أمن بارق في الدجى أومضا — Ibn Farkoun

أمِنْ بارِقٍ في الدُجى أوْمَضا

حنَنْتَ إلى ذكْرِ عهْدٍ مَضى

Was it because a lightning-flash gleamed in the darkness

that you yearned to recall a time gone by?

كأنّ تألُّقَهُ مَوْهِناً

شِهابٌ إلى الرّجْمِ قد قُيّضا

As though its glittering, late at night,

were a meteor appointed for stoning.

كأنّ الدُجى سلّ زَنْجِيُّهُ

حُساماً علَى أفْقِهِ وانتَضى

As though the darkness's Black man had drawn

a keen sword along its horizon and bared it.

كأنّ سَنا الزهْرِ أزهارَ روضٍ

منَ النّورِ بالنّورِ قد عُوِّضا

As though the stars' radiance were a garden's flowers,

whose blossoms had been exchanged for light.

كأنّ طوالِعَ شهْبانِها

طلائِعُ شُهْبٍ مَلأْنَ الفَضا

As though its rising meteors

were vanguards of gray steeds filling the heavens.

كأن بها القَلْبَ قلْبٌ مَشوقٌ

تقلَّبَ في جمَراتِ الغضَى

As though the Heart there were a heart in longing,

tossing among the embers of ghada wood.

كأنّ بها النّسر قُصّ الجناحُ

لهُ عندَما رامَ أن ينْهَضا

As though the Eagle there had had its wing clipped

just as it sought to rise.

كأنّ أخاهُ أخو لوعَةٍ

فلا هُوَ أغفى ولا غمّضا

As though its brother were a companion of anguish,

neither dozing nor closing his eyes.

كأنّ السُهى خبرٌ هاجِسٌ

بصَدْرٍ أبى السّمْعُ أن يُرْفَضا

As though al-Suha were a rumor stirring

within a breast, which hearing refused to dismiss.

كأنّ الهِلالَ على أدْهمٍ

من الليلِ سرْجٌ وقدْ فُضِّضا

As though the crescent, upon a black steed

of night, were a silver-plated saddle.

كأنّ ثرَيّاهُ راحةُ خَوْدٍ

تُعَوِّذُهُ خَمْسُها إذْ أضا

As though its Pleiades were a young maiden's palm,

her five fingers warding harm from it as it shone.

كأنّ الظّلامَ غَدا راحِلاً

أمامَ الضُحَى رَحْلُهُ قُوِّضا

As though the darkness had become a departing traveler,

its camp dismantled before the morning light.

كأنّ سَنى الصُّبْحِ وجْهُ ابنِ نَصْرٍ

إمامِ الهُدَى المَلِكِ المُرْتَضى

As though the morning's radiance were the face of Ibn Nasr,

the imam of guidance, the chosen king.

إمامٌ يكُفُّ صروفَ الخطوبِ

ويَقضي الزّمانُ بما قد قَضى

An imam who restrains the turns of calamity,

while Time decrees whatever he has decreed.

مَظاهِرُهُ في العُلَى تُجْتَلى

مقاصِدهُ في النّدى تُرتَضى

His splendors in high rank are beheld;

his aims in generosity are approved.

فأعْلى به الدّينُ دينَ الهُدى

وكمْ حجّةٍ للعِدى أدْحَضا

Thus through him the faith—the faith of guidance—rose high,

and how many an enemy's argument he refuted!

وإنّ مُحيّاهُ مَهْما بَدا

أعادَ ظلامَ الدُجى أبْيَضا

And whenever his countenance appeared,

it turned the darkness of night white.

فيوسُفُ شيّدَ مَغْنى العُلَى

ويوسُفُ مبْنى العِدا قوّضا

For Yusuf built the abode of glory,

and Yusuf demolished the enemies' edifice.

أناصِرَ دين الهُدى أشْبَهَتْ

عَزائِمُ منكَ الظُّبا في المَضا

O champion of the faith of guidance, alike are

your resolves and sword-edges in their keenness.

فقُمْتَ بما قعَدَ الدّهْرُ عنْهُ

وداوَيْتَ بالجود ما أمْرَضا

You accomplished what Time had failed to do,

and healed with generosity what it had made ill.

تجودُ إذا ضنّ صوْبُ الحَيا

وتُقبِلُ والدّهْرُ قد أعْرَضا

You give freely when the rain's downpour withholds,

and turn toward us when Time has turned away.

وتُقبِلُ عنّا دَياجي الخُطوبِ

بنورِ هُدىً منكَ قد أعْرَضا

You confront on our behalf the dark nights of calamity,

with a light of guidance from you that spreads far and wide.

وضلّتْ عُداتُكَ لمّا غَدا

بكفِّكَ سيْفُ الهُدَى مُنتضَى

Your enemies went astray when

the sword of guidance lay unsheathed in your palm.

فترْجوكَ للسِّلْمِ أمْلاكُها

وتخْشاكَ في الرّوعِ أسْدُ الغَضى

Their kings look to you for peace,

and the lions of the ghada thickets fear you in battle's terror.

لكَ الصدْقُ فادْعُ وليَّ الهُدى

إلى ما ابْتَغى وإلى ما ارْتَضى

Truth is yours; summon the ally of guidance

to what he sought and what he approved.

وأعرِضْ عنِ الكفْرِ أو قُلْ لهُ

أصَرَّحَ سعيُكَ أمْ عرّضا

And turn away from unbelief, or say to it:

“Has your striving been open, or has it been oblique?

صِفاحِيَ للصّفْحِ إرْجاؤُها

وعَزميَ للبأسِ قد قُيَّضا

My sword-blades are held back for pardon,

and my resolve has been made ready for battle.

وما لحُلومِيَ أن تُسْتَخَفَّ

وما لِقَبوليَ أنْ يُعْرِضا

My forbearance is not to be treated lightly,

nor should my acceptance turn to aversion.”

هوَ الحقُّ موْلايَ فاصْدَعْ بهِ

مَراماً تسنّى وحُكْماً مضى

It is the truth, my lord; proclaim it,

an aim made attainable, a judgment carried through.

وناصِرُها وابنُ أنصارِها

مقامُكَ مُستَنْفِراً مُنْهِضا

Its champion, and son of its champions—

such is your station, rallying and rousing.

فما فوّقَ السّهْمَ إلا رَمى

ولا قلّدَ السّيفَ إلا نَضى

For he never nocked an arrow but he shot it,

nor girded on a sword but he drew it.

لك انعطفَتْ جامِحاتُ الأماني

كما تعْطِفُ السّابِقَ الرّيضا

For you, untamed hopes have yielded,

as you turn a swift, well-trained steed.

وادْراعُ حَرْبكَ عن نقْعِها

يَروقُ اجْتِلاءُ الوجوهِ الوِضا

And as your war emerges from its dust,

the sight of radiant faces delights.

وريحُ الصَّبا نُشُراً بيْنَها

تُثيرُ جَداوِلَها الفُيَّضا

And the east wind, wafting among them,

stirs its overflowing streams.

ستُفْضي إلى الهُلْكِ أعْداءُ مَنْ

إلى ربّه أمْرَهُ فوّضا

To destruction shall go the enemies of one

who entrusts his affairs to his Lord.

نَبا سيفُهُمْ وكَبا طِرفهُمْ

ومَن للمُقَيَّدِ أنْ يَنْهَضا

Their sword glanced off, and their steed stumbled;

and who can help the shackled man rise?

فها أفْقُ أنجُمِهِمْ لانْقِضاضٍ

وغايةُ آمادِهِمْ لانْقِضا

Behold, their stars' horizon is destined for downfall,

and the limit of their spans for an end.

وما قدُّ ذابِلِهمْ لانْتِهاءٍ

ولا حدُّ مُرهَفِهِمْ لانتِضا

Their slender spear's length will reach no goal,

nor is their sharpened sword's edge fit to be drawn.

لأعْجَزْتَ من هُوَ آتٍ كما

بعَدْلِكَ أنسَيْتَ ما قدْ مضى

You have surely outdone whoever is to come, just as

your justice has made what came before forgotten.

وهُنِّئْتَ عِيداً أتى بالمُنى

دُيونُ المَعالي بهِ تُقْتَضى

May you be congratulated on a feast that brought fulfillment,

through which the debts of noble deeds are paid.

وودّعَ شهْرُ الصّيامِ الذي

إليكَ المودّةَ قد أمْحَضا

And the month of fasting has bidden farewell,

which had offered you unalloyed affection.

وودّ المُقامَ بمَثْوى العُلى

كما شاءَ إخْلاصُهُ واقْتَضى

It wished to remain in the abode of glory,

as its sincerity desired and required.

ولكنّهُ عائدٌ عيدُهُ

بمُقْتَبِلِ النّصْرِ لمّا انْقَضى

Yet its feast returns,

with fresh victory, now that the month has passed.

بقيتَ لأمثالِه سالِماً

وجَفْنُ الرّدى عنْكَ قد أغْمضا

May you live unharmed to see many like it,

with death's eyelid closed against you.

أمَوْلايَ لي أدبٌ روضَةٌ

نَداكَ مَتى جادَهُ روّضا

O my lord, my literary art is a garden:

whenever your bounty waters it, it blossoms.

مَعاذَ قِداحِي بهِ أن تخيبَ

وحاشَى عهودُكَ أن تُنْقَضا

Far be it that my lot-arrows should fail through it,

and far be it that your pledges should be broken.

وما العهْدُ إلا الذي لا انْتِقاضَ

لِما أحْكَمَتْ منهُ أيْدي القَضا

A covenant is only one admitting no undoing

of what destiny's hands have bound within it.

وليسَ جُناحٌ على الدّهْرِ إذْ

أبى لِجناحِيَ أن يُخْفَضا

And Time bears no blame when

it refuses to let my wing be lowered.

فإني مَمْلوكُكَ المُرْتَجي

نَداكَ المؤمِّلُ منكَ الرّضا

For I am your bondsman, hoping for

your bounty, seeking your good pleasure.

أأخضَعُ يوماً ومنّي لَدى

سواكَ الوسائِلُ لن تُعْرضا

Should I ever abase myself, when from me, before

anyone but you, no petitions will ever be offered?

فدُمْ للزّمانِ الذي لا يُرى

لأيّامِ مُلْكِكَ فيهِ انقِضا

So endure through time, in which none sees

an end to the days of your reign.