لَجَّت أُمامَةُ في لَومي وَما عَلِمَت
عَرضَ السَماوَةِ رَوحاتي وَلا بُكري
Ummama rebuked me for blaming her, though she knows not
The secrets of my soul, nor my morning or evening walk.
وَلا تَقَعقُعَ أَلحي العيسِ قارِبَةً
بَينَ المِراجِ وَرَعنى رِجلَتي بَقَرِ
The thighs of the swift she-camel rattle not with bells
Between meadow and sheepfold, yet sound are her legs.
ما هَوَّمَ القَومُ مُذ شَدّوا رِحالَهُمُ
إِلّا غِشاشاً لَدى أَعضادِها اليُسُرِ
Since the tribe set forth, no man but has sought
The shade of her side-panniers, over her flank so easy.
يَضرَحنَ ضَرحاً حَصى المَعزاءَ إِذ وَقَدَت
شَمسُ النَهارِ وَعادَ الظُلُّ لِلقِصَرِ
She roams the stony ground and the pebbles count, when the sun
Declines and shadow returns to the mansion and palace.
يَوماً يُصادي المَهارى الخوصَ تَحسِبُها
عورَ العُيونِ وَما فيهِنَّ مِن عَوَرِ
A day when the horsemen charge, you would think the rattling thorn-bushes
Are the eyes of the blind, yet no blindness is there.
قَد طالَ قَولي إِذا ما قُمتُ مُبتَهِلاً
يا رَبِّ أَصلِح قِوامَ الدينِ وَالبَشَرِ
My words grow long, when I stand beseeching:
“O Lord, make straight the affairs of religion and mankind!”
خَليفَةَ اللَهِ ثُمَّ اللَهُ يَحفَظُهُ
وَاللَهُ يَصحَبُكَ الرَحمَنُ في السَفَرِ
Successor of God, and God guard him!
God be your companion, the Merciful One, on your journey.
إِنّا لَنَرجو إِذا ما الغَيثُ أَخلَفَنا
مِنَ الخَليفَةِ ما نَرجو مِنَ المَطَرِ
When the rain fails us, we hope from the Successor
What we hope from the rain, be it copious or scanty.
يا رُبَّ سَجلٍ مُغيثٍ قَد نَفَحتَ بِهِ
مِن نائِلٍ غَيرِ مَنزوحٍ وَلا كَدِرِ
O Lord, a cloud of bounty, whose outpouring
Comes from a Giver ungrudging and pure.
أَأَذكُرُ الجَهدَ وَالبَلوى الَّتي نَزَلَت
أَم قَد كَفاني الَّذي بُلِّغتَ مِن خَبَري
Shall I recall the hardship and affliction that befell,
Or is the report you heard enough for me?
ما زِلتُ بَعدَكَ في دارٍ تَعَرَّقُني
قَد عَيَّ بِالحَيِّ إِصعادي وَمُنحَدِري
After you, still I dwell in a house that wearies me;
My rising and resting are hard, up and down.
لا يَنفَعُ الحاضِرُ المَجهودُ بادِيَهُ
وَلا يَعودُ لَنا بادٍ عَلى حَضَرِ
The resolute man, his effort profits him not,
Nor does the desert-dweller return to us here.
كَم بِالمَواسِمِ مِن شَعثاءَ أَرمَلَةٍ
وَمِن يَتيمٍ ضَعيفِ الصَوتِ وَالنَظَرِ
How many a widow, dishevelled at the holy seasons,
How many a weak orphan, faint of voice and vision,
يَدعوكَ دَعوَةَ مَلهوفٍ كَأَنَّ بِهِ
خَبلاً مِنَ الجِنِّ أَوْ مَسَّا مِنَ البَشَرِ
Who calls you with longing of a madman, as though in him
Were a demon, or he were touched by mankind,
مِمَّن يَعُدُّكَ تَكفي فَقدَ والِدِهِ
كَالفَرخِ في العُشِّ لَم يَدرُج وَلَم يَطِرِ
And counts you a substitute for his father lost,
Like a chick in the nest who chirps but cannot fly,
يَرجوكَ مِثلَ رَجاءِ الغَيثِ تَجرُهُمُ
بورِكتَ جابِرَ عَظمٍ هيضَ مُنكَسِرِ
Hope in you as in hoped-for rain that will bring them
Bless you, Healer of broken bones crushed to fragments!
فَإِن تَدَعهُم فَمَن يَرجونَ بَعدَكُمُ
أَو تُنجِ مِنها فَقَد أَنجَيتَ مِن ضَرَرِ
If you leave them, who do they hope for after you?
Or if you save them, you save from affliction.
خَليفَةَ اللَهِ ماذا تَنظُرونَ بِنا
لَسنا إِلَيكُم وَلا في دارِ مُنتَظَرِ
Successor of God, why do you pay us no heed?
We belong not to you, nor dwell we in your palace.
أَنتَ المُبارَكُ وَالمَهدِيُّ سيرَتُهُ
تَعصي الهَوى وَتَقومُ اللَيلَ بِالسُوَرِ
You are the blessed one guided aright in conduct,
Disobeying caprice, standing vigilant in worship.
أَصبَحتَ لِلمِنبَرِ المَعمورِ مَجلِسُهُ
زَيناً وَزَينَ قِبابِ المُلكِ وَالحُجَرِ
Your seat, by the thronged pulpit, graces its assembly
And adorns the domes of the kingdom and mansions.
نالَ الخِلافَةَ إِذ كانَت لَهُ قَدَراً
كَما أَتى رَبَّهُ موسى عَلى قَدَرِ
You attained the caliphate, since it was fated for you,
As Moses came to his Lord at the appointed time.
فَلَن تَزالَ لِهَذا الدينِ ما عَمِروا
مِنكُم عَمارَةُ مُلكٍ واضِحِ الغُرَرِ
So through them this religion will never lack, while they live,
The flourishing of a kingdom, radiant, splendid,
هُم ما هُمُ القَومُ ما ساروا وَما نَزَلوا
إِلّا يَسوسونَ مُلكاً عالِيَ الخَطَرِ
Always they ride on, encamping or departing,
Only to rule a lofty kingdom, perilous, immense.
ما صاحَ مِن حَيَّةٍ يَنمي إِلى جَبَلٍ
إِلّا صَدَعتَ صَفاةَ الحَيَّةِ الذَكَرِ
No snake has hissed, growing towards a mountain,
But you have crushed the serpent’s skull.
أَخوالُكَ الشُمُّ مِن قَيسٍ إِذا فَزِعوا
لا يُعصِمونَ حِذارَ المَوتِ بِالعُذَرِ
Your uncles of Syria, when in terror,
Cannot be protected from the encounter of death by excuses.
كَم قَد دَعَوتُكَ مِن دَعوى مُخَلِّلَةٍ
لَمّا رَأَيتُ زَمانَ الناسِ في دُبُرِ
How often have I called you, in a complaint inducing
Slumber, when I saw the times of men in decline!
لَتَنعَشَ اليَومَ ريشي ثُمَّ تُهِضَني
وَتُنزِلَ اليُسرَ مِنّي مَوضِعَ العُسُرِ
Today you will give my feathered arrow fresh life,
Then make easiness descend in me where was hardship.
فَما وَجَدتُ لَكُم نِدّاً يُعادِلُكُم
وَما عَلِمتُ لَكُم في الناسِ مِن خَطَرِ
In the people I have found none to equal you,
Nor known any among them to rival you.
إِنّي سَأَشكُرُ ما أَولَيتَ مِن حَسَنٍ
وَخَيرُ مَن نِلتَ مَعروفاً ذَوّ الشُكُرِ
Truly, I will thank you for the kindness you have shown me,
And best is he who obtains a benefit, being grateful.
