مَتى عَطِلَت رُباكِ مِنَ الخِيامِ
سُقيتِ مَعاهِداً صَوبَ الغَمامِ
When shall my soul find rest from camps and tents
While rain clouds water meadows nourished by the sky?
لَأَسرَعَ ما أَدالَتكِ اللَيالي
وَأَخلَت عَنكِ عائِرَةَ السَوامِ
Would that the nights might swiftly reunite us soon
And the Pleiades desert you at nightfall.
وَقَفتُ بِها عَلى حِلَلٍ بَوالٍ
تُعَفّيها السَوافي بِالقَتامِ
I stopped beside traces of camps on arid sands
Swept by the winds at evening twilight gloom,
فَقُلتُ لِفِتيَةٍ مِن آلِ بَدرٍ
كِرامٍ وَالهَوى داءُ الكِرامِ
And said to some lads from the tribe of Badr -
Noble men, though passion be the noble's bane:
قِفوا حَيّوا الدِيارَ فَإِنَّ حَقّاً
عَلَينا أَن نُحَيّي بِالسَلامِ
"Greet these abodes, for it is surely just
That we should greet them peacefully." How gross
حَرامٌ أَن تَخَطّاها المَطايا
وَلَم نَذرِف مِنَ الدَمعِ السِجامِ
That horses' hooves should violate their ground
Before our flooding tears flow forth in streams!
فَأَسرَعَ كُلُّ أَروَعَ مِن قُرَيشٍ
نَماهُ أَبٌ إِلى العَلياءِ نامِ
Then every shining youth of Quraysh urged
His camel faster, by his father nourished.
فَظَلنا نَنشُدُ العَرصاتِ عَهداً
تَصَرَّمَ وَالأُمورُ إِلى اِنصِرامِ
We lingered, chanting covenants of old,
Now frail, as all things fail and disappear.
وَنَستافُ الثَرى مِنَ بَطنِ فَلجٍ
وَنَستَلِمُ الحِمى أَيَّ اِستِلامِ
We rode the valley's floor and drove the guard,
Receiving charge of them so gallantly,
إِلى أَن غاضَتِ العَبَراتُ إِلّا
بَقايا بَينَ أَجفانٍ دَوامِ
Until all tears were checked save some few drops
Remaining between steadfast lids. At last,
وَرُحنا تَلزَمُ الأَيدي قُلوباً
دَوينَ مِنَ الصَبابَةِ وَالغَرامِ
Hands clasping hearts still quivering with desire
And ardour youthful and impetuous,
هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَجمَعُ بَعدَ بُعدٍ
وَتَفجَعُ بَعدَ قُربٍ وَالتِئامِ
We left. Time gathers those now parted far
And reconciles those joined in amity.
خَليلَيَّ الهَوى خُلُقٌ كَريمٌ
تُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ أَخلاقُ اللِئامِ
My friend, your nature is a noble one
Which vileness in its basest forms cannot attain.
وَفاءً إِن نَأَت بِالجارِ دارٌ
وَرَعياً لِلمَوَدَّةِ وَالذِمامِ
Your faithfulness, should a neighbour settle by,
Safeguards the pledge of love and obligation.
أَلا طَرَقَت تَلومُكَ أُمُّ عَمرٍو
وَما لِلغانِياتِ وَلِلمَلامِ
Does she who blames you (3) not approach by night
To chide you, though the singers blame you not?
أَعاذِلَ لَو أَضافَكِ جُنحُ لَيلٍ
إِلَيَّ وَأَنتِ واضِعَةُ اللِثامِ
Reproach me, if the wings of night should cast
A shadow over me, my mantle lowered!
لَسَرَّكِ أَن يَكونَ اللَيلُ شَهراً
وَأَلهاكِ السُهادُ عَنِ المَنامِ
You would rejoice were night to last a month,
The Pleiades distract you from all sleep.
أَعاذِلَ ما أَعَزَّكِ بي إِذا ما
أَتاحَ اللَيلُ وَحشِيَّ الكَلامِ
Reproach me! How you have disgraced me when
The night affords me intimacies hushed and still!
وَعَنَّت كُلُّ قافِيَةٍ شَرودٍ
كَلَمحِ البَرقِ أَو لَهَبِ الضِرامِ
Each verse whose floating measure starts to stray
Turns back, as lightning flashes or flames leap quick.
عَلى أَعجازِها قَرمٌ إِذا ما
عَناهُ القَولُ أَوجَزَ في تَمامِ
When discourse strains their strength, still they prevail,
And halt, although the words drive on to goals.
شَوارِدُ إِن لَقيتَ بِهِنَّ جَيشاً
صَرَفنَ مَعَرَّةَ الجَيشِ اللُهامِ
They sway the will of him whom passion left
In tatters and no man can take my place;
وَإِن نازَعتَهُنَّ الشَربَ كانَت
مُداماً أَو أَلَذَّ مِنَ المُدامِ
Not one of all the diverse ranks and tribes
Can ever grave his marks upon their hearts.
يَثُرنَ عَلى اِمرِىءِ القَيسِ بنِ حُجرٍ
فَما أَحَدٌ يَقومُ بِها مَقامي
O Caliph, steward of God's authority .
Exalted over predecessors rightfully!
إِلَيكَ خَليفَةَ اللَهِ اِستَقَلَّت
قَلائِصُ مِثلُ مُجفِلَةِ النَعامِ
Would that the swords under your command desist
From vengeance, while the sharpened blades persist.
تَراها كَالسَراةِ مُعَمَّماتٍ
إلى اللَبّات من جَعدِ اللُغامِ
You raised the banners over level plains
While at your gate the Christians rub their palms
تَهاوى بَينَ هَدّارٍ نَجِيٍّ
وَقورِ الرَحلِ طَيّاشِ الزِمامِ
And sights unfold in splendour, where the Faith
Still spreads its might inviolate.
وَبَينَ شِمِلَّةٍ تَطغى إِذا ما
تَهافَتَتِ المَطِيُّ مِنَ السَئامِ
There was a folk whose hearts began to err;
You healed their hearts of sickness and despair.
جَزَعنَ قَناطِرَ القاطولِ لَيلاً
وَأَعراضَ المَطيرَةِ لِلمُقامِ
Troops launched attacks against al-Marwarrudh
With power, terrible revenge.
فَعُجنَ بِها وَقَد أَنضى طُلاها
قِرانُ اللَيلِ بِاللَيلِ التَمامِ
Her ramparts cracked on both sides from the shock
And horsemen circled with their piercing shafts.
وَكُنَّ نَواهِضَ الأَعناقِ غُلباً
فَعُدنَ وَهُنَّ قُضبانُ الثُمامِ
She saw the banners of the Caliphate
Assaulting her, and fell headlong with awe.
فَشَبَّهنا مَواقِعَها بِعِقدٍ
تَساقَطَ مِن فَريدٍ أَو نِظامِ
The wrongful schismatics when they disobeyed
And closed their ears against the invitation
وَثُرنَ وَلِلصَباحِ مُعَقِّباتٌ
تُقَلِّصُ عَنهُ أَعجازَ الظَلامِ
Unto the mosque of Peace, before their walls
Appeared a day even the ringdoves flee.
فَلَمّا أَن تَجَلّى قالَ صَحبي
أَضَوءُ الصُبحِ أَم وَجهُ الإِمامِ
Would that day cause your glory to decline,
O Abu Ishaq(4), a realm more bright than all the highest glories!
فَقُلتُ كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ مِن بِعيدٍ
وَجَلَّت غُرَّةُ المَلِكِ الهُمامِ
By your sword the world remains intact; the thread
Of Islam was made fast when torn apart.
إِلَيكَ اِبنَ الخَلائِفِ أَزعَجَتنا
دَواعي الوُدِّ وَالهِمَمُ السَوامي
Help us as you helped Harun!(5) Hopefully
You'll live a thousand years (God grant them to you!)
وَأَنتَ خَليفَةُ اللَهِ المُعَلّى
عَلى الخُلَفاءِ بِالنِعَمِ العِظامِ
By God and by the inviolable land -
Our oath, between Muzdalifa (6) and the Place!
وَليتَ فَلَم تَدَع لِلدّينِ ثَأراً
سُيوفُكَ وَالمُثَقَّفَةُ الدَوامي
You are most worthy, House of Abbas,(7) to inherit
The Legacy of Prophecy from men.
نَصَبتَ المازَيارَ عَلى سَحوقٍ
وَبابَكَ وَالنَصارى في نِظامِ
"Al-Anfal" is your disputant, and your witness, (8)
Containing arguments to still all strife.
مَناظِرُ لا يَزالُ الدينُ مِنها
عَزيزَ النَصرِ مَمنوعَ المَرامِ
The Prophet's relics and traditions are
Correctives for lawfulness and its reverse.
وَقَد كادَت تَزيغُ قُلوبُ قَومٍ
فَأَبرَأتَ القُلوبَ مِنَ السَقامِ
Love of you makes each sin to disappear
Joined to prayer and fasting day by day
وَعَمّورِيَّةَ اِبتَدَرَت إِلَيها
بَوادِرُ مِن عَزيزٍ ذي اِنتِقامِ
While schismatics assert your right lies in
A Shib Ravudha, losing every claim!
فَقَعقَعَتِ السَرايا جانِبَيها
وَأَلحَفَتِ الفَوارِسُ بِالسِهامِ
Imams like mine command seventy thousand
Turkish bowmen with their arrows drawn,
رَأَت عَلَمَ الخِلافَةِ في ذُراها
فَخَرَّت بَينَ أَصداءٍ وَهامِ
Who satisfy their holy wrath against
The blades of every Indian cumbersome in war;
وَجَمعُ الزُطِّ حينَ عَموا وَصَمّوا
عِنِ الداعي إِلى دارِ السَلامِ
أَطَلَّ عَلَيهِمُ يَومٌ عَبوسٌ
تَعَوَّذُ مِنهُ أَيامُ الحِمامِ
لِيَهنِكَ يا أَبا إِسحقَ مُلكٌ
يَجِلُّ عَنِ المُفاخِرِ وَالمُسامي
لِسَيفِكَ دانَتِ الدُنيا وَشُدَّت
عُرى الإِسلامِ مِن بَعدِ اِنفِصامِ
فَأَيِّدنا بِهارونٍ وَإِنّا
لَنَرجو أَن تُعَمَّرَ أَلفَ عامِ
أَما وَمُحَرِّمِ البَلَدِ الحَرامِ
يَميناً بَينَ زَمزَمَ وَالمَقامِ
لَأَنتُم يا بَني العَباسِ أَولى
بِميراثِ النَبِيِّ مِنَ الأَنامِ
تُجادِلُ سورَةُ الأَنفالِ عَنكُم
وَفيها مَقنَعٌ لِذَوي الخِصامِ
وَآثارُ النَبِيِّ وَمُسنَداتٌ
صَوادِعُ بِالحَلالِ وَبِالحَرامِ
مَوَدَّتُكُم تُمَحِّصُ كُلَّ ذَنبٍ
وَتُقرَنُ بِالصَلاةِ وَبِالصِيامِ
وَرافِضَةٍ تَقولُ بِشِعبِ رَضوى
إِمامٌ خابَ ذلِكَ مِن إِمامِ
إِمامي مَن لَهُ سَبعونَ أَلفاً
مِنَ الأَتراكِ مُشرَعَةَ السِهامِ
إِذا غَضِبوا لِدينِ اللَهِ أَرضَوا
مَضارِبَ كُلِّ هِندِيٍّ حُسامِ
