نِعَمٌ يُبَشِّرُ بَدْؤُها بِتَمامِ

فَتْحُ القُدُومِ ونُصْرَةُ الإِقْدَامِ

A good omen heralded by the completion of the opening

And the triumph of determination

وُدِّعْتَ مَحْمُوداً وَصَلْتَ مُظَفَّراً

فاقدَمْ بِطِيبِ تحيَّةٍ وسَلامِ

You were bidden farewell auspiciously and you arrived victoriously

So proceed with kind regards and peace

والبَسْ بِعِزَّةِ مَنْ سَعَيْتَ لِنَصْرِهِ

تاجَ الجلالِ وحُلَّةَ الإِعْظَامِ

And wear the glory of the one you strove to champion

The crown of majesty and the robe of reverence

واسْعَدْ لِعِزِّ الدِّينِ والدُّنيا مَعاً

واسلَمْ لنَصْرِ اللهِ والإِسلامِ

And find joy in the glory of religion and this world alike

And submit to the victory of God and Islam

وَعْداً عَلَيْهِ أَن يُتِمَّ عَلَى الورى

بكَ أَنعُماً موصولَةً بِدَوَامِ

With the promise to perfect for all creation through you

Abundant and enduring blessings

قَرُبَتْ عَلَيْكَ منَ الأَعادِي غايَةٌ

قَدْ طالما بَعُدَتْ عَلَى الأَوْهامِ

The ultimate goal of the enemies has drawn near you

After having long seemed beyond conception

وسَلَلْتَ سيفَ اللهِ طالِبَ ثأْرِهِ

من آلِ جالُوتٍ ونَثْرَةِ حامِ

And you unsheathed the sword of God, seeking vengeance

From the people of Goliath and the remnants of Ham

ورَفَعْتَ أَعلامَ الهُدى فِي جَحْفَلٍ

كالليلِ تَحْتَ كواكِبِ الأَعْلامِ

And you raised the banners of guidance over the army

Like the night under the stars of flags

بِسَوَابِقٍ رَفَعَتْ شِراعَ خوافِقٍ

كالفُلْكِ فِي آذِيّ بحرٍ طامِ

With outstanding feats that raised the sails of concord

Like a ship in a raging, tumultuous sea

يَسْتَرْجِفُ الإِسراجُ عِزَّ نفوسِها

حَتَّى تَسَكِّنَهُنَّ بالإِلْجامِ

Their fiery zeal is restless

Until it is calmed by restraint

وأُسُودِ غابٍٍ مَا تَلَذُّ حَياتَها

حَتَّى تُدِيرَ بِهَا كؤوسَ حِمامِ

And the lions whose delight in life

Comes from decimating the cups of the dispute

مُتَنازِعِي مُهَج العُدَاةِ كَأَنَّما

يَتَنَادَمُونَ عَلَى رَحيقِ مُدَامِ

Contending for the entrails of the foe as though

They were relishing over wine

مُسْتَقْدِمِينَ إِلَيْهِمُ بِأَسِنَّةٍ

أَوْلى من الأَرْوَاحِ بالأَجْسامِ

Rushing towards them with tongues

Closer to their souls than their bodies

هَتَكُوا بِهَا حُجُبَ التَّرَائِبِ فاصْطَلَتْ

أَحشاؤُها جَمْرَ الوطيسِ الْحامِي

They tore through the veils of caution, exposing

Their inner rage like burning embers

وقواضِبٍ نَبَذَتْ إِلَيْكَ لتَتْرُكَنْ

هامَ الأَعادِي لِلصَّدى والهامِ

And steeds who cast themselves before you to leave

The enemies confused and distraught

سُرُجٍ لِدِينِ الحَقِّ إِلّا أَنَّها

كَسَتِ الضَّلالَ دياجِيَ الإِظْلامِ

Torches for the religion of truth, though they

Clad the darkness in radiant attire

بَرَقَتْ عَلَى الأَعْدَاءِ غَيْرَ خَوَالِبٍ

فِي عارِضٍ لِلْمَوْتِ غَيْرِ جَهامِ

They shone over the enemies without fear

With death looming, without retreat

فكأَنَّما اسْتَسْقَوْا حَياهُ وَقَدْ رَأَوْا

أَنَّ الصَّوَاعِقَ فِي مُتُونِ غَمامِ

It was as if they begged for life after seeing

The lightning in the clouds of gathering gloom

حَمَلُوا قُلُوبَ الأُسْدِ نَحْوَكَ فانْثَنَوْا

مستبدِلينَ بِهَا قُلُوبَ نَعَامِ

They carried the hearts of lions towards you, faltering

Replacing them with the hearts of ostriches

من كُلِّ مُنْتَهِكِ المحَارِمِ بارِزٍ

بِدَمٍ عَلَى الإِسلامِ غيرِ حَرَامِ

Every violator of sanctity who bloodied

Islam, though not forbidden blood

لم يَعْبُدُوا الأَصْنامَ إِلّا أَنَّهُمْ

عَبَدُوا الغُرورَ عبادَةَ الأَصْنامِ

They worshipped idols not, but worshipped delusion

With the worship of idols

كم فِي بُرُودِ عَجاجِها من مُفَرَشٍ

ظَهْرَ الصَّعِيدِ مُوَسَّدٍ بِسَلامِ

How many laid to rest in the cool stillness of the tomb

Their backs to the ground in tranquility

أَشْمَسْتَهُ عَفَرَ التُّرَابِ ورُبَّما

حَطَّ الرَّوَاسِيَ من فُرُوعِ شِمامِ

You warmed the cold earth, and perhaps

It welcomed the branches of acacia trees

وسَطَا الرَّغَامُ بأَنْفِهِ ولطالما

غَادى أُنوفَ الدينِ بالإِرْغَامِ

Often the dust clogged his nostrils, after he

Defended the noses of the faith forcibly

دامِي اللَّبانِ كَأَنَّ مَفْحَصَ نَحْرِهِ

وَجَناتُ مُعْوِلَةً عَلَيْهِ دَوَامِ

Pouring forth ambergris, as if the slit in his throat

And the palm trees leaning on him were eternal

فَغَدا الثَّرى رَيَّانَ من دَمِهِ ومِنْ

دَمْعٍ عَلَيْهِ بالقَضَاءِ سِجَامِ

The earth became moist with his blood, and with

Tears fatefully shed over him

جَزَراً لأَيْسارٍ منَ البَيْدَاءِ لا

يَسْتَقْسِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ بالأَزْلامِ

Masses from the open desert not divided

Among them by lot casting

حَتَّى إِذَا صابَتْ بِقُرٍّ وانْثَنَى

ثَمَرُ الغِوَايَةِ مُؤْذِناً بِصِرَامِ

Until when the arrow hit its mark and the fruit

Of misguidance bent indicating decisiveness

ورَمَتْ أَكُفٌّ بالصَّوارِمِ والقَنا

كَيْما تَمُدَّ إِلَيْكَ بِاسْتِسْلامِ

And hands reached for the swords and spears

As if to surrender to you

وتَيَقَّنَ الإِسلامُ عَوْدَةَ رَحْمَةٍ

تُبْرِي من الأَوْصابِ والأَسْقامِ

And Islam felt assured the return of grace

That would cure wounds and illness

وتنسَّمَ الظَّمْآنُ رَوْحَ مَشارِبٍ

يُشْفَى بِهِنَّ غليلُ كُلِّ أُوَامِ

And the thirsty breathed the air of springs

That would relieve all suffering

نَفِسَ النَّجاحَ عَلَيْكَ مَنْ أَقْسامُهُ

من فَوْزِ قِدْحِكَ أَوْفَرُ الأَقْسامِ

Success itself wished you well, he whose destiny

Was the greatest share of triumph

وهَفَتْ بِهِ خُدَعُ الظُّنُونِ وَلَمْ يَزَلْ

حَسَدُ القرابَةِ طائِشَ الأَحْلامِ

It confounded baseless assumptions, which had not ceased

To blindly envy kinship

فَدَنا لِغِرَّةِ مُنْتَواكَ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ

من أُسْدِهِنَّ مَرَابِضُ الآجَامِ

So the fateful night drew near your resting place after

The lionesses' dens were vacated

ودَعَا السَّوَامَ إِلَى حِماكَ وَلَمْ تَغِبْ

إلّا لِتُبلي دونها وتحامي

And it called the wild beasts to your protection, never absent

Except to confront and defy the enemies

فبرى العداةُ لرميِ ظلِّك أسهُماً

خابَتْ وصائبُها لأَخْيَبِ رَامِ

Then the foes revealed their ineffectual arrows

Their strikes went astray, failing to hit their mark

هل يَنْقِمُونَ سِوى سَجِيَّةِ حافِظٍ

حقَّ الأَواصِرِ واصِلِ الأَرْحامِ

Can they resent anything but the loyalty of one

True to family ties and maintaining relations?

سَهِدِ الجفونِ طويلِ آناءِ السُّرَى

عن أَعْيُنٍ تَحْتَ السُّجُوفِ نِيامِ

Or the sleepless, tearful eyes night after night

Under exhausted, slumbering lids?

أَوْ يَحْسُدُونَكَ رُتْبَةً فَليَرْتَقُوا

فَالشَّمْسُ فِي جَوِّ السماءِ السَّامِي

Or do they envy your status? Let them ascend,

For the sun roams the lofty celestial sphere

أَمْ أَبْرَمُوا أَمْراً يَسُوؤُكَ ذِكْرُهُ

فاللهُ ناقِضُ ذَلِكَ الإِبْرَامِ

Or did they scheme something which vexes you by mention?

God will undo such plotting

فاسْعَدْ بما اخْتارَ الَّذِي فِي أَمْرِهِ

خَيْرُ القضاءِ وأَيْمَنُ الأَحْكَامِ

So rejoice in what the Wisest of all has ordained

The best decree and most virtuous judgment

ولَئِنْ وَنى قَدرٌ إِلَى أَجَلٍ فَلا

عَدَمُ الصَّوَابِ ولا نُبُوُّ حُسامِ

If fate should turn toward a date, it does not indicate

Misguidance, nor the drawing of swords

ونَبِيُّنا لَكَ أُسْوَةٌ فِي رَدِّهِ

عن أَرْضِ مَكَّةَ مُعْلِنَ الإِحْرامِ

Our Prophet is for you an exemplar in his rebuff

Openly performing pilgrim rites outside Mecca

فأَثَابَهُ الفتحَ القريبَ وبَعْدَهُ

تصدِيقُ رُؤْيَاهُ لأَوَّلِ عَامِ

But soon the nearby conquest rewarded him

And the fulfillment of his vision in the first year

والعَوْدُ أَحْمَدُ مَا لأَوَّلِ لَيْلَةٍ

يَبْدُو هِلالُ الأَفْقِ بَدْرَ تَمامِ

The best return is like the first crescent moon

Signaling the horizon's perfect fullness

وكَفَاكَ مَنْ وَطِئَتْ خُيُولُكَ مِنْهُمُ

كِيوَانَ واصْطَلَمَتْ سَنَا بَهْرَامِ

It was enough that your steeds trampled their Kayan

And your sword humbled their Sana Bahram

وجَعَلْتَ سَيْفَكَ ماثِلاً لنفوسِهِمْ

يَحْتَثُّها بخَوَاطِرِ الأَوْهَامِ

You let your blade hover over their souls

Uprooting delusions from their minds

وتَرَكْتَ هادِرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ شقاشِقٍ

رَهْباً وغارِبَهُمْ بغَيْرِ سَنامِ

You left their militants without armor

And their warlords without glory

وتَرَكْتَ فَلَّ ذِئابِهِمْ وضِباعِهِمْ

مُتَرَقِّبِينَ لِكَرَّةِ الضِّرْغَامِ

You left the packs of their wolves and hyenas

Anticipating the next feeding frenzy

هَلْ ينظُرُونَ سِوى تأَلُّقِ حاجِبٍ

لِلشَمْسِ يَصْدَعُ ثَوْبَ كُلِّ ظلامِ

Do they expect anything but the radiant gleam

Of the rising sun rending the cloak of darkness?

أَوْ يُوجِسُ السَّمْعُ النَّذِيرَ بِمُنْذِرٍ

ضَرِمَ العَجَاجِ مُصَمِّمَ الصَّمْصامِ

Or the warning ears sense the harbinger

Of calamity, intent on collision?

مَلِكٌ إِذَا أَلْقى رواسِيَ بَأْسِهِ

كَفَلَتْ لَهُ بِزَلازِلِ الأَقْدَامِ

A king, when he plants firm the foundations of his might

The feet are quick to surrender to him

قادَ العُلا بِزِمَامِ كُلِّ فَضيلَةٍ

واقْتادَهُ الرَّاجِي بِغَيْرِ زِمَامِ

He led the ascendant with the reins of every virtue

And the hopeful followed without reins

فَاَبْشِرْ فَقَدْ نَبَّهتَ نائِمَةَ المُنى

ونَظَمْتَ دِينَ اللهِ خَيْرَ نِظامِ

So rejoice! You have awakened the sleeping wishes

And composed the religion of God in the best order

وقَرَرْتَ عَيْناً بِالَّذِي قرَّتْ بِهِ

عَيْنُ الزَّمَانِ وأَعْيُنُ الإِسْلامِ

And you rested assured in the guidance of the best guide

And relied in the most high upon the best imam

قَمَرٌ يُنِيرُ عَلَى بَنانِ يَمِينِهِ

شهبُ القَنا وكواكِبُ الأَقْلامِ

He is worthy of having his rule upheld

To keep safe my ties and covenants

وَرِثَ الجُدُودَ مَناقِباً ومساعياً

تَرَكتْ كِرامَ الأَرْضِ غَيْرَ كِرَامِ

And I am worthy of praising his glory

With melodies and the song of doves

وعُلاً تَحَلَّتْ بالسَّناءِ وتَوَّجَتْ

بالمَكْرُماتِ مَفارِقَ الأَيَّامِ

And sending pilgrims with his good mention

As provision for ambition and resolve

باهى بِهِ الأَمْلاكَ أَعْلى مُنْجِبٍ

ونَماهُ للآمالِ أَكْرَمُ نامِ

Until the horizons and the morning and evening winds

Diffuse with their praise from meadows and thickets

فاسْتَنَّ فِي الحُسْنى بأَهْدى مُرْشِدٍ

وائتَمَّ فِي العَلْيا بِخَيْرِ إِمامِ

And the reward for sheltering my desolate wandering

And opening your meadow for my beasts to graze

فَهُوَ الجديرُ بأَنْ يُؤَكَّدَ عَقْدُهُ

فِي حِفْظِ عهدِ وسائِلِي وذِمامِي

And bringing the sea of life to me, initiating

The revival of my languishing spirits' vitality

وأنا الجديرُ بأَنْ أُشِيدَ بِحَمْدِهِ

نَغَماتِ أَوْتارٍ وشَدْوَ حَمامِ

And showing me a face whose light eclipsed

The plights of exile and darkness of oblivion

وأُجَهِّزَ الرُّكْبانَ طَيِّبَ ذِكْرِهِ

زاداً إِلَى الإِنْجادِ والإِتهَامِ

I found your shade after the turmoil of my roaming

The abode of hope and home of honor

حَتَّى تَفُوحَ لَكَ الجَنائِبُ والصَّبا

بِثَنائِها من مُعْرِقٍ وَشَآمِي

So it was as if your face was the feast of breaking fast

Fulfilling my fast after prolonged fasting

وجَزَاءُ مَا آوَيْتَ وَحْشَ تَغَرُّبِي

وفَسَحْتَ رَوْضَكَ لارْتِعاءِ سَوَامِي

And as if your shade was the Night of Power

Which recompensed my vigils and devotion

وفَعَمْتَ لي بَحْرَ الحياةِ مُبادِراً

بحياةِ ذابِلَةِ الكُبُودِ ظَوَامِي

Let the horizons know you are a gracious benefactor

And I am thankful for your blessings

وبَسَطْتَ لي وَجْهاً كَسَفْتَ بِنُورِهِ

كُرَبَ الجَلاءِ وَخَلَّةَ الإِعْدَامِ

وَوَجَدْتُ ظِلَّكَ بَعْدَ يأْسِ تَقَلُّبِي

وَطَنَ الرَّجَاءِ ومَنْزِلَ الإِكْرَامِ

فكَأَنَّ وجهَكَ غُرَّةُ الفِطْرِ الَّذِي

وافى بِفِطْرِيَ بَعْدَ طُولِ صِيامِي

وكَأَنَّ ظِلَّكَ لَيْلَةُ القَدْرِ الَّتِي

كَفَلَتْ بأَجْرِ تَهَجُّدِي وقِيامِي

ولْتَعْلَمِ الآفاقُ أَنَّكَ مُنْعِمٌ

حقّاً وأَنِّيَ شاكِرُ الإِنْعامِ