أَيَداً تَفيضُ وَخاطِراً مُتَوَقِّدا
دَعها تَبِت قَبَساً عَلى عَلَمِ النَدى
Hands overflowing and a blazing conscience,
Let it spend the night kindling a torch on the flag of dew.
نِعمَ اليَدُ البَيضاءُ آنَسَ طارِقٌ
نارَ الذَكاءِ عَلى مَكارِمِها هُدى
How good is the white hand that brings Tariq comfort,
The fire of intelligence guiding its virtues.
نعماءُ أَعياني اِلتِماسُ مَكانِها
لَو قَد وجَدتُ لَها وَلِيّاً مُرشِدا
The most precious of my wishes is to find its place,
If only I could find a guide and patron for it.
وَيَقولُ قَومٌ آيَةٌ قُدسِيَّةٌ
وَأَظُنُّها لِلقائِدِ الأَعلى يَدا
And some people say it is a sacred sign,
And I think it is for the supreme leader a hand.
رَجُلُ الزَمانِ حَزامَةً وَشَهامَةً
وَسَرِيُّهُ حَسَباً أَغَرَّ وَمَحتِدا
The man of the time, spirited and intrepid,
His elite lineage more honorable and resolute.
شَهمٌ عَلى رَأسِ الدَهاءِ مُحَلِّقٌ
لَو شاءَ أَفرَدَ مِن أَخيهِ الفَرقَدا
A bold spirit hovering over the summit of brilliance,
If he wished, he could single out even the fluttering moth.
يَستَهدِفُ المُستَقبَلاتِ بِظَنِّهِ
فَيَكادُ يُصمي اليَومَ ما يَرمي غَدا
He targets the future with his insight,
He almost makes the present hit whatever he aims for tomorrow.
وَيُسابِقُ الرَأيَ المُصيبَ بِعَزمِهِ
كَالسَهمِ لا كَسِلاً وَلا مُتَبَلِّدا
And he races ahead of sound opinion with his resolve,
Like an arrow, neither sluggish nor procrastinating.
حَزمٌ يُريكَ المَشرَفِيَّ مُصَمِّماً
في كَفِّهِ وَالسَمهَرِيَّ مُسَدَّدا
Resolute, showing you the ambitious one determined,
In his grip, and the watchful one steadfast.
وَتَكادُ تَحميهِ نَفاسَةُ قَدرِهِ
وَاليَأسُ مِن إِدراكِهِ أَن يُحسَدا
And the refinement of his worth almost protects him,
And despair of reaching him, lest he be envied.
وَإِذا ذَكَرتَ قَبيلَهُ عَنساً فَخُذ
ما شِئتَ مِن شَرَفٍ وَعِزٍّ سَرمَدا
And if you mention his Ansar tribe, then take
Whatever you wish of honor and eternal glory.
ماتَ الجُدودُ الأَقدَمونَ وَغادَروا
إِرثَ السَناءِ عَلى البَنينَ مُؤَبَّدا
The oldest ancestors passed away and left
The inheritance of glory upon their descendants forever.
وَكَفاكَ مِنهُ اليَومَ أَيُّ بَقِيَّةٍ
كَرُموا لَها أَصلاً وَطابوا مَولِدا
And suffice it for you today whatever remnant
They honored its origin and had a good birth.
إِنَّ الكِرامَ بَني سَعيدٍ كُلَّما
وَرِثوا النَدى وَالمَجدَ أَوحَدَ أَوحَدا
Verily, the Bani Sa’id’s noblemen, whenever
They inherited softness and glory, became one, one.
قَسَموا المَعالِيَ بِالسَواءِ وَفَضَّلوا
فيها عِمادَهُمُ الكَبيرَ مُحَمَّدا
They divided the high virtues equally and preferred among them
Their pillar, the great Muhammed.
يا واحِدَ الدُنيا وَسَوفَ أُعيدُها
مَثنى وَإِن أَغنى نِداؤُكَ موحَدا
O unique one of the world, and I will repeat it
Twice over, even if your singular call suffices.
أَمّا وَقَد طُفنا البِلادَ فَلَم نَجِد
لَكَ ثانِياً فَكُنِ الكَريمَ الأَوحَدا
As we have toured the countries, we have not found
A second to you, so be the singular noble one.
مَهِّد لَنا فَوقَ السُهى نَحطُط بِهِ
رِجلَ المخيّم لا بَرِحتَ مُمَهِّدا
Prepare for us above the plateau, we descend on it,
The foot of the tent that you have not ceased furnishing.
وَاِصرِف لَنا وَجهَ القَبولِ فَإِنَّما
وَصَلَت إِلَيكَ بِنا الأَماني وُفَّدا
And turn to us the face of acceptance, for only
Our wishes have reached you compacted.
نَبغي لِقاءَكَ وَهوَ أَكرَمُ حاجَةٍ
نَهَبَت لَها الخَيلُ السُهى وَالفَرقَدا
We desire to meet you, and it is the most honorable need,
For which the horses and the mares raided the plateau.
وَلِذاكَ خُضتُ اللَيلَ فَوقَ مُكَرَّمٍ
لَم أَعدُ بي وَبِهِ العُلا وَالسُؤدَدا
And for that I crossed the night on a generous one,
I did not count myself and it among the towering and the subjugated.
يَدري الأَغَرُّ إِذا خَفَضتُ عَنانَهُ
أَنّي سَأُبلِغُهُ مِنَ الشَرَفِ المَدى
The proud one knows when I lower his reigns,
That I will take him to the highest honor.
وَإِلى النُجومِ الزُهرِ يَرفَعُ طَرفَهُ
مَن لَم يُحاوِل غَيرَ دارِكَ مَقصِدا
And to the stars, the flowers, he lifts his gaze,
Whoever’s goal was none other than your abode.
عَجَبي وَلكِن مِن سَفاهَةِ راحِلٍ
رامَ الرَشادَ فَراحَ عَنكَ أَوِ اِغتَدى
My wonder! But from the foolishness of a rider,
Who intended to be guided but went astray from you.
رَكِبَ الهَجيرَةَ وَالسَرابُ أَمامَهُ
وَنَأى الغَديرُ لَهُ فَماتَ مِنَ الصَدى
He rode a mirage while the illusion was before him,
And the pond was far from him, so he died of thirst.
وَعَلى مَنِ اِعتَمَدَت سِواكَ طُنونُهُ
في الناسِ كُلُّهُمُ لِخِنصَرِكَ الفِدا
And whoever relied on other than you, all people
Are devoted to your sacrifice.
الناسُ أَنتَ وَسِرُّ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ
أَصبَحتَ فيهِم بِالعُلا مُتَفَرِّدا
People are you, and the secret of that
Is that you have become singularly supreme among them.
شِيَمٌ تفُوقُ شَذا المَديحِ وَإِن غَدا
مِسكاً بِأَقطارِ البِلادِ مُبَدَّدا
Character that surpasses the best praise, and if
It becomes spread out in the regions of the countries.
وَجَميلُ ذِكرٍ قَد تَضاعَف ذِكرُهُ
مِمّا يُعادُ بِهِ الحَديثُ وَيُبتَدا
And a beautiful mention, his mention has multiplied
From what is reiterated in speech and initiated.
سَهلُ الوُلوجِ عَلى الفُؤادِ كَأَنَّهُ
نَفَسٌ يَمُرُّ عَلى اللِسانِ مُرَدَّدا
Easy access into hearts, as if it
Were a breath flowing repeated on the tongue.
فَإِلَيكَ شُكري تُحفَةً مِن قادِمٍ
مَغناكَ زارَ وَمِن نَداكَ تَزَوَّدا
So to you is my gratitude, a gift from a newcomer
Whose praise has enriched you, and from your bounty taken provision.
وَعَلَيَّ تَوفيةُ الثَناءِ مُخَلَّداً
إِن كانَ يُقنِعُكَ الثَناءُ مُخَلَّدا
And upon me is the obligation of immortal praise,
If immortal praise satisfies you.
