يا شَيخَ الإِسلامِ الَّذي
إِلَيهِ أَقصى طَلَبي
O Sheikh of Islam to whom
My ultimate quest goes
يا خَيرَ حَبرٍ عالمٍ
آراؤهُ كَالشُهُبِ
O best of learned men
Whose views shine like falling stars
وَمَن ذُراهُ مَعقلٌ
مِن حادِثات النُوَبِ
He's a refuge if fate darkens
From the pits of adversity
وَمَن حِماهُ حَرَمٌ
أَمنٌ لِأَهل الطَلَبِ
His sanctuary brings safety
To all questing for knowledge
تَهوي لَهُ أَفئِدَةٌ
مِن عُجمِها وَالعَرَبِ
Hearts incline toward him
Arab and non-Arab alike
فَتَنثَني عَنهُ وَقَد
نالَت قُصارى الأَرَبِ
Bending before him though they’ve reached
The ends of their desires
عَن رَوضَةٍ مَطلولَةٍ
ذاتُ جَنابٍ مُخصِبِ
From a well-watered garden
With thriving, fertile sides
جيدَت رُباها وَاِنتَحَت
فيها عَزالي السحُبِ
Its plants grew lush
And its proud clouds nestled in
حَتّى اِكتَسَت أَغصانُها
وَاِعتَمَّ هامُ القُضُبِ
Until its boughs grew heavy
And its vine shoots multiplied
وَاِبتَسَمَ النوّارُ عَن
ثَغرِ الأَقاحي الشُنُبِ
And the meadows smiled
From the lips of slender streams
إلّا فَتىً بِبابِكُم
يَبكي بِدَمعٍ سَرِبِ
Save one young man
Weeping copious tears at your door
بِهِ ظَمَأ مُبرِّح
إِلى اِرتِشاف الضَربِ
Thirsting to take a draught
From the sword of his defense
يكمِّلُ مِنهُ نُسخَة
رَثّت بِمَرِّ الحِقَبِ
To complete his copy
Worn by the passing eras
وَنقصُها كرّاسَة
يَكتبها عَن كَثَبِ
With missing pages
He writes prolifically
وَتَنثَني مُثنِيَةً
عَلى إِمام الأَدَبِ
Bowing to the master of literature
Who said the deciding hour comes
القائِل الفَصلِ إِذا
اِحتَكّت ظُهورُ الركبِ
When the backs of riders meet
And who stabbed the century
وَالطاعِنِ القرنَ إِذا
اِشتَكَت مُتونُ العَرَبِ
When the backs of Arabs broke
Ever rising by knowledge
لا زالَ يَرقى صاعِداً
بِالعلمِ أَسنى الرُتَبِ
To the highest ranks
No enchanting melody sang
ما غَرَّدت مُفتِنة
وُرقٌ بِأَعلى قُضُبِ
In the loftiest trees
No bright full moon rose
وَأَشرَق البَدرُ المُنيرُ
طالِعاً في غَيهبِ
Emerging on the horizon
No star sailed the darkness
وَسارَ نَجمٌ في الدُجى
يَنحو مَدارَ القُطبِ
Approaching the Pole
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.