Qasida Burda - Chapter 6

دَعْنِي وَوَصْفِي آيَاتٍ لَهُ ظَهَرَتْ
ظُهُورَ نَارِ القِرَى لَيْلًا عَلَى عَلَمِ
فَالدُّرُّ يَزْدَادُ حُسْنًا وَهْوَ مُنْتَظِمٌ
وَلَيْسَ يَنْقُصُ قَدْرًا غَيْرَ مُنْتَظِمِ
فَمَا تَطَاوُلُ آمَالِ المَدِيحِ إِلَى
مَا فِيهِ مِنْ كَرَمِ الأَخْلَاقِ وَالشِّيَمِ
آيَاتُ حَقٍّ مِنَ الرَّحْمٰنِ مُحْدَثَةٌ
قَدِيمَةٌ صِفَةُ المَوْصُوفِ بِالقِدَمِ
لَمْ تَقْتَرِنْ بِزَمَانٍ وَهْيَ تُخْبِرُنَا
عَنِ المَعَادِ وَعَنْ عَادٍ وَعَنْ إِرَمِ
دَامَتْ لَدَيْنَا فَفَاقَتْ كُلَّ مُعْجِزَةٍ
مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ إِذْ جَاءَتْ وَلَمْ تَدُمِ
مُحَكَّمَاتٌ فَمَا تُبْقِيْنَ مِنْ شُبَهٍ
لِذِي شِقَاقٍ وَمَا تَبْغِيْنَ مِنْ حَكَمِ
مَا حُورِبَتْ قَطُّ إِلَّا عَادَ مِنْ حَرَبٍ
أَعْدَى الأَعَادِي إِلَيْهَا مُلْقِيَ السَّلَمِ
رَدَّتْ بَلَاغَتُهَا دَعْوَى مُعَارِضِهَا
رَدَّ الغَيُورِ يَدَ الجَانِي عَنِ الْحُرَمِ
لَهَا مَعَانٍ كَمَوْجِ البَحْرِ فِي مَدَدٍ
وَفَوْقَ جَوْهَرِهِ فِي الْحُسْنِ وَالقِيَمِ
فَمَا تُعَدُّ وَلَا تُحْصَى عَجَائِبُهَا
وَلَا تُسَامُ عَلَى الإِكْثَارِ بِالسَّأَمِ
قَرَّتْ بِهَا عَيْنُ قَارِيْهَا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ
لَقَدْ ظَفِرْتَ بِحَبْلِ اللهِ فَاعْتَصِمِ
إِنْ تَتْلُهَا خِيفَةً مِنْ حَرِّ نَارِ لَظَى
أَطْفَأْتَ حَرَّ لَظَى مِنْ وِرْدِهَا الشَّبِمِ
كَأَنَّهَا الْحَوْضُ تَبْيَضُّ الْوُجُوهُ بِهِ
مِنَ العُصَاةِ وَقَدْ جَاءُوهُ كَالحُمَمِ
وَكَالصِّرَاطِ وَكَالمِيزَانِ مَعْدِلَةً
فَالقِسْطُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا فِي النَّاسِ لَمْ يَقُمِ
لاَ تَعْجَبَنْ لِحَسُودٍ رَاحَ يُنْكِرُهَا
تَجَاهُلًا وَهْوَ عَيْنُ الْحَاذِقِ الْفَهِمِ
قَدْ تُنْكِرُ الْعَيْنُ ضَوْءَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ رَمَدٍ
وَيُنْكِرُ الْفَمُ طَعْمَ المَاءِ مِنْ سَقَمِ

Let me describe to you the signs that were manifested for him,
Visible like the village beacons lit atop hills at night.
Though a pearl is more lovely when strung [with others],
Its value is not diminished when alone and unstrung.
To what hope can the giver of praise aspire
Of doing justice to his noble qualities and traits?
Signs of truth from the All-Merciful—revealed within time
Yet pre-eternal; the attribute of Him who is pre-eternal.
They are not connected with time, yet they inform us
About the Resurrection, and about ʿĪd and Iram.
They remained with us, thus surpassing every miracle
Of the other Prophets, which came but did not last.
Unequivocal verses leaving no doubt to remain
in dissenters, and requiring no arbiter.
No implacable foe has attacked them
But that he retreated from battle and sued for peace.
Their sheer eloquence refutes the claim of their opponent,
As a jealous man wards off an assailant’s hand from his wife.
They contain meanings like the sea’s bountiful waves,
And surpass the sea’s jewels in beauty and value.
Their marvels can neither be counted nor numbered,
And frequent repetition never gives rise to tedium.
They delighted the one who recited them, so I told him,
‘You have the Rope of Allah, so hold fast to it!’
If you recite them out of fear of a blazing fire’s heat
from their cool wells they will quench the blazing heat
Like the Pool, they brighten the faces of the sinful,
Though they had come to it as black as charcoal.
Like the Traverse and like Scales in justice;
True justice amongst men cannot be upheld from any other source.
Do not be amazed at an envious person who denies them
Feigning ignorance, though he has perception and understanding.
For the eye, when inflamed, may be averse to the sun’s light;
And the mouth, when ailing, may loathe water’s taste.