لَولا قَضاؤُكَ بَينَ الحُكمِ وَالحَكَمِ
لَما جَرى السَيفُ في شَأوٍ مَعَ القَلَمِ
Had you not judged between rule and rule,
The sword would not have flowed with the pen.
لَكَ النَدى وَالهُدى نَجلو بِنورِهِما
لَيلاً مِنَ الجَهلِ أَو لَيلاً مِنَ العَدَمِ
The dew and the guidance, we are illuminated by their light,
A night of ignorance, or a night of oblivion.
أَطلَعتَ صُبحَ الهُدى وَالعَدلِ فاِمتَحِقا
دُجُنَّةَ الفاحِمَينِ الظُلمِ وَالظُلَمِ
You brought forth the dawn of guidance and justice, so adhere,
To the gloom of oppressors, injustice and gloom.
فاِنهَض بِجِدِّكَ في حَسمِ الضَلالِ كَما
دَبَّ السَنا في الدُجى وَالبَرءُ في سَقَمِ
So rise with your dedication to end misguidance, as
The spear point advanced in the darkness and the innocent in disease.
لا يَغرَقُ البَحرُ في غَمرِ السَرابِ وَلا
يُخِلُّ بِالنَبعِ فَرعُ الضالِ وَالسَلَمِ
The sea does not drown in the delusion of mirage, nor
Does the run-off of the lost affect the spring.
لَو أَنَّ أَرضاً سَعَت شَوقاً لِمُصلِحِها
جاءَتكَ أَندَلُسٌ تَمشي عَلى قَدَمِ
If a land had expanded in yearning for its reformer,
Andalusia would have come to you walking on foot.
أَلبَستَ حِمصَ سِلاحاً لا يُفَلُّ وَقَد
سَلَّ النِفاقُ عَلَيها سَيفَ مُنتَقِمِ
You clothed Homs in undefeatable armor, though
Hypocrisy had already drawn its avenging sword against it.
وَخَلِّ قَوماً تَلوا ما لَيسَ يَنفَعُهُم
كَأَنَّما عَكَفوا فيهِ عَلى صَنَمِ
And leave a people reciting what does not benefit them,
As if they were idols in dedication to an idol.
ظَنّوا الشَقاوَةَ فيما فيهِ فَوزُهُمُ
لا تَثقُلُ الدِرعُ إِلّا عِندَ مُنهَزِمِ
They thought misery was where their success laid,
Armor weighs down none but the defeated.
غَرَّتهُمُ بَهجَةُ الآمالِ إِذ بَسَمَت
وَهَل يَسُرُّ اِبتِسامُ الشَيبِ في اللَمَمِ
The delight of hopes deceived them when it smiled,
Does the smile of old age please in adversities?
أَضحى أَبو عَمرٍ اِبنَ الجَدِّ مُنفَرِداً
في الناسِ كَالغُرَّةِ البَيضاءِ في الدُهَمِ
Abu Amr the son of dignity became unmatched
Among the people like a white pearl in coal.
مُحَبَباً كَالصِبا في نَفسِ ذي هَرَمٍ
مُعَظَّماً كَالغِنى في عَينِ ذي عَدَمِ
Beloved like the breeze to one of old age,
Revered like wealth in the eye of the penniless.
لَو شاءَ بِالسَعدِ رَدَّ السَهمَ في لُطُفٍ
بَعدَ المُروقِ وَنالَ النَجمَ مِن أَمَمِ
If he willed, he would gently return the arrow after its shooting,
And take back the star from decline.
أَغَرُّ يَنظُرُ طَرفُ الفَضلِ عَن حَوَرٍ
مِنهُ وَيَشمَخُ أَنفُ المَجدِ عَن شَمَمِ
How strange, the eye of virtue looks away from him
And the nose of glory turns up from his aroma.
لَو أَنَّ لِلبَدرِ إِشراقاً كَغُرَّتِهِ
كانَ الكُسوفُ عَلَيهِ غَيرَ مُتَّهَمِ
If the full moon had radiance like his,
Eclipses over it would not be suspect.
دارَت نُجومُ العُلا مِنهُ عَلى عَلَمٍ
وَأُضرِمَت مِنهُ نارُ الفَخرِ في عَلَمِ
The stars of ascent revolved around his banner,
And from it the fire of pride was lit in a banner.
مُوَكَّلٌ بِحُقوقِ المُلكِ يَحفَظُها
بِالمَجدِ وَالجِدِّ حِفظَ الشُكرِ لِلنِعَمِ
Appointed over the rights of the kingdom, he preserves them
With glory and dedication like gratitude preserves bounty.
نامَت بِهِ مُقلَةُ التَوحيدِ آمِنَةً
وَعَينُهُ لَم تَذُق غَمضاً وَلَم تَنَمِ
The eye of monotheism slept by him safely,
His eye did not taste sleepiness nor slept.
تُضحي الرِياضُ هَشيماً إِذ تُحارِبُهُ
وَيورِقُ الصَخرُ إِن أَلقى يَدَ السَلَمِ
Gardens become devastated when battling him
And rock blooms if he extends a hand of peace.
حَمى الهُدى وَأَباحَ الرِفدَ سائِلَهُ
فَالرِفدُ في حَرَبٍ وَالدَينُ في حَرَمِ
He protected the true path and provided for those requesting him,
So plenty is at war and religion in a sanctuary.
فَجودُ راحَتِهِ رَيٌّ بِلا شَرَقٍ
وَضَوءُ سيرَتِهِ نورٌ بِلا ظُلَمِ
The open-handedness of his comfort is irrigation without horizons,
And the light of his conduct is illumination without gloom.
يا مَن عَلى المَدحِ شَينٌ في سِواهُ كَما
يُستَقبَحُ التاجُ مَعقوداً عَلى صَنَمِ
O you who praise is disgraceful compared to him, as
A crown is deemed ugly when placed on an idol.
وَمَن جَرى نَيلُهُ بَحراً فَغاصَ بِهِ
أَهلُ الثَناءِ عَلى دُرٍّ مِنَ الكَلِمِ
And he whose attainment was an ocean so its people
Of praise dived deeply for pearls of words.
لَئِن هَزَزتُكَ لِلدَهرِ الخَؤونِ فَما
هَزَزتُ لِلحَربِ غَيرَ الصارِمِ الخَذِمِ
If I provoke you during hard times it is not
Provocation for war but for the cutting blade.
وَإِن جَنَيتُ بِكَ التَرفيهِ مِن شَظَفٍ
فَرُبَّ مَغفِرَةٍ تُنجي مِنَ النَدَمِ
And if I obtain from you amusement from adversity
Then many a forgiveness saves from regret.
