يَا مَنْ أَلَحَّ عَلَيَّ فِي الإِنْشَادِ

وَمَدِيحُ شَيْخِي غُنْيَةُ الْقُصَّادِ

O you who insisted I recite poetry

O you who persistently urge me to recite,

And praise of my master is the livelihood of poets

While the praise of my Sheikh is the ultimate wealth of seekers:

أَبْلَغْتَ أَسْمَاعِي وَذَاكَ مُرَادِي

لَوْ أَنَّنِي أَحْظَى بِبَعْضِ مُرَادِي

You have reached my hearing, and that is my desire

You have made your words reach my ears, and that is my desire,

If only I could attain some of my desires

If only I could attain even a fraction of my desire.

أَمَّا الْمَدِيحُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ صَنْعَتِي

قِدْماً وَحَوْكُ بُرُودِهِ مِنْ عَادِي

As for praise, it is my skill

As for panegyric, it is indeed my craft

Long practiced and woven into my habits

From of old, and weaving its fine garments is my custom.

لَكِنْ عَجَْزْتُ وَحُقَّ لِي عَنْ مَدْحِ مَنْ

مُدِحَتْ بِهِ زُمَرٌ مِنَ الأَمْجَادِ

But I fell short, as is my right, in praising one

But I am incapable—and rightly so—of praising one

Who was praised by ranks of glories

Through whom entire throngs of glorious men are praised.

وَأَبَتْ لَهُ هِمَّاتُهُ مَيْلاً إِلَى ال

تَّشْرِيفِ بِالآبَاءِ وَالأَجْدَادِ

And his ambitions refused to incline to

And his high ambitions refused any inclination towards

Nobility through fathers and forefathers

Gaining honor merely through fathers and ancestors.

وََرَأَى الكَمالَ بِأَن يَكونَ كَمالُهُ

يَسْري إِلى الآبَاءِ وَالأَوْلاَدِ

And he saw perfection in his perfection stemming

He saw true perfection in letting his own perfection

To fathers and children

Flow outward to elevate both his forebears and descendants,

وَإِلَى الزَّمانِ مَعَ الْمَكانِ كَمَطْلَعِ ال

أَنْوارِ منْهُ وَمَوْضِعِ الْمِيلاَدِ

And to time along with place like the rise of

And to time along with space, like the dawning of

Lights from him and the place of birth

Lights emerging from him and his place of birth.

إِيهٍ قُسَنْطِينَةٌ فَخَارُكِ فَافْخَرِي

أَنْ كُنْتِ مَنْشَأَهُ على بَغْدَادِ

Oh Constantinople! Your pride is pride

Ah, Constantine! This is your glory, so boast proudly

That you were his place of origin over Baghdad

That you were his birthplace, exalted even over Baghdad.

وَتَطاوَلِي حتَّى تَفُوقِي قَلْعَةً

نُسِبَتْ لَدَيْكِ إِلَى بَنِي حَمَّادِ

And rise high no matter how the palace boasts

And stand tall until you surpass the fortress

And looks down on the glories of Sinbad

Attributed in your vicinity to the Banu Hammad.

وَارْقَيْ عُلاً مَهْمَا تَبَارَى وَازْدَرَى

بِالْقَصْرِ ذِي الشُّرُفَاتِ مِنْ سِنْدَادِ

You bore in the late age one so virtuous

And ascend in eminence, however much your glory vies with and disdains

His time surpassed those past

The multi-balconied palace of Sindad.

أَنْجَبْتِ فِي العَصْرِ الأَخيرِ بِفاضِلٍ

سَادَ الْمُقَدَّمَ عَصْرُهُ مِنْ هَادِ

And you produced a full moon whose lights

You gave birth in this latter age to a man of virtue

Dazzle like the blazing star

Who surpassed the guiding figures of ages that preceded him.

ونُتِجْتِ بدْرَ مَحَاسِنٍ أَضْوَاؤُهُ

مُزْرِيَةٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ الْوَقَّادِ

With its men the countries are exalted for they are like

And you brought forth a full moon of virtues, whose lights

Pearls in necklaces and stallions in battle

Outshine the most brightly burning star.

بِرِجَالِهَا تَسْمُو الْبِلاَدُ فَهُمْ لَهَا

كَالدُّرِّ فِي اللَّبَّاتِ وَالأَجْيَادِ

And rain for the cloud, or water for

By their men do nations rise, for they are to them

The thirsty, and spirits for bodies

Like pearls upon the upper chests and necks,

وَالْغَيْثِ لِلْمِجْدَابِ أَوْ كَالْمَاءِ لِ

لَّهْفَانِ وَالأَرْوَاحِ لِلأَجْسَادِ

Our Fez is more deserving of that for in it is

And like rain to the barren land, or like water to

The beacon, a beacon of guidance abiding

The thirsty, and like souls to bodies.

وَلَفَاسُنَا أَوْلَى بِذَاكَ لِكَوْنِهِ

فِيهَا الْمَنَارَ مَنَارَ رُشْدٍ بَادِ

And the sea is the sea of knowledge which casts its sweet

And our Fez is most worthy of that glory, because he is

Fresh springs, the essence of guidance

Within it the lighthouse, a visible beacon of guidance,

وَالْبَحْرَ بَحْرَ الْعِلْمِ يَقْذِفُ لُجُّهُ الْ

عَذْبُ الْمَوَارِدِ جَوْهَرَ الإِرْشَادِ

And the meadow a meadow of mortals which fruits

And the sea, the sea of knowledge, whose depths cast forth

The wishful hopes of visitors

Sweet waters, the very jewel of guidance,

وَالرَّوْضَ رَوْضَ الْبِشْرِ يُثْمِرُ دَوْحُهُ

دَوْحَ الْمُنَى بِمُؤَمَّلِ الرُّوَّادِ

And the rain a rain of virtue which pours its floods

And the garden, the garden of joy, whose great trees bear

Of plenty, dispelling distress

The fruits of desires for the hopeful seekers,

وَالْغَيْثَ غَيْثَ الْفَضْلِ يُمْطِرُ وَبْلُهُ

وَبْلَ الْغِنَى بِمُبَدِّدِ الأَنْكَادِ

And the towering mountain of forbearance which no

And the rain, the rain of grace, whose downpour rains

Quaking shakes amidst crumbling crags

A downpour of wealth that scatters all hardships,

وَالطَّوْدَ طَوْدَ الْحِلْمِ لَيْسَ يَسُومُهُ ال

رَّجَفَانُ عِنْدَ تَزَلْزُلِ الأَطْوَادِ

And the full moon a moon of beauty whose light shines

And the mountain, the mountain of forbearance, unaffected by

For the fortunate in blessing and prosperity

Tremors when other mighty mountains shake,

وَالْبَدْرَ بَدْرَ الْحُسْنِ يَسْطَعُ نُورُهُ

لِلْمُجْتَلِي بِالْيُمْنِ وَالإِسْعَادِ

And the sun a sun of nobleness, brilliant of majesty,

And the full moon, the moon of beauty, whose light shines

Vanquishing its rays over enviers

For the beholder with blessings and boundless joy,

وَالشَّمْسَ شَْمْسَ النُّبْلِ بَاهِرَةَ السَّنَا

تَقْضِي لأَِشِعَّتِهَا عَلَى الْحُسَّادِ

Lasting for us and whoever it gives joy

And the sun, the sun of nobility of dazzling radiance,

Particularized with the praises of Hammad

Whose blinding rays bring the downfall of the envious.

دَامَتْ لَنَا وَلِمَنْ يَرُودُ بِهَا الْمُنَى

مَخْصُوصَةُ بِمَحَامِدِ الْحَمَّادِ

May it endure for us and for whoever seeks desires through it,

Singled out by the praises of those who praise abundantly.