وَفِي غَياباتِ أَطْباقِ الخطوبِ شَجٍ

بالبَيْنِ يَيْأَسُ أَحياناً ويَنْتَظِرُ

In the absences of destiny's tribulations

Sometimes despairing of separation, sometimes hoping

مُظاهِرٌ بَيْنَ لَيْلَيْ كُرْبَةٍ ودُجىً

لا يُرْتَجى لَهُما فَجْرٌ ولا سَحَرُ

Appearances between two nights of sorrow and gloom

For which no dawn or daybreak is hoped

قَدْ أَخْرَسَ الدهرُ منهُ مَنْطِقاً هَتَفَتْ

عنهُ الرَّزايا أَلا غادٍ فَمُعْتَبِرُ

Time has been struck dumb, voices silenced -

Oh heedless one, be admonished!

لِمُعْتَلِي هِمَّةٍ بَيْنَ النجومِ هَوَتْ

بِهِ النجومُ بِرُزْءٍ مَا لَهُ وَزَرُ

For one aspiring beyond the stars they sank

Upon him without burden or consequence

وتِلْكَ آثارُهُ بالمَشْرِقَيْنِ سَناً

للعينِ والعَيْنُ لا حَظٌّ ولا أَثَرُ

And those are his traces in the two horizons, years

Visible to the eye, though the eye discerns no trace

حانٍ عَلَى كَرِشٍ منثورةٍ سُلُبٍ

يكادُ من شَجْوِهِنَّ النَّجْمُ يَنْتَثِرُ

Scattered upon shredded chairs of ruin, despoiled

The stars nearly scattered from their lamentation

أُبْرِزْنَ من سُتُرِ الإِكرامِ وانْسَدَلَتْ

من الهوانِ عَلَيْنا بَعْدَهُ سُتُرُ

Reveal yourselves from behind the veil of honor and descend

The mantle of disgrace upon us after him

يُخْفِي التَّعَفُّفَ مَثْوانا فلَيْسَ لِذِي

أُنْسٍ إِلَى وَحْشِنا سَمْعٌ ولا بَصَرُ

Modesty hides our dwelling places, so one with no

Hearing or sight has access to our desolation

ولا يَدٌ غيرَ أَيدِي الظُّلْمِ تَعرِفُنا

ولا بغيرِ دُموعِ العينِ نَنْتَصِرُ

No hands know us but the hands of injustice

Through no tears but those of our eyes can we prevail

نَرْعى الهَشيمَ ونَمْتَصُّ الثِّمارَ وَقَدْ

أَظَلَّ أَنهارَنا الأَغصانُ والثَّمَرُ

We graze on debris and nibble fruit though

Our rivers are shaded by branches and fruit

والأَرضُ مَضْجَعُ أَبْشارٍ مُمَهَّدَةٍ

لَهَا الأَرائِكُ فِي الأَكْنانِ والسُّرُرُ

The earth a banquet hall spread out

With couches in its nooks and alcoves

وتحتَ أَجْنَحَةِ الإِشفاقِ حانِيةً

حُمْرُ الحواصِلِ لا ماءٌ ولا شَجَرُ

Under wings of compassion, the red hills

Parched with no water or trees

إذَا تَضَرَّمَ بالشَّكْوى تَحَلَّلَهُ

وَجْهٌ بماءِ الحَياءِ العِدِّ يَنْفَجِرُ

When it laments its misfortune, a face

Flows with the water of diffident tears

وهل بِسَمْعِكَ يَا يَحْيَى حَيِيتَ لَنا

عن دَعْوَتي زَوَرٌ أَوْ عَنْكَ لي وَزَرُ

And has my call, O Yahya, revived for us

False hope, or do I unjustly blame you?

وهَلْ بِمَدْحِكَ أَسْتَقْضيكَ عارِفَةً

بَلِ الغَمامُ بِطَبْعِ السَّكْبِ يَنْهَمِرُ

Do I summon you in praise, knowing

The clouds pour down without need of beseeching?

وإِنَّ أَوْلى بِمُهْدٍ فيكَ مِدْحَتَهُ

لَوْ جاءَ قَبْلُ مِنَ التَّقْصِيرِ يَعْتَذِرُ

And worthier of rest in you is he who would apologize

For remissness before offering praise

وأَيْنَ نَظمي ونَثْرِي من حُلى مَلِكٍ

تُتْلى بِمَفْخَرِهِ الآياتُ والسُّوَرُ

Where are my poems and prose amidst the adornments of a king

Recited in his glory beside verses and surahs?

وكيفَ يَبْلُغ سَبْقِي فِي مَدَائِحِهِ

مَدىً تقاصَرَ عنهُ الجِنُّ والبَشَرُ

How can my compositions reach the extent

Beyond which jinn and mankind fall short in his praise?

لِيَهْنِكَ الفِطْرُ والأَعيادُ تتبعُهُ

فِي عِزِّ مُلْكِكَ مَا فِي صفوِهِ كَدَرُ

May his festivals and feasts follow him to the glory

Of his reign without discord marring their joy

والنَّصرُ مُتَّصِلٌ والفَتْحُ مُقْتَبَلٌ

سارٍ فَمُدَّلِجٌ غادٍ فَمُبْتَكِرُ

Victory unbroken, opening triumphantly

One conquering, one emerging to vanquish anew

وَقَدْ تسابَقَتِ البُشْرَى إِلَيْكَ بِما

بِهِ توالَتْ إِلَى أَعادائِكَ النُّذُرُ

And good tidings raced to bring you news

Portending endless woes for your enemies

فالْبَسْ ثيابَ ثَناءٍ حَلْيُ عاتِقِها

سيفٌ عَلَى الثَّغْرِ لا يُبْقِي ولا يَذَرُ

So don on the raiment of praise, its collar a sword

At the ready, sparing and smiting without distinction

لعلَّنا نَرِدُ الماءَ الَّذِي صَدَرَتْ

عنهُ الحوائِمُ وِرْداً مَا لَهُ صَدَرُ

That we may regain the water that gushed forth

In abundance, inexhaustible for all

وتَنْجَلِي ظُلُماتُ الخطْبِ عن أُمَمٍ

لا الشَّمْسُ آفِلَةٌ عنها ولا القَمَرُ

And the gloom of disasters lifts from peoples

Eclipsed neither by fading sun nor waning moon

بأَوْجُهِ الفاطِمِيِّينَ الَّتِي شَهِدَتْ

شمسُ الضُّحى أَنَّها فِي وجهِها غُرَرُ

In the faces of the Fatimids, which the sun at dawn witnessed

Were mysteries beyond all creation's ken