قَدِمتَ سَعِيداً فائِزاً خَيرَ مَقدَمِ
وَأُبتَ حَمِيداً غانِماً كُلَّ مَغنَمِ
You came happy, successful, with the best arrival,
And you came commendable, victorious, with all spoils.
تُظِلُّكَ راياتُ السُعُودِ كَأَنَّها
مِنَ الطَيرِ إِلّا أَنَّها غَيرُ حُوُّمِ
The flags of Saud shade you as if they were
Birds but they are not like vultures.
إِذا سِرتَ أَخفَيتَ النَهارَ بِقَسطَلٍ
يَلُفُّكَ في جُنحٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ مُعتمِ
When you travel you hide the day with a dome
That wraps you in wings of the night, in darkness.
كَأَنَّكَ فِيهِ وَالقَنا تَزحَمُ القَنا
هِلالُ سَماءٍ طالِعٌ بَينَ أَنجُمِ
As if you are in it and the spear pierces the spear,
A crescent in the sky rising between stars.
وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا رَونَقُ الصُبحِ مُذ بَدا
غَدا كُلُّ فَجٍّ مُظلمٍ غَيرَ مُظلِمِ
Are you not the radiance of dawn since it appeared?
Making every dark, gloomy valley bright.
وَمُذ غِبتَ غابَ الخَيرُ عَن كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
وَغابَ الكَرى عَن كُلِّ جَفنٍ مُهَوِّمِ
Since you disappeared, good disappeared from every homeland,
And sleep disappeared from every worried eye.
وَما التَذَّ حَتّى عُدتَ خَلقٌ بِمَشرَبٍ
ولا التَذَّ حَتّى عُدتَ خَلقٌ بِمَطعَمِ
People did not enjoy life until you returned to a familiar spirit,
Nor did they enjoy life until you returned to a familiar taste.
إِذا مَرَّ يَومٌ لا أَراكَ مُمَثّلاً
بِهِ كانَ مَحسُوباً بِحَولٍ مُحَرَّمِ
If a day passed without seeing you embodied in it
It would be considered a forbidden misfortune.
تَضِيقُ عَلَيَّ الأَرضُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها
إِذا غِبتَ عَن عَينَيَّ في دَورِ دِرهَمِ
The earth feels tight to me when you are absent from my eyes
As if it is a dirham's orbit when you disappear.
فِدىً لِمَطاياكَ العُيونُ وَقَد سَرَت
ثِقالاً تُباري مَعلَماً بَعدَ مَعلَمِ
My eyes are ransom for your horses which walked
Heavily rivaling milestones after milestones.
بِأَسَعدِ رَكبٍ رائِحٍ وَمُهَجِّرٍ
وَأَكرَمِ سَفرٍ ظاعِنٍ وَمُخَيِّمِ
With the happiest caravan departing and settling,
And the most generous travel gathering and camping.
تَمَنَّيتُ لَو أَنّي نَزَلتُ كَرامَةً
فَقَبَّلتُ مِنها كُلَّ خُفٍّ وَمَنسِمِ
I wish I had dismounted to kiss
Every hoof and every footprint.
وَصَيَّرتُ خَدِّي في التَنُوفَةِ مَبرَكاً
وَطِيئاً لِأَعضادِ المَطِيِّ المُحَرَّمِ
And I made my cheek a blessing in the saddlecloth,
And a pillow for the forbidden horse's shanks.
لَقَد كَرُمَت تِلكَ الرِكابُ وَرَكبُها
وَحازَت جَميلَ الذِكرِ مِن كُلِّ مُسلِمِ
That caravan was generous and its riders
Attained the beauty of mention from every Muslim.
تَوَلَّت وَخَلَّت قَلبَ رَحبَة مالِكٍ
لِفُرقَتِها قَلبَ الشَجِيِّ المُتَيَّمِ
It left and emptied the heart of Rabia Malik
For its separation, the heart of the affectionate complainant.
وَأَضحَت مِنَ الضاحِي تَبِضُّ كَأَنَّما
قِسِيٌّ رَمَت أَكبادُها حُرَّ أَسهُمِ
The land became teary from the Clear
as if it is an archer who shot its livers with hot arrows.
مُيَمِّمَةً في كُلِّ مُمسىً وَمُصبَحٍ
مِنَ الوَطَنِ التاجِيِّ خَيرَ مُيَمَّمِ
Heading every evening and morning
To the crowned homeland, the best destination.
وَلَمّا عَلَت نَشرَ الرُصافَةِ بُشِّرَت
بِعارِضِ مُزنِ باكِرِ الوَبلِ مُثجِمِ
When it raised the banner of departure it was given good news
Of the aspect of dawn's early clouds thundering.
تَباشَرَ أَهلُ الشامِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم
سَوامٌ أَحَسَّت بِالرَبِيعِ المُوَسَّمِ
The people of Levant rejoiced as if they are
Thirsty camels who sensed the seasoned spring.
أَغاث بِكَ اللَهُ البِلادَ وَأَهلَها
وَرَدَّكَ رَدَّ المُفضِلِ المُتَكَرِّمِ
May God help the countries and its people through you
And return you like the generous, honorable return.
رَأَوكَ فَضَجُّوا بِالدُعاءِ كَما دَعا
إِلى اللَهِ حُجاجُ الحَطِيمِ وَزَمزَمِ
They saw you and clamored with supplication as pilgrims supplicated
To God, the pilgrims of Hateem and Zamzam.
فَبُورِكَ شَهرٌ أَنتَ فِيهِ مُسَلَّماً
وَلَكِنَّ بَيتَ المالِ غَيرُ مُسَلَّمِ
So blessed is the month you are safe in
Though the treasury is not safe.
تَضاعَفَتِ الأَعيادُ فِيهِ فَقَد غَدا
لَنا عَيدُ فِطرٍ تابِعاً عِيدَ مَقدَمِ
The holidays doubled in it as it became
An Eid of Fitr subsequent to the Eid of your arrival.
جَزى اللَهُ خَيراً هِمَّةً لَكَ لَم تَزَل
تَضُرُّ بِأَطرافِ الوَشِيجِ المُقَوَّمِ
May God reward your determination which did not stop
Inflicting the edges of the crooked calamity.
حَمَلت بِها الأَثقالَ في كُلِّ حادِثٍ
وَخُضتَ بِها الأَهوالَ في كُلِّ صَيلَمِ
You carried the burdens in every incident
And plunged into terrors in every formidable darkness.
وَما زِلتَ كَسّاباً بِها العِزَّ مُتعِباً
بِها كُلَّ يَعبُوبٍ مِنَ الخَيلِ شَيظَمِ
You never stopped gathering honor, tired
Of taming every stubborn horse.
إِذا اشتَدَّتِ اللأواءُ نَفَّست كَربَها
بِهِمَّةِ لاوانٍ وَلا مُتَلَوِّمِ
When hardships intensified, your determination relieved its distress
With determination that does not weaken or complain.
يَزِيدُكَ مَرُّ الدَهرِ أَيداً وَقُوَّةً
كَأَنَّكَ لَم تُخلَق مِنَ اللَحمِ وَالدَمِ
The passage of time increases your support and strength
As if you were not created from flesh and blood.
أَرى الناسَ لا يَسعَونَ مَسعاكَ لِلعُلى
وَلا يَفعَلُونَ الخَيرَ فِعلَ التَكَرُّمِ
I see people cannot match your ascendance to glory
And cannot do good deeds like your generosity.
وَما يَركَبُ الأَخطارَ في كُلِّ حادِثٍ
وَيَكشِفُها غَيرُ الخَطِيرِ الغَشَمشَمِ
Who dares ride dangers in every incident
And reveal them except the audacious hero?
كَأَنتَ وَمَن يَفعَل فَعالَكَ يَتَّخِذ
جَميلاً وَمَن يَحفَظ حِفاظَكَ يَغنَمِ
You and whoever does your deeds takes
Goodness and whoever safeguards your protection gains.
خُلِقتَ كَرِيماً لا نَداكَ مُقَصِّرٌ
وَلا غَيثُكَ الهامِي عَلَينا بِمُنجِمِ
You were created generous with no failing equal
And your pouring cloud does not fail us with rainfall.
وَهَيهاتَ أَن يَعلو عُلُوَّكَ مَن سَعى
لِيَعلُو وَلَو نالَ السَماءَ بِسُلَّمِ
Far from it that one who aspires
Reaches your glory even if he climbed the sky with a ladder.
مَكارِمُ لا ذُو التاجِ كِسرى بنُ هُرمُزٍ
حَواها وَلا أَقيالُ عادٍ وَجُرهُمِ
Virtues that neither Kisra Anushirwan possessed,
Nor the kings of ‘Aad and Jurhum contained.
وَما حاتِمٌ عِندِي بِنِدٍّ أَقِيسُهُ
إِلَيكَ وَلا كَعبٌ وَلا ابنُ مُكَدَّمِ
In my view, neither Hatim nor Ka’b are your equals
Nor the son of Mukaddam.
لِأَنَّ أَبا العُلوانِ إِن كانَ آخِراً
فَقَد حازَ شأوَ الفارِطِ المُتَقَدِّمِ
Because the father of glory even if he came later
Attained the rank of the preceding excellent.
كَذا النارُ أُولاها شَرارَةُ قابِسٍ
وَآخِرُها وَهجُ السَعِيرِ المُضَرَّمِ
So fire, its first is an igniting spark
And its last is the blaze of hellfire flaming.
أُعِيذُكَ بِاللَهِ السَميعِ وِبالقَنا
تَشَعشَعَ في أَطرافِها كُلُّ لَهذَمِ
I seek refuge for you in The All-Hearing God and the spear
That glistened at its edges with every polished blade.
فَأَنتَ جَمالٌ كُنتَ في صَدرِ مَجلِسٍ
لَدى السَلمِ أَو في صَدرِ جَيشٍ عَرَمرَمِ
You are beauty whether you were in the heart of a council
Near the turban or in the heart of an army clamoring.
إِذا نَظَرَت عَينايَ وَجهَكَ مُقبِلاً
تَأَمَّلتُ وَجهَ الرِزقِ في وَجهِ ضَيغَمِ
When my eyes see your face approaching,
I envision the face of sustenance in your glowing face.
أَهابُكَ حَتّى لَيسَ يَمتَدُّ ناظرِي
إِلَيكَ وَلا يَستَأنِسُ النُطقُ في فَمِي
I am awed by you until my sight cannot
Stretch to you and speech stammers in my mouth.
فَوا عَجَباً أَنّي إِذا قُمتُ مُنشِداً
أَمامَكَ لَم أَحصَر وَلم أَتَلَعثَمِ
How strange that when I stand reciting poetry
In your presence I do not falter or stutter.
وَلَكِنَّ قَلبِي واثِقٌ بِكَ عالِمٌ
بِكُلِّ جَمِيلٍ مِنكَ غَيرِ مُعَتِّمِ
But my heart is confident in you, knowledgeable
Of all your goodness without darkness.
خَدَمتُكَ وَالفَودانِ سُحمٌ كَأَنَّها
حَياةُ مُعادِيكَ الشَقِيِّ المُذَمَّمِ
Serving you and the necklaces are white, shining beads
وَها هِيَ بِيضٌ ناصِعاتٌ كَأَنَّها
بَياضُ ثَنايا دَهرِكَ المُتَبَسِّمِ
As if they are the wretched life of your frowning enemy.
The whiteness of the folds of your smiling time.
فَلَم أَرَ أَندى مِنكَ كَفّاً بِنائِلٍ
جَسِيمٍ وَلا أَقوى عَلى حَملِ مَغرَمِ
So I did not see a hand more generous than yours
In attaining a formidable prize or stronger at bearing burdens.
فَتَحتَ عَلَيَّ الرِزقَ مِن كُلِّ وِجهَةٍ
وَأَنقَذتَنِي مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ وَمَخرِمِ
You opened sustenance to me from every direction
And saved me from every pit and destruction.
وَأَغنَيتَنِي عَمَّن سِواكَ فَلَم أَبِت
بِنُعماكَ مُحتاجاً إِلى فَضلِ مَنعِمِ
You made me needless of any besides you so I did not sell
Your bounties while needing the favor of a benefactor.
وَإِن نالَنِي خَيرٌ فَمِنكَ أَساسُهُ
وَما النَبتُ إِلّا بِالغَمامِ المُدَيِّمِ
If any good befell me, you are its foundation,
As vegetation is only because of lasting clouds.
وَواأَسَفا أَنّي تَخَلَّفتُ لَم أَقُم
بِحَقٍّ وَلَم أَنشُر ثَناءً بِمَوسِم
Alas that I lagged, did not stand
With truth or spread praise in its season.
وَلَكِن عَدانِي سُوءُ حَظّي وَعاقَنِي
عَنِ الواجِبِ المَفروضِ فَرطُ التَأَلُّمِ
But my misfortune turned me away
And excessive pain prevented me from obligation.
وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا الشَمسُ ما انضَرَّ نُورُها
بِصَمتِي وَلا زادَت عُلىً بِتَكَلُّمي
Are you not the sun whose light was not dimmed
By my silence or increased by my speaking?
لَقَد عَزَّ قَومٌ وَاصَلُوكَ وَحاوَلُوا
دنُوَّكَ حَتّى مازَجُوا الدمَ بِالدَمِ
Some people associated with you and tried
To be close to you until they mixed blood with blood.
نَصَرتَهُمُ حَتّى بِرَأيِكَ فاتِحاً
لَهُم كُلَّ مُستَدٍّ مِنَ الأَمرِ مُبهَمِ
You supported them until with your opinion their conqueror
Unravelled every ambiguous matter.
وَما خِندِفٌ إِلّا نُجُومٌ زَواهِر
تَخَيَّرتَ مِنها بَيتَ غَفرٍ وَمِرزَمِ
Khundif is but shining stars
From which you chose the houses of Ghafar and Mirzam.
وَكانُوا يَرَونَ الفَخرَ قَبلَكَ غائِراً
فَفُزتَ وَفازُوا بِالفَخارِ المُتَمَّمِ
They saw glory before you waning
So you won and they won the perfected pride.
إِذا مُضَرٌ طالَت بِذِكراك أَشرَفَت
عَلى الناسِ إشرافَ الذُرى مِن يَلَملَمِ
When Muḍar is mentioned, your mention
Rises above people like the ascent of a laden camel.
هَنيئاً لَكَ التَوفِيقُ فابقَ مُوَفَّقاً
طَوالَ اللَيال وَاعلُ في المُلكِ واسلَمِ
Congratulations on your success so remain successful
With long nights and sublime in kingdom and safety.
فَإِن بَنِي الدُنيا وَإِنَّكَ فِيهِمُ
لَكا لغُرَّةِ البَيضاءِ في وَجهِ أَدهَمِ
The people of the world even if you are among them
Are like the cunning in an African's face.
