وَجِّه خُيولَ العَزمِ علّكَ تسعدُ
وسُقِ المطايا حيث يافا المقصدُ
Guide the steeds of resolve that you may be prosperous,
And march the horses wherever the goal lies,
وَاِركَب على طِرفٍ أغرَّ مضمَّرٍ
مِثلَ الرّياحِ وَإنّه لا يجهَدُ
And mount the edge of a hill with beautiful views,
Like the winds it does not tire.
وَجُبِ الفيافيَ تَحتَ أَذيالِ الدّجى
فَالسّيرُ لَيلاً في الدّجى لا يُجهِدُ
Travel the meadows beneath the train of darkness,
For night travel in the darkness does not exhaust.
وَلَئِن تَناءتْ فَهيَ مِنكَ قَريبَةٌ
إِذ كانَ فيها ما تَرومُ وَتَقصِدُ
And if the goal seems far, it is near to you,
Since what you seek and intend is there.
وَمَحلّ قَصدِكَ حيثُ أَنتَ بِمَطلعٍ
للشّمس لَو كانَ في مَغربٍ لا يبعدُ
Your goal is wherever you rise like the sun,
Were it in the west it would not be far.
جُدَّ المسيرَ فإن تجدَّ تَجدْ وإِنْ
تَزرَع فَإنّك يا اِبنَ ودّي تَحصُدُ
Be determined in travel, for if you are determined you will attain,
And if you sow, O son of Waddi, you will surely reap.
كُن للنّجومِ مُسامِراً حينَ السُّرى
هاتيكَ خَيرُ مُسامِرٍ لَكَ يوجدُ
Be a companion to the stars in your vigils,
Those are the best companions you can find.
وَاُنظُر تَلامُعَ نورِها جنحَ الدّجى
فَهيَ السّيوفُ مِنَ الجُفونِ تجرّدُ
And look at the twinkling of their light piercing the darkness,
They are the swords unsheathed from their scabbards.
حَيثُ المَجرَّةُ خلتُها نَهراً بِهِ
يَجري ضِياء أَو يَسيلَ العَسجَدُ
Where the Milky Way made a river in it,
In which the light flows or liquid silver runs.
حَيثُ الثريّا قارَنَت بَدرَ الدّجى
فَأَتى لِيَخدِمَها السّهى وَالفَرقَدُ
Where the Pleiades joined with the moon of night,
So the arrow and horseman came to serve them.
حَيثُ السّماءُ إِخالُها يَمّاً به
تَسري النّجومُ سَفائناً لا تركدُ
Where the sky, whose expanse is water in which
The stars flow like ships that do not anchor.
مِن كَوكَبٍ هاوٍ وآخرَ طالعٍ
هَذا يَجيء وَذاكَ مِنّا يبعُدُ
Some setting and others rising,
This comes and that recedes from us.
أَو أنّها فيهِ جَواهِرُ حُرِّكَت
مِن مائِهِ وَلَها المِهادُ زُمرّدُ
Or they are the jewels set in motion
By its water, and it is their emerald bed.
وَالغَربُ قُرصُ الشَّمسِ عِندَ غُروبِها
لا شكّ يَبلعهُ ولا يَتَردّدُ
And the west is the sun’s disk at its setting,
Surely it swallows it without hesitation or doubt.
فَيَكادُ يَخنُقُه اِبتِلاعاً قُرصُها
فَلِذا اِحمِراراً وَجهُهُ يَتورَّدُ
Nearly choking as it swallows it,
And so its face reddens and blushes.
وَالشّرقُ يَقذِفُ لِلنُّجومِ طَوالِعاً
يُبدينَ رَقصاً لَم تطلهُ الخُرَّدُ
While the east tosses the stars’ risings,
Making them dance unrestrained by belts.
هوَ ضارِبٌ بِالصّولَجانِ كراته
لَكنَّها هيَ جَوهَرٌ أَو عسجَدُ
It strikes them like spheres, but they
Are gems or molten silver.
وَالفَجرُ مِنهُ إِذ تَبدّى طالِعاً
سَيفٌ صَقيلٌ سلُّه لا يغمَدُ
And dawn, when it appears rising from it,
Is an unsheathed, polished sword in its sheath.
وَالشَّمسُ كَسُلطانِ الضّياءِ أَمامَهُ
جَيشُ الضّياءِ يكرُّ وَهوَ مؤيَّدُ
While the sun is like the sultan of light before him,
The army of light attacks as he supports it.
يَغزو الظَّلامَ يَفرُّ مِنهُ هارباً
فَإِذا بَدَت لا شَيءَ مِنهُ يوجَدُ
It invades the darkness which flees from it in defeat,
And when it appears no trace of it can be found.
وَاُنظر رِياضَ الأَرضِ حين تَسيرُها
تَرَ ما بِهِ فَرحاً تَسرّ الأكبُدُ
And look at the earth’s meadows as you pass them,
You will see what brings joy to the soul:
مِن أَحمرٍ زاهٍ وَأَصفَرَ فاقِعٍ
مِن أَخضرٍ غَضٍّ وَأَبيَض يحمدُ
Red, green, yellow, and white that is praised,
Pearls and rubies of varied essence,
دُرٌّ وَياقوتٌ تَنوَّعَ جِنسُهُ
ذَهَبٌ يُفرِّحُ فضَّةً وَزَبَرجدُ
Gold that delights, silver and emerald.
And look at the budding trees, you will see
وَتَأمَّل الأَشجارَ مورِقَةً تَرى
مِنها قِباباً كُلُّهُنَّ زُمرّدُ
Domes of emerald upon them.
Some with red blossoms, as if it were
مِن ذاتِ زَهرٍ أَحمَرٍ فَكأنَّهُ
عِقدٌ مِنَ الياقوتِ وَهوَ مُنضَّدُ
A necklace of ruby prepared and set.
Others with white blossoms made like
مِن ذاتِ زَهرٍ أَبيَضٍ قَد خلتُهُ
مِثلَ الكَواكِبِ في الدّجى تَتَوقَّدُ
The stars shining in the night sky.
And brooks flowing like lines, some white and pure,
وَجَداوِلاً تَنسابُ مِثلَ أَراقِمٍ
ذا أَبيضٍ صافٍ وَذَلِكَ أَسودُ
While the others are black.
Especially the crooked one which is the greatest,
لاسِيَّما العَرجاءُ وَهوَ كَبيرُها
عَذبٌ فُراتٌ ساغَ منه المورِدُ
A fresh Euphrates, its drink is sweet.
It flows on pebbles of pearl whose soil
يَجري عَلى حَصباء دُرٍّ تُربُها
مِسكٌ شَذيٌّ نَفحُه لا يُجحَدُ
Is pure musk whose scent is undeniable.
A sea flowing into the turbulent sea at its estuary,
بَحرٌ عَلى البحرِ الأُجاجِ مصبُّهُ
مُتبسِّماً يَسعى إِلَيهِ وَيحفدُ
Smiling as it eagerly runs to it.
So it is as if in a meadow of silver
فَكَأَنّه في لازَوَردٍ فضَّة
أَضحَت تَسيلُ وَإِنّها لا تجمدُ
That has melted and surely will not freeze.
When it reaches it, it congratulates itself on attaining
فَإِذا وَصَلت إِلَيهِ فَاِهنَأ بِالمُنى
فَلَقَد ظَفِرتَ بِما تَرومُ وتقصِدُ
What it sought and intended.
Since there lies the shore that it loved,
إِذ ثَمَّ يافاءُ الّتي قَد وَدَّها
فَلَكاً لَهُ بَدرُ الدُّجى والفرقَدُ
For which the full moon and Pleiades yearned.
Inhale it before you, atop it the morning sun
شِمْها أَمامكَ فَوقَها شمسُ الضُّحى
تَعلو عَليها لا تحوِّلها يدُ
Rises above it, no hand can change it.
As if the sun shed its radiance on it alone,
فَكَأنَّما قَصرت عَلَيها الشَّمسُ في
إِشراقِها فَبِغَيرِها لا توجَدُ
And without it, it is not found.
And it adorned itself with its rays as if
وَتَزيّنت بِشعاعها فَكَأنّها
في حلّةٍ هيَ فضّةٌ أَو عَسجَدُ
It wears a gown of silver or molten silver.
Until its buildings alternated silver-coated
حَتّى اِستَحالَ عمارُها ذا جانب
مُتفضِّضٌ مِنه وذا متعسجدُ
And some with melted silver.
So when you look on its lights you are amazed
فإذا نظرت دُهِشتَ من أنوارها
عَقلاً وَحَيَّركَ المُقيمُ المُقعِدُ
In mind and the resident and visitor are puzzled.
And you would think you were in the sky
وَظَنَنتَ أَنّكَ في السَّماء أوَ اِن شَم
س الأفق في الأراضي تقعدُ
Or the horizon’s sun sat on earth.
And look at its sanctuary, how much game is in it,
وَاُنظُر حِماها كَم بِهِ مِن مكنسٍ
قد حلّه ظبيٌ أغَنُّ وأغيَدُ
Adorned with a herd of deer, rich and plump.
And its open country where gardens are decorated
وَربوعَها فَهيَ الجنانُ تَزَخرَفَت
يا لَيتَها فيها الحَياةُ تُخلَّدُ
Would that life there were immortalized!
Pastures of lions and jungle of leopards
وَمصالُ آسادٍ وغِيل غَضَنفَرٍ
يَعدو وَيَسطو حينَما يَستَأسِدُ
Who prey and leap when they hunt.
And racetracks of horses like towering camels
وَمَجالَ خَيلٍ كَالبخاتى ضَخمَةٍ
في غَمرَةِ الهَيجاءِ ظلَّت تَسعَدُ
Lost in the clamor of stampede.
Every brave lion gallops them
يَعدو عَلَيها كلُّ لَيثٍ باسلٍ
خاضَ الكَريهَةَ لَيسَ عَنها يَشرُدُ
Who plunged into fray and does not wander.
And when his solitude carries him
فَإِذا عَلاهُ خِلتهُ مُتناولاً
رَأسَ الثّريّا إِذ لها يتعمّدُ
To the Pleiades which he aims for,
At Jaffa’s gate I smelled all submitting
وَبِبابِ يافا شِمتُ كلّاً خاضعاً
ولِغيلِ لَيثِ الغابِ كلٌّ يَسجُدُ
And bowing to the roar of the king of the jungle.
And it befits the lion to bow at its gate
وَيَحِقُّ لِلأُسدِ الخضوعُ بِبابِها
إذ كان داخلَها الأمير محمّدُ
Since within it dwells the Prince Muhammad.
Lion of the lair, of perfect manners
أَسدُ العَرين بِحسنِ خلقٍ كاملٍ
ووجاهةٍ ووسامةٍ لا تُجحَدُ
And prominence, beauty that cannot be denied.
If he ascends above his steed you will see him
فَإِذا عَلا فَوقَ الجَوادِ رَأَيتَهُ
لَيثاً عَلى فَلَكِ الثريّا يَقعُدُ
A lion atop the Pleiades’ orbit.
Returning to roses, red, bursted,
وَرد على وَردٍ أَغرَّ محجَّلٍ
أَسد الشّرى حَوضَ المنيَّةِ يوردُ
The lion of evil at the basin of misfortune takes drink.
Sturdy, not minding the lions of evil,
قِرْمٌ فَلا يِعتَدّ آسادَ الشّرى
جَلدٌ عَلاهُ تثبُّتٌ وَتجلُّدُ
His skin is hardened and resilient.
He did not meet enemies but they became
ما قابَلَ الأَعداءَ إِلّا أَصبَحوا
وَرُؤوسُهم فَوقَ المصارِعِ سُجَّدُ
With their heads bowed over the battlefields.
As if each of them before him
فَكَأَنّه وَكَأنَّ كلّاً مِنهُمُ
بازٌ لَدَيهِ غَدا يَخِرُّ الهُدهُدُ
Is a falcon humbled tomorrow by the hoopoe.
So when you look upon their battlefields, you see
فَإِذا نَظَرت إِلى مَصارِعِهم تَرى
جُثَثاً هناكَ بِلا رُؤوسٍ أوجدوا
Headless corpses strewn about.
How much blood of theirs the battleground drank
كَم قَد سَقى أَرضاً نَجيعُ دِمائِهِم
وَدَعا الطّيورَ بِلَحمِهِم تَتَزوَّدُ
And called the birds to feed on their flesh.
Ask the enemies about the taste of their wars,
فَسَلِ الأَعادي عَن مَذاقِ حُروبِهِم
فَهُنالِكَ الخَبرُ الصَّحيحُ المسنَدُ
For there lies the true, verified, and proven news.
And the testimony of enemies against their enemies
وَإِذا أَرَدتَ دَليلَ قَولي فَاِستَمِعْ
مِنّي الّذي أُملي عَلَيكَ وأُوردُ
Is a clear, correct, and firm truth.
The horse, the hero, his glory immense,
فَالخَيلُ وَالأَسيافُ مَعَ سُمرِ القَنا
وَالعَقلُ قاضٍ وَالوَقائِعُ تَشهَدُ
Is the pride of the white when he is girdled.
And by it the glory of the Sumar is contained,
وَكَذا أَعاديهِ كَما نَقَلوا لَنا
نَقلاً صَحيحاً شاعَ لَيسَ يفنَّدُ
It dodges doom with its strikes.
A sea of generosity, nobility, and dew,
وَشَهادَةُ الأَعدا لِمَن عاداهُمُ
حَقٌّ جَلِيٌّ صائِبٌ وَمُسدَّدُ
Easy to access and from it clear water is drawn.
If it were the era of antiques, they would not
الفارِسُ البطَلُ الطويلُ نِجادُهُ
مَن فيهِ فَخرُ البيض إذ يتقلَّدُ
Have praised Hatim’s generosity, or be praised.
And if the generous preceded him,
وَبِهِ اِفتِخارُ السُّمرِ مُعتَقِلاً لَها
وَلَمى المنونِ بِزَجِّها يَتَجعَّدُ
With his generosity and aid they were not aided.
So if someone donates the world thinking it
بَحرُ السَّماحَةِ وَالمَكارِمِ وَالنّدى
سَهلُ الورودِ وَمِنهُ يَحلو المورِدُ
A small thing, as much as the hand can hold,
The master al-Samsam, most generous of the magnificent,
لَو كانَ في زَمَنِ الأُلى لَم يَمدَحوا
فيهِ سَماحَةَ حاتَمٍ لَم يُحمدوا
Sublime of lineage, he is the mighty, the most glorious.
He trod with one foot on the Pleiades of glory
وَلَئِن تَقدَّم قبله أَهلُ النّدى
فَبِبَذلِهِ وَبرِفْده لم يرفدوا
In the honor of highness, and by his sun shelters,
Compared to this position, another is remiss,
فَلَو أَحدٌ يَهَبُ الدُّنى وَيَظنّها
شَيئاً قَليلاً قَدر ما تَسع اليدُ
By your life, among the people he is most wretched.
The glory of supremacy is not his glory,
السيّدُ الصمصامُ أَكرَمُ ماجدٍ
سامي الذُّرى وهو العَزيزُ الأمجَدُ
And compared to the supreme, he is the one glorified.
Great is the difference between a youth overcome by supremacy,
قَد داسَ في قَدمٍ ثريّا المَجدِ في
شَرفِ العُلى وَبِشَمسِهِ يَتَوسَّدُ
And a youth in whom supremacy has been blackened!
He built the emirate when he strengthened its pillar,
فَسِواهُ عَن هَذا المَقامِ مقصِّرٌ
هَذا لَعَمرُكَ في الأنامِ السؤددُ
Indeed, the emirate is built by the prince.
In time, its capable hands were paralyzed,
مَجدُ المَعالي لَيسَ فيها مَجدُهُ
وَسِواهُ أضحى بالمعالي يمجُدُ
And by him its broken unity is gathered.
He governed it with wisdom and then with his justice,
شَتّانَ بَينَ فَتىً تَسوّده العُلى
وَفتىً غَدت فيه المعالِ تسوَّدُ
With fine opinion among the people he is guided.
O prince, and sanctuary for every brother in need,
شادَ الإِمارةَ حين أَقوى رُكنَها
إِنّ الإِمارَةَ بِالأَميرِ تُشَيَّدُ
O Kaaba, the goal runs to you!
I am directing to you a virgin poem,
حَلَّت بِهِ في الدَّهرِ عاطِلَ جيدِها
وَبِهِ تجمّع شَملُها المتبدِّدُ
The like of which is not born.
A doe, innocent, beautiful in her looks,
قد ساسها بالحِلم ثم بعدلِه
في حسن رأيٍ في الأنام يسدّدُ
The moon and planets are bashful before her.
Welcome her and accept her kindly,
يا ذا الأميرُ وكهفَ كلّ أخي لتِجا
يا كعبةً يسعى إليها المقصدُ
For kindness is expected from you, O father of bounty!
And turn your noble gaze from what does not suit her,
إِنّي إِلَيكَ موجِّهٌ ميّاسةً
بِنتَ اِفتِكارٍ مثلُها لا يولَدُ
For turning away befits the generous and is praiseworthy.
Submit, and remain forever mighty and supreme,
غَيداءَ بِكراً غادَةً في حُسنِها
مِنها لَقَد خَجِل المَها والخُرَّدُ
And you will have an eternal, pleasant life.
No dawn has shone, no eastern wind has blown,
أَقْبِلْ عَلَيها وَاِقبَلَنْها مِنّةً
فَالفَضلُ مِنكَ أَبا النَّدى مُتعوَّدُ
No bird has stood singing in the branches,
No son of Fathallah has become eloquent,
وَاِغضُضْ شَريفَ الطّرفِ عَمّا شانَها
فالغضُّ يحسُنُ في الكرام ويُحمدُ
Reciting your praises among the people.
وَاِسلَمْ وَدُم بِالعِزِّ في أَوجِ العُلى
وَلَكَ الزّمانُ يَدومُ عَيشٌ أَرغَدُ
ما لاحَ صُبحٌ ما سَرَت ريح الصَّبا
ما قام طيرٌ في الغصون يغرِّدُ
أَو ما اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ أَصبحَ أَلسناً
تَشدو بِمَدحِكَ في الأنامِ وَتنشِدُ
