إِذا جاءَ نَصرُ اللَّهِ لِلفَتحِ طالِباً
حَمدتُ وَلي الحمدُ في أَبلَغِ الشُّكرِ
When Allah's victory comes seeking conquest
I praise the One worthy of praise in utmost gratitude
وَإِنّيَ فَتحُ اللَّه لِلنصرِ طالِبٌ
وَمَن كانَ مَنسوباً إِلَيهِ بِلا نُكرِ
I seek Allah's opening to victory
He who is associated with Him without denial
فقال لسانُ السّعدِ بالبِشْرِ ناطقاً
حُبيتَ فَأَبشِرْ أَيّها الفتحُ بِالنّصري
The tongue of good fortune spoke proclaiming good news
You are loved so receive the good news, O Opening, of victory
إِمامُ ذَوي العِرفانِ والفضلِ والتُّقى
ومَن هو عينُ الوقتِ بل مقلة الدهرِ
The Imam of cognizance, merit and piety
And the one who is the essence of the times, nay the pupil of eternity
مُحقِّقُ هذا الوقت برهانُ فضلهِ
إِذا كانَ قَد يَخفى يَفوقُ على الفجرِ
He realizes this time as proof of his merit
When it may be hidden, transcending the dawn
هُمامٌ لَهُ كَالبرقِ أَصدَقُ هِمّةٍ
وَعَزمٌ كَماضي السَّيفِ أَنفَعُ مِن قطرِ
Aspirations sincere as lightning for him
And a resolve progressing like an effective sword's blow
أَديبٌ أَريبٌ حاذِقٌ وَسَمَيدعٌ
فَصيحٌ بَليغٌ في النِّثارِ وَفي الشِّعرِ
A skillful, eloquent, astute and eminent litterateur
An articulate, prolific poet in semantics and verse
حَكيمٌ فَكَم مِنهُ تَفجَّرُ حِكمةٌ
تَسيلُ عَلى درٍّ مِنَ النظمِ والنثرِ
A sage - how many wisdoms pour forth from him
Flowing on a string of prose and poetry
هوَ البحرُ يَبدو الدرُّ مِن لَفظِ ثَغرِهِ
وَيَخرُجُ أَغلى الدّرِّ مِن ذَلكَ الثَّغرِ
He is the sea - pearls are visible from his mouth's expression
And the finest pearls emerge from that mouth
فَريدٌ تَخَلّى عَن نَظيرٍ مُقاربٍ
كَشَمسِ الضُّحى وَالأفق في الأَنجُمِ الزّهرِ
Unique - he abandoned any peer or approximate
Like the midday sun with the horizon's scintillating stars
فَإِن يَكُ بَدراً غيره في فضائِلٍ
فَإِنّا نَراهُ الشّمسَ تَعلو عَلى البدرِ
So if he is a full moon beyond others in merits
We see him as the sun towering over the moon
جَليلٌ عليُّ الجاهِ وَهوَ مُحمّدٌ
له حسَنٌ أصلٌ ويكنى أبا النصرِ
Sublime, eminent in status, he is Muḥammad
Of commendable origin, surnamed Abu Al-Naṣr
حَفيدُ المَعالي وَالمَكارِمِ وَالنّدى
أَبو المَجدِ نَجلُ العزِّ فَذْلَكَةُ الفَخرِ
Grandson of glories, virtues and dew
Father of majesty, son of might - the pride of pride
فَكَم قَد سَمِعنا عَن كِرامِ طِباعِهِ
حِسان صِفاتٍ لَم تَنَلها يَدُ الحصرِ
We have heard many accounts of his noble character
Virtues of goodness his hand cannot encompass
وَكَم نَقَلَ الراوونَ آيات فَضلهِ
وَيَتلونَها بِالحمدِ كَالشّمسِ وَالفَجرِ
Many have related verses of his merit
And they recite them in praise like the sun and dawn
وَحَدَّثنا البربيرُ ذو الفَضل والحِجى
حَديثَ مَزاياهُ الفَريدةَ في الدّهرِ
And the knowledgeable Berber of distinction and dignity
Related to us the singular story of his unique merits in time
وَعاضَدَ ما يُروى مِنَ الخُبْرِ شاهِدٌ
وَصَحَّحتُ إِنّ البرَّ حَدَّثَ عَن بَحرِ
Supported by eyewitness accounts of events
I ascertain that the righteous narrated of the sea
وَدِدتُ اِجتِماعاً لَيلةً بِجانِبِه
لِعِلمي بِما قَد جاءَ في لَيلَةِ القدْرِ
I wished for a gathering one night by his side
Knowing what the Night of Power brought
وَقَد ضَرَّني جَهلي بِرِفعَةِ قدْرِهِ
وَجَهلُ الفتى لا شكَّ مِن أَكبَر الضُّرِّ
And my ignorance of his lofty station pained me
A youth's ignorance is no doubt among the greatest harms
عَلى أَنَّهُ عُذرٌ لَدى الحُرِّ واضحٌ
وقد عُدَّ جهلُ المرءِ من أبلغ العُذرِ
Though with the noble an excuse is evident and clear
Since a man's ignorance is considered the most valid excuse
وَأَنتَ أَخا العِرفانِ لِلعُذرِ قابِلٌ
وَإِنَّ قبولَ العُذرِ مِن شيمَةِ الحُرِّ
And you, brother of knowledge, accept excuses
Since accepting excuses is the trait of the noble
وَيا أَيّها المَولَى الهُمام أَبو العُلا
إِلَيكَ قَد أَهدَيتُ بِكراً من الخِدْرِ
O eminent guardian Abu Al-'Ulā
To you I gift the first of my volumes
وَتي مِن خرافاتي وَفي تَطفُّلي
وأنتَ كريمُ الطبع في السرِّ والجهرِ
Despite my nonsense and imposition
You are generous by nature, in secret and openly
فَخُذها بِإِقبالٍ وَأَخفِ عُيوبَها
وَكُن خَيرَ حُرٍّ قابَلَ العَيبَ بِالسّترِ
So receive it eagerly and overlook its shortcomings
And be the best noble one who accepts faults with concealment
وَدُمْ في هَناءٍ بِالسّرورِ مُؤبَّدٍ
مَدى الدّهرِ ما غنّى الهزارُ أو القُمري
Remain happy with lasting bliss
As long as the era, however long the singer or planets revolve
وَما هَبَّ في رَوضٍ نَسيمٌ من الصَّبا
فَعَطَّرها بِالطّيبِ مِن أَرَج الزّهرِ
Wherever a breeze blows from the dawn in a meadow
And perfumes it with the sweet scent of blossoms
