تُفْشي يَداكَ سَرائرَ الأَغْمادِ
لِقِطافِ هامٍ واختِلاءِ هَوادِ
You spread your hands to uncover the secrets of sheaths
To pluck ripe fruits and traverse valleys.
إلّا على غزوٍ يُبيدُ بِهِ العِدى
للِّه من غزوٍ لَهُ وجهادِ
Except for a conquest that destroys the enemy,
For God, what conquest and jihad!
وعَزائِمٍ تَرمِيهُمُ بِضَراغِمٍ
تستأصلُ الآلافَ بالآحادِ
And determination that rains them with spears
That uproot thousands by individuals.
مِن كلّ ذِمْرٍ في الكَريهَةِ مُقْدِمٍ
صَالٍ لِحَرّ سَعيرها الوقّادِ
From every regiment in the battle, a leader
Charging the heat of its burning fire.
كسنادِ مَسمُرَةٍ وقَسوَرِ غَيضَةٍ
وعُقابِ مَرْقَبَةٍ وَحَيّةِ وادِ
Like the striking of a well-fastened spear and the overflowing rage
And swooping eagle and snake of the valley.
وكَأَنَّهُم في السّابِغاتِ صَوارِمٌ
والسّابِغاتِ لَهُم مِنَ الأَغمادِ
As if they are in the quivers, swords
And for them the quivers are sheaths.
أُسْدٌ عَلَيهِم من جُلودِ أَراقمٍ
قُمُصٌ أزِرّتُها عيونُ جرادِ
A lion over them of pelts of sand grouse
A shirt whose sleeves are locusts' eyes.
ما صَوْنُ دينِ مُحَمَّدٍ من ضَيمِهِ
إلّا بسيفكَ يومَ كلّ جِلادِ
No protection of Muhammad’s religion from its oppression
Except by your sword on the day of every executioner.
وطُلوعِ راياتٍ وقَودِ جَحافلٍ
وقِراعِ أَبطالٍ وكَرِّ جِيادِ
And the rising of flags and burning of crowds
And clashing of heroes and trotting of steeds.
وَلَدَيكَ هذا كُلَّه عن رائِحٍ
من نَصْرِ ربّكَ في الحروبِ وغادِ
And for you all this comes from a breeze
Of your Lord’s victory in wars and battles.
إِنَّ اهتمامَكَ بالهدى عن همّةٍ
علويَّةِ الإِصدارِ والإِيرادِ
Your concern for guidance comes from a spirit
High in resolve and initiation.
وإقامَةُ الأسطولِ تؤذنُ بَغْتَةً
بِقِيامةِ الأعداءِ والحُسّادِ
The navy's preparation heralds suddenly
The resurrection of enemies and enviers.
والحَربُ في حَربِيّةٍ نيرانُها
تَطأُ المياهَ بشدَّةِ الإِيعادِ
The war's fire, its flames
Trample the waters intensely.
تَرْمي بنفطٍ كيفَ يُبْقي لَفْحُهُ
والشَمّ منهُ مُحَرّقُ الأَكبادِ
It throws oil, how its flames remain
As the sun from it, livers are burnt.
وكَأَنَّما فيها دخانُ صواعِقٍ
مُلِئَتْ مِنَ الإِبراقِ والإِرعادِ
As if in it is the smoke of lightning
Filled with flashing and thunder.
لا تَسكُنُ الحَرَكاتُ عِندَكَ إنَّها
لخواتِمُ الأَعمالِ خيرُ مَبَادي
The movements do not stop for you, they
Are the seals of deeds, the best objectives.
وأشدّ مَنْ قَهَرَ الأعادي مِحْرَبٌ
في سِلمِهِ للحَربِ ذو استِعدادِ
And more firm than conquering enemies a warrior
In his peace for war, well prepared.
سَيُثيرُ مِنكَ العَزمُ بأساً مُهلكاً
والنارُ تَنبعُ عن قِداحِ زنادِ
Resolve from you will stir up destructive might
And the fire springs from the flint of tinder.
وغِرارُ سيفكَ ساهرٌ لم تَكتَحِلْ
عَينُ الردى في جَفْنِهِ بِرُقادِ
The snarling of your sword keeps vigil, slumber
Has not shut its eye with drowsiness.
وزمانُكَ العاصي لغيركَ طائعٌ
لَكَ طاعَةَ المُنقادِ لِلمُقتادِ
Your defiant age is obedient to none but you
Obedience of the led to the leader.
ونَرى يَمينَكَ والمُنى في لَثمِها
في كلّ أُفْقٍ بالجنودِ تُنادي
And we see your right hand and wishes in its touch
In every horizon calling the soldiers.
مَن كانَ عَن سَنن الشجاعَةِ والنّدى
بِئسَ المُضلُّ فَأَنتَ نعمَ الهَادي
Who turned away from the ways of courage and bounty
Evil is the misguided; you are best guide!
هَل تَذكُرُ الأَعياجُ سَبْيَ بَناتِها
بظُبىً جُعِلْنَ قلائدَ الأجيادِ
Do you remember the old women taken captive
As gazelles made necklaces for steeds?
مِن كُلّ بيضاءِ الترائبِ غادةٍ
تمشي كَغُصْنِ البانَةِ الميّادِ
Of every white camel litter singing
Walking like a swaying sapling.
مجذوبةٍ بذوائبٍ كأساودٍ
عَبَثَتْ بهنّ براثنُ الآسادِ
Captivated by plaits like lionesses
Mauled by the claws of predators.
مِن كُلِّ ذي زَبَدٍ عَلَتهُ سُفْنُهُ
يَخْرُجْنَ من جَسَدٍ بِغَيرِ فُؤادِ
From all the arrogant, his arrogance raised him
They come out from a body without a heart.
ثُعبانُ بَحْرٍ عَضُّهُ بِنَواجذٍ
خُلِعَتْ عَلَيهِ مِنَ الحديدِ حِدادِ
A sea serpent whose biting by claws
Adorned with iron smithery.
يُبدي غرابٌ منه سقطَ حمامةٍ
بِبَياضِهِ في البحرِ جَرْيُ سوادِ
It shows a raven fallen, a dove
With its whiteness in the sea, a streak of black.
وكَأَنَّما الريحُ الَّتي تَجْري بِهِ
روحٌ يُحرّكُ منه جِسمَ جَمادِ
As if the wind that blows with it
A spirit moving its inanimate body.
يا أَيُّها المُمضي قُواهُ وحَزمَهُ
ومُحالفَ التَأويبِ والإِسآدِ
O you crossing the seasons and resolving
And befriending misfortune and misery!
هذا ابنُ يحيَى ذو السماح جنابُهُ
مُسْتَهْدَفٌ بِعَزائِمِ القُصّادِ
This is the son of gracious Yahya
Targeted by the arrows of archers.
فَرِّغْ مِنَ السّيْرِ الرَذِيّةَ عِندَهُ
تملأ يديكَ بطارفٍ وَتلادِ
Drain from the despicable course with him
Filling your hands with fresh kills.
مَلِكٌ مَفَاخِرُهُ تُعَدّ مفاخراً
لمآثرِ الآباءِ والأجدادِ
A king whose glories are counted glories
Of the feats of forefathers and ancestors.
ومراتعُ الروّادِ بينَ رُبُوعِهِ
محفوفةٌ بمناهِلِ الوُرّادِ
And the meadows of pioneers among its landscapes
Surrounded by springs of cold water.
ثبتتْ قواعدُ مُلْكِهِ فكأنّما
أرساهُ ربّ العرشِ بالأطوادِ
His kingdom’s foundations are fixed as though
Planted by the Lord of the Throne with pegs.
وطريدُهُ من حيثُ راحَ أوِ اغتَدى
في قبضةٍ منهُ بِغَيرِ طرادِ
His pursued from wherever he went or transgressed
In his grip without need of chasing.
والأرضُ في يُمناهُ حَلْقَةً خاتمٍ
والبحرُ في جدواهُ رَشْحُ ثِمادِ
The land in his oath of allegiance a ring,
The sea in his abundance a pool of butter.
لا تسألَنْ عمّا يصيبُ برأيِهِ
وطعانِهِ بمقوَّمٍ مَيّادِ
Do not ask what his opinion and piercing achieves
With straightener of bending staffs.
يضعُ الهِناءَ مواضعَ النُّقَبِ الَّذي
يضعُ السِّنانَ مواضعَ الأحقادِ
He places weakness where cunning should be
He places the point where grudges should be.
كالبدرِ يومَ الطّعْنِ يُطفئُ رُمحهُ
روحَ الكميِّ بِكَوكبٍ وقّادِ
Like the full moon the day of piercing, his spear
Extinguishes the spirit of enemies with a blazing star.
تبني سلاهبُهُ سماءَ عجاجةٍ
من ذُبّلِ الأرماح ذاتَ عمادِ
Its lighting builds a sky of sprawling
From the bending of spears with bases.
وَيَرُدُّ سُمرَ الطعنِ عن أَرضِ العِدى
وكَأَنّها في صِبْغَةِ الفرصادِ
And it deflects the strike of the piercing from the land of enemies
As if it is in the dye of quicksilver.
وسُقوطِ هاماتٍ بِضَربِ مَناصِلٍ
وصعودُ أرواحٍ بِطَعنِ صِعادِ
And falling of Notables by strike of butchery
And rising of souls by stabbing with sword points.
أمّا شِدَادُ المجرمين فعزُّهُ
أبقاهُمُ بالذلّ غيرَ شدادِ
As for the insolence of criminals, his might
Kept them in disgrace without insolence.
والنّارُ تأخذُ في تَضَرُّمِها الغَضَا
جَزْلاً وتتركُهُ مَهيلَ رمادِ
And the fire takes to crackling the timber
Heavily and leaves it ember and ashes.
يا من إليه بانتجاعِ مؤمِّلٍ
مُستَمطِرٌ مِنهُ سَماءَ أَيادي
O you to whom returns with hope
Seeking from you a sky of hands.
أُلْقِيتُ من نَيْلِ المنى عن عاتقٍ
فكأنّني سيفٌ بِغَيرِ نِجادِ
I was cast from attaining wishes without capacity
As if I am a sword without a sword belt.
ما لي بأرضكَ يومَ جودكَ مُعْرِبٌ
بِلِسانِهِ عن خِدمتِي وَوِدادي
I have no means in your land the day of your generosity but an eloquent
In its language of my service and affection.
إلّا قصائدُ بالمحامدِ صُغْتُها
غُرّاً تهزّ مَحافلَ الإِنشادِ
Except poems of praise I composed for you
Proudly shaking circles of chanting.
خَلَعَتْ معانيها على أَلفاظِها
ألحانَ أشعارٍ ونَقْرَ شَوَادِ
Their meanings bestowed on their words
Tunes of poems and twang of strings.
رَجَحَتْ بِقِسطاسِ البَديعِ وإنّها
لَخفيفَةُ الأرْواحِ والأجسادِ
Preferred by the balance of rhetoric, they are
Light of spirit and body.
تَبقى كَنَقشِ الصخرِ وهيَ شَواردٌ
مَثَلُ المقيمِ بها وحَدْوُ الحادي
Remaining like rock carvings though compose
Embodiment for resident and walker alike.
