هدىً سرت لا عيناً منعتِ ولا أذنا

أحاديثكِ الحسنى ومطلعك الأسنى

She guided without denying eyes or ears

Her beautiful words and radiant dawn

ذكرت بك الزهراءَ وهي ظعينةٌ

تحفُّ قريشٌ ركبَها الطهرَ والظعنا

She reminded me of the brilliant Zahraa'

Upon whom Quraish rode purity and brilliance

ركبت إلى المجد السفينةَ سمحةً

وسوف تقود السمحة ابنتك السفنا

She embarked the ship of glory generously

And this generosity will lead your daughter's ships

تظُلُّك أعلام البلادِ خوافقاً

وقد عانقتها الوافدات وقبَّلْنَ

Your flags shade the countries pleasantly

As newcomers embrace and kiss them

تغربتِ في العيد الذي اعتاد مثله

جلالك والمعروفَ والرفق واليمنا

You were absent during the feast which was accustomed to

Your majesty, kindness, amity and blessings

خطبتِ فكانت حجةَ النسوة التي

طلبن بها ما للرجال وأدركن

You spoke and it became the proof for women who

Sought what men have and got

رواها فأغلاها الزمان وشارفتْ

بها أممُ الغرب ابنةَ المشرقِ الأدنى

He narrated it and time made it precious

Through it the nations of the West knew the daughter of the Lower East

ولو لم تصوغِيها كلاماً لكان من

وقارِك معنىً ليس يبلغه معنى

Had you not composed it as words, your

Dignity would have meant what no other meaning can reach

فما عدتِ حتى أعجبت كل أمة

بقومك وارتد العدوُّ لهم خدنا

You did not return until you amazed every nation

With your people, and the enemy returned to them submissively

ومثَّلتهم في كل واد ملائكاً

كراماً كما مثلتِ أرضَهم عدنا

You exemplified them in every valley as honorable angels

As you portrayed their land as Eden

وما كنت في المدن التي بك رحبتْ

أقلَّ من الغازي الذي فتح المدنا

You were in the cities that welcomed you

No less than the conqueror who conquered cities

سرى البرق في الدنيا برأيك عالياً

فمن عالم أطرى ومن عالم أثنى

Lightning spread through the world with your high opinion

So who is the scholar that flew higher and who is the scholar that praised?

رأيتكِ في المحرابِ أنقى سريرة

وأكبرت في الميدان شأوَك والشأنا

I saw you in prayer, the purest conscience

And you made your stature and status greater in the arena

ولو كان في واديك عشر عقائلٍ

مثالك صرَّفن الأمورَ ودبرن

Had there been ten tribes in your valley

Your example would have arranged matters and planned

أننسى وقد ثارت بمصرَ وأهلها

عواصفُ أفزعن الأنامَ وأزعجن

Shall I forget when storms erupted in Egypt and its people

Storms that terrified people and disturbed them

وسرتِ وسارتْ للجهاد حرائرٌ

إلى النار والفولاذ خلفك يتبعن

Free women marched to jihad

Behind you, following to fire and steel

فكم قابلتِ عز الوجوه مواضياً

وكم لاقت الأعطاف خطارة لدنا

How many stern faces you met smiling

And how many cheeks met perils calmly

وربَّ شهيدٍ للحمى وشهيدةٍ

كفيتِ بما أوسيتِ أهلَهما الحزنا

Many are the martyrs who died defending dignity

You sufficed their families with what you consoled

فيا بنتَ سلطانٍ وأولِ واقفٍ

على مِنبرِ الشورى سموتِ أباً وابنا

O daughter of a sultan and the first who stood

On the podium of the council, you rose father and son

سعيتِ فأرضيتِ البلادَ وما خلت

مساعيك ممن ضلَّ فيها ومن جنَّا

You strove and satisfied the countries and your

Endeavors did not exclude those who went astray or those who erred

وإن الذي يدعو البنوَّةَ فتنةً

خليقٌ به أن لا نقيم له وزنا

He who claims parenthood falsely

Deserves no worth or weight

فيا طيبَ دنياه ويا حسن دينهِ

حمى بالذي أوليتِه اعتز واستغنى

O goodness of his world and beauty of his faith

He protected what you entrusted him; he became self-sufficient

سلاسلَ تقليدٍ وأغلالَ عادةٍ

كسرتِ ولا ضرباً شهدتِ ولا طعنا

You broke the chains of conformity and shackles of custom

Without encountering a blow or a stab

محوتِ الذي خط القديم وما مضى

وجئتِ بما خط الجديد وما سنّا

You erased the past and what had gone

And you brought what the new drew and legislated

وما أنتِ إلا قدوة النسوةِ التي

عرفن بها حقَّ البلاد عليهن

You are but the role model for women who

Recognized the countries’ right upon them

وأطيب واد ما تزكَّت نساؤه

وأفضل ملك ما على خلق يبنى

The most fragrant valley is that whose women are virtuous

The best king is he whose rule is based on morals

ولولا نساء الحي هِجنَ رجاله

لما رفعوا رأساً ولا فتحوا جَفنا

Had it not been for the women of the district, its men

Would not have raised their heads or opened their eyes

سلام على الحور الحسان نواهضاً

خفافاً بما أعيا الرجال وما أضنى

Greetings to the beautiful houris, lightly walking

With what exhausted men and fatigued them

أرى بطلاً في خلقها غادةَ الحمى

وإن أشبهتْ في خَلقها البدرَ والغصنا

I see in her creation the fervor of resolve

Though in her creation she resembles the full moon and branch

أنخشى عليها وهي أكبر خشية

ونحرسها وهي التي تهب الأمنا

I fear for her though she is the greatest of fear

We guard her though she grants safety

ونأبى عليها من خباءٍ خروجَها

وكم سيرتْ جيشاً وكم فتحت حصنا

We deny her to come out of her cover

When she has led an army and conquered a fortress

أيزهَد في الحسن السفور منزهاً

ويغري بذات الحسن إخفاؤها الحسنا

Does the chaste shun beauty though abstinent

And the presence of beauty tempt him though beautiful?

وهل لامستْ شمساً يد أو تسلمت

وكم بهرت عيناً وكم شغلت ذهنا

Did the hand of a sun touch or was it unharmed?

How many eyes did it dazzle and how many minds busy?

وليس الحجابُ الصائنُ الخدرَ محكماً

وليس النقابُ الحافظُ الخزَّ والقطنا

The veil is not an impenetrable shield

Nor the face-cover a preserver of self and cotton

وما عفَّة الحسناءِ إلا غريزةٌ

وما كان طبع النفس علماً ولا فنّا

The chastity of a beauty is but an instinct

It was neither knowledge nor art

ورب أبٍ ألقى إلى الزوج بنتَه

لما ساق بيعاً ما تمَلَّكَ أو رَهْنا

How many a father married off his daughter

Without gaining ownership or ransom

فإن صانها حرصاً عليها وَغيرة

أعدَّ ولم تذنب لها بيتَه سجنا

If he protects her out of care for her and jealousy

He wrongs her and makes his home her jail

تكاد لما تلقى من الرَيب عنده

تسائله في كل هاجسةٍ إذنا

She almost questions him for permission

For every notion while he harbors suspicion

إذا طلبت حقاً من المرء مرأةٌ

فمن حقها أن لا يسيء بها الظنا

If a woman seeks a right from a man

He should not think ill of her

أتصنع ما لا يملك المرء صنعَه

ويمنحها ربع الجزاء أو الثمنا

You act beyond your ability

And give her a quarter reward or price

لها ما له قولاً وفعلاً وغايةً

فلا البغيَ يلقى الجانبان ولا الغبنا

She gets what he gets, words and acts and goal

So there is neither injustice nor exploitation

إذا كان إنسياً فإنسية له

وإن كان جنّاً أصبحت عنده جنا

If he is human she is human to him

If he is Jinn she becomes Jinn to him

إذا عوّد الإنسان يسراهُ مثلما

تعودتْ اليمنى استوت هي واليمنى

If man gets used to easing her like

The right hand becomes equal to the right

مضى مع أحبابي شبابي وصحتي

فما شاقني روضٌ ولا راقني مَغنى

My youth, health and friends have gone

No meadow delights me or singing cheers me

سلام على القلب الذي أوشك الضنى

يشاغله من بعد ما شَغَل البطنا

Greetings to the heart almost shackled by agony

After providing for the stomach distracted it

رضيت بأن تلقى وتَفنى جوانحي

سقاماً ولا يبلى يقيني ولا يفنى

I was pleased to meet and perish while my wings

Fall ill but not my faith and belief

وعفت الرحيق السلسبيل وعدت من

دمي ودموعي أجرع المالح السخنا

I avoided the pure wine and returned to

My blood and tears, the most bitter and hot drink

وعودني سقمي المبيتَ على الطوى

ولو عرضوا السلوى أماميَ والمنّا

My illness taught me to spend the night on the hillside

Even if they presented softness and blessings before me

وما بيَ إلا رحمةٌ لمغرِّبٍ

أحن إلى ملقاه شوقاً كما حنا

I have nothing left but mercy for one

Who yearns for meeting his Lord as I yearned

ولم أنسه يوماً ولم ينسني وما

ضننت عليه بالحياة ولا ضنا

I never forgot him and he never forgot me

I did not begrudge him life nor did he

وكل عليل يسترد حياته

إذا ردّت الأيام ما أخذتْ منا

Every ailing person regains his life

When days give back what they took from us