تَسَلَّيْتَ حَتَّى أُنْسِيَ الهائِمُ الهَمَّا

وأَغْنَيْتَ حَتَّى أُعْدِمَ المُعْدِمُ العُدْمَا

You give solace until the anxious forgets anxiety,

And you enrich until the annihilator abolishes annihilation.

وإِلّا فكيفَ اغتالَتِ القُطْبَ والسُّها

وعارَضَتِ الجوزاءَ واعْتامَتِ النَّجْما

Otherwise, how could Capricorn and Cancer be overcome?

And Gemini intercepted and the star obscured?

وكيفَ دَنَتْ منكَ الخطوبُ وَمَا رَجَتْ

بساحَةِ من والاكَ ظُلْماً ولا هَضْما

And how could misfortunes approach you without advancing or retreating

In the domain of one who allies with you, unjustly or vengefully?

وكيفَ ابْتَغَتْ للسُّقْمِ عِنْدَكَ موضِعاً

وأَنتَ الَّذِي يشفي الإِلَهُ بِهِ السُّقْما

And how could illness seek a place near you

When you are the one God uses to cure illness?

وكم رُعْتَها بالسَّيْفِ فِي كُلِّ بَلْدَةٍ

فإِنْ أَقْدَمَتْ يَوْماً ففِي بَسْطِكَ السَّلْما

And how often have you guarded it with the sword in every land -

If it dares one day, it will be in your peaceful embrace.

أَلا أَقْدَمَتْ فِي حَوْمَةِ الموتِ والرَّدى

تُطارِدُهُ حمرا وتبهره قدما

Indeed, it ventured into the frenzy of death and destruction,

Chasing it red and dazzling it white.

وَهَلَّا وأَبْصارُ الكُماةِ شواخِصٌ

وبِيضُ الظُّبى تَحْمى وسُمْرُ القَنا تَدْمى

Why not, while the eyes of the champions are watchful,

And the white forelocks protect and the tips of the spears redden?

وَمَا كَانَتِ الحُمَّى بأَوَّلِ كاشِحٍ

سَعى لَكَ بالبُؤْسَى فجازَيْتَهُ النُّعْمَى

The fever was not with the first assailant -

It sought your misery, but you rewarded it with bounty.

فأَوْلَيْتَها الصَّبْرَ اللَّجوجَ إِلَى العِدى

وَعَرَّفْتَها الصَّبْرَ الخَرُوجَ من الغُمَّى

You made it yield to obstinacy unto justice,

And you taught it to show patience to overcome tribulation.

ومن قبلُ مَا أَوْسَعْتَها صَدْرَ صافِحٍ

ونفساً يَلَذُّ المِسْكَ أَنفاسُها شَمَّا

And before, how you expanded the chest of a greeter,

A soul that finds the scent of musk exhilarating!

فإِنْ جُدِّدَتْ فِي بُعْدِها لَكَ صِحَّةٌ

فمِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ زَوَّدْتَها الطِّيبَ والحلْما

If your health is renewed after distance from you,

It is because you first provided it with goodness and forbearance.

وإِنْ تَلْقَ جِسْماً بعد جِسْمِكَ فِي الورى

وكَيْفَ بِهَا أَنْ تَرْتَضِي بَعْدَهُ جِسْما

And if it encounters a body after yours in existence,

How can it be content with another body after you?

فَقَدْ أَهْدَتِ البُشْرى إِلَيْهِ وأَفْرَغَتْ

عَلَيْهِ السُّرورَ المَحْضَ والكَرَمَ الجَمَّا

For it gave good tidings to him and lavished

Upon him pure happiness and abundant nobility.

وَمَا نَقَصَتْ منكَ الليالي فَعُوَّدٌ

عَلَيْكَ بِهِ إِلّا الخَطِيئَةَ والإِثْما

And the nights have not detracted anything from you -

An accustomed sin and wrongdoing to you.

وعندَ ذُبُولِ الرَّوْضِ يُرْجى لَهُ الحَيا

وعِنْدَ محاقِ البدرِ يَسْتَقْبِلُ التِّما

When the meadow withers, its revival is hoped for,

And when the full moon wanes, it faces completion.

ومَنْ يَصْلَ نارَ الحربِ فِي جاحِمِ الوغى

فلا غَرْوَ أَن يَحصى حشاهُ وأَنْ يَحْمى

Whoever joins the battle fire in the raging fray

Should not be surprised if his footsteps and body burn.

ولا عَجَبٌ من وَهْن جسمٍ تعاوَرَتْ

قواهُ الحصونَ الصُّمَّ والمُدُنَ الشُّمَّا

It is no wonder that a body falters, whose strength

Assailed the deaf fortresses and protected cities.

فَبَسْطَةُ باعٍ جازَتِ الوَهْمَ والمدى

ورَحْبُ ذِراعٍ حازَتِ العُرْبَ والعُجْما

For the outstretched hand surpasses conception and range,

And the broad arm encompasses both Arab and foreigner.

فإِنْ يَبْقَ من شكواكَ باقٍ فَهَذِهِ

تمائِمُكَ اللاتي شَفَيْتَ بِهَا قِدْما

If any of your sorrows remain, here are your amulets

With which you have healed your steps.

خيولاً كساها الجَوُّ نُوراً فأَقْدَمَتْ

مُحَجَّلَةً غُرّاً وإِنْ نُتِجَتْ دُهْما

Horses the atmosphere clothed with light, so they advanced

Adorned with valor, even if spawned as cowards.

وبيضاً تَشَكَّتْ من شَكاتِكَ وَحْشَةً

بما أَنِسَتْ حَتَّى قَرَنْتَ بِهَا العَزْما

And white steeds that feared your fearlessness,

Until you tamed them and tied them with resolve.

وسُمْراً كَأَنَّ الليلَ لما سَرَيْتَهُ

كَسا كُلَّ لَدْنٍ من كواكِبِهِ نَجْما

And chestnut as if when you paraded night,

You clothed every tender part of it with a star.

وكُلَّ غَريقٍ فِي الحديدِ كَأَنَّما

تَسَرْبَلَ من غَزْلِ الغزالَةِ واعْتَمَّا

And every one drowning in iron as if

He was wearing the yarn of a doe and took cover.

تهاوَتْ بِهِ الأَهواءُ حَتَّى أَمَمْتَهُ

إِلَى طاعَةِ الرحمنِ فانْقَادَ وائتَمَّا

The passions collapsed around it until you guided it

To obeying the Merciful, so it yielded and took cover.

فلم يَدْرِ إِلّا ظِلَّ مُلْكِكَ مَوْطِناً

ولا والِداً إِلّا لَدَيْكَ ولا أُمَّا

It knew no home but the shade of your kingdom,

No father but in your presence, nor mother.

ويا ذَا الرِّياساتِ افْتَتِحْ فَقَدِ انْجَلَتْ

فواتِحُكَ اللاتِي ضَمِنَّ لَكَ الحَتْما

O holder of leadership, unleash, for your openings have shone,

Those that guaranteed triumph for you.

ويا مُنْذِرَ الراياتِ والسَّابحاتِ قُمْ

فأَنْذِرْ عِداكَ الذُّلَّ والخِزْيَ والرَّغْما

And o warning of flags and armadas, arise

And warn your enemies of humiliation, disgrace and coercion.

ونادَتْ بكَ الدنيا أَبا الحَكَمِ احْتَكِمْ

بِحَوْلِ الَّذِي أَلقى إِلَى يَدِكَ الحُكْما

The world called you, O father of wisdom, judge!

By the power that cast leadership into your hands.

وأَوْفِ عَلَى العَلْياءِ واسْتَوفِ أَنعُماً

حباكَ الَّذِي يَحْبُو بأَجْزَلِها قِسْما

And fulfill upon the noble and obtain bounties -

The love for you which rises to give in plenty.