رُبوعٌ لَكُم بِالأَجرِ عَينٌ وَأَطلالُ
سَقاهُنَّ مُنهَلُّ الشآبيبِ هَطّالُ
Spacious lands where ruins with fountains lie,
Watered by youthful downpours from the sky.
بِحَيثُ يَبيتُ الطَلحُ وَالضالُ مِنكُمُ
قَريباً بِنَفسي ذَلِكَ الطَلحُ وَالضالُ
Where antelopes and strays nightly repose,
My soul, those antelopes and strays, are close.
مَنازِلُ آجالٍ مِنَ العيسِ لَم يَطُل
لَهُنَّ وَلا لِلعيسِ فيهِنَّ آجالُ
Stages for bands of nomads brief in stay,
For them no length, nor permanence have they.
لَقَد أَنهَجَت بَعدي كَما أَنهَجَ الصِبا
فَهُنَّ وَأَيّامُ الشَبيبَةِ أَسمالُ
As the winds blew after me, blowing my days,
My youth and its times are swarms gone astray.
أَيا رَبعُ أَضناكَ البِلى وَلِيَ الهَوى
فَما لَكَ إِبلالٌ وَلا لِيَ إِبلالُ
O dwelling, what decay made you thus decline?
Yet you show no decline, nor I repine.
وَقَفنا وَأَوقَفنا الدُموعُ حَبيسَةً
عَلَيكَ وَإِنّا بِالدُموعِ لَبُخّالُ
Sparing with tears are you, I lavish and kind.
Have the years pouring wine down made you wise?
سَقَتكَ العِهادُ الغُرُّ هَل أَنتَ مُخبِرٌ
عَنِ الحَيِّ إِنّي عَنهُمُ لَكَ سَآلُ
Of the living, for you I question and surmise.
Oh you that seek to slay me, be gentle I pray,
أَمُزمِعَةٌ بِالبَينِ قَتلي تَرَفَّقي
فَفي الرِفقِ إِحسانٌ لَدَيكِ وَإِجمالُ
Gentleness in you would be kinder in every way.
The night has stolen all, even the stars are dull,
سَلَبتِ الدُجى ما فيهِ حَتّى نُجُومُهُ
لِنَحرِكِ عِقدٌ وَالأَهِلَّةُ أَحجالُ
Only here, a necklace glitters, anklets pull.
In valleys of lush trees, I divined if I might
تَفاءَلَتُ في وادي الأَراكِ لَعَلَّني
أَراكِ فَلَم يَصدُق بِرُؤيَتِكَ الفالُ
Behold you, but the auguries proved not right.
I yearn for the Hijaz and its distant parts,
أَحِنُّ إِلى أَهلِ الحِجازِ وَدُونَهُم
مَفاوِزُ فيها لِلتَعامُلِ إِعمالُ
Spaces where hearts may mingle and commerce starts.
When flocks flap wings towards your lands, my heart
وَأَنظُرُ خَفقَ الآلِ مِن نَحوِ أَرضِكُم
فَيَخفِقُ قَلبي كُلَّما خَفَقَ الآلُ
Flaps with them, every flap a wound and a dart.
Burning with passion, my legs fettered stay,
وَإِنّي لَمُشتاقٌ وَعِندي صَنيعَةٌ
تَغُلُّ رِكابي وَالصَنائِعُ أَغلالُ
Fettered by crafts, for crafts like shackles weigh.
Near a king, forgot my loved ones, his love
لَدى مَلِكٍ أَنسى الأَحِبَّةَ حُبُّهُ
فَأَصبَحَ لي عَنهُم بِنُعماهُ إِشغالُ
Morning found me busy, their thought thereof.
He generous whose land riches on poor bestows,
كَريمٌ أَقَلُّ الكَسبِ في أَرضِهِ الغِنى
وَأَيسَرُ شَيءٍ في مَواهِبِهِ المالُ
Whose plenty makes giving the simplest of woes.
His virtues like stars are resplendent and bright,
مَناقِبُهُ مِثلُ النُجومُ زَواهِرٌ
وَأَفعالُهُ عِندَ الأَماثِلِ أَمثالُ
His deeds by the best tenets guided upright.
Beggar or prince, his guest makes no differentiation,
إِذا نَزَلَ الأَضيافُ أَو نُوزِلَ القَنا
تَساوى نَزيلٌ في ذُراهُ وَنَزّالُ
Loss or gain, equal in his estimation.
When armies oppose, his sharp swords prove right,
لَهُ صارِمٌ دَلَّت فُلولٌ بِحَدِّهِ
عَلى أَنَّهُ لِلجَيشِ بِالجَيشِ فَلّالُ
Each side in battle discern him knight.
Ask his kin, when war makes its earnest call,
إِذا سَلَّهُ في مَعرَكٍ مِن قِرابِهِ
تَشابَهَ مَسلولٌ هُناكَ وَسَلّالُ
Asker and asked both ready to fall.
By him the sword is vain, his arm mightier,
وَما السَيفُ إِلّا دُونَهُ وَهُوَ بِالنَدى
لِراجِيهِ مُحيٍّ وَالمُهَنَّد قَتّالُ
Vanquishing and felling the duplicitous.
O Abu Salih, you reaped high traits and more,
أَبا صالِحٍ حُزتَ المَكارِمَ وَالتَقَت
إِلى الفَخرِ أَعمامٌ عَلَيكَ وَأَخوالُ
Sires and uncles who your pride fanned before.
Be delighted as the Imam his steed reins
لِيَهنِكِ تَشريفُ الإِمامِ بِسُبَّقٍ
مِنَ الخَيلِ في قانٍ مِنَ التِبرِ تَختالُ
To ride the soft dune, his glory attains.
Night hurried to you, starry, to exalt your name,
خَبَطنَ إِلَيكَ اللَيلَ حَتّى تَكَلَّلَت
لَهُنَّ هَوادٍ بِالنُجومِ وَأَكفالُ
Crowns and tiaras all vouchsafe the same.
Most noble station of the noblest man alive,
كُسينَ أَجَلَّ العَبقَريّ أَجِلَّةً
تَدُلُّ وَتُنبي أَنَّ ذَلِكَ إِجلالُ
Tokens which speak, declare, and strive,
Domes like the sand dunes rounded in design,
هِيَ القُبُّ بارَتها قِبابٌ كَأَنَّها
عَلى حُتُفِ الأَحمالِ في العَينِ أَجمالُ
Beautiful in the eye like pearls that shine.
Flags of glory that unfurled before each hater
وَأَعلامُ عِزٍّ أَعلَمَت كُلَّ حاسِدٍ
بِأَنَّكَ لا يَعدُوكَ سَعدٌ وَإِقبالُ
Say none can match your fortune or luck alter.
Raiment of pure silk you wore that trails
وَمِن خالِصِ العِقيانِ ثَوبٌ لَبِستَهُ
تُجَرُّ لَهُ فَوقَ المَجَرَّةِ أَذيالُ
Over the horizon, glory never fails.
As if one robe of fine gauze were not enough,
كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَقنَع بِسِربالِ غازِلٍ
فَوافاكَ مِن نُورِ الغَزالَةِ سِربالُ
The robe of gazelles decks you, pure and tough.
Since you bore the responsibility of command,
وَقُلِّدَت عَضباً مُذ حَمَلتَ نِجادَهُ
تُحَمِّلُ عَنكَ الدَهرُ ما أَنتَ حَمّالُ
Fate itself from all your burdens frees your hand.
Salah bin Muhammad's efforts are now repaid,
لَقَد فازَ مَسعى صالِح بِنِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَفازَت ظُنونٌ صادِقاتٌ وَآمالُ
True hopes fulfilled, goals and dreams made.
He sees what's hidden from every eye but his lord's,
يَرى ما يُرى في الغَيبِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ
عَلى كُلِّ شَيءٍ في ضَميرِكَ نَزّالُ
To all your secrets and thoughts firmly anchored.
Purest fragrance of clouds are yours, condensed of late,
صَفا لَكُمُ صَفوَ الغَمامِ وَأَخلَصَت
سَرائِرُهُ إِنَّ السَرائِرَ أَعمالُ
Secrets now clear, within you coagulate.
You brought strength to a people of diverse ken,
لَقَد عَزَّ قَومٌ شايَعوكَ وَحُصِّنَت
ثُغورٌ عَلَيها مِن سُيُوفِكَ أَقفالُ
With your sword an impregnable fortress then.
While you are intact Islam need never refrain,
فَلا يَجزَعِ الإِرلامُ ما دُمتَ سالِماً
فَقَد عَزَّ غَيلٌ فيهِ مِثلُكَ رِئبالُ
A people with one like you will not wane.
Beyond Damascus, your gallant youth remain
وَمِن دُونِ هَذا الشامِ أَنتَ وَفِتيَةٌ
مَرادِسَةٌ شَمُّ العَرانينِ أَبطالُ
Scenting wars, stride o'er the reins.
They bare the blades with azure sheen, deny
إِذا أَشرَعوا زُرقَ الأَسِنَّةِ حَرَّموا
مَوارِدَهُم وَالماءُ أَزرَقُ سَلسالُ
Their pools to others, though the streams comply.
Wise save on days that crave some madness in the vein,
أَولوا الحِلمِ إِلّا في الكَريهَةِ إِنَّهُم
إِذا شَهِدوا يَومَ الكَريهَةِ جُهّالُ
When carnage calls, all wisdom they disdain.
Seeking the best, the best they did obtain,
أَنالُوا فَنالوا مُنتَهى الحَمدِ إِنَّني
رَأَيتُ رِجالاً قَد أَنالوا فَما نالوا
I saw men who, when others earthly bliss attain,
No bliss themselves obtain.
وَما الناسُ عِندَ الناسِ إِلّا مَعاشِرٌ
إِذا وُزِنُوا بِالناسِ كُلِّهِم مالُوا
For people are to people naught but bands,
Measured by the sum of people, in the balance stand.
بُحُورٌ بُدُورٌ وَالدُسُوتُ مَطالِعٌ
غُيُوثٌ لُيوثٌ وَالذَوابِلُ أَغيالُ
Daring lions, bristling wolves, cliffs with peering eyes,
Pouncing raptors, sweeping down from the skies.
إِذا لَمَسوا شَطراً مِنَ الأَرضِ لَمسَةً
بِأَيمانِهِم لَم يُفسِدِ الأَرضَ إِمحالُ
Where their hands touch, no hand can ever defile,
By their faith they cleanse earth, cleanse it by their style.
