أَراقَ دَمَ اللَّيلِ سَيْفُ الصَّباحْ
فَهَلْ شَفق الصُّبْح بَعْدَ الجِراحْ
The sword of dawn shed the blood of night,
Is there solace after wounds at dawn's light?
وَنَثَّرَتِ السُّحْبُ دُرُّ النُّدَى
فَنَظَّمَهُ الغُصْنُ مِثْلَ الوِشاحْ
Clouds scattered pearls of dew,
That the branch strung like a necklace.
فَكَأنَّ إكْلِيلَ هامِ الرُّبَا
قَدْ رَصَّعَ الغَيْمَ بَرْدَ البِطاحْ
As if the mist's coronet of dreams
Had studded the cloud with hail of wit.
وَرَوْض شَذَى زَهَرٍ ضائِعٍ
تَنِمُّ بِهِ هَفَواتُ الرِّياحْ
And a meadow of scattered flower's fragrance
Stirred by the passing winds.
وَوَرْقاءَ غَنَّتْ عَلى عُودِها
وَقَدْ صَفَّقَتْ أُخْتُها بِالجَناحْ
A songbird trilled on her branch,
As her sister fluttered wings in dance.
فَصاحَ إِذْا أَعْرَبَتْ لَحْنَها
أَلاَ فَأعْجَبَنَّ لِخُرْسٍ فِصاحْ
She sang with such virtuosity,
That even one mute would cry "Bravo!"
فَقَلْبِي بِذِكْرِ اللِّوَى خافِقٌ
مَشُوقٌ لِسُكّانِ تِلْكَ النُّواحْ
My heart quivers with love's memory,
Yearning for dwellers of those lands.
فَتاةٌ خَلاَ قَلْبُها مِنْ هَوىً
وَقَلْبِي بِها قَلِقٌ كَالوِشاحْ
A girl whose heart is empty of love,
While mine, because of her, quivers like a brand.
إِذْا سَجَعَ الحَلْيُ فِي صَدْرِها
تَرَى الوُرْقَ مِنْ حَسَدٍ فِي مِزاحْ
When her necklace rests upon her breast,
You'd think the leaves jealous in jest.
فَبِتُّ أُنَاجِي غُرابَ الدُّجَى
وَقَدْ كانَ خَضَّبَنا بِالْجَناحْ
I pass my night conversing with the raven of gloom,
Once he had stained us with his wings.
فَلاَحَتْ لَنا كَفُّ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ
بَيْضاءَ مَبْسُوطَةً بِالسَّماحْ
The palm of Abdul Rahim shone to us
White and open-handed in generosity.
أَفَاضَتْ عَلى الأَرْضِ نَوْلَ النَّوالِ
فَدامَ وَعَمَّ جَمِيعَ النَّواحْ
His charity flowed upon the land,
Lasting, encompassing all the lands.
تَنُوبُ صُدورُ رِسالاَتِها
إِذْا وَرَدَتْ عَنْ صُدُورِ الرِّماحْ
Missives from his chests alternate,
As oft as the chests of spears alternate.
جَرَتْ لِلْعُفاةِ نَعَمْ وَالْعُداةِ
بِرِزْقٍ مُباحٍ وَحَتْفٍ مُتَاحْ
He brought blessings to vagabond and rebel alike
With bounty made lawful and help made available.
بِها العِزُّ مُقْتَرِنٌ وَالعَزِيزُ
وَكانَ السَّماحُ بِها وَالصَّلاَحْ
With him, honor and the honorable were paired,
Just as generosity and righteousness were paired.
إِذْا مَا نَظَرْتُ إلَى طَوْلِهِ
تَقاصَرَ عَنْهُ لِسانُ امْتِداحْ
Whene’er I look upon his stature,
My tongue falls short in praise and accolade.
وَلاَ بُدَّ إنْ طالَ لَيْلُ الدُّجَى
تَقَرَّبَ مَوْعِدُ صُبْحِ النَّجاحْ
No doubt however long the night of gloom,
The dawn of success shall draw near.
فَهُنِّيْتَ عِيداً تُرِينا بِهِ
جَمِيعَ العِدَى مِثْلَ بَعْضِ الأَضاحْ
You brought us a celebration in which
You show us all foes like some dismembered corpses.
