أَمِن وُقوفٍ عَلى شامٍ بِأَحمادِ
وَنَظرَةٍ مِن وَراءِ العابِدِ الجادي
Standing on the Syrian plateau with resolute tribes,
And looking from behind the righteous worshipper.
تَبكي نَديمَيكَ راحا في حَنوطِهِما
ما أَقرَبَ الرائِحَ المُبقي مِنَ الغادي
Your two friends weep for you when you are gone,
The one who stays is nearer than the one who leaves.
مَهلاً فَإِنَّ بَناتِ الدَهرِ عامِلَةٌ
في الغُبَّرينَ وَما حَيٌّ بِخَلّادِ
Wait! The days of fate are at work
On the two dusts, and no living thing lasts forever.
فَاِخزُن دُموعَكَ لا تَجري عَلى سَلَفٍ
تَخدي إِلى التُربِ يا جَهمَ بنَ عَبّادِ
So restrain your tears, do not shed them over the past,
Lest you guide them to the dust, O Jahm son of Abbad!
في النَفسِ شُغُلٌ عَنِ الغادي لِطَيَّتِهِ
وَفي الثَوابِ رِضىً مِن صاحِبِ رادِ
The self is distracted from the departed because of occupation,
And satisfied with the reward from the Lord of the throne.
مَن قَرَّ عَيناً رَماهُ الدَهرُ عَن كَثَبٍ
وَالدَهرُ رامٍ بِإِصلاحٍ وَإِفسادِ
He who comforts his eye, time assaults him suddenly,
And time persists in reform and corruption.
وَكَيفَ يَبقى لِإِلفٍ إِلفُ صاحِبِهِ
وَلا أَرى والِداً يَبقى لِأَولادِ
How can the intimacy of a friend remain for his friend?
I do not see a father remaining for his children.
نَفسي الفِداءُ لِأَهلِ البَيتِ إِنَّ لَهُم
عَهدَ النَبِيِّ وَسَمتَ القائِمَ الهادي
My soul is ransomed for the People of the House, they have
The covenant of the Prophet and the attributes of the rightly guided leader.
لَم يَحكُموا في مَواليهِم وَقَد مَلَكوا
حُكمَ المُحِلِّ وَلا حُكمُ اِبنِهِ العادي
When they ruled their loyalists, though they wielded
The power of the tyrant, they did not judge like the tyrant’s son.
لَكِن وَلونا بِإِنصافٍ وَمَعدَلَةٍ
حَتّى هَجَدنا وَكُنّا غَيرَ هُجّادِ
Rather, they ruled with fairness and justice
Until we roared and were not roaring beasts.
إِنّي لَغادٍ فَمُستَأَدٍ وَمُنتَجِعٌ
رَهطَ النَبِيِّ وَذو الحاجاتِ مُستادِ
I am longing, so I come seeking and taking refuge
In the company of the Prophet and the fulfiller of needs.
يا رَهطَ أَحمَدَ ما زالَت أَيِمَّتُكُم
تُؤدي الضَعيفَ وَلا تَكدي لِرُوّادِ
O company of Ahmad, your bereavement
Still performs the duty of helping the weak and does not weary the visitors.
لا يَعدَمُ النَصرَ مَن كُنتُم مَوالِيَهُ
وَلا يَخافُ جَماداً عامَ أَجمادِ
Whoever you support will not lack victory
And will not fear a year of drought in winter.
مِنكُم نَبِيُّ الهُدى يَقرو مَحاسِنَهُ
ساقي الحَجيجِ وَمِنكُم مُنهِبُ الزادِ
The Prophet of guidance who provides water to pilgrims comes from you,
And from you comes the carrier of provisions.
صَلَّت لَكُم عَجَمُ الآفاقِ قاطِبَةً
فَوجٌ وُفودٌ وَفَوجٌ غَيرُ وُفّادِ
The non-Arabs from all horizons prayed for you universally,
A troop comes and a troop leaves without bidding farewell.
إِذا رَأَوكُم وَإِن كانوا عَلى عَجَلٍ
خَرّوا سُجوداً وَما كانوا بِسُجّادِ
When they see you, even if they are in a hurry,
They bow down in prostration, and they were not praying.
إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ ظِلٌّ يُستَظَلُّ بِهِ
عالٍ مَعَ الشَمسِ مَحفوفٌ بِأَطوادِ
The Caliph is a shadow in which one takes shade,
Lofty with the sun, surrounded by entourage.
قَد سَرَّني أَنَّ مَن عادى كَبيرَكُمُ
في المُلكِ نِصفانِ مِن قَتلى وَشُرّادِ
It pleased me that whoever resisted your elder
In the kingdom- half were killed and half were expelled.
لا يَرجَعونَ لِما كانوا وَإِن رَغِموا
وَلا يَنامونَ مِن خَوفٍ وَإِجحادِ
They will not return to their former state even if they insist,
And they will not sleep from fear and denial.
إِنَّ الدَعِيَّ يُعادينا لِنُلحِقَهُ
بِالمُدَّعينَ وَيَلقانا بِإِلحادِ
The transgressor makes enmity with us in order to
Associate us with the pretenders and describe us with unbelief.
وَلا يَزالُ وَإِن شابَت لَهازِمُهُ
مُذَبذَباً بَينَ إِصدارٍ وَإيرادِ
And even if his defeats turn white, he remains
Wavering between issuing and reciting.
يَنفيهِ أَصحابُهُ مِنهُم إِذا حَضَروا
وَإِن أَتانا وَهَبناهُ لِمُرتادِ
His companions deny him when they are present,
and if he comes to us we give him to the hesitant.
لَم يَلقَ ذو المَجدِ ما لاقَيتَ مِن قُرُمٍ
صُمٍّ عَنِ الخَيرِ بِالقُرآنِ جُحّادِ
The glorious one did not face what you faced from blind tribes,
Deaf to good, belying the Quran stubbornly.
لَم يَشعُروا بِرَسولِ اللَهِ بَل شَعَروا
ثُمَّ اِستَحالوا ضَلالاً بَعدَ إِرشادِ
They were not aware of the Messenger of Allah, but they became aware
Then they turned misguided after being guided.
أَنصَفتُمونا فَعابوا حُكمَكُم حَسَداً
وَاللَهُ يَعصِمُكُم مِن غِلِّ حُسّادِ
You judged us fairly so they resented your judgment out of envy,
And Allah protects you from the wrongdoing of enviers.
سَطَوا عَلَينا بِأَن كُنّا مَوالِيَكُم
وَعَيَّرونا بِآباءٍ وَأَجدادِ
They reviled us because we were your loyalists
And they blamed us for fathers and forefathers.
وَقَد نَرى عارَ قَومٍ في أُنوفِهِمُ
وَنَترُكُ العَيبَ إِذ لَيسوا بِأَندادِ
We see the shame of a people on their noses
And we overlook the blemish when they are not peers.
كَأَنَّنا عَنهُمُ صُمٌّ وَقَد سَمِعَت
آذانُنا قَولَ جَورٍ غَيرَ قَصّادِ
It is as if we were deaf while our ears
Heard the words of injustice that were not meant.
يُزري عَلَينا رِجالٌ لا نِصابَ لَهُم
كانوا عِباداً وَكُنّا غَيرَ عُبّادِ
Men without fortune revile us
When they were servants and we were not worshipers.
لَمّا رَأَونا نُواليكُم وَنَنصُرُكُم
ثاروا إِلَينا بِأَضغانٍ وَأَحقادِ
When they saw us loyal and supporting you
They erupted against us with hatred and grudges.
قالوا بَنو عَمِّكُم مِن حَيثُ نَنصُرُكُم
قَولُ الرَسولِ وَهَذا قَولُ صُدّادِ
They said, the sons of your uncle are from where we support you.
This is the saying of the Messenger, and this the saying of liars.
لَولا الخَليفَةُ أَنّا لا نُخالِفُهُ
لَقَد دَلَفنا لِأَروادٍ بِأَروادِ
If not for the Caliph, we would not oppose him,
We would have entered ranges with ranges.
حَتّى نَزَونا وَعَينُ الشَمسِ فاتِرَةٌ
في كَوكَبٍ كَشُعاعِ الشَمسِ وَقّادِ
Until we toured while the sun’s eye was bleary
In a planet like the rays of the driving sun.
نَحُشُّ نيرانَ حَربٍ غَيرَ خامِدَةٍ
تَحتَ العَجاجِ بِأَرواحٍ وَأَجسادِ
We stir the undying fires of war
Beneath spears with souls and bodies.
هُناكَ يَنسَونَ مَرواناً وَشيعَتَهُ
وَيَطرُقونَ حِذارَ المِنسَرِ العادي
There they forget Marwan and his supporters
And they refrain out of caution for the returning envious one.
دونَ الخَليفَةِ مِنّا ظِلُّ مَأسَدَةٍ
وَمِن خُراسانَ جُمدٌ بَعدَ أَجنادِ
Besides the Caliph we are determined,
And from Khurasan there is a solid body after soldiers.
قَومٌ يَذُبّونَ عَن مَولى كَرامَتِهِم
وَيُحسِنونَ جِوارَ الوارِدِ الصادي
A people who defend the sanctuary of their Master
And are good neighbors to the incoming companion.
لِلَّهِ دَرُّهُمو جُنداً إِذا حَمِسوا
وَشَبَّتِ الحَربُ ناراً بَعدَ إِخمادِ
By God, they are excellent soldiers, when excited
And war ignites fire after dying down.
لا يَفشَلونَ وَلا تُرجى سُقاطَتُهُم
إِذا عَلا زَأرُ آسادٍ لِآسادِ
They do not fail nor is their downfall hoped for
When the roar of lions for lions rises high.
إِنّا سَراةُ بَني الأَحراَرِ وَقَّرَنا
رَكضُ اَلجِيادِ وَهَزُّ المُنصُلِ البادي
We are the horsemen of the noble freemen, and we matched
The galloping of steeds and the waving of the drew sword.
في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا عيدٌ وَمَلحَمَةٌ
حَتّى سَبَأنا بِأَسيافٍ وَأَغمادِ
Every day we have a feast and a battle
Until we made peace with swords and scabbards.
لا نَرهَبُ القَتلَ إِنَّ القَتلَ مَكرُمَةٌ
وَلا نَضِنُّ عَلى راحٍ بِأَصفادِ
We do not fear death, death is an honor
And we do not hoard anyone in shackles.
سُقناَ الخِلافَةَ تَحدوها أَسِنَّتُنا
وَالقاسِطون عَلى جَهدٍ وَإِسهادِ
We asked for the Caliphate, our tongues guiding it,
While the dissenters insisted without listening.
حَتّى ضَرَبنا عَلى المَهدِيِّ قُبَّتَهُ
فُسطاطَ مُلكٍ بِأَطنابٍ وَأَوتادِ
Until over the Mahdi we raised his dome,
The pavilion of the kingdom with tents and pegs.
إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ طَودٌ يُستَظَلُّ بِهِ
عالٍ مَعَ الشَمسِ مَحفوفٌ بِأَطوادِ
The Caliph is a towering mountain in whose shade one takes refuge,
Lofty with the sun, surrounded by the highlands.
تُجبى لَهُ الأَرضُ مِن مِسكٍ وَمِن ذَهَبٍ
وَيُتَّقى غَيرَ فَحّاشٍ عَلى البادي
The land pays him willingly musk and gold,
And every foul-mouthed vagrant fears him.
يَغدو الخَليفَةُ مَرؤوماً نُطيفُ بِهِ
كَما يُطيفُ بِبَيتِ القِبلَةِ الجادي
The Caliph is cherished; we stroll around him
As the pilgrims circumambulate the Sacred House.
إِذا دَعانا ذَبَبنا عَن مَحارِمِهِ
ذَبَّ البَنينَ عَنِ الآباءِ أَحشادِ
When he calls us we swarm to protect his sanctuary
As the sons swarm to protect the fathers in droves.
وَنازِعينَ يَداً خانوا فَقُلتُ لَهُم
بُعداً وَسُحقاً وَكانوا أَهلَ إِبعادِ
And those who disputed the authority, we said to them,
“Begone and smashed,” and they deserved to be banished.
راحَت لَهُم مِن يَدِ الوَهّابِ عُدَّتُهُم
مِنَ المَنايا تُوافيهِم بِميعادِ
Their equipment, which the Giver gave them
To use against us, has left their hands to the appointed time of death.
فَأَصبَحوا في رُقادِ المِلكِ قَد خَفَتوا
وَلَم يَكونوا عَلى السوأى بِرُقّادِ
So they remained in the slumber of the kingdom, having languished,
And they were not wakeful in the face of adversity.
مِثلُ المُقَنَّعِ في ضَربٍ لَهُ سَلَفوا
أَذباحَ أَصيَدَ لِلأَبطالِ صَيّادِ
Like al-Muganna wearing mail with a record of
Slaying game for the heroes, the hunters.
وَعادَةُ اللَهُ لِلمَهدِيِّ في بَطِرٍ
شَقَّ العَصا وَتَوَلّى أَحسَنُ العادِ
It is Allah’s custom towards the Mahdi during hardship
To split the rod and turn with the best morals.
يا طالِبَ العُرفِ إِنَّ الخَيرَ مَعدِنُهُ
في راحَتَي مَلِكٍ أَضحى بِبَغدادِ
O you who seek loftiness, its essence lies
In the leisure of the king who has settled in Baghdad.
سَلِّم عَلى الجودِ قَد لاحَت مَخايِلُهُ
عَلى اِبنِ عَمِّ نَبيِّ الرَحمَةِ الهادي
Greet perfect generosity, its perceptions have appeared
In the son of the Prophet’s uncle, the rightly guided guide.
تُزَيِّنُ الدينَ وَالدُنيا صَنائِعُهُ
يَخرُجنَ مِن بادِئٍ بِالخَيرِ عَوّادِ
His deeds beautify religion and life
Continuously emerging with goodwill.
عَمَّ العِراقَينِ بَحرٌ حَلَّ بَينَهُما
يَنتابُهُ الناسُ مِن زَورٍ وَوُرّادِ
A sea of bounty has encompassed Iraq
Which people access from visits and delegations.
نَرى النَدى وَالرَدى مِن راحَتَيهِ لَنا
لَمّا جَرى الفَيضُ مَحفوزاً بِإِمدادِ
We see moisture and vegetation by his leisure for us
When grace flowed, driven by supplies.
سِر غَيرَ وانٍ وَلا ثانٍ عَلى شَجَنٍ
إِنَّ الإِمامَ لِمَن صَلّى بِمِرصادِ
Travel untroubled without any hesitation or doubt or sadness,
The Imam blesses whoever prays for his
وَكاشِحِ الصَدرِ تَسري لي عَقارِبُهُ
رَشَّحتُهُ لِعِقابٍ بَعدَ إِجهادِ
Continued rule.
The aggressor, though his appointment is long,
أَموعِدي العَبدُ إِن طالَت مَواعِدُهُ
لَهفي مَتى كُنتُ أُدحِيّاً لِرُوّادِ
My tryst is when will I be hosted by visitors?
Below me are the black lions of Bani al-Abbas during dark tribulations,
دوني أُسودُ بَني العَبّاسِ في أَشَبٍ
صَعبِ المَرامِ غَريزٍ غَيرِ مُنآدِ
Of difficult ideals, an innate unconventional breed.
Between the Imam and Musa one glory stands for a person:
بَينَ الإِمامِ وَموسى لِاِمرِئٍ شَرَفٌ
هَذا الهُمامُ وَهَذا حَيَّةُ الوادي
This resolute one, and this alert snake of the valley.
The two shepherds who grace and have mercy,
الراعِيانِ بِإِنعامٍ وَمَرحَمَةٍ
وَالغافِرانِ ذُنوبَ الحالِفِ الصادي
And forgive the sins of the neighboring loyalist.
The Highest Creator gave them and shook them
أَعطاهُما الخالِقُ الأَعلى وَهَزَّهُما
ميراثَ أَحمَدَ مِن دينٍ وَإِصفادِ
The inheritance of Ahmad of religion and turbans.
The father of munificence and the uncle who grants refuge,
وَالوالِدُ الغَمرُ وَالعَمُّ المُعاذُ بِهِ
لَم يَرضَيا دونَ إِفراعٍ وَإِصعادِ
Are not pleased except with sheltering and raising high.
They stood for what lies between the Bridge and the Path
قاما بِما بَينَ يَعبورٍ إِلى سَبَلٍ
مُستَضلِعَينِ بِتُبّاعٍ وَقُوّادِ
Asserting with subordinates and leaders.
Until they deemed the wild animals of the earth violated, so they left
حَتّى اِستَباحا سَنامَ الأَرضِ فَاِنصَرَفا
عَن آلِ مَروانَ صَرعى غَيرَ نُهّادِ
The family of Marwan felled, unmoved.
What excellent Imams whose position none can assume
نِعمَ الإِمامانِ لا يَقفو مَقامَهُما
بِالحَرسِ دونَ عَمودِ الدينِ ذَوّادِ
At the garrison, besides the pillar of the lasting religion!
They upheld the authority of Islam and regained
هُما أَقاما عَصا الإِسلامِ وَاِرتَجَعا
أَعوادَ أَحمَدَ مِن شَرقٍ وَأَعوادِ
The pegs of Ahmad from east and pegs from west.
So now the eyes have rested, and with them remains
فَالآنَ قَرَّت عُيونٌ فَاِستَقَرَّ بِها
مَوتُ النِفاقِ وَمَنفى كُلِّ هَدهادِ
The death of hypocrisy and the exile of every chanter.
The darkness of the oppressors lifted from a king
تَفَرَّجَت ظُلَمُ الظَلماءِ عَن مَلِكٍ
مِن هاشِمٍ فَرِسٍ لِلناكِثِ العادي
From Hashim, a steed for the oath-breaker.
