شَرَفُ الورى يا دَهْرُ كيف هَدَمْتَهُ

وقصدتَ عَمْداً للهُدَى فردمتَه

O Time! How you've destroyed the glory of the world,

And intentionally demolished the path to guidance.

يا لَيْتَ أنك والمُنى ممنوعةٌ

تَلْوِي على نَقْضِ الذي أبرمتَه

If only you and death were forbidden,

From violating what you have affirmed.

لم تَأْلُ في سَوْقِ الخِيَار إلى الرّدى

يا ليت شعري هل بذا أكرمتَه

You did not refrain in the market of the virtuous from deceit,

If only I knew, is this how you honored him?

أَفَلَمْ يَغِبْ بغروب شمسِ محمّدٍ

فَضلٌ سما عن أن تكونَ علمتَه

Did the setting of Muhammad's sun of glory not disappear?

Overflowing in knowledge you have taught him.

والعلم لو كانت لقلبك رقّة

لبكيتَه من بعده ورحمتَه

If your heart had any tenderness,

You would have wept for him after him and had mercy on him.

لاَ غَرْوَ إنْ تُنْثَرْ لآلِي أَدْمُعٍ

وبِفَقْدِهِ عَقْدُ العلوم فصمتَه

It is no wonder if tears of sorrow are shed,

And by his absence, the chain of knowledge is muted.

يا مَنْ الى نور الكتابِ وسرِّه

يسعى لقد أَخْفَقْتَ فيما رُمْتَه

O you who aspires to the light of the Scripture and its secret,

You have failed in what you have aimed for.

كشّافُ أسرار البلاغة قد مضى

ولسانُ تلخيص البيان عدمتَه

The unveiler of the secrets of rhetoric has passed away,

And the eloquent tongue is silenced.

مَنْ للكلام إذا بَدَتْ يا فخرَه

مِن مُبْطِلٍ شُبُهٌ به كلَّمتَه

When false controversies about his words appear,

Who will refute them and speak to its speaker?

ومتى أتى بوساوسٍ متفلسفٌ

أَرْهَقْتَهُ وهُدَى الإله أَقَمْتَهُ

And when a pretentious philosopher comes up with suspicions,

You overwhelmed him, and guided him to God’s guidance.

وَلَوَ أنّ أفلاطونَ ساعده اللّقا

لدرى بأنّ العِلْمَ ما عَلَّمتَه

If Plato were aided by inspiration,

He would know that the knowledge you taught cannot be learnt.

يا مُحْيِيَ الإِحيا لِيَهْنَكَ مَغنماً

عُمُرٌ بإحياء العلوم ختمتَه

O reviver of revival, may you be rewarded,

A life spent in reviving knowledge has ended.

لهَفي عليك ولستُ فيه بمُفْرَدٍ

يا مُفْرَداً جَمْعُ الكلام نَظَمْتَه

I long for you, and in this I am not alone,

O unique one, the prose and poetry composed by you.

شمسٌ بفاسٍ أشرقت وبتونسٍ

غَرَبَتْ فيا أسفاً عليك ضرمتَه

A sun rose in Fez and set in Tunis,

Alas for you, whose light has faded.

قَسَماً بمن أعطاك خلقاً كاملا

وثباتَ حِلم في الأنام عزمتَه

I swear by the One who gave you perfect wisdom,

And the firmness of patience among people you determined.

لو تُفْتَدَى لَفَدَاكَ مَنْ تحت السما

وبَقِيتَ حيّاً ما تشاءُ أقمتَه

If you could be ransomed, whoever is under the sky would pay it,

And you would remain alive as long as you desire.

لكنّ ما تلقاه من حُسنِ القِرى

خَيْرٌ وأَبْقَى والذي قدّمتَه

But what you have attained is better and everlasting,

And what you have put forward is what you have gained.

فله دَعَا داعي الورى فأجبتَه

وجميل ظنّك بالرّجا أحكمته

For it, the Caller of mankind called you, and you answered Him,

And your good expectation in hope has proven sound.

واللّهَ أرجو أن ينيلك كلّ ما

بجميل ظنّك في الضمير كتمتَه

I hope in God that you attain all that,

In your conscience, you have concealed of good expectation.

وَحَرٍ لمجدك أن يناديَ زائرٌ

ومؤرّخ وَارَمْسُ كيف ضَمَمْتَه

If only a visitor would call out your glory,

And a biographer, how you have brought it together.