عوارض آس ما أرى أم زبرجد

وياقوتة أم ذاك خدّ مورّد

What are these flashes that I see - are they emeralds?

Or are they rubies, or that rosy cheek?

وطل أقاح أم رحيق معطر

وأسهم لحظ أم حسام مجرد

Is it pure honey, or sweet-smelling perfume?

Or are they the glances of one with a bare sword?

بروحي أغن فاتر اللحظ فتنة

رقيق المباني أزهر اللون أغيد

My soul sings though her glance troubles me,

Delicate in build, rosy in color, tender.

يعنفني فيه العذول بجهله

وهل يبصر الشمس المنيرة أرمد

The zealot accuses me in his ignorance -

Can the shining sun be accused of blindness?

وقد شهدت كل الأنام بأنه

أغنى وقلبي في هواه مقيد

All people witness that he

Is most generous, though my heart is captive to his love,

كما شهدت لابن الحبيب بأنه

همام إليه المجد يعزى ويسند

As they witness for the beloved's son that he

Is the refuge of glory, its foundation and support,

جواد ترى في كفه البحر تارة

وأخرى ترى ناراً بها تتوقد

A generous one - in his hand you see the sea at times

And at others a blazing fire flares up,

وفي صدره بحر من العلم وافر

طويل مديد كامل لا يحدّد

And in his chest a copious sea of knowledge,

Long, unending, complete, unlimited,

كفيل بتوضيح المعاني بيانه

وألفاظه در فريد منضد

His eloquence able to clarify meanings,

His unique phrases like strung pearls,

فيا واحد الدنيا مثناك لم يرد

وجمع العلى يقضي بأنك مفرد

O One in this world, none can equal you,

The sum of the high conclude you are peerless,

وأمرك ماض ما له من مضارع

وحمع العلى يقضي بأنك مفرد

Your command is absolute, none contends it,

The assembly of the lofty rule you have no equal,

خفضت العدا لما انتصبت لجزمهم

وقدرك مرفوع البناء مشيد

You humbled the enemies when you stood up to assert them,

Your destiny, a lofty edifice, remains intact,

قطعت رقاباً طهّر الأرض قطعها

وواصلها منك الحسام المهند

You cut off the heads that purified the land by cutting them

And your sharp sword joined them,

كأن ذباب السيف مغرىً بحبها

وتقبيلها فرض عليه مؤكد

As if the sword's insects were tempted by love of them

And kissing them an obligation imposed,

ولما براه الشوق ألقى بنفسه

عليها كأن الحرب للوصل موعد

When passion showed them to him he flung himself upon them

As if war's tryst were for union,

وكم جرع الأبطال نجلك في الوغى

كؤوس المنايا والحسام لها يد

How your son made the champions drink in the fray

The cups of demise while the sword was his hand!

وهل تلد الآساد إلا ضراغماً

تصول وتحظى بالثناء وتحمد

Do lions not beget but fierce cubs

Who rage and gain praise and acclaim?

وجاد ولم يبخل أخوك بنفسه

فلله فضل قد حواه وسؤدد

Your brother was generous and did not stint with himself

So to God belongs virtue he gathered and hoarded,

وحسن ختام المرء فكيف من

قضى في سبيل الله وهو مجاهد

How fine is the ending of one who

Died in God's way, striving and battling!