هنيئا لك الإقبال واليمن والنجح — Abo Alhassan Bn Hariq

هنيئاً لَكَ الإِقبَالُ واليُمنُ والنُّجحُ

لَقَد جَاءَ نَصرُ اللهِ إذ جئت وَالفَتحُ

May good fortune, blessing, and success bring you joy!

God's victory came when you came, and conquest too.

قَضَى اللهُ أن تَسعَى لإِحيَاءِ دِينِهِ

فَتَفعَل مَا لا يَفعَلُ السَّيفُ والرُّمحُ

God decreed that you should strive to revive His religion

and accomplish what neither sword nor spear accomplishes.

وَقدّرَ أن تُبلَى عَلَى مَشهد الوَرَى

سَريرَتُكَ الفُضلَى وَآراؤُكَ السُّجحُ

He ordained that, before all humanity, there be put to proof

your excellent inner nature and your well-balanced judgments;

وَأن يَتَقَاضَى مَوضِعَ النَّصرِ فِي العِدَا

حَفِيظٌ عَلَى الإِسلامِ مُؤتَمَنٌ سَمحُ

and that the opportunity for victory over the foes be pursued

by a guardian of Islam, trusted and magnanimous.

فَوَفّقَ مَا تَنوِي وَسَدّدَ مَا تَرَى

وَيَسَّر مَا تَأتي وقَرَّبَ مَا تَنحُو

He prospered your intentions and guided your judgments aright,

made your undertakings easy and brought your aims near.

أرادَكُمُ أَدفُونشُ بالغَدرِ قادحاً

زِنَادَ هِياجٍ لَم يُعِنهُ بِهَا القَدحُ

Alfonso sought you out with treachery, striking

the flint of strife; its striking brought him no help.

وَأبدَى بِبِيضِ الهِندِ بَيضَةَ مُلكِهِ

فَمُزِّق عَنها القَيضُ واستُرِطَ المُحًُّ

With India's bright blades he exposed his kingdom's egg,

then its shell was torn away and its yolk swallowed.

أتَى في جُموع الرُّومِ تَنوِي بِزَعمِهَا

لأندَلُسٍ كَسحاً فَكانَ بِهَا الكَسحُ

He came amid the hosts of the Romans, intent, so they claimed,

on sweeping al-Andalus away; instead, they were swept away there.

بِمَا كَالحَصَى عَدّاً وَكَالشُّهبِ عِدَّةً

تَضَاءَلَ عَنهَا السَّهبُ وَالوَهدُ والسَّفحُ

With forces like pebbles in number, like meteors in armament,

before which steppe, hollow, and mountainside seemed small.

أطَلَّ عَلَيهِم نَاصِرُ الدِّينِ فَانثَنَوا

وَبَأوُهُمُ صُغرٌ وَزأرُهُمُ نَبّحُ

The champion of the faith loomed over them, and they turned back,

their pride reduced to abasement, their roaring to barking.

وَخَرَّت جِبَالٌ مِنهُمُ صَدَمُوا بِهَا

عَزيمَتَهُ نَطحاً فَأَرداهُمُ النَّطحُ

Mountains among them fell, with which they had battered

his resolve; their ramming brought them down.

فَقُل لِعَمِيدِ الشِّركِ هَل نُصِرَ العِدَا

وَهَل حَلّت البُشرَى وَهَل عَظُمَ المَنحُ

Say to polytheism's leader: Were the foes granted victory?

Did glad tidings arrive, and were the gifts abundant?

وَهَل أُدرِكَ الثّأرُ المُنِيمُ لَدَيكُمُ

وَهَل رُدَّت النُّعمَى وَهَل أُسِيَ الجَرحُ

Was the vengeance that would let you sleep achieved?

Were blessings restored, and was the wound healed?

أَلَم يَلتَئِم مِن فورِهِ ذَلِكَ الثَّأَى

أَلَم يَندَمِل مِن حِينِهِ ذَلكَ القَرحُ

Did that gash not close up at once?

Did that sore not heal immediately?

كَتَبتَ سُطورَ الظِّنِّ فِي مهرَقِ العَرَا

فَخَانَكَ مِنهَا مَا تُقِرُّ وَمَا تَمحُو

You wrote the lines of conjecture on the parchment of the plain,

but what you retained and what you erased betrayed you.

ولاقَيتَ مِن دُونِ الأَمَانِي خَلِيفَةً

بدِيهَتُه وَحيٌ وَعَزمَتُهُ لَمحُ

Before reaching your hopes, you encountered a caliph

whose spontaneous thought is inspiration, whose resolve a flash.

ألا إنَّهُ المَلكُ الَّذِي لَم يَسِر إِلَى

مَدَى أمَلٍ إلاّ وَسَايَرَهُ النُّجحُ

Indeed, he is the king who never journeys toward

the reach of any hope without success keeping pace with him.

يُقَاتِلُ عَنهُ الطَّمُّ والرِّمّ مَن عَصَى

وَيَغزُو لَهُ فِي المُلتَقَى الرِّيحُ والضِّحُّ

Sea and earth fight on his behalf against whoever rebels,

and wind and sunlight campaign for him on the battlefield.

وَقَد عَرَّفتَكَ الحَربُ قَدرَكَ عِندَهُ

ولا جِدَّ مِن بَعدِ العِيَانِ ولا مَزحُ

War has now taught you your worth in his eyes;

after seeing for yourself, neither earnestness nor jest avails.

فَكَيفَ تَرَى بَعدَ اعتِرَافٍ وخِبرَةٍ

أهَيجَاؤُهُ أشهَى إلَيكَ أمِ الصُّلحُ

So what do you think, after acknowledgment and experience:

is his warfare sweeter to you, or peace?

وَلَمّا رَأيتَ الأُسدَ تَأوِي مِنَ القَنَا

إِلَى أُجُمٍ لا الضَّالُ مِنهَا ولا الطَّلحُ

When you saw the lions, amid the spears, retreat

into thickets of neither lote trees nor acacias,

فَرَرتَ وجِنحُ اللَّيلِ دِرعٌ مُفاضَةٌ

عَلَيكَ وأوقَى جُنَّةِ الهَارِبِ الجِنحُ

you fled, night's darkness a coat of mail draped

over you; darkness is the fugitive's surest shield.

وَخَلَّوكَ لا شُحاً عَلَيكَ مِنَ الرَّدَى

وَلَكِن عَلَى أرماقِ خَيلِهِمُ شَحوا

They let you go, not to spare you from death,

but to spare the remaining strength of their horses.

فَصِرتَ طِرِيداً لِلخلافَةِ لائِذاً

تَضِيقُ بِكَ الدُّنيا وَيَذعَرُكَ الصُّبحُ

So you became a fugitive hunted by the caliphate, seeking refuge,

the world closing in on you, the dawn filling you with dread.

بِأدنَى رَذَاذٍ مِن غُيُومِ انتِقَامِهِم

غَرِقتَ فَمَا يُدرِيكَ وَيحَكَ إن سَحّوا

With the slightest drizzle from the clouds of their vengeance

you drowned—what, alas for you, if they poured down?

فَإن رَشَحَت مِن بَعدِهَا لَكَ بَلَّةٌ

مِنَ العَيشِ لَم يَنجَع بِهِ ذَلِكَ الرَّشحُ

If, after that, a little moisture seeps through to you

from life, that seepage will bring it no relief.

أقَمتُم عَلَى أمصَارِهِ سوقَ فِتنَةٍ

فكَانَ عَلَيكُم خُسرُهَا وَلَهُ الرِّبحُ

You set up a market of sedition in his cities;

its losses were yours, its profit his.

وَأطغَاكُمُ ظِلُّ الهُدُونِ وَبَردُهُ

فأَدَّبَكُم حَرُّ المَعَارِكِ وَاللَّفحُ

The shade and coolness of truces made you insolent;

the heat of battles and their scorching blast chastened you.

وَهِجتُم لِكَي تُنحُوا عَلَى الثَّغرِ هَيجَةً

فَنَاحَ صَدَى أروَاحِكُم قَبلَ أَن تُنحُوا

You rose in fury to launch an onslaught on the frontier,

but the death-owl of your souls wailed before you could advance.

غَزَاكُم أمِيرُ المُؤمِنِينَ بِعَسكَرٍ

يُشيِّعُهُ نَصرٌ وَيقدُمُهُ فَتحُ

The Commander of the Faithful marched against you with an army

escorted by victory and led by conquest.

وَفِي حَشوِهِ نَبعٌ لِوَابِلِ نَبلِهِ

عَلَى الرُّومِ فِي الظّلماءِ نقعُ الوَغَى سَحّ

Within its ranks are bows whose arrows rain

in torrents upon the Romans through the darkness of battle-dust.

تَمَشّى عَلَى أَعقَابِها الخَيلُخَشيَةً

لَهَا فَكَأَنّ الرَّكضَ فِي جَنبِهَا كَبحُ

The horses walked upon their heels in fear

of them; beside them, even galloping seemed a check of the reins.

وبِيضٍ جَلاهَا الصَّقلُ حَتَّى تَشَابَهَت

فَلَم يَستَبِن لِلعَينِ حَدٌّ ولا صَفحُ

And bright swords, polished until they looked alike—

no edge or flat could be discerned by the eye.

فَأمسَى نَثِيرُ السَّردِ عَن سَبَرَاتِهَا

عَلَى الأَرضِ مَفضوضاً كَمَا بُدّد المِلحُ

By evening, the mail-rings scattered by their piercing strokes lay

strewn on the ground like scattered salt.

وسُمرٍ كِثِيرٍ في الدّماءِ وُرُودُهَا

وَلَكِن بِهَا مِن شُربِهَا ظَمَأ بَرحُ

And brown lances, often coming to drink blood,

yet drinking it only left them fiercely thirsty.

فَكانَ لَهَا فِي الأَربِعَاءِ مَرارة

مِنَ الدّم ريٌّ بالأَسِنّةِ لا تَضحو

Thus, on Wednesday, theirs was a bitter

quenching in blood at their tips, never exposed to the sun.

وشدّت إلَيهَا الخًَيلُ وَهي مُشيحَةٌ

فَصُدَّت وَمِن وَقعِ الرِّمَاحِ بِهَا رمحُ

Horses charged toward them, resolutely pressing on,

but were repulsed, kicking from the spears' blows.

فقلّص آل الشِّركِ ذيلَ غُرورِهِ

وَسَيلُ الجِيَادِ المُحضَرات بِهِ يَدحُو

The host of polytheism gathered up the hem of its delusion,

as a torrent of galloping steeds swept it away.

وَغَارَت نُجُومُ الكُفرِ شَرَّ مُغارِها

أمَامَ شُعَاعِ الشَّمسِ لَمّا بَدَا الصُّبحُ

The stars of unbelief set in the worst of settings

before the sun's rays when dawn appeared.

وَيوشِكُ إِن أَبصَرتَهُ عِندَ لَمحِها

يُجَلّي دُجَى ظَلمَائِها ذَلِكَ اللّمحُ

If you caught sight of him in their fleeting gleam,

that glimpse would all but dispel the gloom of their darkness.

وَلَكِنّها تَعمَى القُلُوبُ فلا تَرَى

وَتَسكُنُ أفهَامُ النُّفوسِ فلا تصحُو

But hearts go blind and cannot see;

souls' understanding lies still and will not wake.

فَيَا قُبحَ هَاتِيكَ المَصَارِعِ بِالفلا

وَيَا حُسنَ مَا سَنّى لَنَا ذَلِكَ اللّمحُ

How hideous those places of slaughter in the wilderness!

And how beautiful what that glimpse made possible for us!

فإن عُدتُمُ لِلحَرب عَادَتلِشَأنِهَا

تَعَضُّكُمُ بِالبُؤسِ أنيَابُهَا القُلحُ

If you return to war, it will return to its work,

its yellowed fangs biting you with misery.

وَحَسبُكُمُ مَا طَلَّقَت مِن نِسَائِهَا

طلاقَ بَتَاتٍ سَنّهُ السَّيفُ وَالرُّمحُ

Enough for you are the wives that war has divorced,

with an irrevocable divorce decreed by sword and spear.

فَشَابَت نَوَاصِيهَا وَجَفّت لِبَانُهَا

حذاراً فَما فِي ثَدي مُرضِعَةٍ نَشحُ

Their forelocks turned gray, their milk ran dry

with fear; no nursing breast holds even a trickle.

تَوَجَّعُ نَوحاً أَو تَصُكُّ مَحَاجِراً

فَأوجُهُهَا حُمرٌ وَأصوَاتُهَا بُحُّ

They moan in lamentation or beat their eye sockets,

their faces red, their voices hoarse.

فَخَافُوا أمِينَ اللهِ فِي السِّلمِ وَالوَغَى

وَنحّوا بَقايَا الغَدرِ عَن صَوبِهِ نَحّوا

Fear God's trustee in peace and battle,

and turn the remnants of treachery away from his path—turn them away!

فَمَا لَكُمُ عَن بَذلِ طَاعَتِهِ غِنى

ولا لَكُمُ فِي بَحرِ سَطوَتِهِ سَبحُ

You cannot dispense with rendering him obedience,

nor can you swim in the sea of his might.

مَنَاسِكُ دِينِ الحَقِّ وَاضِحَةٌ بِهِ

فلا نُسكُ حَقٍّ فِي سِوَاه ولا ذِبحُ

Through him the rites of the true religion are plain;

apart from him there is no true worship or sacrifice.

وَأعيَادُ هَذَا الفَتحِ بَاهِرَةٌ فَلا

شَعانِينُ دَيرٍ بَعدَهُنّ ولا فَصحُ

The festivals of this conquest shine so brightly that

after them there is no monastery's Palm Sunday, nor Easter.

ألا أيُّهَا الوَفدُ ادخُلُوا حَضرَةَ الرِّضَى

تَفِض لَكُمُ النُّعمَى وَيغمُرُكُم مَنحُ

O delegation, enter the court of favor:

blessings will overflow for you, and gifts will engulf you.

فَحَيُّوا إِمَاماً مِن خَلائِقِهِ الحِجَى

وَمِن عَادِهِ الإِحسَانُ وَالحِلمُ وَالصَّفحُ

Greet an imam whose character includes wisdom,

whose habit is kindness, forbearance, and pardon:

خَلِيفَة صِدقٍ أنجَبَتهُ خَلائِفٌ

لِمِسكِ ثَناهُم كُلَّمَا ذُكِرُوا نَفحُ

a true caliph, begotten by caliphs

whose praise breathes musk whenever they are remembered.

أنَارَت بِهِ الآفَاقُ بِشراًُ وَنَوَّرَت

فَأمسَوا بِهَا فِي النّورِ وَالنُّورُ أوضحُ

Through him the horizons shone with joy and blossomed,

and people dwelt there in light, the light still brighter.

فَدَامَت لَهُ النَّعمَاءُ شامِلَةً بِهِ

ولا بَرِحَت تَنحو المَقَادِيرُ مَا يَنحُو

May blessings endure for him, embracing all through him,

and may fate's decrees ever aim toward what he aims toward.

فَلَولا نُهاهُ لَم يَكُن لِلوَرَى نُهىً

وَلَولا هُدَاهُ لَم يَفُز لِلهُدَى قِدحُ

But for his wisdom, humankind would have no understanding;

and but for his guidance, no lot-arrow would win for guidance.