ماهاجَ قَلبَكَ مِن مَعارِفِ دِمنَةٍ
بِالبَرقِ بَينَ أَصالِفٍ وَفَدافِدِ
Your heart was not troubled by the spiteful acquaintances,
With lightning between interlocked ribs and vertebrae.
لَعِبَت بِها هُوجُ الرِياحِ فَأَصبَحَت
قَفراً تَعَذَّرَ غَيرَ أَورَقَ هامِدِ
The gusts of wind played with it, so it became
A barren land where none but the still leaves of reeds can grow.
وَلَقَد رَدَدتُ بِها السُؤالَ صَبابَةً
وَالدارُ قَبلي ماتَبينُ لِناشِدِ
And I did address it with questions out of yearning,
While the abode before me was obscured from the inquirer.
وَلَقَد نَظَرتُ فَما رَأَيتُ لِناظِرٍ
غَيرَ الصَفيحِ وَغَيرَ رأُسٍّ بائِدِ
And I did look, but I did not see a beholder
Other than the steel and the head of a lance brought low.
تَجلو بِأَخضَرَ مِن فُروعِ أَراكَةٍ
حَسَنَ المُنَصَّبِ كَالفَضيضِ البارِدِ
It shelters with the greenest of arâk branches,
Beautifully pitched like cooled clarify juice.
رَحَلَت لِتَقضي في المَدينَةِ حاجَةً
عِندَ الأَميرِ وَأَهلُها بِعُتائِدِ
It travelled to fulfill a need in the city
With the prince, while its people were busied.
مَن كانَ أَخطَأَهُ الرَبيعُ فَإِنَّهُ
نُصِرَ الحِجازُ بِغَيثِ عَبدِ الواحِدِ
Whoever spring had missed, he was given victory
When the Hijâz was watered by the rain of the Unique.
سَبَقَت أَوائِلُهُ أَواخِرَ نَوئِهِ
بِمُشَرَّعٍ عَذبٍ وَنَبتٍ واعِدِ
Its early showers outdid its late downpour
With sweet, aromatic, verdant, promising growth.
لانَت وَغَرَّقَها النَعيمُ وَشُرِّبَت
طيبَ العِراقِ فَنِعمَ غُصنُ العاضِدِ
It became delicate and drenched with bliss, and was watered
With the perfume of Irâq, so excellent is the supporting branch.
إِنَّ المَدينَةَ أَصبَحَت مَعموَرَةً
بِمُتَوَّجٍ حُلوِ الشَمائِلِ ماجِدِ
The city has become populated
With a crowned conqueror, beautiful of noble deeds.
كَالغَيثِ مِن عَرضِ الفُراتِ تَهافَتَت
سُبُلٌ إِلَيهِ بِصادِرٍ أَو وارِدِ
The paths to it rushed like the rain from the Euphrates’ width,
With visitors incoming or resident.
وَمَلَكتَ غَيرَ مُعَنَّفٍ في مُلكِهِ
مادونَ مَكَّةَ مِن حَصىً وَمَساجِدِ
And it ruled without being oppressed in its rule
What lies before Mecca, whether pebbles or mosques.
وَلَقَد بَلَغتَ بِغَيرِ أَمرِ تَكَلُّفٍ
أَعلى الحُظوظِ بِرِغمِ أَنفِ الحاسِدِ
And you reached, without pretentious effort,
The highest fortunes, despite the envious one’s spite,
وَمَلَكتَ ما بَينَ العِراقِ وَيَثرِبٍ
مُلكاً أَجارَ لِمُسلِمٍ وَمُعاهِدِ
And ruled what lay between Irâq and Yathrib
A kingdom that gave sanctuary to Muslim and dhimmî.
ماليهِما وَدَميهِما مِن بَعدِ ما
غَشىّ الضَعيفُ شُعاعُ سَيفِ المارِدِ
Their wealth and blood, after what
The brightness of the sword of the gallant covered the weak.
وَلَقَد رَمَت قَيسٌ وَراءَكَ بِالحَصى
مَن رامَ ظُلمَكَ مِن عَدوٍّ جاهِدٍ
And Qais threw pebbles behind you
At whoever sought to wrong you, you bold hostile foe.
