Poem Dedicated to God: The Superlative Supplemental
Baid bin Rabiah stated:
To God belongs the supplemental, the best of destinies,
It is He who possesses the exalted heights and the essence of every entity.
People cannot erase His scripture,
In any case, and His decree is not subject to change.
He created and sealed the edges of His throne,
Seven layers above the branches of the canopy.
The earth beneath them is a steadfast cradle,
Its features are fixed by the hardness of the rock.
The water and fire are among His signs,
In them is a reminder for those who do not ignore.
Indeed, all your efforts are vain except for piety,
And when something has passed, it is as if it never occurred.
If anything were eternal, it would have been established firmly;
Yet doom is a fleeting chapter on the journey of fate.
What a difficult affair when setbacks bring others down,
Or when the flawed, with their additions, cannot be approached in their land.
He sweeps over, resembling the wayward on the eve of departure,
In his jaws, a crookedness exceeds his cheeks.
And he opposes the noble behind the lowly.
He was struck by the uncertainties of time and his fangs became,
Like shards of glass, revealing their sharpness.
Indeed, he witnessed the dawn of his steadfast friend
Amid the grip of his sword and the caravan.
They greeted the dawn when caution was warranted,
And a watchman caught sight of the dawn creep unnoticed.
So they embraced each other while the dawn lay beneath them,
Amidst the dust and the folds of despondency.
And indeed, a flurry swept through, catching their hurricane,
The uncertainty of time was less burdensome.
When he saw the flocks of eagles take flight,
He raised the heads like an unarmored poor man.
From beneath him, Luqman hopes for his rise,
And indeed, Luqman saw that he would not be dissuaded.
Overcame were the nights behind the clan of the burning fires,
And just as they prevailed over Tubba and Bhrqal,
They overcame Abraha, who was once formidable,
For he had once achieved immortality over the chamber of the guardian.
Poem: O King Whose Calmness
According to Antara bin Shaddad:
O King, whose calmness,
Stands in place of rain during its times.
O direction sought by travelers, O crown of excellence,
O moon of this era in its luminosity.
O one who shames the celestial storm with your generosity,
O savior of the sorrowful from their distress.
O one dwelling in the lands of Abs, I indeed
Have encountered more than what Khosrow and his kindness can describe,
Which cannot be depicted or valued nor compensated
By any tongue with a description of its attributes.
A king holding all ranks of excellence,
In the splendor of his glory established in his throne.
A master by whom the times and its people have been honored,
And fate acquired pride from his crowns.
And when he imposes strength, all of humanity fears,
From his might while the lion stands at its sight.
He exhibits fairness in his days
Through his virtues and justice in his lands.
I spent time in a prosperous quarter near him,
Delighted to be among him and in his garden.
And I witnessed his blessings flowing, and his waters,
Reveal his grants and bountiful deeds.
In an abode that unites spring in its own dwelling,
From every artistic form blooming in its branches.
And his birds of every kind sang aloud,
Proclaiming that time submits to his command.
A king, when traversing on the day of encounter,
The enemy stands confused regarding his status.
Victory is among his companions, unlike the common people,
While happiness and acceptance are from his supporters.
So I will surely express gratitude for his deeds among the noble,
And I will contend against knights in his arena.
Poem: As I Alighted upon Al-Ma’la
According to Imru’ al-Qais:
As I alighted upon Al-Ma’la,
It is as if I descended upon the high peaks of Al-Sham.
For the dominion of Iraq over Al-Ma’la
Is neither decisive nor that of Ash-Sham.
Did the stab of Dhul-Qarnayn’s spear, until
The heroic king’s shadow had departed?
Imru’ al-Qais son of Hujr,
The sons of Taym are lanterns in the dark.
Poem: For Indeed, A Mixture When Separation Occurs
According to Zuhair bin Abi Sulma:
Indeed, remember the best of Qais in lineage,
And the finest among them in achievement and character.
He who leads horses with their tails raised,
Has established the rules of the wise and the noble.
They invaded the flourishing, returning weak and emaciated,
After being deprived of strong bodies and nourishment.
Until they return with difficulty and trouble,
Complaining of weariness and the burdens of burdens.
They desire what was obtained by the hands of two brave men,
Who earned royal status and surpassed this bounty.
He is generous; if he follows their lead,
His costs are there; thus, he resembles them.
Or outruns them based on a previous opportunity,
As they did have strides preceded by virtue and success.
A white horse flows abundantly, freeing from
The hands of the tyrants and their collars.
And that is the most resolute among them in opinion when the news
Of calamity dawns upon the people, or rises.
Poem: Did He Not Visit Us After They Had Slumbered?
According to Al-Hutay’ah:
Did he not visit us after they had rested, Hind,
As they journeyed for five days, and the expanse of Najd unfolded.
How wonderful is Hind and the land she inhabits,
And Hind emerged from distance and separation.
And Hind appeared from afar, adorned with garments,
Whose rendering resembles uncut flax, transformed when met.
And the ones intermingling were deserving of my fury; thus, I resisted,
Just as they have suppressed my acknowledgment.
As for the clan of Shamas, the son of Al-Laith, indeed,
They brought her forth with dreams and decent descent.
For the wretched are those who face the stiffed breasts,
While the noble are those who would stand towards them, out of love.
They would negotiate ideas, far beyond their aspirations,
And when they were enraged, a diligent one came for their guard.
Reduce your grumbling towards them, O father of your kin,
Considering your criticism or close the space they shared.
Those are people who, if they built, they constructed well,
And if they pledged, they honored, and if they tied, they held firmly.
Even if they offered kindness to them, they rewarded it,
And graciously they supplied it without any expectation.
And if their master speaks amidst distress,
From the fate of days, they respond back with mindful dreams.
And if an aversion distanced from one of them,
The midlands remain unspoiled, their mustaches still unkempt.
How could one think they were forsaken by me,
Over a majority of significant matters, yet your dry leaves shriveled.
When life gets tough, they remain resilient,
With roots nourished from the heritage of their forebearers.
Poem: For Every People Has a Leader They Acknowledge
According to Urwah bin al-Ward:
For every people, there exists a leader they recognize,
And our leader until death is Rabee’.
If my beloved wife commands me to disobey,
I shall not disobey her; otherwise, it would be my ruin.