نهضتْ من كلِّ أوبٍ تلتقي
فاحذروها يا بَنِي المصطلقِ
She arose from every valley that met,
So beware of her, O sons of divorce!
إحذروها غارةً ملمومةً
يَتّقِي أهوالَها مَن يتقي
Beware of her, a venomous raid,
He who fears her horrors is protected.
لا تظنّوا جمعَكم كُفؤاً لها
حينَ تَمضِي في العجاجِ المُطبقِ
Do not think your gathering is equal to her,
When she marches in dense darkness.
سرِّحوا الجيشَ وكُفُّوا إنّها
مَصرعُ الجيش وحَتفُ الفيلقِ
Release the army and restrain them, she is
The death of the army and the rout of the regiment.
نعق الحارثُ يدعوكم إلى
أن تبيدوا ليته لم يَنعَقِ
Al-Harith neighs calling you to
Destroy yourselves; would that he had not neighed!
لا يغرَّنْكم رَسُولٌ جاءكم
مُبغض القلب محب المنطقِ
Let not a messenger who came to you delude you,
Whose heart hates but whose speech loves.
يا رسول الصدق ماذا جمعوا
لذوي البأسِ وأهلِ المصدقِ
O messenger of truth, what did they gather
For the valiant and people of integrity?
الأُلَى تَتَّسِعُ السُّبلُ بهم
للمنايا في المجالِ الضيّقِ
The vanguards expand the ways for them
To death in the narrow passage.
يخفق النصرُ على أعلامِهِم
إن تَرَدَّى كلُّ جيشٍ مُخفقِ
Victory flutters over their banners
If every defeated army turns away.
ما يبالون المنايا النُّكر في
مُرعدٍ من هولها أو مُبْرِق
They do not care about unknown death whether
In a thunderous horror or a shining one.
لأبي بكرٍ وسعدٍ نظرةٌ
بعد أخرى كالشُّواظِ المُحرقِ
For Abu Bakr and Sa'd, a glance
After another like burning torches.
في اللّوائَيْنِ ضياءٌ منهما
واضحُ المطلعِ طَلقُ المَشرِقِ
In the two banners, a radiance from them
Bright rising, free glow.
وعلى الفاروقِ من إيمانه
ما على صَمصامِهِ من رونقِ
And over Al-Farouq from his faith
What is over his sword from elegance.
وعليٌّ وابن عمّارٍ هما
عُدَّةُ الحربِ لهولِ المأزق
And Ali and the son of Ammar, they are
The means of war for the horror of distress.
يترامى القائدُ الأعلى بهم
في عُبابٍ للمنايا مُغرِق
The supreme leader attacks with them
In a sea where death drowns.
جاش فيه كلُّ زخَّارِ القُوى
يرتقِي من لُجّهِ ما يَرتَقي
In it every roar of strength boiled
Climbing from its depths whatever climbs.
خيرُ خلقِ اللَّهِ في شِكَّتهِ
يمتطي خيرَ العِتاقِ السُبَّقِ
The best of Allah's creation in his sheath
Riding the best steed of precedent.
سُحِرَ القومُ ومن آياتِهِ
رُقيةُ السِّحْرِ وَطِبُّ الأولق
The people are bewitched, and of his signs
Is the counter spell of sorcery and good omens.
نزل الذكرُ عليه فانطوى
مُصحفُ الحِبْرِ وسِفْرُ البطرقِ
The Quran was revealed to him so the scroll
Of ink and the scripture of soothsaying folded.
وَسِعَ الكُتْبَ جميعاً وَوَعَى
مِن سَناها كلَّ معنىً مونِقِ
He comprehended all books and understood
Every refined meaning from reciting them.
علّم الدنيا الهدى فيما مضى
وهو خيرٌ هادياً فيما بقي
He taught the world guidance in the past
And he is the best guide in what remains.
عربيٌّ فتحت آياتُهُ
كلَّ بابٍ للمعاني مُغلَقِ
An Arab whose verses opened
Every door to meanings locked shut.
في أَسالِيبَ حِسَانٍ غَضَّةٍ
وفُنُونٍ حُرّةٍ لم تُطْرَقِ
In styles of excellent, maidenly diction
And free, untouched arts.
نَفَحاتُ الحقِّ في أبهى الحلى
من رياحين البيانِ المورِقِ
Wafts of truth in the finest adornment
From the winds of radiant rhetoric.
نهض الفاروقُ يدعوهم إلى
مِلّةِ الخيرِ دُعاءَ المُشفِقِ
Al-Farouq calls them to
The religion of good, the plea of the concerned.
فأبى القومُ وقالوا دينُنا
إنْ نَدَعْهُ لِسواهُ نَفْسُق
But the people refused and said our religion,
If we leave it for other than it, we sin.
ومشى جاسوسُهم يبغِي الأذى
فمشى عِزريلُه في المفرق
And their spy walked seeking harm
So his demon walked on the horizon.
قيل أسلِمْ قال لا فاحتقبتْ
نَفسُه إثمَ الغويِّ الأحمق
It was said, submit, he said no, so
His soul incurred the sin of the foolish deceiver.
يا أبا بَرَّةَ ليس البرُّ أن
تتولّى فاتّئدْ واستوثِقِ
O Abu Bara'a, goodness is not that
You take charge, so be steadfast and take precautions.
أفَمن يعتِقُ من رِقِّ الهوى
أنفُسَ النّاسِ كمن لم يُعتَق
Is one who frees people's selves from the slavery of passion
Like one who did not free them?
يا أبا برَّةَ لا تَأْبَ الهدى
وبمن حولكَ فارأفْ وارفق
O Abu Bara'a, do not refuse guidance
And those around you, so show mercy and be gentle.
قلتُم الحربُ وقتلاها وما
هِي بالأمرِ الأحبِّ الأخلق
You said war and its killings while it
Is not the most beloved or moral affair.
وتوالى النَّبلُ يَهمِي صَوْبُهُ
فَوَقَ صوبٍ من نجيعٍ مُهرَق
And the arrows continued to swoop toward him
Above a swoop from an awakened, burning valley.
إذ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ في عليائِهِ
لرسولِ اللَّهِ سَدِّدْ وارشُقِ
When Allah said in His sublime verses
To the Messenger of Allah, aim straight and shoot!
قادةٌ ما صادفوا أكفاءَهم
وجنودٌ مِثلُها لم يُخلَقِ
Leaders they did not meet equals
And soldiers the like of whom were not created.
ذُعِرَ الجمعُ فلو أنّ القطا
طار في آثارِهِ لم يَلحقِ
The group was frightened, so had the eagle
Flown in their tracks, it would not have caught up.
صَدَّ عن ظمأى العوالِي ولَوى
كلَّ صَبٍّ في المواضِي شَيِّق
It warded off thirst for loftiness even if it twisted
Every pliant one in the resting places.
فُجِعُوا في النَّهبِ والسَّبْيِ معاً
وسُقُوا أَسْوَأَ شِرْبِ المُسْتَقِي
They were aggrieved by the plunder and captives together
And made to drink the worst drink of the rebel.
نَعِمَتْ بَرَّةُ ماذا تشتكِي
من أسىً بَرْحٍ وهمٍّ مُقلِقِ
Barra'a, what do you complain of
From sorrow, escape, and disturbing anxiety?
يا ابنَةَ الحارِثِ طِيبي وانعمي
أيُّ رزقٍ صالحٍ لم تُرزَقي
O daughter of Al-Harith, be at ease and enjoy,
What lawful provision were you not granted?
ذاك جوُّ المجدِ وضّاحُ السَّنا
حَلِّقي ما شئتِ فيهِ حَلِّقي
That is the climate of glory and brilliant fame,
Circle in it as you wish.
اصطفاكِ اللَّهُ فيمن يَصطَفي
وانتقَى بَيتَكِ فيما ينتقي
Allah chose you among those He chooses
And selected your house from what He selects.
واحتوى التَّاجُ المحلَّى دُرَّةً
منكِ مَن يلمحْ سناها يُطرِق
And the adorned crown contained a pearl
From you, he who glimpses its radiance bows down.
فارقي أسرَ ابن قيسٍ واشكري
يا ابنةَ الحارثِ فضلَ المُطلِقِ
So leave the captivity of Ibn Qays
And thank, O daughter of Al-Harith, the grace of the Releaser.
اللُّبابِ المحضِ من رُسلِ الهدى
منذ كانوا والصَّميمِ المُعرقِ
The pure essence of the messengers of guidance
Since they were, and the core, the devoted.
حَطَّ عنكِ الإصْرَ بَرَّاً ورثى
لك من ضُرٍّ شديدٍ مُرهقِ
He removed the shackle innocently from you
And lamented for you a severe, exhausting harm.
وَرَعى حقَّكِ لا يبغِي سوى
أن تكوني بالمحلِّ الأليق
And He observed your right, desiring only
That you be in the most fitting place.
أقبلَ الحارثُ يحدو إبْلَهُ
وبهِ من طولِ هَمٍّ ما بِهِ
Al-Harith came driving his camels
While long anxiety was in him.
سيّدُ القومِ يُريد ابنتَه
ويَرومُ الذَّبَّ عن أحسابِه
The chief of the people intending his daughter
And aiming to ward off the disputes about her.
قال ويحي كيف تُسْبَى بَرَّةٌ
وأبو بَرَّةَ في أثوابِهِ
He said woe to me! How can Barra'a be taken
While her father wears his clothes?
حُرَّةٌ من حُرَّةٍ أنجبها
ونماها نابِهٌ من نابِهِ
A free woman from a free man who begot her
And raised her, biting from his biting.
إِبِلي سِيري وأُمِّي يثرباً
واطلبي ليثَ الوغَى في غابِهِ
My camels walk and my mother to Yathrib
And seek for me the lion of calamity in his thicket.
شَرَفي آبَى عليه وابنتي
أفتدي منه ومن أصحابِهِ
My honor refused him and my daughter
I will redeem from him and his companions.
ساقَهَا إلا بَعِيْرَيْنِ هما
من صفايا المالِ أو صُيَّابِهِ
He did not drive her but two camels, they
Were the finest of my money or she-camels.
غُودِرَا في جانبِ الوادي وما
يَجلِبُ الأمرَ سوى أسبابهِ
Lost in the side of the valley, and nothing
Brings about the matter but its reasons.
قال دعها يا رعاكَ اللهُ لي
وَاشْفِ هذا القلبَ من أوصابِهِ
He said leave her, may God protect you for me
And heal this heart from its wounds.
إنّها بنتي التي ربَّيتُها
في حِمَى العزِّ وفي محْرَابِهِ
She is my daughter I raised
In the sanctuary of honor and its sanctuary.
أعطنيها وتَقبَّلْ ما معي
من فداءٍ جَلَّ عن أضرابِهِ
Give her to me and accept what is with me
Of abundant ransom, lofty over its peers.
قال بل أحدثتَ أمراً لم تَخَفْ
سُوءَ ما يَغشَى الفتى من عابِهِ
He said but you have done a thing you did not fear
The evil of what overcomes the young man from its disgrace.
غَابَ عن ذَوْدِكَ ما استبقيتَهُ
لك في الوادي وفي أعشابِهِ
What you retained for yourself in the valley
And its plants escaped your defense.
يا أبا بَرَّةَ إنّي لأرى
مَوضِعَ العَوْدَيْنِ في أنقابِهِ
O Abu Bara'a I see
The place of the two camels in its sloping side.
قال أسلمتُ وما أدنى الهدى
يا رسولَ اللَّهِ من طُلابِهِ
He said I submitted, and how slight is guidance
O Messenger of Allah from its seekers!
وَضَحَ الحقُّ فما من حُجَّةٍ
لغبيِّ القلبِ أو مُرتابِهِ
The truth is clear so there is no argument
For the foolish hearted or doubting.
إنّهُ للّهِ فضلٌ ما له
غَيْرُ من يُؤْثِرُ من أحبابِهِ
It belongs to Allah, a grace, none has
Other than He who prefers from His loved ones.
نكص الشِّركَ على أعقابِهِ
وَهَوَى القائِمُ من أنصابِهِ
Polytheism recoiled on its heels
And the performer fell from its pillars.
يا رسولَ اللّهِ لا كان امرؤٌ
لم يَكُنْ دِينُكَ من آدابِهِ
O Messenger of Allah, if a man
Did not have your religion from his morals!
شرفُ الأخلاقِ من أحكامِهِ
والتُّقَى والبِرُّ من آدابِهِ
Nobility of character from its rulings
And piety and righteousness from its morals.
أنت نِعْمَ الصِّهرُ مجداً وَسناً
إن طلبنا المجدَ في أقطابِهِ
You are an excellent in-law in glory and fame
If we seek glory in its poles.
جِئتَ بالخيرِ بشيراً لم تَزَلْ
تصدعُ الأغلاقَ عن أبوابِهِ
You came with good news, you did not cease
To cleave barriers from its doors.
تلك بنتي دخلت فيهِ معي
ما خشينا المنعَ من حُجّابِهِ
That daughter of mine entered with me therein
What we feared prevention from its chamberlains.
