كَوكَبُ السَعد بِالنَجاح أَنارا

وَجَلا عَن صُدورِنا الأَكدارا

The star of good fortune shone with success,

And dispelled the gloom from our breasts.

رَدد الطَرف في وجوه تَراها

حَسَنات تَكفر الأَوزارا

Glances returned to faces you see,

Virtues that atone for sins.

وَغُصون تَسقى بِماءِ نَعيم

قَد أَرَتني الشُموس وَالأَقمارا

Branches watered with the water of bliss,

Suns and moons have shown me.

وَذَوات تَقدَّسَت فَأَضاءَت

وَأَفاضَت عَلى الوَرى أَنوارا

Sanctities that shone and overflowed,

With light upon the land.

وَتَأَمل فَصل الرَبيع تَجِدهُ

حُكماً أَظهَرَت لَنا أَسرارا

Contemplate the chapter of spring to find,

Wisdoms that revealed secrets to us.

وَعَلى الدَوح لِلنَسيم أَياد

عَن غُصون تَفكك الأَزهارا

On the sand for the breeze hands,

From branches that buds of flowers unravel.

تَتَجلى عَرائِساً وَعَلَيها

مِن جُيوب الغَمام تَلقي نِثارا

Brides appear and upon them,

From the bosoms of clouds rainfall.

وَتَرى الرَوض في شَباب وَحُسن

جَعل النور بَردَهُ المِعطارا

You see the garden in youth and beauty,

Its coolness perfumed with light.

نَغَمات لِلعَندَليب تُنادي

هاجِعات الهَوى البدار البِدارا

Melodies for the nightingale that call,

Lovers of passion, bid and repeat bid.

فَتَنشق مِن الرُبا نَفَحات

مَهديات ما يُدهش العِطارا

Wafts diffuse from the meadows,

Offerings that dazzle the perfumer.

وَاِغتَنم صُحبة الأَكابر وَاِعلَم

إِنَّ في صُحبة الصِغار صِغارا

And take advantage of the company of the great, and know,

In the company of the small there are small ones.

وَتَمَتع بِمَدح فرع كَريم

مِن أُصول زَكَت عُلاً وَفَخارا

And enjoy praising the noble branch,

Of roots that grew high and pride.

وَأَبيهِ مُحَمَد بِن عَلي

وَأَخيهِ حُسين مَن لا يُجارا

And his father Muhammad son of Ali,

And his brother Hussein who has no peer.

فَتَراهُ في السلم أَحلم مَن كا

نَ وَفي العَزم صارِماً بِتارا

You see him on the ladder most forbearing of those who were,

And in determination a piercing hero.

قَد مَحا ظُلمة الخُطوب صَباح

مُسفر مِن جَبينِهِ أَسفارا

He erased the darkness of calamities, dawn

Unveiled from his forehead traveled.

أَتَرانا نَحتاجُ لِلمسك طيباً

وَثَناهُ قَد عَطَر الأَقطارا

Do you see us needing musk while,

His fame has perfumed the regions.

أَو نَحُثُّ الركاب يَوماً لِمصر

وَكَفَتنا دِيارُهُ الأَمصارا

Or urging mounts one day towards Egypt,

While his homelands surpassed capitals.

أَو نُجيد المَديح لِلغَير سَهواً

وَنَرى في رِدائِهِ الأَخيارا

Or praising others erroneously,

And we see in his cloak the righteous.

إِن آباءَهُ الكِرام هُم النا

س جَلالاً وَرفعة وَاعتِبارا

Verily his noble fathers are the people,

In majesty, elevation, and prestige.

وَرِياض العُلا سَقوها مِن المَج

دِ مِياهاً فَفتَقَت أَزهارا

Gardens of glory they watered from excellence,

Waters so flowers bloomed.

وَلَهُم غَرس نعمة في البَرايا

وَهبات تَدَفَقَت أَنهارا

For them are plants of blessing in the wilds,

And gifts that gushed like rivers.

وَبُحور السَماح مِنهُم أَكُفٌّ

تَطعم العَنبَر الرَطيب النارا

The oceans of generosity from them are palms,

That feed the good, fragrant ambergris.

تاجَر الناسُ بِالحُطام وَكانوا

في المَعالي تَراهُم تُجارا

People traded in junk while they,

In the sublime you see them as merchants.

وَاِشتَرى مِنهُم النُفوس كَريمٌ

وَدَعاهُم أَعزة أَحرارا

And magnanimous souls bought from them,

And called them honored and free.

أَنتَ يا مَن تَنقاد طَوعاً إِلَيهِ

وَاِمتِثالاً قُلوبَنا وَاختِيارا

You whom willingly hearts obey,

And our choosing willingly complies.

ما تَأَخرت عَن مَديحك إِلّا

لِأُمور تَشتت الأَفكارا

I did not delay praising you except,

For matters that distracted thoughts.

كُنتُ مِمَن يَقبَل الدَهر كَفيهِ

وَيُبدي إِذا غَضبت اِعتِذارا

I was of those who accept time’s palms,

And show apology when it rages.

أَضعفتَني الأَهوال عَن كُل شَيءٍ

لَم تَدَع لي لِحَمل ظلي اِقتِدارا

You weakened me from everything,

Did not leave me ability to bear shade.

وَحُظوظ إِذا عَتبت عَلَيها

نَسَجت لي مِن الهَوى أَعذارا

And fortunes if they blame me,

Weaved excuses of passion for me.

غُصتُ بحر القَريض بِالفكر حَتّى

لَكَ أَهدي مِن اللآلي الكِبارا

I dived deep in the sea of poetry until,

To you I gift some great words.

فَلَعَلي مِنها أَتيت بِنذر

وَقُصوري بِالعَفو مِنكَ اِستَجارا

Maybe in them I came with an offering,

And my shortcomings with your pardon take refuge.

كَم أُناس ما أَن لَهُم مِن شُعور

يَطلَبون الأَشعار مِنا اِختِبارا

How many people who have no perception,

Seek from us poetry as a test.

وَغَبيٌّ يَظن إِن حاز كُتُبَاً

أَنَّها الفَضل حامِلاً أَسفارا

And a fool who thinks if he obtains books,

That they are virtue carrying tomes.

فَكَريم الطِباع يَزداد حُلماً

وَلَئيم مَدَحتَهُ اِستكبارا

A kind natured grows more forbearing,

And praising an ignoble one arrogance.

بِكَ فَخر القَريض شَرقاً وَغَرباً

وَيَرى عِندَ جاهِكَ المِقدارا

Through you poetry takes pride in east and west,

And sees in your glory worth.

كُلُ بَيت إِذا تَأَصَلَت مَعَنا

يَقيناً ظَنَنتَني سِحارا

Every verse when rooted in meaning,

You would surely think me a magician.

كُلُ بَيت تَكاد تَشرَبَهُ الأَر

واح لُطفاً إِذا أُدير غفارا

Almost every verse the spirits absorb gently,

If recited concealed.

لَو رَوَتهُ الرُواة في الحَي يَوماً

لِلمَصونات هَتَكَت أَستارا

If narrated one day in the alley,

To the chaste their curtains unveiled.

لَيسَ يَحكي مِن راح مِما اِعتَراهُ

مَقعَداً مِن سَعى إِلَيك وَسارا

It does not recount from a nurturer what afflicted,

A seat from journeying to you and traveling.

كُلُ طَرف يَغض مِن وَهج الشَمس

وَأَنتَ المُنوّر الأَبصارا

Every glance lowers from the sun’s radiance,

While you are the enlightened visions.