وكأنّما مدْحُ الأثيرِ أثارَها

لو مُيِّزتْ ألفاظُها بمعانِ

As though the praise of the noble one aroused it

If its words were distinguished by meanings

قاضٍ له فضلُ القضاءِ فقد غَدا

يرْضى بحكمةِ حكمهِ الخَصْمانِ

A judge whose merit in judgment is so great

That both opponents accept the wisdom of his rule

مُتنقّلٌ في المُلْكِ بين مراتبٍ

مترتباتٍ أوّلاً في ثانِ

Moving through the kingdom among ranks

Arranged first and next in order

نزعَتْهُ من درّاعةٍ دينيةٍ

وحواهُ دسْتُ في يدَيْ دِيوانِ

It drew him from a coat of religious law

And Destiny's hand placed him in the Diwan's office

وهي الرئاسةُ كان أحكمَ عقدَها

بيدِ الإله لهُ بنانُ بَيانِ

And that is the Caliphate whose bond was made firm

By God's hand, for him the structure of rhetoric

لو لم يكن ملَكَ الفضائلَ كفُّهُ

ما استَعْبرتْ بسحائبِ الإحسانِ

If the palm of virtues did not restrain him

The clouds of kindness would not rain

هذي الكواكبُ وهي أدْنى لفظِه

قد نُظّمَتْ فيه انتظامَ جُمانِ

These stars, though the lowest of his words

Are strung in it in order like pearls

بأناملٍ سالتْ وصالتْ فادّعى

في شِبْهِها التهْتانَ بالبَهْتانِ

With fingers that flow and are connected, so he claimed

Their twisting is like tendrils in the garden

يعلو مَطاً قلمٍ كشبهِ صفاتِها

فاختالَ بين العَرْفِ والعُرْفانِ

It rises beyond the reach of a pen, like the likeness of its traits

So it swaggered between recognition and mystic knowledge

قلمٌ يقلّمُ ظِفْرَ كلّ ملمّةٍ

ويكفّ نابَ نوائبِ الحدَثانِ

A pen that trims the nail of every fault-finder

And restrains the fang of calamitous events

مجدٌ يكرّرُ كلّ أولِ مفخَرٍ

تَكْرارَ بسمِ الله في القرآنِ

Glory that repeats each first matter of pride

Like the repetition of In the Name of God in the Quran

وعلوّ شأنٍ لو تعاطَى شأوَهُ

كَيوانِ ما ثبتَتْ به القدَمانِ

And a lofty rank which, if its glory were sought

No foot would stand firm as the pillars did

ومكارمٌ غُصِبَتْ بواجبِ حقّها

ما صاغَهُ حسانُ في غسانِ

And noble deeds whose rights were usurped

Wer not coined by Hassān among the Ghassān

ولو استقَى منها بلالٌ بَلّةً

أعْيَتْ مدائحَهُ على غَيْلانِ

And if Bilāl had drawn a trial from them

His praises would be exhausted at Ghailān

فاهنأ به عيداً يعودُك مثلُه

ما شئتَ في حالي مني وأمانِ

So congratulate an era whose like

Returns to you whatever you wish of me and protection

واعلَمْ بأن بقاءَ شُكْرِك خالدٌ

حتى يقومَ الناسُ للرحمن

And know that the permanence of your gratitude is eternal

Until the people stand before the Merciful

وتَرى الفُراقِدَ والفَراقِدُ ترتعي

بمنابتِ السُعْدانِ والسِّعدانِ

And you see the departed and the departing

Grazing at the meadows of Saʿdān and Siʿdān