زارتْ ونجْمُ الدُجَى يشْكو منَ الأرَقِ
والزّهْرُ سابِحَةٌ في لُجّةِ الأفُقِ
The star of dusk complained of insomnia,
And the flowers were swimming in the abyss of the horizon.
واللّيلُ منْ روْعةِ الإصْباحِ في دهَشٍ
قدْ شابَ مفرِقُهُ منْ شِدّةِ الفَرَقِ
The night was amazed at the horror of dawn,
Its parting had turned white from intense separation.
وأوْشَكَتْ أنْ تضِلَّ القَصْدَ زائِرَةٌ
لوْلا أتَتْني في باقٍ منَ الرّمَقِ
A visitor almost lost her way,
Had she not come to me with some vigour left.
قالتْ تَناسَيْتَ عهْدَ الحُبِّ قُلْتُ لَها
لا والذي خلَقَ الإنسانَ منْ علَقِ
She said, “You forgot the pact of love.” I said, “No, by Him
Who created man from a clot.”
ما كان قطُّ تَناسِي العهْدِ من شِيَمي
ولا السُّلُوُّ عنِ الأحْبابِ منْ خُلُقي
Forgetting the pact was never my trait,
Nor was ignoring loved ones my habit.
ولا ترحّلْتُ عنْ مَغْناكِ منْ ملَلٍ
قد يُتْرَكُ الماءُ يوْماً خِيفَةَ الشّرقِ
I did not turn away from your song out of boredom,
Water may be left one day fearing urine.
كمْ ليلةٍ بتُّها والطّيْفُ يشهدُ لي
لمْ تطْعَمِ النّوْمَ أجْفاني ولمْ تذُقِ
How many nights I spent awake and my specter bears witness,
My eyelids did not taste sleep and did not rest.
أشكو الى النّجْمِ وهْناً ما أُكابِدُهُ
حتّى شَكا النّجْمُ منْ وجْدي ومِنْ قَلَقي
I complain to the stars of the affliction I endure,
Until even the stars complained of my passion and insomnia.
يا لائِميَّ أفِيقا منْ ملامِكُما
فإنّني مذْ سُقِيتُ الحُبَّ لمْ أفِقِ
O you who blame me, wake up from your blame,
Since I was given love, I did not wake.
هلْ تذْكُرانِ لَيالِينا وقد نفَحَتْ
ريحُ الصَّبا في رِياضِ للصَّبا عَبِقِ
Do you remember our nights when the Zephyr blew
Its fragrant breeze in the gardens of youth?
وإذْ نَعِمْنا برَغْمِ الدّهْرِ فيهِ وقدْ
عضّ الأنامِلَ منْ غيْظٍ ومِنْ حنَقِ
When we enjoyed despite fate’s displeasure,
Biting our fingers from anger and fury?
بكُلِّ ساحِرَةِ الألْبابِ آيَتُها
أنْ تُطْلِعَ الشّمْسَ في جُنْحٍ منَ الغسَقِ
With every enchantress, her sign
Is to bring out the sun from a side of darkness.
تُنازِعُ الغُصْنَ لدْناً في تأوّدِهِ
وتخْصِمُ الرّيمَ في الألحاظِ والعُنُقِ
She competes with the branch in tenderness,
And contends with looks and the neck in allurement.
والرّوضُ يجْلو عِذارِيَهْ وقدْ لبِسَتْ
عَقائِلُ الوُرْقِ دِيباجاً منَ الوَرَقِ
The meadow revealed its virgins, and the leaves wore
Green brocade garments.
كأنّما الغُصْنُ فيه شارِبٌ ثمِلٌ
بكأسِ مُصْطَبِحٍ في الأُنْسِ مغْتَبِقِ
As if the branch was an intoxicated reveler
Drinking from a cup in the cheer of the morning gathering.
فكلّما ارْتاحَ هزّ العِطْفَ منْ طرَبٍ
وزادَ زَهْواً بمَنْثورٍ منَ الوَرَقِ
Whenever it rested, it shook its tenderness from ecstasy,
And increased in beauty with its falling leaves.
كأنّما الدّوْحُ والأغصانُ جائِلَةٌ
قد جادَها كلُّ جهْمِ الغيْثِ مُندَفِقِ
As if the creepers and branches bowed down,
Flowing with the generosity of the rain.
كأنّما الطّلُّ إذ طُلَّ الشّقيقُ به
خدٌّ بصَفْحَتِهِ رشْحٌ منَ العَرَقِ
As if the stripes, when the anemones bloomed,
Were cheeks on which pearls of sweat flowed.
همّتْ ثُغورُ الأقاحي أنْ تُقَبّلهُ
فلِلْبَنفْسَجِ وجْهُ الواجِمِ الحَنِقِ
The mouths of buds intended to kiss it,
So the violet showed the anger of the sullen.
كأنّ أوْراقَهُ والرّيحُ تعطِفُها
سَواعِدٌ رفَعَتْ خُضراً منَ الورَقِ
As if its leaves and the blowing wind
Were arms raised in green sleeves.
كأنّما الآسُ آذانُ الجِيادِ وقدْ
شعَرْنَ بالرّوْعِ في قَفْرٍ منَ الطُرُقِ
As if the stallions were ears that sensed
Fear in an empty desert road.
كأنّما النّهْرُ في أثْنائِهِ أفُقٌ
والوَرْدُ في الشّطِّ منْهُ حُمرةُ الشّفَقِ
As if the river in its midst was a horizon,
And the flowers in the bank were the redness of sunset.
أو سيْفُ يوسُفَ يوْم الرّوْع سالَ بهِ
نَجيعُ أعْدائهِ المحمرُّ في الزُّرَقِ
Or Joseph’s sword on the day of battle which poured on his enemies,
Turning red in blue sheaths.
إمامُ عدْلٍ يُحبُّ اللهُ سيرَتَهُ
عفُّ العُيونِ كريمُ الخَلْقِ والخُلُقِ
A leader of justice whom God loves his conduct,
Gentle of eye, noble of manners and character.
أقامَ للدّينِ قِسْطاساً فأمّنَهُ
ما سامَهُ الجَوْرُ منْ بخْسٍ ومنْ رهَقِ
He instituted scales of justice and secured them
From the tyranny of embezzlement and exploitation.
وعمّ بالرِّفْقِ هذا القُطْرَ فابْتَدَرَتْ
تنْمي مآثِرَهُ جوّابَة الأفُقِ
He spread kindness in this country so its glories
Started to grow, awaking the horizon.
أقولُ للرّاكبِ المُزْجي مطِيّتَهُ
يحُثّها السّيْرَ بيْنَ النّصِ والعنَقِ
I say to the rider spurring his mare between briskness and emaciation,
As if she was hidden arrows darting from above,
يا زاجرَ العيسِ أنْضاءً مُضَمّرَةً
كأنّها أسْهمٌ يمرُقْنَ عنْ فوَقِ
A stalwart with no history of settling,
Of a body diminished and worn out.
أهِلّةٌ ما لَها عهْدٌ بمنزِلَةٍ
منْ كلِّ منْخَسِفِ الجثْمانِ منْمَحِقِ
Give your riders rest, you have arrived at meadows,
And attained the rope of God so cling to it.
أرِحْ رِكابَك قد أوْرَدْتَ في نهَلٍ
وقدْ ظفِرْتَ بحبْلِ اللهِ فاعْتلِقِ
You have reached the beloved abode whose attainer
Arrives at the gate of a kingdom racing to the gate of righteousness.
حلَلْتَ بالمنزِلِ المَحْبُوِّ نائِلُهُ
ببابِ ملْكٍ لبابِ البِرِّ مُسْتَبِقِ
It was built by truthful possessions, nay angels,
Each prudent in wisdom and articulate.
نمَتْهُ أمْلاكَ صِدْقٍ بلْ ملائِكَةً
منْ كلِّ مُحْتَزِمٍ بالحَزْمِ منْتَطِقِ
Their traces in the sky of the kingdom are apparent,
Guiding, and their mention is fragrant musk for the scent seeker.
آثارُهُمْ في سَماءِ المُلْكِ لائِحَةً
تَهْدي وذِكْرُهُمُ مسْكٌ لمُنْتَشِقِ
You have joined the rank of the elite supporters,
Among a group of patience and honesty in tribulations.
وحلّ منْ محتِدِ الأنصارِ منْتَسِباً
في معْشَرِ صُبرٍ عنْدَ الوَغى صُدُقِ
The party of the noble Prophet, if terror befalls them,
Will never weaken or constrict the space.
حِزْبُ النّبيّ الأُلَى إنْ روْعةٌ دهَمَتْ
مِلْءَ الفَضا لمْ تهِنْ ذَرْعاً ولم تضِقِ
O leader of steeds charging with them
The slight frames of the maidens, ululations and hand clapping.
يا قائِدَ الخيْلِ ترْدِي في أعنّتِها
هَزْلَى الأباطِن والأنْساءِ والصُّفُقِ
Each red rose you compete against
Gazelles and ostriches in colors and nature.
منْ كلِّ أحْمَرَ ورْديٍّ تُنازِعُهُ
ظِباءُ وجْرَةَ في الألْوانِ والخِلَقِ
Each gray charger piercing the sky of plains
As if a projectile hurtling to the thief.
وأشْهَبٍ في سَماءِ النّقْعِ مخْتَرِقٍ
كأنّه قاذِفٌ يهْوي لمُسْتَرِقِ
Each dusky horse, if you rouse him,
You would think a blackamoor exposing her legs.
وأدْهَمِ اللوْنِ إنْ أبْداكَ غُرّتَهُ
تخالُ زِنْجيّةً تفترُّ عن يَقَقِ
As if wading through a river of darkness
When shrouded by the darkness.
كأنّه وهْوَ بالظَّلْماءِ مُشْتَمِلٌ
خاضَتْ قَوائِمُهُ نهْراً منَ الفَلَقِ
The eyes of maidens fell in love with the piebald,
As if related to him through the pupil of the eye.
وأبْلَق شُغِفَتْ حُورُ العُيونِ بهِ
كأنّما عطَفَتْها نسبَةُ الحدَقِ
It shares with the night the perfection of its making,
As both agreed upon the separation.
تُشارِكُ اللّيْلَ في إحْكامِ صنْعَتِه
واليوْمَ واتّفَقا فيهِ علَى البَلَقِ
You are the one around whom swords quarrelled
Until truth ransomed the rule from stagnation.
أنتَ الذي خاصَمَتْ فيك السّيوفُ الى
أنْ خلّصَ الحقُّ رهْنَ المُلْكِ منْ غلَقِ
You have indeed protected the breach of Andalusia,
And its heart quivered from pounding.
وأنتَ أمّنْتَ حقاً ثغْرَ أنْدَلُسٍ
وقلْبُ ساكِنِها يرتجُّ منْ خفَقِ
The state of Islam has regained its ancestry,
While disbelief wears the flimsy garment.
قد عاوَدَتْ دولَةُ الإسلامِ جِدّتَها
والكُفْرُ مُشتَمِلٌ بالواهِنِ الخَلِقِ
So break the eggs and shake every conqueror,
Religion is flourishing and disbelief withering.
فأفْلِقِ البيضَ واهْزُزْ كلَّ غالِبَةٍ
فالدّينُ في مَرَحٍ والكُفْرُ في وهَقِ
When Rome coveted an opportunity and crawled
One day, spinelessly from its burrow.
حتى إذا الرّومُ رامَتْ فُرصَةً ونَزا
يوماً مُنافِقُها الأشْقَى عنِ النّفَقِ
So awe with your terror their amassed armies,
And strike with your happiness before the clashing swords.
فاهْزُز برُعْبِكَ قبلَ الجيْشِ ما جمَعوا
واضْرِبْ بسَعْدِكَ قبل الصّارمِ الذَّلِقِ
And anticipate victory and triumph whose traces
Spoke truly without pretense.
واسْتقْبلِ الفتْحَ والنّصْرَ الذي نطَقَتْ
آثارُه بصَحيحٍ غيرِ مُخْتَلَقِ
If the whites of swords thirst from yearning,
Quench them directly with clots of blood.
وإنْ شكَتْ مرْهَفاتُ البيضِ منْ ظمَأٍ
فسقِّها عَلَلاً صِرْفاً منَ العَلَقِ
If they incline towards peace and cling to
Its firm causes and relations,
وإنْ هُمُ جنَحوا للسِّلْمِ واعْتَلَقوا
منْها بمُسْتَحْكَمِ الأسْبابِ والعُلَقِ
Incline to it with God’s Scripture as your guide,
And take the lead when your chargers still have vigour.
اجْنَحْ لها بكتابِ اللهِ مُقْتدياً
إذ ذاكَ واسْتَبْقِ فلاًّ منْ ظُباكَ بَقي
Enjoy welcoming recurring seasons whose times
Are structured like the heels of spears in order.
واهْنأ بقابِلِ أعْيادٍ مَواسِمُها
منْظومةً ككُعوبِ الرُّمْحِ في نسَقِ
In the shade of a kingdom whose outskirts
Have a mantle from God protecting and preserving it.
في ظلِّ ممْلَكة منْ دونِ ساحَتِها
رِدْءٌ منَ اللهِ يحْمي حَوْزَها ويَقي
My Master made you leader, its necklaces
Adorned with consistent creativity and connection.
موْلايَ دونَكَها عِقْداً فرائِدُهُ
تُزْهى بمنتَظِمِ الإبْداعِ متّسقِ
The creepers love it, making its branches blossom
Green, and the two abodes envy its fragrance.
يوَدُّها الدوْحُ في أغْصانِهِ زهَراً
غضّاً وتحْسِدُها دارينُ في العبَقِ
The best of its eras smell as good as its latter days,
Such are the ways of excellence, appearing last.
تُزْري بطيبِ أواليها أواخرُها
كذلِكَ السّبْقُ يبْدو آخِرَ الطّلقِ
Had I come to the arena of the Arabs who preceded me,
I would not have been among the people except as the foremost.
لو جِئْتُ في حلْبَةِ العُرْبِ التي سبقَتْ
ما كُنْتُ في القوْمِ إلا حائِزَ السّبَقِ
If my time lagged behind their generation,
Perhaps the meaning of dawn comes in the latecomers.
وإنْ تأخّرَ بي عنْ جيلِهمْ زمَني
فربّما جاءَ معْنى الصّبْحِ في اللّحَقِ
Reason is like the sea, if its grandeur makes you anxious,
Then poetry fathoms its depths.
والعقْلُ كالبَحْرِ إن هالَتْكَ هيبتُهُ
فالشّعْرُ يسْبُرُ منْهُ مُنْتَهى العُمُقِ
If I fulfilled the meaning of praise, it is the produce
Of a garden whose clouds poured with your care.
فإنْ وفّيْتُ بمعنى المدْحِ فهْوَ جَنى
روْضٍ بإنعامِكَ السّحَّ الغَمامُ سُقي
If I fell short, I relied on an excuse
That whoever wanted to count pebbles and drops could not manage.
وإنْ عجَزْتُ فعَنْ عُذْرٍ وثقتُ بهِ
مَنْ رامَ عدَّ الحَصى والقَطْرَ لم يُطِقِ
If I fulfilled some words, perhaps
What sufficed of the necklace adorned the neck.
وإنْ وفَيْتُ ببَعْضِ القوْلِ رُبَّتَما
يكْفي منَ العِقْدِ ما قدْ حفَّ بالعُنُقِ
