أَيُحصي مَعانيكَ القَريضُ المُهَذَّبُ
عَلى أَنَّ صَدرَ الشِعرِ لِلمَدحِ أَرحَبُ
Can poetic elegance convey your meanings,
Though the poem's heart is most spacious for praise?
لَقَد مَكَّنَ الرَحمَنُ في الأَرضِ دَولَةً
لِعُثمانَ لا تَعفو وَلا تَتَشَعَّبُ
The Merciful established an empire on earth for Uthman
That neither relents nor branches out.
بَناها فَظَنَّتها الدَراري مَنازِلاً
لِبَدرِ الدُجى تُبنى وَلِلسَعدِ تُنصَبُ
He built it, so the nomads thought it dwellings
For the full moons to inhabit and the auspicious stars.
وَقامَ رِجالٌ بِالإِمامَةِ بَعدَهُ
فَزادوا عَلى ذاكَ البِناءِ وَطَنَّبوا
After him men arose in the Caliphate
Who added to that structure and embellished it.
وَرَدّوا عَلى الإِسلامِ عَهدَ شَبابِهِ
وَمَدّوا لَهُ جاهاً يُرَجّى وَيُرهَبُ
They restored Islam's time of youth,
Giving it esteem to hope for and to fear.
أُسودٌ عَلى البُسفورِ تَحمي عَرينَها
وَتَرعى نِيامَ الشَرقِ وَالغَربُ يَرقُبُ
Lions over the Bosphorus guarding their den
And tending the slumber of East and observant West.
لَها وَثَباتٌ تَحتَ ظِلِّ هِلالِها
كَما مَرَّ سَهمٌ أَو كَما اِنقَضَّ كَوكَبُ
They have leaps, beneath the shade of its crescent,
Like the flight of an arrow or a shooting star's swoop.
إِذا راعَها مَسٌّ مِنَ الضَيمِ خِلتَها
كَمَن راعَهُ بِالمَسِّ سِلكٌ مُكَهرَبُ
If adversity touches them even slightly
They are like lions prodded—enraged.
وَإِن هَزَّها ذاكَ الهِلالُ لِحادِثٍ
رَأَيتَ قَضاءَ اللَهِ يَمشي وَيَركَبُ
When that crescent shakes them over some misfortune,
You see God's destiny marching and riding.
إِذا ضاءَتِ الأَحسابُ يَوماً لِمُعرِقٍ
فَعُثمانُ خَيرُ الفاتِحينَ لَهُم أَبُ
When accounts are settled on a day of reckoning,
Uthman is the best opener for them.
وَإِن تاهَ بِالأَبناءِ وَالبَأسِ والِدٌ
فَأَولى الوَرى بِالتيهِ ذاكَ المُعَصَّبُ
If, confused by sons and war, a father goes astray,
The most lost of men is he who is most stubborn.
فَهَذا سُلَيمانٌ وَقانونُ عَدلِهِ
عَلى صَفَحاتِ الدَهرِ بِالتِبرِ يُكتَبُ
Inscribed on the pages of time in glory.
There is he who launched the ships across dry land
وَذاكَ الَّذي أَجرى السَفينَ عَلى الثَرى
وَسارَ لَهُ في البَرِّ وَالبَحرِ مَركَبُ
And for him the vessel and the camel sailed the land and sea.
On his lofty gate gleamed lines
عَلى بابِهِ العالي هُناكَ تَأَلَّقَت
سُطورٌ لِأَقلامِ الجَلالَةِ تُنسَبُ
Attributed to the Pens of Majesty.
What but a refuge were they who took shelter
هُنا فَاِخفِضوا الأَبصارَ عَرشُ مُحَمَّدٍ
هُنا الفاتِحُ الغازي الكَمِيُّ المُدَرَّبُ
In the embrace of God's servant when foes threatened?
He tells them, “My scabbard guards my honor;
وَما كانَ مِن عَبدِ المَجيدِ إِذِ اِحتَمى
بِأَكنافِهِ كوشوطُ وَالخَطبُ غَيهَبُ
My sword exacts revenge.”
If fortune favors, I am its heaven;
يُناديهِمُ أَمّا نَزيلي فَدونَهُ
حَيّاتي وَأَمّا صارِمي فَمُشَطَّبُ
If misfortune comes, stand fast and try me!
Thus they dwelled secure in their abodes
فَإِن كانَتِ الحُسنى فَإِنّي سَماؤُها
وَإِن كانَتِ الأُخرى فَشُدّوا وَجَرِّبوا
While adversaries in the West suffered woes.
How often did the latter beg amnesty—and it was granted!
كَذَلِكَ كانوا يَستَقِرّونَ في الذُرا
وَأَعداؤُهُم في الغَربِ تَشقى وَتُنكَبُ
In the East they found sanctuary and pasture.
They were the tribe's safety, while the East shone radiant,
فَكَم طَلَبوا مِنهُم أَماناً فَأَمَّنوا
وَأَمسى لَهُم في الشَرقِ مَسرىً وَمَسرَبُ
And their distinction made the East life's evening star.
They say, “This place breeds narrow-mindedness!”
فَكانَ أَمانَ القَومِ وَالشَرقُ مَشرِقٌ
فَأَضحى اِمتِيازَ القَومِ وَالشَرقُ مَغرِبُ
But what place is without such narrowness?
O East! If the West should bend or harden,
يَقولونَ في هَذي الرُبوعِ تَعَصُّبٌ
وَأَيُّ مَكانٍ لَيسَ فيهِ تَعَصُّبُ
In it is the pliant temper of bright steel.
Fear its rage in the head but also its weakness in drink,
فَيا شَرقُ إِنَّ الغَربَ إِن لانَ أَو قَسا
فَفيهِ مِنَ الصَهباءِ طَبعٌ مُذَوَّبُ
As the head burns and the cup makes it reel!
O West! Time floats men as boats
فَخِف بَأسَها في الرَأسِ وَالرَأسُ يَصطَلي
وَخِف ضَعفَها في الكَأسِ وَالكَأسُ تُطرِبُ
And sweeps them in the current of destiny to founder.
I see you are the ambitious man's destination,
وَيا غَربُ إِنَّ الدَهرَ يَطفو بِأَهلِهِ
وَيَطويهِ تَيّارُ القَضاءِ فَيَرسُبُ
As though each of your thrones has a high ladder.
أَراكَ مَقَرَّ الطامِعينَ كَأَنَّما
عَلى كُلِّ عَرشٍ مِن عُروشِكَ أَشعَبُ
