من سَبْيِ سيبِكَ مِمَّا أنْبَتَتْ نِعَمُكَ
من دُرِّ بَحْرِكَ مِمَّا عَمَّهُ كَرَمُكْ
I am of the captives of your bounty, of all your favors brought to bloom,
Of the pearls of your sea, of all your generosity embraced.
حَتَّى أَتيتُكَ طِيباً طابَ مرتَعُهُ
وَسْطَ الرِّياضِ الَّتِي جادَتْ لَهَا دِيَمُكْ
Until I came to you as fragrance, sweetened by the pasture where it grew,
Amid the gardens upon which your lasting rains poured.
أَو كوكباً من نجومِ الحسنِ مطلَعُهُ
جَوُّ السَّماءِ الَّتِي مِنْ فَوْقِها هِمَمُكْ
Or as a star among the constellations of beauty, whose rising-place
Was heaven’s expanse, above which soar your aspirations.
من رِيقَتِي المِسْكُ بَلْ رَيَّاهُ من أَرَجِي
كَأَنَّما صافَحَتْنِي بالضُّحى شِيَمُكْ
Musk comes from my mouth—rather, its perfume comes from my own scent,
As though your noble qualities had clasped my hand at morning.
والغُصْنُ يَسْرِقُ من قَدِّي تَثَنِّيَهُ
رقصاً وحَاشا لَهُ مِمَّنْ غَدَتْ نِعَمُكْ
The bough steals all its swaying from my figure,
Dancing—though how unlike one whom your favors have claimed.
أَقولُ لِلْصُّبْحِ والدُّنْيا تُنيرُ بِهِ
يَا صُبْحُ مَنْ يَرَ وَجْهِي فَهْوَ مُتَّهِمُكْ
I say to dawn as through it the world grows bright:
“O dawn, whoever sees my face will accuse you.”
وكم دَعَوْتُ وجُنحُ الليلِ مُنْسَدِلٌ
يَا لَيْلُ شَعْرِيَ يَغْشَى الليلَ أَمْ ظُلَمُكْ
How often I called while the wing of night hung low:
“O night, does my hair veil the night, or does your darkness?”
وربَّ برقٍ خَبا لما هَتَفْتُ بِهِ
هيهاتَ من مَبْسِمِي يَا برقُ مُبْتَسَمُكْ
Many a flash of lightning died when I called to it:
“Far from it, O lightning—what is your smile beside my mouth?”
بدائِعٌ تقتضِي حَقِّي لَدَيْكَ وَقَدْ
رأَيتُ آمالَ أَهلِ الأَرْضِ تَقْتَسِمُكْ
These wonders press my rightful claim upon you, though
I have seen the hopes of all earth’s people contending for you.
لعلَّ عطفَكَ يَا مولايَ يأْذَنُ لِي
فِي وَضْعِ خَدِّيَ حَيْثُ اسْتَوْطَأَتْ قَدَمُكْ
Perhaps your kindness, my lord, will permit me
To lay my cheek where your foot has trodden,
وتَبْلُوَ السِّرَّ من قولٍ يُرَدِّدُهُ
إِلَيْكَ قَلْبِيَ لا يَعْيا بِهِ فَهَمُكْ
And to sound the secret in words that
My heart repeats to you—your understanding will not fail to grasp them.
ما شَيَّدَ الكُفْرُ حِصْناً من بلادِهِمُ
إِلّا ليخقِقَ فِي أَبراجِهِ عَلَمُكْ
Unbelief built no fortress in their lands
But that your banner might fly upon its towers.
ولا تَذَوَّقَ طَعْمَ الأَمْنِ ذو حَذَرٍ
من النَّوائِبِ حَتَّى ضَمَّهُ حَرَمُكْ
No wary soul ever tasted the savor of safety
From calamities until your sanctuary enfolded him.
ولا تَعَذَّرَ من طالَبْتَ مُهْجَتَهُ
ولا تَمَنَّعَ إِلّا من حَمَتْ ذِمَمُكْ
No one whose life you sought ever proved beyond reach,
And none found protection save those your covenants protected.
ولا تَنَسَّمَ من عاداكَ مَنْفَسَهُ
حَتَّى تَحِلَّ بأَقصى دارِهِ نِقَمُكْ
No enemy of yours ever drew a breath of respite
Before your vengeance reached the farthest part of his home.
