بِجيدِ عُلاكَ مَدحي كُلَّ آنِ

يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ عِقدُ الجُمانِ

With your graceful neck, my praise for you flows at all times

Gleaming like a pearl necklace

وَلَو لَم يَنظِمِ الشُعَراءُ مَدحاً

لَكُم أَغنَتكُمُ سُوَرَ القُرانِ

Even if poets did not compose praises for you

The verses of the Quran would have sung your praises

وَفي ضِمنِ الصَلاةِ لَكُم صَلاةٌ

فَلاحٌ في الإِقامَةِ وَالأَذانِ

Included in the prayer for you is a special prayer

Clear at the call to prayer and during the ritual prayer

أَلَستَ اِبنَ الَّذي قَهَرَ الأَعادي

وَذادَ بِرَأيِهِ غِيَرَ الزَمانِ

Are you not the son of the one who conquered the enemies

And warded off the vicissitudes of time with his wisdom

وَرَوَّعَ كُلَّ صاحِبِ مَشرَفِيٍّ

مَروعٍ وَهوَ صاحِبُ طَيلَسانِ

And terrified every lofty and conceited person

A terrifying one, the lord of Teylasan

وَشاعَ إِباؤُهُ في الناسِ حَتّى

تَناذَرَهُ الأَقاصي وَالأَداني

Whose father's fame spread among people until

Both near and far were talking about him

إِذا الهَيجاءُ هاجَتهُ رَأَتهُ

مَلِيّاً بِالضِرابِ وَبِالطِعانِ

When the bold ones became insolent before him

They saw him striking and stabbing with his spear

لَهُ في الصُبحِ فَرسَةُ لَيثِ غابٍ

وَتَحتَ اللَيلِ نَهشَةُ أُفعُوانِ

In the morning he rides a fierce lion

And at night a biting serpent

وَلَمّا غابَ عَنّا نُبتَ عَنهُ

كَما نابَ الحُسامُ عَنِ السِنانِ

When he left us, it was as if a sword

Had lost its sharp cutting edge

وَإِن كانَت خِلالُ الناسِ شَتّى

فَما العَلياءُ إِلّا في ثَمانِ

Although the status of people varies

The exalted are only a handful

إِقالَةِ عاثِرٍ وَغِنى فَقيرٍ

وَنَيلِ مُمَنَّعٍ وَفَكاكِ عانِ

Relieving the fallen, enriching the poor

And fulfilling the wishes of the deprived

وَأَمنٍ لَم يُشَب بِمَذيقِ خَوفٍ

وَمَنٍّ لَم يُكَدَّر بِاِمتِنانِ

And security not tainted by any fear

And bounty not marred by obligation

وَبَذلِ الرُعبِ في عاصٍ وَباغٍ

وَبَسطِ العَدلِ في قاصٍ وَدانِ

And spreading fear amongst rebels and dissidents

And establishing justice amongst compatriots and strangers

صِفاتٌ كُمِّلَت لَكَ مُؤذِناتٌ

بِأَنَّكَ في الكِرامِ بِغَيرِ ثانِ

These are attributes that signify for you

That you are unparalleled in nobility

وَأَنَّ المَجدَ ما توليهِ لا ما

يُحَدِّثُهُ فُلانٌ عَن فُلانِ

And that glory lies not in what

One person narrates about another

رَأَينا مِنكَ ما لَم يُروَ عَنهُم

فَأَلغَينا السَماعَ لَدى العِيانِ

We have seen in you what was never seen in them

So we put aside hearsay in the face of evidence

خَفوا لَمّا ظَهَرتَ كَذاكَ يَخفى

بِضَوءِ الشَمسِ نورُ الزِبرِقانِ

They faded when you appeared

Just as sunlight obscures the light of crystals

وَقَهرُكَ مَن أَخافَ الناسَ قِدماً

كَفاكَ تَطاوُلاً في ذا الزَمانِ

Your conquest of those who once struck fear

Suffices you in boastfulness in this time

فَما مِن عالَمِ الغَبراءِ عادٍ

وَلا في الجَمَّةِ الخَضراءِ جانِ

So no mighty person from the dusty land

Nor a demon from the verdant valley

لِأَنَّكَ مُنذُ صِرتَ لَها قَريناً

بَدا في الأَرضِ تَأثيرُ القِرانِ

Remains, because since you became bound to it

The impact of the Quran began appearing on earth

وَإِن جاوَزتَ قَدرَ المَدحِ حَتّى

لَأَصبَحَ جاهِدٌ فيهِ كَوانِ

And even if praise goes beyond your merit

Until even the palm trees vie in praising you

وَإِنَّ حَديثَكَ السَيّارَ أَشهى

إِلى سَمعِ الطَروبِ مِنَ الأَغاني

Your delightful discourse is more pleasing

To a refined ear than melodies

فِداؤُكَ كُلُّ ذي عَرَضٍ عَزيزٍ

عَلى الراجي وَذي عِرضٍ مُهانِ

You are the redemption for every person of honor

Whether hopeful or disgraced

وَأَملاكٌ أَبادوا ما أَبادوا

مُضاعاً في القَناني وَالقِيانِ

You have brought life with al-Wahadi and al-Rawwas

With flowing water before cups

وَعَزَّ الخَيرُ مِنهُم فَالتَعازي

إِذا بَطَشَ الزَمانُ بِهِم تَهاني

And with horses and wild game

You have made meadows of praise needless of irrigation

لَقَد رَوّى وَهادِيَ وَالرَوابي

حَياً قَبلَ اِنتِجاعيهِ سَقاني

Gifts came to me, so I imagined it was Kisra

And days like festivals

وَأَغنى بِالسَواري وَالغَوادي

رِياضَ الحَمدِ عَن سُقيا السَواني

Neither delayed by procrastination or compelling

Nor preceded by a promise or guarantee

هَدايا واصَلَت فَظَنَنتُ كِسرى

وَأَيّاماً كَيَومِ المِهرَجانِ

And if your munificence has enriched me

Then so have the rhymes I devoted to you

وَما شينَت بِمَطلٍ وَاِقتِضاءٍ

وَلا سُبِقَت بِوَعدٍ أَو ضَمانِ

Taking me to the lands of Nahrawan

And to the edges of Qayrawan

وَإِن أَغنى نَداكَ فَقَد تَغَنّى

بِما حَبَّرتُ فيكَ الخافِقانِ

Marvels that have no intercessor

When they befall a wrathful king

فَأَقصاهُ بِأَرضِ النَهرَوانِ

وَأَدناهُ بِأَقصى القَيرُوانِ

Wonders apart from you are averse

As old women are averse to youth

غَرائِبُ لا يُرَدُّ لَها شَفيعٌ

إِذا حَلَّت ذُرى مَلِكٍ هِجانِ

I have presented to you all prime poetry

And not allowed others to share in it

أَوانِسُ عَن سِواكَ لَها نِفارٌ

كَما نَفَرَت مِنَ الشَيبِ الغَواني

Shall I praise one in whom I doubt

And abandon one who initiated his favors to me

زَفَفتُ إِلَيكَ فيها كُلَّ بَكرٍ

وَلَم أَسمَح لِغَيرِكَ بِالعَوانِ

And call upon one who is stubborn and unaware

And refrain from answering one who called upon me

أَأَمدَحُ مَن أُرَجِّمُ فيهِ ظَنّي

وَأَترُكُ مَن بِأَنعُمِهِ اِبتَداني

I do not see holding back my tears

As your bestowal preventing their flow

وَأَدعو مَن بِهِ صَمَمٌ وَعِيٌّ

وَأَقعُدُ عَن إِجابَةِ مَن دَعاني

You have been exalted in deeds, and I in words

So one who saw you, and one who read my works

وَلَستُ أَرى إِراقَةَ ماءِ وَجهي

نَوالُكَ عَن إِراقَتِهِ نَهاني

Was certain that you are the lord of the pinnacle of glory

And that I am the lord of the pinnacle of meaning

شَرُفتَ مَناقِباً وَشَرَفتُ قَولاً

فَأَيقَنَ مَن رَآكَ وَمَن رَآني

So the nights do not cease surrendering to you

And all that the two horizons contain bow to you

بِأَنَّكَ رَبُّ أَبكارِ المَعالي

وَأَنّي رَبُّ أَبكارِ المَعاني

The vast desert was not obscured by darkness

But rather illuminated by your glory like fires

فَلا بَرِحَت تَدينُ لَكَ اللَيالي

وَتَخضَعُ ما تَدانى الفَرقَدانِ

You spend each year after year

Vanquishing it with never fading life

وَلا دَجَتِ البَسيطَةُ بَل أَضاءَت

بِمَجدِكَ ما أَضاءَ النَيِّرانِ

تُقَضّي الدَهرَ عاماً بَعدَ عامٍ

وَتُفنيهِ بِعُمرٍ غَيرِ فانِ