مدحتُ رسولَ اللَه أبغي بمدحه

وُفورَ حظوظي من كريمِ المآربِ

I praise the Messenger of Allah hoping through his praise

For the abundance of my good fortunes from the Generous of purposes

مدحتُ امرءاً فاق المديح موحِّداً

باوصافه عن مُبعِدٍ ومقارِب

I praised a man who surpassed praise, a great unifier

Through his attributes, from a remote and a near one

نبيّاً تسامى في المشارق نورُه

فلاحت هواديه لأهل المغارب

A prophet whose light rose high in the east

So its valleys shone for the people of the west

أتتنا به الأنباءُ قبل مجيئه

وشاعت به الأخبارُ في كلِّ جانبِ

The news came to us before his coming

And the reports about him spread in every side

وأصبحتِ الكهّان تهتف باسمهِ

وتنفي به رجمَ الظنونِ الكواذب

The soothsayers began to shout his name

And refute with it the lies of unfounded conjectures

وأُنطِقت الأصنامُ نطقاً تَبَرَّأت

إلى اللَه فيه من مقال الأكادب

The idols were made to speak with an utterance in which

They disavowed to Allah the sayings of liars

ورامَ استراقَ السمع جنَّ فزيَّلت

مقاعدهم منها رجومُ الكواكب

The jinn attempted to eavesdrop but their dwellings

Were vacated from them by the pelting of the stars

هدانا إلى ما لم نكن نهتدي به

لطول العمى من واضحات المذاهب

He guided us to what we were not guided before

Due to the prolonged blindness from the clear doctrines

وجاء بآيات تبين أنها

دلائل جبّارٍ مثيب معاقب

And he came with signs proving they are

The tokens of an Almighty Rewarder and Punisher

فمنها انشقاق البدر حين تعمَّمت

شعوب الضيا منه رؤوس الأخاشب

Among them is the splitting of the moon when

The inhabitants of the horizon saw it with split summits

ومنها نبوع الماء بين بنانه

وقد عدم الوراد قرب المشارب

And among them are the springs of water between his fingers

When there was no water skins near the drinking places

فروى به جمّاً غفيراً وأسلهت

بأعناقه طوعاً أكفَّ المذانِب

So he quenched a large thirsty crowd and willingly

Bowed their necks, avoiding confrontation

وبئرٍ طغت بالماء من مسِّ سهمه

ومن قبل لم تسمح بمِذقَةِ شارب

And a well overflowed with water from the touch of his arrow

When before it did not allow a sipper to taste

وضرعٍ مراهُ فاستدر ولم يكن

به دِرَّة تصفي إلى كفِّ حالب

And an udder which he saw so it flowed though

It had no milk for the palm of a milker

ونُطقٍ فصيحٍ من ذراع مبينةٍ

لكيد عدوٍّ للعداوة ناصب

And the eloquent speech of an arm made clear

To foil the plot of an enemy who harbored enmity

وإخباره بالأمر من قبل كونه

وعند بواديه بما في العواقب

And his information of the matter before its occurrence

And its outcomes in its valleys

ومن تلكم الآيات وحيٌ أتى به

قريب المآتي مستجمّ العجائب

And among these signs is a revelation that came to him

Soon in its comings, amazing in its wonders

تقاصرت الأفكار عنه فلم يطع

بليغاً ولم يخطر على قلب خاطب

The minds fell short of it so no eloquent one emulated it

Nor did it occur to the heart of a speaker

حوى كلَّ علمٍ واحتوى كلَّ حكمةٍ

وفات مرام المستمرِّ الموارب

It contained every knowledge and encompassed every wisdom

And surpassed the hopes of the ambitious striver

أتانا به لا عن رويَّةٍ مرتئٍ

ولا صُحف مستَملٍ ولا وصف كاتب

It came to us not out of a conceited whim

Nor written scrolls or description of a writer

يواتيه طوراً في أجابة سائلٍ

وإفتاء مستفتٍ ووعظ مخاطب

It comes to him at times in answering a questioner

And giving a legal ruling to an inquirer and preaching to an addressee

وإتيان برهان وفرض شرائع

وقص أحاديث ونص مآرب

And providing proof and instituting laws

And narrating prophetic reports and stating purposes

وتصريف أمثال وتثبيت حجَّةٍ

وتعريف ذي جَحدٍ وتوقيف كاذب

And articulating parables and establishing argument

And exposing the disavowal of a denier and silencing a liar

وفي مَجمع النادي وفي حومةِ الوغى

وعند حدوثِ المعضلات الغرائب

Both in the assembly of the elite and the tumult of clamor

And at the occurrence of wondrous tribulations

فيأتي على ما شئت من طُرقاته

قويم المعاني مستدرَّ الضرائب

He brings in every course of it

Precise meanings and deduced niceties

يصدق منه البعضُ بعضاً كأنما

يلاحظ معناه بعين المراقب

Some of it confirming other parts as if

Its meanings observe each other with a watcher's eye

وعجزُ الورى عن أن يجيئوا بمثل ما

وصفناه معلوم بطول التجارب

And the inability of all creation to bring the like of what

We described, known by the length of trials

تأبّى بعبد اللَه أكرم والدٍ

تبلَّجَ منه عن كريمِ المناسب

The servant of Allah, best of fathers, rejected it

He from whom portents of the noble leanings emerged

وشيبةَ ذي الحمدِ الذي فخرت به

قريشُ على أهل العلى والمناصب

And the hair of the Praised whose pride

Quraysh boasted over the people of high ranks

ومن كان يُستسقى الغمامُ بوجهه

ويُصدَر عن آرائه في النوائب

And the one by whose face the clouds are beseeched

And his views are sought in adversities

وهاشم الباني مشيد افتخاره

بغرِّ المساعي وامتنان المواهب

And Hashim who built his pride

With the excellence of deeds and favors of talents

وعبد منافٍ وهو علَّم قومه اش

تطاط الأماني واحتكام الرغائب

And Abd Manaf who taught his people how

To aspire to hopes and refer to wishes

وإن قصيّاً من كريم غراسه

لفي منهلٍ لم يدنُ من كف قاضب

Even though estranged from the generous roots

He is in a refuge untouched by a grasper

به جمع اللَه القبائلَ بعدما

تقسَّمها نهب الأكفِّ السوالب

With him Allah united the tribes after

They were divided by ravaging grasping hands

وحل كلابٌ من ذرى المجدِ معقلاً

تقاصَرَ عنه كلَّ دانس وغائب

And Halab settled as a fortress for the glory

Elevated above every feeble and absent one

ومرةً لم يحلل مريرةَ عزمه

سِفاه سفيهٍ أو مَحوبةُ حائب

And he never softened the bitterness of his resolve

By the nonsense of a fool or affection of a lover

وكعب علا عن طالب المجد كعبه

فنال بأدنى السعي أعلى المراتب

And Kaab's glory surpassed the glory-seekers'

So he attained with the least effort the highest ranks

وألوى لؤيٌّ بالعُداة فطُوَّعت

له هممُ الشمِّ الأنوفِ الأغالب

And Lu'ay bent the stubborn enemies

So their souls submitted to him, the most forceful of victors

وفي غالبٍ بأسٌ أبى البأس دونهم

يدافع عنهم كلَّ قِرنٍ مغالب

And in Ghalib is might that might refused beneath him

Defending them every spear of spears

وكانت لفهر في قريشٍ خَطابةٌ

يعوذُ بها عند اشتجار المخاطب

And Khuzaymah's praise remains

A cherished legacy from a praiseworthy kin

وما زال منهم مالكٌ خيرَ مالكٍ

وأكرمَ مصحوب وأكرمَ صاحب

And Mudrika did not miss what people miss

More chaste, loftier than the lowliness of gains

وللنضر طَولٌ يقصر الطرف دونه

بحيث التقى ضوءَ النجوم الثواقب

And Ilyas, despair was always accompanying

His enemies before the multitude of calamities

لعمري لقد أبدى كنانة قلبه

محاسن تأبى أن تطوع لغالب

And in Mudar all pride gathers

If the troops of battle stir one day

ومن قبله أبقى خزيمة حمده

تليد تراثٍ عن حميد الأقارب

And Hilal took the leadership of his people

To a position loftier than viewers' sights

ومدرِكةٌ لم يدركِ الناسُ مثلَه

أعفَّ وأعلى عن دني المكاسب

And Muadd prepared weaponry for his patron

If he feared the plot of a battling foe

وإلياسُ كان اليأس منه مُقارِناً

لأعدائه قبل اعتدادِ الكتائب

And Adi performed the favor to the utmost

Inheriting from elderly whitened elders

وفي مُضَرٍ يستجمع الفخرُ كله

إذا اعتركت يوماً زحوفُ المقارنب

And Add's clemency adorned with calm

When clemency most enrages bold eyebrows

وحلَّ نزارٌ من رياسة أهله

محلاً تسامى عن عيون الرواقب

And Himyar never ceased being lofty

And pursuing the hopes of the far-reaching

وكان معدَّ عدةً لوليِّه

إذا خاف من كيد العدو المحارب

And his daughter built the glory of might and erected

Its strongholds on the towering mountain tops

وأد تأدي الفضل منه بغايةٍ

وارثٍ حواهُ عن قُروم أشايب

And Sama'ah's generosity matched that of

Hatem and Luqman's wisdom and Hajib's zeal

وفي أددٍ حلم تزيَّنَ بالحجا

إذا الحلم أزهاه قطوبُ الحواجب

They are the offspring of Ismail, true to his promise

So what comes after them in pride is no effort for one who leaves

وما زال يستعلي هميعُ بالعلى

ويتبع آمالَ البعيد المَراغِبِ

And the friend of Allah was the noblest hosted

By the land from residents and riders on it

ونبت بنتهُ دوحة العز وابتنى

معاقله في مشمخرِّ الأهاضب

And the ruins still have vestiges for him

Explaining his praiseworthy endeavors

وحيزت لقيذارٍ سماحةُ حاتم

وحكمةُ لقمانٍ وهمَّةُ حاجب

And Nimrod the breaker of enemies, his achievements

Were preserved, numbering more than any counter can compute

هُموا نسلُ إسماعيل صادقِ وعدِه

فما بعده في الفخر مسعىً لذاهب

And Dhu Yazan plunged into the thickets of war

Drawing the swords with the sharp cutting blades

وكان خليلُ اللَه أكرمَ من عَنَت

له الأرض من ماشٍ عليها وراكب

And Argu, in wars an ally, fortified

His care for himself, the honorable victor

وتارحُ ما زالت له أريَحِيَّة

تُبيِّنُ منه عن حميد المضارب

And what virtue did Taghlib surpass his people in

Nor what worshipper beneath them in ranks

وناحورُ نحّار العدا حُفظت له

مآثر لمّا يحصها عدُّ حاسب

And Shalikh, Warfakhshadh and Sam became characterized by them

Their praiseworthy traits sufficing every critic and fault-finder

وأشرع في الهيجاء ضيغم غابةٍ

يقدُّ الطلى بالمرهفات القواضب

And Noah always remained in the sight of the Lord virtuous

Numbering him among the chosen pure ones

وأرغو نابٌ في الحروب محكم

ضنين على نفس المشحِّ المغالب

And his father Lamech was awe-inspiring in courage

Bold against himself, the ferocious warrior

وما فالغٌ في فضله تِلو قومه

ولا عابدٌ من دونهم في المراتب

And before Lamech he never stopped being armed

Repelling enemies with repelling weapons

وشالخ وارفخشذ وسام سمت بهم

سجايا حمتهم كلَّ زارٍ وعائب

And Idris the prophet had positions

From God unmatched by any aspirant's zeal

وما زال نوح عند ذي العرش فاضلاً

يعدده في المصطفين الأطايب

And the sea of Yarid was an obstruction to his kin

My father the protector, focused of purpose

ولمكٌ أبوه كان في الروع رائعاً

جريئاً على نفس الكميِّ المضارب

And Mehujael's understanding was of radiant virtues

Well-mannered, far from the disgraceful flaws

ومن قبل لمكٍ لم يزل متوشلخ

يذود العدى بالذائدات الشوازب

And Qaynan before attained the glory of his people

Surpassing in repute and overwhelming the cavalries

وكانت لإدريس النبي منازل

من اللَه لم تقرن بهمة راغب

And Anush was full of glory for himself

And cleansed it from the abased demands

ويارد بحر عند آل سراته

أبي الخزايا مستدق المآرب

And Sheeth always remained virtuous

Noble and innocent of the blemished defects

وكانت لمهلاييل فهم فضائل

مهذبة من فاحشات المثالب

And all of them drew light from Adam

And produced fruits from his essence

وقينان من قبل اقتنى مجد قومه

وفات بشأو الفضل وخد الركائب

And the Messenger of Allah was the noblest of lineages

Flowing among the pure chosen visages

وكان أنوش ناش للمجد نفسه

ونزَّهها عن مرديات المطالب

His fathers and mothers were

Protected from the disgracing flaws

وما زال شيثٌ بالفضائل فاضلاً

شريفاً بريئاً من ذميم المعائب

Upon him is Allah's peace in every east

His light shone for us and in every west

وكلهم من نور آدم أقبسوا

وعن عوده أجنوا ثمار المناقب

وكان رسول اللَه أكرمَ مُنجَبٍ

جرى في ظهور الطيِّبين المناجب

مقابلةً آباؤه أمهاتِه

مُبَرَّأة من فاضحات المثالب

عليه سلامُ اللَه في كل شارقٍ

ألاح لنا ضوءاً وفي كلِّ غارب