صَحا مِن سُكرِهِ وَسَلا
وَفارَقَ ذاكَ وَاِنقَفَلا
He woke from his drunkenness and departed,
And left that life behind as he set forth.
وَشَدَّ مَطِيَّةَ التَقوى
بِرَحلِ الحَزمِ وَاِرتَحَلا
He steadied the mount of piety,
With the saddlebags of resolve, and moved on.
وَجانَبَ موبِقاتِ الغَي
يِ لَمّا شابَ وَاِكتَهَلا
He avoided the pitfalls of youth,
When he matured and gained experience.
وَكانَ العَذلُ يُكرِثُهُ
وَقَد يُسقى بِهِ العَسَلا
Regret would often afflict him,
And with it, honey could be made bitter.
وَذاكَ لَطيفُ صُنعِ اللَ
هِ جلَّ إِلهُنا وَعَلا
Yet that was the subtle working of God—
Exalted is He, our Glorious Lord.
وَما قالَ النَبِيُّ لَهُ
سَيُجزى المَرءُ ما عَمِلا
Did not the Prophet tell him
That man shall be rewarded for what he does?
وَلَيسَ اللَهُ تارِكَ أَن
يُجازي الخَلقَ ما فَعَلا
God will not neglect to repay
All people for their deeds.
فَيَجزي مُحسِناً حُسنى
وَيَجزي الزَلَّةَ الزَلَلا
So He rewards goodness with goodness,
And recklessness with stumbling.
وَلَمّا أَن رَأى اللَهُ ال
بَرِيَّةَ أَكثَروا الخَطَلا
And when God saw
That most men had gone astray,
وَحادوا عَن سَبيلِ الرُش
دِ أَوضَحَ فيهِمُ السُبُلا
That they had strayed from the path of right guidance,
He made the ways clear to them.
وَخَتَّمَ أَحمَدَ المُختا
رَ أَكرَمَ خَلقِهِ الرُسُلا
He sealed off prophethood with Ahmad,
The most honored of His messengers.
وَآتاهُ كِتاباً ضَم
مَ فيهِ سَبعَهُ الطُوَلا
He gave him a book containing
The seven oft-repeated verses.
فَبَشَّرَهُم وَأَنذَرَهُم
وَأَكثَرَ فيهِمُ الجَدَلا
So Ahmad warned and frightened them,
And disputed much with them.
وَأَعلَمَهُم بِأَن كانوا
جَميعاً مَعشَراً ضُلُلا
He informed them that they had been
Together a misguided people.
عُكوفُهُمُ عَلى الأَصنا
مِ لَم يَرضَوا بِها بَدَلا
Their clinging to idols,
Not content to replace them at all;
وَلا عَدَلوا عَنِ الدُنيا
إِلى العَليا كَمَن عَدَلا
Nor did they turn from this life
To the Most High, as one who turns;
وَلا وَصَلوا مِنَ التَقوى
إِلى حَظٍّ كَمَن وَصَلا
Nor in piety did they attain
A share, like one who attains.
فَما إِن زالَ يَدعوهُم
وَيُعمِلُ فيهِمُ الحِيَلا
Still he did not cease calling them
And scheming among them,
فَقالوا الحَربُ أَيسَرُ مِن
وِفاقٍ قَصَّرَ الأَمَلا
Until they said: “War is easier
Than accord that shortens hope.”
فَشَنَّ عَلَيهِمُ شَنعاً
بِنَفيِ جَميعَها الكَسَلا
So he waged against them a war
That removed all the sluggish.
فَلَم تُبصِر سَواءَ الخَي
لِ فيها تَحمِلُ الأَسَلا
The thick dust did not reveal
Who bore arms and who bore burdens.
وَأَبيَضَ في يَدَي رَجُلٍ
يُعالِجُ تَحتَهُ رَجُلا
A white man fought beneath him
A black man, overthrowing him.
وَلَم تُبصِر سِوى بَطَلٍ
يُنازِعُ دارِعاً بَطَلا
The only thing seen was a brave man
Facing a brave man in battle.
فَما إِن زالَ بِالإِسلا
مِ حَتّى تَمَّ أَو كَمُلا
The Prophet did not cease
Until Islam was complete.
فَأَصبَحَ مَن مَضى لِلمُس
لِمينَ مُبادِراً عَجِلا
So those who had passed became
To the Muslims precursors of speed
ثَواباً في جِنانِ الخُل
دِ يُكسى الحَليَ وَالحُلَلا
To the rewards in the Gardens of Eternity,
Clothed in necklaces and apparel.
سَنِيَّ الذِكرِ في الدُنيا
بِهِ قَد نَضرِبُ المَثَلا
Goodly is his mention in the world,
By it examples are given.
وَلَو قِنٌّ مِنَ العُبدا
نِ يَرعى دَهرَهُ الثِلَلا
Were he a bag of musk
Grazed by livestock night and day,
وَمَن بِاللاتِ وَالعُزّى
تَمَسَّكَ مُعصِماً جَذِلا
And one were to hold fast to Al-Lat and Al-Uzza,
Clinging to them desperately,
إِلى نارٍ مُسَعَّرَةٍ
يُعالِجُ غُلَّها القَمِلا
To a blazing fire
Whose heat melts rock—
وَلَو مِمَّن يَقودُ لَهُم
جُنودَ الغزوِ مُحتَفِلا
Even one of those who leads their hosts,
Exultant—
شَرابُهُمُ إِذا ظَمِئُوا
حَميمٌ يورِثُ الطَحِلا
When thirsty their drink
Is boiling water that rends the innards.
وَلَو طُحِلوا إِذا طُحِلوا
لَكانَ بَلاؤُهُم جَلَلا
Were their guts to melt from it
Their torment would still be dreadful,
وَلكِن لا شِفاءَ لَهُم
وَلَو قَد أَظهَروا اليَلَلا
But no healing is there for them,
Even if they openly show anguish.
وَوُفّي المُسلِمونَ بِما
نَبِيُّهُمُ لَهُم كَفِلا
While the Muslims have been given
All that their Prophet guaranteed them.
وَكَم مِن مُشرِكٍ في النا
رِ يُغشى الغُلَّ وَالكَبَلا
How many associators are in the Fire,
Overtaken by darkness and sorrow!
وَكَم مِن مَعشَرٍ شَدّوا
إِلَيهِ مَطِيَّهُم ذُلُلا
How many groups have steadied
Their mounts, completely humbled!
فَأَظفَرَ كُلَّ ذي أَمَلٍ
يُسَرُّ بِهِ بِما أَمَلا
So all who hoped
Have attained what they hoped for.
فَكَم يَحظى بِغانِيَةٍ
وَكَم يَستَخوِلُ الخَوَلا
Some enjoy a songstress;
Some privately take a girlfriend.
وَقَومٌ آخَرونَ غَوَوا
لَقوا مِن غَيِّهِم نَكَلا
While others went astray
And met a terrible fate.
فَيَنعَمُ ذا بِمَحصولٍ
وَيَكرَهُ ذاكَ ما حَصَلا
So this one prospers with his harvest,
While that one dislikes what he harvested.
كَذاكَ اللَهُ يَحمِلُ كل
لَ عَبدٍ مِثلَ ما حَمَلا
Thus does God place upon each servant
A burden like what he carried.
