لنصرك حتى تملك الغرب بالغلب — Ibn Sanaa Almalk

لِنصرِكَ حتَّى تملكَ الغربَ بالغَلْبِ

قد اجْتَمعتْ زُهْرُ الكواكبِ في الغَرْبِ

To aid you until you rule the West by conquest,

the radiant heavenly bodies have gathered in the West.

ومَا اجْتَمعتْ إِلاَّ لتنصرَ عَسْكراً

بِسَعدِك يَغْنىَ عن مُساعَدَةِ الشُّهْبِ

They have gathered only to aid an army

that, through your good fortune, needs no help from the bright stars.

وباسْمِك من قبلِ الوغَى تُهزَمُ العِدا

وباسْمك قَبْل الحرْب تُنْصَرُ بالرُّعْب

By your name, enemies are routed before the fray;

and by your name, you are granted victory through dread before war.

ولكنْ أَرادَتْ أَن تفوزَ بِخدمَةٍ

تُشَرِّفُها مَعْ بُعْدِها مِنْكَ بِالْقُربِ

But they wished to win the privilege of service

that ennobles them through nearness despite their distance from you.

وتَأْوي إِلى حِزْبِ المظفَّرِ إِنَّه

يُظَفَّرُ مَنْ يَأْوِي إِلى ذلك الحِزْب

And they take refuge with al-Muzaffar's party; indeed,

whoever takes refuge with that party is granted victory.

وتَبْذُلُ فيه ما اقْتَضَتْه طِباعُها

فتكشِفُ عنه شَمسُها ظلمةَ الخَطْبِ

They bestow upon it what their natures require:

their sun dispels from it the darkness of calamity.

ويَجْلو له البدرُ المنيرُ مَسالِكاً

فيسهلُ مِنها كلُّ مُستوعَرٍ صَعْب

The shining full moon lights pathways for it,

making every rough, difficult way among them easy.

ويُسْعِده البِرجيسُ في السِّلم مثلَما

يُساعِده المرِّيخُ في حَوْمةِ الحَرْبِ

Jupiter brings it good fortune in peace, just as

Mars aids it in the thick of war.

ويَنحَسُ كَيْوان بلادَ عَدُوِّه

ويُعْجِلُه بالسَّلِّ مِنْها وبالسَّلب

Saturn brings ill fortune upon its enemy's lands

and hastens his expulsion from them and his despoiling.

ويَفْتَحُ ديوانَ السَّماءِ عُطارِد

لإِنشاءِ أَخبارِ البشائِر والكُتْبِ

Mercury opens heaven's chancery

to compose announcements of glad tidings and letters.

وما الزَّهرةُ الزَّهراءُ إِلاَّ مَلِيَّةٌ

ببعثِ سرورِ النَّصر لِلنَّفسِ والقَلْب

Radiant Venus is nothing if not capable

of stirring victory's joy in soul and heart.

وهذا هُو القَولُ المحَّقُ لاَ الَّذِي

يُحرِّفُه أَهْلُ النجوم مِن الكِذْب

This is the true account, not what

the astrologers distort through lies.

يقولون إِنَّ الرِّيحَ تأْتِي وإِنَّها

تُبيدُ الوَرى ما بَيْن شرق إِلى غرْبِ

They say that a wind will come, and that it

will annihilate mankind from east to west.

وأَنْتَ الذَّي لو شاءَ أَسْرى وقارُه

إِلَيْها فهَدَّا مِن زَعَازعِها النُّكْب

And you are the one whose dignity, if you wished, would travel by night

to it, and calm its tempestuous crosswinds.

وأَنْتَ الذَّي لو شاءَ سدَّ مَهَبَّها

بجيشٍ يصدُّ الريحَ عن مَسْلَكِ الْهَبِّ

And you are the one who, if you wished, could seal its outlet

with an army that bars the wind from the path of its blowing.

وُجُودُك أَمنٌ للْوجودِ من الرَّدى

وَجُودُك أَمنٌ للبلادِ من الجَدْبِ

Your existence guards all existence from death;

and your generosity guards the lands from drought.

لك الجَحْفل الجرَّارُ والبيضُ والقَنا

تَخُطُّ خطوطَ النَصرِ حتَّى على التُرْبِ

Yours are the vast host, the gleaming swords and the spears

that trace victory's lines even upon the dust.

به كلُّ وَثَّابٍ إِلى الموتِ باسلٍ

ومَنْ ذا يرد الأُسْدَ عن عَادَةِ الوَثْبِ

In it is every valiant warrior who leaps toward death;

and who can turn lions from their habit of leaping?

يَعِفُّونَ عن كَسْبِ المغانمِ في الوَغَى

فَلَيسَ لهم غيرُ الفوارسِ من كَسْب

They abstain from taking spoils in battle;

for their only gains are horsemen.

ويَشْغَلُهم سَبيُ الأُسودِ عن الْمهَا

ويُلهيهمُ نهبُ النُّفوسِ عن النَّهْب

Capturing lions distracts them from the white oryxes,

and plundering souls distracts them from plunder.

لَهُمْ مُعجزٌ في الطَّعنِ والضَّرب باهرٌ

فلا طعنَ في طعْنِ ولا ضَرْبَ في ضَرْب

Theirs is a dazzling miracle in thrusting and striking:

no fault in their thrusting, no equal to their striking.

ويُرهَبُ من أَسيافِهم قبلَ سَلِّها

ورُبَّ سيوفٍ قَطَّعَتْ وهي في القُرْب

Their swords inspire dread before they are drawn,

and many a sword has cut to pieces while still in its sheath.

فمدنُ الأَعَادِي غيرُ محميَّةِ الحِمى

بِهم وقُراهم غيرُ آمنةِ السِّرْبِ

Thus the enemy cities' domains lie undefended

because of them, and their villages enjoy no security.

وكم مَلِكٍ بالتاجِ يعصِب رأْسَه

أَتَوْهُ فحازُوا ذلك العَصْبَ بِالغَصْب

How many a king who binds his head with a crown

have they come upon, seizing that headband by force!

يدُورون كالأَفْلاكِ حولَكَ خدمةً

وأَنتَ لهم كالقُطْب لا زلْت كالْقُطب

They circle you like celestial spheres, in service,

and you are to them like the pole—may you ever remain like the pole!

وأَنتَ بفضلِ البأْسِ والحلمِ والنُّهى

غنِيٌّ عن الأَنصارِ والجندِ والصَّحْب

And by virtue of your valor, forbearance and reason,

you need no supporters, troops or companions.

ولكن رأَيتَ الجندَ للملكِ زينةً

كما زيَّن اللهُ المحاجرَ بالهُدْب

But you deemed troops an adornment to kingship,

as God adorned the eye sockets with lashes.

هَنيئاً لك الملكُ الَّذِي أَنتَ ربُّه

ببذلِك جهدَ النفسِ في طاعَةِ الرَّبِ

May the kingdom whose lord you are bring you joy,

for devoting your utmost strength to obedience to the Lord,

وبَعْثِك للكفارِ هادمةَ القُوى

تسوقُ إِلى الصُّلْبانِ قاصِمَةَ الصُّلْبِ

and for sending against the unbelievers a destroyer of strength,

driving against the crosses a breaker of backbones;

وبَسْطِك كفّاً تشهدُ السُّحبُ أَنَّها

وقَد صَدَقَتْ أَنْدى بناناً من السُّحْبِ

and for extending a hand which, the clouds attest,

has fingertips more bountiful than the clouds—and they speak truly;

وإِدْنائِك الظمآنَ للجودِ والنَّدى

من المنْهلِ الفَيَّاض والمورِدِ العَذْبِ

and for drawing those thirsty for bounty and generosity

near to the overflowing spring and the sweet watering place;

وتَقْريبِك المظلومَ من غيرِ حَجْبهِ

وإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ نور الجلالةِ في حُجْب

and for bringing the wronged close without barring them,

though you are behind veils of the light of majesty;

وسَيْركَ فينا سِيرةً عُمَريَّةً

فَروَّحْتَ من قلبٍ وفرَّجتَ مِنْ كَرْبِ

and for following among us the way of ʿUmar,

thus refreshing hearts and relieving distress;

وَرَدِّك فينا مِنْ سَمِيِّك سُنَّةً

فأَظهرت ذاك الفرْضَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّدْب

and for restoring among us a practice of your namesake,

thus bringing that obligation to light from that valiant man.

فيا مصرُ تيهي واسْتَطيلي بِمُلْكِه

وقُولي له حَسْبي بِمُلكِكَ لي حَسْبي

So, Egypt, glory and hold yourself high through his rule,

and tell him: 'Your rule is enough for me—enough for me.'

ولا غَرْوَ إِنْ تَاهَتْ بِمُلكِكَ وازْدَهَتَ

ولا عجباً إِنْ أسْرفَتْ بكَ في العُجْب

It is no wonder if she boasts of your rule and glories,

nor strange if she goes to excess in her pride in you.

وهُنِّئْتَ شهراً قد أَتاها مبشِّراً

ببقياك تَحميْها بِصارِمِك العَضْبِ

May you be congratulated on a month that came to her with glad tidings

of your living on, protecting her with your keen-edged sword;

وأَنَّك فيها ثابتُ المُلْكِ والعُرَى

وأَنَّك فيها راسخُ الطَّودِ والهُضْبِ

and that in her your rule and its bonds stand firm,

and that in her your mountain and hills are firmly rooted.

أُحبُّكَ للفضلِ الَّذي أَنْتَ أَهْلُه

ويُعذَل إِلاَّ من يُحبُّكَ في الْحُبِّ

I love you for the excellence of which you are worthy,

and everyone is reproached for love except one who loves you.

وأَلْهَى مديحي فيكَ قلبي عن الْهَوى

وإِنْ كنتُ صبّاً بالملِيحِ الذي يُصبي

My praise of you has drawn my heart away from passion,

though I am love-struck by the fair one who captivates.

فشخصُك أَشْهى من فُؤادِي وناظري

ومدحُك أَحْلى في لِسانِي وفي قَلْب

So your person is dearer than my heart and my eye,

and praising you is sweeter on my tongue and in my heart.