كُلٌّ إِلى رَشف أَكواب البَديع صبا

مذ عنعنته لَنا في مصر عَنكَ صبا

All are drawn to drain the cups of the Eloquent one

Since his eloquence was chanted to us in Egypt from you, O Zephyr

فَيا لَهُ مِن سلافٍ طابَ مشربه

لَفتيةٍ قابلتْه بِالغِنا طربا

What a pure draught his is!

To which the youth responded with singing and joy

وَكُلما تُليت آياته سَجدت

لَها الأَفاضل وَالأَنجاب وَالأُدَبا

And whenever his verses are recited,

The virtuous, the highborn and the refined bow down

أَتذكر الآن شعر البحتري وَقَد

أُنسِي بِكَ اليَوم فيما بَيننا وَنَبا

Do I remember now the poetry of Al Buhturi, and forget

Between us today what was conveyed by you, O Zephyr

يا اِبن النَبيّ لَكَ البُشرى بمرتبة

مِن دُونِها المُتَنبي أَوحد النجبا

O son of the Prophet, yours is the glad tiding of a station

Above which stand not even Al Mutanabbi, the unmatched in nobility

لَو كُنت في عَصره ما كانَ قَدَّمه

عَليك ذو فطنة قَد زاول الأَدَبا

Had you been in his time, no man of insight

Well-versed in literature would have ranked him above you

أَما اِبنُ أَوس فَما راجَت بِضاعته

بَينَ المُلوك وَنال القَصد وَالأَرَبا

As for Ibn Aws, his wares were not lucrative

Among kings, nor did he attain his goal and profit

إِلّا لتَأخير تَكوينٍ لِذاتك في

أَيامه يا زَعيم السادة الخُطبا

Save for your essence not being created yet

In his days, O Chief of the splendid chiefs

فَأَنتَ أَحرى بِما أَهديته لِفَتى

بِكَ اِهتَدى وَعَلَيهِ الشُكر قَد وَجَبا

So you are most deserving of what was gifted to a lad

Who was guided by you, and gratitude became incumbent upon him

وَما لِعَبدك في هَذِهِ المَجال سِوى

طِرفٌ ضَعيف إِذا ما جالَ فيهِ كَبا

As for your servant, he has no recourse in this domain

Except a feeble glance, should it rove in it wildly

وَكَيفَ لا وَهوَ مِن عَجز يُقابِلُ بِال

أصداف درّاً وَيَلقى بِالصدا ذَهَبا

And why not, when it comes from a weakness that matches

Worthless shells against pearls and meets gold with silver

وَبِاغتِرارٍ يَقول الشعر مِن شَغف

بِحُب بَيتٍ لَهُ أَصبَحتَ مُنتَسِبا

And foolishly declaims poetry out of passion

For a house whose beloved you have become

وَما عَلَيهِ وَعَنهُ قَد رَضيت إِذا

جَفاه غَيرك في دُنياه أَو غَضِبا

He cares not what is for or against him if

Others than you were unkind to him in his worldly affairs or were angry

وَهَل يُبالي بِأعداه وَإِن ظَلَموا

وَأَنتَ أَيدتَه بِالعَدل مُحتسبا

Why would he care about his enemies, even if they wronged him,

When you back him with justice, seeking reward?

وَفي الثَنا بِاللُهَى أَكثَرت مِن طَرَب

بِبَثِّ سحرِ حَلالٍ لِلنُهى سَلَبا

And in singing your praises I have indulged in much rapture

By composing halal magic forbidden to denounce

بالغتَ في مَدحه لَما وَقَفتَ عَلى

رِثاء حبر إِلى الحور الحِسان صَبا

You were lavish in praising him when you understood

The elegy of the master gone to the houri with slender shape

وَما رثاءُ شهاب الدين أَبدَعُ مِن

درٍّ تُنَضِّدُ أَم زَهر ربا بربا

Nor is the elegy for Shahab Al-Din more brilliant than

Scattered pearls or flowers placed next to flowers

وَلِلشَياطين كَم أَرسلت مِن شُهُبٍ

جَعَلتهم للظاها في الوَرى حَطَبا

And against devils, how many flames you have unleashed

Making them into firewood for the ignoble among mankind!

تِلكَ العُقود التي تُزري مَحاسنُها

بِكُل عَقدٍ فَريدٍ في نَحور ظِبا

Those compositions whose beauties are adorned

With each and every unique necklace around gazelles' necks

تِلكَ المَعاني الَّتي راقَت فَرقَّ بِها

قَلب الجَماد وَأَمسى يَعشَق الكُتُبا

Those meanings that appealed and thereby did touch

The heart of the inanimate, which came to love books

تِلكَ الرُموز التي فتحُ الكنوز غَدا

بِها يَسيراً عَلى مَن يَقصدُ الحجبا

Those symbols that made treasures easy to unlock

Tomorrow for whoever seeks the veils

وَهوَ الَّذي صاغَهُ الرَحمَنُ مِن أَدَب

وَمِن وَفاء وَمِن حِلم لَهُ صحبا

He whom the Merciful has molded out of refinement

And loyalty and forbearance, giving him companions

أَكرم بِهِ مِن همام هاصر بَطل

إِن صال دمَّر أَعداءً لَهُ وَسَبا

You have graced with him one nobler than the staunch hero

Hamsah, who, when unsheathed, destroyed his enemies and captivated them

فَالنَصر مِن جُنده وَالسَعد مُقتَرن

بِرَأيه وَهوَ للإقبال قَد صحبا

Victory is from his soldiers and fortune coupled

With his counsel, for they accompanied ascendancy

فَإِن سَطا اِهتَزت الدُنيا لِسَطوَتِهِ

وَفَرّق الجَمع في يَوم اللقا وَسَبا

So if he extends his arm, the world shakes from his might

And he disperses the mass on the day of battle and capture

وَهَل يلام عَلى الإِفراط في رجل

قَد مدّ من مدحه بَين الوَرى طنبا

And who can blame the excess in praising a man

Who has extended through the land his abundant praise?

وَما أَرادَ بِهِ إِلا تَقرُّبَهُ

مِنكُم لِيُحرز في سبق العلا قَصَبا

He intended by it only to draw near

To you, to ensure precedence in virtues and gain a shoot

وَيَهتَدي بِهداكم في مَسالكه

وَيَغتدي بِالعُلا وَالفَخر مُنتَقِبا

And to be guided by your guidance in his endeavors

And to grow prideful and boastful in ascendancy