هي الديار فما تبدو بواديها — Ibn Farkoun

هيَ الديارُ فَما تبْدو بَوادِيها

إلا اهْتَدى كُلُّ هَيْمانٍ بِوادِيها

These are the abodes: no sooner do their outskirts appear

than every lovesick wanderer finds his way in their valley.

مَعاهِدٌ قُدِّسَتْ أرْضاً فقدْ ضمِنَتْ

رِفْداً لقاصِدِها وِرْداً لصادِيها

Haunts whose earth is hallowed, for they have guaranteed

bounty to their seekers, a draught to their thirsty.

كمْ قد دعَتْنا إلى السُقْيا موارِدُها

وإنْ عدَتْنا عنِ اللُّقْيا عَوادِيها

How often their watering places have called us to drink,

though their adversities kept us from reunion.

أهْدَتْ بطيِّ صباها من صَبابَتِنا

أمانةً ليْتَ شِعْري هلْ تُؤَدّيها

They sent, in the folds of their east wind, from our longing,

a trust—would that I knew whether it would be fulfilled!

كمْ قُلّبَتْ من قُلوبٍ في أباطِحِها

وكمْ تشكّتْ نَواها في نَوادِيها

How many hearts were tossed about upon their valley floors,

and how often they lamented separation in their gathering places.

فالوجْدُ جدَّ بها لوْ كان يُنْجِدُها

والصّبرُ لاذَتْ بهِ لو كان يُجْديها

So longing grew fierce within them—if only it could rescue them!

And they sought refuge in patience—if only it could help them!

هذا وإنّا إلى عَذْراءَ قد وفدَتْ

ترْتاحُ شوْقاً وبالأرْواحِ نَفْديها

Thus it is; and we turn toward a maiden who has arrived,

thrilling with longing, and with our souls we ransom her.

عقيلةٍ قد تجلّى حُسْنُها فجَلا

مِرآةَ فِكْري فليْسَ الدّهْرُ يُصْديها

A noble maiden whose beauty shone forth and polished

the mirror of my thought, so time cannot tarnish it.

تختالُ مَوْشيّةَ الأبْرادِ رُبّتَما

وَشَى بها وشْيُها لوْلا تَهادِيها

She walks proudly in embroidered mantles; many a time

her embroidery would have betrayed her, but for her graceful sway.

نادَيْتُها جودِي ومُبْتَذَلٌ

فِينا نَداها كَما قدْ عزّ نادِيها

I called to her, 'Be generous!'—and freely bestowed

among us is her bounty, even as her assembly is exalted.

إنّ المنادى هو الممْطولُ وا عجَباً

ما بالُ هاتيكَ ممْطولٌ مُناديها

The one called upon is the one kept waiting—how strange!

What ails that maiden, that her caller is kept waiting?

للهِ هادٍ إلى قصْدِ السّبيلِ هَدَى

أفْكارَ فكْري بما منها يُهادِيها

God be praised for a guide to the straight path, who guided

the thoughts of my mind with the gifts he offers them from her.

أرْواحُنا جعلَتْ ذُخْراً محَبَّتَها

تُريحها يوْمَ يبْديها تَنادِيها

Our souls have made love for her a treasure,

to comfort them on the day their mutual calling reveals them.

شريفةُ المنتَمى في الآخرينَ أتَتْ

وأحْرَزَتْ منتَهى العَلْيا مَباديها

Noble in lineage, she came among later generations,

and her beginnings attained the utmost heights.

صدّتْ طَويلاً ولكنْ عندَما رضيَتْ

أضْحى إلى مُرْتَضى اللُّقْيا تَصدّيها

She turned away for long, but when she consented,

her approach was now toward a welcome meeting.

سِبْطُ النبيّ حَباني من عَقائِلِه

ببِنْتِ فِكْرٍ يَروقُ السمْعَ شادِيها

The Prophet's scion favored me, from his noble maidens,

with a daughter of thought whose singer delights the ear.

مُثيرةٌ بالْتِماسِ الرّفْدِ منْ علَمٍ

ما ضلّتِ الخَلْقُ قَصْداً وهْو هاديها

Stirring through a plea for bounty from a beacon,

under whose guidance humankind has never strayed from the right course.

قد لاحَ بالرّبْوةِ الحمراءِ شمسَ هُدىً

فليْسَ يخْفى عنِ الأبْصارِ باديها

He has shone on the red hill as a sun of guidance,

so its radiance is never hidden from sight.

فما قبضْنا اللُهى لوْلا مكارمُها

ولا بسَطْنا يَداً لوْلا أيادِيها

So we would not have received gifts but for its generosity,

nor extended a hand but for its favors.

هذِه الخِلافةُ قد أعْلى معالِمَها

فأيْنَ مَهديُّها منهُ وهاديها

This is the caliphate: he has raised its landmarks high;

where are its Mahdi and Hadi compared with him?

هذِي البلاغةُ إنْ وافَتْ كتائِبُها

يكُفُّ قُسُّ إيادٍ بَطْشَ أيْديها

This is eloquence: should its battalions arrive,

Quss of Iyad restrains the onslaught of their hands.

هذي السّماحةُ إنْ جفّتْ موارِدُها

من كفِّ حاتِمِها تَندَى غَواديها

This is generosity: should its watering places dry,

its morning clouds are moistened by its Hatim's palm.

هذي المعارفُ إنْ ضلّتْ كواكِبُها

أشعّةُ الصُبْحِ تَهديها وتُهْديها

This is knowledge: should its stars lose their way,

the rays of dawn guide them and offer them as gifts.

هذي العُفاةُ إذا تغْدو مؤمّلَةً

هذي العُداةُ إذا يَبْدو تعَدّيها

Here are the petitioners, setting out full of hope;

here are the enemies, when their aggression shows itself.

يَجودُها سَيْبُهُ طوْعاً ويُرفِدُها

يرُدُّها سيْفُهُ قهْراً ويُرْديها

His bounty freely showers the petitioners and aids them;

his sword forcibly repels the enemies and slays them.

سنا تهَلُّلِهِ بادٍ لسائِلِهِ

إنّ البروقَ غَواديها تُعاديها

The radiance of his beaming face is plain to his petitioner;

indeed, its morning flashes vie with the lightning.

فكلُّ بارقةٍ للجودِ يُبْدِعُها

وكُلّ شارقةٍ للبِشْرِ يُبْديها

So every flash of generosity he creates,

and every dawning radiance of cheer he reveals.

هل نعْمةٌ أو يدٌ تأتي وقد سلفَتْ

إلا وناصرُ دين اللهِ مُسْدِيها

Is there any blessing or favor, to come or already past,

whose bestower is not the Defender of God's Faith?

المُنْعِمُ الملِك الأعْلى الذي وكفَتْ

كفّاهُ جوداً وقدْ كُفَّتْ أعاديها

The beneficent, most exalted king, whose palms have poured

forth bounty, while their foes have been restrained.

ثَنى لبذْلِ النّدى في الخلْقِ راحَتَهُ

فظلّ رائِحُها يُثْني وغاديها

He turned his palm to bestow bounty among humankind;

so its evening and morning visitors kept offering praise.

لازالَ موْلايَ يُبْدي من مَكارِمِه

ما يُبْهِجُ الدّينَ والدنيا تَماديها

May my lord ever display, among his noble deeds,

those whose continuance gladdens religion and the world.

حَمائِمُ الفكْرِ في روْضِ النّظامِ غدَتْ

صوادِحاً بالنّدى تَرْوي صوادِيها

The doves of thought, in the garden of verse, have become

singers of bounty, quenching the thirst of their thirsty ones.