ماذا يُحاوِلُ مِثلي في قَوافيهِ
وَإِن تَكُن جَمَعتُ كُلَّ القُوى فيهِ
What can one like me accomplish in his rhymes
Even if I gathered all my strength for them
مِن مَدحٍ مِن حينِ لاحَت لي مَكانَتُهُ
مِنَ العُلا لَم أَصوبَ رَأيَ مَدحِيهِ
To praise him since his stature appeared to me
Though lofty, my praise doesn’t get his worth
تَعنو المَعاني لَدَيهِ وَهيَ صاغِرَةٌ
كَأَنَّها في البَرايا مِن جَواريهِ
Meanings seem humble next to him
As if they were concubines in the wilderness compared to him
تَأتي سِواهُ فَتَسمو فَوقَ هامِهِم
وَتَنتَحيهِ فَلا تَرقى مَواطيهِ
Others come but they tower over their determination
And cannot reach his heights
رَبُّ المَقامِ الَّذي باتَت تَحِفُّ بِهِ
غُرُّ الفَضائِلِ تَعليهِ وَتَغليهِ
Lord of the rank which nights vie to adorn
Pinnacle of merits, most sublime and great
قَد حازَهُ وَاللَيالي مِن مَوانِعِهِ
مِن دونِهِ وَالعَوادي مِن عَواديهِ
He attained it while nights posed obstacles
Apart from him and fate stood in his way
بِفِكرَةِ ما اِنتَضى في الخَطبِ صارِمَها
إِلّا تَمَكَّنَ قَطعاً مِن هَواديهِ
With a decisive idea that triumphed in perilous affairs
He surely succeeded in reaching his goals
أَذَلَّ كُلَّ جِماحٍ لِلزَمانِ بِها
وَلا حُسامَ وَلا رُمحَ يُرَوّيهِ
He subdued every tyrant pride for the times with it
Neither sword nor spear could match it
وَإِنَّما الفِكرُ إِذا صَحَت مَبادِئُهُ
عَنِ الجُيوشِ غَدا وَاللَهُ يُغنيهِ
Verily the idea, when its principles are sound
Can do without armies, by God's grace
فَهوَ الَّذي كُلُّ رَأيٍ مِنهُ مُنبَلِجُ
في الرَوعِ عَن كُلِّ فَجرٍ في حَواشيهِ
He is the one whom every perspective emanates from
Deterring all wickedness on its fringes
مَن يَكشِفِ الأَمرَ خافيهِ كَظاهِرِهِ
وَيَبلُغُ القَصدَ قاصيهِ كَدانيهِ
Who reveals the hidden like the evident
And attains the far goal as the near one
ما إِن جَلا عِلمُهُ في مَطلَبِ لُبِّك
إِلّا وَأَسفَرَ صُبحاً عَن دَياجيهِ
When his knowledge becomes clear in your quest
Dawn dispels all its darkness
مُجَدِّدَ روحَ هَذا الدينِ مُنعِشَها
مِن بَعدِ ما بَلَغَت مِنهُ تَراقيهِ
Reviving the soul of this religion, enlivening it
After it had reached its pinnacle through him
مَن مِنهُ دَهرَكَ ما ضيهِ وَحاليهِ
مُقَلِّدَ جيدِهِ بِالفَخرِ حاليهِ
Who made your times, past and present
Follow his fine precedent in glory
آلي عَلى نَفسِهِ أَلا يُفارِقُها
إِلّا عَلى مَبدَأ لِلدينِ حاليهِ
Binding himself never to abandon it
Except for a new cause of religion
فَسَل نُجومَ العُلا عَن شَأوِ هِمَّتِهِ
وَالشَرقُ وَالغَربُ فَاِسأَل عَن مَساعيهِ
Ask the stars of glory about his determination
East and west, ask about his efforts
لا أَختَشي إِن أَقُل مَن ذا يُساجِلهُ
مَن ذا يُساوِرهُ مَن ذا يُساويهِ
I don't fear, saying who can rival him
Who can equal him, who can match him
إِذا يَنتَضي قَلَماً كَالعَضبِ يَظهَرُهُ
عَلى حُسامٍ صَقيلِ الحَدِّ ماضيهِ
When he wields a pen like an unsheathed blade
Against polished swords of the past
أَوانٌ يَقُل كُلَّما تَغدو وَقائِلَها
ذا البَحرِ يُزري وَذي تَزري لِآليهِ
It's time every speaker rises saying
This sea mocks and derides that mocker
فَلَيسَ تَتَلو الوَرى مِن قَوالِهِ غُرَراً
إِلّا وَنادوا جَميعَها جَلَّ باريهِ
So people don’t chant any of his words
Without calling the Blessed Creator supreme
نالَت فُؤادِيَ رَغباهُ فُؤادُهُ
وَبَلَّغتَني آمالي أَماليهِ
He won my heart, his heart won me over
And conveyed my hopes through his hopes
يا لَيتَ مَقدِرَتي في وَصفِ حِكمَتِهِ
كانَت تُعادِلُ بَينَ الناسِ حَبيهِ
Oh would that my ability in describing his wisdom
Equalled people's love for him universally
فَكُنتُ أَشعُرُ أَهلَ الأَرضِ قاطِبَةً
أَذ بِتُّ أَهيمُهُم مِن فِطرَتي فيهِ
Then I'd make all people feel
My innate fervor for him
لَكِنَّني دونَ ذا مَعَ ذاكَ مُعتَمِدٌ
عَلى مَقالَةٍ أَنَّ الفِعلَ أَنويهِ
But I'm incapable so I depend
On my intention being considered as action
أَنّي اِمرُؤٌ لَم تَكُن تَحصي مَطامِعَهُ
وَلَم يَخلُ في الوَرى شَيئاً لِيَكفيهِ
I'm a man whose ambitions can't be measured
And nothing in this world could satisfy him
حَتّى رَآهُ فَأَمسَت دونَ مُبلِغُهُ
مِن كُلِّ مَأثَرِةِ صَرعى أَمانيهِ
Until he saw him, so telling his merits
Fell short of my hopes for him
وَإِنَّهُ وَالَّذي سَوّى مُحَمَّدَ مِن
لَم أَرضَ عَن ناظِري حَتّى أَرانيهِ
By He who perfected Muhammad
My eyes weren't pleased until they saw him
فَهوَ الهُمامُ الَّذي فَخَرَ القُلوبَ بِهِ
إِذا اِبتَدا اللُبَّ يَروي عَن مَعانيهِ
He is the hero whose words steal hearts
When he speaks, none can resist his valleys
المُستَرِقُّ قُلوبَ الخَلقِ مَنطِقُهُ
إِذا أَفاضَ فَلا حَرَّ بَواديهِ
Seeking empowerment through righteousness
And the free man's virtues accept none but the worthy
وَقَد غَدا طالِبُ التَأهيلِ عَن رُشدٍ
وَشيمَةِ الحُرِّ تَأبى غَيرَ أَهليهِ
My Lord endowed him generously with bounty
When granting merit, my Lord favors the deserving
آتاهُ رَبّي مِنَ النُعمى موفِرُها
إِذ يَمنَحِ الفَضلَ رَبّي مُستَحَقّيهِ
I see him become a father, bringing joy
Blessed with a lofty, sublime livelihood
أَراهُ اِنجالَ اِنجابَ وَأَسعَدَهُ
بِخَفضِ عَيشٍ رَفيعِ الشانِ ساميهِ
And length of life, reserve for his nation
To defend the sanctity of Islam, fulfilling it
وَمَدَّ في عُمرِهِ ذُخراً لَملَتهُ
بِالذَودِ عَن حُرمِ الإِسلامِ يَقضيهِ
He is the one whose favors in the world
Have inspired me to spontaneously congratulate him
فَهوَ الَّذي في الوَرى غَرّانَ أَنعُمِهِ
قَد أَنَطَقَتني اِرتِجالاً في تَهانيهِ
