أطل على الأكوان والخلق تنظر — Hafez Ibrahim

أَطَلَّ عَلى الأَكوانِ وَالخَلقُ تَنظُرُ

هِلالٌ رَآهُ المُسلِمونَ فَكَبَّروا

It rose over the worlds as creation looked on—

a crescent the Muslims saw and greeted with cries of "God is greatest."

تَجَلّى لَهُم في صورَةٍ زادَ حُسنُها

عَلى الدَهرِ حُسناً أَنَّها تَتَكَرَّرُ

It shone for them in a form whose beauty was enhanced

through the ages by its recurring.

وَبَشَّرَهُم مِن وَجهِهِ وَجَبينِهِ

وَغُرَّتِهِ وَالناظِرينَ مُبَشِّرُ

And glad tidings came to them from its face and forehead,

and its radiant brow and two eyes, borne by a herald.

وَأَذكَرَهُم يَوماً أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلاً

بِهِ تُوِّجَ التاريخُ وَالسَعدُ مُسفِرُ

It recalled to them a day, bright-browed and white-footed,

with which history was crowned while good fortune shone.

وَهاجَرَ فيهِ خَيرُ داعٍ إِلى الهُدى

يَحُفُّ بِهِ مِن قُوَّةِ اللَهِ عَسكَرُ

On it the finest caller to guidance made his migration,

surrounded by an army drawn from God's might.

يُماشيهِ جِبريلٌ وَتَسعى وَراءَهُ

مَلائِكَةٌ تَرعى خُطاهُ وَتَخفِرُ

Gabriel walked beside him, and behind him hastened

angels watching over his steps and guarding him.

بِيُسراهُ بُرهانٌ مِنَ اللَهِ ساطِعٌ

هُدىً وَبِيُمناهُ الكِتابُ المُطَهَّرُ

In his left hand was a radiant proof from God—

guidance; and in his right, the purified Book.

فَكانَ عَلى أَبوابِ مَكَّةَ رَكبُهُ

وَفي يَثرِبٍ أَنوارُهُ تَتَفَجَّرُ

His caravan was at the gates of Mecca,

while in Yathrib his lights burst forth.

مَضى العامُ مَيمونَ الشُهورِ مُبارَكاً

تُعَدَّدُ آثارٌ لَهُ وَتُسَطَّرُ

The year passed blessed, its months auspicious,

its achievements recounted and recorded.

مَضى غَيرَ مَذمومٍ فَإِن يَذكُروا لَهُ

هَناتٍ فَطَبعُ الدَهرِ يَصفو وَيَكدُرُ

It passed unblamed; if people remember of it

some flaws, time's nature is to run clear and grow turbid.

وَإِن قيلَ أَودى بِالأُلوفِ أَجابَهُم

مُجيبٌ لَقَد أَحيا المَلايينَ فَاُنظُروا

And if they say it carried thousands off, they are answered

by one who says, "It gave life to millions: look!"

إِذا قيسَ إِحسانُ اِمرِئٍ بِإِساءَةٍ

فَأَربى عَلَيها فَالإِساءَةُ تُغفَرُ

If a person's good is weighed against his wrongdoing

and outweighs it, then the wrongdoing is forgiven.

فَفيهِ أَفاقَ النائِمونَ وَقَد أَتَت

عَلَيهِم كَأَهلِ الكَهفِ في النَومِ أَعصُرُ

For in it the sleepers awoke, after

ages had passed over them in sleep, like the People of the Cave.

وَفي عالَمِ الإِسلامِ في كُلِّ بُقعَةٍ

لَهُ أَثَرٌ باقٍ وَذِكرٌ مُعَطَّرُ

And throughout the world of Islam, in every place,

it has left an enduring trace and a fragrant memory.

سَلوا التُركَ عَمّا أَدرَكوا فيهِ مِن مُنىً

وَما بَدَّلوا في المَشرِقَينِ وَغَيَّروا

Ask the Turks what hopes they attained in it,

and what they altered and changed in the two Easts.

وَإِن لَم يَقُم إِلّا نِيازي وَأَنوَرٌ

فَقَد مَلَأَ الدُنيا نِيازي وَأَنوَرُ

Even if none rose but Niyazi and Anwar,

Niyazi and Anwar have filled the world.

تَواصَوا بِصَبرٍ ثُمَّ سَلّوا مِنَ الحِجا

سُيوفاً وَجَدّوا جِدَّهُم وَتَدَبَّروا

They urged each other to patience, then drew from reason

swords, strove with all their might, and deliberated.

فَسادوا وَشادوا لِلهِلالِ مَنازِلاً

عَلى هامِها سَعدُ الكَواكِبِ يُنثَرُ

They gained mastery and built dwellings for the crescent,

upon whose crowns the stars' good fortune is strewn.

تَجَلّى بِها عَبدُ الحَميدِ بِوَجهِهِ

عَلى شَعبِهِ وَالشاهُ خَزيانُ يَنظُرُ

There Abd al-Hamid showed his face

to his people, while the shah looked on in shame.

سَلامٌ عَلى عَبدِ الحَميدِ وَجَيشِهِ

وَأُمَّتِهِ ما قامَ في الشَرقِ مِنبَرُ

Peace upon Abd al-Hamid and his army,

and his nation, as long as a pulpit stands in the East.

سَلوا الفُرسَ عَن ذِكرى أَياديهِ عِندَهُم

فَقَد كانَ فيهِ الفُرسُ عُمياً فَأَبصَروا

Ask the Persians what they remember of its favors to them;

for in it the Persians were blind and came to see.

جَلا لَهُمُ وَجهَ الحَياةِ فَشاقَهُم

فَباتوا عَلى أَبوابِها وَتَجَمهَروا

It unveiled life's face to them, stirring their longing;

so they spent the night at her gates and gathered in crowds,

يُنادونَ أَن مُنّي عَلَينا بِنَظرَةٍ

وَأَحيي قُلوباً أَوشَكَت تَتَفَطَّرُ

calling, "Favor us with a glance,

and revive hearts that are near to breaking.

كِلانا مَشوقٌ وَالسَبيلُ مُمَهَّدٌ

إِلى الوَصلِ لَولا ذَلِكَ المُتَغَشمِرُ

We both yearn, and the road is paved

to union, were it not for that overbearing tyrant.

أَطِلّي عَلَينا لا تَخافي فَإِنَّنا

بِسِرِّكِ أَوفى مِنهُ حَولاً وَأَقدَرُ

Appear before us; do not fear, for we

are truer to your secret than he, stronger and more capable."

سَلامٌ عَلَيكُم أُمَّةَ الفُرسِ إِنَّكُم

خَليقونَ أَن تَحيَوا كِراماً وَتَفخَروا

Peace upon you, nation of the Persians; you

deserve to live in honor and take pride.

وَلا أُقرِئُ الشاهَ السَلامَ فَإِنَّهُ

يُريقُ دِماءَ المُصلِحينَ وَيَهدُرُ

But I send no greeting of peace to the shah, for he

spills the reformers' blood and treats it as forfeit.

وَفيهِ هَوى عَبدُ العَزيزِ وَعَرشُهُ

وَأَخنى عَلَيهِ الدَهرُ وَالأَمرُ مُدبِرُ

In it Abd al-Aziz fell, and his throne,

and time laid him low as his fortunes declined.

وَلا عَجَبٌ أَن ثُلَّ عَرشُ مُمَلَّكٍ

قَوائِمُهُ عودٌ وَدُفُّ وَمِزهَرُ

No wonder a monarch's throne was toppled

whose legs were a lute, a frame drum, and a mizhar lute.

فَأَلقى إِلى عَبدِ الحَفيظِ بِتاجِهِ

وَمَرَّ عَلى أَدراجِهِ يَتَعَثَّرُ

So he cast his crown to Abd al-Hafiz

and went stumbling back along his tracks.

وَقامَ بِأَمرِ المُسلِمينَ مُوَفَّقٌ

عَلى عَهدِهِ مُرّاكِشٌ تَتَحَضَّرُ

A man blessed with success took charge of the Muslims' affairs;

under his rule Marrakesh grows civilized.

وَفي دَولَةِ الأَفغانِ كانَت شُهورُهُ

وَأَيّامُهُ بِالسَعدِ وَاليُمنِ تُزهِرُ

And in the state of the Afghans, its months

and its days blossomed with happiness and good fortune.

أَقامَ بِها وَالعودُ رَيّانُ أَخضَرٌ

وَفارَقَها وَالعودُ فَينانُ مُثمِرُ

It dwelt there while the branch was lush and green,

and left it while the branch was leafy and bearing fruit.

وَعَوَّذَها بِاللَهِ مِن شَرِّ طامِعٍ

إِذا ما رَمى إِدوَردُ أَو راشَ قَيصَرُ

It sought God's protection for it against a covetous foe,

should Edward shoot or the Tsar fletch an arrow.

وَفيهِ نَمَت في الهِندِ لِلعِلمِ نَهضَةٌ

أَرى تَحتَها سِرّاً خَفِيّاً سَيَظهَرُ

In it, a revival of learning grew in India;

beneath it I see a hidden secret that will emerge.

فَتَجري إِلى العَلياءِ وَالمَجدِ شَوطَها

وَيُخصِبُ فيها كُلُّ جَدبٍ وَيَنضُرُ

Then she will run her race toward exaltation and glory,

and every barren tract within her will grow fertile and verdant.

وَفيهِ بَدَت في أُفقِ جاوَةَ لَمعَةٌ

أَضاءَت لِأَهليها السَبيلَ فَبَكَّروا

In it a gleam appeared on Java's horizon,

lighting the way for its people, who set out early.

فَيالَيتَهُ أَولى الجَزائِرَ مِنَّةً

تُفَكُّ لَها تِلكَ القُيودُ وَتُكسَرُ

Would that it had bestowed a favor on Algeria,

by which those fetters might be undone for her and broken.

وَفي تونُسَ الخَضراءِ يا لَيتَهُ بَنى

لَهُ أَثَراً في لَوحَةِ الدَهرِ يُذكَرُ

And in green Tunisia, would that it had raised

a memorial to itself, remembered on time's tablet.

وَفيهِ سَرَت في مِصرَ روحٌ جَديدَةٌ

مُبارَكَةٌ مِن غَيرَةٍ تَتَسَعَّرُ

In it a new spirit spread through Egypt,

blessed, blazing with ardent zeal.

خَبَت زَمَناً حَتّى تَوَهَّمتُ أَنَّها

تَجافَت عَنِ الإيراءِ لَولا كُرومَرُ

It had died down for a time, until I imagined it

beyond rekindling, but for Cromer.

تَصَدّى فَأَوراها وَهَيهاتَ أَن يَرى

سَبيلاً إِلى إِخمادِها وَهيَ تَزفِرُ

He stepped forward and kindled it, but never shall he find

a way to quench it while it breathes fire.

مَضى زَمَنُ التَنويمِ يا نيلُ وَاِنقَضى

فَفي مِصرَ أَيقاظٌ عَلى مِصرَ تَسهَرُ

The age of lulling to sleep has passed and ended, O Nile;

for in Egypt are wakeful souls keeping watch over Egypt.

وَقَد كانَ مُرفينُ الدَهاءِ مُخَدَّراً

فَأَصبَحَ في أَعصابِنا يَتَخَدَّرُ

The morphine of cunning once was a narcotic,

but now it is itself benumbed within our nerves.

شَعَرنا بِحاجاتِ الحَياةِ فَإِن وَنَت

عَزائِمُنا عَن نَيلِها كَيفَ نُعذَرُ

We have felt life's needs; should there falter

our resolve to attain them, how can we be excused?

شَعَرنا وَأَحسَسنا وَباتَت نُفوسُنا

مِنَ العَيشِ إِلّا في ذُرا العِزِّ تَسخَرُ

We have perceived and felt, and our souls now

scorn life except upon the heights of honor.

إِذا اللَهُ أَحيا أُمَّةً لَن يَرُدَّها

إِلى المَوتِ قَهّارٌ وَلا مُتَجَبِّرُ

If God gives a nation life, none will send it back

to death—neither a subjugator nor a tyrant.

رِجالَ الغَدِ المَأمولِ إِنّا بِحاجَةٍ

إِلى قادَةٍ تَبني وَشَعبٍ يُعَمِّرُ