ثناؤكَ ما هبَّ للناسِمِ
ضُحىً أم شَذى الزّهَرِ الباسِمِ
Your praise is not for boastful people,
Nor the fragrance of blossoming flowers.
ومَدْحُكَ ما قدْ بَدا بالطُّروسِ
أمِ الدُرُّ في راحةِ النّاظِمِ
And singing your virtues has not appeared
Like pearls in the palm of a stringer of necklaces.
وهَدْيُكَ ما قدْ بَدا للورَى
دُجىً أم سَنا الكوكبِ العاتمِ
Your guidance is not like the darkness of night,
Nor like the glow of a bright star.
وعزْمك ما قد بَدا في الأمورِ
لنا أم شَبا صفحَة الصّارِمِ
Your resolve in affairs is not for us
Like the drawing of a sharp sword.
وَجُودُكَ ما قد هَمى جَوْدُهُ
أمِ السّحْبُ في غَيْثِها السّاجمِ
Your generosity is not like the rain clouds
Pouring down heavy rain.
فإنّ أحاديثَ بذْل النّدى
لمرْويّةٌ عنْكَ عنْ حاتمِ
For accounts of your flowing generosity
Are well-known, like Hatim.
كتائبُ جودِكَ أرسَلْتَها
لدى عبْدِكَ الكاتِبِ النّاظِمِ
The troops of your generosity you have sent
To your poet servant writing rhymes.
ملابِسُ رِفْدِكَ لمّا أتَتْ
كَلِفْتُ بها كلَفَ الهائِمِ
The clothes of your gifts, when they came to me
I was charged, like a bewildered camel calf.
إذا اللوْنُ أشرَقَ منْ ثوْبِها
حَكى الورْدَ في روضهِ النّاعِمِ
When their color shone brightly
It told of roses in a gentle garden.
وفيها الذي حُسْنُ ألوانِه
كزَهْرِ الرّبى الرّائِقِ الباسِمِ
In them is beauty whose colors
Are like a radiant, smiling flower.
قدِمْتُ على مدحِ مَوْلى الوَرى
فهيّأ لي تُحفَةَ القادِمِ
I came to praise the Master of the World
So he prepared for me the gift of the newcomer.
ألذّ من الماءِ بعْدَ الصّدى
وأحْلى من الطّيْفِ للحالِمِ
Sweeter than water after thirst
And more delicious than dreams to a dreamer.
فأوْرَدتَني للمُنى سَلْسَلاً
يُرَوّي ظَما غُلّةِ الحائِمِ
You let me drink my fill of wishes
Quenching the thirst of an ardent lover.
وجاهُكَ مازالَ سيفاً بكفّي
وليسَ لهُ الدّهْرَ من ثالِمِ
Your glory remains a sword in my hands
Time has no challenger against it.
يكُفُّ الخُطوبَ وهل غيرُهُ
لجَمْعِ الحوادِثِ من هازِمِ
It holds back misfortunes, and who but it
Can defeat the events as they come?
ألا يا إمامَ الهُدَى هل يُرَى
سواكَ على الدّهْرِ منْ حاكِمِ
Oh Imam of Guidance, can any but you
Be seen ruling over the ages?
إمامٍ مُوالٍ لبَذْلِ النّدى
وعالٍ بدين الهُدَى عالِمِ
An imam loyal to generosity,
Lofty in the true religion, a scholar.
جوادٍ إذا سُئِلَ الرّفْدُ منهُ
لهُ شيمَةُ المُشْفِقِ الرّاحِمِ
Generous - when asked for a gift
He has the trait of a kind compassionate man.
ويوْمَ الوغَى سيفُهُ في العِدَى
لهُ سُطْوةُ الظّافِرِ الغانِمِ
And in days of turmoil, his sword against the enemies
Has the power of a victorious conqueror.
وإنّي أتيْتُ فقبّلْتُ منهُ
يَميناً هيَ اليُمْنُ للَّاثِمِ
And I came and kissed it -
It is good fortune for the sinner.
بمَدْحِك شُرِّفْتُ بينَ الوَرَى
على رغْمِ كل امْرئٍ راغِمِ
In praising you I gained honor among people
Despite whoever would hinder me.
أقرّتْ بفضْلِكَ أمْلاكُها
وهلْ لِسَنا الشمْسِ منْ كاتِمِ
The domains acknowledged your merit -
And who can conceal the sun?
فدُمْتَ ودهْرُكَ ما إن يُرى
لفِعْلِ نوالِكَ بالجازِمِ
So you remained, and your era continues
Where no deed can be undone.
