قف بالرّكائِبِ ساعةً واسْتوقِفِ

تحْظَ الرّكابُ ضُحىً بأشْرَفِ مَوْقفِ

Stand awhile at the ruins, and stop by

The riders get the best view at dawn, in the most glorious place

وارْبَعْ بها دِمَناً ألِفْتُ بها الهَوى

أكْرِمْ بها من مرْبعٍ أو مألَفِ

I lived in it for four years, and fell in love

Honor it, whether square or familiar

راقت مَحاسِنُها ورقّ نسيمُها

فالرّوضُ بيْنَ مؤرَّجٍ ومُفوَّفِ

Its beauty bloomed, and its soft breeze

So the garden, between adorned and shaded

تسْري الصَّبا بشذاهُ حين تُميلُهُ

فالقُضْبُ بينَ تعطُّرٍ وتعطُّفِ

The morning breeze flows with its fragrance when it tilts

So the branch, between perfumed and gentle

وافَى عَليلُ نسيمِها ثمّ انثَنى

والقلْبُ من ألَمِ الصبابةِ يخْتَفي

The breeze brought relief, then turned away

And the heart hides from the pain of youth

لولا النُّحولُ وإنّهُ لمَزيّةٌ

لم ترْهَبِ الأبْطالُ حَدَّ المُرهَفِ

If not for desperation, which is an honor

The heroes would not have reached the precipice

يا أهْلَ نجْدٍ هل لنا في حَيّكمْ

أو حُبّكمْ من مسْعِدٍ أو مُسْعِفِ

O people of Najd, do you have in your district

Any felicity or love, prosperous or helpful?

فإلى مَعاهِدِكمْ أطَلتُ تشوُّقي

وعلى عُهودِكُمُ قصَرتُ تشوُّفِي

To your covenants my longing leaned

And my eagerness shortened for your pledges

هامَ الفُؤادُ بظَبْيةِ البانِ التي

منها اسْتفاد البانُ لِينَ المَعْطِفِ

The doe of the effulgent full moon, from which

The full moon gained its gentle cloak

لم يَثْنِها قوْلُ الوُشاةِ وإنما

ريحُ الصَّبا مالَتْ بغصْنٍ أهْيَفِ

The slander of the envious did not bend her

The morning breeze tilted a pliant branch

وتبسَّمتْ بعقِيقِها عن لُؤلُؤٍ

شَفَةٌ شفَتْ وجْدي وإنْ لمْ تُرْشَفِ

Her carnelian smiled with pearls

Lips smiled though not sipped

ولطالَما أذكَتْ جوىً بجوانِحي

فطَفِقْتُ بيْن تَلهّبٍ وتلطُّفِ

And often ignited a passion in my being

So I wavered between burning and gentleness

دعْ ما يَريبُ فإنّني أصْبحْتُ من

ريْبِ الحوادثِ تحتَ ظِلٍّ أوْرَفِ

Leave the doubts, for I have become, from

The doubt of events, under the shade of a guardian

حَكَمي ابْنُ نصْرٍ ناصرُ الدّين الرضا

إن لمْ يكُنْ حُكْمُ الزّمانِ بمُنْصِفِ

My ruler is Ibn Nasr, supporter of the faith, Al-Rida

If the ruling of time is not just

حَسْبي من العَلياءِ أنّي عبْدُهُ

وكَفى به شرَفاً بذلك أكْتَفي

It suffices me, from the eminent, that I am his servant

And it suffices me, with that honor, and I am content

وبأنّني في القوْمِ أوّل ناظِمٍ

فيه المَديحَ ترفُّعي وتشرُّفي

And that I am the first composer in these people

Whose praise is my aloofness and honor

إيهٍ أعِدْ ذكْر المَعاهِدِ جادَها

عهْدُ الحَيا من دمْعيَ المُتوكِّفِ

Come, repeat the mention of the covenants, its

Pledge of life, from my collected tears

وإذا رَوَيْت بها أحاديث الهَوى

فاصْرِفْ عِنانَ القوْل أحْسَنَ مَصْرِفِ

And when you relay the love stories

Then turn the speech in the best way

خذْ عن فُؤادي حين صدّ به الجوى

وجداً يصحُّ حديثُهُ عن مُدْنَفِ

Take from my heart, when the passion disappointed it

True narration, understandable from one hidden

والهَدْيَ عن شُهُبِ الدجى عن بَدرِها

عن وجْهِ مولانا الخليفَةِ يوسُفِ

And guidance, about its crescent, from its full moon

About the face of our Master, the Caliph Yusuf

للهِ آثارٌ لهُ ومآثِرٌ

للمُقْتَدي إن شئْتَ أو للمُقتَفي

God has traces for Him and influences

For the imitator, if you wish, or the emulator

كمْ رغبَةٍ أو رهْبةٍ في سيفِه

أو سيْبِه للمُعتدي والمُعْتَفي

How much desire or reverence in His sword

Or captivity, for the aggressor and prisoner

لم أدْرِ ما عمَّ البسيطَةَ هلْ ندَى

كفّيْهِ أم صوْبُ الغَمامِ الوُكَّفِ

I did not know what filled the plain, was it

His palms or the clouds' showers that poured down

مصْرُ البلادِ أفاضَ في أرْجائِها

نِيلَ الندى وجَلا الجَمالَ اليوسُفي

The land of Egypt overflowed in its corners

With the Nile's dew, and beauty shone, Joseph-like

وقْفٌ عليهِ الجود يُرسلُ جَوْدَهُ

فيعُمّ بينَ توقُّفٍ وتوكّفِ

Pausing for it, generosity sends its generosity

Pervading between halting and pouring

ولقَدْ تَناهَى للمكارِمِ جمْعُهُ

فلذاكَ عن قصّادِه لمْ تُصْرفِ

And its gathering for bounties has spread

So from its archers, it was not turned away

رفّتْ ظِلالُ الأمْنِ وانعطَفَتْ علَى

وطنِ الجهادِ برأفةٍ وتعطُّفِ

The shades of security turned, and inclined

Upon the homeland of jihad, with kindness and sympathy

بمُبدّدٍ في الحرْبِ كُلَّ مُبدّلٍ

ومحرِّمٍ إبْقاءَ كُلِّ مُحرّفِ

Scattering every aggressor in war

And forbidding the remaining of each distorter

تأتي وفودُ الرّومِ تخْطُبُ سَلْمَهُ

فيكُفُّ كَفَّ القادِرِ المُتعفِّفِ

The Roman delegations come seeking his peace

So he stops, as the Competent stops, dignified

ووَلِيُّهُم يخشى فيُرْدِفُ رُسْلَهُ

إرْسالَ جيْشٍ بالملائِكِ مُرْدَفِ

And their patriarch fears, so follows his messengers

With an army, flanked by angels

أعِدِ الجوابَ بها على ظمأٍ لَها

تنْقَعْ جَوى المُتَشوّقِ المُتشوّفِ

Repeat the answer, with thirst for it

To quench an ardent lover's passion

واجْنَحْ إليْها منْعِماً مُتفضّلاً

لا زِلْتَ أكرمَ واهِبٍ متعطّفِ

And approach it, bestowing and gracious

You have always been the most generous and gentle

يا ناصرَ الإسلامِ والمَلكَ الذي

نالَ العُلا طوْعاً بغَيْرِ تكلّفِ

O supporter of Islam, and the king who

Attained the heights effortlessly, without trouble

أنْسَيْتَ أمْلاك الزّمان مَناقِباً

والشُهْبُ يُخْفيها الصّباحُ فتخْتَفي

You have made the kingdoms of time forget glories

While the meteors, the dawn hides them, so they vanish

فإذا نهيْتَ الدّهرَ أذْعنَ صاغِراً

وإذا أمرْتَ النّصْرَ لم يتوقّفِ

So if you chastise time, it surrenders, humiliated

And if you command victory, it does not hesitate

وإذا أجَلْتَ الخيْلَ خلّفَتِ العِدَى

صرْعَى ونصْرُ اللهِ لم يتخلّفِ

And when you prepare the horses, they leave the enemies

Slain, and God's victory does not fail

وتشُقُّ أنهارُ الظُّبا روْضَ القَنا

عجَباً ونارُ حُروبها لا تنْطَفي

The rivers of beasts tear the garden of spears

Wondrously, while their fires of war do not extinguish

يا أيُّها الملك الذي قصّادُهُ

وندَاهُ بيْنَ تفرُّقٍ وتألُّفِ

O king, whose archers and companions

Surround him, between dispersing and gathering

بُشْرَى بأكْرَمِ وافِدٍ آباؤهُ

قِدْماً تَلافَوْا كُلَّ خطبٍ مُتْلِفِ

Good news of the most generous visitor, whose fathers

Were earlier agreed upon every coveted matter

واهنأ بأسعدِ ناجِمٍ أنوارُه

يُجْلَى بها جنحُ الظّلامِ المُسْدِفِ

And congratulations on the happiest rising star whose lights

Shed away the darkness of the gloomy night

تُنْبي مَخائِلُهُ الكريمةُ أنّه

للجودِ يُنْجِزُ كلَّ وعْدٍ مُخْلَفِ

Its noble inclinations indicate he

Fulfills every neglected promise

تقْضي مناسِبُهُ الشّريفةُ أنّهُ

بِسِوَى المكارِمِ والعُلَى لم يَكْلَفِ

Its noble suitability indicates he

Is not burdened except with bounty and elevation

عُقِدتْ لهُ زُهْرُ النّجومِ تمائِماً

فتشرّفَتْ قبْل الحسامِ المَشْرَفي

The flowers of stars were knotted for him as charms

So they were honored before the honorable swords

وقفَت تُعيذُ من العيون كمالَهُ

فكأنّهنّ نواظِرٌ لمْ تُطْرِفِ

They stood to protect his perfection from eyes

As if they were gazes that did not blink

وافَى فهنّأنا إماماً مُنْعِماً

لوْلاهُ عارِفَةُ النّدى لمْ تُعْرَفِ

He came, so congratulate us on a generous Imam

Without whom, the hearts' secret would not be known

ولقدْ لثِمناها يَميناً أمّنَتْ

وطناً مُناويهِ رَهينُ تخوُّفِ

And we have surely kissed them as a pledge, they

Secured a homeland, captive of anxiety

وتهلَّلتْ دارُ الخِلافةِ عِندَما

حيّا به وجْهُ الزّمانِ المُسْعِفِ

And the seat of the Caliphate rejoiced when

The face of auspicious time greeted with him

وخوافقُ الأعْلامِ فيها قد حكَتْ

قلبَ العَدوّ المُلحِدِ المتخوِّفِ

And the flags in harmony in it had inscribed

The heart of the atheist enemy, fearful

تهْفو على أفُقِ الهُدَى عذَباتُها

مثل الكريمِ يجُرُّ ذيْلَ المِطْرَفِ

Sailing on the horizon of guidance, its rivers

Like the generous, trailing the hem of his cloak

واستَشْرفَتْ أوطانُها لوُرُودِه

ولكمْ بها لعُلاهُ من مسْتَشْرفِ

And his homelands have looked with optimism for his arrival

And how much elevation they have through him as optimists

ولراحتَيْهِ ارْتاحَ شوقاً ما بها

طوْعَ العُلى من ذابِلٍ أو مُرْهَفِ

And its ease, the lofty were at ease longing for him

Submissive to the heights, diminished or confused

وانسابَ نهرُ الجُودِ في روْض المنَى

من تحتِ ظلٍّ للأمانِ مُسجَّفِ

The river of generosity flowed in the garden of purpose

Under a shade sheltering safety

ومَنابِرُ الدّين الحنيفِ زهتْ بهِ

زهْوَ الخِلافةِ بالإمام الأشرفِ

And the pulpits of the true religion blossomed through him

With the splendor of the Caliphate and the most honorable Imam

وأسِرّةُ المُلْكِ العَزيز سرورُها

قد هزّ للإسلامِ أكْرمَ مَعطِفِ

And the family of mighty kingship, their joy

Shook the most generous cloak for Islam

وارتاحَتْ الخيلُ السّوابقُ وانثَنَتْ

تخْتالُ بين تشوّفٍ وتشرُّفِ

And the pedigree horses rested, and trotted

Prancing between eagerness and honor

ولَسَوْفَ تُتْلِعُ كُلَّ جِيدٍ مُشْرِفٍ

في الرّوعِ يُرْدي كُلَّ باغٍ مُسْرفِ

And they will surely destroy every lofty neck

Frightening every rebel in tyranny

ولسَوْفَ يُعلمُ أنّ نصر اللهِ قدْ

حيّا بوعدٍ منهُ غيْرَ مُسوّفِ

And it will be known that God's victory has

Greeted with a promise from Him, not delayed

فاسْعَدْ به لازلتَ تمنحُهُ الرِّضا

وتُريهِ من سُبُلِ الهُدَى ما يَقْتَفي

So be joyful through him, as you keep granting him satisfaction

And show him the ways of guidance to follow

وإذا سَلِمْتَ فما أصيبَ بحادثٍ

جَلَلٍ ألمّ ولا بِحالِ تأسُّفِ

And if you are secure, not afflicted by

A monumental accident, nor with sorrow

أوَ ما وُجودُكَ للخلائِق عِصْمةٌ

تَقْضي لشَمْلِ وجودِهمْ بتألُّفِ

Or is not your existence for creation a safeguard

Uniting their existence in harmony

أوَ ما دوامُك من عِداهُمْ جُنّةٌ

تكفيهِمُ وبها المؤمّلُ يكْتَفي

Or is not your permanence from their enemies a shield

Protecting them, and the hopeful is satisfied

أوَ ما سُعودُك في لِقاهُمْ آيةٌ

تَشْفي وصدْرُ الدّين منهُمْ يَشْتَفي

Or is not your fortune in meeting them a miracle

Healing and the heart of the religion craves it

موْلاي سمعاً لامتِداحِكَ إنّني

ولئن أطلتُ ببعضِ وصْفِك لمْ أفِ

My Lord, listening to your praise, though I

Prolonged depicting some of your traits, I did not reach the end

إن استِماعَك للمدائحِ طالَما

رقّى عبيدَك للمحلِّ الأشْرَفِ

For listening to praise has always

Elevated your servants to the most honorable position

أنا غَرْسُ نِعمَتِك الذي آدابُه

روضٌ أزاهِرُ مدْحِه لمْ تُقْطَفِ

I am the plant of your blessing, whose manners

Are a garden, whose flowers of praise were not picked

صدَفُ الطُّروسِ يضُمُّ منهُ جَواهِراً

أفْكارُه عن نظمِها لمْ تَصْدِفِ

The oyster of poetry that holds within it gems

Its ideas never deviated from its composition

موْلىً وعبْدٌ والنظامُ لآلئٌ

تَوِّجْ وطَوِّقْ كيفَ شِئْتَ وشَنِّفِ

My Master, and servant, and the string of pearls

Crown and adorn as you wish, and heap them

لازِلْتَ للأملاكِ وِجهةَ قصْدِها

فجميعُهُمْ يُبْدي اعتِرافَ المُنْصِفِ

You remain the destination of the kingdoms

So all of them admit the testimony of the just