تفكَّرْتُ في الإسلامِ وهو مُحَلِّقٌ
وفكَّرْتُ في الإسلامِ وهو كسيرُ!
I pondered Islam soaring high
I pondered Islam broken!
صُقُورٌ يَجُبْنَ الجوَّ غَيْرُ جَوارحٍ
ويَبْدو بِهِنَّ الجوُّ وهو قَرِيرُ!
Hawks slicing through the air not carrion birds
The air echoes with their cries so sweet!
تَناءيْنَ عن ظُلْمٍ وخِيمٍ. وعن خَنًى
وأَلْهَمَهُنَّ الصّالِحاتِ ضَمِيرُ!
Soaring above the gloom and misery
Good women's conscience guides their way
وجاءتْ على أَعْقابِهِنَّ حمائِمٌ
كَثُرْنَ ولكنْ ما لَهُنَّ هَدِيرُ!
And in their trail came doves in plenty
Though they were many, no murmuring betrayed their course!
كَثُرْنَ ولكنْ ما لهنَّ تَوَثُّبٌ
ولا هِمَمٌ كالغابِرينَ تُثِيرُ!
Though they were many, no impetuous zeal
No fiery souls to fan the flames of life!
فأَغْرَى بِهمْ هذا الخُمولُ طوائِفاً
مَطامِعُهُمْ لِلْخامِلينَ سعيرُ!
And so sloth allured some groups by greed
The fiery pit awaits these sluggish souls!
ولو أَنَّهم كانوا كَمِثْلِ جُدودِهِمْ
لما كانَ منهم خانِعٌ وحَسِيرُ!
Had they been like their noble ancestors
No cringing slave or vanquished soul were they!
رَضُوا بِسَرابٍ خادِعٍ فَتَساقَطوا
إلى حُفْرَةٍ فيها الهوانُ خفيرُ!
Lured by a mirage, deluded folk fell low
Into the ditch where disgrace sighed soft and slow!
حُطامٌ ومَجْدٌ كاذبٌ وتَفَرُّقٌ
مُشِتٌ.. له الحُرُّ الأَبِيُّ أسيرُ!
Debris – false glory – split – blood spilt
The free now fettered slaves, their heads are bowed!
وَنًى وانْحِدارٌ واخْتِلافٌ مُمَزِّقٌ
حِراءٌ بكى من وَيْلِهِ وثَبِيرُ!
Decline, descent, unbridgeable divisions
The barren weep, so loud is their distress!
تَذكَّرْتُ أَمْساً كانَ فيه رِجالُهُ
لُيُوثاً لهم في القارِعات زَئِيرُا!
I remembered yesterday when men walked tall
Lions who faced adversity and did not run or fall!
ولَيْسوا طغاةً بل حُماةً لِرَبْعِهِمْ
ولِلنَّاسِ إنْ خطْبٌ أَلَمَّ عسيرُ!
No tyrants they, but proud protectors of their land
Who helped all people, be their trouble big or small!
أَرُوا العالَمَ المَسْحُوقَ بعد
ابْتِزازِهِ وذِلَّتِه عَدْلاً يراه ضَرِيرُ!
They saw the world downtrodden, crushed
Justice denied amidst such loss and shame
فَمالَ إلى الحُسْنى. وألقى قِيادَهُ
إلَيْهِمْ فلا قَيْدٌ يَشُدُّ.. ونيرُ!
So they rose up, cast off the yoke
Of slavery - no shackles now, no chain!
تذكَّرْتُ عَهْداً للنَّبِيِّ محمَّدٍ..
وأَصْحابِهِ يَهْدِي النُّهى ويُنِيرُ!
I remembered Islam’s days with Muhammad
His followers guiding people to see right from wrong!
كبَدْرٍ أضاءَ الأَرْضَ بعد ظَلامِها
فما ثَمَّ إلاَّ راشِدٌ وبَصِيرُ!
Like the full moon dispelling darkness
Only the rightly guided remained calm and strong!
وما ثَمَّ إلاَّ قانِعٌ بحياتِهِ
وراضٍ بها.. بالمُوبِقاتِ خبيرُ..!
Only the content who thanked God for their lot
However hard their lives had been before
لقد ذاقَ مِن ماضِيه خُسْراً وذِلَّةً
وحاضِرُهُ رِبْحٌ عليه وَفِيرُ..!
So much loss and pain they left behind
The present and future looked so bright in store!
وكانَ له مِن حُكْمِهِ ما يَسُومُهُ
من الخَسْفِ ما يطوى المنى ويُبِيرُ..!
Wise rule brought justice, order and peace
Evil customs were no more, they all did cease!
وما عاق عن حُرِّيَةٍ وكرامَةٍ
ففي كلِّ يَوْمٍ مِحْنَةٌ ونَذِيرُ..!
Never curtailing freedoms, ever preserving rights
Each day still brought its problems and hardships, true!
وها هو مّنْذُ اليَوْمِ بعد انْدِحارِهِ
بدا في مَغانِيهِ الطُّلُولِ. بَشِيرُ!
Now, though humbled, see how they rise up again
The night departs; the dawn brings hope anew!
فعادَ قَرِيراً بالغُزاةِ تَوافَدُوا
إليه. وقد يَرْضَى الغُزاةَ.. قَرِيرُ!
For conquerors come gladly to join their ranks
Conquerors are welcome when your need is dire!
وكيف. وقد جاءُوا إليه بِعِزَّةٍ
ومَيْسَرَةٍ يَهْفو لَهُنَّ فَقِيرُ؟!
Why not rejoice when strong allies arrive
Bringing aid and wealth for which all did aspire?!
فَصارَ نَصِيراً لِلَّذينَ تَكَفَّلوا
بِعَيشٍ كريمٍ لَيْس فيه نكيرُ!
So this people allies with those
Who provide the means to live life with joy and repose
ولا فيه غَبْنٌ من ضَراوةِ ظالِمٍ
وما فيه إلاَّ زاهِدٌ ونَصِيرُ!
No deception, no oppression mars their days
Only those who help ease life’s woes!
فيا سلَفاً أَفْضى إلى خَيْرِ غايةٍ
بِأيمانِهِ.. فارْتاحَ منه ضَمِيرُ!
O noble ancestors who chose the best path, still
Thanks to your vision, we have peace of mind and will,
يَسِيرُ إليها راضياً بِمَصيرِهِ..
فَيَلْقاهُ بالأَجْرِ الجَزِيلِ مَصِيرُ!
Walking calmly, satisfied towards our fate
Great reward awaits us also – this is Allah’s will!
خَمائِلُ خُضْرٌ حالِياتٌ بِنَضْرَةٍ
غَدَتْ فَدْفَداً لم يَبْكِ فيه مَطِيرُ!
Green orchards, fruits, a profusion of all
No rains to mar or blight this scene so fair
وآياتُ عِمْران شَوامِخُ شُرَّعٌ
خَوَرْنَقُها عالي الذُّرى. وسَدِيرُ!
While towers of man’s invention pierce the sky
Their battlements so high, a wondrous sight to spy!
وفي هذه الدُّنْيا نُهىً وشاعِرٌ
ومنها جَليلٌ شامِخٌ. وصَغيرُ!
In this world - forbidden joys and poets sing
Some rise high above the rest, their heads held proud
ومنها هَزيلٌ ضامِرٌ مُتنفِّجٌ
ومِنْها –وإن أخْنَى الزَّمانُ طَريرُ!
While others fall, forlorn, broken souls
Yet even if Time betrays, Life will still allow
أيا ابْنَ الأُباةِ الصَّيدِ هُبَّ من الكرى
فَأَنْتَ بِهذا الصَّحْوِ.. أنْتَ جَدِيرُ!
Some souls to prosper, O noble scions take heart
For dawn revives and brings a hopeful new start!
شَبِعْنا سُباتاً كانَ خُلْفاً وفُرْقَةً
ومِن حَوْلِنا للطَّامِياتِ هَدِيرُ!
We’ve slept too long while chaos reigned outside
The howling winds raged on, swirling, tossed about
وقد يَجْمَعُ الله الشّتاتَ فَإنَّه
على جمعه –رَغْمَ الصِّعابِ قَدِيرُ!
God can gather all these fragments, He’s able still
To achieve the impossible, as is His will!
ولكِنْ عَلَيْنا السَّعْيُ فهو ضَرِيبَةٌ
عَلَيْنا كَبِيرٌ دَفْعُها.. وصَغِيرُ!
But we must also strive hard, do our share
Big or small, united we’ll get there!
سنَدْفَعُها حتى نَفُوزَ وَنَنْتَهِي
إلى غايَةٍ نَعْلو بها ونَطِيرُ!
We’ll pay the price so we can win and reach
Those heights our ancestors longed for yet could not breach!
إلى غايةٍ شَمَّاءَ كان جُدُودُنا
حَبِيبٌ إليهم نَيْلُها.. ويَسِيرُ!
That pinnacle which filled their dreams and hope
However hard, they persevered regardless of all they underwent!
حَدِيثٌ بِه أَمْلى الفَرَزْدَقُ شِعْرَهُ
وشايَعَهُ فيه النَّطُوقُ جَرِيرُ!
A tale Farazdaq composed in verse
While Jareer’s speeches spread this story universe-wide
وما هو إلاَّ نَفْثَةٌ عَبْقَرِيَّةٌ
لها مِن يَراعِ العَبْقَرِيِّ صَرِيرُ!
No mere fantasy but revelation’s spark
Genius admires genius, though centuries apart!
