لقد آن إعراضي عن الغي جانبا

وأن أتصدى للهداية طالبا

The time has come for me to turn aside from error,

and to apply myself to seeking guidance,

وان اترك اللهو الذي ذم دائما

وازهد فيه للنُهى عنه راغبا

and to leave the diversion that has always been condemned,

and renounce it, eager to turn away for reason's sake.

وابعد عني الزغف والبيض والقنا

وازجر عني المقربات السلاهبا

And I put chain mail, bright swords, and spears far from me,

and drive away the prized, long-bodied steeds.

تفةت ارتداد الطرف سبقاً لغاية

كأن عليها آصفا كان راكبا

They outstrip the return of a glance in racing to the goal,

as though Asaf were riding them.

وتصحب في السير العواصف للمدا

فتمشي الصبا من خلفهن جنائبا

They accompany the tempests throughout their course,

while the east wind trails behind them like led mounts.

ضوامر أرمى الشأو عنها ضامر

ينال بأيديه الأهلة واثبا

Lean steeds—a lean charger outstrips them in the race,

reaching the crescent moons with its forelegs as it leaps.

ولم اصطحبها غارة اثر غارة

وان كنت فيها للمحامد كاسبا

Nor have I taken them on raid after raid,

though through them I might earn praise.

مواكبها تبدي الأسنة في دجى

قتام الوغي فوق الرماح كواكبا

Their squadrons display spearheads in the darkness

of battle's dust, like stars above the spears.

ولا اذكر الصهباء لا تشبها

لأشنب ثغر لا يمازج شاربا

Nor do I mention tawny wine, nor compare it

to a pearly-toothed mouth untouched by a mustache.

ولم أدن أذني للأغاني ولا لغنى

يقرب مني الغانيات الكواعبا

Nor have I lent my ear to songs, or to wealth

that brings beautiful, full-breasted women close to me.

ترى كل خود تطلع الخوط في نقا

بأعلاه بدر يستظل الذوائبا

You see each tender maiden display a slender bough on a dune,

with a full moon at its summit, shaded by tresses.

ذا اسفرت بسامةً خلت بارقاً

يقشع عن بدر السماء السحائبا

When she unveils her smiling face, you imagine lightning

dispersing the clouds from heaven's full moon.

وإن قطبت اقسمت ما قوس حاجب

بأقتل منها فيك لحظاً وحاجبا

And if she frowns, you swear that no bow of Hajib's

is deadlier to you than her glance and brow.

واحمد للقلب الأبي سلوه

ويأبى ذمامي ان اذم الحبائبا

And I praise my proud heart for its release from love,

while my honor forbids me to reproach my beloveds.

واصحبه الصبر المرير مذاقه

وربما يحلو لك الصبر صاحبا

And I give it bitter-tasting patience for company,

and patience may prove a sweet companion to you.

واخلع اثواب الصبا وكأنني

لبست شبابي أشهب الرأس تائبا

And I cast off youth's garments, as though I

had donned my youth gray-headed and repentant.

واهجر الأفضل من ذيل فضاء

غدا فوق سحبان البلاغة ساحبا

And I forsake al-Afdal, whose far-spreading hem

has come to trail above Sahban in eloquence.

فأني مذ وافيت ساحة داره

حمدتُ النوى فيها ورعت النوائبا

For since I reached the courtyard of his house,

I praised separation there and put calamities to flight.

أجلا ولى العلياء نجل ابن قاسم

نجيب لداعيه أجبت النجائبا

The most illustrious guardian of high honor, the son of Ibn Qasim,

a noble man, to whose summons I made the noble steeds respond.

إمام محامنا الضلالة رشدُه

كذلك ضوء الصبح يمحو الغياهبا

A leader whose guidance effaced error from us,

just as dawn's light wipes out darkness.

وفل جيوش الجهل عنا بعلمه

وما زال فضل العلم للجهل غالبا

And he routed the armies of ignorance from us with his knowledge,

and learning's excellence has always prevailed over ignorance.

وارسل من راحاته لعفاته

سحائب معروف سوار مركبا

And from his palms he sent to his petitioners

night-traveling clouds of kindness as mounts.

له ذروة المجد المؤثل هامها

ينكس هاماً للسهى ومناكبا

His is the summit of deep-rooted glory, whose crest

bows down the heads and shoulders of Suha.

وبيتٌ من العلياء اسسه التقى

وشيد أركاناً له وجوانبا

And a house of high honor, founded by piety,

which raised its pillars and its sides.

فياعلماً في العلم والحلم راسيا

تخر له الأعلام طوعاً رواهبا

So, O mountain, firmly rooted in learning and forbearance,

before whom the mountains willingly fall in awe,

ويا بحر فضل يخجل البحر ما رأى

عجائبه والبحر يحوي العجائبا

and O sea of excellence, shaming the sea whenever it sees

its wonders—though the sea itself contains wonders.

اليس بذاك الدر يخفي ولفظك

البديع بدر الدر فينا مواهبا

Are not pearls hidden in that sea, while your speech,

so wondrous, scatters pearls among us as gifts?

ارتنا المعالي فيك كل غريبة

ولم تزل الأيام تدبي الغرائبا

High virtues have shown us in you every marvel,

and the days have never ceased to reveal marvels.

حقايق علم في دقايق حكمة

تصور للأوهام ما كان غائبا

Truths of knowledge within subtleties of wisdom

bring before the imagination what was unseen.

ورائق لفظ تحت صادق عزمة

نؤلف منها كتبنا والكتائبا

And elegant diction beneath a true resolve,

from which we compose our books and muster battalions.

لك الخير في صدر العواصم غلةٌ

لبعدك عنها لا تسيغ المشاربا

May good be yours! The capitals' heart burns with thirst

at your distance from them, unable to swallow a drink.

لقد صحبت بعد الأعز اذلة

وقد خشيت حتى الصغار الأجانبا

Indeed, they have had lowly companions after the mightiest,

and have feared even petty outsiders.

ومن فقد الليث الهصور عوضت

به نقداً كفاه خاف الثعالبا

And after losing the fierce lion, they were given in exchange

a small sheep in his stead—enough to leave one fearing foxes.

ولو لم يكن في المكث عنها فضيلة

لو افيتها من قبل تطوى السباسبا

And if there were no virtue in remaining away from them,

you would have reached them before the wastelands were crossed.

ولكن لمكث الدر في اليم رفعة

تبلغه بعد التراب الترائبا

But a pearl's remaining in the sea brings elevation

that carries it, after the dust, to the bosom.

بقيت بقاء الحمد فيك فأنه

يعمر والاعمار تمضي ذواهبا

May you endure as long as praise of you endures, for it

lives on while lifetimes pass away.

ودمت دوام الفضل منك فما أرى

لمن يكتسي من فضلك الدهر سالبا

And may you last as long as your bounty; I do not see

time robbing anyone clothed in your bounty.

ولا زلت ابهى النيرات محاسناً

وابهر منها في السماء مواكبا

And may you remain the most splendid of the luminaries in beauty,

and more dazzling than their processions in the sky.

محلك يسمو ان يضاهي محله

وعزمك يغدو للمصائب صائبا

Your station is too lofty for anyone to rival its rank,

and your resolve strikes true against misfortunes.

يميناً بمن حلاك جوهر علمه

النفيس ورقاك المعالي مراتبا

I swear by the one who adorned you with the jewel of his knowledge,

so precious, and raised you through the ranks of high honor:

ليصدق فيك الظن من غير ريبة

واكثر ما تلقي الظنون كواذبا

the hope placed in you will surely prove true, without doubt,

though most often you find expectations false.