فالروض عقفت الصبا اصداغه

والموج صفقت الشمال طرارهُ

So the east wind has curled the garden's sidelocks,

And the north wind has ruffled the waves' forelocks.

وأظن دجله اسلمت أو ما راي

ت الجسر يقطع وسطها زناره

And I think the Tigris has embraced Islam—have you not seen

The bridge cutting its girdle in her midst?

وحكى بناء المجد فيها غارس

غرس الصنائع حولها اشجاره

And a planter there mirrored the building of glory,

Planting benefactions around it as his trees.

قد صور الفلك المدار كأنه

انشاه قبل كيانه وأداره

He has fashioned the revolving celestial sphere, as though

He created it before it existed and set it turning.

وبنى على شرف الثريا قصره

وطحا على فلك النعائم داره

And he built his palace upon the heights of the Pleiades,

And spread his dwelling over the sphere of al-Naʿāʾim, the Ostriches.

فالشيد يصقل صانعوه لجيته

والساج ينقش مخلصوه نضاره

So the plaster's makers polish its silver,

And the teak's refiners engrave its gold.

شغلت خواطرنا ولحظ عيوننا

مذ صار يجعل طرزه أشعاره

Our thoughts and our eyes' gaze have been engrossed,

Since he began making its ornaments his poems.

أوسع مثالا ان خطرت بباله

ونل السماء إذا بلغت دياره

Be expansive in form if you cross his mind,

And reach the heavens when you reach his abode.

ينسى العمالق واصف اخباره

ويهين مصر معدد امصاره

Whoever recounts his deeds forgets the ʿAmāliq giants,

And whoever numbers his cities puts Egypt to shame.