إن قال وفّى مسرعاً ما قالَه

إن قال وفّى مسرعاً ما قالَه

وسواهُ لما قالَ لمّا يفْعَلِ

وسواهُ لما قالَ لمّا يفْعَلِ

If he speaks, he swiftly fulfills what he has said;

If he who pledged fulfills his word with haste

while another has yet to act on what he said.

Unlike another who but said he soon would act

يا أيّها الحَبرُ الإمامُ ومَنْ غَدا

يا أيّها الحَبرُ الإمامُ ومَنْ غَدا

في منزلٍ ما مِثلُهُ من منزِلِ

في منزلٍ ما مِثلُهُ من منزِلِ

O learned imam, you who have come to dwell

O eminent scholar and guide of later days

in a station no other station can match,

Whose dwelling no abode can equal in its grace

خُذْها ابنةَ الفكرِ الذي استعملْتَهُ

خُذْها ابنةَ الفكرِ الذي استعملْتَهُ

فغدَتْ لعَمْري كالغزالِ الأكحلِ

فغدَتْ لعَمْري كالغزالِ الأكحلِ

take her, daughter of the thought you set to work:

Accept this daughter of the thoughts I have employed

so she became, by my life, like a dark-eyed gazelle.

Who now, I swear, is like a doe with darkling eyes

واسلَمْ ودُمْ ما غرّدَتْ ورْقاءُ في

واسلَمْ ودُمْ ما غرّدَتْ ورْقاءُ في

غُصُنٍ رطيب في النعيم الأكملِ

غُصُنٍ رطيب في النعيم الأكملِ

Stay well and live on as long as a gray dove warbles on

And rest while still the chatter rises from the boughs

a fresh bough, in the fullest bliss.

Of moist young branches in most perfect paradise