صاح ولي الدجى وصاح المطوَّقْ

ولجيد الصباح بالأنس طوَّقْ

The night's companion cries and the collared one shrieks,

And the cheek of the morning is adorned with companionship.

وغصون الأراك حركها الري

ح فغنى لها الهزار وصفق

The branches of the thicket were stirred by the wind,

So it sang to them and the bushes clapped.

وأفاض الغمام درّاً على الزه

ر فللَه عدله حين فرَّق

The clouds poured abundantly on the flowers,

So for that it has its recompense when it dispersed.

أنصف الغيث يا نديم فيا لي

ت أمير الهوى به يتخلق

Be fair, my friend, with the rain, for how

Wondrous is the prince of love with it being adorned!

قم بنا يا أخا الغزالة نوراً

وشقيق البدور حسناً ورونق

Rise with us, O gazelle-eyed one, radiant,

And cheek of roses, beautiful and graceful.

نضرم الشمس في النجوم ونُلقي

من لظاها على الهموم لِتُحرق

We will kindle the sun in the stars and cast

Its flames upon the sorrows to burn them away.

شمس راحٍ تتيه تيه رداحٍ

في وشاحٍ من الحباب وقرطق

A traveling sun, wandering, wandering, in departure,

In a robe of motley and anklets.

كلما غُيِّبَت بفيك مجازاً

أشرقت من سماء خدك بالحق

Whenever it disappears from your horizon metaphorically,

It rises from the sky of your cheek in truth.

ما وقوف المتيمين عن البس

ط وقد خيم الأراك وسردق

The enamored do not refrain from the carpets,

Although the thicket has settled and the canopy spread.

وأضلَّ الرقيب فرعك في الغر

ب وقد ساعد النسيم فشرَّق

Your branch led the watcher astray in the dust,

And the breeze assisted, so it was ripped apart.

وتجلت بجنة الزنبق الغض

ض عروس المتيمين أمُّ زنبق

And the bride of the enamored appeared in the garden of lilies,

The pure white lily among lilies.

في كؤوس كأنها حلل الغي

د على الغيد من كواعب جلق

In cups as if they were necklaces of pearls

Upon necklaces, from maidens of smooth cheeks.

بين زهرٍ زها وغصن تثنى

ونسيم زكا وماءٍ ترقرق

Among flowers smiling and branches bending over,

And gentle breeze and running water.

وكريمٍ يقول ربٌّ كريم

زجَّ في عفوه الذنوب فأغرق

And a generous one saying: a Generous Lord

Mixed in His pardon the sins, so they drowned.

كلما صبها الغزال توهم

ت سناها من الغزالة أشرق

Whenever the gazelle pours it, it seemed

Its brilliance from the gazelles shone.

ما لهذا الجمال وهو نصاب

بوجوب الزكاة لا يتصدق

What is this beauty while it is intended

For the obligation of alms, and does not give charity?

قد فهمنا المراد منه فهمنا

حسنات الكريم في السر أوفق

We understood the intended meaning,

The good deeds of the generous in secret are more harmonious.

يحسن المحسنون سرّاً كما يح

سن مكسيمس الإمام الموفق

The good-doers do good in secret, just as

The imam El-Muwaffaq does good.

سيدُ العارفين صمصامة الدي

ن الأمين المكين في طاعة الحق

The master of the gnostics, the pillar of religion,

The trusted, steadfast in obeying the Truth.

سيدٌ تُنْشَقُ المراحم منه

وحسامٌ به المآثم تَنْشَقّ

A master whose compassion gushes forth from him,

And a sword with which wrongs are ripped apart.

أكرم الخلق أذكر الناس للَ

ه وأزكى العباد طرّاً وأحذق

The most generous of people, the most mindful of God,

And the purest of worshippers, gentle and perspicacious.

فهو للصالحات تاجٌ وطوقٌ

وهو للمكرمات جيدٌ ومِفْرَق

So he is for righteous women a crown and necklace,

And he is for the prestigious ones a neck and separation.

كلما حرَّك البنانَ لخيرٍ

قدر اللَه أن نثاب ونرزق

Whenever he moves his lips for good,

God destines that he be rewarded and granted provision.

لم يدم كالحَمام برّاً وديعاً

غير مَن مِن كماله يتطوق

He did not remain harmlessly, kindly,

Except the one who has attained his perfection adorns himself.

يا له من مجاهدٍ جمع العل

م وأمواله على البر فرَّق

O what an ascetic he is! He gathered knowledge

And wealth for benevolence, so he dispersed it.

حسن اللَه منك خُلقاً وخَلقاً

وكسا ذاته افتخاراً ورونق

May God beautify your manners and creation from you,

And clothe His Self with pride and grace through you.

من تعدى على سناه المفدى

بفراشٍ من الضلالة يُحرَق

Whoever transgressed upon his radiant virtue

With a bed of misguidance, burns.

خيفة اللَه ناطها بين عيني

هِ وحب التقى على القلب علَّق

He tied fear of God between his eyes,

And hung love of piety upon the heart.

فهو قطب العلى ودائرة المج

د التي مغرباً أحاطت ومشرق

So he is the axis of highness and the cycle of glory,

Which in the west and east surrounded.

وهو مظلوم من دعاه افتراءً

كوكب الشرق إنه كوكب الحق

And he is oppressed by whoever called him a liar,

The star of the east, he is the star of truth.

كوكب أبيض الأديم ولكن

طرفه أحمر الدموع وأزرق

A white, bright star, but

Its edges are red with tears and blue.

وهزارٌ على المنابر هادٍ

تتداعى له القلوب وتصعق

And a preacher in the pulpits, gentle,

To whom hearts flow and are captivated.

قيد الناس عن أذى الناس بالوع

ظ ومن ربقةِ الضلالة أعتَق

He restrained people from harming people with counseling,

And from the finery of misguidance he emancipated.

ما كفاه السمو في الدين حتى

بعلوم العباد أجمع أحدق

Excellence in religion was not enough for him,

Until with knowledge of worship he became focused.

فلبيدٌ لديه غرٌّ بليدٌ

وابن خاقان في السياسة أحمق

So for him Labeed is coarse and slow-witted,

And Ibn Khaqan in politics is stupid.

ما امرؤ القيس والبها وابن هاني

والمعريْ والبحتريْ والفرزق

Not Imru Al-Qais, Al-Buhturi, and Ibn Hani,

Al-Mutanabbi, Al-Ma'arri, and Al-Farazdaq.

كل فحلٍ من الرجال غرابٌ

وهو في قمة المفاخر شوذق

Every champion among men is but a crow,

While he is at the peak of glories, towering.

يعتق اللَه من جهنم نفساً

شاء مكسيمس اَن تُحَلَّ وتُعتَق

God emancipates a soul from Hell

Maximus willed that it be loosened and emancipated.

يا إمام النقاة في بيعة اللَ

ه ويا أرحم الرعاة وأشفق

O Imam of the pious in the pledge of God,

And O most merciful of shepherds and most compassionate.

يا عروس الكنائس الغرِّ يا من

ناب فيما تريد عن ألف فيلق

O bride of churches, O you who attained

What you wanted from a thousand regiments.

بك تستقبل السماء ويستس

قى بك الغيث والمآثم تحرق

Through you the sky receives and through you

Rain is sought and afflictions burn away.

بك تنجو النفوس من فيض طوفا

ن المعاصي الذي به النفس تغرق

Through you souls are saved from the flood of sins,

Which drown the soul through them.

دعوةً تصرف العنا بلغ السي

لُ الزُبَى وانثنى الهنا وتبدرق

A prayer that turns hardships away, reaching

Elevated places, and sorrows withdraw and scatter apart.

أثقلت كاهلي الذنوب أغثني

يا أميناً على المواهب مطلق

Sins have burdened my shoulders, save me

O trusted with gifts unconditionally released.

واعطني النعمة التي هي مني

بيَ أولى ومن أبي بي أرفق

And grant me the blessing which is more rightfully mine,

And from my father is more befitting for me.

راح روحي التي يسامح من يُصْ

بَحُ من كأسها الروي ويغبق

Relax my soul which he forgives, he who wakes up

From its intoxicating cup and becomes coherent.

لا برحت الدوامَ برّاً مطاعاً

يفعل اللَه ما تحب وتعشق

I will not stop being obedient and virtuous,

May God do what you love and desire!