أبى الله إلا أن تعظم مطلقا — Mohammed Al Shazly

أبى اللّه إلا أن تعظم مطلقا

لك الفخر مسجونا لك الفخر مطلقا

God willed only that your greatness be unbounded.

Yours is glory imprisoned; yours is glory set free.

كتبت على النفس الكريمة غمرة

تحوم بها حول الخطوب محلقا

You ordained an overwhelming ordeal for your noble soul,

soaring with it, circling round calamities.

تبيت مع الإحساس همتك التي

تنادي لمن ناواك هيا على اللقا

Your resolve keeps vigil with feeling—the resolve that

calls to whoever opposed you: 'Come, let us meet!'

وما هي إلا نخوة هاشمية

وكل الذي في الهاشمية منتقى

It is nothing but Hashemite chivalry,

and all within the Hashemite spirit is choice.

وكم لك فينا من مواقف أثبتت

لك الفضل أيا ما تقحمت مأزقا

How many stands you have taken among us have proved

your merit, whatever straits you plunged into.

ومن طلب الإصلاح لم يأت منكرا

ومن طلب الإنصاف لم يخش مزلقا

Whoever sought reform committed no wrong,

and whoever sought fairness feared no slippery ground.

تكبدت في الدستور كل مشقة

وقد كان في الخضراء بابه مغلقا

You endured every hardship for the constitution,

whose door in al-Khadra, the Green, had been closed.

ركبت له البحر الخضم تشقه

بعزمة حر ليس يعرف ما الشقا

For it you sailed the vast sea, cleaving it

with the resolve of a free man who knows no misery.

وأدليت بين القوم بالحجج التي

تجلى بها صبح الحقيقة مشرقا

You presented among the people the arguments

through which truth's dawn appeared, shining.

وأوضحت ما غشته سحب مظالم

ولولاك بات السيل للفلك مغرقا

You clarified what clouds of injustice had veiled;

without you, the flood would have drowned the ship.

وخاطبتهم في الظلم والحق بين

إلى أن رأيت الظلم للرأس مطرقا

You addressed them about injustice, while truth was plain,

until you saw injustice bow its head.

وأوجدت أنصارا لحزبك بينهم

أبوا أن يروا فردا من الشعب مرهقا

You found supporters for your party among them,

who refused to see anyone of the people oppressed.

وألفت ما ألّفت بين قلوبهم

وألّفت ما ألفت سفرا مرونقا

You brought their hearts together as you did,

and wrote what you wrote—a beautifully adorned volume.

وأظهرت باعا في السياسة طائلا

وأظهرت مذ أبحرت فيها تعمقا

You displayed far-reaching ability in politics,

and, since sailing into it, showed profound understanding.

رأيناك طورا في المشاكل راسبا

وطورا على أسوارها متسلقا

We saw you sometimes sinking amid troubles,

and sometimes scaling their walls.

وطالبت أرباب المساواة والإخا

بإجرائها للعدل حتى تصدقا

You called on the champions of equality and brotherhood

to put them into practice for justice, so they might prove true.

وأشهدت حزب الاشتراكية الذي

تركته يستبكي العدالة مشفقا

You called the Socialist Party to witness,

leaving it anxiously imploring justice with tears.

وقدمتها بعد التحري مطالبا

ثمانية اثبتهن مدققا

After careful inquiry, you submitted them as demands—

eight, which you set down meticulously.

وجابهت أولي الحل والعقد منهمو

وبينكما كم أثخن الدهر موبقا

You confronted the decision-makers among them,

and how often time dealt grievous, ruinous blows between you!

وحاضرت في الخضراء باريس أهلها

وكنت بنا فيها خبيرا محققا

In Paris, you lectured its people about al-Khadra,

and there you were well informed about us, exacting in your inquiry.

وما كان في الإصلاح أقواك حجّة

وما كان في الإفصاح أحلاك منطقا

How strong your arguments were for reform!

How sweet your speech was in its clarity!

علوت منصّات الخطابة بينهم

فكنت خطيبا في المجامع مسلقا

You mounted the platforms of oratory among them,

and were a forceful speaker in assemblies.

وأطلقت من ذاك اللسان عنانه

وإن كان بالسحر البياني مطوقا

You gave that tongue free rein,

though it was encircled with eloquence's magic.

جرى بك سيال الصحافة دافقا

وغرب في طول البلاد واشرقا

The flowing current of the press poured forth about you,

and went west and east throughout the land.

وقمت بأعباء السفارة مفردا

إلى أن بدا عقد الوفود منسقا

You bore the burdens of the mission alone,

until the necklace of delegations appeared, neatly strung.

قضوا ما قضوا والكل باسمك لاهج

يراك سبيلا في المهم ومرتقى

They accomplished what they accomplished, all repeating your name,

seeing you as a path in grave affairs, and an ascent.

وأحمدهم قد كان أحمدهم الى

جنابك غذ رعى السجل المعلقا

Their Ahmad was indeed the most grateful of them to

your noble self, when he tended the posted register.

كذا فليكن رب الزعامة نائبا

لعمرك ما احراك فينا واخلقا

Thus let a leader serve as a representative!

By your life, how worthy and fitting you are among us!

فيا له صدرا في ذهابك واسعا

ويا له سجنا في إيابك ضيّقا

What a spacious breast you had on your departure,

and what a narrow prison upon your return!

تحمّلتها أمنية الشعب كله

مغلغلة تغلي بها متدفّقا

You bore it—the aspiration of the entire people—

lodged deep within you; you seethed with it, overflowing.

تعشقتها حرية عرفت بكم

لدينا ولم تبرح لها منعشقا

You adored it—a freedom made known through you

among us—and never ceased to be enamored of it.

غرست الشعور الحي في الأنفس التي

رأيت بها غصن الفضائل مورقا

You planted living feeling in the souls

in which you saw the branch of virtues putting forth leaves.

ومثلك من يرقى المعالي بهمة

ومثلك من يبدي اليها التشوقا

One like you ascends lofty heights with resolve,

and one like you shows longing for them.

لك الله يا خلي الوفي معاضدا

ومنتصرا ما كنت بالله موثقا

May God be your support, my faithful friend,

and your champion, so long as you remain bound to God.

لك الله يا عبد العزيز الثعالبي

بألطافه أيان ما كنت محدقا

God be with you, Abd al-Aziz al-Tha'alibi,

with His gentle mercies, whenever you are beset.

لك الله يا عبد العزيز مؤيدا

لك الله يا عبد العزيز موفقا

May God uphold you, Abd al-Aziz;

may God grant you success, Abd al-Aziz.

بنيت من العلاء صرحا ممردا

فأذكرتنا النعمان يبني الخورنقا

You built a smooth-walled palace of eminence,

reminding us of al-Nu'man building al-Khawarnaq.

تجردت للخضراء ترفع شأنها

وتجمع من أشتاتنا ما تفرقا

You devoted yourself to al-Khadra, raising its standing,

and gathering together our scattered parts.

وقمت مع الأحرار للحق داعيا

وللباطل الممقوت بالحق مزهقا

You stood with the free, calling to truth,

and vanquishing hated falsehood with truth.

وأفعمت بالإخلاص قلبا وقالبا

وأبحرت بالآمال وحدك موسقا

You were filled with sincerity, in heart and outward form,

and sailed alone, laden with hopes.

فلا السهد مشكو ولا الخوف حائل

ولا العزم منبت ولا الخطب متقى

No sleeplessness was complained of, and no fear barred the way;

no resolve was severed, and no calamity shunned.

وكنت مثالا للثبات وربما

يقاوم فرد بالبسالة فيلقا

You were an example of steadfastness; sometimes

one man resists an army through valor.

جرى ذكر وادي النيل مذ قام سعده

فلم نر في سعد عليك تفوقا

The Nile Valley became renowned when its Sa'd arose,

yet we saw no superiority in Sa'd over you,

سوى هو في مصر وأنت بتونس

ولو كنت فيها كنت للشعب معتقا

save that he was in Egypt and you in Tunisia;

had you been there, you would have liberated the people.

سرت نسمة الإحساس في كل أمة

فحيعل على الأنوا اذا البرق أبرقا

The breeze of awareness coursed through every nation;

so call, 'Come to the rainstorms!' when lightning flashes.

فلم يبق شعب لم يطالب بحقّه

ولم يبق حكم في الممالك مطلقا

No people remained that did not demand its rights,

and no government in the kingdoms remained absolute.

ضربنا بسهم في الشعوب وكلنا

بأخلاق أهل الحزم منهم تخلفا

We took our share among the peoples, and each of us

fell behind their men of resolve in character.

ضربنا على فصل القضاء بنغمة

فبات بها وجه الرجا متألقا

We sounded a note at the decisive judgment,

and through it hope's face became radiant.

وشفع بالافراج عنك مبرءا

فلن يستطيع ساس الأمور وطبقا

It was followed by your release, exonerated.

So he will not be able—[unclear wording: 'governed affairs and applied'].

خرجت بريئا لم تسم بنقيصة

ولا سائلا فضلا ولا متملّقا

You emerged innocent, unmarked by any fault,

neither asking a favor nor flattering.

وجدت بنا القوم الكرام وإننا

وجدنا بك الحر الكريم المصدقا

You found in us noble people, and indeed

in you we found a noble, trusted free man.

شهدت من الإقبال إذ ذاك مشهدا

ولا شيء في دنياك منه بأروقا

You witnessed then a scene of welcome,

with nothing in your world more delightful than it.

رأيت جموعا زمرة اثر زمرة

يؤدون حقا بالفرائض ملحقا

You saw crowds, group after group,

fulfilling a duty ranked among sacred obligations.

فلم تر مفضولا ولم تر فاضلا

ولم تر مبسوقا ولم تر اسبقا

You saw none inferior and none superior,

none outstripped and none ahead.

يهزهم الإحساس للكعبة التي

تحج لها الآمال حجا موفقا

Feeling stirred them toward that Kaaba

to which hopes make a successful pilgrimage.

وشاهدت منهم في الخطابة مصقعا

وشاهدت منهم في القصائد مفلقا

Among them you saw a consummate orator,

and among them a brilliant maker of verse.

ويا له يوما والتأدب صدهم

وغلا لقالوا أشرق البدر أشرقا

What a day! Decorum held them back;

otherwise they would have said, 'The full moon has risen, has risen!'

نهضت بنا فانهض نمجدك قائما

ونكتب من التاريخ سطرا منمقا

You raised us up; rise, and we shall acclaim you as you stand,

and write a finely adorned line of history.

ودونك تاجا من نشيدي مكلّلا

ودونك كاسا بالثناء معتّقا

Take a crown from my song, wreathed,

and take a cup, mellowed with praise.

قطفته من جنّات شعري باقة

ترى الزهر في أكمامها متفتقا

I plucked it as a bouquet from the gardens of my poetry;

you see its flowers bursting open in their calyxes.

وفي كرم تعطى المكارم للذي

نرى جيده بالمكرمات مطوقا

In generosity, honors are bestowed upon the one

whose neck we see encircled with noble deeds.

أقيمت ولا من لاجلك حفلة

وأجمل ما فيها اجتماع لأصدقا

A celebration was held for you, with no claim of favor;

its finest feature is the gathering of friends.

فهذا علي بين أظهرنا وما

أتاه من الأعمال سجله البقا

Here is Ali among us; what

he has done has been inscribed by eternity.

تغذّى بإخلاص من الوالد الذي

قضى العمر في إعزاز دينه منفقا

He drew sincerity from the father who

spent his life strengthening his religion.

وهذا الرئيس الأحمدي عقيدة

واصفى الورى قلبا وأكرمهم لقا

Here is the president, Ahmadi in creed,

the purest-hearted of men, most gracious in greeting.

وهذا أخوك الشيخ صالحنا الذي

بما عنده في الصالحات تصدقا

Here is your brother, the shaykh, our Salih, who

gave what he had to good works.

وهذا ابن ابراهيم مثلك فاضل

وفي الفضل كان الفرع بالأصل ملحقا

Here is Ibn Ibrahim, virtuous like you;

in virtue, the branch was joined to the root.

وهذا الصواب المستقيم صراطه

وصادقنا الصديق قولا محققا

Here is al-Sawab, whose path is straight,

and our Sadiq, the true friend, precise in speech.

وهذا الزميل مصطفى بين معشر

إذا استمطروه بالنفائس أغدقا

Here is the colleague Mustafa among a company;

when they ask him to rain down treasures, he pours them forth.

وصالح فرحات وحسبك انه

زميلي ولكن خالف العرب منطقا

And Salih Farhat—it is enough for you that he is

my colleague, though his speech differs from the Arabs'.

ومحرزنا الملآن قلبه غيرة

على الوطن المحبوب دينا مع التقى

And our Muhriz, whose heart is filled with zeal

for the beloved homeland, in devotion joined with piety.

فشكرا إلى داعيك طاهر آغة

وان كنت يا استاذ بالشكر أليقا

So thanks to your host, Tahir Agha,

though you, master, are more deserving of thanks.

ودامت لنا الخضراء ودام أميرها

ودامت له العليا ودام له البقا

May al-Khadra endure for us, and may its prince endure;

may his high station endure, and his life endure.