ذا أَدهَمُ اللّيلِ وَلّى هاربُ الغسَقِ
إِذْ أَشهَبُ الصّبح يَعدو شاهِرَ الفلَقِ
When the dark night departed fleeing the twilight,
And the radiant dawn galloped cleaving the daybreak,
حَيثُ النّجومُ لِأَرضِ الغَربِ راكضةٌ
مِثل القَناديلِ في كَفٍّ لِمُستَبِقِ
The stars raced to the land of the west
Like lamps in the hand of one hastening to win the race,
حَيثُ اِبتَدا الفجرُ فَوقَ الأُفقِ مُعتَرِضاً
يَمتَدُّ مُنتَشِراً في حُسْنِ مَتَّسقِ
The dawn began to block the horizon
Spreading beautifully in well-arranged formation,
كَأَنّهُ وَظَلامُ اللّيلِ مُعتَكِرٌ
يَبدو مُقدّمهُ لِلشَّمسِ في الأُفُقِ
As if it and the darkness of night were wrestling
And its vanguard appeared on the horizon,
وَخَفّقَت رايَةٌ بيضاء إذْ نسَجَت
ها الشَّمسُ مِن نورها المَسبوكِ مِن ورِقِ
A white flag fluttered when the sun wove it
From its poured light made of thin silk,
وَقَد تَبَدَّت بِتاجِ الضوءِ مُسفرِةً
تَجرُّ ذَيلَ الشّعاعِ الأَبيَضِ اليقَقِ
And it shone with the crown of light, unveiled,
Dragging the tail of white radiant beams,
وَصاحَ في الرَّوضِ فَوقَ الغُصنِ بُلبلُهُ
فَهيَّجَ الصَّبَّ وَالورقاءَ في الورقِ
The nightingale in the garden trilled joyously above the branch
Stirring the chirp and the leaves in the foliage,
وَقامَ يَهتَزُّ فيهِ مِن مَحاسِنِهِ
ظَبيٌ مِنَ المِسكِ في تيهٍ وَفي شبَقِ
A gazelle rose startled, redolent of musk
Wandering intoxicated in rapture and passion,
وَالمِسكُ بَعضُ دَمٍ لَكِنَّ لَيسَ لَهُ
مَعناهُ مُنفَتِقاً أَو غَيرَ مُنفَتِقِ
Musk is spilt blood but has no meaning
Whether congealed or uncongealed,
عَلّقتهُ وَأَبى ما كانَ مِن عَلَقٍ
حَتّى عَرفت بِهِ أَنّي أَخو العَلَقِ
I examined it but it refused what was once congealed
Until I knew I am the brother of the clot,
وَقامَ في الرّوضِ يُعطينا سُلافتَه
مِن خَمرَةِ اللّفظِ أَو مِن خَمرةِ الحَدقِ
It stood in the garden giving us its cheer
From the wine of speech or the wine of eyes,
وَالشّمسُ مَدَّت حَياءً صيغَ مِن أَدَبٍ
غَمامَةً فَوقَنا بَيضاء كَالوَرقِ
And the sun in modesty made of proper etiquette
Drew above us a white cloud like a page,
وَفَصَّلتها بِقَدرِ الرّوضِ وَاِحتَجَبَت
عَنّا وَلَم تَنحُ غيرَ الرّوضِ بِالرهَقِ
And screened us off with just enough for the garden
Veiling herself from us without leaning to one side,
تَبغي بِذا رَفعِ إِيهامٍ لِمُبصرها
وَمُبصِرُ الحبِّ أيٌّ كَوكبُ الأفقِ
She wanted this to raise an illusion for her beholder
And the beholder of love is like the planet Venus,
للَّه دَرُّك يا شَمسَ السّماءِ فَقَد
فَعَلتِ فعلَ ذَوي الإِحسانِ والخُلقِ
Blessed are you O sun of the sky, for you have
Acted like those of utmost grace and manners!
وَقُمتُ في الرّوضِ وَالصّهباءُ تُقعِدُنا
إِذا الغُصونُ تَدانَت نَحوَ معتنقِ
And I stood in the garden while the yellow rose seated us
When the branches leaned toward an embrace,
وَالزّهرُ يَنشُرُ ما تَبقى الحَياةُ بِهِ
وَلَم يَكُن تارِكاً داءً بمنتشقِ
The flowers spread what remains of life
Leaving no sickness in one bursting with health,
وَقَد أَخَذنا بِأَطرافِ الحَديثِ ضُحىً
وَقَد تَبسَّمَ ثَغرُ الأُنسِ عَن يَقق
We had started pleasant chitchat in the morning
When the mouth of companionship smiled revealing teeth,
وَالحِبُّ مِن لُطفِهِ أَضحى يُحدِّثُني
فَردَّ روحي وَما قَد فاتَ مِن رَمَقي
And love in its gentleness started conversing with me
Restoring my soul and what had passed of my vigor,
ما بَينَ لَفظٍ وَإِيماءٍ بِحاجِبِهِ
وَبَينَ غَمزٍ وَميل الجيدِ والعنقِ
Between words and winks of his eyebrows,
And between amorous glances, tilts of the neck and swing,
وَقَد جَلَسنا بِذاك الرّوضِ في سُرُرٍ
مِنَ السّرورِ بِلا غَمٍّ ولا حَنق
We sat in that garden happily free of sorrow or discontent
And remained thus until the evening not feeling the time pass,
وَلَم نَزَل هكَذا حَتّى المَساء وَقَد
وَلَّى النَّهارُ وَلَم نَشعُر ولم نفقِ
The sun disappeared into the belly of the west
And the army of darkness arrived in the twilight,
وَالشّمسُ أَمسَت بِجَوفِ الغَربِ غائِبةً
وَجاءَ جَيشُ الدّجى في دَولَةِ الغسَقِ
Where the crescent like a golden bracelet
Adorned the wrist of the west in a carnelian sunset,
حَيثُ الهِلال سِوارٌ صِيغَ مِن ذَهَبٍ
بِمِعصَمِ الغَرب في ياقوتَةِ الشّفَقِ
Or it was the sword erect and brandished
But more beautiful as the full moon rising,
أَو أَنّهُ السّيفُ مَسلولاً وَمُنتَصِباً
لَكِنّه وَهوَ بَدرٌ أَحسن الدرقِ
Its rise reminded me of the superiority
Of the one who left no chance for a competitor,
طُلوعُهُ كَطلوعِ الشّمسِ أَذكَرَني
فَضلَ الَّذي لَم يدع شَأواً لِمُستَبِقِ
The full moon of Algiers, who was its ruler
And won precedence and succession in it,
بَدرُ الجَزائِرِ مَن كانَ الأَميرَ بِها
وَفازَ فيها بِنَيلِ السّبْقِ وَالسَّبَقِ
Who ruled it with the beauty of justice and wisdom
With the best composure, not foolishness and turmoil,
مَن ساسَها حسنَ عدلٍ مِنهُ في حِكَمٍ
بِأَحسَنِ الحلمِ لا بِالحمقِ وَالخرَقِ
None but a manifestation was created from his essence of beauty
For he stood perfect in his make and manners,
مِن جَوهرِ الحسنِ لَم يُخلق سِوى عرضٍ
مِنهُ لَقَد قامَ في خَلْقٍ وَفي خُلُقِ
The most noble, the most eloquent, unique in his time
The brilliant, the literary, the judicious, the courteous,
الكامِلُ الفَخمُ فردُ الوقتِ نادِرُهُ
الأَلمَعِيُّ الأَديبُ الحاذِقُ اللّبِقُ
Muhammad, of excellent qualities and traits
Pearl of praise, in him all merits combine,
مُحَمّدٌ بِحَميدِ الذّاتِ مَع صِفَةٍ
دُرُّ المَحامِدِ فيه خَيرُ مُتّسقِ
Lord of the forehead whose light like the dawn
Radiantly beams each morn cleaving the dark,
ربّ الجبين الّذي مِصباحُ غُرَّتِه
كَالصّبحِ يَزهو صَباحاً نيِّرَ الفرقِ
Lord of the morning prayer, bright of face is his dawn
I seek refuge for him in God of mankind and daybreak,
ربُّ الصّباحَةِ طَلقُ الوجهِ أَصبَحُه
أُعيذُه بِإِلهِ النّاسِ والفلَقِ
In his face flows the water of modesty so for him
Being veiled was never a barrier to union,
يَسيلُ في وَجهِهِ ماءُ الحَياءِ فَمِنْ
هُ لَم يَكُن وَهوَ مَكفوفٌ بمندفقِ
Lord of generosity, who rains gifts freely
And of munificence like clouds heavy with rain,
ربُّ السّماحَةِ هَطّالُ البَنانِ نَدىً
وَذو السّخاءِ الّذي كَالعارِضِ العَذِقِ
Stalwart of valor, no rival challenges him
But falls from the blow of shock and dismay,
طَوْدُ الشّجاعَةِ ما قِرنٌ يُبارِزُهُ
إِلّا وَقَد خَرَّ ذاكَ القِرنُ مِن صَعقِ
Of excellent patience, he is calm in his tranquility
So was never anxious in the turns of fate,
ذي الاِصطِبارِ تَردّى في سَكينَتِهِ
فَلَم يَكُن عِندَ رَيْبِ الدَّهرِ ذا قلَقِ
No sooner did the king of the jungle see him
Than the beasts of the wild died of fright,
ما إِنْ تَبَدَّى وَلَيثُ الغابِ أَبصَرهُ
إِلّا وَماتَ هِزَبرُ الغابِ مِن فَرقِ
Lord of eloquence built on wisdom
My brother of righteousness and clear logic,
رَبُّ البَلاغَةِ إِذ تُبنى عَلى حكم
أَخي السّدادِ وَحُسن المَنطِقِ الذَّلقِ
When he speaks, pearls spill scattered
So blessed are the listeners and eavesdroppers!
إِذا تَكَلَّم خِلتَ الدُّرَّ مُنتَثِراً
يا فَوزَ مُستَمِعٍ مِنهُ وَمُستَرِقِ
Lord of argument, intelligence, sweetness of manner
And subtlety, grace in nature and deeds,
رَبُّ الحِجى وَالذَّكا واللُّبّ في أَدَبٍ
وَاللّطف وَالظّرف في طَبعٍ وفي خُلُقِ
His reputation is fragrant as musk spilled forth
And musk is the finest perfume with scent,
قَد طابَ صيتاً كعَرفِ المِسكِ مُنفَتِقاً
وَالمِسكُ أَفضلُ طِيبٍ طيّبٍ عَبقِ
With glory he trod upon the heights with steps
That shine as he firmly planted them without slip,
بِالمَجدِ داسَ عَلى العَلياءِ في قدمٍ
تَجِلُّ إذْ ثَبتَت فيها عَنِ الزّلَقِ
Who can equal him in honor and nobility?
Only an ignorant one heading to ruin,
فَمَن يُضاهيهِ في عِزٍّ وفي شَرفٍ
فَهوَ الجَهولُ الّذي يَنحو إِلى الوَبَقِ
The truth judges that none can compare with him
And the words of one claiming parity are void,
وَالحقّ يَحكُمُ في أَن لا نَظيرَ لَهُ
وَلَيسَ قَولُ المُضاهي غَير مُمتَحِقِ
I have praised his merits that enhanced
In a string of priceless verses well-arranged,
إِنّي اِمتَدحت مَزاياهُ الّتي حَسُنَت
في درِّ نَظمٍ أَتى في أَحسَنِ النَّسقِ
Organized from the gems of words, harmonious
Combining words, meaning, concordant and consistent,
مُنظّمٍ مِن لَآلي اللَّفظِ مُنسجمٍ
مُؤلّفِ اللّفظِ وَالمَعنى وَمتّفقِ
Splendor flows on the illuminated brow
With decisiveness, a dress not substandard,
تَجري الوسامَةُ في وَضّاحِ جَبهَتِهِ
لَهُ الجَزالَةُ ثَوبٌ لَيسَ بِالخَلِقِ
In praising the praised he rejoices happily
For praise is the finest necklace to be adorned,
يَزدانُ في مَدحِهِ مَمدوحه فَرَحاً
وَالمَدحُ أَحسنُ عَقدٍ نيطَ بِالعنقِ
May his envier remain eternally vexed in fury
And his detractor remain in utter misery,
لا زالَ حاسِدُهُ سَكرانَ مِن حَنق
لا زالَ شانِئه في مُنتهى السُّحُقِ
The birds have not trilled over the branches joyfully
Where the sun of dawn rises high on the horizon,
ما غَرَّدَ الطّيرُ فَوقَ الأَيْكِ مِن طَرَبٍ
وَحَيث شَمسُ الضّحى تَعلو عَلى الأفقِ
And where the son of Fathallah continues praising him
All day and in darkness and dusk,
وَحَيثُ ظَلّ اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ يَمدَحهُ
طولَ النّهارِ وَفي الظّلماءِ وَالغَسَقِ
