وَفى ذا السُرورُ بِتِلكَ الكُرَب

وَهَذا المَقامُ بِذاكَ التَعَب

That joy has compensated for those troubles,

And this abode for that toil.

قَدِمتَ فَأَطرَقَ صَرفُ الزَمانِ

عَناءً وَأَغضَت عُيونُ النُوَب

You came, so time's vicissitudes turned away

Vexation, and the eyes of misfortune were shut.

وَمِثلُكَ مَن قَذَفَتهُ الخُطو

بُ في صَدرِ كُلِّ خَميسٍ لَجِب

And none is like you, whom fates hurled

Into the breast of each formidable Thursday,

قَريبُ المُرادِ بَعيدُ المَرامِ

عَظيمُ العَلاءِ جَليلُ الحَسَب

Of lofty purpose, though of aspirations remote,

Great of honor, of lineage sublime.

وَمَن قَلقَلَ البَينُ أَطنابَهُ

وَنالَ أَقاصي المُنى بِالطَلَب

And he whose steps the intervals perturbed

And who attained the utmost goals in seeking,

غَدَت تَشتَكيكَ كُؤوسُ المُدامِ

وَيُثني عَلَيكَ القَنا وَالقُضُب

The wine-cups began to complain of you,

And reed-pipe and flute to praise you.

وَكُنّا نُصانِعُ فيكَ الهُمومَ

فَصِرنا تُصانِعُ فيكَ الطَرَب

We were making troubles assail you,

But now we make joys waylay you.

إِذا ما الفَتى وَصَلَ الزائِري

نَ أَثنَوا عَلَيهِ نَأى أَو قَرُب

When the youth attained the visitors' abode,

Be they far or near, they congratulated him.

وَكَيفَ يُهَنّيكَ لَفظُ اِمرِئٍ

يُهَنّي بِقُربِكَ أَعلى الرُتَب

How should the verse of a man congratulate you,

Who by your nearness attains the loftiest rank?

وَكُنّا بِذِكرِكَ نَشفي الغَليلَ

وَما بَينَنا أَمَدٌ مُنشَعِب

By mentioning you we were healing our sickness,

Though between us distance spread wide.

إِلى أَن تَهَلَّلَ وَجهُ الزَمانِ

وَمَن بانَ مِثلُكَ عَنهُ شَحَب

Until the visage of time smiled,

And for it the aspect of one like you grew pallid.

رَأَينا بِوَجهِكَ نورَ اليَقي

نِ حَتّى خَلَعنا ظَلامَ الرِيَب

We saw by your face the light of certainty,

Till we cast off the darkness of doubt.

وَما زِلتَ تَمسَحُ خَدَّ الصَباحِ

وَتَرحَمُ قَلبَ الظَلامِ الأَشِب

Still you wipe the cheek of the morning

And pity the heart of the murky night,

بِمَطرورَةِ الصَدرِ خَفّاقَةٍ

تَطيرُ مَجاذيفُها كَالعَذَب

With a breast possessing tumultuous waves

Whose oarstrokes dash high.

تُعانِقُكَ الريحُ في صَدرِها

وَيَشتاقُكَ الماءُ حَتّى يَثِب

The wind embraces you to its breast

And the water yearns for you until it leaps.

تَمُرُّ بِشَخصِكَ مَرَّ الجِيادِ

وَتَسري بِرَحلِكَ سَيرَ النُجُب

You pass by with your person the passing of steeds

And travel with your baggage the course of stars.

إِذا اِطَّرَدَت بِكَ خِلتَ القُصو

رَ تُرعَدُ بِالبُعدِ أَو تَحتَجِب

When the castles are deserted by you,

They quake at the distance or draw shy.

يُسَرُّ بِها عاشِقٌ لا يُلَذَّ

ذُ بِالنَأيِ أَو نازِحٌ يَقتَرِب

By them a lover is gladdened who is not gratified by remoteness,

Or a fugitive who draws near.

وَقَد بَلَّغَتكَ الَّذي رُمتَهُ

وَحَقُّ المُبَلِّغِ أَن يُصطَحَب

And you have attained what you were aiming for,

And it is right for him who conveys tidings to be escorted.

أَبا قاسِمٍ كانَ هَذا البِعادُ

إِلى طُرُقِ القُربِ أَقوى سَبَب

Abu Qasim, that distance was to the paths of nearness

The strongest cause.

فَما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ بَدرٍ أَتى

وَلا كُنتَ أَوَّلَ نَجمٍ غَرَب

Nor was I the first full moon to rise

Nor were you the first star to set.

أَلا إِنَّني حَسرَةُ الحاسِدينَ

وَما حَسرَةُ العُجمِ إِلّا العَرَب

Lo, I am the envy of enviers,

And the envy of non-Arabs is none but the Arabs.

فَلا لَبِسوا غَيرَ هَذا الشِعارِ

وَلا رُزِقوا غَيرَ هَذا اللَقَب

So let them wear no garb but this one

And obtain no name but this title!

مَنَحتُكَ مِن مَنطِقي تُحفَةً

رَأَيتُ بِها فُرصَةً تُستَلَب

From my discourse I presented you a gift

I saw therein an opportunity to be seized.

تُصَفِّقُها بِالنَشيدِ الرُواةُ

كَما صَفَّقَ الماءُ بِنتَ العِنَب

The orators will clap it with chanting

As the water clapped the daughter of the vine.

وَأَنتَ تُساهِمُني في العَلا

ءِ فَخراً وَتَشرَكُني في النَسَب

While you make me share in the elevation, pride,

And partnership in pedigree.