أَشاقَكَ بِالمَلا دِمَنٌ عَوافِ
عَفاها القَطرُ بَعدَكَ وَالسَوافي
Your love has consumed me with passion's fire,
Though rain has quenched it since you did retire.
هَفا وَقُلوبُ هذا الخَلقِ طُرّاً
إِلى أَوطانِها أَبَداً هَوافِ
Alas, all hearts in this realm wander distraught,
Forever homesick, restless for their desire.
لَيالِيَ إِذ نَحُلُّ بِها جَميعاً
وَلَيسَ سِوى المَوَدَّةِ وَالتَصافي
On nights when we would gather, all as one,
Naught between us but affection's gentle ties.
إِلى أَن قَدَّرَ الرَحمَنُ أَمراً
فَأُظهِرَتِ القَطيعَةُ وَالتَجافي
Till the Merciful ordained another fate-
Division's breach appeared, fondness devised.
دَعا الناسَ النَبِيُّ إِلى رَشادٍ
فَلَم يَرَ فيهِ مِنّا مِن خِلافِ
The Prophet called the people unto guidance;
From us no dissent did he espy.
أَجَبناهُ إِلى ما شاءَ مِنّا
فَآوانا إِلى حُسنِ اِئتِلافِ
We answered, heeding what he wished of us,
Embracing unity and harmony.
إِلى تَوحيدِ خَلّاقِ البَرايا
وَكُفرٍ بِالحِجارَةِ وَاللِخافِ
Professing One God, shunning all idols,
False statues of wood, stone, and naïve prize.
عَلى خَمسِ الصَلاةِ وَصَومِ شَهرٍ
وَإيتاءِ الزَكاةِ بِلا اِقتِفافِ
Performing the five prayers and fasting one month,
Paying the alms, no fraction to disguise.
وَإِدناءِ اليَتيمِ بِحُسنِ رِفقٍ
وَبِرٍّ بِالقَرابَةِ وَالقِضافِ
Sheltering the orphan with utmost kindness,
And doing good by kith and kin likewise,
وَفي هذا الفِعالِ تُقىً وَبِرٌّ
وَإِكمالُ المَروءَةِ وَالعَفافِ
This conduct embodies piety and righteousness,
Perfection of chivalry, of dignities.
وَأَدبَرَ عَنهُ أَقوامٌ كَثيرٌ
نَفاهُم عَن تُقى الرَحمنِ نافِ
Yet many shunned it, in numbers considerate,
Barred by their blindness from the Merciful's prize.
وَقالوا الحَربُ قُلنا الحَربُ أَدنى
لِإِبراءِ النُفوسِ مِنَ اِقتِرافِ
When war was declared, lo, we declared it too,
To absolve our souls from accumulating vice.
صُباحِيّاتُنا كَنُجومِ لَيلٍ
مُحَدَّدَةٌ كَأَطرافِ الأَشافي
Our dawns were stars in darkest night,
As spear-points defined in silhouette's guise.
وَساقَيناهُمُ مَوتاً ذُعافاً
فَلَم يَنجوا مِنَ المَوتِ الذُعافِ
We brought them death, relentlessly,
None escaped from that mortal enterprise.
وَراموا النِصفَ مِنّا فَاِنتَصَفنا
مِنَ الأَعداءِ أَبلَغَ ما اِنتِصافِ
When they sought to destroy half of us, we avenged
Ourselves upon the foe, complete redress devised.
وَأَعتَبناهُمُ إِذِ اَعتَبونا
ببيضِ الهِندِ وَالسُمرِ القِضافِ
We blamed them when they blamed us first,
With swords white as palm-shoots, keen and concise.
رِماحٌ مِن رُدَينَةُ ما اِستُجيبَت
مُقاماتُ المُتونِ عَلى النِقافِ
Spear-shafts of Rudainah's making, their destiny sealed,
As the horsemen's pillars thrust forth in swift enterprise.
وَخَيراتُ القِسِيِّ تُطيرُ عَنّا
رِشاقَ المُقعَدِيّاتِ الخِفافِ
The excellent arrows of Qais scatter all troubles,
Repulsing the flimsy quivered missiles of rivals.
إِذا اِزدَلَفوا لَنا يَوماً دَلَفنا
إِلى هاماتِهِم أَيَّ اِزدِلافِ
Whenever they approach, we turn to confront them,
Rushing to meet their advance, no surprise.
فَأَودَعنا رُؤوسَهُمُ ذُكوراً
نَقُدُّ بِها إِلى حَجَفِ الشَغافِ
We deposit their heads as prizes for our maidens,
To recompense suitors at the marriage-feast's height.
أَصَبنا ضِعفَ ما كانوا أَصابوا
وَلَيسَ عَلى السَواءِ وَلا التَكافي
We gained double the losses they inflicted,
No equality this, nor even disguise!
فَآبَ المُسلِمونَ إِلى جِنانٍ
يُسَقَّونَ العُضارِسَ بِالسُلافِ
So the Muslims retired to Gardens serene,
Quenched by pure wine and the houris' delight.
وَراحَ المُشرِكونَ إِلى شَرابٍ
حَميمٍ شيبَ بِالسُمِّ المُذافِ
While the pagans retired to scalding liquors,
Boiling with venom, an evil device.
وَأُبنا غانِمينَ بِذا وَهذا
حَوالي خَيرِ مُنتَعِلٍ وَحافِ
We emerged as victors with these and those spoils,
The finest garb and the fairest prize.
