سَرَى بَرقُ الحِما فَأَضاءَ نورا

وَقَد مَلأَ الحَشا منّا سُرورا

The dawn lightening flashed and illuminated light

And it filled our hearts with gladness

وَهَبَّ بِرَوضَةٍ غَنّاءَ ريحٌ

فَأَهدى ناشِقاً مِنها عَبيرا

The morning breeze blew in the singing garden

And sent from it a wafting fragrance

وَخطَّ بِها اِبنُ مُقلةَ سحبها من

زُهورِ رَبيعها الزّاهي سُطورا

And Ibn Muqla drew with it, from

The blooming flowers of its flourishing spring, lines

بِها الأَغصانُ رَنَّحها نَسيمٌ

فَكَم غُصنٍ بها يبدو هَصيرا

The branches swayed with it, a gentle breeze

So many a bough seemed to quiver with it

وَكَم يُبدي الأَقاحُ بِها اِبتِساماً

فَيَحكي في تَبَسُّمه ثُغورا

And so many buds smiled with it

Relating in their smile, throats

وَكَم فيها الورودُ تَفوحُ عِطراً

فَيَشرَحُ نَشرُه الذاكي صُدورا

And so many roses diffused fragrance with it

To gladden the perceiving hearts

وَفَتّاكٍ يَلوحُ بِها بِجِسمٍ

لَقَد فَضَحَت لَطافَتُهُ الزُّهورا

A deadly charmer flashes with it, a body

Its gentleness has outshone flowers

وُضوح الحُسنِ مثلُ الشَّمسِ وَجهاً

لَقَد كَسَفَت محاسِنُه البدُورا

The clarity of beauty is like the sun, faced

Its beauties have eclipsed wonders

فَيا طَرْفاً رآهُ مُستَطيعاً

لَقَد نِلتَ المُنى فَرِحاً قَريرا

So eyes that saw him capable

You have attained the desired joyfully content

وَيا أَسَداً رَآهُ مِن بَعيدٍ

لَقَد أَصبَحتَ مَوثوقاً أَسيرا

And O lion whom he saw from afar

You have become securely captive

فَمِنه غَرَّني إِشراقُ وَجهٍ

وَشَأنُ البدرِ أَن يَبدو غرورا

So his smile that was bestowed upon

The enamoured distressed, wines

بِروحي مبسِماً أَنسَى كُؤوساً

كَما أَنسَت سُلافَتُه العَصيرا

And his cheeks that showed coyness

And became a paradise that reveals silk

وَفَرعاً كَالدُّجى وَالفَرقُ بادٍ

كَشَمسِ الأُفقِ لا تخفَى ظُهورا

Come O Allah how excellent a branch

The garden of splendor has become green with it

وَجَفناً باتَ يَغزونا بِسحرٍ

فَنالَ النَّصرَ مُذ أَمسى كَسيرا

A gazelle with splendid horns, if he had seen it

A zebra would have fled frightened

وَخَدّاً لَو شَمَمتَ العَرفَ منهُ

لَكُنتَ ترى بِهِ وَرداً عطيرا

As if his cheeks and then my heart

And his cheeks were hell or inferno

وَلَو نَظَرتْ لِحاظُكَ مِنهُ نوراً

لَكُنتَ تَظنّه قَمراً مُنيرا

His eyelids were darkened with magic amorously

And that amour showed exhaustion

فَيا بِأَبي مَباسِمُه الّتي أُو

دِعَتْ لِلعاشِق المُضنى خُمورا

Above the highlands I saw a house

As I saw houses for the Berber

وَوَجنَتُه الّتي أَبدَت عِذاراً

فَأَضحَت جَنّةً تُبدي حَريرا

An imam the elite are proud of

And in it others appear proud

تَعالى اللَّه ما أَبهاهُ غُصناً

بِهِ رَوضُ البَها أَمسى خَضيرا

And Ahmed is virtuous and most valiant

And most eloquent poet emulating Jarir

غَزالٌ ذو نِفارٍ لَو رآهُ

هِزَبْرٌ خيفةً ولّى نُفورا

And good his goodness embraces bounties

And a sea whose palm rains down seas

كَأَنَّ بِوَجنتَيه ثمّ قَلبي

وَخَدّيهِ جَحيماً أَو سَعيرا

With it the age of dew has become long

And the age of stinginess has become short

تَكَحَّلَ جَفنُهُ بِالسّحرِ غُنجاً

فَأَبدى ذلِكَ الغنجُ الفتورا

Ambitious, if he appeared alone in the desert

He would frighten the daring lion

لَهُ فَوقَ المَعالِ رَأَيت داراً

كَما أَبصَرت لِلبربيرِ دورا

And if he met victorious armies

They would flee terrified and he would become a supporter

إِمامٌ تَفخَرُ العَلياءُ فيهِ

وَفيها غَيرُهُ يَبدو فَخورا

Bright of face and luminous of cheek

The universe remains illuminated by him

وَأَحمَدُ فاضلٌ وأَجلُّ شهمٌ

وَأَبلَغُ شاعِرٍ حاكى جَريرا

Most captivating, if he appeared in the wings of night

He would tear its curtains

وَبَرٌّ بِرّهُ جَمُّ العَطايا

وَبَحرٌ كَفُّه تزري البُحورا

He is the moon from whose excellence the sun

Borrowed beauty and light

بِهِ عمرُ النّدى أَضحى طَويلاً

وَعُمرُ البخلِ قَد أَمسى قَصيرا

Unique of the age in glory and pride

We have not seen his like in time

هُمامٌ لَو بَدا في القَفرِ فَرداً

لَكانَ يخوِّفُ اللّيثَ الجَسورا

A life for the sublime! Do you not see

The soul almost takes flight to it

وَلَو وافى جُيوشاً ذاتَ نَصرٍ

لَوَلَّت رَهبَةً وَغَدا نَصيرا

He has the ambitions that have become like lightening

For one whose house adversity has made abode

طَليقُ الوَجهِ وَضّاحُ المُحَيّا

يَظلُّ الكَونُ مِنهُ مُستَنيرا

And a hand that swam with generosity

It has become one that humbles heavy rain

أَغَرُّ فَلَو بَدا في جُنحِ لَيلٍ

لَمَزَّقَ مِن دَياجيهِ سُتورا

And an opinion in calamities that has become correct

And a mind in matters that has become seeing

هُوَ القَمرُ الَّذي الشَّمسُ اِستَعارَت

لَها مِن فَضلِهِ حُسناً وَنورا

If fright comes to protect

He sees he has come to a fortress and fence

فَريدُ العَصرِ مَجداً وَاِفتِخاراً

فَلَم نَرَ في الزَّمانِ لَهُ نَظيرا

And if wellbeing fills him he sees it

His radiant face beams happiness

حَياةٌ لِلعُلى أَفَلا رَأَيتُم

إِلَيها الروحُ كادَت أَن تَطيرا

With favours and gifts and then joy

A face pointing to happiness has become

لَهُ الهِمَمُ الّتي أَضحَت كَبَرقٍ

لِمَن قَد أمّ مِنزلَهُ النَّضيرا

So O sanctuary in which security appeared

For one who by its protection became seeking refuge

وَأَندى راحَة سَبحَت بِجودٍ

فَأَضحَت تُخجِلُ المَطرَ الغَزيرا

And O soul of pride and sublimity

And O one whose kindness has adorned flowers

وَرَأيٌ في الخُّطوبِ غَدا سَديداً

وَفِكرٌ في الأُمورِ غَدا بَصيرا

And O branch of nobility, from whom

Gratitude saw birds become

إِذا ما جاءَهُ فَزِعٌ ليُحْمى

يَرى أَن قَدْ أَتى حِصْناً وَسُورا

So take from it a virgin whose mind has wisdom

Outshining in its beauties wonders

وَإِنْ ما أَمَّهُ العافي يَراهُ

تَهَلَّلَ وَجهُهُ الزّاهي سُرورا

The stars of horizon envied it

Almost setting like the sun's eye

بِإِقبالٍ وَبَذلٍ ثمَّ بِشرٍ

بِوَجهٍ لِلسُّرورِ غَدا مُشيرا

She excels the Houri when settling in palaces

For her beauty they attributed palaces

فَيا حَرَماً تَبَدّى فيهِ أَمنٌ

لِمَن بِحِماهُ أَمسى مُستَجيرا

She is brought to you having become a bride

Excelling the Houri, adorning brides

وَيا روحَ المَفاخِرِ وَالمَعالي

وَيا مَن لُطفُهُ أَزرى الزّهورا

So marry her in consent at the wedding

And marry her in acceptance with her dower

وَيا غُصنَ المَكارِمِ مَن عَلَيهِ ال

وَرى بِالشُّكرِ قَد صارَت طُيورا

Stay well and safe with God's protection whatever

The tongue of the universe has become thanking you

فَخُذْ بِكراً لَها في الفِكرِ خِدْرٌ

تُباهي في مَحاسِنِها البُدورا

And live in honour and joy always

Safe however long God's days

لَقَد غارَت نُجومُ الأُفقِ مِنها

كَعَينِ الشَّمسِ كادَت أَن تَغورا

And however long the morning breeze blows or

Dawn lightening flashes and illuminates light

تَفوقُ الحورَ إِذْ سَكَنَت قُصوراً

إِذا لِجَمالها نَسَبوا القُصورا

And however long the son of Fathallah stands reciting

Your mention like one reciting scripture

إِلَيكَ تُزَفُّ حَيثُ غَدَت عَروساً

تَفوقُ الحورَ زَيَّنَّ النُّحورا

فَأَصدقَها الرضاءَ لَدى زِفافٍ

وَأَنحَلها القَبولَ لها مُهورا

وَدُمْ وَاِسلَم بِحِفظِ إِلاهِنا ما

لِسانُ الكَونِ باتَ لَكُم شكورا

وَعِشْ بِالعِزِّ وَالأَفراحِ دَوماً

سَليماً ما قَضى اللَّه الدُهورا

وَما هَبّت نَسيمُ الصّبحِ أَو ما

سَرى برقُ الحِما فأضاءَ نورا

وَما اِنتَصَبَ ابنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ يَتلو

لِذِكرِكَ مِثلَ مَن يَتلو الزّبورا