جَنابكِ منه تُسْتَفَادُ الفَوائدُ
ولِلناسِ بالإحسَانِ منكِ عوائدُ
Your side is a source of benefit,
And people gain advantages through your benevolence.
فَطُوبَى لِمنَ يَسْعَى لِمَشْهَدِكِ الذي
تكَادُ إلى مَغْنَاهُ تَسْعَى المشَاهِدُ
Happy is he who strives to behold you,
For which sights yearn to your chanting.
إذَا يمَّمَتْهُ القاصِدُونَ تَيَسَّرَتْ
عليهمْ وإن لم يسألوكِ المقَاصدُ
When the pilgrims head to you, it is facilitated for them
Even if they do not ask you for their purposes.
تحَقَّقَتِ البُشْرَى لَمِنْ هُوَ رَاكِع
يُرَجّي به فضلاً وَمَنْ هُوَ ساجِدُ
Good tidings are assured for one who bows imploring,
From your grace - be he bowing or prostrating.
فعَفَّرَتِ الشُّبانُ وَالشَّيبُ أوْجُهاً
بهِ والعَذارَى حُسَّرٌ والقَواعِدُ
The youth have consecrated their faces in it,
As have the maidens, the married, and the old.
هُوَ المَنْهَلُ العَذْبُ الكَثِيرُ زِحامُهُ
فَرِدْهُ فمَا مِنْ دُونِ وِرْدِكِ ذائدُ
It is the pure, copious spring, thronged,
So send it back, for without your company, nothing holds it back.
أَتيْتُ إليه والرَّجاءُ مُحَلّأٌ
فما عُدْتُ إِلَّا والمُحَلَّا وَارِدُ
I came to it while my hopes glistened,
And returned while those hopes were realized.
فيا لَكَ مِنْ يَأْسٍ بَلَغْتُ بِهِ المُنَى
وعُسْرٍ لأَقْفَالِ اليسَارِ مَقالِدُ
Oh, what despair I reached its conclusion in,
And hardship for the locks of ease what keys!
أَلَذُّ مِنَ الماءِ الزلالِ مَوَاقِعا
عَلَى كَبِدِ الظَّمْآنِ وَالماءُ بارِدُ
Sweeter than clear water falling
On the thirsty liver, while the water is cool.
سَلِيلَةَ خَيْرِ العالَمِينَ نَفيسَة
سَمَتْ بِكِ أعراقٌ وطابَتْ محائِدُ
The noble offspring of the best of mankind, Nafisa,
Her lineage ennobled, her glory made good.
إذا جُحِدَتْ شمسُ النَّهارِ ضِياءها
فَفَضْلُكِ لم يَجْحَدهُ فِي الناسِ جاحِدُ
If the sun of day is denied its illumination,
None amongst mankind can deny your merit.
بآبائِكِ الأطهارِ زُيِّنَتِ العُلا
فحَبَّاتُ عِقْدِ المَجْدِ منهم فَرائِدُ
Your pure fathers adorned supremacy,
The beads of the necklace of glory their gems.
وَرِثْتِ صفاتِ المصطفى وَعلومَهُ
فَفضْلُكُمَا لولا النُّبُوَّةُ واحِدُ
You inherited the traits and knowledge of al-Mustafa,
Thus your virtues are one if not for prophethood.
فلم يَنْبَسِطْ إلَّا بِعِلْمِكِ عالم
وَلم يَنْقَبِضْ إلَّا بِزُهْدِكِ زاهِدُ
No scholar freely gives but through your knowledge,
No ascetic constricts himself but by your abstinence.
مَعارِفُ ما يَنْفَكُّ يفضي بِسِرِّها
إلى ماجِدٍ مِنْ آلِ أحْمَدَ ماجِدُ
Cognizance whose mysteries continuously pour forth
To the glorious one from Ahmad's house, the glorious one.
يُضيءُ مُحيَّاهُ كأنَّ ثَنَاءَهُ
إلى الصُّبْحِ سارٍ أوْ إلى النَّجْمِ صاعدُ
His face shines as if his praise
Were rising to the dawn or rising to a star.
إذا ما مَضى منهم إِمامُ هُدىً أتى
إِمامُ هُدىً يَدْعُو إِلى اللَّهِ رَاشِدُ
Whenever an imam of guidance from them passes,
An imam of guidance comes to call to Allah, rightly-guided.
تَبَلَّجَ مِنْ نور النُّبُوَّة وَجْهُهُ
فمنه عليه للعُيُون شوَاهِدُ
The light of prophethood appears on his face,
By it, sights are manifested for eyes.
وفاضَتْ بِحَارُ العِلْمِ مِنْ قَطْرِ سُحْبِها
عليه فطابَتْ لِلورادِ المَوارِدُ
The seas of knowledge pour forth from a droplet of its clouds,
Raining upon him, so the watering places are wholesome for the visitor.
رَأى زِينَةَ الدُّنيا غُروراً فعافَها
فليس له إلا عَلَى الفضلِ حاسدُ
He saw the adornment of life as delusion, so he shunned it,
For him, none reproaches his merit but the envious.
كأنَّ المعالى الآهلات بِغَيْرِهِ
رُبوعٌ خَلَتْ مِنْ أهلِها وَمَعاهِدُ
It is as if, without him, the sublime domains
Are lands devoid of their inhabitants and covenants.
إِذَا ذُكِرَتْ أَعمالُه وَعُلومُه
أقَرَّ لهَا زَيْدٌ وَبَكْرٌ وَخالدُ
Whenever his deeds and knowledge are mentioned,
Zayd, Bakr, and Khalid concur with it.
وَما يَسْتَوِي في الفضلِ حالٍ وَعاطِلٌ
وَلا قاعِدٌ يومَ الوغَى وَمجاهِدُ
One present and idle are not equal in merit,
Nor one sitting during battle, and one striving.
فَقُلْ لِبَنِي الزَّهْراء والقَوْلُ قُرْبَةٌ
يَكِلُّ لسانٌ فيهِمُ أوْ حصائدُ
Say to the Banu Zahra - and speech is nearness -
A tongue falters concerning them, and so do poems.
أحَبَّكُمُ قلبي فأصبحَ مَنْطِقِي
يُجادِلُ عنكم حِسْبَةً وَيُجالدُ
My heart loved you, so my speech argues
To champion you and contends.
وَهل حُبُّكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ إِلَّا عَقِيدةٌ
عَلَى أُسِّهَا في اللَّهِ تُبْنَى القَواعِدُ
Is love of you for people anything but a doctrine
Built on a foundation of love for Allah?
وإنَّ اعتقاداً خالياً منْ مَحَبَّةٍ
وَوُدٍّ لكمْ آلَ النبيِّ لفاسِدُ
A belief empty of love and affection for you
The family of the Prophet is corrupt.
وإني لأَرْجُو أن سَيُلْحِقني بِكُمْ
وَلائي فَيَدْنُو المَطْلَبُ المُتَبَاعِدُ
I hope my loyalty will join me with you
And the distant goal will draw near.
فإِنَّ سَراةَ القَوْمِ منهم عَبِيدُهمْ
وإنَّ حُرُوفَ النُّطْقِ منها الزوائِدُ
The elite of a people are their servants,
And surplus letters of speech are but extras.
فَدَتْكُمْ أُناسٌ نازَعُوكُمْ سِيَادةً
فلم أدْرِ ساداتٌ هُمُ أَمْ أسَاوِدُ
People who disputed your mastery have ransomed you
So I did not know if they were masters or slaves.
أرادوا بكم كَيْدَاً فكادوا نُفُوسَهُمْ
بكم وعَلَى الأَشْقَى تَعودُ المكايِدُ
They intended you evil, but harmed their own souls
And plotting returns to ruin the plotter.
فإنْ حِيزَتِ الدُّنيا إليهمْ فإنَّ مَنْ
نَفَى زَيْفَهَا سَلْماً إليهم لناقِدُ
If the life of this world inclines to them, then whoever
Renounces its sham will be secure from them.
ولو أنكم أبناؤُها ما أبَتْكُم
ما كانَ مَوْلودٌ لِيأْباهُ وَالِدُ
Had you been its sons, it would not have detested you -
No newborn is detested by the parent!
إذَا ما تَذَكَّرْتُ القضايا التي جرتْ
أُقِضَّتْ عَلَى جَنْبَيَّ منها المَراقِدُ
When I remember the events which transpired,
Judgments carried out that on my side are graves,
وجَدَّدَتِ الذِّكْرَى عَلَي بَلابِلاً
أُكابِدُ منها في الدُّجَى ما أُكابِدُ
And memories renew calamities for me,
Which I endure in the darkness of night as I endure,
أفِي مِثْلِ ذاكَ الخَطْبِ ما سُلَّ مُغْمَدٌ
ولا قامَ في نَصْرِ القَرَابَةِ قاعِدُ
Is this the manner of address while swords are sheathed
And no one stands to defend his kin?
تعاظمَ رُزْءاً فالعُيُونُ شواخِصٌ
لهُ دَهْشَةً وَالثَّاكِلاتُ سَوَامِدُ
It has swollen to become a disgrace, while eyes stare
In consternation, and the heedless are shrouds.
وطُفِّفَ يومَ الطَّفِّ كَيْلُ دِمائكم
إذ الدَّمُ جارٍ فيه والدَّمْعُ جَامِدُ
The day you were bereaved, your blood's measure was diminished
While blood flows and tears remain frozen.
فيا فِتْنَةً بعْدَ النبيِّ بها غَدا
يُهدمُ إيمانٌ وتُبْنَى مساجدُ
What strife after the Prophet by which
Faith is demolished and mosques constructed!
وما فتِنَتْ بعدَ ابنِ عِمْرَان قَوْمُهُ
بما عَبَدُوا إِلَّا لِيَهْلِكَ عَابِدُ
After the son of Imran, his people were not tried
By what they worshiped except that the worshipper perish.
كذاكَ أَرادَ اللَّهُ منكُمْ ومِنْهمُ
وليس له فيما يُريدُ مُعانِدُ
Just so did Allah intend for you and them,
And none can oppose what he desires.
وَلو لمْ يكنْ في ذَاكَ مَحْضُ سعادةٍ
لكم دونَهمْ لَمْ يُغْمِدِ السَّيْفَ غامدُ
Had that not spelled sheer good fortune for you, not them,
No sword would be sheathed.
وَأَنتُمْ أُناسٌ أُذْهِبَ الرِّجْسُ عنهمُ
فليسَ لهم خَطْبٌ وإنْ جَلَّ جاهِدُ
You are people from whom impurity is lifted,
So you have no concerns, even if a warrior is valiant.
إذا ما رَضُوا للَّهِ أو غَضِبُوا لهُ
تَسَاوَى الأَدَانِي عندَهم والأباعِدُ
When content with Allah or angry for Him,
The near and remote are equal to them.
وسِيَّان مِنْ جَمْرِ العِدَا مُتَوَقِّدٌ
عَلَى بَهْرَمَانِ الصِّدْقِ منكم وخَامِدُ
The ignited embers of enmity are
The same to them on the carpet of truth and doused.
وفَدْتُ عليكم بالمَدِيحِ وَكلُّكم
عليه كتابُ اللَّهِ بالمَدْحِ وَافِدُ
I have presented you, all of you, with praise, and for each
The Book of Allah has presented in praise provisions.
وَقد بيَّنتْ لِي هلْ أتَى كَمْ أتَى بهَا
مكارمُ أخْلاقٍ لكم وَمَحَامِدُ
It clarified to me - did what came with it,
Of noble character for you and your glories, come?
فَلَوْلا تَغضيكم لنا في مديحِكم
لَرُدَّتْ علينا بالعيوبِ القصائدُ
Were it not for your pardoning us for praising you,
Poems would rebuke me for my faults.
وَلَمْ أَرْتَزِقْ مِنْ غَيْركُمْ بِتِجَارَةٍ
بَضَائِعُهَا عند الأَنامِ كواسِدُ
I gained nothing through trade with other than you,
Whose merchandise with people is so insignificant.
عَمَدْتُ لِقَوْمٍ منهم فكَأَنَّنِي
عَلَى عَمَدٍ لا يَرْجِعُ القَوْلَ عَامِدُ
I set about seeking a people among them and was as if
I sought a pillar that my words do not ascend.
أَأَطْلُبُ مِنْ قَوْمٍ سِواكُم مُسَاعِداً
وقد صَدَّهم حِرْمانُهُمْ أنْ يُسَاعِدُوا
Shall I seek aid from a people other than you
When deprivation has barred them from giving aid?
وَمَنْ وَجَدَ الزَّنْدَ الذي هُوَ ثاقِبٌ
فلنْ يَقْدَحَ الزَّنْدَ الذي هوَ صالِدُ
Whoever found a piercing nail,
Will not strike one that is brittle.
وحَسْبِي إذَاً مَدْحُ ابْنَةَ الحَسَنِ التي
لها كَرَمٌ مَجْدٌ طَرِيفٌ وَتَالِدُ
It suffices me to praise the daughter of al-Hasan whom
Generosity, glory, nobility, and high birth befit.
وَإني لمُهْدٍ مِنْ ثَنائي قلائداً
إليها حلالٌ هَدْيُها والقلائدُ
I am sending her necklaces of my praise
Permissible - their gift to her and necklaces.
هِيَ العُرْوَةُ الوُثْقَى هيَ الرُّتَبُ العُلا
هِيَ الغايَةُ القُصْوَى لِمَنْ هُوَ قاصِدُ
She is the firm handle, she is sublime rank,
She is the utmost goal for one who aims.
كأنّي إذا أنشَدْتُ في الناسِ مَدْحَها
لِمَا ضلَّ منْ ذِكْرِ المَكَارِمِ ناشِدُ
It is as if when I recite in praise of her among people,
I seek what is misplaced of the mention of noble deeds.
أَسَيِّدَتي ها قد رَجَوْتُكِ مُعْلِناً
بمَا أَنَا مِنْ دُرِّ المناقِبِ نَاضِدُ
My lady, I have hoped in you, declaring
What I possess of the jewels of fine traits.
وَأَعْيُنُ آمالي إليكِ نواظِرٌ
بِمَا أَنَا مِنْ عاداتِ فضلِكِ عائدُ
The eyes of my hopes look to you
For what I am used to of your exceeding merit.
وَمَا أجْدَبَت قَوْمٌ أتى مِنْ لَدُنْهُمُ
لِمَرْعَى الأماني مِنْ جنابِكِ رائدُ
No people were stricken with drought from whose side
A guide to the pasture of hopes from your side came.
ولولا نَدَى كَفَّيْكِ ما اخضَرَّ يابِسٌ
وَلا اهتَزَّ مِنْ أَرْضِ المكارِمِ هامِدُ
Were it not for the dew of your palms, no barren land would green,
Nor would anything budge from the land of virtues, frozen.
إلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو يا ابنَةَ الحَسَنِ الذي
لَقِيتُ وَإني إنْ شكَوْتُ لحامدُ
To Allah I complain, O daughter of al-Hasan, for that
Which I faced, and if I complain, I am one who praises.
وما لِيَ لا أَشْكُو لآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
خُطُوباً بها ضاقتْ عليَّ المراصِدُ
How can I not complain to the family of Muhammad
Of afflictions under which the watchtowers narrow for me?
ومَنْ لصُرُوفِ الدَّهْرِ عَنِّيَ صارفٌ
ومَنْ لهُمُومِ القَلْبِ عَنِّيَ طارِدُ
Who can divert the vicissitudes of time from me
And avert the sorrows of my heart from me?
تَسَلَّطَ شَيْطَانٌ مِنَ النَّفْسِ غَالِبٌ
عَلَيَّ وَشَيْطَانٌ مِنَ البؤْسِ مارِدُ
A defiant devil from the soul has conquered me,
As has a refractory devil from misery.
فيا وَيْحَ قَلْبٍ ما تَزَالُ سماؤُهُ
بها لِشَياطِينِ الخُطُوبِ مقاعِدُ
Woe to a heart whose sky
Remains a seat for the devils of afflictions!
فيا سامِعَ الشَّكْوَى وَيَا كاشفَ البَلا
إذَا نَزَلَتْ في العالَمِينَ الشَّدَائِدُ
My God, the Hearer of complaint and Reliever of plight
When calamities befall the worlds.
وَيا مَنْ هَدَى الطِّفْلَ الرَّضِيعَ وَلَمْ تَؤُب
إليهِ قُوَى عَقْلٍ وَلا اشْتَدَّ ساعِدُ
He who guided the suckling infant though
Neither the strength of mind appeared nor the arm strengthened.
وَيا مَنْ سَقَى الوَحْشَ الظِّماءَ وَقد حَمَتْ
مَوَارِدَهَا مِنْ أَنْ تُنالَ المَصَايدُ
He who quenched the thirst of beasts though
Their watering places prevented them from hunting prey.
وَيا مَنْ يُزَجِّي الفُلْكَ في البَحْرِ لُطْفُهُ
وهنَّ جوَارٍ بَلْ وَهُنَّ رَوَاكِدُ
He whose subtle care rescues ships at sea,
Though they be fragile, nay collapsing.
وَيا مَنْ هُوَ السَّبْعَ الطَّوَابقَ رَافعُ
ومَنْ هُوَ لِلأَرْضِ البسيطةِ ماهِدُ
He who is the seven oft-repeated
And He who holds the vast earth stable.
وَيا مَنْ تُنَادينا خَزَائِنُ فضلِهِ
إلى رِفْدِهِ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ الفضلَ رافِدُ
Your treasuries of favor call us
To Your provision, if the generous withholds favor.
فلا البابُ من تِلْكَ الخزائن مُغْلَقٌ
وَلا خَيرَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الخزَائن نافِدُ
Neither is that door from those treasuries closed,
Nor does good from those treasuries ebb.
دَعَوتكَ مِنْ فَقْرٍ إليك وَحاجةٍ
وَكلٌّ بما يَلْقَاهُ لِلصَّبْرِ فاقِدُ
I called You out of poverty and need to You,
And each finds nothing to avail patience.
وَأَفضَتْ بما فيها إليكَ ضَمَائِرٌ
وأنتَ عَلَى ما في الضَّمائرِ شاهدُ
Consciences have confided to You what they contain,
And You witness what consciences conceal.
دَعَوْنَاكَ مُضْطَرين يا رَبِّ فاسْتَجِبْ
فإِنّكَ لم تُخْلَفْ لَدَيْكَ المواعِدُ
We called You compelled, my God, so answer!
You never fail to keep Your promise.
فَلَيْسَ لَنَا غوْثٌ سِوَاكَ وَمَلْجَأٌ
نُراجِعُهُ في كَرْبِنَا وَنُعاوِدُ
We have no succor but You, no refuge
We resort to in hardship and recur to.
فَقَدِّرْ لنا الخيرَ الذي أنتَ أهلُهُ
فما أَحَدٌ عَمَّا تُقَدِّرُ حائدُ
Ordain for us the good of which You are worthy,
For none diverts what You ordain.
وَصَفْحاً عنِ الذَّنبِ الذي هوَ سائقُ
لِناركَ إِلَّا إنْ عَفَوْتَ وَقائدُ
Pardon the sin which drives
To Your fire unless You pardon and guide.
وَصلْ حَبْلَنَا بالمصطفى إِنَّ حَبْلَهُ
لنا صِلةٌ يَا رَبِّ منكَ وعَائدُ
Connect our pact to al-Mustafa, his pact
Is to us, my Lord, connection and return to You.
عليه صلاةُ اللَّهِ ما أُحمِدَ السُّرَى
إليه وَذَلَّتْ لِلْمَطِيِّ فَدَافِدُ
Blessings of Allah be upon him so long as Suraya slopes
Stretch down to him and mounts for the Rider kneel.
