أهلُ التُّقَى والعِلمِ أهلُ السُّؤْدُدِ
فأَخُو السِّيَادَةِ أحمدُ بنُ مُحَمَّدِ
The people of piety and knowledge are people of happiness
So the brother of leadership, Ahmed bin Mohammed
الصاحبُ ابن الصاحب ابن الصاحب ال
حبْرُ الهُمَامُ السَّيِّدُ ابنُ السَّيِّدِ
The close companion, son of the close companion, son of the close companion
The sea of resolve, the master, son of the master
لا تُشْرِكَنَّ به امرأ في وَصْفِهِ
فتكونَ قد خالفْتَ كلَّ مُوَحِّدِ
Do not associate anyone with him in his description
For you would have contradicted every monotheist
الشَّمسُ طالعةٌ فهل من مُبْصِرٍ
والحَقُّ مُتَّضِحٌ فهل من مُهْتَدِي
The sun is rising so is there anyone who can see?
And the truth is evident so is there any guided one?
إنَّ الفَتَى مَنْ سَوَّدَتْهُ نفْسُهُ
بالفضلِ لا مَنْ سادَ غيرَ مُسوَّدِ
Indeed the young man is the one whose soul
Was made virtuous by merit not the one who ruled others without merit
والناسُ مُخْتَلِفُوا المذاهِبِ في العُلا
والمَذْهَبُ المُخْتارُ مذْهَبُ أحمدِ
And people differ in doctrines regarding the most high
And the chosen doctrine is the doctrine of Ahmed
وفَّى عُلومَ الأوّلين حُقوقَها
والآخِرِينَ وَفاءَ مَنْ لم يَجْحَدِ
He fulfilled the rights of the knowledge of the ancients
And the later ones, with the fulfillment of one who does not deny
فكأنَّه فينا خليفةُ آدمٍ
أوْ آدَمٌ لو أنَّهُ لم يُولَدِ
It is as if he is the caliph of Adam among us
Or Adam if he had not been born
أفضَى به علْمُ اليَقِينِ لعَيْنِهِ
وَرَآهُ حَاسِدُهُ بعَيْنَيْ أَرْمَدِ
The knowledge of certainty allowed him to see with his eye
While the envious one saw him with blind eyes
كُشِفَ الغِطَاءُ لهُ فليسَ كحائرٍ
في دينِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مُتَرَدّدِ
The veil has been lifted from him so he is not like a confused one
In his religion, hesitating in his matter
قد كانَ يَحكمُ في الأُمورِ بِعِلْمِهِ
شَهِدَ المُحقُّ لديْهِ أَمْ لم يَشْهَدِ
He used to judge matters with his knowledge
The truthful one testified to his justice or did not testify
لولا يُخاطِبُنَا بِقَدْرِ عُقُولِنَا
جَاءتْ معارفُهُ بما لم نَعْهَدِ
If he did not address us according to our mental capabilities
His knowledge would have come with what we are not accustomed to
ورِثَ النُّبُوَّة فَلْيَقُم كَقِيامِهِ
مَنْ حَاوَلَ الميراثَ أَوْ فَلْيَقْعُدِ
He inherited prophethood so let whoever aspires to the inheritance stand as he stood
Or else let him sit down
فلِسَانُهُ العَضْبُ الحُسامُ المَنْتَضَى
وَبَيَانُهُ بَحْرٌ خِضَمُّ المُزْبِدِ
His tongue is the cutting sword, the polished
And his eloquence is a turbulent, stormy sea
وَبَصِيرَةٌ باللَّهِ يُشْرِقُ نورُها
ويُضِيءُ مثلَ الكَوْكَبِ المُتَوَقِّدِ
And an insight into God whose light shines
And illuminates like a flaming star
وخَلائِق ما شابَها مَنْ شانَها
فأتَتْ كماءِ المُزْنِ في قَلْبِ الصَّدِي
And manners the likes of which were never seen from one of his stature
So they came like heavy rain in the heart of a barren land
فَلِبَابِ زَيْنِ الدِّينِ أحمدَ فلْيَسِر
مَنْ كانَ بالأَعْذَار غيرَ مُقَيَّدِ
So for the door of the ornament of the faith, Ahmed, let one go
Who was not restricted by excuses
هوَ كعْبَةُ الفضلِ الذي قُصَّادُهُ
قد حَقَّقُوا منه بُلوغَ المَقْصِدِ
He is the Kaaba of virtue sought after
They attained the purpose from him without falling short
لَمَّا وَرَدْتُ عَلَى كَرِيمِ جَنَابِهِ
فوَرَدْتُ بَحْرَ الْجُودِ عَذْبَ المَوْرِدِ
When I came to his noble side
I found the sea of generosity, the fresh water spring
ورَأَيْتُ وَجْهَاً أَشْرَقَتْ أَنْوَارُهُ
فأَضَاءَ مثلَ الكوكَبِ المُتَوَقِّدِ
And I saw a face whose lights shone
And illuminated like the flaming star
أعْرَضْتُ عَنْ لهْوِ الحَدِيثِ وقُلْتُ يا
مَدْحَ الوَرَى عنِّي فمَا أَنَا مِنْ دَدِ
I turned away from frivolous talk and said: My
Praising of people, spare me for I am not for that
وَعَزَمْتُ في يَوْمِي عَلَى العَمَلِ الّذي
ألقاهُ لي نعْمَ الذَّخيرةُ في غَدِ
And I decided one day to do the deed
That the best provision presented me for tomorrow
مَدْحٌ إذَا أعْمَلْتُ فيه مِقْوَلِي
جَاهَدْتُ عن دينِ الهُدَى بِمُهَنَّدِ
Praise, if I implement my words in it
I will strive for the religion of guidance vigorously
أَبْقَى لهُ الذِّكْرَ المُخَلَّدَ عِلْمُهُ
أنْ ليس في الدُّنْيَا امرُؤٌ بِمُخَلَّدِ
His knowledge will survive for him immortal mention
That there is none in the world immortalized
فَاسْتُنْفِدَتْ بوجودِهِ آمالُهُ
وَاخْتَارَ عندَ اللَّهِ ما لم يَنْفَدِ
So his hopes were spent by his existence
And he chose what never diminishes with God
شُغِفَتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا وآثَرَ أُخْتَهَا
حُبَّاً فَأَوْهَمَ رَغْبَةً بِتَزَهُّدِ
The world was enamored with him but he chose its sister
Out of love, making asceticism appear desirable
وأتى عليها جُودُه فكأَنّها
لهَوانِهَا في نفسه لم تُوجَدِ
His generosity came upon it as if
It had not been created for its amusement
فإذَا نَظَرْتَ إلى مقاصِدِهِ بهَا
أَبْدَتْ إليكَ حَقيقةَ المُتَجَرِّدِ
So if you look to his objectives with it
It shows you the reality of the detached one
كلِفٌ بمَا يَعْنِيهِ مِنْ إسعادِ ذِي ال
حَاجَاتِ في الزَّمَنِ القَليلِ المُسْعِدِ
Obligated to what makes happy the one in need
In the little fortunate time
يَطْوِي مِنَ التَّقْوَى حَشَاهُ عَلَى الطَّوَى
وَيَبِيتُ سَهْرَانَاً مُقَضَّ المَرْقَدِ
He folds the garment of piety over his chest
And stays up late with eyes awake
وَيَغُضُّ مِنْ مَغْسُولَتَيْنِ بِدَمْعِهِ
مَكْحُولَتَيْنِ مِنَ الظَّلامِ بإثْمِدِ
And with his tears he washes two swollen
Eyes darkened with kohl
عَوِّلَ عليه في الأُمورِ فإنَّهُ
أهلُ الغَرِيبِ وبَيْتُ مالِ المُجْتَدِي
Rely on him in matters for he
Is suited for the stranger and home of the seeker
وَاسْتَمْطِرِ البركاتِ مِنْ دَعَوَاتِهِ
حيث استقَلَّ سحَابُ راحَتِهِ النَّدِي
And seek blessings from his prayers
Where the clouds of his comfort have settled gently
واسمعْ لِمَا يُوحَى مِنَ الذِّكْرِ الَّذِي
يُشْجِي القلوبَ لَوَ انَّها مِنْ جَلْمَدِ
And listen to the inspiration of the mention that
Makes hearts blaze even if they were solid ice
صَدَرَتْ جَواهِرُ لفظِهِ مِنْ باطِنِ
صافِي التُّقَى مِثْلِ الحُسامِ الْمُغْمَدِ
The jewels of his words poured from an essence
Of pure piety like a sheathed sword
فأراكَهُ سِحر البيانِ مُنَضَّدَاً
بِيَدِ البَلاغَةِ وَهْوَ غيرُ مُنَضَّدِ
I see him adorned with the magic of eloquence
By the hand of rhetoric yet he is unadorned
مُتَحَلِّياً بِجَوَامِعِ الكَلِمِ التي
يُعْنَى بها حَدِبٌ عناءَ تَجَلُّدِ
Wearing the totality of speech that
The diligent scholar makes great efforts for
فالقَصُّ منه إذا أتَاكَ تَعَدَّدَتْ
منه المعاني وَهْوَ غيرُ مُعَدَّدِ
So the story from him, when it comes to you, multiplied
In its meanings yet it is not multiplied
قُلْ لِلإِمَامِ المُقْتَدَى بِعُلُومِهِ
قد فَازَ مَنْ أَضْحَى بِرَأْيِكَ يَقْتَدِي
Say to the exemplary imam in his knowledge
Whoever follows your opinion has succeeded
يَا مَنْ يُرَاعِي للفضيلةِ حَقَّهَا
لِتَلَذُّذٍ بِالفَضْلِ لا لِتَزَيُّدِ
O you who observes the rights of virtue
For the pleasure of merit not for boastfulness
لمْ تُصْغِ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ إِلَّا مِثْلَمَا
أَصْغَى سُلَيْمَانٌ لِقَوْلِ الهُدْهُدِ
You did not listen to the scholars except as
Suleiman listened to the words of the hoopoe
عَجِبَتْ لِزُهْدِكَ في الوزارةِ مَعْشَرٌ
فأَجَبْتُهُمْ عَجَباً إذَا لم يَزْهَدِ
A group was amazed by your asceticism in leadership
So I amazed them, if one does not become an ascetic
ما ضَرَّ حبرَاً قَلَّدَتْهُ أَئِمَّةٌ
أَن لم يكنْ لِمَنَاصِبٍ بمُبَلَّدِ
What harm to a scholar if imams
Appointed him while he had no experience in positions
وإذا سما باسْمِ العلومِ فلا تَسَلْ
عَن حَطِّ نَفْس بالحَضِيضِ الأَوْهَدِ
And if he was named with the name of knowledge then do not ask
About the demeaning of a soul to the deepest nadir
ما المَجْدُ إِلَّا حِكْمَةٌ أُولِيتَهَا
يَنْحَطُّ عنها قدر كلِّ ممجَّدِ
Glory is only wisdom one is granted
The worth of each glorified one diminishes from it
يا رُتْبَةً لا تُرْتَقَى بِسَلالِمٍ
وسيادَةً ما تُشْتَرَى بالعَسْجَدِ
O position that cannot be reached by stairways
And leadership that cannot be bought with wealth
خيرُ المناصِبِ ما العُيُونُ كَلِيلَةٌ
عنه وما الأَيدِي له لمْ تُمْدَدِ
The best position is that for which eyes tire
And hands are not extended to it
مَوْلايَ دونَكَ مِنْ ثنائِي حُلَّةٌ
تُبْلِي مِنَ الأَيّامِ كلَّ مُجَدَّدِ
My Master, under you my praise is a dress
That will wear out from the days, all that renews
جَاءَتْ مُسَارِعَةً إليكَ بِسَاعَةٍ
سَعِدَتْ مُطالِعَةً وإنْ لمْ تُرْصَدِ
It has come hastily to you in an hour
That became fortunate in its rising even if unexpected
يَوْمُ اتِّصَالٍ بالأَحِبَّةِ حَبَّذا
يَوْمٌ به انْقَطَعَتْ قلوبُ الحُسَّدِ
The day of connection with loved ones is excellent
A day in which the hearts of enviers are cut off
ما سُيِّرَتْ ما بَيْنَ يوسُفَ مِثْلَمَا
قد سُرَّ فيه أَحْمَدٌ بِمُحَمَّدِ
No time was happier between Yusuf and what
Brought joy to Ahmed in Mohammed
يا حَبَّذا مَدْحٌ لآِلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
دونَ التَّغَزُّلِ في غَزَالٍ أَغْيَدِ
O excellent, praise of the family of Mohammed
Without amorous verse for a slender gazelle
إنَّ الجَلالَةَ مُنْذُ رُمْتُ مَدِيحَكم
لم تَرْضَ لي ذكرَ الحِسَانِ الخُرَّدِ
Indeed ever since I threw away praising you
Partial praise has not pleased me
فاللَّهُ يَجْمَعُ شَمْلَكُمْ ساداتِنا
جَمْعَ السلامَةِ في نعيمٍ سَرْمَدِ
So may God unite your leadership, our masters
The union of well-being in eternal bliss
