لَو اِستَطعتُ جعلتُ البَرقَ لي قلما

وَالجوَّ طرساً وحبري الغيثَ همى

If I could, I would make lightning my pen

And the sky my paper and rain my ink

وَرحتُ املأُ آفاق السماءِ ثناً

عليكَ منتثراً طوراً ومنتظما

And I would fill the horizons with praise

Scattered for you, arranged and composed

وقلَّ ذاك لدى فضلٍ غدوتَ بِهِ

ناراً على الطَودِ او نوراً باوج سَما

And that would still fall short of the merit you gained

Becoming a fire on the hills or a light with sublime beauty

يا كنز فضلٍ وعلم لا نفادَ لَهُ

مَع أَنَّهُ لَزِمَ الإِنفاق والكَرَما

O treasure of endless merit and knowledge

That is spent and generous despite its continuance

إن النَفيسَ عَزيزٌ أَن يُنالَ وَقَد

بذلتَهُ بيننا غُنماً لمن غنِما

The precious is hard to attain once

You have given it to us as spoils for whoever wins spoils

كالشَمس تُعطي سناها كلَّ ذي بصرٍ

وَربَّما كان لا يدري لهُ قيما

Like the sun who gives her brilliance to all who can see

Though some may not know her value

يا روضةَ الفضل منزَهرٍ ومن ثمرٍ

كأَنَّ للعقل اذ يَجني جَناهُ فَما

O garden of merit, flowering and fruiting

As if the mind in plucking its fruits

ظِلالُها وارفاتٌ في نضارتها

وَقَد زَكا غَرسُها في طيبهِ وَنَما

Its shade and boughs in their freshness

And its tree grown healthy in its goodness and growth

نبغي مبالغةً في الشعر فيك فلا

نَسطيعُ ذاك ولا نقضي الَّذي لَزِما

We wish to exaggerate in poetry about you but

Cannot do so or fulfill what is required

وَالشعرُ لا بدَّ فيهِ من مُبالغةٍ

الّا بوصفك فهوَ الغالِبُ الكَلِما

Poetry necessarily requires exaggeration

Except in describing you, for it is overwhelmed by words

انتَ الطَبيبُ لأَجساد العباد ولل

عقول والأَنفُس اللاتي اشتكت سَقَما

You are the healer for the bodies of people and the

Minds and souls who have fallen ill

وَالفَيلَسوف الَّذي أَحصى العلوم وَقَد

أَسالَها مَنهَلاً للمشتكين ظَما

The philosopher who compiled the sciences and made

Them a fountain for the suffering, a shelter

وانما العالِمُ المفضال عن ثِقةٍ

مَن علَّم الناسَ لا مَن وحدَهُ عَلِما

But the preferred learned man is one of confidence

Who taught people, not one who kept the knowledge for himself

تُدعى الحكيمَ وان نَعنِ الطَبيبَ وان

لا نَعنِهِ فَصَحيحٌ فيك كلُّهما

You are called the wise man and if we do not call you that

Then healer is valid for you, and both are correct

وَمَن يقُلهُ اكتَفي عن ذكر تسميةٍ

اذ قد غدا لك في تعريفِهِ عَلَما

And whoever says it has dispensed with mentioning a name

For your reputation has become a sign for you

يا مُغفِلاً نفسَهُ في جَنب منفعةٍ

للآخرين جُزيتَ الخيرَ والنِعَما

O you who neglect yourself for the benefit

Of others, may you be rewarded with good and bounty

كأَنَّما الناسُ طَرّا عَيلةٌ لكَ من

شَكا فانَّك معهُ تَشتَكي أَلَما

It is as if people are your wards, for if

One complains, you share his pain

كُلٌّ يُحاول في الدنيا منافعهُ

يا طالِباً قبل ذا أَن ينفع الأُمَما

All try in this life to serve themselves

O you who sought, before that, to benefit the nations

ولَيسَ تقصد في فعل الجميلِ سوى

وجه المُهَيمِن جلَّت ذاتهُ وَسَما

You intend only, by doing good, the face

Of the Guardian, glorified is His essence and His loftiness

ورحمةً لِعبادِ اللَه تحسبها

فرضاً عليك من الرحمن قد حتُما

And mercy for the servants of God, which you consider

An obligation from the Merciful that is binding

وَخدمةً لبني الانسان صادرةً

عَنمحض طبعٍ يراها عندهُ ذِمما

And service to humankind stemming

From pure nature, which you see as a duty

لَم تُعفِ نفسَك مِمّا الدَهرُ منهُ لَقَد

أَعفاك مستنزفاً من دونهِ الهِمَما

You did not excuse yourself from what fate demands

Rather, fate excused you, taking from others the resolves

أَخلِق بِمَن طبعُهُ للامر يدفعُهُ

ان لا يصادفَ في أَعمالهِ سأما

You were created with a nature that drives you

To never encounter boredom in your deeds

فَلَو تشآءُ مَعاذَ اللَه في أَحدٍ

ضَرّا تحوَّلَ نفعاً واِقتَفى الشيما

For if you wished - God forbid - harm upon someone

It would change into benefit, and good traits would ensue

يا ناقلَ السُقم من جسم السَقيم الى

جسم السقام فيُمسي وهو قد سَلِما

O you who transfers illnesses from the body of the sick

To your body, so he awakens cured

ان كانَ غيري يَشكو في ثناكَ بِهِ

قِصرَ اللسان فاني أَشتَكي بكَما

If others complain of your praise falling

Short, my tongue complains of still more