وَكانَ سِدَادَ البَابِ عَن مَسْلكِ الهَوَى

وَصَاحِبَ رَأْيٍ كَمْ هَدَى بِسَدادهِ

The bolt on the door barred the path of desire,

And the wise man - how many were guided by his wisdom!

وَسِتْراً علَى السِّتْرِ الرَّفِيعِ بَهاؤهُ

بهِ وَيَزينُ السيفَ حُسْنُ نِجادِهِ

It was a veil over the sublime veil - his brilliance;

By it the sword is adorned - the beauty of its making.

وَقَالوا المَقَاصِيريُّ في وَصْفِ صَنْدَلٍ

لِفَأْلٍ جَرَى بالسَّعْدِ قَبْلَ وِلادهِ

They said of al-Maqasiri in describing a sandal,

"Success flowed with it before its birth."

وَكانتْ مَقَاصِيرُ الجِنَانِ مَحَلّهُ

وَسَادَ وَقَدْ أَمسَتُ مَقَرَّ وِسَادِهِ

The gardens of paradise were its home,

And it ruled though the place of its throne was but a sandal.

وَلَمَّا غَدا إنسانَ عَيْنِ زَمَانِه

بَدا النُّور شَفَّافاً لَنا في سَوادهِ

When as a human he was the eye of his time,

The light dawned on us sheer in its darkness.

وَبيّض إسلامُ النَّجاشيِّ وَجهَهُ

وَقَيْصَرُ دَاجٍ وَجْهُهُ بِعِنادهِ

Islam whitened the face of the Negus,

While Caesar's face was darkened by his obstinacy.