بَدْرٌ بقُبّتِكَ الغرّاءِ مَطْلعُهُ

تبارَكَ اللهُ مُبْدِيه ومُطْلِعُهُ

The full moon rises in your luminous dome,

Blessed is He who originated it and made it rise.

حمْراؤها هالةٌ تَبْدو أشعّتُها

لأفْقِها مرْقَبٌ بالعِزّ تَفْرَعُهُ

Its redness appears as a halo whose rays shine forth

To the horizon, a watchtower fortified with might.

فأنتَ يا مَلكَ الإسْلامِ ناصرُهُ

من كُلّ حادثَةٍ في الدهْرِ تمنَعُهُ

You, O king of Islam, are its defender,

Guarding it from every misfortune in time.

وأنتَ فوقَ المُلوكِ الصّيدِ منزلةً

وتحتَ طوْعِكَ مُلكُ الأرضِ أجْمَعُهُ

You are above kings in rank and station

While all the kings of earth are under your command.

فإن دَجا ليلُ روْعٍ أنت مَلجأُهُ

وإن تفاقَمَ أمْرٌ أنتَ مَفْزَعُهُ

If the night of turmoil grows dark, you are its refuge,

And if a matter worsens, you are its recourse.

للجُودِ تمنحُهُ للدّينِ تمنَعُهُ

للسّيْفِ تسْرِعُهُ للرُمْحِ تشْرعُهُ

You grant generosity, you guard the faith,

You hasten the sword, you ready the spear,

للسّعْدِ تحْرزُهُ للوَعْدِ تُنجزُهُ

للصّدْر تَشرحُه للقَدْرِ ترفعُهُ

You protect good fortune, you fulfill promises,

You gladden hearts, you raise destinies.

يا طالباً معْهداً للرّفْدِ ينزِلُهُ

ارْبعْ قليلاً فقدْ حيّتكَ أربُعُهُ

O you who seek aid to confer it,

Rest awhile, for your life has four quarters.

بِناصر الدّين قد لاحَتْ مَعالمُهُ

وراقَ في أفُقِ العَلياءِ مصْنَعُهُ

With al-Nasir your features have shone forth

And your craft has blossomed among the exalted.

ويوسُفٌ شُرّف المُلْكُ العزيزُ بِه

فأينَ قيْصَرُهُ صِيتاً وتُبَّعُهُ

Joseph was ennobled by the mighty king,

Yet where is his fame and following compared to yours?

فقيصرٌ قاصِرٌ عن جودِ راحَتِه

وتُبّعٌ في مضاءِ العزْمِ يتبَعُهُ

So Caesar is lacking beside your open hand

And Tubba' follows the resolute course you set.

أبْدى الجَمالَ وقد أوْلى الجميلَ به

فالحُسْنُ يُبْدِيه والإحسانُ يُبدِعُهُ

You have revealed beauty and given favor to the beautiful,

So charm makes it manifest while kindness brings it to perfection.

كلّمْتَ يا ملِكَ الأمْلاكِ من كثَبٍ

عبْداً يُناديكَ من بُعْدٍ فتسْمَعُهُ

You spoke, O king of kings, though from afar,

To a servant calling you from a distance and you heard.

فما اعْتِذاري لمَوْلىً لم يُحِطْ خجلاً

سَمْعي بلَفْظٍ لهُ في القلب موقِعُهُ

What is my excuse to a master not humbled

By my words that touch his heart?

كمْ حلّ في كبِد الممْلوكِ من ظَمإٍ

إذْ لمْ يُمتّعْ بعَذْبِ اللفْظ مسْمَعُهُ

How much thirst is trapped in the slave’s liver

When his hearing is not indulged with the sweetness of speech!

أستغفرُ اللهَ كمْ راقتْ حديقتُهُ

وكم على ظَمإٍ روّاهُ مَشْرَعُهُ

I ask Allah’s forgiveness - how many times has He quenched his thirst

And how often has His spring watered the thirsty!

هَذي صلاةُ صِلاتٍ والنّداءُ لَها

إن كانَ وتْراً فموْلَى الخَلْقِ يَشفَعُهُ

This is the prayer of prayers and my call for it;

If improper, then the Lord of creation will intercede for it.

وكمْ عجائِبَ أبْداها النّظامُ بها

قد راقَ من زَهَر الآدابِ أيْنَعُهُ

How many wonders has composition displayed in it!

How delightful is the bloom of literature it has produced!

ولا كعذْراءَ من مَولى المُلوكِ أتَتْ

بابَ القَبول أمامَ العبْدِ تشرَعُهُ

Never has a virgin come to the slave’s door

From the king of kings to open acceptance before him.

إذا بَدا طِرْسُها للهِ كمْ حِكَمٍ

وكم بَدائِعَ مِلْءَ العيْنِ تُودِعُهُ

When her veil parts for God, how much wisdom

And how many marvels filling the eyes does it harbor!

بحْرُ المكارِمِ أبْدى من بَدائِعِه

دُرّاً يروقُ بجيدِ الملْكِ أنْصَعُهُ

The sea of noble deeds has brought forth from its wonders

A pearl that adorns the neck of the king, the most radiant of them.

فلَفْظُها الدّرُّ والزهْرُ الأنيقُ إذا

ما راقَ أضوأُهُ أو رقّ أضْوَعُهُ

Its words are pearls and delicate blossoms that,

When their brightness shines or softness stirs, delight.

مالتْ بنا طَرباً أو لوْعَةً فحَكَتْ

كأسَ المُدامِ أمالَ القوْمَ مُتْرَعُهُ

Inclining us with joy or yearning, it tells

The tale that turns the wine cup and inebriates the group.

لها النّسيبُ إذا مرّ الخليُّ بهِ

يَعودُ وهْوَ شجيُّ القلبِ مُولَعُهُ

For it the ode, when the boon companion passes by,

Returns while its heart is raging with passion,

يُبْدي الذي قد أكَنّتْهُ جوانِحُهُ

وضُمِّنَتْهُ من الأشواقِ أضْلُعُهُ

Revealing what its soul has harbored

And what sighs of longing have filled its ribs,

ماذا يقولُ بَليغٌ في محاسنِها

وأبلَغُ القول فيها ليسَ يُقنعُهُ

Saying what can an eloquent one say in praising it

When the most eloquent speech cannot satisfy him?

لكنّ يأتي بما تُبديهِ فكْرتُهُ

وفضْلُ مَولايَ في الإغْضاءِ يُطْمِعُهُ

Rather, he brings what occurs to his thoughts

While my master’s grace gives hope though he falls short.

لا تُنكِروا نَفحاتِ الزّهْرِ منْ مِدَحي

فَروْضُ فِكري نَدى كفّيْكَ يُمْرِعُهُ

Do not reject the scent of flowers from my praise

For the duty of my mind is to water your palm.

مَدْحٌ يَروقُ ذوي الألْبابِ ناظِمُهُ

يُذيعُهُ في إمامٍ لا يُضيِّعُهُ

Praise whose author pleases the discerning

Circulating it about an imam who will not waste it.

قد سالَمتْهُ الليالي إذ عِنايتُهُ

قد أمّنتْهُ فلا دهْرٌ يُروِّعُهُ

The nights have greeted him as his care

Has secured him, so time will not alarm him.

بَقيتَ للحمدِ أو للمَدْحِ مُنْفَرداً

بهِ ودُمْتَ لشمْلِ الدّين تجْمَعُهُ

You have remained unmatched in praise or eulogy,

Through it you have united the faith and gathered it.