أَتَت طَيفاً بَعدَ المِطالِ
وَجادَت بِالخَيالِ عَلى الخَيالِ
She came as an apparition after nightfall,
Bestowing fantasies upon fantasies.
يَنِمُّ بِها شَذاها في سُراها
فَتُدمِجُ لي وِصالاً في اِنفِصالِ
Her perfume awakens longing in her chambers,
Uniting for me presence with absence.
جَلَت بَدراً عَلَيهِ اللَيلُ داجٍ
عَلى دِعصٍ عَلى غُصنٍ مُهالِ
The night descended like a full moon upon her,
On a branch, on a swaying bough.
رَمَت عَن مُقلَةٍ حَوراءَ قَلباً
شوت سوداءَهُ بعدَ المِحالِ
She shot from her eyelids a gazelle-like heart.
Her black tresses enveloped it after it was gone.
كأنَّ بِخَصرِها وَجدي عَلَيها
كِلانا في سَقامٍ وَاِغتَلالِ
As if her waist and my love for it
لَقَد أبلى اِشتِياقي فيكِ جِسمي
إلى أَن دَقَّ عَن ضَربِ المِثالِ
Were both gripped by sickness and wasting away.
My yearning has exhausted my body because of you,
أسىً لا تَستَقِلُّ بِهِ ضُلوعي
وَفَيضٌ سَحَّ مِن دَمعي المُذالِ
Until it has become an example that is talked about.
A sorrow that my ribs cannot endure,
فإن أسعى فَبِالإرقالِ أطوي
تَنائِفَ لا يَضيقُ بِها اِحتِمالي
An abundance that has poured from my disgraced tears.
If I try to walk, I stumble,
بِعيسٍ تَحتَ جُنحِ اللَيلِ تَبدو
كَوخطِ الشَيبِ في جَنبِ القَذالِ
Endless pains that my endurance cannot bear.
With Jesus beneath the wings of night she appears
ضَوامِرَ كَالقِداح تَجِدُّ وَخداً
إلى مَغنى المَعالي وَالجَلالِ
Like strands of white in the hair of one in his prime.
Cheeks like flasks flowing
مَعاهِدُ طالما جادَت ثَراها
غَوادي الوَحيِ هامِيَةُ العَزالِ
To the melody of glories and majesty.
Refuges which have long poured forth their wealth—
سَتَنتَشِقُ الحَياةَ إذا اِنتَشَقتُ
أَريجَ النَشرِ مِن تِلكَ التِلالِ
Valleys of revelation, mysterious, secluded.
Life will scent the aroma of those hills
وَتَنتَعِلُ الوُجوهَ بِهِنَّ لمّا
ثَواها الصادِقُ الزاكي المقالِ
When I scent the fragrance of publication from them.
And faces will don them when
رَسولُ اللَهِ صفوَةُ مَن بَراهُ
وَمَن جَلا بِهِ جُنحَ الضَلالِ
The truthful, pure, and eloquent one spreads them.
Allah’s Messenger—the elite of those he created
أتى وَالخلقُ في عَمياءَ جَهلٍ
ودَينُ الدينِ في أسرِ المِطالِ
And whom he saved from the wings of misguidance.
He came while the people were in the darkness of ignorance
فَاسَّس للهُدى ركناً شَديداً
وآل الكُفرُ مِنهُ لِلزَوالِ
And the religion of the religion was in the grips of nightfall.
So Allah established for him a firm pillar of guidance,
بِبَدرٍ طَوَّقَ الإِشراكَ خِزياً
على حُكمِ الصَوارِم وَالعَوالي
And disbelief was destined by it to decline.
With Badr he crowned polytheism with disgrace
ولم تَألُ الكَتائِبُ عن عِراقٍ
وَلا شامٍ وَلا أَقصى الشَمالِ
By the ruling of the swords and lofty heights.
The regiments did not cease from Iraq,
فوالى اللَهُ تَسليماً عَلَيه
وجَدَّدَهُ عَلَيهِ عَلى اِتِّصالِ
Nor Syria, nor the furthest north.
He surrendered to Allah in peace upon him
وَلا زالَ الهُدى فينا مُقيماً
بِدولةِ سِبطِهِ فَخرِ المَعالي
And He renewed it constantly upon him.
Guidance has not ceased to reside in us
هُمامٌ دونَ مَنعَتِه اِعتِلاءٌ
مَراقي الشُهبِ أَو مَجرى الهِلالِ
Through the state of his grandson, pride of glories.
They are pillars of praise—were it not for their protection,
وهذا المَجدُ أقعَسُ مَن مَعَدٍّ
تَخِرُّ لِعزِّه شُمُّ الجِبالِ
The stars of Ursa Minor or the course of the crescent moon.
This glory is firmer than even iron chains
فَأَنتَ الفذُّ في العلياءِ فرداً
فَما لِسِواكَ فيها مِن مَقالِ
At whose honor even mountains crumble.
You are unmatched among the exalted, unique.
فأيُّ الخلقِ وازى في سِباقٍ
مَقامَكَ في نَوال أو قِتالِ
None can speak like you among them.
What of creation matched you in a race
وَأيُّ مآزِق الهيجاءِ تَلقى
ولَستَ بضاربٍ تِلك الرِعالِ
Or matched your position in attaining or fighting?
What dangers of confusion have you met
وأَيُّ كَتائبٍ جالَدَت إِلّا
تَركتَ كُماتَها جَزَرَ النِصالِ
Without leaving their bodies as quarries for swords?
What regiments did you charge without
وَما مَحَلَت مَراعٍ فيكَ إِلّا
شَفَت أمحالَهُ بِدَرُ النَوالِ
Leaving their burdens for the cups of bliss?
Hope had abandoned us completely
لقَد قَطَعَت بنا الآمالُ حتّى
كرعنا مِن مَعينِكَ ف زُلالِ
Until we drank from your spring in clear water.
May you always build virtues
فدُمتَ للمكارم تَبتَنيها
وَتَنشُرَ ما طَوَت مِنها اللَيالي
And spread what the nights have folded away.
You tied the good mention of seasons
أَشَدتُم للمَواسِم طيبَ ذِكرٍ
طَوى ما كانَ في الأمَمِ الخَوالي
That brought what was most splendid in nations.
None but you are the pillar of the religion.
فَما للدينِ غيرُكَ مِن عِمادٍ
وَما لِلدَهرِ غَيرُكَ مِن جَمالِ
None but you are the beauty of the times.
