أمنذرٌ ملكٌ قد جاء للبشر

أم طالع السعد وافى داحض الكدر

Is this a warning king who has come for mankind,

Or the rising of good fortune dispelling sorrow?

أم ضوء صبحٍ يلاشي ظلمةً دهمت

أم البشير أتى في أطيب الخبر

Or the light of dawn erasing the darkness of gloom,

Or the giver of glad tidings who has come with the best news?

أم ذا طبيبٌ دنا يشفي لعلتنا

أم أقبل الحبر جبرائيل بالظفر

Or a physician who has approached to heal our ailments,

Or has Gabriel arrived with victory and triumph?

العالم العامل الفرد الذي سطعت

فيه فضائل ما جمعن في بشر

The unique, hardworking, distinguished man in whom

Virtues that none combined in mortals have shone,

ومذ أضاءت به الشهباء وافتخرت

فيه ومن رشده أمست على حذر

And by whom the stars have become radiant and proud,

And through his wisdom have become cautious.

فأصبحت جنة مما أفاض بها

من حسن منطقه بالمعنى مبتكر

So it has become a paradise from what he has poured into it

Of eloquent meaningful innovative speech.

ومن جلا لظلام الجهل حين دجا

بالعزم والحزم شبه الصارم الذكر

And from the darkness of ignorance when it covered

With determination and wisdom like a drawn sword.

حلال مشكلةٍ كشاف معضلةٍ

نقاد عاطلةٍ بالذوق والنظر

Solving a complex issue, clarifying a dilemma,

Criticizing laziness with taste and insight.

القائل الفصل لم تخطئ روايته

والفاضل المخلص الصافي من الكدر

The decisive speaker whose narration is never wrong,

The virtuous devoted one pure from murkiness.

مذ أصبحت للورى أعتاب سدته

ملجا العفاة ومنجي الخلائف الحذر

Since he has become for mankind thresholds blocking

The refuge of the destitute and savior of the wary.

يلقاك طلق المحيا وهو مبتسمٌ

بمنطقٍ خلته أبهى من الشذر

You meet him with a bright smile and he is smiling

With speech that is more beautiful than splendor.

له مزايا كزهر الروض مقصرةً

فشأن مثلك ينفي العيب بالعذر

He has virtues like flowers of a meadow,

So it is natural for the likes of you to make excuses for shortcomings.

واستر قاني تركت الشعر من زمنٍ

لشاغلٍ عنه غشى مقلة الفكر

And cover, O you who have neglected poetry for a time

Preoccupied from it, overwhelmed by contemplation’s concerns.

وإن تكن من بليغ القول عاطلةً

فقد تحلت بعقد المدح كالدرر

And if you have been silent in eloquent speech

You are adorned with a necklace of pearls in praise.