أسَيفَ الوَزَارَةِ بُورِكتَ مِن

حُسَامٍ وَأيَّدتَ مِن حَامِلِ

O sword of ministry, you were blessed with

A sharp blade and supported by a steadfast handle

وَيَا سَيِّداً هَأم بِالمعلَوَاتِ

فَلَم يُصغِ فِيهَا إلَى عَاذِلِ

And O eminent master, he consulted widely

Yet paid no heed to the detractor

فَجَدَّدَ كُلَّ فَخارٍ مَحِيلٍ

وَألقَحَ كُلَّ رجاً حَائِلِ

So he renewed every decaying glory

And inspired every despondent soul

وَقَالَ لَهُ المَجدُ كُن نَاصِرِي

فَثَارَ إلَى دَعوَةِ القَائِل

And glory said to him, be my champion

So he rose to the call of the sayer

سَمَا لِلمَكَارِمِ حَتَّى انتَهَى

لِمَا فَوقَ أمنِيَةِ الامِلِ

He aspired to the highest virtues until he attained

What surpassed the hopes of the aspirant

فَغَادَرَ طُلاَّبَهَأ يَخطُبُونَ

وَسَارَ عَلَى المَنهَجِ السَّابِلِ

Then he left his students still seeking

And followed the exemplary path

أحَلَّتهُ بِالأزدِ أقلاَمُهُ

مَحَلَّةَ سَحبَانَ فِي وَائِلِ

His pens made him dwell in nobility

Like the abode of Suhban among the eminent

تَفَجَّرَ خَاطِرُهُ وَالبَنَانُ

بِبَحرينِ لِلعِلمِ وَالنَّائِلِ

His ideas and words poured forth

In two seas of knowledge and attainment

فَغُص بَحرَ دُرّ العِبَاتِ الكرَأ

مِ أو دُرَر المَنطِقِ الحَافِلِ

So the sea of pearls of eloquence swelled

And the sea of logical jewels overflowed

نَوَالٌ نَفى الجُودَ عَن حَاتِمٍ

وَلَفظٌ نَفَى السِّحرَ عَن بابِلِ

His munificence outshone Hatim's generosity

And his eloquence surpassed Babylon's magic

لَهُ قَلَمٌ يُسفِرُ النَّفعُ مِن

هُ وَالضُّرُّ عَن بَاسِمٍ بَاسِلِ

His pen produces benefit

And shields from harm like an impregnable fortress

نَحِيلٌ عَنَاهُ انتِقَاءُ الكَلاَم

لَقَد جَلَّ مِن ناحِلٍ نَاجِلِ

Selective in speech, a bee

He has certainly excelled as a productive bee

قَصِيرٌ يَقُولُ لِسُمرِ القَنَأ

رُويدَكَ طُلتِ بِلاَ طَائِلِ

Concise, he says to verbose rambling

Restrain yourself, you strive pointlessly

يُرِي فِي الصَّرِيرِ بَياناً كَمَا

يُرَى العِتقُ فِي نَغمَةِ الصَّاهِلِ

His clarity in diction shows

Like the purity in the trill of a warbler

أصَابَ مَقَاتِلَ أغرَاضِهِ

فِنلنَ الحَيَاةَ مِنَ القَائِلِ

He hit his targets

And drew life from the sayer

وَأثبَتَ فِي الصُّحفِ زَهرَ الرَّبِيعِ

فَحَدّث عَن المُثمِرِ الذَّبِلِ

And inscribed in books the flowers of spring

Relating the faded remnants

أبَا بَكرِ افخَر وَحَسبُ الحَسُودِ

مًغَالَطَةُ الزّجّ لِلعَامِلِ

Abu Bakr, boast! The envy of foes

Is but the deluded censure of the worker

فَإننَّ الثَّنَاءَ الَّذِي فِي سِوَاكَ

لأضيَعُ مِن كَاتِبٍ عَاطِلِ

For the praise not from you

Would be wasted on the idle eulogizer

لَكَ الطُّول لَكِنَّ نَجمَ الذَّميمِ

تَعَامَى عَلَى رَأيِكَ الفَاضِلِ

Yours is the height, though the star of blamer

Turned a blind eye to your excellent view

إذا الجَذبُ كَانَ طِبَاعُ الثَّرَى

فَلاَ ذَنبَ لِلعَارِضِ الهَأطِلِ

If pulling down is the nature of earth

The passing cloud bears no blame

كَأنِّي خُفِضتُ بِحُكمِ البِنَا

فَمَا أتَغيَّرُ لِلعَامِلِ

It's as if I was debased by construction

Yet remain unchanged by the worker

وَلَكِنَّنِي بَعدُ أسنِدتُ مِنكَ

إلَى عِصمَةِ الادَبِ الخَامِلِ

Rather, I was later supported by you

To the safekeeping of perfect manners

وَلَيسَ يَخِيبُ انقِطَاعِي إلَيكَ

لأنِّي انقَطَعتُ إلَى وَاصِلِ

My bond with you will not disappoint

For I have bonded with the eternal

أبِيتُ أجِلُّ عَلَيكَ الظُنُونَ

فَتَسرَحُ فِي السُّؤدَدِ الكَامِلِ

I cherish high hopes of you

To roam freely in perfect bliss

وَأخطِرُ ذِكرَكَ فِي خَاطِرِي

فَأوقِنُ بِالفَرَجِ العَاجِلِ

And I ponder your mention in my thoughts

Certain of imminent relief

لِتَنزِيهِيَ اسمكَ أن يَلتَقِي

مَعَ النَّاسِ فِي الخُلُدِ الامِلِ

To absolve your name from meeting

With people in everlasting perfection

ظَهَرتَ عَلَى كُبَرَاءِ الزَّمَانِ

ظُهُورَ اليَقِينِ عَلَى البَاطِلِ

You triumphed over the great men of the age

As certainty triumphs over falsehood

وَمِثلُكَ يَملأ كَفَّ المُقِيمِ

وَيَنهَضُ مِن قَدَمِ الرَّاحِلِ

And the like of you fills the hand of the dweller

And rises from the foot of the departing