يا منْ كساهُ اللهُ أرديةَ العُلى

وحباهُ عطرَ ثنائِها المتضوعِ

O you whom God has clothed with the mantle of the sublime,

And endowed with the fragrance of His praised overflowing,

وإذا نظرتُ إلى محاسنِ وجهه ال

مسعود قلت لمقلتي فيها ارتعي

Whenever I look upon the beauty of his happy face,

I say to my thoughts dwelling in it: graze!

وإذا قريتُ الأذنَ شهدَ كلامِهِ

قلتُ اسمعي وتمتَّعي وارعَيْ وَعِي

And when I lend ear to the sweetness of his speech,

I say: listen and enjoy and graze and be aware!

فكأنَّما يُوحي إلى خَطَراتِهِ

في مطلعٍ أو مَخْلَصٍ أو مقطعِ

It is as though into his ideas He subtly breathes

In an opening passage, conclusion or section -

لكَ في المحاسنِ معجزاتٌ جَمَّةٌ

أبداً لغيركَ في الورى تُجْمَعُ

For you in beauty there are abundant miracles

Never to be combined in anyone else in creation.

بحران بحرٌ في البلاغةِ شابَهُ

شعر الوليد وحسن لفظ الأصمعي

Two seas - in eloquence the youthful sea,

The poetry of Al-Walid and the fine diction of Al-Asma'i.

وترسُّل الصابي يزينُ علوَّه

خطُّ ابنِ مقلةَ ذي المحلِّ الأرفعِ

The sprightly colt embellishes its highness,

The script of Ibn Muqla, most noble and lofty.

كالنَّوْرِ أو كالسِّحرِ أو كالبدرِ أو

كالوشيِ في بردٍ عليهِ موشَّعِ

Like light, or like magic, or like the full moon, or

Like a well-fitted garment on which fur is mounted.

شكراً فكمْ من فِقْرةٍ لكَ كالغِنى

وافى الكريمَ بعيدَ فقرٍ مدقعِ

Thanks! For how many excellent verses are for you like wealth,

The generous man rewarding the abject pauper.

وإذا تفتَّقَ نَورُ شعرِكَ ناضراً

فالحسنُ بينَ مرصَّعٍ ومُصَرَّعِ

And when the blossoming light of your poetry appears

Beauty lies between the bejeweled and the embroidered.

أرجلت فرسانَ القريضِ ورضت أف

راسَ البديعِ وأنتَ أفرسُ مبدعِ

You made the steeds of talent run their course and contented

The outstanding masters while you are the outstanding composer.

ونَقَشْتَ في فصِّ الزمانِ بدائعاً

تُزْري بآثارِ الربيعِ المُمْرَعِ

And you engraved in the choicest part of time marvels

That rival the vestiges of the flourishing spring.

وحويت ما تُكْنى به طرًّا فلم

تَترُكْ لغيرِك فيهِ بعضَ المطمعِ

And you encompassed that which is alluded to subtly so not

To leave for anyone else in it a share of hope.