رَقص الهِزارُ عَلى الغُصونِ المُيَّسِ
لَما جَرى في الرَوضِ ساقي الأَكؤُسِ
The thousand danced on the pliant boughs
When the cupbearer walked in the garden.
وَشَدا فَصَفَّقَتِ الجَداولُ بَهجَةً
وَتَنَبَّهَت طَرَباً عُيونُ النَّرجِسِ
The brooks clapped with joy
And the narcissus eyes awakened in rapture.
وَأَطَلَّتِ الأَزهارُ مِن أَكمامِها
تَفتَرُّ عَن دُرَرِ الحَيا المُتَبَجِّسِ
The flowers revealed themselves from their buds
Shedding the pearls of vivacious life.
أَلقى عَلَيها الصُبحُ بِيض رياطِهِ
فَطَلَعنَ بَينَ مَورَّدٍ وَمورَّسِ
The dawn cast its white mantle over them
And they bloomed between pink and crimson.
وَسَرى النَسيمُ عَلى جَوانِبِها وَقَد
حَيّا فَحيَتهُ بَخَفضِ الأَرؤُسِ
The breeze blew over their edges, greeting them,
Bowing their heads in humility.
وَحَبتْهُ طيبَ شَذاً كَأَنَّ أَريجَهُ
مِن مَدحِ ذي الشَرفِ السنيِّ الأَقدَسِ
It loved their sweet fragrance, as if its scent
Was in praise of the most noble and holy.
السَيِّدُ الراعي الَّذي في ظِلِّهِ
وَجَدتُ خِراف اللَهِ أَمنَعَ مُحرسِ
The Lord, the shepherd, in whose shade
I found God's sheep most protected.
هُوَ بُطرُسُ الحَبرُ المَعَظَّمُ مَن نَفَى
إِيمانُ بُطرُسَ عَنهُ عَثرَةَ بُطرسِ
He is Peter the Pope, the revered one, whose
Faith in Peter denied the stumbling of Peter.
طهُرتْ وَبرَّتْ مِنهُ نَفسٌ حُرّةٌ
بِشَوائبِ الأَيّامِ لَم تَتَدَنَّسِ
A free soul cleansed and exonerated
From the failings of days that did not defile it.
مُتَزَمِلٌ بِالطَيلَسانِ وَدونَهُ
يَبدو مِن التَقوى بِأَبهى مَلبَسِ
Clad in a cassock, beneath which appears
The most splendid raiment of piety.
لَم تَأخُذِ الغَفلاتُ مِنهُ مُقلةً
سَهِرَت لَتَنبيهِ العُيون النُّعَّسِ
Heedlessness did not take a wink from him,
His vigilance awoke drowsy eyes.
هَذا إِناءُ الحِكمَةِ البَرِّ الَّذي
بِبِهاءِ أَنوارِ المُهَيمنِ قَد كُسِي
This is the vessel of wisdom and righteousness,
Adorned with the radiant light of the Guardian.
بَحرٌ تَدَفَقَ بِالزُلالِ وَجاءَنا
بِأَجَلَّ مِن دَرِّ البِحارِ وَأَنفَسِ
A sea that flowed with clarity and brought us
The most precious pearl of the seas.
ذَربُ النُهى بَرَزَت أَهلَّةُ فكرِهِ
فَرَمى خُطوبَ الدَهرِ عَن مثلِ القِسِي
The steeds of guidance raced, his thoughts prepared,
He cast aside the misfortunes of fate.
ماضي اليَراعةِ حينَ نَكَّسَ رَأسَها
عَنَتِ الصِعابُ لَها بَرَأسٍ مُنكِسِ
The stalwart of diligence bowed his head
When hardships confronted him with bowed head.
يَجلو الحَقائقَ مِن ستورِ خَفائها
كَالصُبحِ يَنزَعُ مِن قتامِ الحِندِسِ
He reveals the truths from behind their veils
Like the dawn dispelling the dark night.
وَإِذا تَصدّرَ قائلاً في مَجلسٍ
أَلفَيتَ قِسّاً ضِمنَ ذاكَ المَجلسِ
When he takes the lead saying in an assembly,
You would find a priest in that assembly.
وَإِذا اِرتَقى فَوقَ المَنابِرِ خَشَّعَتْ
كَلِماتُهُ قَلبَ الجَمادِ الأَملَسِ
When he stood above the pulpits, his words
Humbled the heart of the smoothest stone.
وَهَديتَهُ كَلِماً لَقَد يَمَّنتُها
بِمَقامِ مِحرابٍ لَدَيهِ مُقَدَّسِ
His guidance you would treasure as a word
In the station of a consecrated altar.
لا زالَ يَزدانُ الثَناءُ بِذكرهِ
مِثل الطِراز يَزينُ ثَوبَ السُندُسِ
Praise continues to adorn his mention
As embroidery adorns a silken robe.
