الشمسُ عنْهُ كليلَةٌ أجفانُها

عَبرَى يَضِيقُ بسرّها كِتمانُها

The sun is veiled from it each night, its eyelids

Cross the horizon, its secret is confined by its concealment.

لو تستطيعُ ضِياءَهُ لَدَنَتْ لهُ

يَعْشو إلى لَمَعانِهِ لَمَعانُها

If its radiance could reach out to it,

It would come at dawn to its shining.

وأُريكَها تَخْبو على بُرَحائِها

لم تَخْفَ مُذْعِنَةً ولا إذعانُها

And its pillars hide its platforms,

Neither humbled nor obedient.

إيوانُ مَلْكٍ لو رأتْهُ فارسٌ

ذُعِرَتْ وخَرّ لسَمكِهِ إيوانها

The palace of a king, if a horseman saw it,

Would be startled and fall to its loftiness, its palace.

واستعظَمَتْ ما لم يُخلِّدْ مثلَهُ

سابورُهَا قِدْماً ولا ساسانُها

And it would see as great what Sābūr

Did not immortalize with his feet or the Sāsānians.

سجَدَتْ إلى النيرانِ أعصُرَها ولو

بَصُرَتْ به سَجَدَتْ له نيرانُها

The temples of its eras prostrated to the fires, and if

It saw Him, their fires would prostrate to Him.

بل لو تُجادلُها بهِ ألبابُها

في اللّه قامَ لحُسنِهِ بُرهانُها

Rather, if its wise minds disputed with it about God,

Its proof of His beauty would stand.

أوَما ترى الدّنْيا وجامعَ حُسنْهِا

صُغرى لديه وهي يعظُمُ شانها

Do you not see the world and the collector of all its beauty

As small next to it, while it magnifies its affair?

لولا الذي فُتِنَتْ به لاستعْبَرَتْ

ثكلى تَفُضُّ ضُلوعَها أشجانها

Were it not for the one it was infatuated with, it would shed tears

As a bereaved woman, its ribs pouring with sighs.

خَضِلُ البشاشةِ مُرْتَوٍ من مائها

فكأنّهُ متَهَلِّلٌ جَذْلانُها

The smile of its crescent rising in its waters

As if it were a wispy beardlet.

يَنْدى فتنْشأُ في تَنَقُّلِ فَيْئِهِ

غُرُّ السحائبِ مُسبِلاً هَطَلانها

The dew descends and rains form during its passage,

The pride of clouds pouring down their drops.

وكأنّ قُدسَ ويذبُلاً رَفَدا ذُرَى

أعلامِهِ حتى رَسَتْ أركانُها

And it seems as though Quds and Yathrib were a cloak

Whose standards the Prophet spread until they settled into place.

تَغدو القصورُ البِيضُ في جَنَباتِهِ

صُوْراً إليه يَكِلُّ عنه عِيانُها

The white palaces in its surroundings appear

As images surrendering their sight to it.

والقُبةُ البَيضاءُ طائِرَةٌ بهِ

تَهوي بمُنخَرقِ الصَّبا أعنانُها

And the white dome is like a bird in it

Diving with the piercing wind in its nostrils.

ضُرِبَتْ بأرْوِقَةٍ تُرَفرِفُ فوقَها

فهوى بفُتْخِ قوادم خَفقَانها

Struck by arcades fluttering over it

So it descended with the fluttering of their bases.

عَلياءُ مُوفِيَةٌ على عَليائِهِ

في حيْثُ أسلَمَ مُقلَةً إنسانُها

Lofty, fulfilling its loftiness,

Where it surrendered, bent, its humanity.

بُطْنانُها وَشيُ البُرودِ وعَصْبُها

فكأنّما قوهِيُّها ظُهرْانها

Its bricks and granite and marble façade

Are like its firmly standing mountains.

نِيطَتْ أكاليلٌ بها مَنظومَةٌ

فغَدا يُضاحِكُ دُرَّها مَرجانُها

It is adorned with garlands of pearls,

So its pearls smile with coral.

وتَعرّضَتْ طُرَرُ السُّتورِ كأنّها

عذَباتُ أوشِحَةٍ يروقُ جُمانها

And the curtains of its friezes are as though

They are sections of adorned panels, their beauty seducing.

وكأنّ أفوافَ الرّياضِ نُثِرْنَ في

صَفَحَاتِها فَتَفَوّفَتْ ألوانُها

And it is as though the gardens were scattered in

Its spaces, their colors intricately arranged.

فأدِرْ جُفونَكَ واكتحِلْ بمناظِرٍ

غَشّى فِرندَ لُجَيْنِها عِقْيانها

Turn your eyelids, line them with sights

That covered its smooth marble with fog.

لِترى فنونَ السحْرِ أمثِلةً وما

يُدري الجَهولَ لَعَلّها أعيانُها

You will see the arts of sorcery embodied, though

The ignorant know not if they are real or imaginary.

مُستَشرِفاتٍ من خُدورِ أوانِسٍ

مصفوفَةٍ قد فُصّلتُ تِيجانها

Projecting themselves from the chambers of houris

Arranged, their crowns detailed.

مُتَقابِلاتٍ في مَراتِبِها جَنَتْ

حرْباً على البِيضِ الحِسانِ حسانها

Facing each other in their degrees, they brought

War upon the beautiful ivory, beauty against beauty.

فاخلَعْ حميداً بينها عُذْرَ الصِّبا

ولُيبْدِ سِرَّ ضمائِرٍ إعلانُها

So shed your chastity among them, let the

Secrets of hearts be revealed.

وحَباكَها كِلفُ الضُّلوع بحسنها

رَيّانُ جانحةٍ بها مَلآنها

They captivated sick hearts with their beauty

Watering, flooding them.

تُسْلي المُحِبَّ عن الحبيبِ وتجتَني

ثمرَ النفوس مُحَرَّماً سُلْوانُها

Distracting lovers from their beloved, stealing

The fruits of souls, though forbidden its fruits.

رَدّتْ على الشّعراء ما حاكَتْ لها

غُرُّ القوافي بِكرُهَا وعَوانُها

They surpassed the poets in what poetry composed for them

The pride of rhymes in its stringing and capping.

وأتَتْ تُجَرِّرُ في ذيولِ قصائدٍ

يكفيكَ عن سِحْرِ البَيان بيانها

They came dragging the trains of poems

Its rhetoric enough to dazzle eloquence.

أعْيَتْ لَبيباً وهي مَوقِعُ طَرْفِهِ

فقَضَى عليه بجهلِهِ عرفانُها

Exhausting the adept while the glancing of an eye

Doomed him in his ignorance.

إبراهِمِيّةُ سُودَدٍ تُعزَى إلى

نَجْرِ الكِرامِ جِنانُها ومَعانُها

Abrahamic blackness attributed

To the offspring of nobles, their gardens and dwellings.

فكأنّهُ سيفُ بنُ ذي يَزَنٍ بها

وكأنّها صَنعاءُ أو غُمدانها

As if it were Saif ibn Dhi Yazan in it

And as if it were Sanaa or its sheath.

سُحِبَتْ بها أردانُه فتَضَوّعَتْ

عَبَقاً بصائِكِ مِسكِهِ أردانُها

Ardhan’s musk was poured over it, so it reeked

With your intermingled scent, the perfume of Ardhan.

وكأنّما لَبِسَتْ شَبيبَتَهُ وقَدْ

غادى النّدَى متهَلِّلاً رَيعانها

As if it wore his youth, and the dew

Dripped down, moistening its meadows.

وكأنّما الفِرْدَوسُ دارُ قرارِهِ

وكأنّ شافعَ جودِهِ رِضْوانها

As though paradise were its dwelling

And its intercessor were God’s good pleasure.

أبدَتْ لَمرآكَ الجَليلِ جَلالَةً

يعلو لمكرمةٍ بذاك مَهانها

It showed your brilliant mirror majesty,

Exalted by some favor, though it abased its place.

وهَفَتْ جوانبُها ولولا ما رَسا

من عبء مجْدكَ ما استقَرّ مكانها

Its sides hunched over, if not for the weight of your glory

That settled in its position.

ولَنِعْمَ مَغنى اللهوِ تَرأمُ ظِلَّه

آرامُ وَجْرَةَ رُحْنَ أو أُدْمانها

How excellent is the amusement of its shadow,

The repose of its fragrance, or its company!

ونخالُها صَفراء عارَضَتِ الدُّجى

وسَرَتْ فنادَمَ كوكباً نَدمانُها

Its date palms are blond, contending with darkness,

Traveling like stars twinkling at night.

قدُمتْ تُزايلُ أعصُراً كَرّتْ على

حَوبائِها لمّا انقَضَى جُثمانها

It came, outlasting eras which

Rolled over their mounds when their bodies decayed.

وأتتْ على عهدِ التّبابعِ مُدّةً

غَضّاً على مَرّ الزّمانِ زمانها

It came in days of chaos for a period

Young, while time's bitterness grew old.

يَمَنِيّةُ الأرْبابِ نجرانيّةُ ال

أنسابِ حيثُ سَمَتْ بها نَجرانُها

Yemenite in its lords, Najranite in its

Lineages, where Najran attributed it to them.

أو كِسْرَويّةُ مَحتدٍ وأرومةٍ

شَمطاءُ يُدعَى باسمِها دِهقانُها

Or Sasanian, belonging to a Kisra or an Armah,

A Shamitah claimed in its name by a dihqan.

أو قَرقَفٍ ممّا تنشّى الرّومَ لا

نَشَواتُها ذُمّتْ ولا نَشوانُها

Or a Qarqaf, which the Romans prospered,

Whose achievements were not slighted or belittled.

كان اقتناها الجاثلِيقُ يُكِنُّهَا

ويَصُونُ دُرّةَ غائصٍ صَوّانها

The Catholicus acquired it, treasured it,

And protected the jewel of a diver, guarding it.

في مَعشرٍ من قومه عَثَرَتْ بهم

نُوَبُ الزّمانِ فغالَهم حِدثانها

Among a group of his people, the turns of fate

Tested them, so its newness overwhelmed them.

كرُمَتْ ثَرىً متأرِّجاً وتوسّطتْ

أرضَ البَطارقِ مُشرِفاً أفدانها

It honored crumbling earth and centered

The land of the Berbers, its banners raised.

لم يُضرِموا ناراً لهَيبتِها ولمْ

يَسطَعْ بأكنافِ الفَضاء دُجانها

They did not kindle a fire whose flames

Shone at the horizons’ edges.

فكأنّ هيكَلَها تَقَدّمَ رايَةً

وكأنّ صَفّ الدّارعينَ دِنانُها

As though its temple preceded as a banner

And the army’s ranks were its minarets.

غَنِيَتْ تطوفُ بها ولائدُهمْ كما

طافَتْ برَبّاتِ الحِجالِ قِيانها

Their newborns circumambulated it, as

The dromedaries of pilgrims circled their homes.

قد أُوتِيَتْ من عِلمِهمْ فكأنّها

أحبارُ تلك الكُتبِ أو رُهبانها

It was given some of their knowledge, so it seemed

The monks of those books or their priests.

جازتْهُمُ تَرْمَدُّ في غُلَوائِها

فتُخُرّموا وخَلا لها مَيدانُها

It surpassed them, pardoning in its glory,

While they crouched, ceding its grounds.

فكَلَتْكَ ناجودٌ تديرُ كؤوسَها

هِيفٌ تُجاذبُ قُضْبَها كُثبانها

So it is like a Najud camel circling its cups

Or a dune contending with its spear.

من قاصراتِ الطَّرْفِ كلّ خريدةٍ

لم يأتِ دونَ وِصالها هِجرانُها

Of virgins, no beloved attained

Union without its separation tormenting him.

لم تَدْرِ ما حَرُّ الوَداعِ ولا شجَتْ

صَبّاً بمُنْعَرَجِ اللوى أظعانها

It knew not the bitterness of farewells, nor moaned

In the bends of passion, sighing grief.

قد ضُرّجَتْ بدم الحياء فأقبلتْ

متظلّماً من وَردها سُوسانها

It came to you blushing in the blood of modesty, then

Complained of captivity to its sea, as though

تشكو الصِّفادَ لبُهْرِها فكأنّما

رَسَفَانُ عانٍ دَلُّها رَسَفانها

Its two irrigated plains were its captive, captive to them.

It blamed you for some wrong, though it was a fawn

سامتْهُ بعضَ الظلم وهي غريرةٌ

لا ظُلمُها يُخْشَى ولا عُدوانها

Whose wrongdoing was not feared, nor transgression.

So it came to you between shirts and skirts

فأتَتْهُ بين قَراطِقٍ ومَناطِقٍ

يُثْنى على سِيَرائِها خَفْتانها

Whose sewing drew praise for its tailor.

And if it gained your heart with what it adorned and enabled,

وإذا ارتمَتْهُ بما تَريشُ ومُكّنَتْ

فأصابَ أسْودَ قلْبِهِ إمكانُها

Striking the black of your heart as it willed.

It knew not what made the king most resolute to resist it,

لم تَدْرِ ما أصْمَى المليكَ أنَزْعُها

بسديدِ ذاك الرّمْي أو حُسبانها

With the precision of its shot, or its reckoning.

In movements like the winds of youth on the path of temptation,

في أريَحِيّاتٍ كرَيْعانِ الصِّبَا

حَركاتُها وعلى النُّهى إسْكانها

Its acts, though it was still on the path of prohibition.

And if the prime of youth is met with amusements,

ولئن تَلَقّيْتَ الشّبابَ وعَصْرَهُ

بالمُلْهِياتِ فَعَصْرُها وأوانها

Then its prime is its season.

And if a soul stubborn to your humbling and softening

ولئن أبَتْ لك خفْضَ ذاكَ ولِينَهُ

نفسٌ كهَضْبِ عَمايَتينِ جَنانها

Like the ridge of two sand dunes between gardens.

Before the white of cheeks made you forget

فلقبلَما أسْلتْكَ عن بِيض الدُّمى

بِيضٌ تُكسَّرُ في الوغى أجفانها

The white that shatters amidst clamor, their eyelids.

And a horde that rouses swords against it when

وضرائبٌ تُنبي الحُسامَ مَضارِباً

أردَتْ شَراسَتُها فخِيفَ لِيانُها

Its audacity desired, frightening even the brave.

And a dynasty whose reign abandoned protecting

وأُبُوّةٌ هجَرَتْ مَقاصِرَ مُلكِها

فكأنّمَا أسْيافُها أوطانُها

Its kingdom, as though its swords were its home.

A people whose days are its determination

قَوْمٌ هُمُ أيّامُهُمْ إقدامُها

وجِلادُها وضِرابُها وطِعانُها

And its whip, its striking, and its spears.

And if the steeds merrily race,

وإذا تَمَطّرَتِ الجِيادُ سَوابِقاً

فبهم تَكَنُّفُها وهم فُرسانها

Then its heroes are its horsemen.

And if they challenge a city, their roar

وإذا تَحَدّوْا بَلْدَةً فبِزَأرِهِم

صَعَقاتُها وببَأسِهِمْ رَجَفانُها

Shakes it, their might makes it quake.

On their faces, the moons of battle appear

آلُ الوَغى تَبدو على قَسَماتهمْ

أقْمارُهَا وتحفُّهُمْ شُهبانُها

As their armor, their shooting stars adorning them.

They reach the heat of its hell if its heroes

يَصْلَونَ حرَّ جحيمها إن عرّدَتْ

أبطالُها وتَزَاورَتْ أقرانها

Rally, and its equals come together.

An obstinate horde, the mountains are humble before them,

جُرْثومَةٌ منها الجِبالُ الشُّمُّ لم

يُغْضَضْ متالِعُها ولا ثَهلانُها

Their sharpness undimmed, their blades unbroken.

It returned you, and you are the Arab to whom

رُدّتْ إليك فأنتَ يعرُبُها الذي

تُعْزَى إليه وجعْفَرٌ قَحطانها

It is attributed, and Ja‘far is its descendant.

So boast of the crowns of kings and its kingdom,

فافخَرْ بتيجانِ المُلوكِ ومُلكِها

فلأنتَ غيرُ مُدافَعٍ خُلصانُها

For you are none other than its protector.

By God, you are about to hastily

للّهِ أنْتَ مُواشِكاً عجِلاً إلى

جَدوَى يَدٍ مَدُّ الفُراتِ بَنانها

Reach the legacy a hand stretches over the Euphrates’ daughters.

One aged redeems you from hopes, who never rested

يَفديكَ ذو سِنَةٍ عن الآمالِ لم

يألَفْ مَضاجعَ سُؤدَدٍ وَسْنانها

On the beds of Suddad or Sinan.

Five wishes pour from it in torrents

تَرِدُ الأماني الخِمسُ منه مَشارِعاً

مِلءَ الحِياض مُحَلَّأً ظَمآنُها

Filling the ponds, its thirsty camels gathered.

From every bare-headed rock, every string of poetry

من كل عاري اللِّيتِ من نَظم التي

رَجَحَتْ بخيرِ تجارَةٍ أثمانها

Which surpassed in the best of transactions, their prices.

Drawing near the question is a clerk from Sa‘da

يُدني السؤالَ إليه عاملُ صَعدَةٍ

مُتَغَلْغِلٌ بين الشِّغافِ سِنانها

Entangled in the beards, his teeth bared.

Aspiration raised you above them, which neither

أعْلتْكَ عنهم هِمّةٌ لم يَعتلِقْ

مَثْنى النّجوم بها ولا وُحدانها

The pair of stars nor a single one aimed for.

You brought the horizons’ lands into your grasp,

دانَيْتَ أقْطارَ البلادِ بعَزْمَةٍ

مُلقىً وراء الخافِقَينِ جِرانها

Cast behind the two easts, their mountains surrounded.

And those horizons of the kingdom are not

وهي الأقاصي من ثُغور المُلك لا

تُخشَى مخاوِفُها وأنتَ أمانُها

Feared in their fears, while you are their safety.

Girded with the sword of the Caliphate, which

متقلّداً سيفَ الخِلافَةِ للّتي

يُلقَى إليه إذا استمرّ عِنانُها

Is surrendered to you if its reins slacken.

The steeds are driven into battle as though

تُزْجَى الجِيادُ إلى الجِلاد كأنّما

سَرعانُ واردةِ القَطا سَرعانها

Sari‘ and Wārida were its swift ones.

And the standards of the soldiers are shaken, correspondently

وتُهَزُّ ألويَةُ الجنودِ خَوافِقاً

تحتَ العَجاجِ كَواسِراً عِقبانها

Beneath the clouds, their eagles soaring.

Until, with you astride, the enemy’s land

حتى إذا حرِجَتْ به أرْضُ العدى

مُتَمَطّياً وتَضايقَتْ أعطانها

Was disturbed and its plains constricted.

It surrendered its reins to you, and before it

ألقَتْ مقالِيداً إليه وقبلَهُ

ماانفكّ خالعُها ولا خُلعانها

Neither its removal nor deposition ceased.

Do not say that the religion and world are his

لا قلتَ إنّ الدّينَ والدّنْيا لَهُ

عِوَضٌ ولُؤمُ مقالةٍ بُهْتانُها

Substitutes, the claim of a terrible liar.

The destination of requests and delegations when

أمَدُ المَطالبِ والوفودِ إذا حَدَتْ

فَوْتَ العيونِ رِكابُها رُكبانها

The loss of eyes afflicted its riders, mounted.

The dew grew accustomed to descending on it, as though

ألِفَ النّدَى دَأباً عليه كأنّهُ

رَتْكُ المَطِيِّ إليهِ أو وَخَدانها

It were the resting place of a mount or its kneading.

Forgiving of deadly sins, welcoming

غَفّارُ مُوبِقَةِ الجَرائم صافحٌ

وسَجِيّةٌ من ماجِدٍ غُفرانها

And well-mannered, its forgiveness exalted.

If speech leans to generosity, excel

شيم إذا ما القول حن تبرعت

كرماً فأسجح عطفها وحنانها

In kindness, the tilt of its bend generosity.

Though I fall short in thanking it, it has not

إنّي وإن قصّرْتُ عن شكريه لم

يَغْمَطْ لَدَيّ صنيعَةً كُفرانها

Deprived me before it of thanklessness.

I was like al-Walid, but the sons of

كنتُ الوليدَ فلم يُنازِعْهُ بنو

خاقانَ مكرمةً ولا خاقانها

Khaqan did not rival it in honor or state.

Favors like first rainclouds, guarantors

مِنَنٌ كباكِرَةِ الغَمامِ كفيلةٌ

بالنُّجْحِ موقوفٌ عليه ضَمانها

Of success, depending on it assurance.

Oh my woe from me upon me if I am silenced

يا وَيْلَتَا منّي عليّ أمُخْرِسي

إحسانُها أو مُغرِقي طُوفانها

From its benevolence or drowned in its flood!

I have toward it nothing but my heart aflame

ما لي بها إلاّ احتراقُ جوانحي

يُدني إليك ودادَها حَرَّانها

Drawing its affection to you, burning.

May its greatness last for us, shaded

دامَتْ لنا تلك العُلى متَفَيّئاً

أظْلالُهَا مُتَهَدّلاً أفنانها

By its shadows, its branches overhanging.

And may it submit to the folly of youth and the injustice

واسلَمْ لغَضّ شبيبَةٍ ولدولَةٍ

عَزّتْ وعَزّ مؤيَّداً سلطانها

Of fortune, mighty, its authority supported!