محلٌّ ألبسَ الدنيا جمالاً

محلٌّ ألبسَ الدنيا جمالاً

وإن فَضَحَ المقاصرَ والخلالا

وإن فَضَحَ المقاصرَ والخلالا

A dwelling that clothed the world in beauty,

He adorned the world with beauty,

though it put palatial chambers and fine qualities to shame.

Though he exposed the failings and flaws.

بناهُ كما بنى العلياء بانٍ

بناهُ كما بنى العلياء بانٍ

يشيدُ مآثراً ويبيدُ مالا

يشيدُ مآثراً ويبيدُ مالا

Its builder raised it as he raised lofty glory,

He built it as the Exalted built,

building glorious legacies and consuming wealth.

Erecting glories and destroying possessions.

وللزاهي الكمالُ سناً وحسناً

وللزاهي الكمالُ سناً وحسناً

كما وسٍعَ الجلالةَ والكمالا

كما وسٍعَ الجلالةَ والكمالا

Al-Zahi possesses perfection in brilliance and beauty,

For the blossoming perfections of completeness

just as it embraces majesty and perfection.

As they expanded with majesty and perfection.

يحاطُ بشكلِهِ عرضاً وطولاً

يحاطُ بشكلِهِ عرضاً وطولاً

ولكن لا يُحاطُ به جمالا

ولكن لا يُحاطُ به جمالا

Its form can be encompassed in breadth and length,

Its breadth and length surround its form,

but its beauty cannot be encompassed.

But its beauty cannot be encompassed.

تواصلتٍ المحاسنُ فيه شتّى

تواصلتٍ المحاسنُ فيه شتّى

فوفدُ اللحظِ ينتقلُ انتقالا

فوفدُ اللحظِ ينتقلُ انتقالا

Beauties of many kinds joined together within it,

The beauties in it came together diverse,

so the gaze's delegation moves from place to place.

So sight shifted, moving from one to the next.

وقورٌ مثلُ ركنِ الطَود ثَبتٌ

وقورٌ مثلُ ركنِ الطَود ثَبتٌ

ومختالٌ من الحُسنِ اختيالا

ومختالٌ من الحُسنِ اختيالا

Dignified, steadfast as a mountain's buttress,

It is dignified like the firmness of the towering mountain,

and swaggering with the pride of beauty.

And elegant with the elegance of beauty.

تدافَعَ من جوانِبِهِ ائتلافاً

تدافَعَ من جوانِبِهِ ائتلافاً

فكاد المستبينُ يقولُ مالا

فكاد المستبينُ يقولُ مالا

From its sides came a harmonious surging,

Attractions crowded in from its sides,

until the discerning viewer almost said, 'It leans!'

Until the keenest felt there was nothing left to say.

فلو أدنوا حرامَ السِّحرِ منه

فلو أدنوا حرامَ السِّحرِ منه

لأضحى يعبدُ السحرَ الحلالا

لأضحى يعبدُ السحرَ الحلالا

If they brought forbidden magic near it,

Had they brought the forbidden magic near it,

that magic would come to worship this lawful magic.

The lawful magic would have become an idolater.

سماءٌ ترتمي بعُبابِ بحرٍ

سماءٌ ترتمي بعُبابِ بحرٍ

كأنَّ بها إكاماً او تلالا

كأنَّ بها إكاماً او تلالا

A sky tossing with a sea's surging flood,

A heaven raining clouds of a sea,

as though it held hillocks or hills.

As if it had arches or hills within it.

فقد كاد اللبيبُ يُهالُ منه

فقد كاد اللبيبُ يُهالُ منه

ويحسبُ أنَّ بحرَ الجوِّ سالا

ويحسبُ أنَّ بحرَ الجوِّ سالا

The discerning man was almost awestruck by it,

The keen mind almost lost control

and thought the sea of the sky had flowed forth.

And thought the sea of air had poured down.

فما أبقى شهاباً لم يصوَّب

فما أبقى شهاباً لم يصوَّب

ولا شمساً تنيرُ ولا هلالا

ولا شمساً تنيرُ ولا هلالا

It left no shooting star that was not cast down,

It left no shooting star not aimed,

nor a shining sun, nor a crescent moon.

No illuminating sun or crescent moon.

وللبهو البهيِّ سماءُ نورٍ

وللبهو البهيِّ سماءُ نورٍ

تمثّلَ شكلها حَلَقَاً دِخالا

تمثّلَ شكلها حَلَقَاً دِخالا

The splendid hall has a heaven of light,

For the splendorous beauty, the heaven of light

whose form appeared as interlocking rings.

Formed its shape into a thick ring.

مزخرفةٌ كأنَّ الوشي ألقى

مزخرفةٌ كأنَّ الوشي ألقى

عليها من طرائِقِه خيالا

عليها من طرائِقِه خيالا

Adorned, as though brocade had cast

Adorned as if the embroiderer had cast

upon it a semblance of its patterns.

Onto it the figures of his imagination.

وما خلتُ الهواءَ يكونُ روضاً

وما خلتُ الهواءَ يكونُ روضاً

ولا سقفاً يكونُ كذاك آلا

ولا سقفاً يكونُ كذاك آلا

I never thought the air could be a garden,

Not even the air was left to be a meadow

nor a ceiling, like this, a mirage.

Nor the ceiling thus to be barren.

بلى حققتُ أنَّ النارَ كانَت

بلى حققتُ أنَّ النارَ كانَت

له ظئراً وعنصرهُ زلالا

له ظئراً وعنصرهُ زلالا

Indeed, I became certain that fire had been

But indeed I verified that the fire had been

its wet nurse, and its substance clear water.

Its wet nurse and its substance limpid water.

فلم أعدِل بجامده مذاباً

فلم أعدِل بجامده مذاباً

ولم أنكر لِنَدوَتِهِ اشتعالا

ولم أنكر لِنَدوَتِهِ اشتعالا

I set no molten substance equal to its solid form,

I made no comparison of its solidity to molten,

nor denied that its moisture could blaze.

Nor denied that its gathering had kindled.

وكلّ مصوّرٍ حيّ جماد

وكلّ مصوّرٍ حيّ جماد

تبيّنَ فيه زهواً أو دلالا

تبيّنَ فيه زهواً أو دلالا

And every sculpted form, living yet inanimate,

Every living inanimate image

appeared there in pride or coquettish grace.

Showed in it a brilliance or guide.

له عملٌ وليس له حراكٌ

له عملٌ وليس له حراكٌ

وافهامٌ وما أدّى مقالا

وافهامٌ وما أدّى مقالا

It acts, yet has no movement,

It has a task but no movement,

and conveys meaning, yet utters no speech.

Insight but utters no speech.

ويُفرغُ فيه مثلَ النصلِ بدعٌ

ويُفرغُ فيه مثلَ النصلِ بدعٌ

من الأفيالِ لا يشكو ملالا

من الأفيالِ لا يشكو ملالا

Within it is cast, blade-like, a marvel

Wondrous sculpting is poured into it,

among elephants, never complaining of weariness.

Elephants that know no tiredness.

رعى رَطبَ اللجين فجاء صلداً

رعى رَطبَ اللجين فجاء صلداً

وقاحاً قلّما يخشى هزالا

وقاحاً قلّما يخشى هزالا

It grazed on liquid silver and emerged solid,

It nurtured the sap of the malleable clay until it hardened,

tough, scarcely fearing wasting away.

Impudent, hardly fearing decay.

كأنَّ به على الحيوانِ عَتباً

كأنَّ به على الحيوانِ عَتباً

فلم يرفع لرؤيتها قذالا

فلم يرفع لرؤيتها قذالا

As though it bore a grudge against living creatures,

As if it had blame for animals,

it did not lift its head to look at them.

So it did not lift up a veil to look at them.

وأوصى بالرياحينِ غتراساً

وأوصى بالرياحينِ غتراساً

همامٌ طالما اغترس الرجالا

همامٌ طالما اغترس الرجالا

And fragrant herbs were ordered to be planted

And it bequeathed the planting of gardens,

by a noble man who had so often planted men.

Ambitions long planted by men.

وكان الغرسُ والاثمارُ وقفاً

وكان الغرسُ والاثمارُ وقفاً

لمن جعل النّدى والوعدَ حالا

لمن جعل النّدى والوعدَ حالا

Both planting and fruit-bearing were reserved

The planting, the fruits, were a bequest

for one who made generosity and promises present realities.

For one who made the dew and promise realities.

وقامت يومَ قمنا منشداتٍ

وقامت يومَ قمنا منشداتٍ

فغضّت من رويتنا ارتجالا

فغضّت من رويتنا ارتجالا

And they rose reciting on the day we rose,

On the day we gathered, singers stood,

and their improvisation humbled our deliberation.

Drawing extemporized chants from our presence.

براعةُ مصنعٍ جُلِبَت فاضحت

براعةُ مصنعٍ جُلِبَت فاضحت

براعةُ منطقيِ منها مثالا

براعةُ منطقيِ منها مثالا

Craftsmanship's brilliance was brought forth; then

The skill of a craftsman was brought and exposed

my speech's brilliance became a likeness of it.

The skill of our rhetoric as an example.

فكم طلب العويصَ فما تأبّى

فكم طلب العويصَ فما تأبّى

وكم قلبَ العيانَ فما استحالا

وكم قلبَ العيانَ فما استحالا

How often it sought the difficult and met no resistance;

How often it sought out the difficult yet did not refuse,

and how often it overturned the visible, yet never became absurd.

How often it transformed the visible yet did not change.

ولكنَّ المؤيَد عزَّ وصفاً

ولكنَّ المؤيَد عزَّ وصفاً

وأعيتني حقيقتُهُ منالا

وأعيتني حقيقتُهُ منالا

But al-Mu'ayyad defied description,

But the Supported triumphed in description,

and attaining his true essence defeated me.

And his reality exhausted me from attaining.

إذا استوضحتَهُ أبصرتَ دهراً

إذا استوضحتَهُ أبصرتَ دهراً

لو أنَّ الدهر لم يُنسَخ فَعالا

لو أنَّ الدهر لم يُنسَخ فَعالا

When you seek to see him clearly, you behold an age—

When you examine him, you behold an age

were Time not surpassed in deeds.

That if the age had not been renewed by deeds

أقامَ لها معاليها شموساً

أقامَ لها معاليها شموساً

ومدَّ لنا مساعيَهُ ظلالا

ومدَّ لنا مساعيَهُ ظلالا

For it, he established its lofty glories as suns,

He established its glories as suns

and spread his endeavors as shade for us.

And extended to us his strivings as shades.

وآراءً يُنَتِّجها رزاناً

وآراءً يُنَتِّجها رزاناً

فيرسلهنَّ أقداراً عجالا

فيرسلهنَّ أقداراً عجالا

And weighty counsels he brings to birth,

And insights he generates composed,

then sends them forth as swift decrees of fate.

Sending them forth as quick-paced fates.

وفيه أناةُ مقتدرٍ حليمٍ

وفيه أناةُ مقتدرٍ حليمٍ

تكاد تغر بالأُسدِ النمالا

تكاد تغر بالأُسدِ النمالا

In him is a powerful, forbearing man's composure,

In him is the deliberation of a capable forbearing one

almost tempting ants to brave lions.

Who almost coaxes the fierce lion.

ويبطشُ بطشةُ تُنبي الأعادي

ويبطشُ بطشةُ تُنبي الأعادي

أكفّهُمُ وما حملوا اعتقالا

أكفّهُمُ وما حملوا اعتقالا

He strikes a blow that repels his enemies,

And he lashes with a lash that warns enemies,

their hands and all they carry held captive.

Restraining them though they are not imprisoned.

من البيض الذين إذا تولّوا

من البيض الذين إذا تولّوا

صنيعاً لم تجد فيهم شمالا

صنيعاً لم تجد فيهم شمالا

Among the fair-faced men who, when they undertake

Of the whites, when they undertake a task

a kindness, have no left hand among them.

You find in them no left-handedness.

وبينا نجتلي منهم بدوراً

وبينا نجتلي منهم بدوراً

إذا بهمُ قد اعترضوا جبالا

إذا بهمُ قد اعترضوا جبالا

And while we behold full moons among them,

While we gather with them in turns,

suddenly they stand before us as mountains.

They cut across mountains.

تألّقَ وجهُهُ وزكت نهاهُ

تألّقَ وجهُهُ وزكت نهاهُ

فقلتُ مثالُهُ محق الضلالا

فقلتُ مثالُهُ محق الضلالا

His face shone, and his intellect grew pure,

His face shone and his activity flourished,

so I said, 'His likeness has effaced error.'

So I said, “The paragon of misguidance is him.”

وما يومُ العَروبةِ يومُ سرّ

وما يومُ العَروبةِ يومُ سرّ

لقد نطق الزمانُ به فقالا

لقد نطق الزمانُ به فقالا

And the day of al-'Arubah was no hidden day;

The day of Al Murabitun is no day of joy.

Time indeed spoke of him, saying:

Time itself pronounced this of it.

عجزنا أن نحقِّقَ منه وصفاً

عجزنا أن نحقِّقَ منه وصفاً

وما عجز الرشيدُ له امتثالا

وما عجز الرشيدُ له امتثالا

We were unable to give a true description of him,

We confessed our inability to fully describe him.

but al-Rashid did not fail to emulate him.

Nor did the Rashid find obeying him difficult.

يعارضُهُ بكلِّ سبيلِ مجدٍ

يعارضُهُ بكلِّ سبيلِ مجدٍ

فتحسبه ينافسُهُ خلالا

فتحسبه ينافسُهُ خلالا

He vies with him along every path of glory,

He contends with him in every path of glory,

so you think he rivals him in virtues.

Though you reckon he rivals him in shortcoming.

ولمّا لم يُطق يَثني صباه

ولمّا لم يُطق يَثني صباه

أحالَ على شمائله اكتهالا

أحالَ على شمائله اكتهالا

And when he could not put his youth aside,

When it was beyond endurance, he yielded his youthfulness,

he turned to his character for maturity.

Referring only to his perfections.

وكاد يكونُهُ حتى تراه

وكاد يكونُهُ حتى تراه

يجاذبُهُ ولا يقوى انفصالا

يجاذبُهُ ولا يقوى انفصالا

He almost becomes him, so that you see him

He very nearly matched him so that you see him

contending with him, yet unable to draw apart.

Wrestling with him, unable to detach.

وأبهَجَنَا طلوعهما بدستٍ

وأبهَجَنَا طلوعهما بدستٍ

طلوعَ الأصلِ والفرعِ اتصالا

طلوعَ الأصلِ والفرعِ اتصالا

Their rising upon a dais delighted us,

He dazzled us with their dual rising in power

the root and branch rising in union.

The rising of origin and branch in union.

فلم أرَ قبله بدراً كساه

فلم أرَ قبله بدراً كساه

جوارُ الشمسِ تمّاً واكتمالا

جوارُ الشمسِ تمّاً واكتمالا

Before him, I had never seen a full moon clothed

Before him I never saw a full moon robed

in fullness and perfection by the sun's nearness.

In the proximity of the sun, completed.

أتتك على خلائقها جيادي

أتتك على خلائقها جيادي

وإن كان الضياعُ لها شكالا

وإن كان الضياعُ لها شكالا

My steeds have come to you true to their nature,

To you came its steeds in their natures

though neglect was their fetter.

Even if loss of them was worrying.

وما يبليك ذهنٌ أحوذيٌّ

وما يبليك ذهنٌ أحوذيٌّ

إذا أصحبته جَدّاً تفالى

إذا أصحبته جَدّاً تفالى

And a resourceful mind can do you no good

No crafty mind wears you out

if you pair it with a fortune that has withdrawn.

If you keep it company with seriousness and ascent.

تزاحمتِ الهمومُ خلالَ صدري

تزاحمتِ الهمومُ خلالَ صدري

فما تركت لأنفاسي مجالا

فما تركت لأنفاسي مجالا

Worries crowded within my breast,

Cares crowded in on my breast,

leaving no room for my breaths.

Leaving my breaths no space.

وما خلتُ النسيمَ يكون ثِقلاً

وما خلتُ النسيمَ يكون ثِقلاً

ولا نَفَحاتِهِ تأتي وبالا

ولا نَفَحاتِهِ تأتي وبالا

I never thought the breeze could become a burden,

The breeze was not left to be a burden

nor that its wafts could bring calamity.

Nor did its breaths bring harm.

كأنِّي كلما استنشقتُ منه

كأنِّي كلما استنشقتُ منه

أردُّ به إلى كبدي نصالا

أردُّ به إلى كبدي نصالا

It is as though, whenever I breathe it in,

As if whenever I inhaled it

I send blades back into my liver with it.

I returned it to my liver as stabbing pains.

وكيف يصحُّ ذو قلبٍ أبيٍّ

وكيف يصحُّ ذو قلبٍ أبيٍّ

إذا كان الإباءُ له نكالا

إذا كان الإباءُ له نكالا

How can one with an unbowed heart be well,

How can one whose heart disdains

when refusal to bow is his punishment?

Endure if disdain is his punishment?

مضى ماءُ الشبيبةِ في الأماني

مضى ماءُ الشبيبةِ في الأماني

ومن ولّى فما يرجو اقتبالا

ومن ولّى فما يرجو اقتبالا

Youth's water was spent on wishes,

The water of youth passed in wishes

and one who has declined hopes for no renewal.

And he who turns away cannot hope for return.

وكنتم خَيرَ مَن يُرجى فما لي

وكنتم خَيرَ مَن يُرجى فما لي

وجدتُ يقينَ آمالي محالا

وجدتُ يقينَ آمالي محالا

You were the best of those in whom to hope—so why

You were the best that could be hoped in, so why

have I found my sure hopes impossible?

Did I find the attainment of my hopes impossible?

ولم أحمل ودادكمُ ادِّعاءً

ولم أحمل ودادكمُ ادِّعاءً

ولا أظهرتُ مدحكمُ انتحالا

ولا أظهرتُ مدحكمُ انتحالا

I did not bear affection for you in mere pretense,

I did not pretend your love

nor did I offer plagiarized praise of you.

Nor falsely profess praising you.