أرَى الثَّغْر بَسَّاماً بِذِكْرِكَ عَاطِراً
تَبضَّعَ مِنهُ الدُّرُّ والمِسْكُ جَالِبُ
I see your smile light up mouths like fragrant pearls
From which ambergris and musk are extracted
أقَمْتَ مَنَارَ العَدْلِ فَوْقَ مَنارِهِ
فَلاذَتْ بِحَقْويهِ النُّجومُ الثَّواقِبُ
You erected the minaret of justice above its minarets
So the fixed stars took shelter in its pillars
وَيَّمهُ مَن في البَسطِيْنِ سَالِكٌ
فَحَادٍ وَمَلاَّحٌ وَماشٍ وَرَاكِبُ
It is frequented by all who tread the two continents
Traveler, sailor, walker or rider
وَأَوْرَدْتَ لَيْثَ الغَابِ والأُسْدِ مَشْرَعاً
غَدا جَانِحاً في السِّلْم فِيهِ المُحَارِبُ
You brought the lion of the jungle and the lion to pasture
Tomorrow it turns docile, warring no more
فَمَا رَعَدَتْ فيهِ لِظَبْيٍ فَرائِصٌ
وَلا نَشَبَتْ فيهِ لِلَيْثَ مَخَالِبُ
No claws or talons are bared there by beasts
No weapons are drawn by warriors
إذا نَاطِقٌ سَمَّاكَ فَالماءُ جَامِدٌ
لِمَوْقِعهِ في القَلْبِ والصَّخْرُ ذَائِبُ
When you are praised, the water stands still
As your name settles into hearts like melting rock
وَمَا ذاكَ إلاَّ أَنَّهُ خَافَ رَبَّهُ
وَهَابُ فَكُلٌّ خَائِفٌ مِنهُ هائِبُ
That is only because they fear their Lord
And all in awe of you stand trembling
تَدرَّعَ ثَوْبَ الهَوْلِ واللَّيْلُ يَافِعٌ
وَشَابَتْ بهِ فَوْداهُ واللَّيْلُ شَائِبُ
You don the robe of awe and the night grows dark
Its furrows creased, the night grows grey
وَأَصبحَ مَطلوباً مِن الدَّهرِ خَائِفاً
وَكَيْفَ لهُ بِالأَمْنِ والدَّهْرُ طَالِبُ
And dawn breaks to find you sought yet afraid
How can you feel safe when time is hunting you?
إذا أَنتَ جَارٌ لابن بِاخِلَ فاعتَصِمْ
بِأَرْوَعَ لَمْ تَطْرُقْ حِمَاهُ النوائِبُ
Neighbor of the heir of Bakheel, seek protection
In the most wondrous shelter, safe from afflictions
وَنَادٍ بِنَادٍ لِلأميرِ مُحمَّدٍ
أَلا مَن يُغالي في العُلا وَيُغَالِبُ
Call upon call for Prince Muhammed
Can anyone vie in glory and prevail?
وَصِفْ أُمَوِيّاً ما لَوَى المَطْلُ وَعْدَهُ
وَأَنَّى وَجَدَّاهُ لُؤَيٌ وَغالبُ
Describe the Umayyad, how oaths twisted him
Where did they find him, weak and defeated?
وَدَلَّ على آبائهِ بإِبائهِ
وبالفَرْع تَسْتَفْرِى الأُصُولُ الأَطَايِبُ
His fathers are revealed by his disgrace
The branches lay bare the noble roots
وَقَدْ سَادَ حَتَّى أَوَّلِيه بِمَجْدِهِ
فَهَا عَبْدُ شَمْسٍ مِنهمُ اسْمٌ مُنَاسِبُ
He ruled to the extent of overpowering his peers
How many difficulties has he resolved? How can
وَكْمٌ مُشْكلاتٍ قَد جَلاها وكَيفَ لا
يُخَلَّى بِضَوْءِ الشَّمسِ وَهْيَ غَيَاهِبُ
The sun's rays not dispel even the deepest darkness?
The Ukaz market his quadrangle and its measure
وسُوقُ عكاظٍ رَبْعُهُ وَهْوَ قُسُّهُ
وَهَا نَحنُ أَلقَتْنا إليهِ السَّبَاسِبُ
To him we have relinquished the reins
The disciplines of study and self he has mastered
وَآدابُ دَرْسٍ ثُمَّ نَفْسٍ حَواهُما
فَقَدْ نَاسَبَتْ تِلكَ المَُالي المَناسِبُ
Befitting his exalted qualities
What wisdom you bring, what marvels
وَكَمْ حِكَمٍ تَأْتي بِها وَعَجَائِبٍ
بِها تَأْنَسُ الأَفْهامُ وَهْيَ غَرائِبُ
With which minds are delighted, however novel
It is as if we see Alexander still living
كَأنَّا نَرَى الإسكندرَ الآنَ قاطِناً
بِبلدتهِ أوأرسطا ليسَ نَائِبُ
In his town or Aristotle, no deputy
