Qasida Burda - Chapter 5

جَاءَتْ لِدَعْوَتِهِ الْأَشْجَارُ سَاجِدَةً
تَمْشِي إِلَيْهِ عَلَى سَاقٍ بِلَا قَدَمِ
كَأَنَّمَا سَطَرَتْ سَطْرًا لِمَا كَتَبَتْ
فُرُوعُهَا مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْخَطِّ بِاللَّقَمِ
مِثْلَ الغَمَامَةِ أَنَّى سَارَ سَائِرَةً
تَقِيهِ حَرَّ وَطِيسٍ لِلْهَجِيرِ حَمِي
أَقْسَمْتُ بِالْقَمَرِ المُنْشَقِّ إِنَّ لَهُ
مِنْ قَلْبِهِ نِسْبَةً مَبْرُورَةَ القَسَمِ
وَمَا حَوَى الغَارُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَمِنْ كَرَمٍ
وَكُلُّ طَرْفٍ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ عَنْهُ عَمِي
فَالصِّدْقُ فِي الْغَارِ وَالصِّدِّيقُ لَمْ يَرِمَا
وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا بِالْغَارِ مِنْ أَرِمِ
ظَنُّوا الْحَمَامَ وَظَنُّوا الْعَنْكَبُوتَ عَلَى
خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ لَمْ تَنْسُجْ وَلَمْ تَحُمِ
وِقَايَةُ اللهِ أَغْنَتْ عَنْ مُضَاعَفَةٍ
مِنَ الدُّرُوعِ وَعَنْ عَالٍ مِنَ الأُطُمِ
مَا سَامَنِي الدَّهْرُ ضَيْمًا وَاسْتَجَرْتُ بِهِ
إِلَّا وَنِلْتُ جِوَارًا مِنْهُ لَمْ يُضَمِ
وَلَا الْتَمَسْتُ غِنَى الدَّارَيْنِ مِنْ يَدِهِ
إِلَّا اسْتَلَمْتُ النَّدَى مِنْ خَيْرِ مُسْتَلَمِ
لَا تُنْكِرِ الْوَحْيَ مِنْ رُؤْيَاهُ إِنَّ لَهُ
قَلْبًا إِذَا نَامَتِ العَيْنَانِ لَمْ يَنَمِ
وَذَاكَ حِينَ بُلُوغٍ مِنْ نُبَوَّتِهِ
فَلَيْسَ يُنْكَرُ فِيهِ حَالُ مُحْتَلِمِ
تَبَارَكَ اللهُ مَا وَحْيٌ بِمُكْتَسَبٍ
وَلَا نَبِيٌّ عَلَى غَيْبٍ بِمُتَّهَمِ
كَمْ أَبْرَأَتْ وَصِبًا بِاللَّمْسِ رَاحَتُهُ
وَأَطْلَقَتْ أَرِبًا مِنْ رِبْقَةِ اللَّمَمِ
وَأَحْيَتِ السَّنَةَ الشَّهْبَاءَ دَعْوَتُهُ
حَتَّى حَكَتْ غُرَّةً فِي الأَعْصُرِ الدُّهُمِ
بِعَارضٍ جَادَ أَوْ خِلْتَ الْبِطَاحَ بِهَا
سَيْبًا مِنَ الْيَمِّ أَوْ سَيْلًا مِنَ الْعَرِمِ

Trees came prostrating to him when he called,
Walking towards him on trunks without feet
As though they had inscribed lines of splendid calligraphy
With their branches along the path.
Like the cloud that hovered over him wherever he went,
Shielding him from the intense oven of the midday heat.
I swear by the [Lord of the] moon that was split in two
a true oath: it has truly a connection with his heart.
And by the goodness and nobility contained in the cave
While the disbelievers’ every glance was blind to him.
Truthfulness and the True One in the cave wavered not
While they said ‘No one who breathes is in the cave!’
They supposed that a dove would never perch,
Or a spider would spin its web, for the Best of Creation
Their protection by Allah absolved them of need
for additional armour or for lofty fortresses.
Never, when fate oppressed me, have I sought refuge in him
but that I found sanctuary with him and was oppressed no more.
And never have I sought wealth in both worlds from his hand
Without receiving largesse from the best of givers.
Do not deny the revelations he received in his dreams;
For though his eyes slept, he had a heart that slept not.
That was when he attained his Prophetic status;
the night dreams of mature men cannot be denied!
Blessed is Allah! Revelation is not something acquired!
Nor can a Prophet’s knowledge of the Unseen be deemed suspect.
How many sick people were healed by the touch of his hand;
how many released from the tight knots of madness!
His supplication brought life to a grey year [of drought] –
Marked it out from dark years like [a horse’s] white blaze.
With generous rainclouds, so much that you would have thought
That the valleys flowed with sea water or the flood of ʿArim.