أَمَّا الكثِيبُ فَمَا يُطَارُ حِمَاهُ
مِنْ دُونِهِ تُجْرِي الدِّماءَ دُماهُ
Though the sand hill cannot be pierced,
Blood flows around it unhindered.
لَوْلا حَيَاءُ الحَيِّ مِنْ أَكْفَائِهِ
لَكَفَاهُ سِحْرُ جُفونِهن عِدَاهُ
Had the living felt no shame before peers,
The magic of their glances would have sufficed.
مَا بَالُهُ أَنهَى الأَسِنَّةَ وَالظُّبَى
وَعَلَى المَطيِّ ظِبَاؤُهُ وَمَهَاهُ
Why did he finish off horses and mountain goats
While his greyhound and steed went hungry?
بِيضُ الأَنامِل قُنِّيتْ بِخِضَابِها
تُغْنِي غناءَ مُخَضَّبَاتِ قَناهُ
White palms were dyed so deeply
Their song rivals that of the adorned palms.
وَعُيُونُهُن السَّاجِياتُ قَوَاتِلٌ
ما لَيسَ تَقْتُلُ ماضِيَاتُ ظُبَاهُ
Their seducing eyes are deadly,
Unlike those that had passed by the antelope.
لِبَنِي هِلال فِي القِبَابَ أَهِلَّةٌ
مِنْها استَمَدَّ الصبْحُ فَضْلَ سَنَاهُ
For the crescent folk are tents,
From which the dawn derived its brilliance.
شَحُّوا بهِنَّ وفيهِمُ حَطَّ النَّدَى
قِدْماً رِحالَتَهُ وَخَطَّ بِنَاهُ
They were stingy with them yet the dew descended
And stepped its luggage and pitched its tents.
يَقْرُونَ مَنْ رُفِعتْ لَهُ نِيرانُهُم
إِلا المُحِبَّ فَما يَرَوْنَ قِراهُ
They hosted whom their fires were kindled for,
Save the lover, for they see not his neighbourhood.
لا يَنْظُرونَ لَهُ علَى غَيْرِ القِلَى
وَهَوَى فَتَاتِهُم النوارِ طواهُ
They look not on him, distracted by others,
Though the hearts of their ladies yearn for him.
قَسَتِ القُلُوب عَليهِ حَتَّى قَلبُها
فإِذا رجَا لُطْفَ الحَبيبِ جَفاهُ
The hearts toughened against him until,
When he hoped for his darling’s kindness, it was denied.
يَا وَيْحَ مَفْؤُودِ الفؤَادِ صَبابَةً
يَلْقَى الرَّدَى في الخَوْدِ لا تَلْقاهُ
Woe to the broken-hearted madman
Who falls into the gorge where none can reach him.
خافَ النحولَ علَى نَحَافَةِ جِسمِهِ
فَبَراهُ حَتَّى لا تَكَادُ تَراهُ
He fears emaciation due to his slender body
So he fattened himself until he can barely be seen.
سِرْبِي إلَى سِرْبٍ لحَربِي ناهِدٍ
لا هِنْدُهُ سَلْمٌ وَلا سَلْمَاهُ
Take me to a hostile army,
Whose India is no peace and her peace no rest.
مِنْ كُلِّ رِيمٍ لا يُرامُ خِباؤُهُ
أَنَّى لِتَبرِيحِ الصَّدَى بِلَمَاهُ
From every vicious person whose hiding
Cannot be exposed, how can clarity result?
صالَتْ تُحَاوِلُ صَيْدُهُ لَحظَاتُهُ
وَرَمَاهُ مِنْ جَفْنَيِهِ ما أَصْمَاهُ
His glances kept trying to hunt him
And he shielded himself from them lest they deafen him.
إنْ رُمْتُ سُلْواناً لَهُ عَجِب الهَوى
مِنِّي وَقَالَ سَلاهُ ما سَلاهُ
When I bid Suluwan farewell, his passion amazed me,
And he said, “what could I wish him but safety?”
يَا أخْتَ مَنْ فَخَرَتْ عَمَائِرُ عامِرٍ
وَسَراتُها بِالقُربِ مِنْ قُرباهُ
O sister of one whose glorious buildings
And chambers were brought nearer by burial.
لا أَنْتِ زُرْتِ وَلا خَيالُكِ في الكَرَى
حَتَّى لَقَد هَجَر العَمِيدَ كَراهُ
You have not visited, nor has your image,
Until even the pillar took offence.
وَاهاً لِقَلبكِ لا يَرِقُّ ورُبَّما
رقَّ الجمَادُ بفَرْطِ ما عنَّاهُ
Woe to your heart that feels no tenderness, though
The inanimate sometimes soften from burdening sorrows.
هَلا تَقَيَّلَتِ الإمَامَ المُرتَضَى
فيمَا استَرَقَّ الخَلْقَ مِنْ رُحْمَاهُ
Why not take rest at the abode of Imam al-Murtaza
Whilst creation derives blessing from his mercy?
مَلِكٌ أَجارَ مِن الزَّمَانِ جِوارُهُ
وَكَفَى البَرِيّةَ جَورَهُ وأَذَاهُ
A King who protected his inalienable rights
And sufficed mankind his tyranny and harm.
قَعَدَ الهُدَى فأقَامَهُ بِمَضَائِهِ
وَمَضَى النَّدَى فأَعَادَهُ بِلُهاهُ
Guidance sat so he established it with his justness
And dew passed so he restored it with his softness.
إنَّ الذِي سَوَّاهُ فَرْداً فِي العُلَى
لَمْ يَرضَ لِلحَقِّ المُبينِ سِواهُ
He who perfected him uniquely in the Highest
Would not approve the clear truth’s equal.
قَدْ كَانَ أَرْدَاهُ الغُواةُ وَإِنَّما
يَحْيَى بنُ عبدِ الوَاحِدِ اسْتَحْيَاهُ
The transgressors wanted him dead, but
Yahya ibn Abdullah revived him.
للَّهِ مِنْهُ خَلِيفَةٌ فِي أرْضِهِ
يَقْفُو الخَلائِقُ هَدْيَهُ وَهُدَاهُ
He left him his deputy on earth
When He approved him to carry what He entrusted.
وَلاهُ أَمْرَ عِبَادِهِ وَبِلادِهِ
لَمَّا ارْتَضَاهُ لِحَمْلِ ما وَلاهُ
And He chose him a wise ruler,
Who achieved righteousness by the wisdom He imparted.
واخْتَارَهُ حَكَماً لِبَالِغِ حِكْمَةٍ
بِصُدُورِها بَلَغَ الصَّلاح مَدَاهُ
My eulogy, worried for his formidable power
And seeking aid against that which you fear.
هَذِي البَسيطَةُ فِي خِفَارَةِ بَأسِهِ
وَنَدَاهُ مِنْ هَذَا الذِي تَخْشَاهُ
No fear with his sword, no confinement
With his captivity, his loftiness suffices.
لا خِيفَةٌ مَع سَيْفِهِ لا ضِيقَةٌ
مَع سَيْبِهِ وكَفَاكَ مِنْ عَلياهُ
The East and West compete towards him
Every tribe answered his call enthusiastically.
لِلشَّرقِ والغَربِ اسْتِبَاقٌ نَحْوَهُ
كُلّ قُبَيْلَ دُعَائِهِ لَبَّاهُ
And Dar Sabtata and Mariah declare
That soon his hands will contain the two horizons.
وَبِدَارِ سَبْتَةَ والمَرِيَّة مُخْبِر
أنْ سَوفَ تَحْوِي الخافِقَين يَداهُ
God supported his command with an aide
Who strengthened what His Godliness concealed in him.
اللَّهُ أَيَّدَ أَمْرَهُ بِمُؤَيَّدٍ
قوَّاهُ مَا يُخْفِيهِ مِنْ تَقْواهُ
His affection was bound to composure as though
The double wrap secured what it wrapped.
عُقِدَتْ حُبَاهُ علَى الأَنَاةِ كأَنَّما
ثَهْلانُ ما عُقِدتْ علَيهِ حُباهُ
The lion of defenders learned his daring
And cubs like him became his equals.
لَيْثُ الحِفَاظِ تَعَلَّمَتْ إِقْدَامَهُ
أَشْبَالُ أَبْنَاء لَهُ أَشْباهُ
Life flourished if clouds failed to find
Sufficiency in his palm’s irrigation.
وَحَيا السَّماحِ إِذا السَّحائِبُ لَم تَجُد
يَحْيَى كَفَى استِسْقَاءهَا كَفَّاهُ
The excellence of Kings is kindness and liberality
And its lowest virtues are wealth and status.
فَضْلُ المُلُوكِ سَجَاحَةً وسَمَاحَةً
أَدْنَى فَواضِلُها الغِنَى والجَاهُ
Greetings to an era adorned by his Sultanate
Whose beauty is not lacking, nor his beauty.
أَهْلاً بِعَصْرٍ زَانَهُ سُلْطَانُهُ
لا حُسْنُهُ خافٍ وَلا حُسْنَاهُ
And congratulations on an auspicious feast, succeeded
By a day that followed its dawn with brightness.
وَبِعِيدِ فِطْرٍ للفُتوحِ مُعَقِّبٍ
كاليَوْمِ أَعْقَبَ صُبْحَهُ بِضُحاهُ
It unveils darkness with its light as though
The honourable chosen one’s mark is its mark.
يَجْلُو الدُّجُونَ بِنُورِهِ فَكَأنَّما
سِيمَا الأَمِير المُرتَضَى سِيماهُ
And it lingers in the garb of beauty, fancying
That its fancy adorns some of his adornment.
وَيُطيلُ فِي حُلَلِ الجَمَالِ تَخايُلاً
فَتَخالُهُ حَلاهُ بَعْضَ حُلاهُ
Good tidings, prosperity courted me through him
And I attained the fruits of bliss through its branches.
بُشْرَايَ باشَرتُ الغِنَى بِجَنابِهِ
وَظَفِرتُ مِنْ غَرْس المُنَى بِجَنَاهُ
By Allah, my misery through him transformed
Into blessings I gained from his bounty.
تاللَّهِ مَا أَمْلَقْتُ مِنْ بُؤسِي بِهِ
إِلا وَقَدْ أَثْرَيْتُ مِنْ نُعْمَاهُ
To settle where it settles through his grace.
And hopes often distracted me
هَذِي الثرَيَّا فِي ارتِقاء مَكانِها
باتَت تُنافِسُنِي حلولَ ثراهُ
From its plains when shielded from its sight.
It enhanced for me two feasts with a third:
ولَطَالَمَا أَذْرَتْنِيَ الآمَالُ عَنْ
صَهواتِها لَمَّا حُمِيتُ ذَراهُ
Eid, Adha and the day of his approval.
قَد عَزَّزَ العِيدَينِ عِنْدِيَ ثَالِثٌ
الفِطْرُ والأَضْحَى وَيَوْمُ رِضاهُ
