بشرى البراءة — Mohammed Al Eid Alkhali…

أعلنوا البشرى فرادى وثبين

جاء نصر الله والفتح المبين

Proclaim the glad news, singly and in bands!

God's help and the manifest victory have come.

إطرحوا عنكم تباريح الجوى

وافرحوا، فاليوم عيد المصلحين

Cast off the torments of inward grief,

and rejoice: today is the reformers' festival.

خرج الإصلاح من محنته

وهو عالي الرأس وضاح الجبين

Reform has emerged from its ordeal,

its head held high, its brow radiant.

ونجا (العقبي) و(التركي) من

غمرات ناهزت بضع سنين

And al-Uqbi and al-Turki escaped from

overwhelming ordeals lasting several years.

حلق النسران في جوهما

وانثنت حسرى قلوب الصائدين

The two eagles soared in their sky,

and the hunters' hearts recoiled in grief.

وخطا الليثان أخطار الزبى

مستقلين ولاذا بالعرين

The two lions strode past the dangers of the pits,

taking them lightly, and sought refuge in their den.

أيها الخلان قد آواكما

حرم من جانب الشرع أمين

O two friends, you have been sheltered by

a secure sanctuary in the law's keeping.

حكم الشرع بتنزيهكما

ونفى بالحق دعوى المبطلين

The law pronounced you both blameless

and truthfully dismissed the false accusers' charge.

من عظيم الفخر أن زكاكما

في حمى الشرع عظام الشاهدين

It is a great honor that you both were vouched for

in the law's sanctuary by eminent witnesses.

ومحامون بصدق عنكما

وقفوا للخصم كالسد الحصين

And lawyers, in honest defense of you both,

stood against the adversary like a fortified dam.

(لادمرال) الحر حام جنبهم

ثابت العزمة كالطود الركين

The free-spirited Ladmiral defended beside them,

steadfast in resolve like a firmly rooted mountain.

النصارى واليهود استبشروا

عندما برئتما كالمسلمين

Christians and Jews rejoiced

when you were acquitted, as did the Muslims.

واذا الله تولى عبده

أقبل الخلق عليه طائعين

And when God takes His servant into His care,

people turn toward him willingly.

فهنيئا لكما ما أعقبت

هذه البلوى من النصر المكين

So joy to you both for what has come

from this ordeal: a firmly established victory.

سنة الله انتشال المبتلى

من يد البلوى ولو من بعد حين

God's way is to rescue the afflicted

from affliction's grasp, though only after a time.

والبليات جسور المجد لا

بد منها لعبور الماجدين

And trials are bridges to glory; there is no

dispensing with them if the noble are to cross.

كيف لا نلقى أذاها بالرضى

وهي من أسباب فوز المرسلين

How could we not meet their hurt with acceptance,

when they are among the means of the messengers' triumph?

فاز موسى بالمناجاة بها

وبتسخير العصا في طور سين

Through them Moses won intimate communion,

and mastery of the staff on Mount Sinai.

وارتقى عيسى الى الله بها

وشفى العمي وأحيا الميتين

Through them Jesus ascended to God,

healed the blind and raised the dead.

وتلقى أحمد النصر بها

فغزا الأرض وساد العالمين

And through them Ahmad received victory,

then conquered the earth and ruled the worlds.

في سبيل الله ضر مسنا

فيكما دون جميع المؤمنين

In God's cause, suffering touched us

in you two alone, among all the believers.

ولعل الله ما اختاركما

دوننا الا لرجحان كمين

Perhaps God chose you both

over us only for some hidden preeminence.

ما جنى (الطيب) الا طيبا

كيف يرضى حثه للمجرمين؟

Al-Tayyib has done nothing but good;

how could he approve inciting criminals?

كيف يرضى القتل بر مثله

إن قتل النفس إجرام مشين؟

How could a righteous man like him approve of killing?

Surely taking a life is shameful criminality.

هو في (الملعب) هاد هادئى

فيه، والمفتي (بلالير)طعين

He was a guide, serene in the stadium,

there, while the mufti Bilalir lay stabbed.

ما خلا الملعب حتى قيل قد

قتل المفتي فسرنا واجمين

The stadium had not emptied when word came:

“The mufti has been killed”; we walked on, stunned.

وسعى الساعون بهتانا بنا

وفشا في الشعب قول المرجفين

And the schemers plotted slander against us,

and the alarmists' talk spread among the people.

ادخلونا مأزقا مستهدفا

للردى فيه وقفنا حائرين

They thrust us into a predicament, exposed

to death; there we stood bewildered.

قل لهم موتوا بغيظ واذهبوا

حسرة إنا خرجنا سالمين

Tell them: “Die in rage and waste away

with grief: we have emerged unharmed.”

هي مأساة ومسلاة معا

دبرت أدوارها للاعبين

It is both a tragedy and an entertainment,

whose roles were devised for actors.

وشريط سينمائي حوى

صورا مدهشة للناظرين

And a strip of cinema film containing

images astonishing to viewers.

سجل التاريخ منها صحفا

بيمين الصدق فيها لا يمين

History recorded pages from it

with truth's right hand, with no oath in them.

ان فيها عبرا ملموسة

وعظات جمة للقارئين

In it are tangible lessons

and abundant admonitions for readers.

أيها (العقبي) أقدم ظافرا

أنك اليوم إمام الظافرين

O al-Uqbi, advance victorious!

Today you are the leader of the victors.

وتعزز بشيوخ علية

وشباب للبطولات خدين

Take strength from eminent elders

and youth, the close companion of heroism.

لم يزل طول المدى مستحكما

بيننا حبل من الود متين

Through all the years there has remained unbroken

between us a strong cord of affection.

لك إلف ليس ينسى الفه

(وخليل) لا يحب الآفلين

You have a companion who never forgets his companion,

and a close friend who loves not those who set.

عنده مثلك بالصدق هوى

وله مثلك للشرق حنين

He, like you, has a passion for truth,

and, like you, a longing for the East.

كلما مسك ضر مسه

وطغى الدمع عليه والانين

Whenever harm touches you, it touches him,

and tears and groans overwhelm him.

صحب الشعر صبيا يافعا

وفتى كهلا يداني الأربعين

He befriended poetry as a boy growing up,

as a youth, and as a mature man nearing forty.

يزعم الغاوون عنه أنه

في بحور الشعر ربان السفين

The errant claim of him that he is

a captain of ships upon poetry's seas.

جاءك اليوم بشعر صادق

عاطفي الوحي قدسي الرنين

Today he brings you truthful verse,

inspired by feeling, sacred in its resonance.

لا يبالي بعد هذا الشعر أن

لا يقول الشعر دهر الداهرين

After this poem he would not care

if he composed no poetry for all eternity.

قد عرفناك عزيز النفس لا

ترتضي في موقف أن تستكين

We have known you to be proud of soul, never

content, in any stand, to submit.

كيف لا يعتز حر يعتزي

لبلاد (عقبة) فيها دفين؟

How could a free man not take pride who traces his roots

to a land in which Uqba lies buried?

لم تكن في مجلس الشرع سوى

ثابت مستبسل القلب رزين

Before the court of law, you were nothing but

steadfast, valiant-hearted, and composed.

تنقض الدعوى بقول فيصل

وترد الشك منها باليقين

You refuted the charge with decisive words

and answered its doubts with certainty.

كنت فرد افيه حلت أمة

وسجينا معه الشعب سجين

You were one man in whom a nation dwelt,

a prisoner with whom the people were imprisoned.

وحباك الله نصرا باهرا

أصبح اليوم حديث السائرين

And God bestowed on you a dazzling victory

that today has become the talk of travelers.

فانتصب فينا زعيما وانتهج

للمعالي كلى نهج مستبين

So stand among us as a leader, and tread

every clear path to greatness.

إنما أنت زعيم خالد

بارز في الزعماء الخالدين

You are indeed an immortal leader,

outstanding among the immortal leaders.

أيها (التركي) أبشر بالمنى

واغتبط انك فخر المحسنين

O al-Turki, rejoice in wishes fulfilled,

and exult: you are the pride of benefactors.

فلكم أسعفت بالمعروف من

معدم في قبضة البؤس حزين

How often have you aided with kindness some

destitute soul, sorrowful in misery's grasp.

كل من نحوك ضر ساقه

شاقه ما فيك من عطف ولين

Everyone whom suffering drove toward you

was drawn by your compassion and gentleness.

لا أسميك بعباس فقد

كنت بساما لكل الوافدين

I will not call you Abbas—the frowner—for

you have been all smiles to every visitor.

جل صنع الله في تصويره

للبرايا عن أسامي الواضعين

Exalted is God's handiwork in shaping

His creatures, above the names that namers give.

لا عدمناك رفيقا صادقا

كاسبا ود الرفاق الصادقين

May we never lose you, a faithful companion,

winning the affection of faithful friends.

يها الشعب وكل اسم سما

فهو بعد الله للشعب مدين

O people—every name that rises high

is, after God, indebted to the people.

لك مني الشكر جزلا خالصا

بعد شكر الله خير الشاكرين

My thanks to you are abundant and sincere,

after thanking God, the best of those who give thanks.

قد تبرعت بوفر لا ترى

فيه منا من ألوف ومئين

You gave generously, seeing no

favor to boast of in those thousands and hundreds.

ولقيت الخطب جلدا صابرا

فانعم اليوم بعقبى الصابرين

You met calamity with fortitude and patience;

so savor today the reward of the patient.

نزه العدل ولا ترتب بما

أسلف الشرع وثق بالحاكمين

Hold justice above reproach, and do not doubt what

the law has already done; trust those who judge.

لست أعني حاكمين استظهروا

بالقوانين علينا جائرين

I do not mean the rulers who bolstered themselves

with laws against us, acting unjustly.

أنكروا مؤتمرا قمنا به

نبتغي عدل فرنسا هادئين

They condemned a congress that we held,

peacefully seeking France's justice.

زعمونا فيه أضدادا لها

وخصوما بئس زعم الزاعمين

They claimed that there we were her enemies

and adversaries—wretched is their claim!

إن اضداد فرنسا معشر

حكموا باسم فرنسا ظالمين

France's enemies are those

who ruled unjustly in France's name.

كلما قلنا اقربوا قالوا ابعدوا

لا نسوي بالفرنج (الأندجين)

Whenever we said, “Draw near,” they said, “Keep away!”

“We do not make the ‘natives’ equal to the French.

لن تنالوا البر حتى ترفضوا

ما لكم من عنصر باق ودين

You will not obtain fair treatment until you cast off

your enduring ancestry and your religion.”

ما لهم يزهون كبرا هل لهم

عنصر يعزى لطيب لا لطين؟

Why do they strut so proudly? Do they have

a lineage traced to perfume rather than clay?

سوف يدرون وإن طال المدى

أن هذا الشعب بالمجد قرين

They will learn, however long it takes,

that this people is bound to glory.

يشهد التاريخ في أسفاره

أنه من قبل للمجد قرين

History bears witness in its volumes

that it was linked to glory long ago,

من بقايا أمة (عادية)

وسلالات غزاة فاتحين

a remnant of an ancient nation,

and descendants of conquering warriors.

عن بواديهم وعن أمصارهم

روت الحكمة (روما) و(أثين)

From their deserts and their cities

Rome and Athens drew wisdom.

أيها القوم تحلوا بالرضى

وتحفوا بالرجال المكرمين

O people, adorn yourselves with contentment,

and cherish the honored men.

اعملوا قد فسح الله لكم

كي يرى آثاركم في العالمين

Work: God has made room for you,

that He may see your works among the worlds.

واحمدوا الله على نعمائه

أنه أهل لحمد الحامدين

And praise God for His blessings;

He is worthy of the praise of all who praise.

واجعلوا الخير قصارى قصدكم

حزتم الخير وفزتم أجمعين

Make goodness your ultimate aim:

you will gain goodness and triumph, every one.