إِن لَم تُعِنّي عَلى شَجوي فَلا تَلُمِ
سَمعي عَنِ العَذلِ لَو نادَيتَ في صَمَمِ
If you will not aid me in my sorrow, then do not cast blame,
For my ears are deaf to rebuke; you call out only to silence.
لا تَلحُني إِن عَصَيتُ العاذِلاتِ فَما
في الحبِّ عارٌ إِذا لَم يَدنُ لِلتُهَمِ
Do not chide me if I disobey those women who scold,
For there is no shame in love, so long as it stays free of suspicion.
لِلَّهِ عَهدُ سُرورٍ كُنتُ أَحسَبُهُ
يَدومُ لي وَسِوى ذي العَرشِ لَم يَدُمِ
By God, there was a time of joy I once believed
Would last forever, yet nothing endures but the Lord of the Throne.
غضارَةٌ مِن بَهِيِّ العَيشِ مونِقَةٌ
مَرَّت كَطَيفِ خَيالٍ زارَ في الحُلُمِ
A lush freshness of splendid, pleasing life,
Passed like a fleeting phantom visiting in a dream.
هَيهاتَ أَن تُرجِعَ الأَيّامُ ما أَخَذَت
فَدَع تَذَكُّرِ أَيّامِ الصِبا القُدُمِ
It is impossible for time to restore what it has stolen,
So cease remembering the ancient days of youth.
وَاِصرِف مَديحَكَ في أَزكى الوَرى نَسَباً
فَرعِ الهُداةِ قَريعِ العُربِ وَالعَجَمِ
Direct your praise instead to the purest of men in lineage,
Scion of guides, the chosen leader of Arabs and foreigners alike,
مُحَسَّدِ الفَضلِ مَضروبٍ سُرادِقُهُ
عَلى أَشَمَّ عَظيمِ القَدرِ وَالهِمَمِ
Envied for his merit, with his pavilion pitched high
Upon a summit of nobility, vast in destiny and ambition.
أَغَرَّ أَزهَرَ وَضّاحِ الجَبينِ إِذا
ما اِلتَفَّتِ الخَيلُ بِالأَبطالِ وَالبُهُمِ
A radiant, shining face with a brow clear and bright,
When cavalry clashes with heroes and beasts of war.
المُشتَري الحَمدِ أَغلى ما يُباعُ بهِ
وَالمُكرِمِ السُمرِ المَصقولَةِ الخُذُمِ
He who purchases praise at the highest price it commands,
And honors the polished brown spears, sharp and cutting.
إِن فاخَروهُ فَمَغلوبٌ مُفاخِرُهُ
أَو قارَعوهُ تَرَدّوا حُلَّةَ النَدمِ
If any boast against him, his challenger is surely vanquished,
And if they battle him, they are cloaked in the robes of regret.
قَد كانَ في المَهدِ وَالعَليا تُرامِقُهُ
تَرنو إِلَيهِ بِعَينِ العاشِقِ السَدِمِ
While he was yet in the cradle, Glory watched over him,
Gazing upon him with the eye of a passionate, longing lover,
حَتّى تَفَرَّعَ أَعلاها عَلى مَهَلٍ
في سَيرِهِ وَهوَ لَم يَبلُغ لدى الحُلُمِ
Until he ascended its highest peaks with steady grace,
In his journey, before he had even reached the age of manhood.
كُنوزُ فَضلٍ أَثارَتها مَكارِمُهُ
أَنسَت مَكارِمَ عَن مَعنٍ وَعن هَرِم
Treasures of virtue his noble deeds have unearthed,
Eclipsing the legendary generosity of Ma'n and Harim.
اللَهُ أَعلى سُعوداً في سَعادَتِهِ
فَكانَ أَشهَرَ مِن نارٍ على عَلمِ
God has exalted his fortunes in his felicity,
Until he became more renowned than a beacon fire upon a mountain.
مُستَحكِمُ الرَأيِ ماضٍ في عَزيمَتِهِ
كَالغَيثِ وَاللَيثِ للعافي وَلِلنِّقَمِ
Steadfast in judgment, resolute in his determination,
Like rain to the supplicant, and a lion in vengeance.
مازالَ مُذ عَرفَ الأَيّامَ سيرَتُهُ
شَجىً لِأَعداهُ أَو نَصرٌ لِمُهتَضَمِ
Since time first knew his history, he has ever remained
A choking obstruction to his foes, and victory to the oppressed.
ياِبنَ الذي قَد سما في المَجدِ مَنزِلَةً
أَعيَت مُلوكَ الوَرى مِن سائِرِ الأُمَمِ
O son of him who ascended to a station of glory
That baffled the kings of mankind from all nations.
لكُم عَلى الناسِ فَضلٌ لَيسَ يُنكِرُهُ
سِوى جحودٍ بِرَيبِ القَلبِ مُتَّهَمِ
You hold a virtue over the people that none deny,
Save the ungrateful wretch, whose heart is accused of doubt,
أَو حاسِدٍ أَنضَجَت عَلياكَ مُهجَتَهُ
فَقَلبُهُ فيه مثلُ الجاحِمِ الضَرِمِ
Or the envious one, whose very soul your eminence has scorched,
Leaving his heart burning like a blazing inferno.
فَاللَهُ يُعليكَ وَالأَقدارُ تَخفِضُهُ
تَعلو وَيَنحَطُّ في ذُلٍّ وَفي عَدَمِ
Thus God exalts you while Fate brings him low;
You ascend, while he sinks into humiliation and nothingness.
أَبوكَ مَن نَعشَ اللَهُ الأَنامَ به
مِن عَثرَةِ الهَرجِ لا مِن عَثرَةِ القَدَمِ
Your father is he through whom God revived the people,
From the stumbling of chaos, not merely the stumbling of feet.
عَبدُ العَزيزِ الذي كانَت إِمامتُهُ
لِلدّينِ عِزّاً وَلِلدّنيا وَلِلحُرَمِ
Abdulaziz, whose leadership was established
As a glory to the Faith, the world, and the Holy Sanctuaries.
وَأَنتَ تَتلوهُ مُستَنّاً بِسُنَّتِهِ
أَكرِم بِها سُنَناً مَحمودَةَ الشِيَمِ
And you follow him, guiding yourself by his path,
How noble are those ways, praised for their character!
مَكارِمٌ لَم تَكُن تُعزى إِلى أَحدٍ
إِلّا إِلَيكُم فَأَنتُم صَفوَةُ الكَرمِ
Virtues that were never ascribed to another,
Except to you, for you are the very essence of nobility.
فَكَم رَفَعتُم جُدوداً قَبلُ عاثِرَةً
وَكم غَمَرتُم بَني الحاجاتِ بِالنِعَمِ
How many stumbling fortunes have you raised up,
And how many needy souls have you overwhelmed with grace.
وَقَبلَكُم كانَ نَجدٌ وَالحِجازُ لَقىً
لِلعابِثينَ بهِ لحماً عَلى وَضمِ
Before you, Najd and Hijaz were cast aside,
Left for spoilers like meat upon a butcher's block.
سَمَوتَ لِلمَجدِ لَمّا نامَ طالِبُهُ
وَالمَجدُ صَعبٌ عَلى الهَيّالَةِ البَرمِ
You soared toward glory when other seekers slept,
For glory is arduous for the weak and weary.
رَأى أَبوكَ الذي حقٌّ فِراسَتُهُ
فيكَ الصلاحِ لِرَعي الدينِ وَالذِمَمِ
Your father, whose intuition was unerring, saw
In you the righteousness to guard the Faith and covenants.
فَقُمتُ مُضطَلِعاً بِالأَمرِ مُتَّخِذاً
نَهجَ الهُدى مَسلَكاً بِالسَيفِ وَالقَلمِ
So you rose, bearing the burden of command,
Adopting the path of guidance with both sword and pen.
تَظَلُّ مِن بَذلكَ الأَقلامُ حافِيَةً
وَالسَيفُ يَقضي عَلى الأَعداءِ بِاليُتمِ
Pens are worn bare recording your generosity,
While your sword decrees orphanhood upon your foes.
جوداً وَحِلماً وَعَفواً عِندَ مَقدِرَةٍ
وَصِدقَ بَأسٍ إِذا نارُ الوَطيسِ حمى
With benevolence, forbearance, and pardon when in power,
And true might when the furnace of battle grows hot.
مَحامِدٌ شَحَذَت أَفكارَ مادِحِكُم
فَحَبَّروهُ بِمَنثورٍ وَمُنتَظِمِ
Virtues that have sharpened the wits of your eulogist,
Inspiring them to craft beauty in prose and verse.
أَنتُم طِرازُ المَعالي بَعد بُهمَتِها
إِنَّ البُدورِ لَتجلو غَيهَبَ الظُلمِ
You are the embroidery on the robe of Glory after it was threadbare;
Indeed, full moons dispel the pitch-black darkness.
إِلَيكَها مِثلَ نظمِ الدُرِّ فَصَّلَهُ
شَذرٌ من التِبر لم يُسبَك عَلى فَحمِ
Take this poem, like a string of pearls arranged,
Beads of pure gold, never smelted upon common coal.
تَختالُ بَينَ الوَرى تيهاً بِمَدحِكُمُ
بِرِفعَةِ القَدرِ يَعلو المَدحِ في القِيَمِ
It struts among the people, proud to carry your praise,
For praise rises in value by the nobility of the praised.
ثُمَّ الصَلاةُ عَلى المُختارِ سَيِّدِنا
وَآلهِ الغُرِّ وَالأصحابِ كُلِّهمِ
Then, blessings upon the Chosen One, our Master,
And upon his noble Family and all his Companions.
