من حُسنِ عهدٍ للخليطِ المُنْجد
ألا يَضُنَّ بوقْفةٍ في المَعْهَدِ
The beauty of the union with the beloved is unending,
Do not hesitate for a moment in this covenant.
ناشَدْتكمْ إلا قَصْرتمُ ساعةً
فَضْلَ الأزمّةِ عند بُرْقةِ مُنْشِد
Whenever I called upon you, you delayed but an hour,
The radiance of the enthusiastic singer outpaced the gloom.
أما مُسعِدٌ فيكم فهل من مُغْرمٍ
أو مُغْرَمٌ فيكم فهل من مُسْعِد
Is there among you one made happy or is there
Among you one in love, then is there one made glad?
ربْعٌ وقَفْتُ أرى وجوهَ أحِبّتي
فيه بعَيْنَيْ ذِكْريَ المُتَجَدّد
A wonderful spring where I saw the faces of loved ones,
My memories were renewed before my eyes.
رفَع الهوى للعينِ فيه شُخوصَهم
سَقْياً له من آهِلٍ مُتأبِّد
Love raised their images to my eyes,
Watering it with everlasting sighs.
من كلِّ ظاعنةٍ أقامَ خيالُها
ومضَتْ تَروحُ بها الرِكابُ وتغتَدي
From every coquetry, their images stood still
While the mounts trotted away with them into the distance.
بَعُدتْ وخيَّم طيفُها في ناظري
من بعدها فكأنّها لم تَبْعُد
They went far away and their ghosts stayed in my sight,
So it was as if they did not go far after all.
لمّا سَبقْتُ إلى الحمى وتَلاحَقُوا
صَحْبِي وهل لأسيرِ حُبٍّ مُفْتد
When I arrived at the tribe and my companions hurried after,
Every prisoner of love stopped and drew his wrap.
وقَفوا فكُلٌّ حَطّ فيه لثامَه
للصّبِ عن فَمِ عاذِلٍ ومُفَنّد
At the spring of soft sand near ruins
And the curve of a gaze amidst effaced sketches.
لِمَعاجِ نِضْوٍ في مَحل داثرٍ
ومَجلِّ طَرْفٍ في رسومٍ هُمّد
A perfume that its long history made subtle
With the tail of fine deeds that are minute.
عَطِرٌ ثَراهُ على تَطاوُل عَهْده
بَمَجّرِ أذيالِ الحِسانِ الخُرَد
I will let my eyelids rain upon it constantly
Between the flashing of my passion and the rumbling clouds.
فلأتْرُكَنّ الجفْنَ فيه ماطراً
ما بين مُبرِقِ عُذّلِي والمُرعِد
And the pillow where the stars said to its edge,
“It is a barrier between me and you, so keep watch.”
ومُسهَّدٍ قال النّجومُ لطَرْفِه
هي عُقْبةٌ بيني وبينَك فارصُد
How much have I stayed up while you slept nights
And now I am tired, so stay up as I sleep!
كم قد سَهِرْتُ وقَد رَقَدْتَ ليالياً
والآنَ قد أَعيَيْتُ فاسهر أرقُد
They promised to depart tomorrow, and nothing kills me
Except their keeping that promise.
وعَدُوا الرّحيل غداً وليس بقاتلي
إلا وَفاؤهمُ بذاكَ المَوعِد
And the dawn intended something, so I said,
“O night, the departure of dawn is nearing, so extend!”
ونَوى الصّباحُ نوىً فقلتُ لقد دنا
يا ليلُ إسفارُ الصّباح فأمدِد
How you prolonged for me and then I wished in the time of intention –
O my night, now your prolonging is praised!
كم طُلْتِ لي فَذُمِمِت في زمنِ النّوى
يا ليلتي فالآن طُولي تُحْمَدي
The beautiful one knows how many blood-stained necklaces
Are around her neck from us.
تَدْري المليحةُ كم لنا في جِيدِها
بينَ القلائدِ من دَمٍ مُتَقلَّد
You excelled among the tall and tall
And appeared among them with unmatched beauty.
طاهَرْتِ بينَ طوائلٍ وطوائلٍ
وظَهرْتِ منها في حُلىً لم تُعْهَد
Is this a neck from gazelle hide that mostly
Sheds for us or from a young deer?
أفذاكِ جيدٌ من هِزَبْرٍ أغلب
يُجْليَ لنا أم من غَزالٍ أغيد
And proof that your horse is noble is that you pointed
With reddened nails upon her hooves.
ودليلُ فَرسِكِ أن أشَرتِ بأنمُلٍ
مَخْضوبةٍ أظفارُها من أكْبُد
And if love betrays a neighbor it feels no shame
And if it kills a victim it has no regrets.
والحِبُّ إنْ يَغدِرْ بجارٍ لا يَخَفْ
عاراً وإن يقُتلْ قتيلاً لا يَد
And whoever rode the back of fate, an overflowing torrent took him,
Fastened with the bridle of a transgressor.
ومَنِ امتطى ظَهْرَ الزّمانِ جَرَتْ به
غُلوَاءُ طاغٍ للعنانِ مُقلَّد
So fasten to it the cheek of patience for its uncertainty,
Steady and slow down every blowing wind.
فارْبطْ له جأْشَ الصَبور لرَيْبه
ثَبْتاً وأمْهِلْ كُلَّ ريحٍ تَرْكُد
For the mountain laughs at storms whenever
They play with the ropes of the tents.
فالطّودُ يَهزأُ بالعواصف كلمّا
لَعِبتْ بخُوطِ البانةِ المُتأود
So head towards your goal and do not say,
“Enough,” when calamities stand so settle down.
فانْهَدْ لقاصيةِ المَرامِ ولا تَقُلْ
حَصِراً إذا قامَ الحوادثُ فاقْعُد
And hoard the friendship of the generous as provision,
In case one day fickle time brings thirst.
واكنِزْ مَودّاتِ الكرامِ ذخيرةً
ولربّما طَنّتْ زُيوفٌ فانْقُد
And if opportunities are afforded to the bold,
Your companion will be the most glorious.
وإذا أُتيحَ وللجُدودِ مَواهبٌ
لكَ من خلالِ الدّهر صُحبةُ أمجَد
A single one can take the place of a thousand in help,
So bind it with your two hands together.
فَرْدٍ يَسُدُّ مكانَ ألفٍ نَجْدةً
فبِخِنْصِرَيْكَ معاً عليه فاعْقِد
And for the pleasures of youth and its prime
Are chances that when they come, it is as if they already passed.
ولأرْيحيّات الشّبابِ وعَصْرِه
فُرَصٌ إذا هي أقبلَتْ فكأنْ قد
So turn a deaf ear to the call of frivolity then
And to the advice to tear your hearing, so plug it up.
فأصِخْ لداعيةِ التّصابي عندَها
وعنِ النّصيحِ لخَرْقِ سَمْعكَ فاسْدُد
Accept worries when they befall you, repel them,
A guest of worries will not settle if not evicted.
واقْرِ الهمومَ إذا طَرقْنك طَرْدها
لم يُقْرَ ضَيفُ الهمّ إن لم يُطْرَد
As for time, it has just been made anew,
So if you can, rejuvenate yourself to match it.
أما الزّمانُ فقد تَجدّدَ آنفاً
فإنِ استطعْتَ تَشبُّهاً فَتجَدّد
Spring has gifted every heart an enchantment
And infused every stream with a worshipper.
أهدَى الرّبيعُ لكلِّ قلبٍ طَرْبةً
وصبَا بِكلِّ صَرورةٍ مُتعبّد
The meadow smiles with blossoms that have no
Complaint but the breath of the gentle passing breeze.
فالروضُ مُفتَرُّ المباسمِ ما بِه
شَكْوى سوى نَفَسِ الصَّبا المُتَردِّد
The birds speak amidst it in their languages
From every harmonious dusk melody.
والطّيرُ تَنطِقُ وَسْطَه بلُغاتِها
من كلِّ مِطْرابِ العَشِّي مُغَرِّد
They call and the crescent woos between them
With continuous lament that does not tire.
يَدْعون والقُمْرِى يَخطُب بينها
غَلقاً بسَجْعٍ لا يَمَلُّ مُردَّد
It rises above the balcony whose pillars
Are for none but the speech of that untamed one.
يَعلو ذُؤابةَ منْبرٍ أَعوادُه
لِسوى خطابةِ ذاكَ لم تَتَعَوّد
And it shows you above its shoulder adorned
With a brocade robe of black garb.
ويُريكَ أعْلى الكِتْفِ وهْو مُزَيَّنٌ
منه بلَفّةِ طيلسانٍ أسْود
It is as if it surpassed the birds by going
To call to the time of the righteous leader.
وكأنّما سادَ الطيورَ بأنْ غَدا
يَدعو لعَصْرِ القائمِ المُستَرشِد
And if you look at the facts, you will not find
An age with speech more praised than it.
وإذا نَظْرتَ إلى الحقائقِ لم تَجِدْ
ذا مَنْطقٍ لزمانه لم يَحْمَد
No successor was entrusted after the Rightly Guided Caliphs
A day more guided than it and more rightly led.
ما نِيطَ بعدَ الراشِدينَ خلافةٌ
يوماً بأهْدى منه قَطٌ وأرْشَد
One guided by God who guides His creation
With the illumination of sight aimed well in tribulations.
مُستَرشدٌ باللهِ يُرشِدُ خَلْقَهُ
بضياء رأى في الخطوبِ مُسدَّد
He filled time with nothing but the heights he attained
Inherited from al-Musta’dhir Billah, the guided one.
ملأ الزّمانَ عُلا سوى ما حازَهُ
إرْثاً من المُستَظهِرِ بْنِ المُقْتَدى
He surpassed his ancestors and his brilliance outweighed them
Secrets by which the foreheads of the shaved were branded.
فاقَ الجُدودَ وزانَهم فطريفُه
غُرَرٌ بها انتَقَبتْ جِباهُ المُتْلَد
A king divinely majestic, aided by the lights
Of the most high states, supported.
مَلِكٌ رَبوبِيُّ الجَلالِ تَحفُّه
أنوارُ عُلْوِيِّ الخِلالِ مُؤَيَّد
And so when he appeared to the enemies,
They fell lifeless with the first spark that lit.
ولذاكَ لمّا أن تَجلّى للعِدا
صَعِقوا بأوّلِ لَمْعةٍ لمُهَنّد
He redirected every flaming spear
That wounded devils but did not subside.
فأعادَ كلَّ شهابِ رُمْح واقِدٍ
أرْدَى شياطيناً ولمّا يَخْمُد
The earth’s expanse would not have withstood it
If he had said a second time, “Press down harder!”
ما كان مَتْنُ الأرضِ يَثْبُتُ عندَها
لو قال ثانيةً لوَطْأتِه اشْدُدِي
One of the mightiest of time forced under Islam
After rebelling by the Caliph’s raising her veil.
إحدى عظيماتِ الزّمانِ مُلِمّةٌ
ذِيدَتْ عنِ الإسلام بعدَ تَوَرُّد
The sword – had it not been sheathed – would not have stopped,
A sword, God’s hand drew against His religion.
رفَع الحِجابَ لها الخليفةُ رفْعةً
والسّيفُ لولا سَلُّه لم يُغْمَد
When she saw the sword after wrapping it
She said, “Woe to your view!” or to the carrier.
سيفٌ يَدُ اللهِ انتضَتْهُ لدينه
غصباً على عنق العدو المعتدى
The anklet of its scabbard used to drag when sheathed
So how do you see it today after being laid bare?
إلى الحسام نظرت حين عصبته
تعساً لرأيك أم إلى المتقلد
It marched among two armies – an army of
Patience’s tribes and an army enlisted for heaven.
خَطّافُ هامِ عِداهُ قِدْماً مُغمَداً
فاليوم كيف تراه بعد تجرد
Wherever the blacks of its flags passed by,
The whites spun over the detested enemy host.
قد سار في جندين جند قبائل
صُبُرٍ وجند للسماء مجنَّد
Like the glance that looked with an eye that only
Follows its white after the black.
من حيثُ زارَتْ سودُ أعلامٍ له
دارَتْ ببِيضٍ في الكَريهة حُشَّد
A sword that draws its scabbard over the face of dawn
When the train of its elite is dragged in the mud.
كالعَينِ كيف رَمتْ بطَرْفٍ إنّما
يَعْتادُ أبيضُها اتِّباع الأسْود
Their swords reveal the motto of truth – among them
Each white fastened at its hilt smeared black.
مَجْرٍ يَشُدُّ نِقابَهُ وجْهُ الضُّحى
إن جَرَّ فاضِلَ ذيلِه في الفَدْفَد
So when it raises its blackness from its body
To answer the call of a screaming helpless one,
تبدِي شعارَ الحق فيه سُيوفُهم
من كلِّ أبيضَ بالقِرابِ مُسَوّد
Bashfulness makes it hardly seen at such times
Except for the cheek uncovered and flushed.
فإذا نَضا عن مَتْنتَيهِ سَوادَهُ
لِيُجِيبَ دَعْوةَ صارخٍ مُستَنْجِد
Were its white able, it would don itself
With the blood of enemies before sheathing.
يَعْتاده خَجَلٌ لذاكَ فما يُرَى
في الرَوْعِ منه الخَدُّ غيرَ مُوَرَّد
And among the wonders unlike any
Seen before the time of its drawing out:
ولوِ استَطاعَتْ بِيضُهُ لتَسرْبلَتْ
بِدَمِ العِدا من قَبْلِ خَلْعِ الأغْمد
Whites of foreheads amidst blacks of
Eyelids – if you glimpse heads tossed about.
ومنَ الأعاجيبِ اللّواتي مِثْلُها
من قبلِ عَهْدِ جِلادِه لم يَعْهَد
A green one filled the horizons with light
Like the full moon rising in a receding night.
بِيضٌ منَ الأحداقِ في سودٍ من ال
أجفانِ إنْ تَلْمَحْ رؤوساً تَرْمَد
The predators and zebras prostrated to it when they recognized it
From bowing prayers extended to it.
ملأتْ له الآفاقَ نوراً غُرّةٌ
كالبدر وهْو بجنْحِ لَيلٍ مُرتَد
The sun from intense passion closed its eye
So they lined it with the kohl of hands unsheathed.
وغدا الظُّبىَ والهامَ حين عَرفْنَه
مِن رُكّعٍ صَلَتْ إليه وسُجَّد
Their faces and steeds are both fair
Of every bare sword and bare glance.
والشمسُ فرْطُ سَناهُ أرمَدَ عَينَها
فكحَلْنَها أيدي الجيادِ بإثْمِد
The enemies stayed up at night dreading them
So they greeted the dawn with numb gazes.
غُرٌّ فَوارسُها وأوْجُهها معاً
من كُلِّ مُنْجَردٍ وطِرْفٍ أجْرَد
It was as if their arrows were flocks
That shrouded all the sleeper’s quarters at dawn.
سَهِرَ العِدا من خَوْفهم فتجَشَّموا
تَصبيحَ أعيُنهم برَشْقٍ مُرْقِد
For then is an imminent victory dividing the enemy
Into two parts – one routed and one scattered about.
فكأنّ أسهُمَهم طوائفُ من كرىً
غَشِيَتْ معَ الإصباحِ كُلَّ مُسهَّد
Do not call your enemies alive and fearing
But rather faithless, stripped of their shrouds in their graves.
فَهناكَ فَتْحٌ عاجِلٌ قَسَم العِدا
قِسمَيْنِ بينَ مُصَرَّعٍ ومُشَرَّد
Dead but tormented while fury is in their hearts
If you do not show mercy and do not pardon.
لا تُسْمِ حَيَّ عِداكَ حَيّاً خائفاً
بل مُلْحِداً من ثَوْبِه في مُلْحَد
If the religion’s lion disappeared and the one untamed at it
Assumed command in days not known before.
مَيْتاً يُعذَّبُ واللّظَى في قَلْبهِ
إن أنت لم تَرْحَمْ ولم تَتَغمَّد
He then showed fangs sharpened for the tribulation,
If not for the forbearance’s reach, they would not be fortified.
إن كان غاب الدِّينِ أصحَرَ لَيْثُه
وتَكلَّفَ الأيّامَ ما لم تَعْتَد
And it was enough that its steeds’ specters in the arenas
Were a barrage shattering its allied crowds.
فأبانَ عن نابٍ لأكْلُبِ فتنة
لولا مِطالُ الحِلْمِ لم تَستأسِد
Indeed, you instituted raids as the way of those before
The people of guidance, so you witnessed the first scene.
وكفىَ خيالٌ في الكرى من خَيلِه
رَمْياً لشَمْلِ لَفيفِهم بتَبَدُّد
And the earth on fire, its flames dwindled,
To herald the return of a full moon as it appeared.
فلقد سَنَنْتَ الغَزْو سُنّةَ مَنْ مَضَى
لبنى الهُدَى فشَهِدْتَ أوّلَ مَشْهَد
And time is passing and it inevitably must
Take on something new every day to replenish.
والأرضُ مُحترقٌ تضاءَل شَخْصُه
لِيُعادَ بَدْرٌ في قُراه كما بُدى
And disbelief is disbelief in the Imam and an assault
Against him – the sword will not stop for the defiant one.
والدّهرُ مُجتازٌ ولا بُدَّ له
في كُلِّ يومٍ من جديد تَزَوُّد
So may your Lord reward you, O Caliph Ahmad,
For what you composed the caliphate of Ahmad with!
والكُفْرُ كُفْرانُ الإمامِ وسَلّةٌ
بخِلافِه للسّيفِ من مُتَمَرّد
You judged them by the Qur’an and they
Kept guard of the Qur’an and took heed.
فجزاكَ رَبُكَ يا خليفةَ أحمدٍ
عَمَّا نظَمْتَ به خِلافةَ أحمَدِ
And your majesty refused to take counsel of stars
Except your own making in resolved assemblies.
أصبحتَ بالقُرآن فيهم حاكماً
والقومُ أمَسوا بالقُرآنِ بمَرْصَد
So you built from meteors a sky filled
With sparks of tongues like enflamed wicks.
وأبَى جَلالُك أن تُؤامِرَ أنجُماً
من غيرِ صُنْعِكَ في مُلمٍّ مُوئد
Sparks that rose against the enemy with bad omens
Lethal while for the loyal with good fortune.
فبنَيْتَ من نَقْعٍ سماءً مِلْؤها
شُهُبُ الأسنّةِ كالذُّبالِ المُوقَد
You gave the shade of justice without diminishing
And watered with the water of lowering without limiting.
شُهُبٌ طَلعْنَ على العَدّوِّ بأنْحُسٍ
قَتّالةٍ وعلى الولِيّ بأسْعُد
And the valleys of blessings flowed and did not leave
For anyone but your enviers a harvest that did not cool.
أسبَغْتَ ظِلَّ العَدْلِ غيرَ مُقَلَّصٍ
وسقَيْتَ ماءَ الخَفْضِ غيرَ مُصرَّد
And the land recalls two thirsts it complained of
In bygone days from its epoch and renewed.
وأسَلتْ أوديةَ النّوالِ فلم تَدعْ
لِسوى حَسودِكَ غُلّةً لم تَبْرُد
Thirsty for the water of the sky, desolate,
In the days the caliphate became under my control.
والأرضُ تَذْكرُ ظَمأتَيْنِ شَكتْهما
في سالفٍ من عَهْدِها ومُجَدِّد
And for the stream of the enemies of guidance in your time
That subsided, so you said to it, “Run dry!”
ظّمِئَتْ إلى ماءِ السّماءِ جديبةً
أيامَ أصبَحتِ الخلافةُ في عَدِي
You rained it arrows whenever you tested it
Along with the rainfall of that day, quench and increase!
وإلى صَبيبِ دماءِ أعداءِ الهُدى
في عَصْرِكَ التاحَتْ فقلتَ لها رِدي
So ask the wilderness which of the two days of watering
Quenched its burning thirst more?
فمطَرْتَها هاماً متى ماتُحصِها
معَ قَطْرِ ذاك اليومِ تُوفِ وتَزددَ
And which loads of gratitude upon its shoulders, if
It were to judge your father or you as greater?
فَسلِ البسيطةَ أيُّ يَومَيْ سَقْيها
أشفَى إذنْ لِغَليلِها المُتَوقّد
O heir of the flowing burda whose train
Lay above the lamps on the night of ascension,
وعلى مناكِبها إذا هي قايَستْ
لأبيكَ أو لكَ حَمْلُ شُكْرٍ أزْيد
And repeated placing of his hand that picked
The one the buraq carried, guided.
يا وارثَ البُرْدِ المُجَرَّرِ ذَيْلُه
في ليلة المِعراجِ فوقَ الفَرقَد
The guidance of the fragrance of prophethood in them
Robbed the palm of the best of prophets, Muhammad.
ومُعوِدّاً يَدَهُ التَخَصُّرَ بالّذي
أمسى قَطيعَ مَنِ البُراقُ به حُدي
So when you arm yourself with that and then brandish this,
You cut off the wing of the misguided atheist.
سَلَبا هُدىُ عَبَقُ النُبوةِ فيهما
من كَفّ خيرِ الأنبياء مُحَمّد
So boast, which heavily armed with protection
Did you become in the most difficult war of time?
فإذا ادّرَعْتَ بذاكَ ثُمّ هَززْتَ ذا
قَطعْتَ جانحةَ الغَويّ المُلْحد
O intercessor of the rain’s clan, pillar of my father’s intercession
On the day of gathering, you are the pillars of all reliance.
فافْخَرْ فأيُّ مُدَجَّج من عِصْمةٍ
أصَبحْتَ في حَرْبِ الزّمانِ الأنكد
Of the people of two intercessions prepared
For that day – one and the other for tomorrow.
أبني شَفيع القَطْرِ صِنْوِ أبي شَفي
عِ الحَشْرِ لا زلتُم عِمادَ السؤدَد
This is the son of your uncle whom
The space between fingers became a basin of roses.
مِن أهلِ بيتِ شفاعتَينِ أُعدّتا
لليومِ واحدةٌ وأُخرَى للغَد
And so too the Kalim of God, the blow of his palm
With his staff parted a sea in solid ice.
هذا ابنُ عَمِّكمُ الذي أضحَتْ له
فُرَجُ الأناملِ مَنْهلاً للوُرَّد
And your father raised his hands in prayer
So a torrent ran for it in a violent surge.
وكذا كَليمُ اللهِ ضربةُ كَفّهِ
بعَصاهُ شَقّتْ أعيُناً في الجَلْمَد
The destinations corresponded from their signs
Each becoming water guided by a hand.
وأبوكُمُ رفَع اليَدينِ بدَعْوةٍ
فجَرى لها الوادي بسَيْلٍ مُزْبد
O glorious one who paired perfection with his glory
And honored devoutness with that noble ancestry.
فَتناسبَ الغاياتُ من آياتهم
كلٌّ غدا ماءً يُصوِّبُ من يد
Kingship has become a protected domain for you so keep it safe
And the land has become paradise through you so settle it.
يا ماجِداً قَرَن الكمالَ بمَجْده
كَرَمَ التُقَى بكريمِ ذاكَ المَحْتِد
المُلك قد أضحى حمىً لك فارْعَه
والأرضُ عادَتْ جَنّةٌ بكَ فاخْلُد
