أَقدِم كَما قَدِمَ الرَبيعُ الباكِرُ

وَاِطلُع كَما طَلَعَ الصَباحُ الزاهِرُ

I come forward as the early spring came forward,

And rise as the bright morning rose.

قَسَماً لَقَد وَفّى المُنى وَنَفى الأَسى

مَن أَقدَمَ البُشرى بِأَنَّكَ صادِرُ

By God, wishes have been fulfilled and sorrows dispelled

By him who brought the good news that you are coming.

لِيُسَرَّ مُكتَئِبٌ وَيُغفِيَ ساهِرٌ

وَيَراحَ مُرتَقِبٌ وَيوفِيَ ناذِرُ

To delight a grieving soul and lull an insomniac to sleep,

To give rest to one who waits and fulfil the vow of one who makes offerings.

قَفَلٌ وَإِبلالٌ عَقيبَ مُطيفَةٍ

غَشِيَت كَما غَشِيَ السَبيلَ العابِرُ

The departure and the veneration after an appearance

That covered the path like a passing cloud.

إِن أَعنَتَ الجِسمَ المُكَرَّمَ وَعكُها

فَلَرُبَّما وُعِكَ الهِزَبرُ الخادِرُ

If you favour the esteemed body that carried you

Then perhaps even the tottering old man will be favoured.

ما كانَ إِلّا كَاِنجِلاءِ غَيابَةٍ

لَبِسَ الفِرَندَ بِها الحُسامُ الباتِرُ

It was but the disappearance of clouds

In which swords are sheathed during a skirmish.

فَلتَغدُ أَلسِنَةُ الأَنامِ وَدَأبُها

شُكرٌ يُجاذِبُهُ الخَطيبَ الشاعِرُ

So henceforth let the tongues and pursuits of mankind

Be thankfulness contending with an eloquent orator.

إِن كانَ أَسعَدَ مِن وُصولِكَ طالِعٌ

فَكَذاكَ أَيمَنَ مِن قُفولِكَ طائِرُ

If a rising star was happier than your arrival

Then, likewise, a bird in flight was more fortunate than your departure.

أَضحى الزَمانُ نَهارُهُ كافورَةٌ

وَاللَيلُ مِسكٌ مِن خِلالِكَ عاطِرُ

The days have become camphor and the nights

Musk because of you, perfumed through your presence.

قَد كانَ هَجري الشِعرَ قَبلُ صَريمَةً

حَذَري لِذاكَ النَقدُ فيها عاذِرُ

Previously, I shunned poetry, fearing criticism of it,

Until that censor might find excuses for it.

حَتّى إِذا آنَستُ أَوبَكَ بارِئاً

صَفَتِ القَريحَةُ وَاِستَنارَ الخاطِرُ

But when I sensed your righteous return

Inspiration flowed and ideas illuminated my thoughts.

عَيٌّ قَلَبتَ إِلى البَلاغَةِ عِيَّهُ

لَولا تُقاكَ لَقُلتُ إِنَّكَ ساحِرُ

What an amazing transformation your attention made

Of my flawed poetry! Had it not been for your support I would have said you are a sorcerer!

لَقَّحتَ ذِهني فَاِجنِ غَضَّ ثِمارِهِ

فَالنَخلُ يُحرِزُ مُجتَناهُ الآبِرُ

You fertilised my barren mind until it bore fruit

And the date palms safeguard their pollinated clusters.

كَم قَد شَكَرتُكَ غِبَّ ذِكرِكَ فَاِنتَشى

مُتَذَكِّرٌ مِنّي وَغَرَّدَ شاكِرُ

How often, when you were absent, did I thank you,

Remembering you while a thankful bird chirped its song?

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي عَلياؤُهُ

مَثَلٌ تَناقَلُهُ اللَيالي سائِرُ

O king, your supremacy

Is an example circulated through passing nights.

يا مَن لِبَرقِ البِشرِ مِنهُ تَهَلُّلٌ

ما شيمَ إِلّا اِنهَلَّ جودٌ هامِرُ

O you, from whom flashes of mankind’s good fortune emerge

Pouring down continuous, torrential generosity.

أَنتَ اِبنُ مَن مَجدَ المُلوكَ فَإِن يَكُن

لِلمَجدِ عَينٌ فَهُوَ مِنها ناظِرُ

You are the son of one who glorified kings, so if

Glory has eyes, they look through him.

مَلِكٌ أَغَرُّ اِزدانَتِ الدُنيا بِهِ

وَأَعَزَّ دينَ اللَهِ مِنهُ ناصِرُ

A king who adorns the world by his beauty

And champions God’s religion as its victorious defender.

أَبناكَ في ثَبَجِ المَجَرَّةِ قُبَّةً

فَهَناكَ أَنَّكَ لِلنُجومِ مُخاصِرُ

Your children built a dome for you in the galaxy,

So it is there you watch the stars.

وَتَلَقَّ مِن سِمَتَيكَ صِدقَ تَفاؤُلي

فَهُما المُؤَيَّدُ بِالإِلَهِ الظافِرُ

And my optimistic hopes have truthfully received

Support from those two divine signs of triumph.