فكرت في فضل الإما

فكرت في فضل الإما

م المقّريّ الحبر حينا

م المقّريّ الحبر حينا

I pondered the excellence of the Imam—

I pondered the excellence of the Imam,

al-Maqqarī, the learned sage—for a time.

al-Maqqari, the learned scholar, for a while.

فوجدته بكر الزما

فوجدته بكر الزما

ن وواحد الدنيا يقينا

ن وواحد الدنيا يقينا

And found him the firstborn of the age,

So I found him the firstborn of the age,

the world’s one peerless man, beyond all doubt.

and the world's peerless one, beyond doubt.

ما إن رأيت ولا سمع

ما إن رأيت ولا سمع

ت بمثله في العالمينا

ت بمثله في العالمينا

Never have I seen, nor have I heard

Never have I seen or heard

of his like among all created beings.

of his like among all mankind.

وافى دمشقاً زائراً

وافى دمشقاً زائراً

لو أنّه أضحى قطينا

لو أنّه أضحى قطينا

He came to Damascus as a visitor—

He arrived in Damascus as a visitor—

would that he had become a resident!

if only he had become a resident!

وأتى عجيب الاتفا

وأتى عجيب الاتفا

ق بفطر شهر الصائمينا

ق بفطر شهر الصائمينا

And he came, by a wondrous coincidence,

And a wondrous coincidence occurred

at the fast-breaking of the month of those who fast.

at the feast ending the month of those who fast.

فكأنّه غرّته الهلا

فكأنّه غرّته الهلا

ل ونحن كنا ناذرينا

ل ونحن كنا ناذرينا

It was as though the crescent were his radiant brow,

It was as though his bright brow were the crescent moon,

while we were making our vows.

and we had been making vows.

والعلم قال مؤرخاً

والعلم قال مؤرخاً

أدّى بها فضلاً مبينا

أدّى بها فضلاً مبينا

And Knowledge, setting down the date, declared:

And Knowledge said, recording the date:

“There he brought forth manifest excellence.”

“He rendered there a manifest favor.”