سَجَدَتْ لكعبة قَدَك الأغْصَانُ
وَسَهَتْ لِسَاحرِ طرفكَ الغزلاَنُ
The branches bowed to the Kaaba of your perfection,
And the gazelles were awed by the magic of your glance.
وَبَرَزْتَ فِي أفُقِ الملاَحَةِ كَامِلاً
فَلِذَا اعْتَرَى قَمَرَ الدجَى النُّقْصَانُ
You emerged on the horizon of beauty complete,
So the moon of night's darkness suffered loss.
أمُعَذّبِي هَلْ أنْتَ بَدرٌ مُقْمِرٌ
أمْ جُؤْذرٌ أمْ رَبْرَبٌ وَسْنَانُ
O tormentor of my soul, are you a full moon
Or a narcissus, a pomegranate blossom, or a tooth?
أمْ أنْتَ مِنْ حُورِ الجِنَانِ فَرَرْتَ أمْ
ملكٌ كَرِيمٌ أنْتَ أمْ إنْسَانُ
Or are you one of the Houri of Paradise who fled?
Or a noble angel or a human being?
وَأسيلُ خدك أمْ رِيَاضٌ مُونِقٌ
أم ذَاكَ نُعْمَانٌ بِهِ نُعْمَانُ
Are your cheeks a garden or a flowery meadow
Or is it Nu'man wherein is Nu'man's bliss?
أمْ رَوْضَةٌ غَنَّا تفتَّحَ وَرْدُهَا
أمْ جَنَّةٌ فَيْحَا بِهَا رِضْوَانُ
Or is it a rose garden singing with blooming roses
Or a heaven wherein is Ridwan's joy?
وَعِذَارُكَ المُخْضَر أمْ نَمْلٌ غَدَا
مُتَرَدّداً فِي السَّيْرِ أمْ خيلاَنُ
Is your eyeliner a green ant gone walking to and fro
Or horses charging in their course or reeds?
أمْ ظِل صُدْغٍ مَدَّ حَاشِيَةً عَلَى
شَاطِي غَدِيرِ الخَد أمْ رَيْحَانُ
Or is it the shadow of a cheek stretching its fringes
On the shore of the cheek's pool, or basil?
أمْ هُدْبُ جفنٍ لاَحَ في مِرْآة خَدّ
كَ أمْ لَهِيبٌ قَدْ عَلاَهُ دخانُ
Or the kohl of an eyelid shining in the mirror of your cheek,
Or flames with smoke rising high above them?
أمْ غَيْهَبٌ سُدِلَتْ حَوَاشِيهِ عَلَى
شَفَقٍ كَأنَّ أدِيمَهُ عِقْيَانُ
Or clouds letting down their fringes upon a horizon
As if their raiments were skins or vipers?
أمْ كَاتِبٌ قَدْ خَطَّ لاَمَاتٍ عَلَى
صَفَحَاتِ خَدّ صَاغَهُ الرَّحْمَانُ
Or a scribe who wrote words like moles
On pages made by Allah, the Merciful?
وَقَوَامُكَ المَيَّاسُ أمْ هُوَ شَمْعَةٌ
أمْ غُصْنُ بَانٍ فَوْقَهُ بُسْتَانُ
Is your tall slender form a candle
Or a branch above which is a garden?
أمْ ذَاكَ عَسَّاكٌ لَهُ مِنْ طرفك ال
وَسْنَانِ يَا غُصْنَ الأرَاكِ سِنَانُ
Or is it a staff which your mouth's whiteness
Adorns, O branch of the boxwood, O spear?
يَا جُؤذراً من لحظه وَقَوَامِهِ
تَتَعَلَّمُ الأغْصَانُ وَالغزلاَنُ
O narcissus in your glance and bearing
From whom branches and gazelles learn grace,
الخد روضٌ وَالعِذَارُ بَنَفْسَجٌ
وَالوَجْهُ شَمْسٌ وَالقَوَامُ البَانُ
Your cheek is a garden, your eyeliner violets,
Your face a sun, your form a slender branch.
وَهَضِيمَةِ الكَشْحَيْنِ هَزّ قَوَامُهَا
مَا لَمْ يَهُزَّ الأسْمَرُ المُرَّانُ
The swaying of her plump cheeks makes sway
What the slender, delicate branch cannot.
مَا كُنْتُ أدْرِي قَبْلَ فَتْكِ جفونِهَا
فِي مُهْجَتِي أنْ للِظُّبَى أجْفَانُ
Before her killing glances wrecked my soul
I did not know that gazelles have eyes.
تالله إنّ خدُودَهَا قَدْ أضْرَمَتْ
فِي القَلْبِ مَا لاَ تُضْرِمُ النِّيرَانُ
By God, her blushing cheeks have kindled in my heart
Fires not lit by flames.
وَالدَّمْعُ يَبْسط فِي الخُدُودِ مَطارِفاً
فَتُجَر مِنْ جرائِهِ الأرْدَانُ
And tears pour over her cheeks billowing
So her down is dragged forth by their flow.
يَا دمعُ قِفْ عَنْ طُولِ جريك وَاتَّئِدْ
بَلْ فِضْ فَإنَّكَ هَامِلٌ هَتَّانُ
O Tears, stop your ceaseless flowing, restrain yourself,
No, spill forth for you are a torrent, a flood.
يَا رَبَّةَ الجَفْنِ المُعيرِ سقَامَهُ
جِسْمِي أمَا لِشِفَائِهِ إبَّانُ
O mistress of the languishing eyelid, heal
The sickness of my body; is there no time for healing?
أسَقِيمُ جَفْنِكِ أمْ صحيحُ جَفَاكِ قد
ترك الفُؤَادَ تَرُوعُهُ الأجْفَانُ
Does illness afflict your eyelid or does your stony heart
Make my heart quake out of fear of your eyes?
مَا عذرُ مثلي فِي هَوَاك وقَدْ دَعَا
قَلْبِي المُطِيعَ جَمَالُكِ الفَتَّانُ
What excuse can one like me make for loving you
When your captivating beauty lures my obedient heart?
تَوْرِيدُ خَدِّكِ مُورِدُ الأهْوَا كَمَا
فتاكُ طرفكِ لِلْوَرَى فَتَّاُن
The flow of blood through your cheek leads cravings astray
Just as the fatal glance of your eye leads souls to perdition.
فَإذَا سفرتِ فبدرُ تَمٍّ طَالٍعٌ
وَإذَا نَفَرْتِ فشادنٌ ظَمْآنُ
When you travel it is like the rising of a full white moon
When you show anger it is like a thirsty lightning flash.
إنِّي لَتُعْجِبُنِي مَعَاطِفُكِ الَّتِي
فِي بَانِهَا التفاحُ وَالرمَّانُ
I love the way your robes fall with apples and
Pomegranates in their folds.
ويروقني وَرْدٌ بِخَدّكِ يَانِعٌ
فِي وَسْطِ جَمْرٍ حَفَّهُ سُوسَانُ
A rosebud blooms on your cheek amid embers ringed
By lilies in their prime.
وَتَسُرّنِي النسمَاتُ مِنْكِ وَإنَّمَا
يَزْدَادُ فِي قَلْبِي بِهَا الخَفَقَانُ
The breezes from you make me happy but
They only increase the pounding of my heart.
وَأهُزُّ مِنْ فَرْطِ السرُور معَاطفِي
حَتَّى كَأنِّي شَاربٌ نشْوَانُ
I sway with great joy until my clothes
Make me seem drunk on wine.
وَأُسِرُّ حُبِّكِ وَالدمُوِعُ تُذِيعُهُ
أمَعَ المَدَامِعِ يَنْفَعُ الكِتْمَانُ
I conceal my love for you while tears proclaim it -
With tears, does hiding do any good?
سُقْياً لأيَّامٍ مَضَيْنَ كَأنَّهَا
رُوحٌ يُرِيحُ لَهَا المُنَى جُثْمَانُ
A toast to the days gone by which are like
A soul at rest whose body is a tomb.
إذْ كَانَ ظِل سُتُورِ أنْسِكِ مُورِقاً
وَالعَيْشُ عيَشُ والزَّمَانُ زَمَانُ
When the shade of your veil was flourishing
And life was life and time was time,
وَعرُوس ذَاكَ الروض قُلِّدَ جيدُهَا
عِقْداً لَهُ دُرّ السحَاب جُمَانُ
And the bride of that garden was adorned at her neck
With a necklace whose pearls were drops of rain,
وَالقُضْبُ تَرْفُلُ في غَلاَئِلِ سندُسٍ
صِيغَتْ أزَاهِرُهَا لَهَا تِيجَاُن
And the partridge strutted in the tresses of her hair
Whose flowers were fashioned into a crown for her.
وَالنَّهْرُ كَالهنديّ أوْ هُوَ مِعْصَمٌ
فِي حلة خضْرَاء أوْ ثعبَانُ
The river was like an Indian or a silver bangle
On an arm clothed in green or like a serpent.
وَالفَجْرُ رَاكِبُ أشْهَبٍ يَتْلُو بِهِ
جيشَ الظَّلاَمِ كَأنَّه سُلْطَانُ
And dawn was a rider on a steed reciting poetry
To the army of darkness as if he were the sultan.
مَوْلاَي عثمانُ المليكُ المالكُ ال
عدل الحليم الكامل الإنسانُ
My lord Uthman the royal king, the just sovereign
The most magnanimous, lofty, mighty, towering,
الأعظم الأعلى الأعزُّ الشامخ ال
مولى الكَرِيم العَادل اليقظَانُ
Master of the generous, watchful over justice.
A king whose brandishing of the sword with his hand
ملكٌ إذَا هَزَّ الحسَامَ بِكَفِّهِ
خرَّتْ لبَارق رعده الخُرْصَانُ
Makes even mountains bow to the lightning of his thunder.
If his resolutions and gifts were dispersed
لَوْ فُرّقَتْ عزمَاته وهبَاته
فِي النَّاسِ لَمْ يَكُ بَاخلٌ وَجبَانُ
Among the people, none would be stingy or cowardly.
Wakeful, the initiatives of his command are guarded
متيقِّظٌ عُصِمَتْ بوَادرُ أمْره
بعزَائمٍ يَقْتَادُهَا العِرْفَانُ
By resolves which discernment leads.
He tames the untamed, guiding them with a will
مُسْتَعْبِدٌ حُرَّ الأمُورِ يَقُودهَا
رأيٌ بِخَطْمِ الخَطْبِ منهُ عِنانُ
Whose rein is sound reason and perception.
He sees outcomes in the page of his thoughts
ويَرَى العَوَاقِبَ فِي صَحِيفَةِ فِكْرِهِ
فَكَأنَمَا أفْكَاره كُهَّانُ
As if his ideas were soothsayers.
Standing before him inspires such awe in hearts
مَلأتْ مَوَاقِفُةُ القُلُوبَ مَهَابَةً
فِيهَا اسْتَوَى الإسرَارُ وَالإعْلاَن
That discretion and candor become equal.
It is as if images of standing in his presence
وكَأنَّمَا صُوَر الوُقُوفِ أمَامَهُ
صُوَر الدمَى فَمَوَاثلٌ خُرْسَانُ
Are images of executions, all are mute as statues.
His ease and the fingers of his hand are like a sea
وكَأنَّ رَاحَتَهُ وَأنْمُلَ كَفِّهِ
بحر تُمَدُّ لَهَا بِهِ خِلْجَان
Upon which surging waves rise up for him.
They are clouds in times of prosperity and in the
مِنْ مَعْشرٍ هُمْ في الندَى سُحُبٌ وَفي
ليل الحُرُوب هُمُ هُمُ الشُّبْهَان
Dark night of wars they are stalwart lions.
We seek standards from them yet before scaling
قَوْمٌ إلَى الفروق نستهم فَلاَ
بعْلُو كمَالَ فَخَارِهِمْ نُقْصَانُ
The heights of their glory there is no deficiency.
Theirs are mansions of space and a triumphal abode
لهمُ الفِنَاءُ الرحْبُ وَالبيت الَّذِي
خَضَعَتْ لبهجة عزّهِ الأكْوَانُ
To which universes submitted in delight.
Last came their successor, yet he is like an inscription,
وَافَى أخِيراً بَعْدَهُمْ فَكَأنَّهُ
فِي الطِّرْسِ بَسْمَلَةٌ وَهُمْ عُنْوَانُ
While they are the heading.
Say to him who denies, the proof and evidence now stand
قُلْ لِلَّذِي قَدْ رَاحَ يُنْكِرُهُ لَقَدْ
قَامَ الدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْكَ وَالبُرْهَانُ
Against you.
He inherited the caliphate from Abu Hafs, so there is no
وَرِثَ الخِلاَفَةَ عن أبي حفصٍ فلاَ
يُرْتَابُ فِيهِ لأنَّهُ عثْمَانُ
Doubt about him for he is Uthman.
A king whose smiling in war makes the faces
ملكٌ إذَا ضحكتْ مَبَاسمُ بِيضِهِ
فِي الحَرْبِ عَبَّسَ وَجْهَهُ المُرَّانُ
Of warriors frown.
When he marches against enemies, his warriors
إنْ صَالَ فِي الأعدَا فَمَا مُرَّانُهُ
ذَرِبٌ وَلاَ عَسَّالُهُ مَلْسَانُ
Are neither fleers nor smooth-tongued flatterers.
In seeking the objects of his cavalry he does not relent
لَمْ يَثْنِ فِي طَلَبٍ أعِنَّةَ خيله
إلاَّ اعترى مَهْزُومَهَا الخذلانٌ
Until defeat overtakes those who flee.
Of rank which surpasses highness, of secure position
ذُو رتبةٍ رَجَحَتْ بِآفَاقِ العُلَى
مِنْ قَبْلِ أنْ رُصِدَتْ لَهَا المِيزَان
Above ascents no station can transcend,
Of chivalry which gathers all piety in its environs
وَمَكَانَةٍ فَوْقَ العَلاَءِ مكينةٍ
مَا فَوْقَهَا لِلْمُرْتَقِينَ مَكَان
And nature of which forgiveness is inherent,
Of resolve that, had it been given to an armed man,
وَفُتُوَّةٍ جمع التُّقَى أطْرَافَهَا
وَسَجِيَّة مِنْ شَأنِهَا الغفرَان
Would not cause coats of mail to yield their links.
In him are courage, competence, piety,
وَعَزِيمَةٍ لوْ أنّهَا لِمُثَقَّفٍ
مَا فَلَّ مِنْهُ فِي الدروع سنَانُ
Justice, good deeds and benevolence.
At the mention of him the hearts of beings find comfort
فِيهِ الشَّجَاعَةُ وَالبَرَاعَة وَالتُّقَى
وَالعَدْل وَالمَعْرُوف والإحْسَانُ
And cities quiver with a kind of rapture.
He split conventions in times of prosperity so his gift
ترتَاح أعطَافُ العباد لِذِكْرِهِ
وَتَحِس من طَرَبٍ لَهُ البُلْدَانُ
Was a torrent against which the course of fate collapsed.
His downpours are owed to pouring rain—far from it!
خرق العَوَائِد في الندَى فنوَاله
غيثٌ عَلَى حُكْمِ المُنَى هَتَّانُ
Where is the rain and the deluge?
There is no fault in his favors except that they
تُعْزَى إلَى الغَيْثِ السَّكُوبِ هباته
هَيْهَاتَ أيْنَ الغَيْثُ وَالطوفَانُ
Are prices paid for the necks of free men.
Time listens to his command and prohibition
لاَ عَيْبَ فِي نُعْمَاهُ إلاَّ أنَّهَا
لرِقَابِ أحرَارِ الْوَرَى أثْمَانُ
And jinn and men obey his rule.
I came to his noble council to behold the glory
يصغي الزَّمَانُ لأمْرِهِ وَلِنَهْيِهِ
وَتُطِيعُ الأنسُ لحُكمه وَالجَانُ
With which the caravans proceeded,
And I drew near and kissed his palm and saw how
وَافيتُ مجلسَه الشَّرِيفَ لِكَيْ أرَى ال
مجدَ الَّذِي سَارَتْ بِهِ الركبَانُ
The surging waves and valleys gushed forth!
O Lord of an army whose drink is lightning and whose steeds
وَدَنَوْتُ ألثم كفَّه فَرَأيْت كي
ف تفجَّرُ الخِلْجَانُ والوديَانُ
Are fire with columns of smoke rising above,
A drink which attracts eagles, intimates of doom,
يَا رُبَّ جيشٍ نقعُه وَجيَادُه
نَارٌ عَلاَهَا بِالقَتَادِ دخانُ
As if it were the leaves of fever and acacia,
And the ground, soaked with settling dew, is dyed red
نقعٌ بِهِ العِقْبَانُ آلَفَتِ الفَنَا
فَكَأنَّهَا وُرْقُ الحِمَى وَالبَانُ
As if at that instant it were steeds
Horses like arrows and youths gleaming
وَالأرْضُ خَدٌّ بِالنجيع مُضَرَّجٌ
وَالْحَيْنُ فِيهِ كَأنَّهَا خِيلاَنُ
With the flash of lightning so their light shines clear.
A blossom which when the flames of night fires are lit upon it
خيلٌ كَأمْثَالِ السهَام وَفِتْيَةٌ
كَالْبِيضِ لاَحَ لِبرْقِهَا لَمَعَانُ
Scatters heroes as the spears fall.
Wondrous they are to have neighbored in their palms
زُهْرٌ إذَا اشتعلت بهم شُعَلَ الظُّبَى
هَزُّوا القَنَا فَتَسَاقَطَ الشّجعَانُ
An ocean yet its fires are not quenched for them!
A lion whose claws are spears led
عَجَبّا لَهَا إذْ جَاوَرَتْ بِأكُفِّهِمْ
بَحْراً وَلَمْ تُطْفَأ لَهَا نِيرَان
By a lion showing you how lions are humiliated.
He attacks with thrusts and does not ward off the swords
أُسْدٌ مخَالبُهَا الرمَاحُ يَقُودهَا
أسَدٌ يُرِيكَ الأسْدَ كيف تُهَانُ
Of cowards, nor is the foe a human in his eyes.
A king whom the praise of his eulogist adorns
يَغْشَى الطِّعَانَ فَلاَ يَرُدُّ حُسَامَهُ
لِجَفِيرِهِ وَمِنَ العِدَى إنْسَانُ
And by whose mention that praise is weighed.
Nobility which I attained and the abode of towering
مَلِكٌ يَزِيُن مَدِيحُهُ مُدَّاحَهُ
وَبِذِكْرِهِ ذَاكَ المدِيح يُزَانُ
Kingship which rose above the heavens for him as a palace.
It came to meet me when its expanses for towns
شَرَفٌ أُتِيهِ وَبَيْتُ مُلْكٍ شامخ
فَوْقَ السِّمَاكِ غَدَا لَهُ إيوَانُ
Were spread out, shaded by spears' points.
And I saw him traveling freely among the swords
تلقَاه أنَّي حَلّ يَبْسُطُ للقِرَى
بُسُطاً يُظَلِّلُهَا القَنَا الريَّانُ
Like the moon orbited by meteors.
O son of triumphant kings who defended the sanctuary of guidance
وَتَرَاهُ مَا بَيْنَ الأسنَّةِ سَافراً
كَالْبَدْرِ دَارَتْ حَوْلَهُ الشُهْبَانُ
With blades to which necks bowed down,
And who raised the minaret with swords
يَابْنَ المُلُوكِ الشَّائِدينَ حِمَى الهدى
بصوَارمٍ خَرَّتْ لَهَا الأذْقَانُ
To which steeds bowed to the Kaaba of their blue sheen,
And who ascended to the sublime with resolves
وَالرَّافعينَ مَنَارَهُ بِأسِنَّةٍ
رَكَعَتْ لكعبة زُرْقِهَا الفُرْسَانُ
Which neither Chosroes nor the Numan attained,
You are the imam while all others are your flock,
وَالمُرْتَقِينَ عَلَى العُلَى بِعَزَائِمٍ
لَمْ يَحْوِهَا كِسْرَى وَلا النُّعْمَان
You are the advance guard while all else are helpers.
Your steeds came forth to the hunt as if they were
أنْتَ الإمَامُ وَمَنْ عَدَاكَ رَعِيَّةٌ
أنْتَ المُقَدَّمُ وَالوَرَى أعْوَانُ
A flock of wild cows with your spears as the branches.
As if their saddles were litters
بَرزَتْ جيَادُك لِلطِّرَادِ كَأنَّهَا
سِرْبُ القَطَا وَرِمَاحُكَ الأغْصَانُ
And their voices were melodies.
By God, you are sparing with your life though it
وَكَأنَّمَا تِلْكَ السرُوجُ أرَائِكٌ
وَكَأنَّمَا أصْوَاتُهَا ألْحَانُ
Is a cause by which the world lives and is weighed.
You were granted success in the discretion of speech such as
بِاللَّهِ شُحَّ عَلَى حَيَاتِكَ إنَّهَا
سَبَبٌ بِهِ يَحْيَا الوَرَى وَيُزَانُ
Neither soothsayer nor witch possessed.
When you glimpse, your command's revelation is a descent
أُيِّدْتَ من فصلِ الخطَاب بحِكمةٍ
لم يُؤْتَهَا قُسٌّ وَلاَ سَحْبَانُ
When you speak, it is clear exposition.
When you ask, it is not because you lack,
فَإذَا رَمَقْتَ فَوَحْيُ أمْرِكَ مُنْزَلٌ
وَإذَا نَطَقْتَ فَإنَّهُ تِبْيَانُ
When you are silent, your beneficence whispers.
My status could not be loftier, had I
وَإذَا سَألْتَ فَلاَ لأنَّكَ مُحْوَجٌ
وَإذَا كَتَمْتَ وَشَى بِكَ الإحْسَانُ
Some standing, O resolute one, in your door.
May God appoint you to what no tongue has encompassed
مَا كَانَ أرْفَعَ مَوْضِعِي لَوْ أنَّ لِي
فِي بَابِ عِزِّكَ يَا هُمَامُ مَكَانُ
And what has eluded the reach of speech!
You remained for the eulogist, O king of the world,
اللَّهُ يُولِيكَ الَّذِي لَمْ يُولِهِ
بَشَراً وَلَمْ يَبْلُغْ مَدَاهُ لِسَانُ
As long as there were eons and eras.
وَبَقِيتَ للمُدَّاِح يَا ملك الوَرَى
مَا دَامَتِ الأكْوَانُ وَالازْمَانُ
