ودارِ عَلاً لم يكن غيرُها

لدائرة الفخر من مركزِ

A house of lofty heights, none other like it

For the circle of pride from its center

بها قد تضمَّن صدرُ النديّ

فتىً ليديه الندى يَعتزي

In it the chest of the eminent contained

A youth, his hands adorned with bounty

صليبُ الصفاة صليبُ القناةِ

عودُ معاليه لم يُغمَزِ

The cross of purity, the cross of canal

The standard of his greatness, unbent

أرى المدحَ يقصُرُ عن شأوهِ

فأَطنب إذا شئت أو أوجز

I see praise falls short of his merit

So elaborate if you wish, or make concise

فلستَ تحيطُ بوصف امرءٍ

نشا هو والمجدُ في حيِّز

You cannot encompass describing a man

Who arose, he and glory in one place

ربيبُ المكارمِ تِرب السماح

قِرى المعتفي ثروةُ المُعوِز

Nurtured in generosity, bred in leniency

The refuge of the protected, wealth of the deprived

فأيَّ العوارفِ لم يبتدئ

وأيّ المواعيد لم يُنجِز

Which of the wise did not start with him

And which of the promises he did not fulfill

فتىً في صريح العُلى ليس فيه

لكاشحِ علياهُ من مغمز

A youth in the palace of the exalted, none in it

Of climbers to his heights with a critic

وذو هاجسٍ أينما رجَّه

فما طلبُ الغيبِ بالمعجز

And one anxious, wherever it took him

The unseen was not sought with miracles

تراه خبيراً بلحنِ المقالِ

بصيراً بتعميةِ المُلغَز

You see him skilled in the melody of speech

Insightful in the riddles of the obscure

نسجنَ المكارمُ أبرادَهُ

وقلنَ لأيدي الثنا طرِّزي

Generosity wove his cloak

And said to the hands of praise, embroider

ترى الدهر يحلبُ من كفِّه

لبونَ ندىً قطُّ لم تعزز

You see time milk from his palm

A gentleness of dew, never parched