أَحسَنُ ما فيهِ يُسرِحُ النَظَرَ
وادٍ بِحَيثُ الأُردُنِّ يَنفَجِر
The most beautiful thing in it is the flowing gaze
Of a valley where the Jordan gushes forth
غارَت عَلَيهِ النُجودُ مِن شَغَفٍ
فَالغورُ ما بَينَهُنَّ مُنحَصِرُ
The stars swooped down upon it out of passion
So the depression between them was confined
قامَت عَلى الجانِبَينِ تَخفِرُهُ
كَذَلِكَ الحُسنُ شَأنُهُ الخَفَرُ
They stood on both sides fluttering over it
Such is the affair of beauty, stealthy
مُبتَدِئُ الجَريَ في الشَمالِ لَدى
شَيخٌ لَهُ الكِبرُ باتَ وَالكِبَرُ
At the start of its flow in the north next to
An old man whose greatness has passed and greatness remains
هاوٍ إِلى المَوتِ في الجَنوبِ لَدى
بَحرٌ وَلا كَالبِحارُ يَحتَضِرُ
Plunging to death in the south next to
A sea that, unlike seas, expires
وَمَن يَعُمُّ البَياضَ لِمَّتَهُ
فَهَل سِوى المَوتَ باتَ يَنتَظِرُ
And whoever’s whiteness is filled out by age
Is there anything left for him but waiting for death?
يا شَرقَ هُوَ نينٌ كَم لَدَيكَ جَرى
مَعينٌ ماءَ حَصباؤُهُ دُرَرُ
O East, it is a river with how many a spring
Whose rushing rivulets are pearls
الشَطرُ تَلُّ القاضي يُسَلسِلُهُ
وَالشَطرُ مِن بانياسَ يَنحَدِرُ
Half of it descends from Qadisha and is chained
And half of it descends from Banias
وَالحاصِباني باتَ إِثرَها
يَشتَدُّ في الجَريَ لَيسَ يَصطَبِرُ
Al-Hasbani meanwhile strengthens its flow
It does not grow calm as it runs
يَملَأُ مِنها الأُردُنَّ بِركَتُهُ
وَيَزدَهي مَرجَ حَولِهِ الخُضرُ
It fills the Jordan with its blessings
And around it the meadows flourish
حَيثُ وَشيجُ اليَراعِ مُشتَبِكٌ
كَأَنَّما الخَطُّ ثُمَّ وَالسَمُرُ
Where the oleander’s entanglement is intertwined
As if it were the line and dots
حَيثُ نُمُوَّ النَباتِ مُعجِزَةٌ
كَأَنَّما سوقُ قَمحِهِ الشَجَرُ
Where the growth of plants is a miracle
As if the trees were marketing its wheat
وَالصَيدُ ما إِن يَزالُ عَن كَثِبٍ
لا كِنَّ مِن دونِهِ وَلا قَتَرُ
And hunting never ceases to be plentiful
Neither scarce nor meager
بُحَيرَةٌ لَم يُرِم بِساحَتِها
ضاقَ بِها أَن تَقِلُّهُ الصِغَرُ
A lake which no one dared enter into
Its expanse was too narrow to contain it
يَمَّمَ أُخرى وَرامَ ثالِثَةً
لَقَد تَرامَت بِهِ نَوى شُطرُ
It spanned another and ambitiously spanned a third
Many intentions have been joined together by it
أَمَّن جَسَرَالنباتَ مَعبَرَهُ
وَرُبَّما خاضَ دونَهُ الجَسَرُ
Whoever bridged the vegetation a crossing
Perhaps waded through it without a bridge
حَتّى إِذا فاضَ مِن هُناكَ غَدَت
أَرضَ البَطيحاءِ مِنهُ تَزدَهِرُ
Until when it overflowed from there
The land of Al-Batiha flourished because of it
أَرضٌ عَلَت ماؤُهُ مَناكِبَها
وَباتَ مِنها في البَحرِ يَنفَغِرُ
Land whose water rose above its shoulders
And now pours into the sea through its mouths
أَقبِل يَرغى وَما بِهِ قَطَمٌ
وَظَلَّ يَعدو وَما بِهِ بَطَرُ
It came rushing with no obstacle in its way
And it continued galloping with no flaw
حَتّى إِذا ما مِياهِهِ اِختَلَطَت
بِهِ تَوَلّاهُ بَغتَةً سَكَرُ
Until when its waters mixed
Suddenly intoxication overcame it
مِن بَعدِ تِلكَ الحَياةُ باتَ بِهِ
مَيتاً وَفي البَحرِ يَغرَقُ النَهرُ
After that life it was left
Dead while the river drowns in the sea
بَحرُ الجَليلِ الَّذي شَواطِئُهُ
في كُلِّ شَبرٍ مِن رَحبِها أَثَرُ
The Sea of Galilee whose shores
In every expanse of its breadth are traces
غَذا دِماءَ المَسيحِ مَورِدُهُ
وَراقَهُ مِنهُ ريقُهُ النَضِرُ
Its nourishment is the blood of Christ
His pure saliva made it lush
وَبَينَ أَمواجِهِ وَأَربَعَهُ
كانَت تَجلى آياتِهِ الكِبَرُ
And between its waves and its expanses
His great signs were revealed
كَم فيهِ لِلكاتِبينَ مِن سَيرٍ
وَكَم نَبيينَ فيهِ تُدَّكَرُ
How many narratives are there for the writers
And how many prophets are remembered in it
عيسى حَوارِيُّهُ وَصَفوَتُهُ
وَالناسُ مِن حَولٍ وَعظُهُ زُمَرُ
Jesus and his disciples and his elite
And the people around him crowds
وَالصائِدونَ الأُلى لَهُ اِتَّبَعوا
هَدى وَذاكَ الشِراعُ مُنتَشِرُ
And the first converts who followed
Guidance, and that banner spread
وَكَفرٌ ناحومَ مَعَ عَجائِبِها
وَمَن بِها آمَنوا وَمَن سَفَروا
And the disbelief of Nahum with all its wonders
And those who believed in it and those who traveled
وَالمُجدِلُ القَريَةَ الَّتي نَشَأَت
مَريَمَ مِنها وَالطيبُ مُنتَشِرُ
And Magdala the town where
Mary grew up and good scent spreads
وَالزُهدُ فيهِ الأَفراحُ قَد دَمَجَت
وَالفَقرُ مَعَهُ البَيانُ وَالفَقرُ
And asceticism in it and joy are joined
Together with destitution, eloquence, and destitution
وَالخُبزُ تَقرى الأُلوفُ كَسَرتَهُ
وَالمَشيُ فَوقَ المِياهِ مُشتَهِرُ
And bread that thousands broke
And walking above water overtly
وَالقَولُ هَذي الفَتاةُ نائِمَةٌ
وَالبِكرُ عَزريلُ نَحوَها بَكَرُ
And the saying “this girl is asleep”
While the angel Azrael approached her
وَكَم نَبَت بِالسَفينِ عاصِفَةً
وَظَنَّ أَنَّ الرِكابَ قَد غَبَروا
And how many a storm the boat endured
And the passengers thought that they were perished
فَسَكَنَ البَحرَ وَهوَ مُضَّطَرِبٌ
مِن بَعدِ ما اِستَصرَخوا وَما جَأَروا
So the sea calmed while raging
After they screamed and wailed
سَجا بِإيماءَةٍ لَهُ وَنَجا
مِن حَملَتِهِ الأَلواحُ وَالدَسَرُ
With a gesture it submitted to Him and was saved
The planks and poles from its load
في ضِفَّتي هَذِهِ البُحَيرَةَ لَو
تُبحِرُ الفِكرُ حارَتِ الفِكرُ
On the banks of this lake if
Thought would sail the seas of thought would be lost
كَم خَبَأَ الدَهرُ في جَوانِبِها
وَكَم رَمى فَوقَ مَوجِها القَدَرُ
How much has time hidden in its edges
And how much has fate cast on its waves
ما الأَبحُرُ السَبعُ مِن نَتائِجِها
ما الرومُ ما الهِندُ ثُمَّ ما الخَزَرُ
Not the seven seas compared to its consequences
Not Rome, nor India, nor then Khazaria
وَقَومُ موسى لَهُم بِساحَتِها
مَركَعٌ صَدَقَ وَأَدمع غَزَرُ
And Moses’ people prostrated in its plain
Bowing, sincere, with copious tears
في طَبَرِيّا مَواقِفٌ حَمَدَت
وَأَرضُها مُقَدَّسٌ وَمُغتَفَرُ
In Tiberias there are praised stands
And its land is sanctified and pardoned
بِها رِجالُ التَلمودِ قَد سَكَنوا
وَجُلَّ آرائَهُم بِها زَبَروا
The men of the Talmud lived in it
And most of their opinions were passed down in it
وَكَم نَبى في ذي البِلادِ قَفا
موسى وَكَم مَرَّ هَهُنا الخَضرُ
And how many prophets in this country stood up
Moses and how much did Al-Khidr frequent it
يَكفيكَ ما في الأُردُنِّ مِن عَبَرٍ
نَهرٌ عَلَيهِ آباؤُهُم عَبَروا
The lessons of the Jordan are enough for you
A river whose fathers crossed over it
وَإِن يَحيى عَلى شَواطِئِهِ
بَينَ يَدَيهِ الأَنامِ تَطَهَّرُ
And John in its banks
Purified himself in front of the people
ما القَنجُ ما النَيلُ في جَوانِبِهِ
ما دِجلَةَ ما الفُراتُ يُعتَبَرُ
What are the Nile and the Euphrates compared to its edges
What are the Tigris and the Euphrates considered
وَالغورُ بَينَ البَحرَينِ مُنبَسِطٌ
تُسرِحُ فيهِ الجَآذِرُ العُفرُ
And Al-Ghor between the two seas stretches out
Where dinosaurs roamed in its bareness
لَو طَبَّقَتهُ أَيدي الوَرى عَمَلاً
عضلى فِلَسطينَ فاضَتِ المِيَرُ
If the hands of civilization cultivated it for work
Palestine overflowed despite its barrenness
قَد كانَ وَالماءُ غابِراً شَرَعا
وَالآنَ ما إِن يَكادُ يَنحَسِرُ
It used to be deep water inexpanse
And now it can barely recede
بُحَيرَةُ كُلِّ شَأنِها عَجَبُ
وَهيَ مِنَ الحُسنِ كُلِّها غُرَرُ
A lake whose whole affair is wonder
And in all beauty it is exotic jewels
لِلَهِ دَرُّ الكَنَدي واصِفُها
كَأَنَّها في نِهارِها قَمَرُ
Praise be to Al-Kandeel its describer
It is as if it were the moon in its light
كانَت تَحُفُّ الجِنانِ دَورَتَها
وَالآنَ تَحتَفُّ دورَها السِدَرُ
It used to encircle the gardens in its circuit
And now the Sidra trees encircle its circuit
مِرآةَ نورٍ مِنَ السُفوحِ لَها
إِطارَ نورٍ لَم تَحكِهِ الأَطَرُ
A mirror of light from the slopes it possesses
A frame of light no frames have confined
كَأَنَّها في صَفائِها فَلَكُ
وَفَلكُها فيهِ أَنجُمٌ زَهَرُ
It is as if in its serenity it is a cosmos
And its cosmos has blossoming stars in it
أَجمَدَ بِقَومٍ رَأَوا مَحاسِنَها
يَوماً فَما أَنشَدوا وَلا شَعَروا
It inspired a people who saw its beauty
One day so they did not versify or poetize
عِندَ الشَمالِ الأُردِنِّ وارِدُها
وَفي جَنوبِيَّها لَهُ صَدَرُ
The Jordan is at its northern side provisioning it
And in its southern side it has a breast
شَريعَةٌ مِنَ مِياهِها ظَهَرَت
وَقَد تَلَتها شَرائِعُ أُخَرُ
A law emerged from its waters
And other laws followed it
عَلَمُ عيسى هُنا شَريعَتَهُ
وَقَومُ موسى تَوراتَهُم فَسَروا
Jesus’ banner his law here
And Moses’ people deciphered their Torah
وَفي حُروبِ الصَليبِ قَد رُفِعَت
أَعلامُ دينِ الَّذي نِمتَ مُضَرُ
And in the Crusades the banners were raised
Of the religion whose shoots have grown from Muḍar
يا يَومَ حِطينَ كَم حَطَطَت مِنَ الإِ
فرِنجِ شَأَناً ما كانَ يَنكَسِر
O day of Hittin, how you lowered
From the Franks glory that did not crumble
هَبّوا مِنَ الغَربِ كَالجَرادِ فَلَم
يَكُن لِشَرقٍ بَردَهُم قُدَرُ
They came from the West like locusts so no
East had the capability to repel their harm
وَاِستَفتَحوا القُدسَ وَالبِلادِ وَلَم
يَعصِ عَلَيهِم بَدوٌ وَلا حَضَرُ
And Jerusalem was conquered and no
Bedouin or urban dwellers resisted
وَهَدَّدوا المَسجِدَ الحَرامِ وَكَم
دَعا مَلَبٍ فيهِ وَمُعتَمِرُ
And they threatened the Sacred Mosque, and how much
A confused pilgrim in it screamed and stoned
وَكادَ يَبكي الميزانَ فيهِ دَماً
وَرَقَّ مِمّا أَصابَنا الحَجَرُ
And blood almost shed in it unjustly
Our stone softened from what afflicted it
وَنابِتُ المُسلِمينَ داهِيَةً
دَهماءَ قَد عَمَّهُم بِها الذُعرُ
And the plants of the Muslims were scattered
Bewildered, overtaken by terror
فَكُلُّ كَفٍّ أَصابَها شَلَلُ
وَكَم عَزَمَ أَصابَهُ خورُ
And every group that supported them turned
And their knights became prey for gazelles
وَكُلُّ جَمعٍ ناواهُم اِنقَلَبَت
فُرسانُهُ وَهيَ لِلظَبيِ جُزُرُ
And Jiluq was besieged, and if it were taken
No cities would remain for us nor shelter
وَحوصِرَت جَلَّقٌ وَلَو أَخَذَت
لَم تَبقَ مُدنٌ لَنا وَلا مَدَرُ
And it was said the Abode of Islam is confined
And danger encircled the rest of its lands
وَقيلَ دارُ الإِسلامِ قَد حَصَرَت
وَحَفَّ باقي بِلادِهِ الخَطَرُ
The terror they evoked did not cease to fill hearts
And precaution did not benefit them
ما زالَ مِلءَ القُلوبِ رُعبَهُم
وَلَم يَكُن نافِعاً لَها الحَذَرُ
Until Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi faced them
And he had the ministry of Shirkuh
حَتّى تَوَلّى زَنكي فَنازَلَهُم
وَكانَ مِن شيركو لَهُ وَزرُ
The vanguard of victory in the state of Nur al-Din
A just king wearing the burdens
طَليعَةَ النَصرِ في وِلايَةِ نو
رِ الدينِ مَلِكٌ بِالعَدلِ يَأتَزِرُ
A mujahid, a warrior whose speech
Regarding the conquest and justice circulated
مُجاهِدٌ ماهِدٌ بِخُطبَتِهِ
في الفَتحِ وَالعَدلِ سارَت السِيَرُ
The Prophet would approve of his conduct
And the likes of his guidance Umar would accept
تُقِرُّ عَينَ النَبِيِّ سيرَتُهُ
وَيَرتَضي مِثلَ هَديِهِ عُمَرُ
Then came his successor Ibn Ayyub
Nothing delighted him but following his path
ثُمَّ اِبنُ أَيّوبٍ جاءَهُ خَلَفا
وَلَيسَ إِلّا سُروجِهِ سُرَرُ
He prepared the seat of Al-Ma’z and it transformed
With Yusuf to a prideful Egypt
مَهَّدَ دارَ المَعزِ فَاِنقَلَبَت
بِيوسُفَ مِصرَ وَهيَ تَفتَخِرُ
When matters straightened for him and no
Watcher remained and the clouds cleared
لَمّا سَتقامَت لَهُ الأُمورَ وَلَم
يَبقَ رَقيبٌ وَاِنجابَت الغُمَرُ
He came with a great army whose
Lions if passionated their passion is the passion of Sa’d
أَقبَلَ في جَحفَلٍ لَهُ لَجَبُ
يَطلُبُ ثَأرَ الدينِ الَّذي وَتَروا
They knew nothing but piercing the necks
And nothing but stirring the steeds
بِفِتيَةٍ سُمرُهُم إِذا عَشِقوا
سُمرُ صِعادٍ وَبيضُهُم بَتَرُ
He alighted on the lake’s coast while
They crawled toward him from every crevice
غَيرَ طِعانِ النُحورِ ما عَرَفوا
وَغَيرَ جَردِ الخُيولِ ما زَجَروا
So he stood to confront them
In the plain from Lubya and they battled
أَناخَ في شاطِئِ البُحَيرَةِ إِذ
إِلَيهِ عَن كُلِّ ناجِذٍ كَشَروا
The day the two armies met and the
Commotion subsided as if it were hell
فَقامَ مِن أَرضِهِ لِصَدمِهِم
في السَهلِ مِن لوبِياءَ وَاِشتَجَروا
The day the two armies met and the
Scale stood depending on its tilting for victory
يَومَ تَلاقى الجَمعانِ وَالتَظَّت ال
هَيجاءُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها سَقَرُ
East and West after long turmoil
Stood still and the arena was confined
يَومَ تَلاقى الجَمعانِ وَاِنتَصَبَ ال
ميزانُ رَهنَ اِنحِرافِهِ الظَفَرُ
For three, and the battle between them
Was battle unlike any day before it
الشَرقُ وَالغَربُ بَعدَ طولِ وَغى
تَواقَفا وَالبِرازُ مُختَصَرُ
The heavy shower of the arrows of Saladin’s army
Assailed them, if a trench were beyond it, it would save them
ثَلاثَةً وَالنِزالُ بِينَهُما
نِزالٌ مِن بَعدِ يَومِهِ العُصَرُ
He attacked displaying his back to them
As if they were a people who had rebelled shaking boughs
فَأَمطَرَتهُم قَسِيُّ جَيشِ صَلا
حِ الدينِ نُبلاً مِن دونِهِ المَطَرُ
The enemy tasted from the sip of their stab
A cup that fermented without grapes
وَدَوا وَقَد أَبصَروهُ عارِضَهُم
لَو سَتَرتُهُم مشن دونِهِ حَفَرُ
When the matter became other than what they calculated
And the people were patient beyond their patience
كَأَنَّما قَوماً وَقَد وَثَبوا
زَعازِعٌ لِلغُصونِ تَهتَصِرُ
They turned their backs to Yusuf like prey
He takes from them more than leaves
ذاقَ العِدا مِن سُلافِ طَعنِهِم
كَأساً بِغَيرِ العَنقودِ تَختَمِرُ
They recoiled terrified when they saw
Red death as if they were red
لَمّا بَدا الأَمرُ غَيرَ ما حَسَبوا
وَالناسُ مِن فَوقِ صَبرِهِم صَبَروا
The Patriarch retreated with his knights
Deceit did not fool him like it fooled others
وَلَوا ظَبى يوسُفَ ظُهورَهُم
تَأخُذُ مِنها فَوقَ الَّذي تَذَرُ
No wonder he survived though an earthly form surrounded him
It is the custom of the owner of the land, he buried who he buried
ضَياغِمَ أَجفَلوا وَقَد نَظَروا
حُمرَ المَنايا كَأَنَّهُم حُمرُ
They sloped toward Hittin seeking salvation
But neither rib nor heel saved them
وَأَدبَرَ القُمصَ مَعَ فَوارِسِهِ
ما غَرَّهُ مِثلَ غَيرِهِ الغُرَرُ
And the Sabbath revealed their defeat
And the king was among those captured
لا عَجَبَ أَن نَجا وَحيطَ بِهِ
عادَةً ذي الأَرضِ نَشَرَ مِن قَبروا
Despite that in a presence of esteem they were
Like palm trees planted around his tomb
مالوا لِحِطّينَ طالِبينَ نَجا
فَلَم يَفِدهُم ضَلعٌ وَلا دَبَرُ
And the Templars in their coats of mail
Nothing remained but bodies wrapped
وَأَسفَرَ السَبتَ عِن هَزيمَتِهِم
وَأَصبَحَ المُلكُ ضِمنَ مَن أُسِروا
They did not cower for a moment though they were defeated
But the lion is less than it without the panther
وَفَوقَ ذاكَ الصَعيدِ نائِمَهُم
كَأَنَّهُ النَخلُ وَهوَ مُنقَعِرُ
In a presence they were noble around his tomb
Such to him from his burial place eminence
وَالهَيكَلِيّونَ مِن قَساوِرِهِم
لَم يَبقَ إِلّا هَياكِلَ دَثِرُ
They were pushed humiliated toward Yusuf
Their necks bent, their gaze cast down
لَم يَجبَنوا ساعَةً وَإِن خَذِلوا
وَإِنَّما اللَيثُ دونَهُ النَمِرُ
Debasement made them seem
Like drunken folk as if resurrected
في حَضرَةٍ مِن شُعَيبٍ قَ شَعَبوا
كَذا لَهُم عَن مِزارِهِ زورُ
Yusuf an age of a kingdom’s rectitude
In every matter inclined to righteousness
فَأُزلِفوا نَحوَ يوسُفَ خَضَعاً
رِقابَهُم ناكِساً لَهُم بَصَرُ
He felt ashamed at shedding their blood
His shyness and all creatures blossoms
تُرهِقَهُم ذِلَّةً وَتَحسَبُهُم
قَوماً سُكارى كَأَنَّهُم حُشِروا
The fathers refused to kill them
He pardoned when he pardoned, and he was capable
يوسُفَ عَصرٍ صَلاحُ مَملَكَةٍ
بِكُلِّ أَمرٍ لِلبِرِّ مُؤتَمَرُ
A pardon with which he also pardoned them extended
From his mildness the plain widened and the rugged narrowed
أَصبَحَ مُستَحيِياً دِماءَهُم
حَياؤُهُ والخَلائِقُ الزُهرُ
At Arnat his vow was with a hand
For too long vows did not adorn it
أَبى عَلَيهِ الأَباءُ مَصرَعَهُم
وَعَفَّ إِذ عَفَّ وَهوَ مُقتَدِرُ
And he said as he draped it with his sword
He married the hilt with congratulations bloodied
عَفواً بِهِ عَمَّهُم وَأَخرَجَ مِن
بِنكَثِهِ السَهلُ ضاقَ وَالوَعرُ
His sword the groom, he the mention
Then the king became fearful, doubting
وَفي بِأَرناطَ نَذرُهُ بيدٌ
إِذ طالَما لَم تَحكِ بِهِ النَذرُ
That with the sword he would surprise him
When he saw the Prince’s prostrated body
وَقالَ إِذ تَلَّهُ بِصارِمِهِ
ها أَنا ذا لِلنَبِيِّ أَنتَصِرُ
He said, seeking the Prince’s forgiveness, I denounce
So terror momentarily hatched from him when
أَزوَجَ بَينَ التَهليلِ مُهجَتَهُ
مَخضوبَةً صارِماً هُوَ الذِكرُ
He was given good tidings that no harm would befall him
He was punished with imprisonment, certain of redemption
فَأَصبَحَ المُلكُ وَهوَ مُرتَجِفٌ
ما شَكَّ أَنَّ بِالحُسامِ يَبتَدِرُ
And the kingship alongside blindness deprivation
The back-breaking blow to the Franks became
أَبصَرَ جِسمَ البِرِنسَ مُنعَفِراً
فَقالَ إِثرَ البِرِنسِ أَقتَفِرُ
The battle of Hittin since they appeared
It is as if Ali is Hittin’s starting point
فَأَفرَخَ الرَوعُ مِنهُ ساعَةً إِذ
بُشِّرَ أَن لَن يُصيبِهُ ضَرَرُ
And every conquest after it news
Ibn Ayyub’s fortune to attain it
عوقِبَ بِالأَسرِ موقِنٌ بَردي
وَجَلَّ مُلكاً مَعَ العَمى العورُ
And God created him uniquely for it
And the army whose call became
قاصِمَةَ الظَهرِ لِلفِرِنجِ غَدَت
وَقعَةَ قَرنى حِطينَ مُذ ظَهَروا
Inscribed on the tablet for them reward
A people who relieved the people when they wearied
كَأَن عَليا حَطينَ مُبتَدَأٌ
وَكُلُّ فَتحٍ مِن بَعدِها خَبَرُ
And who by staying up brought relief to the people
Through them the ancestors of Islam ascended
حَظُّ اِبنِ أَيّوبَ أَن يَفوزَ بِها
وَاللَهُ مِن خَلقِهِ لَهُ أُثرُ
After its people had stumbled
And to Ibn Shadhi renown that circulated
وَحَظُّ جَيشٍ لِيَ النِداءُ غَدَت
في اللَوحِ مَكتوبَةٌ لَهُ الأَجرُ
In every place as if it were dripping
He stood alone facing the Franks
قَومٌ أَراحوا الأَقوامَ إِذ تَعِبوا
وَقَد أَناموا الأَنامَ إِذ سَهِروا
And the people of every faith cowered
Until he regained most of the lands
بِهِم جُدودَ الإِسلامِ قَد صَعِدَت
مِن بَعدِ ما كانَ أَهلُهُ عَثَروا
And Jerusalem compliant and the boulder
The two hundred fortresses used to protect them
وَلِاِبنِ شاذي ذِكرُ شَذاهُ سَرى
في كُلِّ قَطرٍ كَأَنَّهُ القَطرُ
Impenetrable when our frontiers were exposed
From every fortress he uncovered their disgrace
قامَ بِوَجهِ الفِرِنجِ مُنفَرِداً
وَالقَومُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَمَروا
By the sword, he did not walk toward them drunk
And Sur remained unbreachable in its strongholds
حَتّى اِستَرَدَّ البِلادَ أَكثَرَها
وَأَصبَحُ القُدسُ دانٍ وَالصَخرُ
And in every direction images defending it
Who pardoned them in his benevolence
كانَت مِئتُ الحُصونِ تَعصِمُهُم
مَنيعَةً إِذ ثُغورَنا ثَغرُ
And his slackness, and they were many
They all refused in its ruggedness
مِن كُلِّ حِصنٍ أَماطَ عَرَّتُهُم
بِالسَيفِ لَم يَمشِ نَحوَهُم خَمرُ
So it was refuge and pressing for them
Reproach in forbearance and loyalty is a hero’s slip
وَاِستَعصَمَت صورٌ في مَعاقِلِها
وَكُلُّ طَرفٍ بِهِ لَها صُوَرُ
For it is the best trait of mankind
What is the point of patience long in a man
مَن فَرَطَ ما عَمَّهُم بِرَأفَتِهِ
وَفَلتِهِ فَلَهُم وَقَد كَثَروا
If the point of shortness did not sell him
He was gentle and forbearing
فَاِمتَنَعوا كُلُّهُم بِعَقوَتِها
فَهيَ لَهُم مَلجَاٌ وَمُعتَصِرُ
Like a sword in water, its sharpness sparks
The fervor of power nothing corrupted it
إِن عيبَ بِالحِلمِ وَالوَفا بَطَلٌ
فَإِنَّهُ خَيرُ ما هَفا البَشَرُ
And the torrent of forbearance nothing muddied it
He did not know irritation from the turmoil
ما شانَ طولُ الأَنّاةِ في رَجُلٍ
إِن لَم يَكُن شانَ باعَهُ القِصَرُ
And both sides were irritated
Until he completely unveiled their disgrace
قَد كانَ في رِقَّةٍ وَفي جَلَدٍ
كَالسَيفِ في ماءٍ حَدُّهُ الشَرَرُ
Nothing of his worries alleviated
Who fortified the Abode of Islam after separation
جَمرَةَ بِأسٍ ما شابَها وَهَل
غَمرَةَ حِلمٍ ما شابَها كَدَرُ
Like that, below it are spears
The frontiers of the kingdom did not distract him
ما كانَ يَدري مِنَ الوَغى ضَجَراً
وَالكُلُّ في الجانِبَينِ قَد ضَجَروا
From a frontier, nor an onlooker fascinated him
And it was forbidden for the enemy to mention him
حَتّى يَميطَ العُوارُ أَجمَعُهُ
ما هانَ مِن كُلِّ هَمِّهِ العُسرُ
In their lands, his mention is fragrance
The bones of kings stand at his door
أَمَّن دارَ الإِسلامِ بَعدَ عَنا
كَذَلِكَ الشُهدُ دونَهُ الإِبَرُ
And he is the greatest decay
And the eminent bow, humbled at his soil
لَم يُلهِهِ عَن ثُغورِ مَملَكَةٍ
ثَغَرَ وَلا ناظِرٌ بِهِ حورُ
The head with the highest crown wrist-deep
Prominence lives on after its owner
وَكانَ مِن حُرمَةِ العَدُوِّ لَهُ
أَنَّ ذِكرُهُ في بِلادِهِم عَطِرُ
And renown remains even if you become different
And we after all that and this
تَغدو عِظامُ المُلوكِ واقِفَةً
بِبابِهِ وَهوَ أَعظَمُ نَخرُ
Nothing remains but narration and passing the night
وَيَنحَني حاسِراً بِتُربَتِهِ
رَأسٌ بِأَعلى التيجانِ مُعتَجِرُ
وَالفَضلُ يَحيا مِن بَعدِ صاحِبِهِ
وَالذِكرُ يَبقى وَلَو عُدتَ غَيرُ
وَنَحنُ مِن بَعدِ كُلِّ ذاكَ وَذا
لَم يَبقَ إِلّا الحَديثُ وَالسَمَرُ
