سِهَامُ الرَّدَى تُخْطِي الذِي قَصدَ الْهَبْطِي
إِمَامٌ هُمَامٌ لاَ مَرَدَّ لِمَا يُعْطِي
The arrows of ruin miss the one who seeks Al-Habti,
A heroic Imam whose bestowed gifts cannot be turned away.
جَوَادٌ لَهُ بَحْرٌ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مُزْبِدٌ
وَلَكِنَّهُ عَذْبٌ مُحِيطٌ بِلاَ شَطِّ
A generous soul possessing a foaming sea of grace,
Yet it is a sweet, encompassing ocean without a shore.
أَتَاكَ ابْنُ زَاكُورٍ أَمَوْلاَيَ إِذْ نَأَى
بِهِ الْبَيْنُ عَنْ أَرْضِ الْقَرَابَةِ وَالرَّهْطِ
Ibn Zakur has come to you, O my master, when separated
By the distance of parting from the lands of his kin and tribe.
وَأَمَّكَ وَالأَوْجَالُ تُضْرِمُ نَارَهَا
وَقَدْ لَجَّ سُوءُ الظَّنِّ فِي الْحَلِّ وَالرَّبْطِ
He sought you out while his fears were igniting their fires,
And dark mistrust had stubbornly entangled every binding and unbinding.
وَقَدْ عَلِقَتْ سُودُ الْخَوَاطِرِ بِالْحَشَا
كَمَا عَلِقَتْ سُودُ الذَّوَائِبِ بِالْمُشْطِ
Dark thoughts have clung fiercely to his innermost depths,
Just as dark locks of hair cling tightly to a comb.
فَسَدِّدْ إِلَى الأَوْجَالِ سَهْمَ عِنَايَةٍ
مَرِيشاً بِعَزْمٍ لاَ يَطِيشُ وَلاَ يُخْطِيِ
So aim at these fears the arrow of your providence,
Fletched with a resolve that neither strays nor misses.
وَإِلاَّ فَإِنِّي لِلْعُلاَ غَيْرُ عَاذِرٍ
يُلاَمُ الْعُلاَ إِمَّا تَدَرَّعَ بِاللَّطِّ
For otherwise, I hold no excuse for nobility;
Nobility is to be blamed if it wears the armor of withholding.
حَنَانَيْكَ هَلْ كَأْسٌ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مُتْرَعٌ
يُبَرِّدُ أَحْشَاءً تَلَظَّتْ مِنَ الضَّغْطِ
I beseech your mercy: is there a brimming cup of grace
To cool a heart ablaze from the pressure of hardship?
وَيُذْهِبُ إِظْلاَمَ الْفُؤَادِ صَبَاحُهُ
كَمَا أَذْهَبَتْ لَيْلَ الْهَوَى سُرُجُ الْقِسْطِ
A cup whose morning radiance dispels the darkness of the soul,
Just as the lamps of justice dispel the night of wayward passions.
وَلاَ تَنْسَ يَا شَمْسَ الْهُدَى لِيَ وَالِداً
مُسِنّاً ضَعِيفَ الْجِسْمِ وَالرَّأْيِ وَالضَّبْطِ
And do not forget for my sake, O Sun of Guidance, a father,
Elderly, frail in body, in judgment, and in memory.
وَمَنْ طَرَّزَتْ أَنْوَارُهُ حُلَّةَ الْهُدَى
كَمَا طَرَّزَ الْقِرْطَاسَ مُسْتَبْدَعُ الْخَطِّ
And he whose lights have embroidered the garment of guidance,
Just as creative calligraphy embroiders the parchment.
مَلاَذِي ابْنَ مَسْعُودَ الرِّضَى الْحَسَنَ الذِي
لَهُ هِمَّةٌ تُعْزَى إِلَى الْحَسَنِ السِّبْطِ
My refuge, Ibn Mas'ud, the pleasing Al-Hasan,
Whose noble resolve traces back to Al-Hasan, the Prophet's grandson.
وَبَدْرَ السَّمَاحِ الْمُقْدِمِي لِمَقَامِكُمْ
بِشَرْطِ دُعَاءٍ فِيهِ نَاهِيكَ مِنْ شَرْطِ
And the full moon of grace who presented me to your station,
Upon the condition of a prayer—and what a sufficient condition that is!
مُحَمَّدٌ الْمَوْلَى أَجَلُّ بَنِي الرِّضَى
أَخِيكَ ابْنِ رَيْسُونٍ أَخِي الْخُلُقِ السَّبْطِ
Muhammad the master, the most majestic of the pleasing sons,
Your brother Ibn Raysun, the man of smooth and generous character.
وَفَرْخَيْنِ لِي أَهْوَى ارْتِيَاشَهُمَا بِمَا
يَحُوطُهُمَا إِنْ جَلَّ خَطْبٌ مِنَ الْقَحْطِ
And two little fledglings of mine, whose growth I desire,
To protect them should a great calamity of drought befall.
وَصَلِّ إِلَهِي يَا مُجِلَّ مُحَمَّدٍ
عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةً عَرْفُهَا نَافِحُ الْقُسْطِ
And send blessings, my God, O You who exalt Muhammad,
Upon him, a blessing whose fragrance breathes the scent of sweet costus,
وَآلِهِ طُرّاً وَالصَّحَابَةِ كُلِّهِمْ
وَمَنْ لَهُ فِي إِجْلاَلِهِمْ أَيُّمَا قِسْطِ
And upon his entire family, and all of his companions,
And upon whoever holds any share in venerating them.
وَنَظِّمْ إِلَهِي سَعْيَنَا بِطَرِيقِهِمْ
وَسُنَّتِهِمْ نَظْمَ الْجَوَاهِرِ فِي السِّمْطِ
And string together, my God, our endeavors upon their path,
And their tradition, like the stringing of jewels upon a necklace.
