أَلاَ فَانْتبه من أُفْقِها طلعَ الفَجْرُ
وحاشاك نَمْ مِنْ وَجْهها ضَحِكَ الثَّغْرُ
Behold, dawn has emerged from her horizon,
Beware sleeping through the smile of her face.
هو الثَّغْرُ إِلاَّ أَنَّه الصبحُ طالِعاً
على أَنَّه الكَافُورُ لكنَّه الدُّرُ
It is a smile though dawn risen,
As camphor yet pearls.
إِذا ابْتَسمت لم تُبق للشَّمْسِ آيَةٍ
وتغتاظُ منها الشَّمْسُ إِذْ يَفْرحُ البدرُ
When she smiles the sun loses all miracles,
And the sun resents the moon's joy.
وما رضيَتْ سودَ الليالي ضفائراً
عليها ولا أَنَّ الهلالَ لها ظُفْر
She did not accept the black nights' braids,
Nor the crescent's victory over her.
ومحسودَةِ الأَنْفاسِ مغبوطةِ اللِّمى
فحاسدُ ذا مِسكٌ وغابِطُ ذَا خَمْرُ
She's envied for her breaths, desired for her glances,
So the envious one is musk, the desirous one wine.
وشاطِرةِ العينين شَاطَرتِ المَهَا
فكَان لها مِنْ فَتْرها الشَّطرُ والشَّطْرُ
Her glancing eyes contend with arrows,
She's taken a half and a half through her languor.
وساحرةٍ صَانَتْ سُلافَةَ ثَغْرِها
بكأْسٍ به كَسْرٌ وهَذَا هُو السِّحْرُ
A sorceress whose charm preserved her mouth's smoothness
With a cup whose fragments are magic itself.
وشى المسْكُ إِذْ زَارت فلا كانت الظِّبَا
ونَمَّ عليها الحْليُ لاَ خُلِق التِّبرُ
Musk was stirred when she visited unattended,
Jewels slept on her, not bred of dust.
قصيرةُ لحظِ الطَّرفِ من فَرْط عُجْبها
وأَمْضى السيوفِ الهندوانيةِ البُتْر
Her glances are brief for excessive marveling,
Indian swords blunt next to her lashes.
يعانقُ كفَّيها الخضابُ صبابةً
فلا رَاعَه ما رَاعَني وهْو الهَجْرُ
Henna embraces her hands youthfully,
Not fearing what alarmed me: separation.
وقد وطئَتْه حين أَصْبحَ عاشِقاً
كأَنَّ عليها وطءَ عُشَّاقها نَذْرُ
She had walked on him since he fell in love,
As if all her lovers had vowed to tread on him.
فلا تُنكِروا مِنْها الخِضَابَ فإِنَّما
هي الغُصْنُ في أَطرافه الوَرَق الخضْر
So do not deny her the henna. She's a branch
Whose tips are green leaves.
وكَمْ سَائِلٍ قَدْ قَال هل هي روضةُ
فقلتُ وَعِقْدُ الدُّرِّ في جيدِها النَّهْرُ
How many have asked, "Is she a meadow?"
I said, "A necklace of pearls around her neck is the stream."
ومِنْ يوم أَن أَبصرْتُها بُعِثَ الْهَوى
ومِنْ يوم أَنْ فَارقْتُها دُفِن الصَّبْرُ
Since I saw her, passion was revived,
Since I left her, patience was buried.
عجبتُ لِسَعْي الدَّهْر بيني وبينَها
فلمَّا انْقَضى ما كان لم يَسْكُنِ الدَّهْرُ
I wonder at the days' struggle between us,
When it passed what was, it did not settle.
وأَكثرُ هَوْني في هَواهَا وذِلَّتِي
سلوبه تيه وصبر به كبر
Most gentle towards me in her love, and my humbleness,
Its manner confusion, yet through it my patience grew.
أمتعبة عيني بدقة خصرها
لأَتْعبَ عيني مِنْ تَأَمُّلِه الخصرُ
My eyes are tired studying her waist’s slenderness.
To rest them with a glance,
متى تَستريحُ العينُ مِنيِّ بنَظْرةٍ
إِلى الْوَصْل يُثْني لي بها عيشيَ النضرُ
Wherein she’d gift me with life’s delight.
So do not despair, Oh heart, of attaining wishes,
فلا تَيأَسَنْ يا قلبُ أَنْ تبلغَ المنَى
ولا تعجَبنْ إِنْ قِيلَ قَد أَوْرَق الصَّخْرُ
Nor be astonished if it’s said, “Even stone can bloom.”
Yes, it is true. She has answered me and been kind.
نعم صَحَّ فأْلي قَدْ أَجَابت وأَنْعَمتْ
فلا لَوْعَتي سِرٌّ ولاَ دَمْعَتي جَهْرُ
So my burning is secret, and my tears overt.
Congratulations to Egypt, where dew has descended,
هنيئاً لمصرٍ أَنَّها حلَّها النَّدى
وبُشرى لمصرٍ أَنَّها جَاءَها الْبَحرُ
And good news to Egypt, for the sea has come to her.
Congratulations that God has eased her affairs,
هنيئاً لها أَنْ يَسَّر الله يُسرَها
فلا عسرَ إِلاَّ جاءَ مِن بَعْده يُسْرُ
So that no difficulty comes but ease follows.
Her Nile has come in timely fashion,
لقد جاءَ مصراً نيلُها في أَوَانِه
فليستْ تُبالي ضنَّ أَمْ سَمَح الْقَطْرُ
She cares not whether the rainfall was lean or generous.
The heart of the region has returned to its breast,
وعادَ إِلى صَدْرِ الأَقاليمِ قَلْبُه
فعاشَ ولولاَ الْقَلْبُ لَمْ يُخْلق الصَّدْرُ
Without a heart, no breast would be created.
To her has come he who possesses might and bounty,
وسارَ إِليها مَنْ له البَأْسُ والنَّدَى
وصارَ إِليْها مَنْ بِه النَّفْع والضُرُّ
To her has come he who is beneficial and harmful.
A minister whose command princes follow,
وزيرٌ ملوكُ الأَرضِ مِن وُزرائِه
يُصرِّفُهم مِن قوله النَّهيُ والأَمْرُ
Directing them with prohibitions and orders.
They flock or fly according to his presence.
يَريشونَ أَو يَبرون عند حُضُورِه
فإِنْ غَاب عنهم لم يريشُوا وَلَمْ يبْرُوا
If he disappears, they neither flock nor fly.
They showed his superiority by praising him,
أَبانوا برفْع الفاضلِ النَّدب فَضْلَهُم
وأَعْلَوا لَهُ قَدْراً فَصارَ لهم قدْرُ
And elevated his worth, so he gained prestige.
Nothing but armies eluded him,
وما فاتَه إِلا الجيوشُ يَجُرُّها
وقد جَرَّ منها ما يَضيقُ بِه البَرُّ
Dragging with them what the land scarcely contains.
Were it not for hue, no difference between their weapons-
ولا فرقَ لولا اللَّونُ بين سِلاَحِهم
فآراؤُه بِيضٌ ورَاياتُهم صُفْرُ
His banners white, their standards yellow.
He plunged into the land with them like a sea of retribution-
وخاض بِهم في البَّر بحراً من الرَّدَى
طرائقُه سودٌ وأَمواجُه حُمْر
Their ways black, its waves red.
He crossed a path whose traversal horrifies the eagle,
وجازَ طريقاً يرهَب النسرُ قَطْعَها
على أَنَّه نَسْرُ الكواكب لا النَّسرُ
Though he's the eagle of stars, not an eagle.
On it dawn breaks, and night after,
ويطلعُ فيها الصُّبح والَّليلُ بَعْدَهُ
وفي قلبٍ ذا خوفٌ وفي صدرِ ذَا ذُعْرُ
While one heart fears, another panics.
The winds fear roiling its dust,
تَهابُ الرِّياحُ الهوجُ مَسَّ تُرابِها
فما نَالَه ذُلُّ السِّباءِ وَلا الأَسْرُ
Untouched by disgrace or capture.
He passed whilst unbelievers' skulls in dirt jostle,
وجازَ وأَنْفُ الكفْرِ في التُّربِ رَاغمٌ
ومَا زَال مِن إِيمانِه يُرغَمُ الكُفْرُ
Subdued by his faith when they sought to subdue it.
Before and behind, white tents and striped surround him,
تحفُّ به من خلفِه وأَمامِه
مهنَّدةٌ بيضٌ وخطِّيةٌ سمرُ
Guarding him, whilst he guards them through recital and remembrance.
He returns to his scabbard like a sword to its sheath,
فتحرسُه من جُنده البيض والقَنا
وتَحرسُها منه التِلاوَةُ والذِّكْرُ
As though no triumph ever eluded that sword.
The nearest thing, after seeing him, is wealth,
وآبَ كَأَوْبِ النَّصْلِ للغمدِ سَالِماً
على أَنَّ ذاكَ النَّصْلَ مَا فاتَه النَّصرُ
The furthest, after seeing him, is poverty.
The most rousing thing from his fingers is glory,
فأَقربُ شيءٍ بعد رُؤيَته الغِنى
وأَبْعدُ شيءٍ بَعْد رُؤْيَتِه الفَقْرُ
The most frustrating, in praise of him, is thought.
No eloquent description fully conveys his essence,
وأَنهضُ شيءٍ من أَناملِه اللُّهى
وأَعجزُ شيءٍ عَنْ مدائِحه الفكرُ
No gratitude fully repays his favor.
If the Wise Remembrance contains his praise,
فليسَ يُوفِّي كنهَه الوصفَ جَاهداً
وليس يُؤدّي حقَّ نعمته الشُّكرُ
What can verse or prose for him compose?
If a house is said to boast his company,
ومن كان في الذكرِ الحكيمِ مَديحُه
فماذا يقولُ النَّظمُ فيه أَو النَّثرُ
It is but a small portion of his tremendousness.
The lofty one, praise is ennobled by his name,
إِذا قيل بيتٌ قد تَحلَّى بنَعْتِه
فما هو إِلاَّ مِنْ جَلالَتِه قَصْرُ
And pride, on day of pride, prides in him above all.
No fault in his gift but that through it
شريفُ المعالِي يَشْرُفُ المدحُ باسمِه
ويفخرُ في يومِ الفَخَار به الفَخْرُ
The free are taught how to be enslaved.
People walked in his footsteps, stumbling,
ولا عيبَ في إِنْعامِه غيرَ أَنَّه
يُعلَّم منه كيفَ يُستعبدُ الحُرُّ
Whilst before them blew the southern winds and rain.
If his constitution they share not his qualities,
جَرى النَّاسُ في آثارِه فتعثَّرُوا
ومِنْ قبلِهم ريحُ الجنائِب والقَطْرُ
No wonder the raven resembles the yellow one.
What a boon after we had suffered harm,
وإنْ أَشبهوه خِلْقةً لا سجيَّة
فلا عجباً قد يشبه العسجدَ الصُّفْرُ
What mercy after we had met misery.
You brought spring in spring while ours,
أَيا نعمةً من بعدِ أَنْ نالنا الأَذَى
ويا رحمةً من بعدِ أَنْ مَسَّنا الضُّرُّ
Was a spring where the river, month, and flowers bloomed.
This rhyme has no peer in prose,
قدمتَ ربيعاً في ربيعٍ وفصلُنا
ربيعٌ فجاءَ النَّهر والشَّهرُ والزَّهْرُ
This paronomasia none skilled in verse can make.
Egypt's guidance returned when you returned,
وذا السجعُ سجعٌ ليس في النثرِ مثلُه
وهذا جناسٌ ليس يُحسِنه الشِّعْرُ
Displacing evil, restoring forbearance, dream, nobility, and tradition.
My heart is chilled and refreshed by your nearness,
أُعيد لمصرٍ حين عدتَ لها الهُدَى
ودفعُ الرَّدى والحلمُ والكرمُ والوِتر
Where once there was a blaze before seeing you.
I rejoice above all people, for I
على كَبِدي من قُربِك البردُ والنَّدى
كما كان فيها قبلَ رُؤْيتِك الجَمرُ
Imagined myself alive after you'd shrouded me in the grave.
You raised my pillar in my country and others,
وإِني أَسرُّ العالمين لأَنَّنِي
تصوَّرْتُ حيّاً بعد أَنْ ضمَّني الْقبرُ
So I gained a name and memory.
You made my hopes seem attainable though lofty,
رفعتَ عِمادي في بِلادي وغيرِها
فقد صار لي صِيتٌ وقد صارَ لي ذكرُ
And stifled those who deemed me easy prey though numerous.
So may you enjoy might and your enemies cower,
فأَدنيتَ آمالي على أَنَّها عُلاً
وأَكمدتَ أَعْدائِي عَلى أَنَّهم كُثْرُ
And the world obey while your life grows long.
فدامَت لك النُّعمَى وذَلَّت لك العِدى
ودانَتْ لك الدُّنيا وطالَ لك العُمْر
