يُعجزُ في مدحه وقد علمتْ

يُعجزُ في مدحه وقد علمتْ

توحُّدي في الفصاحةِ العربُ

توحُّدي في الفصاحةِ العربُ

He leaves me helpless to praise him, though they know—

In praising him, the eloquent are rendered speechless

the Arabs—that I stand alone in eloquence.

Though the Arabs know my mastery of rhetoric

فان أصبْتُ الصَّوابَ في مِدَحي

فان أصبْتُ الصَّوابَ في مِدَحي

فللقوافي وخاطِري طَرَبُ

فللقوافي وخاطِري طَرَبُ

So if I hit the mark in my praises,

If I am right in my praises

then the rhymes and my mind are filled with rapture.

Then my rhymes and ideas are exquisite

لم يُزدِ الشِّعْرُ في مناقبهِ

لم يُزدِ الشِّعْرُ في مناقبهِ

واِن أجادَ المُفَوَّهُ الذَّرِبُ

واِن أجادَ المُفَوَّهُ الذَّرِبُ

Poetry adds nothing to his virtues,

Poetry could not increase his virtues

even if the eloquent, nimble-tongued speaker excels.

Though the eloquent speaker tried his best

لكنْ يَزينُ الكمالَ رونْقُه

لكنْ يَزينُ الكمالَ رونْقُه

تُجْلى المواضي ويُرفَعُ الذَّهبُ

تُجْلى المواضي ويُرفَعُ الذَّهبُ

Yet its luster adorns perfection:

But perfection is adorned by his grace

keen blades are polished, and gold is refined.

The meadows are illuminated and gold raised high

ذِمْرٌ إِذا ما الخميسُ نازلَهُ

ذِمْرٌ إِذا ما الخميسُ نازلَهُ

فللخميسِ الويْلاتُ والحَرَبُ

فللخميسِ الويْلاتُ والحَرَبُ

A valiant warrior: whenever an army engages him,

A disaster when Thursday befalls him

woe and despoilment are that army's lot.

Thursday has woes and wars

واِنْ هَمى والبلادُ ما حِلَةٌ

واِنْ هَمى والبلادُ ما حِلَةٌ

فأينَ منهُ البحارُ والسُّحبُ

فأينَ منهُ البحارُ والسُّحبُ

And if he rains down while the lands are parched,

If he gets angry while the countries are not ready

then how can the seas and clouds compare with him?

Then where are the seas and the clouds?

يقْظانُ قد أرْهبتْ كِفايتُه

يقْظانُ قد أرْهبتْ كِفايتُه

فأذْعَنَ الكاتبونَ والكُتُبُ

فأذْعَنَ الكاتبونَ والكُتُبُ

Vigilant, his mastery has inspired fear,

Al-Ya’qoubi, his competence has terrified

so the scribes and the books have submitted.

Scribes and books submit to him

فكلُّ ما شَيَّدتْ رَوِيَّتُهمْ

فكلُّ ما شَيَّدتْ رَوِيَّتُهمْ

مُهَدَّمٌ بارْتجالهِ خَرِبُ

مُهَدَّمٌ بارْتجالهِ خَرِبُ

Thus all that their deliberation has built

All that their fancy has constructed

is demolished by his improvisation, left in ruins.

Is demolished by his extempore creation

فعاشَ تاجُ الملوكِ ما ادَّلَجَ الس

فعاشَ تاجُ الملوكِ ما ادَّلَجَ الس

اري وأدْنى من موردٍ قَرَبُ

اري وأدْنى من موردٍ قَرَبُ

So may the crown of kings live as long as the night-

So the king’s crown has lived as long as the Pleiades lasted

traveler journeys and a night march brings one nearer to a watering place.

And stayed closer than the nearest spring