1. Time passed peacefully with Salma,
Repenting for all it had done.

2. Not by my doing, but by a youth
Who soothes with kindness all discord.

3. Blessed and auspicious is his face,
Striking the flints in his hands when they collide.

4. Through him I gained power over days gone by,
So I forgave the days all their wrongs.

5. I extol his exalted name with praise,
As his father before was extolled with praise,

6. Bestowing a tongue to a generous mouth,
And a generous hand to a tongue.

7. If they adorned and elucidated clearly,
Or interpreted and expounded sublimely.

8. If Abdul-Hamid saw him today
A sultan would bow before him in awe.

9. I have turned my poetry from all writers
With forgiveness to him, and the like of me inclines toward him.

10. It was he whom my resolve watched over
And for him my countenance was preserved and eulogized.

11. I have wearied my eyes with all mankind,
Yet I did not see anyone shine like him.

12. His father would be ransomed if a people
Tasted their own actions - and confessed.

13. A branch extended from lofty Sheeban,
Those whom its hopes possessed succeeded.

14. It shook mightily in a barren valley it knew
No plains, and no floods burst forth.

15. None drink its water but from its wells,
When clouds pour down heavy rain upon it.

16. It surpasses trackers at the beginning and end,
Racing to the farthest goal, never stumbling.

17. A youth, if I wished, neither ignorant nor impetuous,
A mature man, if I wished, neither aged nor stooped.

18. His bright youthful vigor complemented
His wisdom when deficient reason tilts the scale.

19. In his face is a garden of beauty, a paradise,
No glance has ever wished for its like, nor gazed upon its charm.

20. The cloak of modesty lies upon it eternally
Like liquid pearls, glittering if spilled.

21. A face whose traits, when revealed to people,
Make his qualities as clear as daybreak.

22. I am the champion of Mak-hool and his valor,
Never to see misery or sadness again.

23. One who, when seeking glory, attains
The goal of eyes’ hope however lofty.

24. If he sought the sun she would not prefer
Her own brilliance to his excellent courtship.

25. However highly people reach in status or nobility,
They only entered through the door he opened.

26. Men attained the pinnacle of glory and seized it,
While others attained the dawn of glory and awoke to it.

27. In him is an ardor of joy from his compassion
Far from the worn-out soul though he travels long.

28. He gives jest its due and seriousness too,
Be it deathly serious or light playful teasing.

29. One who, if the miserly complain to him,
Does not concern himself with the generous, however they are blamed.

30. If he says no, he says it to those who command it,
Not to those begging a gift or favor.

31. How far in meaning from the meaning of baseness,
When they are miserly even in one word uttered.

32. If his reach did not extend across the earth’s expanse,
It would be too narrow for us however it spread.

33. By his efforts God's ample earth expanded,
Multiple folds more than what its Lord flattened and spread.

34. Thus hopes burst forth and realized their fruits,
While barriers to hopes folded up their enclosures.

35. If only his righteous deeds became universally known,
Glorious fame would never cease or diminish.

36. Do not praise the eloquence of one who eulogizes him,
For his actions have excelled any praise that is uttered.

37. If the praiser exceeded it they would find
No higher ground, neither on earth nor in verse.

38. The Might of the Abbasids, their pillar,
Like a firm-standing mountain unmoving by any quake.

39. Accomplished equally in sword and in pen,
A ram with pens, a ram with swords when they clash.

40. His birth synchronized with Mercury and Mars
Each planet granted fortunes when they aligned.

41. In valor he has a limit - if unleashed
Against iron, even mountains would crack.

42. With propitious counsel and wisdom applied,
Peace could be made between foe and dear friend.

43. In his hand is a pen - needless to elaborate
Its nobility. And needless to elaborate his capable hand that wields it.

44. He ordains and decrees people’s fortunes with it.
Fate merely records what he inspires and dictates.

45. As if the Supreme Pen were in his hand,
Guiding affairs wherever they turn and lead.

46. Even if chaos roused its tumult,
You would see his bow and arrows ready when turmoil erupted.

47. With two kinds of arrows - one kind
To pierce armor, another to deliver favors.

48. He pierces even fortified armor
As if pouring water - it would never seep through.

49. And he strikes an exemplary blow with his blade,
A peerless strike - when it hits stone it sparks light.

50. And he strikes skulls with such force
Wherever it lands you see it smash and shatter.

51. For such havoc wreaked in the fray
The skillful bowed out, withdrew, and fled.

52. He attacks his enemies with the ferocity
Of a raging flood - its currents like morning dawn.

53. A lion, when it roars, the hissing viper
Would think it not a lion, but only a howling fox.

54. He opposed and destroyed enmity itself within them,
Unafraid to meet their menace, but boldly engaging it.

55. When they rattled threats he roared:
The lion fears not the bleating of lambs however loud.

56. O you whose gifts exceed in times of scarcity,
While ordeals increase, so too do your gifts overflow.

57. It pleases the King when you repair what is damaged,
And guard what remains whole from future damage.

58. You restored its correct course after passions ruled,
Even if intrigues had not deflected you head on.

59. With faithful comrades of seasoned experience,
True to their allegiances, and advising sincerely.

60. O Lord of wise and sound counsel you opened to them -
Without you, O Opener of doors, they would not have opened.

61. You stood by them on the day their enemies clashed
When the fire of war ignited and blazed fiercely.

62. Until you triumphed and the winds of your victory blew,
While the face of truth's enemy fell and collapsed.

63. You did not oppress, though you were a faction
Who drank from the cup of injustice first poured out.

64. I testify that the Great Turk on that day
Owed his conquest to your support - a conquest that opened lands.

65. It was like an arrow aimed true by a hand
That released - straight and steady it flew.

66. You guided him rightly in supporting his masters
With the light of your wisdom, until the matter was clear as day.

67. So let them thank you for enduring for their sake
The intense darkness that destroys whoever is engulfed.

68. You supported them with sincere words and actions,
In speech and deed, and you repelled every foe aggressively.

69. Until you restored the shade of their prosperity,
Like the shade that returns after fading away at first light.

70. By your counsel, though partial, you won their esteem
As an advisor on grave affairs, one they could trust.

71. It was you, after God, who restored their rule,
So let the devoted of sincere loyalty be paid their due.

72. Without you the axis of their power would not stand,
Nor would the millstone continue grinding night and day.

73. With you the reins of kingdom submitted willingly,
And the intractable were reined in after having bolted off.

74. I would sacrifice myself for you - for you are without equal,
My aspiration, and my shelter however barren.

75. Without you both Bedouin and civilized
Would be equally lost and abandoned amongst people.

76. Through you poetry came back to life after dying,
Except for the rabble whose rhymes are but meaningless strains.

77. God does not take back blessing with which you are clad,
For you have not walked His earth with them vainly.

78. How many faultfinders there are whose enmity
Does not harm you - may they live only abased and despised!

79. One who aspires to supremacy along with its master,
Yet if bearing its lowest burden it would crush and subdue him.

80. Your light blinds his eyes causing him to bark,
For dogs will bark at the shining moon however brightly it beams.

81. When glory smiled upon you I said to it: Laugh!
Do not display any snarls or scowling frowns.

82. I have embarked upon this, confident my soul is resolute,
How can I say nonsense and have it be my preface!

83. Rain your bounty on me, it will adorn me with flowers,
For you give life to the parched valley when you blow gently.

84. If you rouse me up after I had grown despondent,
You would be raising up a fallen kingdom.

85. It is natural you would raise the lowly and revive them,
And you would shoulder whatever heavy burden they bear.

86. I imagine you have instilled hope within me,
While you brim over with joy.

87. I praise your abundant gifts that multiplied,
And I found in words to describe them unconfined breadth.

88. I say, in answering the questioners about you:
The argument has become clear, no doubt remains.

89. I met one after whom I shall never care again
Whether one is stingy with kindness or generous.

90. I have rolled up my scroll filled out by him
And extended it to one generous who will unfurl what was rolled up.

91. His hands poured forth until when free of need,
Like two seas surging at full tide then settling calm.

92. He gave openly - his palm spread out
With all it attained. And his chest expanded, relieved.

93. While some givers, when their fingers give generously
Their conscience recoils from what they gave and granted.

94. He corrected the blemishes of my life's scroll
Blotting out defects, then made due amends for wounds inflicted.

95. He was not deaf when I called him loudly
Like those unheeding the voice of a passionate implorer.

96. Far kinder than a furtive glance he darted,
Is the glance of your eyes focused on glory wherever it glimmers.

97. Through you I opened at first, my soul determined
I shall say no foolishness to taint my prelude.

98. Rain down your bounty - it will adorn me in flowers.
For you give life to the valley however arid it becomes.

99. If you raise my state after it had grown despondent,
Then you would be raising a fallen kingdom.