بذكرك يبلغ الأرب — أبو زيد الفازازي

بذكرك يُبلغ الأربُ

وباسمك تُفرَجُ الكُرَبُ

Through remembering You, the desired aim is attained;

and through Your name, distresses are relieved.

ونحوك ترفع الأيدي

إذا ما نابت النُّوَبُ

And toward You hands are raised

whenever calamities befall.

وأنت الرَّبُّ مُبدئنا

ونحن إليك ننقلب

You are the Lord who first brought us forth,

and to You we return.

تمنُّ ومالنا عمل

وترحمنا ولا سبب

You bestow favors, though we have no deeds,

and show us mercy without any cause.

إليك تعلَّت الألباب

إذ رفعت له الحجب

To You the minds have risen,

when the veils were lifted for it.

ولا من بحار الغيب

أسرار لها رتب

Nor, from the seas of the unseen,

are there mysteries possessing ranks.

فطرف شاخص فرقا

وقلب يمنه يجب

An eye stares fixedly in fear,

and a heart throbs [unclear wording].

إذا ما خلّفت عجباً

بدا من بعده عجب

Whenever you leave one marvel behind,

another marvel appears after it.

طريق مابه حَزَنٌ

وسير ماله تعب

A path with no rugged ground,

and a journey with no weariness.

لك العبر التي نطقت

به الأرواح والأهب

Yours are the lessons voiced

by souls and skins.

لك المنن التي صَلُحَت

عليها العجم والعرب

Yours are the favors under which

non-Arabs and Arabs have prospered.

لك الجبروت والملكوت

لا شكٌ ولا ريب

Yours are might and sovereignty,

without doubt or misgiving.

تعالى مُلكُ من شهدت

له الآيات والكتب

Exalted is the sovereignty of Him to whom

the signs and scriptures have borne witness.

ولاحت من دلائله

وجوهٌ ليس تنتقب

And from His proofs there shone

faces that wear no veil.

مكاتبة ولا خطأ

مخاطبة ولا كذب

Written correspondence without error;

spoken address without falsehood.

فيا من تبعد الدُّنيا

به والموت مقترب

So, O you whom the world carries

far away, while death draws near:

أجِل نظراً تفد عِبَراً

ولا يقعد بك النَّظَرُ

cast your gaze about and gain lessons,

and do not let looking hold you back.

لأمر ما وأمر ما

تشيب وتطلعالشُّهب

For some purpose, and some other purpose,

you grow gray, and the meteors rise.

تمرّ بأذنك الذكرى

ولا خوف ولا أدب

The reminder passes through your ear,

yet there is neither fear nor proper conduct.

وكيف ترى حقيقتها

ونور العقل محتجب

How can you see its reality

while the light of reason is veiled?

رقيب الموت مطلعٌ

عليك وليس ترتقب

Death's sentinel keeps watch

over you, while you keep none.

تيقَّض أيُّها السَّاهي

فخلف حياتك الطَّلب

Awaken, heedless one,

for pursuit follows behind your life.

وظلُّ الله ممدود

عليك بستره طنب

And God's shade is spread

over you, with the ropes of His covering.

أنالك ما تؤمله

ولا همُّ ولا نصب

He granted you what you hope for,

without anxiety or toil,

وكفُّ عداك والأيدي

ذوات الأيد تنتهب

and the warding off of your foes, while hands

possessed of might are plundering,

بمن عُقِدَت إمامته

ولم يسمع بها صخب

through him whose imamate was established,

without any clamor being heard about it.

وأذعنت البلادُ له

ولم تصرم لها شعب

The lands submitted to him,

and their branches were not severed.

بأمر الله مضطلع

لدين الله محتسب

Bearing God's command,

seeking reward in service to God's religion.

مؤيدةٌ عزائمه

إذا ما اصطكت الركب

His resolutions are supported

when knees knock together.

صفا جوداً فلا بخل

صفا حلماً فلا غضب

He is pure in generosity: no stinginess;

pure in forbearance: no anger.

وأغمد سيفه لمَّا

كفاه السَّعد والرّعب

And he sheathed his sword when

good fortune and terror sufficed him.

وأصبح رحمةً للناس

مما ليس يُحتسب

He became a mercy to the people,

from what was never expected.

فنور جبينه قمَرٌ

وصوبُ يمينه ذهب

For the light of his brow is a moon,

and the rain from his right hand is gold.

لذاك غمام دولته

على الأفقين منسكب

Thus the cloud of his reign

pours over the two horizons.

همامٌ ترهب الهيجا

ءُ صولته فتلتهبُ

A valiant man: battle dreads

his onslaught, and so bursts into flame.

يقوم بجيشه التّقوى

ويقدم جيشه الرعب

Piety upholds his army,

and terror precedes his army.

يدبّ وراء دولته

دعا ببصه العربُ

Behind his reign there creeps—

[Unclear wording concerning the Arabs.]

وجيش هل رأيت البح

ر يطفو فوقه الحبب

And an army—have you seen the sea,

with bubbles floating upon it?

به السُّمر الرُّدينيات

والهندية القضب

It holds the brown Rudayni lances,

and the Indian swords,

وجُردٌ سَيرُها عَنَقٌ

ورَجلٌ مشيهُمُ خبب

and sleek horses whose gait is a brisk walk,

and foot soldiers whose march is a trot.

وطائفة مؤيدة

على التوحيد تنتسب

And a company upheld,

whose allegiance is to God's oneness.

فلا تنكر نجابتهم

فإن جميعهم نجب

Do not deny their nobility,

for all of them are noble.

إذا ركبوا رأيت الموت

منشوراً له العذبُ

When they mount, you see death

unfurled, with its banner-tassels.

وخِلتَ السُّحب مرعدةً

ومبرقةً لها لجب

And you would think the clouds were thundering,

and flashing lightning, full of din.

بأولِ دفعةٍ منها

تغيضُ وتغرق القُلُب

With the first surge from them,

the wells sink and are submerged.

إذا ما الحربُ قادتهُم

إليها شفَّهم طَرَبُ

Whenever war leads them

to it, ecstasy consumes them.

تَلَذُّ لهم مواردها

كان شرابَهَا ضَرَبُ

Its watering places are sweet to them;

its drink was white honey.

فيا من غرَّهُ سفهُ

وقاد برأسه عطب

So, O you whom folly has deceived,

and whom ruin has led by the head:

أعدَّ لبأسه هرباً

فإنَّ مآلك لاهرب

prepare flight from his might,

for your end holds no escape.

وسوف ترى وسوف ترى

وإن أملت لك الحِقَب

And you shall see, and you shall see,

even if the ages grant you respite.

أثَرتَ عليك داهيةً

لها من بأسها لهب

You have stirred up a calamity against yourself,

whose might sends out a flame.

أُسودُ وغىً لِسُمر الخَط

طِ فيها معقل أشِبُ

Lions of battle—for the brown spears of al-Khatt

there is within it a tangled stronghold.

فما أعدَدتَ من نفرٍ

فهم لوقودها حَصَبُ

So whatever men you have mustered,

they are fuel cast into its fire.

وما أكثرت من عددٍ

فإن جميعها سلب

And whatever arms you have amassed,

all of it will be plunder.

أِفق فاللَّيثُ مطَّلعٌ

عليك وأنتَ مقتربُ

Awake! The lion is watching

you, while you draw near.

وبادر قبلَ هَولٍ ما

له رأسٌ ولا ذنب

And hasten, before a terror

with neither head nor tail.

ولا تَغرُركَ شِرذِمَةٌ

لديك فإنَّها لعب

Let no little band deceive you

at your side, for it is mere play.

ولو أنصفت لم يزحف

إليكَ الويلُ والحرب

Had you acted justly, there would not have marched

against you woe and war.

فإن الحق تعبده

قلوبٌ ليس تنقلب

For the Truth is worshipped

by hearts that do not turn away.

ومن كان الدعاءُ له

فمضمون له الغلب

And whoever has prayers offered for him

is assured of victory.