باكِرْ صَبوحَكَ أَهْنَى العَيْشِ باكِرُهُ
فَقَدْ تَرَنَّمَ فَوْقَ الأيْكِ طَائِرُهُ
Dawn with your soft morning, dawn that cheers life,
Above you a bird sings its song,
وَالَّليلُ تَجري الدّراري فِي مَجَرَّتِه
كَالرَّوضِ تَطْفُو عَلى نَهْرٍ أزاهِرُهُ
The night flows in its orbit like a river,
Its flowers floating on the meadow stream.
وَكَوْكَبُ الصُّبحِ نَجَّابٌ عَلى يَدِهِ
مُخَلَّقٌ تَمْلأ الدُّنيا بَشائِرُهُ
The morning star flickers in its hand,
Filling the world with good tidings.
فَانْهَضْ إلى ذَوبِ ياقُوتٍ لَها حَبَبٌ
تَنوبُ عَنْ ثَغْرِ مَن تَهوى جَواهِرُهُ
Rise to lips of ruby, beloved ones,
Whose treasures make up for their absent lover.
حَمْراءُ فِي وَجْنَةِ السَّاقي لَها شَبَهٌ
فَهَل جَناها مَعَ العُنقودِ عَاصِرُهُ
Rosy cheeked in the wine server’s garden,
Did he pick it with the grapes at harvest?
ساقٍ تَكَوَّنَ مِن صُبْحٍ وَمِن غَسَقٍ
فَابْيَضَّ خَدَّاهُ وَاسوَدَّتْ غَدائِرُهُ
A leg made of dawn and dusk,
Her cheek white, her tresses black.
بِيضٌ سَوالِفُهُ لُعْسٌ مَرَاشِفُهُ
نُعْسٌ نَواظِرُهُ خُرْسٌ أَساوِرُهُ
White smooth thighs, drowsy dreamy eyes,
Silent bracelets, a hushed murmuring voice,
مُفَلجُ الثغْرِ مَعْسولُ اللَّمى غَنِجٌ
مُؤَنَّثُ الجَفْنِ فَحْلُ اللَّحظِ شاطِرُهُ
Captivating glance, witty and lively,
Her body's musk exudes gentle fragrance,
مُهَفْهَفُ القَدَّ يَنْدى جِسْمُهُ تَرَفاً
مُخَصَّرُ الخَصْرِ عَبْلُ الرَّدْفِ وَافِرُهُ
Slender waist over heavy hips,
The doe of the valley learned her charms,
تَعَلَّمَت بانَةُ الوادي شَمائِلَهُ
وَزَوَّرَتْ سِحْرَ عَيْنَيْهِ جَإِذْرُهُ
And the magic of her eyes adorns its valleys.
As if the night lined her eyes with kohl,
كَأَنَّهُ بِسَوَادِ الَّليْلِ مُكْتَحِلٌ
أو رُكَّبَتْ فَوْقَ صُدْغَيهِ مَحاجِرُهُ
Or inset her cheekbones with rubies.
A prophet of beauty, shaded by his brow,
نَبِيُّ حُسْنٍ أَظَلَّتْه ذُؤَابَتُهُ
وَقامَ فِي فَتْرَةِ الأجْفانِ ناظِرُهُ
His gaze stands between the eyelids.
If the eyes of Harut saw his great miracles,
فَلَوْ رَأَتْ مُقْلَتا هَاروتَ آيتَه ال
كُبرى لآمَنَ َبْعَد الكُفْرِ ساحِرُهُ
Even his sorcerer would believe after his disbelief.
The moles on his cheek rose to his lover,
قامَتْ أَدِلَّةُ صُدْغَيهِ لَعاشِقِهِ
عَلى عَذولٍ أتى فِيهِ يُناظِرُهُ
Who came to him with longing to gaze at him.
Take what your time gives you when chance presents,
خُذْ مِن زَمانِكَ ما أعْطاكَ مُغْتِنَماً
وَأنتَ ناهٍ لِهذا الدَّهرِ آمِرُهُ
While you forbid this age its wants.
Life is like a cup, enjoyed at the start,
فَالعُمْرُ كَالكَأسِ تُسْتَحْلى أوائِلُهُ
لكِنَّهُ رُبَّما مُجَّتْ أواخِرُهُ
Though often soured at its end.
So take risks seizing the pleasures,
وَاجْسُرْ عَلى فُرَصِ اللَّذاتِ مُحْتَقِراً
عَظِيمَ ذَنْبِكَ إنَّ اللَّه غافِرُهُ
Disregarding your great sins. Allah is forgiving.
No gallant youth will be forsaken on judgement day,
فَلَيْسَ يُخْذَلُ فِي يَوْمِ الحِسابِ فَتىً
والنَّاصِرُ ابنُ رَسولِ اللَّه ناصِرُهُ
The Prophet's heir will come to his aid.
An imam of justice, pious at heart,
إمامُ عَدْلٍ لِتَقْوى اللَّه باطِنُهُ
وَلِلْجَلالَةِ وِالإحْسانِ ظاهِرُهُ
Noble and charitable in his acts.
Truth incarnate in his holy mantle,
تَجسَّدَ الحَقُّ فِي أَثناءِ بُرْدَتِهِ
وَتُوِّجَتْ بِاسْمِهِ العالي مَنابِرُهُ
His sublime name crowns the minbar.
He comprehends the unseen's mysteries,
لَهُ عَلى سِرِّ سِتْرِ الغَيْبِ مُشْتَرَفٌ
فَما مَوارِدُهُ إلاّ مَصادِرُهُ
His knowledge only comes from Divine sources.
A shepherd whose glance protects Islam,
راعٍ بِطَرْفٍ حَمى الإسلامَ ساهِرُهُ
ساطٍ بِسَيْفٍ أبَادَ الكُفْرَ شَاهِرُهُ
A sword that destroys unbelievers violently.
In his breast lies an ocean, in his palm,
فِي صَدْرِهِ البَحْرُ أو فِي بَطْنِ راحَتِهِ
كِلاهُما يَغْمُرُ السَّؤَّالَ زَاخِرُهُ
Both overflow with answers for all questions.
His family's nobility is proven by his merits,
تَقْضِي بِتَفضْيلِهِ ساداتُ عِتْرَتِهِ
لِو كانَ صادِقُهُ حَيّاً وبَاقِرُهُ
If the truthful or clear brethren were alive.
Incomplete is prayer without invoking him,
كُلُّ الصَّلاةِ خِداجٌ لا تَمامَ لَها
إِذْا تَقَضَّتْ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْهُ ذاكِرُهُ
If his remembrance the worshipper forsakes.
All words fall short in praising him,
كُلُّ الكَلامِ قَصيرٌ عَن مَناقِبِهِ
إلاَّ إِذْا نَظَمَ القُرآنَ شاعِرُهُ
Except the Koran composed by its chanter.
A light that shames the dawn is hidden in his holy niche,
مُحَجَّبٌ فِي سُجوفِ العِزِّ لَو فُرِجَتْ
عَن نُورِ وَجْهٍ يُباهِي الصُّبْحَ باهِرُهُ
If the veil were lifted from that shining face.
You see a grand angel over his Holy sepulcher,
رَأَيْتَ مَلكاً كَبيراً فَوْقَ سُدَّتِهِ
جِبْريلُ داعِيهِ أو ميكالُ زائِرُهُ
Gabriel visiting him or Michael his companion.
A Mount Sinai that for Moses shone with fire,
طُوراً أضاءَتْ لِموسى نَارَ جَذْوَتِهِ
حَتَّى انْجَلَتْ لَمُناجاةٍ بَصائِرُهُ
Until he could speak to it confidentially.
A sword over his enemies and nation
نَضاهُ سَيْفاً عَلى أعْداءِ دَوْلَتِهِ
ما كُلُّ سَيْفٍ لَهُ تُثْنى خَناصِرُهُ
No match for it, shatterer of spines.
Chosen above others with no request on his part,
فَضْلُ اصْطِفاءِ أتى مِن غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ
يَغنَى بِهِ عَن أخٍ بَرٍّ يُؤَازِرُهُ
Content without needing supporting kinsmen.
Glory to the Commander of the Faithful—may I be sacrificed for you!
تَهُنَّ نُعْمى أمير المُؤمِنينَ وَدُمْ
يا أُيُّها الأشرَفُ المَيْمونُ طائِرُهُ
O most noble whose destiny is triumphant!
With your sharp blade the staff's miracles were nullified
بِحَدِّ سَيْفِكَ آياتُ العَصَا نُسِخَتْ
إِذْا تَفَرْ عَنَ يَوْمَ الرَّوْعِ كافِرُهُ
When the unbelievers fled in fear on the day of anguish.
Ask the kidneys and ruptured guts about the one who contests him!
سَلِ الكُلَى وَالطُّلَى يا مَن يُساجِلُهُ
فَالرُّمحُ ناظِمُهُ وَالسَّيفُ ناثِرُهُ
His spear composes, his sword scatters them.
His blades were stained with the blood of the slain,
تَنَجَّسَتْ بِدَمِ القَتْلَى صَوارِمُهُ
وَطُهِّرَتْ بِيَدِ التَّقْوى مآزِرُهُ
And cleansed by the hand of piety grasping them.
Quick to draw swords, violent in battle, a feast for vultures,
نَضُّ النَّوالِ سَريعُ البَطْشِ مُتَّئِدٌ
كالدَّهْرِ تُرْجى كمَا تُخْشى بَوادِرُهُ
Like fate—hoped for and feared for what it brings.
His gifts enrich all hands when he is kind,
إِذْا حَبا أغْنَتِ الأيدِي مَواهِبُهُ
وَإنْ سَطا سَدَّتِ الدُّنْيا عَساكِرُهُ
His armies overwhelm the world when he is harsh.
Where can one who incurs his wrath escape from his hand?
أيْنَ المَفَرُّ لِمَنْ عاداهُ مِن يَدِه
وَالوَحْشُ وَالطَّيْرُ أتْباعٌ تُسايِرُهُ
Beasts and birds are troops following him.
If he climbs the sky, it embraces him.
إنْ يَصْعَدِ الْجَوَّ ناشَتْهُ خَواطِفَهُ
أوْ يَهْبِطِ الأرْضَ غالَتْهُ كَواسِرُهُ
If he descends to earth, it surrenders to him.
O fountain of gifts encompassing his family,
يا جامِعاً بِالعَطايا شَمِلَ عِتْرَتِهِ
كَالقُطْبِ لَوْلاَهُ ما صَحَّتْ دَوائِرُهُ
Like the celestial pole around which the spheres revolve!
If my poetry excels, it taught me.
إنْ جادَ شِعْرِي فَهذا الفَضْلُ عَلَّمَني
مَنْ غاصَ فِي البَحْرِ جاءَتْهُ جَواهِرُهُ
He who dives into the sea retrieves its jewels.
