أَلاَ حَدِّثَاهَا فَهْيَ أُمُّ الْعَجَائِب
وَمَا حَاضِرٌ في وَصْفِهَا مِثْلُ غَائِبِ
Tell it, for it is the mother of wonders,
And no present equals an absent in describing it.
وَلاَ تُخْلِيَا مِنْهَا عَلَى خَطَر السُّرَى
سُرُوجَ الْمَذَاكِي أَوْ ظُهُورَ النَّجَائِبِ
Do not leave it to the whims of fate,
The torches of festivities or the advent of misfortunes.
وَلاَ تُغْفِلاَ مِنْ وَسْمِهَا كُلَّمَا سَرَتْ
صُدُورَ الْقَوَافِي أَوْ صُدُورَ الرَّكَائِبِ
And do not neglect to brand it whenever it wanders,
On the chests of rhymes or the chests of elegies.
وَحُطَّا لَهَا بَيْنَ الْحَطِيمِ وَزَمْزِمٍ
رِحَالاَ مِنَ الْبُشْرَى مِلاَءَ الْحَقَائِبِ
And pitch for it between al-Hatim and Zamzam,
Saddles filled with good tidings, saddlebags brimming over.
هُوَ الْخَبرُ الصِّدْقُ الَّذِي وَضَحَتْ بِهِ
سَبِيلُ الْهُدَى بَعْدَ الْتِبَاسِ الْمَذَاهِبِ
It is the true report that clarified
The path of guidance after the confusion of doctrines.
وَمَا هِيَ إلاَّ دَعْوَةٌ يُوسُفِيَّةٌ
أَثَارَتْ قَبْولَ اللهِ ضَرْبَةَ لاَزِبِ
It is nothing but a Joseph-like call
That aroused God's acceptance with a decisive blow.
سَمَتْ نَحْوَ أَبْوَابِ السَّمَاءِ فَلَمْ تُرَعْ
بِتَشْغِيبِ بَوَّاب وَلاَ إِذْنِ حَاجِبِ
It aimed for the gates of heaven, undeterred
By the protest of gatekeepers or the permission of guards.
أَيُوسُفُ إِنَّ الدَّهْرَ أَصْبَحَ وَاقِفاً
عَلَى بَابِكَ الْمَأمُولِ مَوْقِفَ تَائِبٍ
O Joseph, time has come to stand
At your longed-for door, standing in repentance.
دُعَاؤَكَ أَمْضَى مِنْ مُهَنَّدَةِ الظُّبَي
وَسَعْدُكَ أَقْضَى مِنْ سُعُودِ الْكَوَاكِبِ
Your prayer is more guaranteed than the position of stars,
And your fortune more decisive than the rising of planets.
سُيُوفُكَ فِي أَغْمَادِهَا مُطْمَئِنَّة
وَلِكْنَّ سَيْفَ اللهِ دَامِي الْمَضَاربِ
Your swords rest assured in their sheaths,
But the sword of God, with relentless blades, remains unsheathed.
فَثِقْ بالَّذي أَرْعَاكَ أَمْر عِبَادِهِ
وَسَلْ فَضْلَهُ فَاللهُ أَكْرَمُ وَاهِبِ
So trust in He who delegated you the command of His servants,
And seek His bounty, for God is the most generous Giver.
لَقَدْ طَوَّقَ الأَذْفُنْشَ سَعْدُكَ خزْيَةً
تَجِدُّ عَلَى مَرِّ الْعُصُورِ الذَّوَاهِبِ
The ring of your fortune has adorned the throne with a treasure
That withstands the passage of ages, everlasting.
وَفَيْتَ وَخَانَ الْعَهْدَ فِي غَيْرِ طَائِلٍ
وَصَدَّقَ أَطْمَاعَ الظُّنُونِ الْكَوَاذِبِ
He broke faith in vain,
And believed the delusions of baseless ambitions.
جَرَى في مَجَاري الْعِزِّ غَيْرَ مُقَصِّرٍ
وَهَلْ نَهَضَ الْعُجْبُ الْمُخلُّ بِرَاكِبِ
He marched in the processions of glory, not falling short,
For when did arrogance fail to ruin its rider?
وَغَالَبَ أَمْرَ اللهِ جَلَّ جَلاَلُهُ
وَلَمْ يَدْرِ أَنَّ اللهَ أَغْلَبُ غَالِبِ
He overpowered God’s command—Glorious is His Majesty—
Unaware that God is the greatest Conqueror.
وَللهِ في طَيِّ الْوَجُودِ كَتَائِبٌ
تَدقُّ وتخفَى عَنْ عُيُونِ الْكَتَائِبِ
To God belong in the folds of existence regiments
That strike quietly, hidden from the eyes of regiments.
تُغِيرُ عَلَى الأَنْفَاسِ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ
وَتَكْمُنُ حَتَّى فِي مِيَاه الْمَشَارِبِ
They change every moment
And lurk even in the water we drink.
أَخَذْنَ عَلَيْهِ الطُّرْقَ فِي دَارِ طَارقٍ
فَمَا كَفَّ عَنْهُ الْجَيْشُ مِنْ كَفِّ نَاهِبِ
They took him by surprise in the abode of the night raider,
And the army did not stop stripping like a plunderer.
فَصَارَ إِلَى مَثْوَى الإِهَانِةِ ذَاهِباً
وَخَلَّفَ عَارَ الْغَدْرِ لَيْسَ بِذَاهِبِ
He went to the abode of humiliation,
Leaving behind the shame of betrayal, indelible.
فَمِنْ قَارِعٍ في قَوْمِهِ سنَّ نَادِمٍ
وَمِنْ لاَطِمٍ فِي رَفْعِهِ خَدَّ نَادِبِ
So he is striking his people in regret,
And slapping his own face in grief.
مَصَائِبُ أَشْجَى وَقْعُهَا مُهَجَ الْعِدَى
وَكَمْ نِعَمٍ فِي طَيِّ تِلْكَ الْمَصَائِبِ
The calamities that befell had an agonizing impact,
And how many blessings lie in those tribulations!
شُوَاظٌ أَرَادَ اللهُ إِطْفَاءَ نَارِهِ
وَقَدْ لَفَحَ الإِسْلاَمَ مِنْ كُلِّ جانِبِ
Arrogance that God wanted to extinguish,
And which has inflamed Islam from every side.
وَإنْ لَمْ يُصِبُ مِنْهُ السِّلاَحُ فَإِنَّمَا
أُصِيبَ بِسَهْمٍ مِنْ دُعَائكَ صَائِبٍ
And even if the weapon did not strike it,
It was hit by an arrow of your prayer, on target.
وَللهِ مِنْ أَلْطَافِهِ فِي عِبَادِهِ
خَزَائِنُ مَا ضَاقَتْ بِمَطْلَبِ طَالِبِ
And God has for His servants, of His bounties,
Treasures never depleted, seek as the seeker may.
فَمَهْمَا غَرَسْتَ الصَّبْرَ فِي تُرْبَة الرِّضَا
بِحُكْمِ الْقَضَا فَلْتَجْنِ حُسْنَ الْعَوَاقِبِ
So whatever patience you plant in the soil of acceptance,
Expect fair consequences, as destined.
وَلاَ تُبْعِدِ الأَمْرَ البَعِيدَ وُقُوعُهُ
فَإِنَّ اللَّيَالي أًمَّهَاتُ الْعَجَائِبِ
And do not think the distant event impossible,
For nights are the mothers of wonders.
هَنِيئاً بِصُنْعٍ قَدْ كَفَاكَ عَظِمُهُ
رُكُوبَ الْمَرَامِي وَاخْتِيَارَ الْمَوَاكِبِ
Congratulations on an achievement whose greatness
Spared you shooting arrows and choosing steeds.
وَدْونَكَ فَافْتَحْ كُلَّ مَا أَبْهَمَ الْعِدَى
وَرُدَّ حُقُوقَ الدِّينِ مِنْ كُلِّ غَاصِبِ
Without you, unveil all the injustice of the enemy,
And return the rights of religion usurped by every usurper.
وَبَادِرْ عَدُوَّ اللهِ عِنْدَ اضْطِرَابِهِ
وَعَاجِلْهُ بِالْبيِضِ الرِّقَاقِ الْقَوَاضِبِ
And confront God's enemy during his turmoil,
And hasten to finish him with keen, cutting swords.
إِذَا قِيلَ أَرْضُ اللهَ إِرْثُ عِبَادِهِ
بمُوجبِ تَقْوَى أَنْتَ أَقْرَبُ عَاصِبِ
When it is said the land belongs to God, the inheritance of His servants,
By virtue of piety, you are closest to claiming it.
أَلَسْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذَيِنَ إِذَا انْتَمَوْا
نَمَتْهُمْ إلى الأَنْصَارِ غُرُّ الْمَنَاسِبِ
Are you not of the people who, when associated with the Helpers,
Kinship swelled in them out of merit?
سَمَاحَةُ أَيْمَانٍ وَإِشْرَاقُ أَوْجُهٍ
وَصِحَّةُ أَحْلاَمِ وَغُرُّ مَنَاقِبِ
The generosity of oaths, the glow of faces,
The integrity of dreams, and the glory of merits!
إِذَا أَشْرَقَتْ يَوْمَ النَّوَالِ وُجُوهُهُمْ
رَأيْتَ بُدُوراً في خِلاَلِ السَّحَائِبِ
When, on the day of attainment, their faces shine,
You see full moons amid the clouds.
وَيَا جَبَل الْفَتْحِ اعْتَمِدْهَا صَنِيعَةً
رَأيْنَا بِهَا كَيْفَ انْجَلاَءُ الْغَيَاهِبِ
And O mountain of victory, make it your precedent,
We saw through it how tribulations disappeared.
إِذَا مَا هِبَاتُ اللهِ كَانَتْ صَحِيفَةً
فَمَا هِيَ إلاَّ سَجْدَةٌ فِي الْمَوَاهِبِ
When the gifts of God are a parchment,
They are but a prostration in blessings.
