طَرَقَتكَ زائِرَةً فَحَيِّ خَيالَها
بَيضاءُ تُخلِطُ بِالحَياءِ دَلالَها
A white vision visited you, and brought to life her imagination,
Modesty mixing with coquetry in her glance,
قادَت فُؤادَكَ فَاِستَقادَ وَمِثلُها
قادَ القُلوبَ إِلى الصِبا فَأَمالَها
She led your heart and it recovered, as did hearts led to youth and bent them,
As if she knocked with a meadow's breeze, its shade spreading in spring,
وَكَأَنَّما طَرَقَت بِنَفحَةِ رَوضَةٍ
سَحَّت بِها دِيَمُ الرَبيعِ ظِلالَها
She asked questions in a dream to a sleepless one,
Unceasing in her questioning, disheveled, clutching his cloak,
باتَت تُسائِلُ في المَنامِ مُعَرِّساً
بِالبيدِ أَشعَثَ لا يَمَلُّ سُؤالَها
To the youths she came when they were resting, done with pursuing fancies and their trials,
Their clothes like Indian cloth, eyes overlooking its embroidery,
في فِتيَةِ هَجَعوا غِراراً بَعدَما
سَئِمو مُراعَشَةَ السُرى وَمِطالَها
They laid their cheeks by their loved ones, their bites complaining of the pain of parting,
She sought out the Commander of the Faithful, reaching him at dawn after her journey,
فَكَأَنَّ حَشوَ ثِيابِهِم هِندِيَّةٌ
نَحَلَت وَأَغفَلَتِ العُيونُ صَقالَها
Drawing you out into the wilderness, crossing its expanses and sands,
Pursuing the she-camel, its saddle shaken by its leanness and wear,
وَضَعوا الخُدودَ لَدى سَواهِمَ جُنَّحٍ
تَشكو كُلومَ صِفاحِها وَكَلالَها
Passionately yearning, rending apart the midday suns when they are overlooked,
Escaping when the flock is raised, as the pregnant ewe escaped, completing its journey in the dark,
طَلَبَت أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ فَواصَلَت
بَعدَ السُرى بِغُدُوِّها آصالَها
Like an archer's arrow, she reached you, filling her saddle and straps,
The Commander of the Faithful Muhammad revived the ways of the Prophet, their prohibitions and permissions,
نَزَعَت إِلَيكَ صَوادِياً فَتَقاذَفَت
تَطوي الفَلاةَ حُزونَها وَرِمالَها
A King whose spring gushed forth from Hashim, God extended its shade over all people,
A mountain for his nation, taking refuge in its pillar, reducing to rubble the mountains of its enemies,
يَتبَعنَ ناجِيَةً يَهُزُّ مِراحُها
بَعدَ النُحولِ تَليلَها وَقَذالِها
No great fear befell it, but he made time and space for it,
Until the most blessed son relieves it, he found his father a reliever of its like,
هَوجاءَ تَدَّرِعُ الرُبا وَتَشُقُّها
شَقَّ الشَموسِ إِذا تُراعُ جِلالَها
Firm-footed amidst the changing tides of events, directing each situation toward its outcome,
With both hands you gave generously to the Muslims, and against the enemy - affliction,
تَنجو إِذا رُفِعَ القَطيعُ كَما نَجَت
خَرجاءُ بادَرَتِ الظَلامَ رِئالَها
By your pardon, souls fell under your command, you dispelled their greatest fears,
You gave safety without punishment, released prisoners from their shackles,
كَالقَوسِ ساهِمَةٌ أَتَتكَ وَقَد تُرى
كَالبُرجِ تَملأُ رَحلَها وَحِبالَها
And risked yourself, the best self, for them, making your wealth their protection,
Had any caliph before him ever achieved what he achieved for it?
أَحيا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّدٌ
سُنَنَ النّبِيِّ حَرامَها وَحَلالَها
He set out on the roads, tucking up his skirt, spurring on his horses,
A light shining ahead of them and between them,
مَلِكٌ تَفَرَّعَ نَبعُهُ مِن هاشِمٍ
مَدَّ الإِلهُ عَلى الأَنامِ ظِلالَها
His troops shortened their reins around him and minimized their pace,
Yet his reserve forces prolonged it,
جَبَلٌ لِأُمَّتِهِ تَلوذُ بِرُكنِهِ
رادى جِبالَ عَدُوِّها فَأَزالَها
Until the vanguard of his cavalry poured into the enemy its calamity,
He protected the lands of the Muslims, making lawful their lands and mountains,
لَم تَغشَها مِمّا تَخافُ عَظيمَةٌ
إِلّا أَجالَ لَها الأُمورَ مَجالَها
The onslaughts of his horses and his warriors left nothing of them but their icons and families,
Can you obscure its stars with your palms, or veil its crescent moon?
حَتّى يُفَرِّجها أَغَرُّ مُبارَكٌ
أَلفى أَباهُ مُفَرِّجاً أَمثالَها
Or deny a saying from your Lord which Gabriel delivered to the Prophet who spoke it?
The last verse of the spoils bore witness to his inheritance - yet you sought to nullify it!
ثَبتٌ عَلى زَلَلِ الحَوادِثِ راكِبٌ
مِن صَرفِهِنَّ لِكُلِّ حالٍ حالَها
So leave the lions to their feasting in their dens - do not let their cubs taste your blood!
The Caliph healed my eyes and adorned them with his blessed hand, I was envied for its gifts,
كِلتا يَدَيكَ جَعَلتَ فَضلَ نَوالِها
لِلمُسلِمينَ وفي العَدُوِّ وَبالَها
Until it was said I walked arrogantly, exuding the self-importance of the overindulged,
But you followed the path of those who obeyed and those who disobeyed,
وَقَعَت مَواقِعها بِعَفوِكَ أَنفُسٌ
أَذهَبتَ بَعدَ مَخافَةٍ أَوجالَها
Walking in the footsteps the Prophet exemplified.
أَمَّنتَ غَيرَ مُعاقِبٍ طُرّادَها
وَفَكَكتَ مِن أُسَرائِها أَغلالَها
وَنَصَبتَ نَفسَكَ خَيرَ نَفسٍ دونَها
وَجَعَلتَ مالَكَ واقِياً أَموالَها
هَل تَعَمونَ خَليفَةً مِن قَبلِهِ
أَجرى لِغايَتِهِ الَّتي أَجرى لَها
طَلَع الدُروب مُشَمِّراً عَن ساقِهِ
بِالخَيلِ مُنصَلِتاً يُجَدُّ نِعالَها
قُوداً تُريعُ إِلى أَغَرَّ لِوَجهِهِ
نورٌ يُضيءُ أَمامَها وَخِلالَها
قَصُرَت حَمائِلُهُ عَلَيهَ فَقَلَّصَت
وَلَقد تَحَفَّظَ قَينُها فَأَطالَها
حَتّى إِذا وَرَدَت أَوائِلُ خَيلِهِ
جَيحانَ بَثَّ عَلى العَدُوِّ رِعالَها
أَحمى بِلادَ المُسلِمينَ عَلَيهِم
وَأَباحَ سَهلَ بِلادِهِم وَجِبالَها
أَدمَت دَوابِرَ خَيلِهِ وَشَكيمها
غاراتُهُنَّ وَأَلحَقَت آطالَها
لَم تُبقِ بَعدَ مَقادِها وَطِرادِها
إِلّا نَحائِرَها وَإِلّا آلَها
هَل تَطمِسونُ مِنَ السَماءِ نُجومَها
بِأَكُفِّكُم أَم تَستُرونُ هِلالَها
أَم تَجحَدونَ مَقالَةً عَن رَبِّكُم
جبِريلُ بَلَّغَها النَبِيَّ فَقالَها
شَهِدَت مِنَ الأَنفالِ آخِرُ آيَةٍ
بِتُراثِهِم فَأَرَدتُمُ إِبطالَها
فَذَروا الأُسودَ خَوادِراً في غيلِها
لا تولِغُنَّ دِماءَكُم أَشبالَها
رَقَع الخَليفَةُ ناظِرَيَّ وَراشَني
بِيَدٍ مُبارَكَةٍ شَكَرتُ نَوالَها
وَحُسِدتُ حَتّى قيلَ أَصبَحَ باغِياً
في المَشيِ مُتَرَفَ شيمَة مُختالَها
وَلَقَد حَذَوتَ لِمَن أَطاعَ وَمَن عَصى
نَعلاً وَرِثتَ عَنِ النَبِيِّ مِثالَها
