غب اِستَلام مَواطيء الأُستاذِ

غب اِستَلام مَواطيء الأُستاذِ

كافي الكفاة وَمَرجَعي وَعياذي

كافي الكفاة وَمَرجَعي وَعياذي

After reverently touching where the master treads,

In receiving the greetings of the eminent professor,

the ablest of the able, my recourse and refuge,

My sufficiency, my reference, and my protection,

ردء الولاة المُكرَمين وَكاشف ال

ردء الولاة المُكرَمين وَكاشف ال

جلّى وَرَبُّ الأَنعُم البذّاذ

جلّى وَرَبُّ الأَنعُم البذّاذ

support of honored governors and dispeller of the

The shield of the honored kings, the revealer of

great calamity, and lord of bounties who surpasses all;

Majesty, and the Lord of abundant favors,

مَن راحَ يَفخَر بِالمَعارف وَالنَدى

مَن راحَ يَفخَر بِالمَعارف وَالنَدى

وَسِواهُ بِالأَثواب وَالمشواذ

وَسِواهُ بِالأَثواب وَالمشواذ

he who glories in learning and generosity,

One who went around boasting of knowledge and wisdom

while others boast of robes and turbans.

While adorning himself with clothes and trinkets,

أَخذ الفَضائل ماجداً عَن ماجِدٍ

أَخذ الفَضائل ماجداً عَن ماجِدٍ

لِلّه دُرّ عُلاهُ مِن أخاذ

لِلّه دُرّ عُلاهُ مِن أخاذ

A noble man, he received virtues from a noble man;

He took virtues gloriously from the glorious

God bless his eminence—what a recipient of virtues!

By the grace of his elevation from the formidable,

هُوَ نَجل شاهين الَّذي بيَهوى العُلا

هُوَ نَجل شاهين الَّذي بيَهوى العُلا

وَيَهشُّ لِلمَعروف بِاستلذاذ

وَيَهشُّ لِلمَعروف بِاستلذاذ

He is Shahin's son, who yearns for lofty heights,

He is the son of the royal falcon who aspires for glory

and welcomes good deeds with delight.

And fervently seeks good with delight,

بِيديهِ حَلّ المُعضِلات وَكَشفِها

بِيديهِ حَلّ المُعضِلات وَكَشفِها

وَأَزمة التَقليد وَالأنفاذ

وَأَزمة التَقليد وَالأنفاذ

In his two hands lie the solving of difficulties and their removal,

With his hands he solved knotty problems and unveiled them

and the reins of appointment and enforcement.

And the crisis of stagnation and obstruction,

وَلَدي رَأيٌ مُحكَم سام عَلى

وَلَدي رَأيٌ مُحكَم سام عَلى

رَأَي المُلوك الثاقب النَفّاذ

رَأَي المُلوك الثاقب النَفّاذ

And I have a sound judgment that rises above

And I have a sound opinion, lofty,

the keen, far-reaching judgment of kings.

Beyond the penetrating view of kings,

حاشا بِأَن تَحكي السِهام بِداهة

حاشا بِأَن تَحكي السِهام بِداهة

مِن فكرة الوقاد في الأَغذاذ

مِن فكرة الوقاد في الأَغذاذ

Never could arrows match a spontaneous insight

Far be it that the arrows speak with ignorance

from the keen-minded one's thinking for swiftness.

Of the thought of the guide among the thickets,

هُوَ مَلبسي النعم الَّتي اِستحوذتَها

هُوَ مَلبسي النعم الَّتي اِستحوذتَها

مِن راحَتيهِ بِأَيما اِستحواذ

مِن راحَتيهِ بِأَيما اِستحواذ

He clothes me in the blessings you have acquired

He is the clothes of bounty which I gained

from his two palms—what an abundant acquisition!

From his comfort with whatever gain,

سَأَقدُّ مِن طَود القَريض مَدائِحاً

سَأَقدُّ مِن طَود القَريض مَدائِحاً

تَلقي إِلَيها الأَرض بِالأَفلاذ

تَلقي إِلَيها الأَرض بِالأَفلاذ

I shall hew panegyrics from the mighty mountain of verse,

I will lead the caravan of poetry with praises

to which the earth will cast its precious ores.

Which the earth takes to with claws,

وَأَحوك نَظماً بِالثَناء كَأَنَّما

وَأَحوك نَظماً بِالثَناء كَأَنَّما

أَلفاظُهُ قَطع مِن الفُولاذ

أَلفاظُهُ قَطع مِن الفُولاذ

And I shall weave a poem of praise, as though

And I will weave with eulogy verses as though

its words were pieces of steel.

Their words are made of steel,

يَتَدفَق السحر الحَلال مموّهاً

يَتَدفَق السحر الحَلال مموّهاً

مِن أَسطُر كَالصارم الهَذاذ

مِن أَسطُر كَالصارم الهَذاذ

Lawful magic gushes forth, gilded,

Lawful magic flows fluently, dissolving

from lines like a keen-cutting sword.

From lines like the hissing sword,

أَبكار أَفكار غَدَت مُختالة

أَبكار أَفكار غَدَت مُختالة

بِحلى البَلاغة لا بِوَشي اللّاذ

بِحلى البَلاغة لا بِوَشي اللّاذ

Virgin thoughts have grown proud,

Chaste ideas became adorned

in eloquence's jewels, not embroidered silk.

With the jewelry of eloquence, not with wretched patches,

وَأَزُفها لِجَناب فَياض النَدى

وَأَزُفها لِجَناب فَياض النَدى

طامي العباب موطد الأَلواذ

طامي العباب موطد الأَلواذ

And I shall lead them as brides to the presence of one overflowing with bounty,

And I present them to the overflowing spring of dew,

his billows swelling high, his mountain-flanks firmly founded.

The heaping clouds, the affirmation of principles,

هِيَ لا عَدمتك بامتداحك قطعة

هِيَ لا عَدمتك بامتداحك قطعة

تَسمو لِأَعلى ذُروة وَتَحاذي

تَسمو لِأَعلى ذُروة وَتَحاذي

It—may I never lose you—is a poem in your praise,

It did not fail you in your praise, a piece

soaring to the highest summit and drawing level with it.

That ascends to the highest peak and contends,

وَلانَت كفوٌ لا سِواكَ لِمثلِها

وَلانَت كفوٌ لا سِواكَ لِمثلِها

وَلانت عمرِ أَبيكَ خَير مَلاذ

وَلانت عمرِ أَبيكَ خَير مَلاذ

And you alone are worthy of a poem like this;

And none competent but you for the like of it

and you, by your father's life, are the finest refuge.

And the age of your father the best refuge,

إِذ لَيسَ يَنجَح وَالنَوائب جَمة

إِذ لَيسَ يَنجَح وَالنَوائب جَمة

إِلّا ببابك دَعوَة العَوّاذ

إِلّا ببابك دَعوَة العَوّاذ

For, when calamities abound, there is no success

For none succeeds when calamities abound

for the plea of those seeking refuge, save at your door.

Except by your door the pleading of the desperate.