أَيا بدر أَفلاك الكَمال وَمَن رَقا

سَماء جَلال في البَرية سامي

O full moon, apex of perfection and sublime one

Sky of majesty in the virtuous wilderness prominent

وَيا مَن عَلا في رُتبة الفَضل وَالعُلى

أَجل مَقام فاقَ كُل مَقام

And O you who excelled in ranks of merit and highest glory

With the most sublime station surpassing all stations

وَيا نير الفَضل الَّذي ضاءَ نوره

فَصارَ لَنا ناراً وَبَرد سَلام

And O light of overflowing grace whose illumination shone

Thus for us it became fire and a greeting of peace

بَدا وَظَلام الجَهل أَرخى ستوره

فَجلى عَن الطُلاب كُل ظَلام

It appeared and the darkness of ignorance drew its curtains

So it dispelled from the students every darkness

وَيا أَيُّها البَحر الخضم الَّذي غَدا

نَداه عَلى كُل الخَليقة هامي

And O stormy deep sea that has become

Its bounty flows upon all creation yearning

لأَنت عباب يَنثر الدر نَظمه

عَلى كُل أَرباب الفَصاحة طامي

You are a sea that scatters prose like scattered pearls

Upon every eloquent master overflowing

لَقَد حارَ مني القَلب في نَظمك الَّذي

بِهِ طالَ قَدري وَاستَطالَ مقامي

Indeed my heart was perplexed in composing you

Thereby my ability lengthened and my position rose high

نِظام تَحققنا بِأَن عُقوده

تَفوق بِحُسن السبك كُل نِظام

A composition I realized its verses

Surpassed in excellent arrangement every composition

هُوَ السحر إِلا أَنَّهُ إن تلوته

تَلقف أَعدائي وَصارَ حسامي

It is sorcery except that if I recite it

My enemies take heed and it becomes my sword

وَما هُوَ كَالبَحر الحَلال لأَنَّهُ

وَإِن خلب الأَلباب غَير حَرام

And it is not like the permissible sea for verily

Even if it captivates minds it is not unlawful

أنزه طَرفي في قَصيدتك الَّتي

بِها نشرت بَعدَ المَمات عِظامي

I glance with my eyes upon your poem which

After death you used to spread my bones

هِي الغادة البكر الَّتي حينَ أَسفرَت

بِها نلت أَقصى غايَتي وَمرامي

It is the maiden poem that when it shone

Through it I attained the utmost of my goal and purpose

أهيم إِذا أَنشَدتها فَكَأَنَّني

جَريح غوان أَو طَريح غَرام

I become distracted when I recite it as if I

Am a wounded lover or one stricken with passion’s agony

فَدَع عَنكَ لَومي إِن سكرت فَإِنَّني

شَربت بِحان الأنس كَأس مُدام

So excuse my blame if I become intoxicated for I

Have drank from the cup of intimacy a draft of wine

وأهتز شَوقاً حينَ تُتلى وَلَم أمل

لِسعدى وَإن مالَت بِلين قوام

And I quiver with longing when it is recited and I do not hope

For my happiness even if it comes gently

وَهَيهات أَن أصغي إِذا ما سَمعتها

لِنَغمة شاد أَو لسجع حمام

And never could I listen if the warbling of a dove

Or the rhyming of a pigeon is heard

فَتلكَ رِياض ناضِرات قَد اِنتَشَت

بِأَرض عُلوم لا بِأَرض خزام

For those are blossoming gardens that have sprouted

In the land of sciences not in the land of weeds

وَتلكَ ورود قَد سَقَتها يَد الولا

بِوابل فَضل لا بِصوب غمام

And those are flowers watered by the hand of the Patron

With showers of grace not with clouds of favor

فَيا لَك مِن نظم بِهِ عَذب مَوردي

فَطابَ شَرابي عِنده وَطعامي

So what an exquisite composition that has sweetened my pursuits

Thereby my drink was refined and my food

وَصارَ غذا روحي وَنور نَواظري

وَنشوة أَفراحي وَبرء سقامي

And it became the nourishment of my soul, the light of my insight

The delight of my joys, and the remedy of my ailments

نَفائس در لا تُقاس بِحُسنه

قَلائد عقيان وَسقط ضرام

Pearls of unprecedented beauty that cannot be measured

Against necklaces of lesser forms and trifles

وَشَمس كَمال كَيف تَبقى لِضوئها

نُجوم ظَلام أَو بدور تَمام

And sun of perfection—how can its illumination

Allow stars of darkness or full moons to remain

وَكَيفَ تُضاهي الشَمس بَهجة كَوكب

لبهجته لَم تبق غَير اسامي

And how can one compare a planet’s radiance to the sun

When its brilliance cannot endure save my namesake

وَمِن أَين لِلأَقوام إدراك مصقع

إِلى أَوج أَفلاك البَلاغة سامي

And how can people comprehend the towering heights

To the apex of the spheres of eloquence ascending

هُوَ العالم العَلامة العلم الَّذي

غَدا عَن يَميني نوره وَأَمامي

He is the scholar, the sign, the knowledge that

Became the light before me and ahead of me guidance

هُوَ المُقتدى الفَرد الَّذي لِكَماله

بِهِ يقتدي في الفَضل كُل إِمام

The peerless exemplar whom in his perfection

Every leader emulates his excellence

فَلا زالَ لِلحُساد مِن نَصل لَفظه

جسوم بِاشفار النصول دَوامي

Thus the swords of detractors from his sharp utterances

Remain sheathed by hilts for eternity

وَلا زالَ مَولانا لِمَن رامَ كَيدنا

مَدى الدَهر عَن قَوس النكاية رامي

And our patron for those who plot our harm

Remains beyond the bowshot of blame for all time