أهَلَّ بالرّوضِ سرْبُ الطّائِرِ الغَرِدِ
بما انتَضى نهرُهُ من سيفِهِ الفَرَدِ
The warbling birds greeted the garden
With the clear water flowing from its pure spring,
فهزّ مثنَى جناحَيْهِ وحثّهُما
حثّ المُسابِقِ للأقْصى من الأمَدِ
Flapping their wings again and again,
Urging each other on towards the furthest goal.
عهْدي به وارِداً أكْواسَ غاديةٍ
تُقسّمُ الرّاحَ بين الرّوحِ والجسدِ
My pact with it is the passing cups
That apportion the spirit between soul and body,
ولحْظُهُ يرْتَعي المرْعى المَجودَ بها
وجيدُهُ يزْدَهي بالحَلْي والغَيَدِ
Its glances graze the rich pasture,
Its neck sways with charm and grace.
خيّلْتُهُ حين أبْدى لي بدائِهَهُ
أنّي زُهِيتُ بعِقْدٍ منهُ منتَضِدِ
When it showed me its skills, I imagined
That I was adorned with a necklace made by it,
أو أنّ عارِفةً وافَى الشّريفُ بها
فأحْبَسَتْ أمَلي بالعدِّ والعُدَدِ
Or that a noblewoman had arrived with it
So my hopes were limited by number and amount.
ما لِي وللرّوضِ أسْتَهْدي أزاهِرَهُ
والزُهْرُ في أفُقِ العلياءِ طوْعُ يَدي
Why should I seek the garden’s flowers
When flowers in the realm of the Exalted are at my hand?
حسْبي هديّةُ سِبْطِ المصْطَفى شرفاً
تهْدي وتَنقُلُ من زَيغٍ إلى رشَدِ
It is enough that the Chosen One’s grandson honored me
And guided me from deviance back to the right path.
ألا أجيدُ قَريضي وهْوَ لي عضُدٌ
لا يُنْهِضُ الرُّمْحَ إلا شدّةُ العضُدِ
If only my poetry were good, for it is a support for me,
The spear is not raised except by the strength of the arm.
ألا أرُدُّ خَصيمَ القومِ إذ حسَدوا
وقد مضى عدْلُهُ بالبغْي والحسَدِ
Should I not rebuff the envious people
When his justice has passed by aggression and envy?
وسَلَّ في حرْبِ مَنْ عادَى مواضِيَهُ
وهزّ كُلّ قويمِ القَدّ مُطَّرِدِ
He attacked those who opposed his meadows in war
And shook every tall, upright palm tree.
بصالِحٍ من دُعاءٍ يرْتقي صُعُداً
عليهِ في طلَبِ العَلْياءِ مُعْتَمَدي
With righteous prayer that ascends the heights
Dependent on him in seeking the Most High.
أقولُ يا ناشِدَ الدُنْيا وزُخْرُفِها
لقدْ كفَتْكِ يداهُ جهْدَ مُجْتَهِدِ
I say to you, singer of this world and its vanities,
Your efforts have spared you the toll of the diligent.
أبو المَعالي مَعاليهِ مُقدّسةٌ
في جنّةِ الخُلْدِ منهُ فكرَةُ الخَلَدِ
His noble deeds are sanctified in the Garden of Immortality
A thought of eternity comes from him.
قصْداً فمَعْلَمُهُ للهِ عالِمُهُ
بكلِّ ما لمْ ينَلْهُ نقْدُ مُنتَقِدِ
His intention is thus known to God, His Knower,
Of all that no critic’s appraisal can attain.
يدْعو بنا معْشرَ الأبناءِ إنّ لكُمْ
لوالِداً مُشْفِقاً للأهلِ والولَدِ
He calls upon us, the children: You have
A caring father for family and child.
وحيثُ يُهْديكُمُ أبياتَهُ مِدَحاً
فالشُكْرُ ما بينَ مَشْفوعٍ ومُتّحِدِ
And wherever his verses praise you
Gratitude lies between the connected and united.
فَيا عَميدَ بني البيتِ الكريمِ لقدْ
أصْمتّ بالفخْرِ رَغْماً ألْسُنَ اللّدَدِ
O leader of the generous household, I have surely
Kept silent despite the tongues of slander.
وجئْتَ بالشّعْرِ فالشّعْرَى بساحَتِهِ
في جمْعِ مُحْتَشِدٍ يعْنو لمُنْفَرِدِ
And you have come with poetry, so the poetic abodes
In a gathering of unity attend to one alone.
ممتدّةٌ في العُلى أطْنابُهُ فأنا
أدْعو لرافِعِ عُلْياها على عَمَدِ
With pillars reaching to the heights, I
Call upon their erect supporter.
وأسألُ اللهَ في طولِ البقاءِ لهُ
سؤالَ عبْدٍ على مَوْلاهُ مُعْتَمِدِ
And I ask God for long life for him
The request of a servant dependent on his Master.
