جِوَارُكَ منْ جَوْرِ الزَّمَانِ يُجِيرُ
وَبِشْرُكَ لِلرَّاجِي نَداكَ بَشِيرُ
Your neighborhood protects from tyranny of time,
And your good tidings bring joy to those hoping in you.
فَضَلْتَ بَنِي الدُّنيا فَفَضلُكَ أَوَّلُ
وَأَوَّلُ فضلِ الأَوَّلِينَ أخِيرُ
You have excelled all people so your excellence is first,
The first of the excellencies of the ancients is last.
وَأنتَ هُمَامٌ دَبَّرَ المُلْكَ رَأْيُهُ
خَبِيرٌ بِأحْوَالِ الزَّمَانِ بَصِيرُ
You are a wise counsel who arranged the kingdom,
Experienced in the changing ways of time, all-seeing.
إذَا المَلِكُ المَنْصُورُ حَاوَلَ نَصْرَهَ
كَفَى المَلِكَ المَنْصُورَ منك نَصِيرُ
When al-Malik al-Mansur sought his aid,
For al-Malik al-Mansur, you alone sufficed as helper.
فلا تُنسِهِ الأَيَّامُ ذِكْرَكَ إنَّهُ
به فَرِحٌ بينَ الملوكِ فخُورُ
So let not the days make you forget, for he
Rejoices in you among the kings, proud.
إذا مَرَّ في أَرْضٍ بِجَيْشٍ عَرَمْرَم
تكادُ لهُ أُمُّ النُّجُومِ تَمُورُ
When he passes through a land with a magnificent army,
The stars' mother almost totters and stirs.
وَتَحْسِبُهُ قد سارَ يَرْمِي بُرُوجَهَا
بِخَيْلٍ عليها كالبروجِ يُغيرُ
You’d think his towers attack the stars’ mansions
With horses that like the mansions plunder and raid.
وَما قَلْبُها مِمَّا يَقَرُّ خُفُوقُهُ
وَلا طَرْفُها حتى يعودَ قَرِيرُ
Yet the stars feel no restlessness from his troops' clatter,
No glance of theirs until they return, mild.
سواءٌ عليه خَيْلُهُ وَرِكابُهُ
وَسَرْجٌ إذا جابَ الفَلاةَ وَكُورُ
His cavalry and riders the same over plainswandering,
And saddles when roaming the deserts remote.
لقد جَهِلَتْ دَاوِيَّةُ الكُفْرِ بَأسَهُ
وَغَرَّهُم بالمسلمينَ غَرورُ
The fortresses of unbelief knew not his might
And were fooled about Muslims, so sure and smug.
فلا بُورِكُوا مِنْ إِخْوَةٍ إنَّ أُمَّهُمْ
وَإنْ كَثُرَتْ منها البَنُونَ نَزُورُ
No blessing upon siblings whose mother –
Though many her sons – is mean and cheap.
فَإنْ غَلُظَتْ مِنْهُمْ رِقَابٌ لِبُعْدِهِ
فَما انْحَطَّ عَنْها لِلْمَذَلَّةِ نِيرُ
When their necks were rigid with alienation,
No yoke upon them for humiliation bent.
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أنَّا نُواصِلُ إنْ جَفَوا
وَأنَّا على بعد المزار نَزُورُ
Do you not know we keep ties though they shun,
And though the graves are far, we visit friends?
يَظُنُّونَ خَيْلَ المُسلمينَ يَصُدُّها
عَنِ العَدْوِ في أرضِ العَدُوِّ دُحُورُ
They thought the Muslim cavalry would be held back
From the enemy in enemy lands barred.
أما زُلْزِلَتْ بالعادياتِ وَجاءها
مِنَ التُّرْكِ جَمٌّ لا يُعَدُّ غَفِيرُ
But it shook them with sudden raids,
And countless Turks came, wave upon wave poured.
أتَوْا بِطِمرَّاتٍ مِنَ الجُرْدِ سُيِّرَتْ
وَرَجْلٍ لهُمْ مِثْلُ الجَرادِ طُمُورُ
They brought assembled regiments, their feet
Like locusts, countless, massed and horde upon horde.
فَلَمْ يَرْقُبوا مِنْ صَرْحٍ هامانَ مَرْقَباً
بهامَتِهِ بَرْدُ السَّحابِ بَكُورُ
They eyed no fortress’ outlook, so towering and high,
Its battlements not chilled by the clouds so cold.
وصُبَّ عليهم عارضٌ مِنْ حِجَارةٍ
ونَبْلٍ وكُلٌّ بالعَذابِ مَطِيرُ
And down upon them poured a storm of boulders,
Arrows and spears, raining punishment untold.
وسامُوهُ خَسْفاً مِنْ ثُقُوبٍ كأنَّها
أثافٍ لها تلْكَ البُرُوجُ قُدُورٌ
They raced them with caves, as if cauldrons
Whose lids are the fixed stars in heaven's domes.
فَذاَقُوا به مُرَّ الحِصَارِ فأصْبَحُوا
لهم ذلك الحِصْنُ الحَصِينُ حَصِيرُ
So they tasted the bitterness of siege, and their fortress,
Once so impregnable, became a flimsy enclosure.
يَصِيحونَ أعلى السُّورِ خوْفاً كصافِنٍ
نَفَى عنه نَوْمَ المُقْلَتَيْنِ صَفِيرُ
They cry from the parapets in fright, like scrawny
Goats whose bleating denies the weary rest.
وماذا يَرُدُّ السُّورُ عنهم وخلفَهُ
مِنَ الخَيْلِ سُورٌ والصَّوارِمِ سُورُ
What use are walls, while behind are horsemen and blades,
Wall upon wall, and sword upon keening sword?
فلما أحَسُّوا بَأْسَ أغْلَبَ هِمَّةً
غَدُوٌّ إليهم بالرَّدَى وبَكُورُ
When they sensed a might that crushed their vigor,
They called for safety, and the robe of life tore.
دعَوْهُ وشمْلُ النَّصْرِ منهم مُمَزَّقٌ
أماناً وجلْبابُ الحياةِ بَقِيرُ
The Frank lent them that trick, for he saw
A borrower who would restore it intact, fool no more.
أعارَهُمُ افْرَنْسِيسُ تِلْكَ وَسِيلَةً
رأى مُسْتَعيراً غِبَّها وسَعيرُ
He ransomed himself with wealth, family and fled,
His birds all flown from their incoming death.
فَدَى نفسَهُ بالمالِ والآلِ وَانثَنَى
تَطِيرُ به مِنْ حيثُ جاءَ طُيُورُ
So speak no more of what they were yesterday,
For it stirs the rancor lying in swords that slay.
فلا تَذْكُرُوا ما كانَ بالأمْسِ منهمُ
فذاكَ لأَحْقادِ السُّيُوفِ مُثِيرُ
Had the Sultan of the Plains wished, their blood
Would have swelled the Nile, wave after crimson wave.
فلو شاءَ سُلْطَانُ البَسِيطَةِ ساقَهُمْ
لِمِصْرٍ وتَحْتَ الفارِسَيْنِ بَعِيرُ
Like the Feast of Sacrifice, how fine the sight -
Fatted calves strewn, as offerings freely given.
تُبَشّرُ مِصْر دائماً بِقُدُومِهِمْ
إذا فَصَلَتْ منهم لِغزَّة عِيرُ
But in his forbearance and power lies pardon
For grievous sins, Most Forgiving, Gentle and Kind.
تَسُرُّهُمْ عند القُفولِ بِضاعَة
وَتَحْفَظُ منهمْ إِخْوَةً وَتَمِيرُ
He spared them but for the like, wise ruler
Whose view is sound, in judgments most fair and just.
ولو شاءَ مَدَّ النِّيلَ سَيْلُ دمائِهِمْ
وَزَفَّتْ نُحُورٌ ماءَهُ وسُحُورُ
His pen shows favor, with blessings it flows,
While for traitorous tyrants, it harsh justice bestows.
بِعِيدٍ كَعِيدِ النَّحْرِ يا حُسْنَ ما يُرَى
به مِنْ عُلوجٍ كالعُجُولِ جَزُورُ
Let not the workers covet riches, for he
Is zealous for the treasury of all Muslims.
وَلكنَّه مِنْ حِلمِهِ وَاقتِدَارِهِ
عَفُوٌّ عَنِ الذَّنْبِ العظيم غفورُ
His justice makes the sentence for criminals long,
And the lifetime of betrayers fleetingly short.
وَلَمْ يُبْقِهِمْ إِلَّا خَمِيراً لِمِثْلِها
مَلِيكٌ يَجُبُّ الرَّأْيَ وَهْوَ خَبِيرُ
With wisdom, piety and knowledge threefold combined,
Do the aspects of his great buildings point and remind.
يَرَى الرَّأْيَ مُزَّ الرَّاحِ يهْوَى عَتيقهُ
وَيَكْرَهُ منه الحُلْوُ وَهْوَ عَصِيرُ
A minaret piercing the darkening gloom,
Flooded with guidance for all peoples, brilliant and bright.
فَوَلَّوْا وَسوءُ الظَّنِّ يَلْوِي وُجُوهَهُمْ
فَتَحْسِبُها صُوراً وما هِيَ صُورُ
Wherever you turn your face towards it,
It meets you with vividness and delight.
وقد شَغَرَتْ مِنهمْ حُصونٌ أَواهِلٌ
وما راعها مِنْ قبل ذاك شُغُورُ
The envious glance at it ruefully,
Their eyes return downcast, humbled in their spite.
فللَّهِ سلطانُ البسيطَةِ إنَّهُ
مَليكٌ يَسِيرُ النَّصْرُ حيثُ يسيرُ
How the stars envied its towering height,
The full moons jealous of its perfect light!
ويُغْمِدُ في هامِ الملوكِ حُسامَهُ
ويَرْهَبُ منْ هامِ المُلوكِ غَفيرُ
When the muezzin stands calling God's name therein,
He seems but a companion to the heavenly stars.
ويَجْمَعُ مِنْ أَشْلائِهِمْ مُتَفَرِّقاً
بِصارِمهِ جَمْعَ الهَشِيم حَظيرُ
So for people, his call and prayers mean predawn meals
And meals after sunset, when the echoes return.
فَأَخْلِقْ بأنْ يَبْقَى وَيَبْقَى لِمُلْكِهِ
ثَناءٌ حَكاهُ عَنْبَرٌ وعَبيرُ
The dome of the hospital is without flaw,
Though time continues its relentless flow.
وتأتيه خَيْلُ اللَّهِ من كَلِّ وِجْهَةٍ
يُؤَيَّدُ منها بالنفيرِ نفيرُ
Pure air that revives souls with its breath,
A place of rest, and for brittle bones, life anew.
وَيَحْمِلَ كَلَّ المُلْكِ عنه وإصْرَهُ
حَرِيٌّ بِتَدْبيرِ الأُمورِ جَدِيرُ
It exhales, each spirit finds its body,
As if the Breath of Life, blowing the Trumpet of Dread.
أَخُو عَزَماتٍ فالبَعِيدُ منَ العُلا
لَدَيْهِ قرِيبٌ والعسيرُ يَسيرُ
If bodies knew its dust grants life again to flesh,
In illness and death, they would flock to it ahead.
تَكادُ إذا ما أُبْرِمَت عَزَماتُهُ
لها الأرضُ تُطْوَى وَالجِبالُ تَسيرُ
No tomb would wear down the dead,
No sickbed hear complaints from one abed.
دَعَانِي إلَى مَغْنَاهُ داعٍ وَليسَ لِي
جَنانٌ عَلَى ذاكَ الجَنابِ جَسورُ
In its garden, leaves whispering water between them,
Yearning murmurs, soft rustling sounds.
فقلتُ له دَعْنِي وَسَيْرِي لِماجِدٍ
لَهُ اللَّهُ في كُلِّ الأُمورِ يُجِيرُ
People told me of its wonders, descriptions
Like faces of nymphs unveiled, perfect and pure.
إذا جِئْتُهُ وَحْدِي يقُومُ بِنُصْرَتي
قبائلُ مِنْ إقبالِهِ وعَشيرُ
Its beauties called to me, nothing else,
As if a doe, not people, cried out for them, stirred.
فَتىً أَبْدَتِ الدُّنيا عواقِبَها لَهُ
وَأَفْضَتْ بما فيها لَدَيْهِ صُدُورُ
My heart imagined its charms all night, displaying them
Before my eyes, though deep in sweet sleep laid.
فَغَفْلَتُهُ مِنْ شدَّةِ الحَزْمِ يَقْظَةٌ
وَغَيْبَتُهُ عَمَّا يُريدُ حُضورُ
Beauty cannot be described unless the one portraying
Adores the one portrayed, enamored and obsessed.
وما كلُّ فضلٍ فيه إِلَّا سَجِيَّةٌ
يُشاركُ فيها ظاهرٌ وضميرُ
A pretentious hack appeared, his serpent's tongue
Hissing hidden venom in verses he addressed.
فليس له عندَ النَّزالِ مُحَرِّضٌ
وليس له عند النَّوالِ سفيرُ
Seeing me, he shunned and diminished me,
As if I am deep down in a bottle, sealed!
هُوَ السَّيْفُ فاحذرْ صَفْحَةً لِغِرَارِهِ
فَبَيْنَهُما لِلَّامِسِينَ غُرورُ
He admired his own plumpness, and that I
Am thin, pleasing eyes that spot flowing faults.
مَهيبٌ وَهوبٌ لِلْمُحاوِلِ جُودَهُ
جَوادٌ ولِلَّيثِ الهَصُورِ هَصُورُ
He knew not that pearls are small in size,
Yet priceless still, cherished by kings of prestige.
إشاراتُهُ فيما يَرومُ صَوارمٌ
وساعاتُهُ عما يَسَعْنَ دُهُورُ
A perceptive soul aided me against him,
Clement, though mild, in calm dignity composed.
إذا هَجرَ الناسُ الهجيرَ لكَرْبِهِمْ
يَلَذُّ لهُ أَنَّ الزَّمانَ هَجيرُ
No injustice stains his judgments, but still
Against traitorous tyrants, harsh justice he imposed.
وَهلْ يَتَّقِي حَرَّ الزَّمانِ ابنُ غادَةٍ
جَليلٌ عَلَى حَرِّ الزَّمانِ صَبُورُ
For workers, their wealth alone draws their gaze,
While for the Muslims' treasury he is fiercely protective.
يُحاذِرُهُ المَوْتُ الزُّؤَامُ إذا سطا
ولكنه مِنْ أنْ يُلامَ حَذُورُ
His pen writes what will be, while what they scheme
Is but hours flitting without achievement, ever-fugitive.
وتَسْتَهْوِنُ الأهوالَ في المَجْدِ نَفْسُهُ
وَتَسْتَحْقِرُ المَوْهُوبَ وهْوَ خَطيرُ
Gladly he accepts time's abandonment, when people despair,
Son of Ghadah, lofty in adversity, steadfast and brave.
مَكَارِمُهُ لَمْ تُبْقِ فَقْراً ورَأْيُهُ
إلى بعضِه أغنَى الملوكِ فقيرُ
Does the son of Muqlah fear death's specter when it looms?
Nay, he fears only to be blamed when graves await.
كَفَتْهُ سُطاهُ أَنْ يُجَهِّزَ عَسْكَراً
وآراؤُهُ أَنْ يُسْتَشارَ وَزِيرُ
His soul scorns terrors for glory’s sake,
And spurns gifts, though precious and direly craved.
فواطَنَ أَطْرافَ البَسِيطَةِ ذِكْرُهُ
وصِينَتْ حُصُونٌ باسمِهِ وثُغُورُ
No innate merit in him, but qualities shared –
Outward and inner self both partake and achieve.
مُحَيَّاهُ طَلْقٌ باسِمٌ رَوْضُ كَفِّهِ
أرِيضٌ وَماءُ البِشْرِ منه نمِيرُ
No war drives him; no peace lures him.
His sword suffices; warnings are vain.
حَكَى البحرَ وصْفاً مِنْ طهارَةِ كَفِّهِ
فقيل لهُ مِنْ أَجْلِ ذاك طَهُورُ
Overpowering in its flash, yet a slick surface
Hides its edge, no grip for fools to naively grasp.
وَما هُوَ إِلَّا كِيمياءُ سعادةٍ
وَوَصْفِي لتلكَ الكِيمياء شُذُورُ
Awe-inspiring, terrifying the daring assailant,
Generous, fierce against the daring predator.
بها قامَ شِعْرِي لِلْخَلاصِ فما أَرَى
لِشِعْرِي امْتِحانَ الناقِدِينَ نَصيرُ
His hints at what he intends are swords unsheathed,
His times unknown, spanning ages.
وَرُبَّ أَدِيبٍ ذِي لِسانٍ كَمِبْرَدٍ
بَدَا مِنْ فَمٍ كالكِيرِ أَوْ هُوَ كِيرُ
When people shun the outcast in his woe,
He delights that time is likewise forlorn.
أَرادَ امْتحاناً لِي فَزَيَّفَ لَفْظَهُ
نَتانٌ بَدَا مِنْ نَظْمِهِ وخَرِيرُ
Can the son of Ghadah fear time's heat?
Sublime over time's cruelty, patient and serene.
إذَا ما رَآني عَافَنِي وَاسْتَقَلَّنِي
كأنِّيَ في قَعْرِ الزُّجَاجَةِ سُورُ
He avoids death's specter when it looms,
Yet dreads not to be blamed when the end draws near.
وَيُعْجِبُهُ أَنّي نَحِيفٌ وأَنّه
سَمِينٌ يَسُرُّ الناظِرينَ طَرِيرُ
Were it not for his generosity,
The Prince would not grant us miracles, revered.
وَلَمْ يَدرِ أَنَّ الدُّرَّ يَصْغُرُ جِرْمُهُ
وَمقدارُهُ عند الملوكِ خطيرُ
For his piety, knowledge and wisdom -
The three aspects of his buildings point to their source.
فقامَ بِنَصْرِي دونَهُ ذَو نَباهَةٍ
حَلِيمٌ إذا خَفَّ الحَلِيمُ وَقُورُ
So a minaret pierces the darkening gloom,
Flooding the world with guidance and light.
وَلا جَوْرَ في أحْكَامِهِ غَيْرَ أَنه
عَلَى الخائِنِينَ الجَائرِينَ يَجُورُ
Turn to it from any direction,
Its vividness and joy to you will alight.
فلا تنْظُرِ العُمَّالُ لِلْمالِ إنَّهُ
عَلَى بَيْتِ مالِ المُسْلِمينَ غَيُورُ
The envious glance in bitter despair,
Their eyes turn down, humbled in their spite.
وأنَّ عَذابَ المُجْرِمِينَ بِعَدْلِهِ
طويلٌ وعُمْر الخائِنِينَ قَصِيرُ
How the stars envied its towering height,
The full moons jealous of its perfect light!
له قَلَمٌ بالبأْس يَجْرِي وَبالنَّدَى
فَفِي جانِبَيْهِ جَنَّةٌ وَسَعِيرُ
When the muezzin stands calling God's name therein,
He seems but a companion to the heavenly stars.
تُحَلِّي الطَّرُوسَ العاطِلات سطورُها
كما تَتحلَّى بالعُقُودِ نُحُورُ
His call reminds people of dawn and dusk prayers,
Echoes return when the sun sets and rises.
أُجَلّي لِحَاظِي في خمائِلِ حُسْنِهِ
فَمِنْ حَيْرَةٍ لَمْ تَدْرِ كيفَ تَحُورُ
The hospital dome lacks flaws over time,
As years flow on relentlessly, it defies.
عَلا بعضُهُ في القَدْرِ بعضاً كما علا
مَعَ الحُسْنِ زَهْرٌ في الرِّياضِ نَضِيرُ
Pure air revives souls with its breath,
A place of rest, broken bones anew will rise.
حَكَى حَسَناتٍ في صحائِفِ مُؤْمِنٍ
يُسَرُّ كَبِيريٌّ بها وَصَغِيرُ
It exhales, each soul finds its body again,
As if the Trumpet's breath blows, stirring graves.
فكانتْ شُكُولاً منه زانَتْ حروفُهُ
حِساباً قَلَتْ منه الصِّحاحَ كُسورُ
People told me of its wonders, descriptions
Like unveiled nymphs, perfect, pure.
فقلتُ وَقد راعَتْ بِفَصْلِ خِطَابِهِ
وراقَتْ عُيُونَ الناظِرِينَ سُطُورُ
Its beauty called me, nothing less,
As if a doe, not people, cried for it, stirred.
لَئِن جاءَهُم كَالغيثِ مِنهُ مُبَشِّراً
فَقَد جاءَهُم كَالموتِ مِنهُ نَذيرُ
My heart imagined its charms all night,
Displaying them before my eyes in sweet sleep's mirth.
فوَيْلٌ لِقَوْمٍ مِنْ يَراعٍ كأنّه
خِلالٌ يَرُوعُ الأُسْدَ منه صَرِيرُ
No description, unless the one portraying
Adores the one portrayed, obsessed from their birth.
وَلِمْ لا وَآسادُ العرِينِ لِداتُهُ
يَكُونُ له مثلُ الأسودِ زَئيرُ
A pretentious hack appeared, envy in his soul,
His words' venom masked by poetic grace.
يَغُضُّ لَدَيْهِ مُقْلَتَيْهِ ابنُ مُقْلَةٍ
كما غضَّ مَنْ فِي مُقْلَتَيْهِ بُثُورُ
Seeing me, he shunned and diminished me,
As if I'm deep in a sealed bottle, displaced!
وَأَنَّى لُهُ لو نالَهُ مِنْ تُرابِهِ
ليَكْحَلَ منه مُقْلَتَيْهِ ذَرُورُ
He admired his own plumpness, while I
Am thin, in his eyes sorely thin and effaced.
وَقد كَفَّ عنْ كوفِيَّةٍ كَفَّ عاجِزٍ
وفيه نَظِيمٌ دُرُّهُ ونَثِيرُ
Little he knew pearls are small in size,
Yet cherished by kings, their brilliance encased.
وَوَدَّ العَذارَى لوْ يُعَجِّلُ نِحْلةً
إليهنَّ مِنْ تلكَ الحُروفِ مُهُورُ
A perceptive soul came to my aid,
Clement, though mild, composed in his place.
رَأَى ما يَرُوقُ الطَّرْفَ بلْ ما يَرُوعُهُ
فَخَارَ وَذُو القَلْبِ الضعيفِ يَخُورُ
No injustice in his fair judgments, unless
Against betrayers, his justice mills their grains to paste.
بَنى ما بَنَى كِسْرَى وعادٌ وَتُبَّعٌ
وليسَ سواءً مُؤْمِنٌ وَكَفُورُ
For workers, wealth alone draws their gaze,
While for Muslims' treasury his care embraces.
ودَلَّ على تَقْوَى الإلهِ أَساسُهُ
كما دَلَّ بالوادي المُقَدَّسِ طُورُ
He built what Kisra never achieved,
Nor Aad's towers matched his splendid edifice.
حِجازِيَّةُ السُّحْبِ الثِّقالِ يَسُوقُها
عَلَى عَجَلٍ سَوْقاً صَباً وَدَبُورُ
Guided by piety its foundation,
As the blessed Mount points to the Hajj's rituals and place.
ومنها نُجومٌ في بُروجِ مَجَرَّةٍ
عَلَى الأرضِ تَبْدُو تارَةً وتَغُورُ
Clouds from the Hejaz, their bulks lofty,
Fast winds drive, passing through while they race.
تَضِيقُ بها السُّبلُ الفِجَاجُ فلا يُرَى
بها للرِّياحِ العاصفاتِ مَسيرُ
Some form astral mansions circling the earth,
Now appearing, now hiding from sight in their chase.
فكَمْ صَخْرَةٍ عاديَّةٍ قَذَفَتْ بها
إليه سُهُولٌ جَمَّةٌ وَوُعُورُ
The paths are narrow, the gales cannot pass,
No track for winds' raging and chase.
وَمنْ عُمُدٍ في هِمَّةِ الدَّهرِ قُوَّةٌ
وَفي باعِهِ مِنْ طُولِهنَّ قُصُورُ
How many boulders rolled down the hill,
Plains heaping them before him in place!
أَشارَ لها فانْقادَ سَهْلاً عَسِيرُها
إليه وَما أَمْرٌ عليه عسيرُ
Columns stood like years his reign accrued,
Yet not a year passed with its months running apace.
أَتَتْهُ بِها أَنْدَى الرِّياحِ وَدونَ مَا
أَتَتْهُ بها أَنْدَى الرِّياحِ ثَبِيرُ
Structures divulged the perfection of his vision,
Stonecourses proclaim firm foundations in place.
وما كانَ لَولا ما لَهُ مِنْ كَرَامَةٍ
لِيَأْتِينَا بالمُعْجِزاتِ أَميرُ
Celestial, its corners made me think
Silken banners adorned it with artful grace.
لِما فيه مِنْ تَقْوَى وَعِلْمٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ
بِحُرِّ مَبَانِيهِ الثَّلاثُ تُشِيرُ
My eyes fancied its pavements were brocades,
Its marble paintings, all fringed and lace.
فَمِئْذَنَةٌ في الجوِّ تُشْرِقَ في الدُّجَى
عليها هُدىً لِلْعَالمينَ وَنُورُ
Surpassing creation in gorgeousness,
Reality illusions replace.
وَمِنْ حَيْثُمَا وَجَّهْتَ وَجْهَكَ نَحْوَها
تَلَقَّتْكَ مِنها نَضْرَةٌ وسُرُورُ
So glory to the day foregathered leaders
Their oceans of knowledge pour and grace!
يَمُدُّ إليها الحاسدُ الطَّرْفَ حَسْرَةً
فَيَرْجِعُ عنها الطَّرْفُ وهْوَ حَسيرُ
The suns of honor from Quran and Sunnah
Upon people shed the Word's shining rays.
فكَمْ حَسَدَتْها في العُلُوِّ كواكبٌ
وغارَتْ عليها في الكمالِ بُدُورُ
In our tongue, their wisdom's treasures unfold,
Abundant the merit our gain in its embrace.
إذا قامَ يَدْعُو اللَّه فيها مُؤَذِّنٌ
فما هُوَ إِلَّا للنُّجومِ سَمِيرُ
You honored an auspicious birth, sublimest of all,
A most noble infant, by virtue and grace.
فللنَّاسِ مِنْ تذكارِهِ وأذانِهِ
فَطُورٌ عَلَى رَجْعِ الصَّدَى وَسَحُورُ
Muslims rejoiced in it, yet for unbelievers
In it loomed perdition and woe in its place.
وقُبَّةُ مارستانَ ليسَ لِعِلَّةٍ
عليه وإن طالَ الزَّمانَ مُرُورُ
We read the unchanging Quran within its walls,
While Gospels and Psalms faded in its rays.
صَحِيحُ هَواءٍ للنُّفوسِ بِنَشْرِهِ
مَعادٌ وَلِلعَظْمِ الرَّمِيمِ نُشُورُ
The chambers multiplied the Prophet's traditions,
Each scholar well-versed in his noble ways.
يَهُبُّ فَيَهْدِي كلَّ رُوحٍ بِجِسْمِهِ
كأنَّ صَباهُ حِينَ يَنْفُخُ صُورُ
Thrice believers pray, praising the One God,
Thankful for divine blessings, remembrance in place.
فَلَو تَعْلَمُ الأجسامُ أن تُرابَهُ
مِهادُ حَياةٍ لِلْجُسومِ وَثيرُ
For the Sultan it is but good fortune,
Reward everlasting for his works shall take place.
لَسَارَتْ بِمَرْضاها إليهِ أسِرَّة
وصارتْ بموْتاها إليهِ قُبُورُ
A wise and venerable mentor invited me,
Judicious in counsel, dignified in his place.
وما عادَ يُبلِي بعدَ ذلك مَيِّتاً
ضَرِيحٌ وَلا يَشْكُو المَرِيضَ سَرِيرُ
Is there among earth’s rulers or caliphs
One whose buildings can compare and keep pace?
بِجَنَّتِهِ وُرْقٌ تُراسِلُ ماءَهُ
يَشُوقُ هَدِيلٌ منهما وَهَدِيرُ
To what he built seven heavens do bow,
Though like the seven-tiered sky embellished in lace!
وَقد وَصَفَتْ لِي الناس منها عَجائِباً
كأَوْجُهِ غِيدٍ ما لَهُنَّ سُفُورُ
He who sees it must think the one who raised its height
Did what exhausted all kings by his grace.
محاسِنها اسْتَدْعَتْ نَسِيبِي ومَا دَعَا
نَسِيبِي غزالٌ قبلَ ذاك غرِيرُ
That a minaret standing tall by its side
Points to the Prince's overflowing grace.
وباتَ بها قَلْبي يُمَثِّلُ حُسْنَها
لِعَيْنِي وَنَوْمِي بالسُّهادِ غَزِيرُ
As if the minaret of Alexandria
A delicate bud, its door a slender crease!
وَلا وَصْفَ إِلَّا أنْ يَكُونَ لِواصِفٍ
وُرُودٌ عَلَى مَوْصُوفِهِ وصُدُورُ
Built by Sa'id in happy lands, therein
Homes thrived before schools spread in their place.
بَدَتْ فَهْيَ عندَ الصَّالِحِيَّةِ جِلَّقٌ
وفي تلْكَ جَنَّاتٌ وتلكَ قُبُورُ
A city of knowledge, schools surround it,
Villages or bright stars, their full moons shine upon its face.
وَلَو فَتَحَت أَبْوابَها لَتَبَادَرَتْ
مِنَ الدُّرِّ وِلدانٌ إلَيْهِ وحُورُ
It dawned, dimming the visible, its light obscured
The stars, for they cannot shine in its rays.
ومَدْرَسَةٌ وَدَّ الخَورْنَقُ أَنّه
لَدَيْهَا حَظِيرٌ والسَّدِيرُ غَدِيرُ
A hive's geometry shapes its plan,
Molten wax poured, solid bricks in its place.
مَدِينَةُ عِلمٍ وَالمَدَارِسُ حَوْلَها
قُرىً أَوْ نُجُومٌ بَدْرُهُنَّ مُنِيرُ
Erected by a wise man, his resolve is firm,
Neither weakness in him, nor in his works' foundation creased.
تَبَدَّتْ فأَخْفَى الظَّاهِرِيَّةَ نُورُها
وليسَ بِظُهْرٍ للنُّجُومِ ظُهورُ
Strong in might, unique in his time,
Ages passed ere one like him took life's race.
بِناءٌ كَأنَّ النَّحلَ هَندَسَ شَكلَهُ
وَلانَت لَهُ كَالشَّمعِ مِنهُ صُخورُ
Not even Aad's architects achieved the like,
Nor did palaces rival it, though high they raised.
بَناها حَكِيمٌ لَيْسَ في عَزَماتِهِ
فتُورٌ وَلا فيما بناه فُتُورُ
Eight pillars up to heaven bear its throne,
Each supporting the other, interlaced.
بَناها شَدِيدُ البَأْسِ أَوْحَدُ عَصْرِهِ
خَلَتْ حِقَبٌ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ وعُصُورُ
Who sees it must think the one who raised it
Did what exhausted all kings by his grace.
فما صَنَعَتْ عادٌ مَصانِعَ مِثلَهُ
وَلا طاوَلَتْهُ في البِناءِ قُصُورُ
That a towering minaret by its side
Signals the Prince's overflowing grace.
ثَمَانِيَةٌ في الجَوِّ يَحْمِلُ عَرْشَها
وبعضٌ لبعضٍ في البناءِ ظَهيرُ
As if Alexander's Lighthouse minaret,
A delicate bud, its door a slender crease!
يَرَى مَنْ يَراها أَنَّ رافِعَ سَمْكهَا
عَلَى فِعْلِ ما أعْيا المُلوكَ قَدِيرُ
Built by Sa'id in happy lands, therein
Homes thrived before schools spread in their place.
وَأَنَّ مَناراً قائماً بإزائها
بَنانٌ إلى فضلِ الأَمِيرِ تشيرُ
When the muezzin calls to prayer therein,
He seems a companion to stars in space.
كَأَنَّ مَنارَ اسْكَنْدَرِيَّةَ عنده
نَواةٌ بَدَتْ والبابُ فيهِ نَقِيرُ
So God's Houses became palaces in its reign,
Kings' abodes, though to teachers they ceded their place.
بناها سعيدٌ في بِقاعٍ سعيدَةٍ
بها سَعِدَتْ قَبْلَ المَدَارِسِ دُورُ
We spoke of the Nasr Dome, none dare mention it,
Even eagles take flight, too shy to face.
إذا قامَ يَدْعو اللَّهَ فيها مُؤَذِّنٌ
فما هُوَ إِلَّا للنُّجُومِ سَمِيرُ
If attributed to the Nasr, the intended is he
With celestial cycle and stellar place.
فصارتْ بُيوتُ اللَّهِ آخِرَ عُمْرِهَا
قُصُورٌ خَبَتْ مِنْ سادةٍ وخُدُورُ
Else, how many on earth bowed before it,
Eagles and hawks swooping down in its space!
ذَكَرْنا لَدَيْهَا قُبَّةَ النَّسْرِ مَرَّةً
فما كادَ نَسْرٌ لِلْحَياءِ يَطِيرُ
I examined its mihrab, appearing thus,
Statues of nymphs, all perfectly shaped in their place.
فإنْ نُسِبَتْ لِلنَّسرِ فالطائرُ الَّذي
لَهُ في البُروجِ الثَّابِتاتِ وُكُورُ
Some dressed richly bejeweled,
Long hair dangling underneath, publicly on display.
وإِلَّا فَكَمْ في الأرضِ قد مالَ دونَها
إلى الأرضِ عِقْبَانٌ هَوَتْ ونُسُورُ
Pillars mixed among them showing their years,
Yet not a year passed with its months running apace.
تَبيَّنتُ في مِحرابِها وَهْيَ كالدُّمَى
قُدُودَ غَوانٍ كُلُّهُنَّ خُصُورُ
Structures that proclaim the vision's extent,
Stone courses affirming foundations firmly in place.
وقد حُلِّيَتْ منها صُدُورٌ بِعَسْجَدٍ
وَلُفَّتْ لَها تَحْتَ الحُلِيِّ شُعُورُ
بها عُمُدٌ كاثَرْنَ أيَّامَ عامِها
وَمِنْ عامِها لَمْ يَمْضِ بعدُ شُهُورُ
مَبانٍ أبانَتْ عَنْ كمالِ بِنائِها
وأَعْرَبَ عَنْ وَضْعِ الأَساسِ هَتُورُ
سَمَاوِيَّةٌ أَرْجَاؤُها فكأَنَّها
عليها من الوَشْيِ البَديعِ سُتُورُ
تَوَهَّمَ طَرْفِي أَنَّ تَجْزِيعَ بُسْطِها
رُقُومٌ وَتَلْوِينَ الرُّخامِ حَريرُ
وكم جَاوَزَ الإِبْدَاعُ في الحُسْنِ حَدَّهُ
فَأَوْهَمَنا أَنَّ الحَقيقَةَ زُورُ
فَللَّهِ يَوْمٌ ضَمَّ فيه أَئمَّةً
تَدَفَّقَ منهم لِلعلومِ بُحورُ
وشمسُ المَعالي مِنْ كِتابٍ وسُنَّةٍ
عَلَى النَّاسِ مِنْ لَفْظِ الكلامِ تُديرُ
وقد أَعْرَبَتْ للنّاسِ عَنْ خَيْرِ مَوْلِدٍ
عَرُوبٌ به والفضلُ فيه كثيرُ
فأَكْرِمْ بِيَوْمٍ فيه أَكْرَمُ مَوْلِدٍ
لأَكْرَمِ مَوْلُودٍ نَمَتْهُ حُجُورُ
يُطالِعُهُ للمسلمينَ مَسَرَّةٌ
ولكِنْ به للكافِرينَ ثُبورُ
قَرَأْنا بها القرآنَ غيرَ مُبَدَّلٍ
فغارَتْ أناجيلٌ وغارَ زَبُورُ
وَثَنَّتْ بأخبارِ النبيِّ رُواتها
وكلّ بأخْبَارِ النبيِّ خَبِيرُ
وثَلَّثَ يدعو اللَّهَ فيها مُوَحِّدٌ
ذَكُورٌ لِنَعْمَاءِ الإِلهِ شَكُورُ
وما تلكَ للسلطانِ إِلَّا سعادَةٌ
يَدُومُ لهُ ذِكْرٌ بها وأُجُورُ
دَعاها إليه وافِرُ الرَّأْي والحِجَا
يَزِينُ الحِجَى والرَّأْيُ منهُ وَقُورُ
فَهَلْ في مُلوكِ الأرضِ أَوْ خُلفائها
لهُ في الّذِي شادتْ يَداهُ نَظِيرُ
عَلَى أَنَّهم في جَنْبِ ما شادَ مِنْ عُلاً
ولو كانَ كالسَّبْعِ الطِّباقِ حَصيرُ
