جَزِعتُ وَلَم يَكُن جَلَدي صَبورا

وَعَن خَلَدي أَبى إِلّا نُفورا

I was distressed, though my patience is not enduring,

And my soul refused all but aversion,

وَخِفتُ وَقَد وَقاني اللَهُ مِن أَن

أَرى يَوماً عَبوساً قَمطَريرا

And I feared, though God protected me from

Seeing a frowning, gloomy day.

عَشِيَّةَ قيلَ تاجُ الدينِ مُضنىً

نَحيفاً يا لَهُ يَفَناً كَبيرا

One evening it was said Crown of Faith was ill

And frail - what a great loss that would be!

فَأَفئِدَةُ الفَضائِلِ واجِفاتٌ

مِنَ الخَوفِ الَّذي مَلَأَ الصُدورا

So the hearts of excellence trembled

With a fear that filled their breasts.

فَوافاني البَشيرُ بِبُرئِهِ مِن

شَكِيَّتِهِ فَقَبَّلتُ البَشيرا

But the herald brought me the news of his recovery

From his illness, so I kissed the herald.

وَلَولا أَنَّني رَجُلٌ فَقيرٌ

لَجُدتُ بِرَشوَةٍ تُغني الفَقيرا

And had I not been a poor man,

I would have rewarded him to enrich the poor.

وَلَكِنّي عَلى مِقدارِ حالي ال

ضَعيفِ نَذَرتُ لِلَهِ النُذورا

But according to my meager means

I vowed offerings to God.

وَلَكِن لَم أَكُن إِلّا لِرَبّي

عَلى إِبلالِهِ عَبداً شَكورا

Yet to my Lord I was but His thankful

And reverent servant in His benevolence.

وَقُلتُ وَنالَني جَذَلٌ عَظيمٌ

مَقالاً لَم يَكُن مَيناً وَزورا

And I spoke - and a great honor came to me -

Words that were honest, not false.

إِذا الكِندِيُّ تاجُ الدينِ زَيدٌ

أَبَلَّ وَلَم يُبَل حُزتُ السُرورا

When the Kendi, Crown of Faith, triumphed

And was not defeated, joy triumphed.

وَصارَ بِبُرئِهِ زَمَني رَبيعاً

مَريعاً مُتأَقاً نَوراً وَنُورا

And by his recovery my era became radiant,

Gleaming, sparkling, light upon light.

يَظَلُّ غُرابُهُ فيهِ مُلِثّاً

رَفيعَ العَيشِ يَأبى أَن يَطيرا

Its raven remains there copiously,

Living well, refusing to fly.

لَدى المَلِكِ المُعَظَّمِ مِنهُ تاجٌ

عَلَيهِ دَهرُهُ غَلَبَ الدُهورا

Before the exalted king, from whom comes a crown

Above which time has defeated eras.

فَكانَ الفارِسِيَّ أَبا عَلِيٍّ

لَدى العَضُدِ الَّذي مَلَكَ الأُمورا

So the Persian was Abu Ali

Before the Support whose rule grasped affairs.

أَبا اليُمنِ اِستَمِع مِنّي قَريضاً

بِعَفوِكَ عَنهُ جاءَكَ مُستَجيرا

O father of fortune, hear from me verses

That came to you seeking your pardon.

وَإِنَّ المُنشِدَ الكِندِيَّ بَيتاً

كَمَن أَهدى إِلى هَجر التُمورا

The Kendi reciter is like one who gifted

Poetry to the hajar al-tumur.

وَها أَنا مُطرِقٌ مِنهُ حَياءً

وَلَو كُنتُ الفَرَزدَقَ أَو جَريرا

And here I am, head bowed in shyness,

Though I were Al-Farazdaq or Jarir.

شَأَوتَ الناسَ في دَركِ المَعالي

فَلَم تَنظُر لَكَ الدُنيا نَظيرا

You have surpassed people in the realm of glory,

So the world did not look upon your like.

لَقَد أُوتيتَ ما لَم يُؤتَ خَلقٌ

فَعِش عُمراً تَفوتُ بِهِ النُسورا

You were given what no people were given,

So live a life by which you defeat the eagles.

وَلَولا الضَعفُ جِئتُ إِلَيكَ أَسعى

لِأَنظُرَ وَجهَكَ القَمَرَ المُنيرا

And were it not for weakness, I would come to you racing

To look upon your moon-like brilliant face.

وَأَنتَ بِما نَفَثتُ بِهِ خَبيرٌ

فَكَيفَ أُنَبِّئُ الفَطنَ الخَبير

And you know what I have exhaled herein,

So how can I inform the wise one?