1. لو كان من شكوى الصَّبابة مشكياً

    لعدا على عدوى الصبابة معديا

    If there were one to relieve the complaint of ardent love,

    he would assail love's contagion, granting redress.

  2. مات الرجاءُ فإن أَردْتَ حياتَهُ

    ونشورَهُ فارجُ الإمام المحييا

    Hope has died; so if you desire its life

    and resurrection, place your hope in the life-giving imam:

  3. أَقضى القضاةِن محمدُ بن محمدٍ

    مَنْ لستُ منه للفضائلِ مُحْصيا

    the foremost of judges, Muhammad son of Muhammad,

    whose virtues I cannot enumerate.

  4. قاضٍ به قَضَتِ المظالمُ نَحْبَها

    وغدا على آثارِهِنَّ مُعَفيا

    A judge through whom injustices met their death,

    and who went on to efface their traces.

  5. يا كاشفاً للحقِّ في أَيامهِ

    غُرراً يدومُ لها الزَّمانُ مغَطِّيا

    O you who, in his days, unveil truth's

    radiant features, which Time keeps ever veiled.

  6. لم تنعش الشهباء عند عثارها

    لو لم تجدك لطرد حلمكَ مرسيا

    Al-Shahba would not have recovered from her stumble,

    had she not found you firmly establishing the expulsion of your forbearance [wording unclear].

  7. رَجَفَتْ لسطوتكَ التي أَرسلْتَها

    نحو الطغاةِ لحدِّ عزمِكَ ممهيا

    She trembled at your might, which you sent

    toward the tyrants, whetting the edge of your resolve.

  8. وتظلمتْ من شرِّهم فتململتْ

    عجل أَرجازَتَها عليها مبقيا

    And she complained of their evil, then writhed in distress;

    hasten her [unclear word], sparing her.

  9. أَنفتْ من الثقلاءِ فيها إذ رَمَتْ

    أَثقالها ورأَتكَ منها ملجيا

    She scorned the burdensome men within her when she cast off

    her burdens, and saw you driving them from her.

  10. حَلَبٌ لها حلبُ المدامعِ سُيّلٌ

    أَنْ لاقت الخطبَ الفظيعَ المبكيا

    Aleppo—tears milked from her eyes stream in torrents,

    because she met the dreadful, tear-bringing calamity.

  11. وبعدلِ نورِ الدينِ عاودَ أَفقها

    من بعدِ غيمِ الغَمِّ جوّاً مُصحيا

    And through Nur al-Din's justice, her horizon returned,

    after sorrow's cloud, to a clear sky.

  12. أَضحى لبهجتها معيداً بعدما

    ذهبتْ وللمعروفِ فيها مُبديا

    He became the restorer of her splendor after

    it had vanished, and brought goodness to light within her.

  13. لأُمورِها متدبراً لشتاتها

    متألفاً لصلاحها مُتولِّيا

    Taking thought for her affairs, and for her scattered parts

    bringing unity, taking charge of her welfare.

  14. فالشّرعُ عادَ بعدلهِ مستظهراً

    والحقُّ عادَ بظلِّهِ مُستذريا

    So sacred law returned, drawing strength from his justice,

    and truth returned, seeking shelter in his shade.

  15. والدَّهرُ لاذَ بعفوهِ مستغفراً

    مما جناهُ مطرقاً مُستحييا

    And Time sought refuge in his pardon, asking forgiveness

    for what it had committed, head bowed in shame.