltation for me that I am his servant;

and he is honor enough; with that I am content.

وبأنّني في القوْمِ أوّل ناظِمٍ

فيه المَديحَ ترفُّعي وتشرُّفي

And being the first among his people to compose

praise of him is my elevation and my honor.

إيهٍ أعِدْ ذكْر المَعاهِدِ جادَها

عهْدُ الحَيا من دمْعيَ المُتوكِّفِ

Go on! Speak of those haunts again; may they be watered

by a spell of rain from my streaming tears.

وإذا رَوَيْت بها أحاديث الهَوى

فاصْرِفْ عِنانَ القوْل أحْسَنَ مَصْرِفِ

And when you recount there the tales of love,

turn the reins of speech toward the finest course.

خذْ عن فُؤادي حين صدّ به الجوى

وجداً يصحُّ حديثُهُ عن مُدْنَفِ

Take from my heart, when burning love turned it aside,

a passion whose true account comes from a lovesick man;

والهَدْيَ عن شُهُبِ الدجى عن بَدرِها

عن وجْهِ مولانا الخليفَةِ يوسُفِ

and guidance from the bright stars of night, from its full moon,

from the face of our lord, the caliph Yusuf.

للهِ آثارٌ لهُ ومآثِرٌ

للمُقْتَدي إن شئْتَ أو للمُقتَفي

God be praised for his deeds and noble achievements,

for any who would emulate him—or, if you wish, follow his tracks.

كمْ رغبَةٍ أو رهْبةٍ في سيفِه

أو سيْبِه للمُعتدي والمُعْتَفي

How much hope or fear lies in his sword

or his bounty, for the aggressor and the seeker of gifts!

لم أدْرِ ما عمَّ البسيطَةَ هلْ ندَى

كفّيْهِ أم صوْبُ الغَمامِ الوُكَّفِ

I do not know what covered the earth: was it the dew

of his two palms, or the downpour of streaming clouds?

مصْرُ البلادِ أفاضَ في أرْجائِها

نِيلَ الندى وجَلا الجَمالَ اليوسُفي

The Egypt of the lands—he poured throughout its reaches

the Nile of bounty and revealed Yusuf-like beauty.

وقْفٌ عليهِ الجود يُرسلُ جَوْدَهُ

فيعُمّ بينَ توقُّفٍ وتوكّفِ

Generosity is reserved for him; he sends forth his rain,

and it spreads everywhere between pauses and downpours.

ولقَدْ تَناهَى للمكارِمِ جمْعُهُ

فلذاكَ عن قصّادِه لمْ تُصْرفِ

His gathering of noble virtues has reached its utmost,

so none are withheld from his petitioners.

رفّتْ ظِلالُ الأمْنِ وانعطَفَتْ علَى

وطنِ الجهادِ برأفةٍ وتعطُّفِ

The shades of safety fluttered and bent over

the homeland of jihad with compassion and tenderness,

بمُبدّدٍ في الحرْبِ كُلَّ مُبدّلٍ

ومحرِّمٍ إبْقاءَ كُلِّ مُحرّفِ

through one who scatters every subverter in war

and forbids sparing any falsifier.

تأتي وفودُ الرّومِ تخْطُبُ سَلْمَهُ

فيكُفُّ كَفَّ القادِرِ المُتعفِّفِ

Delegations of the Rum come seeking peace with him,

and he holds back as one both powerful and restrained.

ووَلِيُّهُم يخشى فيُرْدِفُ رُسْلَهُ

إرْسالَ جيْشٍ بالملائِكِ مُرْدَفِ

Their ruler fears, so he sends his envoys after

the dispatch of an army reinforced by angels.

أعِدِ الجوابَ بها على ظمأٍ لَها

تنْقَعْ جَوى المُتَشوّقِ المُتشوّفِ

Repeat the answer concerning it, amid thirst for it;

you will quench the anguish of the yearning, expectant one.

واجْنَحْ إليْها منْعِماً مُتفضّلاً

لا زِلْتَ أكرمَ واهِبٍ متعطّفِ

And turn toward it, gracious and generous;

may you always remain the noblest giver, full of tenderness.

يا ناصرَ الإسلامِ والمَلكَ الذي

نالَ العُلا طوْعاً بغَيْرِ تكلّفِ

O defender of Islam, and king who

won high rank willingly, without strain,

أنْسَيْتَ أمْلاك الزّمان مَناقِباً

والشُهْبُ يُخْفيها الصّباحُ فتخْتَفي

you have eclipsed the age's kings in noble deeds—

and morning hides the stars, so they vanish.

فإذا نهيْتَ الدّهرَ أذْعنَ صاغِراً

وإذا أمرْتَ النّصْرَ لم يتوقّفِ

When you forbid time, it submits in humiliation,

and when you command victory, it does not delay.

وإذا أجَلْتَ الخيْلَ خلّفَتِ العِدَى

صرْعَى ونصْرُ اللهِ لم يتخلّفِ

When you set the horses wheeling, they leave the enemies

struck down, and God's victory does not fail to come.

وتشُقُّ أنهارُ الظُّبا روْضَ القَنا

عجَباً ونارُ حُروبها لا تنْطَفي

Rivers of blades cleave the garden of lances—

a marvel, while the fire of their wars never goes out!

يا أيُّها الملك الذي قصّادُهُ

وندَاهُ بيْنَ تفرُّقٍ وتألُّفِ

O king whose petitioners

and bounty move between dispersal and gathering,

بُشْرَى بأكْرَمِ وافِدٍ آباؤهُ

قِدْماً تَلافَوْا كُلَّ خطبٍ مُتْلِفِ

good tidings of the noblest newcomer, whose fathers

long ago averted every deadly calamity!

واهنأ بأسعدِ ناجِمٍ أنوارُه

يُجْلَى بها جنحُ الظّلامِ المُسْدِفِ

Rejoice in the most fortunate rising star, whose lights

dispel the wing of thickening darkness.

تُنْبي مَخائِلُهُ الكريمةُ أنّه

للجودِ يُنْجِزُ كلَّ وعْدٍ مُخْلَفِ

His noble signs foretell that he

will fulfill every unkept promise of generosity.

تقْضي مناسِبُهُ الشّريفةُ أنّهُ

بِسِوَى المكارِمِ والعُلَى لم يَكْلَفِ

His noble lineages declare that he

has loved nothing but noble deeds and high rank.

عُقِدتْ لهُ زُهْرُ النّجومِ تمائِماً

فتشرّفَتْ قبْل الحسامِ المَشْرَفي

The bright stars were strung as amulets for him,

and gained honor before the Mashrafi sword.

وقفَت تُعيذُ من العيون كمالَهُ

فكأنّهنّ نواظِرٌ لمْ تُطْرِفِ

They stood guarding his perfection against envious eyes,

as though they were eyes that never blinked.

وافَى فهنّأنا إماماً مُنْعِماً

لوْلاهُ عارِفَةُ النّدى لمْ تُعْرَفِ

He arrived, and we congratulated a generous imam,

without whom the favors of bounty would not be known.

ولقدْ لثِمناها يَميناً أمّنَتْ

وطناً مُناويهِ رَهينُ تخوُّفِ

And indeed we kissed it—a right hand that secured

a homeland whose foe is held hostage by fear.

وتهلَّلتْ دارُ الخِلافةِ عِندَما

حيّا به وجْهُ الزّمانِ المُسْعِفِ

The house of the caliphate beamed when

the face of kindly time greeted it through him.

وخوافقُ الأعْلامِ فيها قد حكَتْ

قلبَ العَدوّ المُلحِدِ المتخوِّفِ

The flags fluttering there have imitated

the heart of the impious, fearful enemy.

تهْفو على أفُقِ الهُدَى عذَباتُها

مثل الكريمِ يجُرُّ ذيْلَ المِطْرَفِ

Their streamers flutter over the horizon of guidance,

like a noble man trailing the hem of his bordered cloak.

واستَشْرفَتْ أوطانُها لوُرُودِه

ولكمْ بها لعُلاهُ من مسْتَشْرفِ

Their homelands looked expectantly for his arrival,

and how many there gaze eagerly toward his high rank!

ولراحتَيْهِ ارْتاحَ شوقاً ما بها

طوْعَ العُلى من ذابِلٍ أو مُرْهَفِ

For his two palms, all within them stirred with longing—

every slender lance or keen blade, obedient to high glory.

وانسابَ نهرُ الجُودِ في روْض المنَى

من تحتِ ظلٍّ للأمانِ مُسجَّفِ

The river of bounty flowed into the garden of wishes,

from beneath a curtained shade of safety.

ومَنابِرُ الدّين الحنيفِ زهتْ بهِ

زهْوَ الخِلافةِ بالإمام الأشرفِ

The pulpits of the upright faith exulted in him,

as the caliphate exults in the noblest imam.

وأسِرّةُ المُلْكِ العَزيز سرورُها

قد هزّ للإسلامِ أكْرمَ مَعطِفِ

The thrones of mighty kingship—their joy

has set Islam's noblest shoulder swaying.

وارتاحَتْ الخيلُ السّوابقُ وانثَنَتْ

تخْتالُ بين تشوّفٍ وتشرُّفِ

The fleet horses rejoiced and turned,

strutting between expectation and exaltation.

ولَسَوْفَ تُتْلِعُ كُلَّ جِيدٍ مُشْرِفٍ

في الرّوعِ يُرْدي كُلَّ باغٍ مُسْرفِ

Soon they will stretch out every towering neck

that, in battle's terror, fells every reckless aggressor.

ولسَوْفَ يُعلمُ أنّ نصر اللهِ قدْ

حيّا بوعدٍ منهُ غيْرَ مُسوّفِ

And it will surely be known that God's victory has

greeted him with a promise from Him, without delay.

فاسْعَدْ به لازلتَ تمنحُهُ الرِّضا

وتُريهِ من سُبُلِ الهُدَى ما يَقْتَفي

Rejoice in him; may you always grant him your favor

and show him the paths of guidance he should follow.

وإذا سَلِمْتَ فما أصيبَ بحادثٍ

جَلَلٍ ألمّ ولا بِحالِ تأسُّفِ

And if you remain safe, he suffers no calamity,

however grievous its onset, nor any state of sorrow.

أوَ ما وُجودُكَ للخلائِق عِصْمةٌ

تَقْضي لشَمْلِ وجودِهمْ بتألُّفِ

Is not your existence a protection for all creatures,

ensuring unity for the whole of their lives?

أوَ ما دوامُك من عِداهُمْ جُنّةٌ

تكفيهِمُ وبها المؤمّلُ يكْتَفي

Is not your continuance a shield against their enemies,

sufficient for them, in which the hopeful find sufficiency?

أوَ ما سُعودُك في لِقاهُمْ آيةٌ

تَشْفي وصدْرُ الدّين منهُمْ يَشْتَفي

Is not your good fortune, when meeting them, a sign

that heals, while faith's breast finds satisfaction against them?

موْلاي سمعاً لامتِداحِكَ إنّني

ولئن أطلتُ ببعضِ وصْفِك لمْ أفِ

My lord, lend an ear to your praise, for I—

though I speak at length on some of your qualities—fall short.

إن استِماعَك للمدائحِ طالَما

رقّى عبيدَك للمحلِّ الأشْرَفِ

Indeed, your listening to praises has so often

raised your servants to the noblest station.

أنا غَرْسُ نِعمَتِك الذي آدابُه

روضٌ أزاهِرُ مدْحِه لمْ تُقْطَفِ

I am a planting of your favor, whose literary arts

are a garden whose blossoms of praise remain unplucked.

صدَفُ الطُّروسِ يضُمُّ منهُ جَواهِراً

أفْكارُه عن نظمِها لمْ تَصْدِفِ

The shells of manuscript pages enclose jewels from him,

and his thoughts never turn away from stringing them.

موْلىً وعبْدٌ والنظامُ لآلئٌ

تَوِّجْ وطَوِّقْ كيفَ شِئْتَ وشَنِّفِ

A master and a servant; the verse is pearls:

adorn with crowns, necklaces, and earrings as you wish.

لازِلْتَ للأملاكِ وِجهةَ قصْدِها

فجميعُهُمْ يُبْدي اعتِرافَ المُنْصِفِ

May you always be the destination the kings seek,

for all of them offer a fair-minded acknowledgment.