يانَشرَ عَرفِ الرَوضَةِ الغَنّاءِ
وَنَسيمَ ظِلِّ السَرحَةِ العَيناءِ
O breeze of the fragrant garden and the shaded willow,
This wafts aromas and that from a flowing stream,
هَذا يَهُبُّ مَعَ الأَصيلِ عَنِ الرُبى
أَرَجاً وَذَلِكَ عَن غَديرِ الماءِ
Inclining towards the Grand Judge one morning
Amid the scent of flowers or precious gifts,
عوجاً عَلى قاضي القُضاةِ غُدَيَّةً
في وَشيِ زَهرٍ أَو حِلى أَنداءِ
And bear from me to him a message
Of sincere devotion or a robe of praise,
وَتَحَمَّلا عَنّي إِلَيهِ أَمانَةً
مِن عِلقِ صِدقٍ أَو رِداءِ ثَناءِ
So when the dawn casts you forth from its abode
Circulate in the courtyard of the exalted,
فَإِذا رَمى بِكُما الصَباحُ دِيارَهُ
فَتَرَدَّدا في ساحَةِ العَلياءِ
Where glory has trailed the hem of its gown
And eminence has walked with a proud gait,
في حَيثُ جَرَّ المَجدُ فَضلَ إِزارِهِ
وَمَشى الهُوَينا مِشيَةَ الخُيَلاءِ
And excellence has illuminated the night of every calamity,
The full moon of the lofty and the stars of enlightened views,
وَسَرى فَجَلّى لَيلَ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ
قَمَرُ العَلاءِ وَأَنجُمُ الآراءِ
From a dwelling well lit against the dark of the nights
By that which outshone the partition of gloom,
مِن مَنزِلٍ قَد شَبَّ مِن نارِ القِرى
ما شابَ عَنهُ مَفرِقُ الظَلماءِ
Had I wished I could have grasped the Pleiades while seated
And unfurled the necklace of the brilliant stars,
لَو شِئتُ طُلتُ بِهِ الثُرَيّا قاعِداً
وَنَشَرتُ عِقدَ كَواكِبَ الجَوزاءِ
And kissed a hand outstretched generously
As though I’d kissed the cheek of the heavens,
وَلَثَمتُ ظَهرَ يَدٍ تَنَدّى حُرَّةً
فَكَأَنَّني قَبَّلتُ وَجهَ سَماءِ
And filled the space between his brow and right hand
With my eyelids, lights and radiance,
وَمَلَأتُ بَينَ جَبينِهِ وَيَمينِهِ
جَفنَيَّ بِالأَنوارِ وَالأَنواءِ
Gliding between the strongly held principles
Of his valour and the resolute hillock of his honour,
مُتَهادِياً مابَينَ أَبطَحِ شيمَةٍ
دَمُثَت وَهَضبَةِ عِزَّةٍ قَعساءِ
There a curling lock of auspiciousness
Woven from the yarn of joy,
كَلَفاً هُناكَ بِغُرَّةٍ مَيمونَةٍ
خُلِقَت أَسِرَّتُها مِنَ السَرّاءِ
Had you seen me circle around it
You’d have seen a sun and a gleaming sword,
لَو كُنتَ تُبصِرُني أَدورُ إِزاءَها
لَنَظَرتَ مِن شَمسٍ وَمِن حَرباءِ
I anchored in God with it a ship of tranquility
And stretched the rope of hope,
أَرسى بِهِ في اللَهِ طَودُ سَكينَةٍ
وَعَدالَةٍ وَاِمتَدَّ حَبلُ رَجاءِ
Fate has robed him in the raiment of happiness
Independent of all names,
خَلَعَ القَضاءُ عَلَيهِ خِلعَةَ سُؤدُدٍ
غَنِيَت بِشُهرَتِها عَنِ الأَسماءِ
Eulogy's dew-like fragrance seems as though
It were a basil plant oozing moisture,
عَبِقَ الثَناءُ نَدى الحَيا فَكَأَنَّهُ
رَيحانَةٌ مَطلولَةُ الأَفياءِ
His face in God smiles eternally
And beyond the veil of the unseen is a watchful eye,
أَبَداً لَهُ في اللَهِ وَجهُ بَشاشَةٍ
وَوَراءَ سِترِ الغَيبِ عَينُ ذَكاءِ
Eloquence and lucidity have flowed together in him
Evident to the hearing and visible to the beholder,
قَد راقَ بَينَ فَصاحَةٍ وَصَباحَةٍ
سَمعُ المُصيخِ لَهُ وَعَينُ الرائي
And it is as if he combines will in mercy,
Ferocity in water,
وَكَأَنَّهُ مِن عَزمَةٍ في رَحمَةٍ
مُتَرَكِّبٌ مِن جُذوَةٍ في ماءِ
Between spontaneity and determination he is like
The kindler of the flame of the brown Indian blade,
بَينَ الطَلاقَةِ وَالمَضاءِ كَأَنَّهُ
وَقّادُ نَصلِ الصَعدَةِ السَمراءِ
If he wished he could copy the dawn to replace night
And erase the blackness of the dark night,
لَو شاءَ نَسَخَ اللَيلِ صُبحاً لَاِنتَحى
فَمَحا سَوادَ اللَيلَةِ اللَيلاءِ
The wind of virtues is folded by it
Where the tongues of poets chime,
تُثني بِهِ ريحُ المَكارِمِ خوطَةً
في حَيثُ تَسجَعُ أَلسُنُ الشُعَراءِ
And it is as if his chanting
Were the chapter of spring and the coo of the dove,
وَكَأَنَّهُ وَكَأَنَّ رَجعَ نَشيدِهِ
فَصلُ الرَبيعِ وَرِنَّةُ المُكّاءِ
