كتاب علي نصه ملأ الدنيا
كتابٌ مجيدٌ طبَّق المجد والعليا
A book whose text filled the world
A glorious book that embodied glory and supremacy
فلم ندر وحيٌ منزلٌ جاءنا به
رسولاً ام التنزيل قد سبق الوحيا
We have never known a revelation sent down to us
More eloquent than this revelation that preceded inspiration
تلوح به الواح موسى بل العصا
تلقف من فرعون ما افكوا بغيا
With it the tablets of Moses and even his staff shine
Snatching from Pharaoh what they denied out of enmity
فلو قيس قسٌّ في فصاحة لفظه
لردَّت لنا قسّاً فصاحته عيّاً
If it were to be measured for eloquence of expression
Its eloquence would render the measurer mute
اذا فضَّ من ذاك الكتاب ختامه
تعبَّقت الآداب من طيبه ريَّا
When the seal of that book is opened
Literature is perfumed by its fragrance
يفوح لنا نشراً وطيّاً مع الصبا
فننشقه نشراً ونلثمه طيا
It exudes a scattered and folded fragrance with the morning breeze
We open it scattered and fold it carefully
نقبِّل من عنوانه كل لفظة
مدبجة بالمسك كالشفة اللميا
We kiss every word of its title
Embossed with musk like a soft lip
تبدَّت لنا تزهو بزي خريدة
اذا برزت للشمس تخجلها زيا
It appears to us adorned in the dress of a bride
When it emerges in the sun, shaming it with its attire
تغازلها منا العيون كأنما
تغازل ليلى الأخيلية ام ريا
Our eyes flirt with it as if
Flirting with Layla Al-Akhiliyya or Um Riyah
فمن مبلغ سحبان عني بلاغة
انمنمها رقماً وانقشها وشيا
Who can convey to Suhban its eloquence
Numbering it, inscribing it and embellishing it
ومن ذا يعيد ابن العميد لكي يرى
تقاريض لا يقظاً رآها ولا رؤيا
And who can make Ibn Al-Amid see again
Inscriptions seen neither awake nor in a dream
ولما رأينا الرشد وهو سريرة
لسري ابحنا فيه ما كتموا غيّا
When we saw wisdom while it was confidential
We whispered in it what they had kept secret
وزيراً افاض العدل في كل بلدة
بلا وزر واستوزر الحزم والرأيا
A minister who dispensed justice in every town
Without burden, appointing resolve and opinion as his ministers
فكم من كتاب ردَّ فيه كتيبة
ومن قلم اجرى به جحفلا جريا
How many a book has he refuted
And how many legions has he routed with his pen
فلم نرَ سعياً للولاة كسعيه
حديثاً وهل والٍ يقابله سعيا
We have never seen the efforts of governors like his
In speech, and what governor can match his efforts
ولو قد سمعنا في القديم فأنما
نرى ذاك مسموعاً وسعيك مرئيا
If we had heard of the like in the past
We would see that as hearsay and your efforts as visible
بسدٍّ اذا ما سدّ اسكندر وهي
بصدع من الايام لم ينصدع وهيا
With a dam, that even if Alexander dammed it
It would be split by the days, but not this one
اذا رام ذو القرنين سدّاً قرينه
على عزمه سدُّك في الدنيا
If Dhu Al-Qarnayn desired a dam as his pair
Yours would be the dam in the world
فصيَّرته جسراً حديدا مقنطرا
وزندك لا ينفك مقتدحا وريا
You made it an iron bridge with arches
With nails that cannot be removed, constantly boiling
وعقَّلت جنّي الفرات معوذاً
فحيَّرت جنِّيا هناك وانسيا
You shackled the Euphrates’ Jinn, protecting it
Perplexing the Jinn there and making them forgetful
فاحيا لنا ميتاً دفينا بهمة
همام وغى كم قدا مات وكم احيى
You revived for us one buried and dead with determination
Many a tall one died and many you gave life
طلائعه في كل غرب ومشرق
تطالع غربيّاً عنيدا وشرقيا
Its vanguards in every west and east
Appear western in obstinacy and eastern in disposition
لقد راع حتى الوحش باس انتقامه
الى ان تولى الذئب بالثُّلة الرعيا
Even the wild beasts were frightened by the fury of its vengeance
Until the wolf assumed the role of shepherd for the flock
وقد بثَّ في الاقطار حسن رعاية
يبيت بها سرب الرعية مرعيا
You have spread good governance in the regions
Where the flock of the subjects spend the night watched over
به قام ناموس الممالك معلناً
لملك ملوك الدهر حيهلا هيا
Through it the law of kingdoms was established
Proclaiming for the King of Kings, "at your service!"
