عَلامَ يَلوم العاذِلون عَلى وَجدي
وَما ضَرَّهُم أَنّي أكابده وَحدي
Why do critics blame me for my passion?
How does my suffering alone hurt them?
أَروح بِأَشواقي وَأغدو بِصَبوَتي
فَمِن شَجوه شَجوي وَمِن سُهدِهِ سُهدي
I go with my longings and rise with my wakefulness,
So my ardour matches their ardour, my sleeplessness matches their sleeplessness.
شَجاني حمام الدَوح مِن رَوضة الحِمى
فَهيّج أَشجاني وَلَم يَألُ عَن جهدِ
The doves of Dauḥ stirred my passions from the meadows of Ḥimā,
Exciting my passions, tirelessly,
أَعاد وَأَبدى ساجِعاً وَمُغَرِّداً
وَبتّ شَجيّاً لا أعيد وَلا أبدي
Repeating their coos and warbling,
I spent the night passionate, unable to repeat or respond.
أَقول لَهُ وَالصَبّ يَأنس بِالرَجا
وَيَطمَع مِن أَحبابه بِوَفا الوَعدِ
I say to them, while the youth takes comfort in hope
And expects loyalty from his loved ones,
أَلا يا حَمام الأيك هَل أَنتَ مُنجِدي
إِذا هَينمت نجديّة مِن حمى نَجدِ
“O doves of the valleys, will you help me
When the Najdi maid leaves the meadows of Najd?
وَيا بُلبل الأَغصان هجت بَلابِلي
أَعندك مِن حرّ الجَوى بَعض ما عِندي
O warblers in the branches, did you share with my nightingales
Some of the heat of ardour that I have?”
أَهيم وَأَصبو كُلَّما هَبّت الصبا
فَلا صَبوتي تُغني وَلا عبرَتي تجدي
I rave and pine whenever the north wind blows,
But neither my pining consoles me, nor my tears avail.
تَذكّرت عهدي مِن سُعادٍ فَلَم أَجد
بِهِ مسعداً لي في دِيار بَني سَعدِ
I recalled my happy days in Suʿād, but found
No joy for me in the abodes of the tribe of Saʿd.
وَقُمت أُناجي الفرقدين كَأَنّني
جذيمة إِذ غابَت نهاه عَن الرُشدِ
I conversed with the Pleiades as if I were
Judhaymah, when their setting eluded his guidance.
بِنَفسي الَّتي نَفسي أَقلّ هباتها
عَليَّ إِذا ما أَنعَمَت ليَ بِالودِّ
By my soul that tosses me about with its caprices,
Honouring me when it is friendly, scorning me when aloof.
أعزّ حَياتي أَن أذلَّ لعزّها
وَخَير صِفاتي قَولها لِيَ يا عَبدي
The dearest life for me is to humble myself for its honour,
The best of my qualities is its saying to me “O my servant!”
وما ضَرَّني أن لا أَرى لي مُعاهِدا
إِذا هِيَ قالَت نَحنُ مِنكَ عَلى العَهدِ
It does not hurt me that I see no one loyal to me
If it says “We are true to you to our promise.”
وَفت لي وَكانَت كَالسموأل بالوَفا
وَكانَت عُهودي عِندَها أَدرع الكندي
It was faithful to me and was consistent in loyalty,
While my promises were like coats of mail.
إِلى اللَه أَشكو ظلم مَن لَيسَ عاذِري
بِأُخت العَذارى الغيد عادلة القدِّ
I complain to God of the injustice of one who does not excuse me
For the sister of maidens, the chaste, upright in stature,
مَليكة حُسن تَحت رايات شعرِها
نُجوم الدَراري بَدرها قائد الجُندِ
A queen of beauty under the banners of her hair,
The shining stars are her retinue, the full moon their leader,
مَهاة إِذا ما حاربتك جُفونها
أَرَتك بِأَشراك المَها مَهج الأُسدِ
Dazzling, when her eyelids wage war on you,
They show you the眠battlements of the dazzling castles.
تَمرّ فَيَحلو مرّ صَبري عَلى النَوى
إِذا ما تَصَدّت عَن دلال إِلى الصَدِّ
She passes by, and the bitterness of my patience grows sweet
When she turns from allurement to indifference.
وَتَحنو عَلى وَجدي بِها وَتَنهّدي
إِذا أَطلَعت مِن صَدرِها كَوكَبي نهدِ
She is tender to my passion for her and sighs for me
When I catch sight of her breasts like two planets.
إِذا عايَنت نار الخَليل بِمُهجَتي
أَماطَت وَحيّت بِالسَلام وَبِالبَردِ
If she sees the fire of passion in my entrails,
She draws her veil over me and greets me with coolness.
فَيا جنّةً عيني بِها لَو تخيّرت
لَما اِستبدلتها العَين في جَنّة الخلدِ
She is the paradise of my eyes—if I could choose,
My eyes would never exchange her for the gardens of eternity.
هِيَ الشَمس لا عَيب يُرى بِجَمالِها
وَلَكن بِهِ غَيب عَن الأَعيُن الرُمدِ
She is the sun—no blemish can be seen in her beauty,
Though she hides her splendour from all eyes in her veil.
بِها سَعدت أَوقات أُنسي فَأشرقت
وَنجمي بِسَعد اللَه في طالع السَعدِ
Through her my times of intimacy were joyful, so my star shone
In the ascendant of good fortune through the blessing of God.
همام هُوَ البَدر المُنير الَّذي سَمَت
بِهِ الرُتبة العَلياءُ في فلك المَجدِ
Hammām is the shining full moon that aspired
To the highest rank in the sphere of glory.
وَفى للحجا عَهداً عَلى البرّ وَالتُقى
كَما عَهد الهادي إِلى السَيّد المَهدي
He fulfilled his covenant to the pilgrims with righteousness and piety,
As the Caliph made covenant with the Master of Guidance.
إِذا عُدَّ أَعلام الهُدى مِن أُولي النُهى
أَشارَت لَهُ الأَيّام بِالعلم الفَردِ
When the signs of guidance are counted by those who shun error,
The days point to him with the unique standard.
وَما زانَ جيدَ المَجدِ عقدُ فَرائِدٍ
مِن الناس إِلّا كانَ واسطة العَقدِ
None adorned the neck of glory with a necklace of virtues
Except him, for he was the clasp of the necklace.
هُوَ البَحر إِلّا أَنَّهُ العَذب ما بِهِ
هياج يَروّي القَلب في الجزر وَالمَدِّ
He is the sea—but the sweet sea, with no tumult in it—
To nourish the heart in ebb and flow;
رَوى فعله عَن طيب عنصر أَصلهِ
أَحاديث صدق عن أَبيه عَن الجَدِّ
Its water reflects the purity of its source,
Traditions of truth from his father, from his forefathers.
شَمائل أَذكى مِن شَذا شَمأل الصبا
هيَ الندُّ لَكن صانَها اللَهُ عَن نِدِّ
Characteristics more fragrant than the wafting scent of youth,
Strong, yet God protected him from contention;
وَأَخلاق شَهم كَالرِياض تَسلسلت
جَداولها بَينَ الأَقاحيّ وَالوَردِ
Morals like gardens, with streams flowing among them
Between bushes and flowers.
مَكارم لَو عَدَّدتها لَتمنّعت
عَلَيكَ وَهَل لِلأَنجُم الزهر مِن عدِّ
If I listed his noble deeds, you would refrain,
For are the stars ever counted?
محيّا عَلى الدُنيا تَلا سورة الضُحى
وَبَأس عَلى الأَعدا تَلا سورة الرَعدِ
Giving life to the world, he recited Sūrat al-Ḍuḥá,
And harshness to enemies, he recited Sūrat al-Raʿd.
وَصيت سَرى في الأَرض شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً
فَأَغرَب في سَمع وَأَعرَب عَن حَمدِ
His renown spread east and west through the lands,
Amazing to hear, and excellent in praise.
هُوَ العَربيّ الطَبع ذُو الهمّة الَّتي
هِيَ السمهريّ اللدن وَالصارم الهندي
He is the Arab by nature, with the ambition
That is Indian steel and the Indian sword.
تَميّز عَن أَضدادهِ بِمناقِبٍ
هِيَ الفَضل وَالأَشياء تَمتاز بِالضدِّ
He is distinguished from his peers by virtues
That are merit—and things are differentiated by their opposites.
تَواضع ذي مَجد وَعفّة قادر
وَرَأفة ذي جُود وَهمّة ذي جدِّ
Humility in the glorious, chastity in the powerful,
Compassion in the generous, and resolution in the determined.
وَكَم جاهل لِلمَجد تَطمَحُ عَينُهُ
وَثَغر المَعالي مِنهُ يَضحَكُ عَن بُعدِ
How often do the ignorant covet glory, their eyes aspiring,
While their mouths laugh away from greatness!
وَما شرَّف العَلياء مِن أَهلِها سِوى
فَتىً أَرضَعته ثَديها وَهوَ في المَهدِ
But the eminent are only ennobled by one
Whom their own breasts suckled while still in the cradle.
إِذا نَظر الدُنيا اِستَقَلّ حُطامها
بِعَين تَقيٍّ كحلها إِثمد الزهدِ
When he looks upon the world, he deems its possessions paltry,
With an eye whose kohl is the reddish dye of asceticism.
صِفات كَمالٍ خَصَّهُ اللَه منّةً
بِها وَمحال قسمة الجَوهر الفَردِ
God distinguished him with perfect virtues
As a special gift—and perfect jewels cannot be divided.
سَما عَن نَظير في العُلى وَمناظرٍ
وَعَن جاحِدٍ نَذلٍ وَعَن حاسِدٍ وَغدِ
He excelled above any peer in distinction and appearance,
Beyond any detractor, low opponent, or envier.
وَحلَّ مِن الإِسكندريّة ساحة
بَناها عَلى حكم المَكارم لِلوَفدِ
And he arrived at Alexandria, which he built
According to the rule of noble deeds for visitors.
فَكانَت بِحَمد اللَه لِلناس جنّةً
وَفَوزاً لآمال العفاة ذوي القَصدِ
So by God’s grace it became a paradise for people
And the aspirations of the meek and upright were fulfilled.
وَزار حِمى بَيروت فَاِبتهجت بِهِ
سُروراً وَأضحت منهلاً صافي الوردِ
He visited the sanctuary of Beirut—it rejoiced at his coming,
Becoming cheerful, and turned into a fountain of pure wine.
وَللشام أَضحى شامة حينَ زارَها
وَزادَت جَمالاً إِذ غَدا شامة الخَدِّ
To Syria he became an ornament when he visited it,
And it gained more beauty when he became its cheek’s ornament.
وَعادَ وَكانَ العود عيداً بِهِ الهَنا
يَفيض عَلى رَوض القُلوب بِلا حَدِّ
He returned, and his return was a feast of joy for us,
Overflowing freely in the garden of hearts without limit.
قُدوم أَتى بِالخَير يا خَير قادم
عَلَينا قُدومَ الغَيث لَكن بِلا رَعدِ
It was the arrival of blessing, O best of those who arrive
Upon us—the coming of rain, but without thunder.
أَبا أَحمَد لا زالَ حمدك سائِغاً
عَلى أَلسُن المدّاح أَحلى مِن الشهدِ
O Father Aḥmad, praise of you is still delicious
On the tongues of eulogists, sweeter than honey.
حِماك حَماك اللَه أَمّت بَديعة
وَجاءَت مِن الإِبداع ترفل في بردِ
God protect you—He has protected a sublime nation,
Which came into being through creativity, adorned in finery.
ربت في ربى نَجد وَعَن طَبعِها رَوَت
نَسيم الصبا بَينَ العباهر وَالرندِ
It was nurtured in the uplands of Najd, and from its nature
The breeze of youth blew among maidens and adolescents.
أَتَت وَالمذاكي خَلفَها فَتقلّدت
حلى الفَخر سَبقاً وَاِرعوت عطل الجردِ
It came with its adornments following behind, wearing
The necklaces of pride outstripping, the mantles trailing.
فَما اِرتفعت كَعب لكعب أَمامها
وَلا نَبغَت أَقلام نابغة الجعدي
No heel was raised before it, nor did any eminent pen
Arise, not even Naabighah al-Jaʿdī’s.
هِيَ الغادة الحَسنا الَّتي فاقَ حُسنها
وَأدهش مِن قَبلي سَناها وَمِن بَعدي
It is the lovely, beautiful one whose beauty surpassed
And whose flawlessness before me and after me is astounding.
فَلَيسَ لَها عَن ذكرِ فَضلك مِن غِنىً
وَلَيسَ لَها عَن شُكر صنعك مِن بُدِّ
It needs no wealth apart from mentioning your merit,
And it has no alternative to thanking your kindness.
ذكرت سَجاياك الَّتي توجب الثَنا
فَأَصبح ما بَين الوَرى ذِكرها وردي
I recalled your fine qualities which call for praise,
So that what is between heaven and earth sings their tune as my song.
أَقول هَوى هِند تَملّك خاطِري
وَلَيسَ هَوى هِند عنيت وَلا دَعدِ
I say passion for India has seized my mind—
But not passion for India or for arrows.
وَلَكنّ أَوصافاً لَديك كَريمة
ملكت بِها قَلبي وَكدت بِها ضدّي
Rather, your noble traits have captivated my heart
And nearly overwhelmed my strength.
وَعقد كَمال زان مِنكَ شَمائِلاً
تَملّكته مِن مالك الحلِّ وَالعقدِ
A necklace of perfection adorned your features,
Taking hold of me from the Owner of adornment and gift.
فَكُن شَمس عزٍّ لا مَغيب لِنورِها
يُنادي نَدىً لِلوَفد مَغناه وَالرَفدِ
So be a sun of honour whose light has no setting,
Calling the tribes with a voice of plenty and bounty!
وَدُم في سُرور لا يشاب بكدرةٍ
مَدى الدَهرِ واِسلم في صفا عَيشك الرَغدِ
Stay in joy with no sorrow marring your life,
Submitting to wholesome living for as long as you live!
