حاديَها أيْنَ بها تَذْهبُ
إذْ ليْسَ عن ورْدِ المنى مَذْهبُ
Where is she heading, when the path to love's roses leads nowhere?
This is the season where the deer have their grazing and stars their watch tower.
هذا هوَ الربْعُ بهِ للظِّبا
والأنْجُمِ المَرتعُ والمرْقبُ
If you seek help the living will aid you, or light if you need illumination - it will not be denied.
My tears cannot quench my burning thirst for those nights I spent awake.
إن تسْأل الرِّفْدَ يَجُدْكَ الحَيا
أو تَسْتَضئْ فالنّور لا يُحْجَبُ
Their shining stars mock whenever they rise or set in the darkness.
If shaken, they are weak and pliant, or coil up stiff and erect as blades.
لا يُظْمِئُ الوجدُ الحُمولَ التي
سرَتْ ومن دمْعي لها مَشرَبُ
The dark night saddles its steeds, followed at dawn by the grey one.
The dawn has furled its banner, beneath which the pearls of dew are plundered.
شَامت سَنا بارِقها كُلّما
يجيءُ في الظلماءِ أو يذْهبُ
The honest folk have faces that please, lit up beautifully at sunrise.
Passion flames in my heart when I think of them, however often their white hair appears.
إنْ هُزّ فهْوَ ذابِلٌ مُشْرَعٌ
أو سُلّ فهْوَ صارمٌ مُذْهَبُ
I hastened to them when they pitched camp, and my effort was not in vain.
I care not for the critics, what business have they? Every lover is exhausted by them.
وأدْهَمُ الليل يُجدُّ السُّرى
يَتبعُهُ من صُبْحِه أشْهَبُ
They know that for the impassioned, all torment is brought to bear.
Were they peerless eyes or arrows that pierced and shredded our hearts?
قد عُقِدَ الفجْرُ لهُ رايةً
عِقْدُ الدّراري تحْتها يُنْهَبُ
Oh how often misfortune has scorned my hopes and denied my wishes!
How often it tossed my heart about in its embers until transformed and overturned!
وجيرَةُ الحقِّ لهُمْ أوْجُهٌ
نورُ الضحَى بحسْنِها يعْجَبُ
A calamitous fate whose clouds, whenever life is hoped for, flash with barren lightning.
So where can I seek refuge, O Guiding Imam, other than in your lofty heights?
يَشبّ وجْدُ القلب من ذِكْرِهمْ
مهْما تَبدّى فَوْدُهُ الأشيَبُ
The gardens of culture have withered since they were abandoned, no gentle breath issues from them,
And bounty finds no rain for its irrigation, so they have no abundant crops.
سَعى بيَ الواشي لهمْ عندما
قد خيّمُوا والسّعْيَ ما خيّبُوا
But for our Master there is comfort, which now flows copiously for him.
No surprise in whoever was hostile or harvests what he sows, for such is the way of fate.
مالي وللعذّال ما شأنُهمْ
كُلُّ مُحِبٍّ بِهِمُ مُتْعَبُ
How often has a stingy granter denied me what I constantly desired!
How often has a tyrannical adversary blocked my quest, barring the path before me!
قد علِموا بأنّ أهْلَ الهَوى
كُلُّ عَذابٍ عندهُمْ يَعْذُبُ
How often has passion heaped burdens beyond endurance or contentment!
How many nights have I spent awake, when stars barely seemed to set!
هلْ أعْيُنٌ فُوِّقْنَ أمْ أسْهُمٌ
تُصْمي بِها قُلوبَنا الرَّبْرَبُ
Their full moons appearing between them like the face of al-Nasir's son, ringed by his entourage.
Yusuf the Victorious is the sea of dew, and for him Qays ibn Sa`d is a father.
هذا وكمْ للدّهْرِ من جفْوةٍ
لا تُبْلِغُ الآمِلَ ما يَطْلُبُ
Have mercy on the world, their rule is bountiful like pouring rain.
Their foreheads shine radiant in the darkness like stars and planets.
كمْ قلّبَتْ قلبيَ في جَمْرِها
وإنهُ لحُوَّلٌ قُلَّبُ
Those who obey the supremacy of his rule, in the East and West,
Those who came to his aid in days of strife, his resolve and fearsome sword,
دهْرٌ جَهامٌ سُحْبُهُ كلّما
يُرْجى الحَيَا وبرْقُهُ خُلَّبُ
The two honored in the jewels of his rule, my praise for my Master whom I serve,
The two victorious, for whom Marwan ascends and Sa`ad prospers,
فأين منهُ يا إمامَ الهُدى
إلا إلى عليائِكَ المَهْرَبُ
A king whose origin is Mecca, and this Imam rooted in Yathrib,
The supporters of Allah's faith were his forefathers, from them came the greatest Master.
حدائِقُ الآداب مُذْ أمْحَلَتْ
ما هَبّ منها نفَسٌ طيبُ
A Master who gives generously when asked and pardons transgressions.
His noble nature decrees forgiveness, not blame.
ولم يجُدْ للجودِ غيثٌ بها
فلا جَنابٌ عندَها مخْصِبُ
Clemency, knowledge are his traits, as are wisdom and might that elicits awe.
Deeds no past king achieved, far beyond count or measure.
لكنّ موْلانا لهُ راحةٌ
ديمَتُها الآن بها تَسْكُبُ
If bygone rulers had seen a fraction of his feats, extolling his essence,
They would have been titled, not for victory, guidance or wise rule, but for security and safety.
لا عَجَبٌ ممّا جَفا أو جنى
فكُلُّ دهْرٍ شأنُهُ مُعْجِبُ
In war or peace, his fearsome sword, intimidating yet enticing.
When fear furrows the brows of his enemies, his every frontier becomes a yawning gulf.
كمْ منعَ المرْغوبَ لي مانحاً
ما كُنْتُ عنهُ دائماً أرْغبُ
He will be seen opening what was beyond reach, impregnable and difficult.
The whites rise on pulpits of their skulls, delivering sermons.
كمْ صدّني عن مطلبي ظالِماً
وسُدَّ لي دونَ المُنى المذْهبُ
The browns find rest when unleashed to dye their blood.
O King of the World whose justice has dispelled the gloom that veiled its horizon,
كمْ حمّلَ المُغْرَمَ ما لا يَفي
بِحَمْلهِ رَضْوَى ولا غُرَّبُ
I have attained my hopes through what you grasped, and now crave nothing more,
No wish of mine today will be thwarted, or pursuit of mine made arduous.
كم ليلةٍ قد بِتُّها ساهِراً
تكادُ فيها الشُّهْبُ لا تَغْرُبُ
My Master accept this eloquent eulogy, though it conveys my purpose.
Your acceptance is my aim, and he who attains it can trail his mantle above the clouds.
وبَدْرُها كأنّهُ بَيْنَها
وجْهُ ابْنِ نصْرٍ حَفّهُ الموْكِبُ
None can capture your qualities in verse, whether elaborate or succinct.
May you remain the pillar of Islam, for as long as the sun's rays emerge at dawn!
يوسُفٌ الناصِرُ بحْرُ النّدى
ومَنْ له قيسُ بنُ سعدٍ أبُ
فالهامِيانِ رحْمةً للورى
نوالُهُ والمَطَرُ الصَّيِّبُ
والنّيِّرانِ في ظلامِ الدُّجى
جَبينُهُ المُشْرِقُ والكَوْكَبُ
والطّيِّعانِ لِعُلَى مُلْكِهِ
بعدْلِهِ المَشْرِقُ والمغرِبُ
والماضِيانِ منهُ يومَ الوَغى
عزْمَتُهُ وسيفُهُ المُرْهِبُ
والأشْرفانِ بِحُلَى مُلكِهِ
مَدْحي لموْلايَ وما أكْتُبُ
والناصِرانِ مَن لمَرْوانِها
يُنْمَى ومَن لسَعدِها يُنسَبُ
ذلك مَلْكٌ أصْلُهُ مكّةٌ
وذا إمامٌ أصْلُهُ يثرِبُ
أنصارُ دينِ اللهِ آباؤُهُ
للهِ مَوْلىً منهُمُ أنجَبُوا
موْلىً يُنيلُ الخلقَ إرْفادَهُ
إن سألُوا والعَفْوَ إنْ أذْنبُوا
مَكارِمُ الأخلاقِ تقضي لَهُ
أن يَبْذُلَ العُتْبى ولا يعْتُبُ
فالحِلْمُ والعِلْمُ لهُ شيمةٌ
والحزمُ والعزمُ الذي يُرْهَبُ
مآثرٌ ليستْ لمَلْكٍ مَضى
هَيْهاتَ لا تحْصَى ولا تُحسَبُ
لوْ أبْصرتْ منهُ مُلوكٌ مضتْ
مآثراً عن ذاتِه تُعرِبُ
بالنّصرِ والهَدْيِ وبالرّشْدِ في
آرائِهمْ والأمنِ ما لُقِّبُوا
في حَرْبِه أو سلْمهِ سيفُهُ
وسَيْبُهُ المُرهِبُ والمُرْغِبُ
إنْ قَطّبَ الخوفُ وُجوهَ العِدَى
فكُل ثَغْرٍ ثغرُهُ أشنَبُ
سوفَ يُرَى يَفتحُ منْ أرضِهم
ما هُوَ مُسْتعْصٍ ومُسْتَصْعَبُ
والبيضُ قد قامت لديْهِ عَلى
منابرٍ منْ هامِهمْ تخطُبُ
والسُّمْرُ ترْتاحُ إذا ما غَدا
سِنانها منْ دَمِهِمْ يُخْضَبُ
يا مَلِكَ الدنْيا الذي عَدْلُهُ
به انْجَلى عن أفْقِها الغَيْهَبُ
بَلَغتُ آمالي بما نِلْتَهُ
لمْ يَبْقَ لي منْ بعْدِها مطلَبُ
فلا يخيبُ اليومَ لي مقْصَدٌ
ولا مَرامٌ رُمْتُهُ يَصْعُبُ
موْلايَ خذهَا مِدْحَةً فذّةً
ولَفْظُها عنْ مَقْصَدي مُعْرِبُ
قَبولُك القَصْدُ فمَن نالَهُ
فوقَ السّحابِ ذيْلَهُ يَسْحَبُ
وصْفُكَ لا يأتي به شاعِرٌ
سِيّان مَن يُطنِبُ أو يُسْهِبُ
فَدُمْتَ للإسْلامِ ما أصْبَحَتْ
شمْسُ الضحَى أنوارَها تصْحَبُ
