خذا بي نحو الصوت لا تتبعا الصدى

فما كل نارٍ عندها يوجب الهدى

Take me to the voice, do not follow the echo

For not every fire deserves guidance

ولا تدعوني للفكاهةِ بعدها

فقد ذهبت أيام عمري بها سدى

And do not invite me to jest thereafter

For the days of my life with it have gone in vain

تنيت عناني قارعا سن نادم

لا قرع ما فرطت إذ فاتني الأذى

I pulled my reins hitting the tooth of regret

No knocking of what I missed when harm missed me

تنبهتُ من نوم البطالة حائراً

أمدُّ إلى من مد جانبي اليدا

I woke up from the sleep of idleness, confused

Reaching out to those who extended their hand to me

إذا أنست عيناي نارا قصدتها

لعلى أن القى على النار موقدا

If my eyes forgot a fire I headed towards

Perhaps I will find a lit fire

ومن جدَّ في تحصيل هاد يدلهُ

إِلى الرشد لم يعدم دليلاً ومرشدا

And whoever persevered in attaining guidance

That guides him to righteousness, will not lack a guide

ألا إِن بي للعلم علة حائم

يموت وبرد الماء في فمه صدى

Alas, I have a disabling illness for knowledge

It dies while the coolness of water is still an echo in his mouth

سأهدى من التسهيد ميلاً لمقلتي

ومن صنعة الظلماء ما عشت إثمدا

I will gently guide my disposition away from frivolity

And the ways of the ignorant, as long as I live

ومن كان كسب العلم أكبر همه

طوى بردة الليل التمام مسهدا

And whoever's greatest concern is acquiring knowledge

Spent the cool of night studying to the end

إذا كنت في دعواك أصدق طالب

لعلم فلا تستمل إِلاَّ محمدا

If you are sincere in your request for knowledge

Then do not seek anyone but Muhammad

واعرض عن المظنونِ من فضل غيره

ولا تعدُ عيناك اليقين وقد بدا

And turn away from the presumed excellence of others

And do not consider your eye certainty when it appears

فما يسقط المكيُّ فرضَ صلاتهِ

بظن ولو بعد التجزي قلّدا

The Meccan does not neglect his obligatory prayer

Out of assumption, even after emulating

وعند وجود الما التيممُ باطلٌ

ولا سيما إن طاب قرباً وموردا

And with the availability of water, Tayamum is invalid

Especially if he finds it near and accessible

لقد نشر الريمي بالدرسِ دارساً

من العلم قد أودى وطال به المدى

Al-Raymi spread knowledge by studying

From which he almost perished and which prolonged his life

وانقذ باقيه وقد عكفت به

صروفُ الليالي شاحذاتٍ له المدى

And saved the rest, around which

The nights' twists were sharpening its prolongation

فكم من عويص حل معناه فهمه

وقد كان في أسر الرموزِ مقيّدا

How much of the incomprehensible he understood its meaning

When it was bound in mysterious symbols

وجلّى ظلامَ المشكلاتِ بواضحٍ

من القولِ خلى ناظر الشمس أرمدا

And clarified the darkness of problems with clarity

Of speech that left the eye of the sun blind

يباهي ابن ادريس به كل قدوةٍ

فيأسف إذا لم يقتديه كما اقتدى

The son of Idris boasts about him to every role model

Who regrets if he does not emulate him as he did

وصار عليهم حجة حيثُ خالفوا

ووافقهُ في القولِ أطولهم يدا

And he became evidence against them when they opposed

And the longest of hands agreed with him

نصرتَ مقال الشافعي ولو تشا

سلكتَ طريقاً كنت فيه مقلّدا

You supported Al-Shafi'i's words, and even if you

Followed a path in which you were an imitator

وكم حجة أبرزتها لمخالفٍ

منعت بها أنفاسه أن يصعدا

And how much evidence you presented to an opponent

With which you prevented his breath from ascending

وكان طليقاً بالجدالِ لسانُه

فلما وعى منك المال تقيّدا

And his tongue was eloquent in debate

But when he comprehended your wealth, it was restricted

إِذا ما الحديد الفهم ناجاك لحظهُ

ونازعته المعنى الرقيق تبلّدا

When the understanding iron was enlightened by you for a moment

And the gentle meaning contended with it, it softened

إليك زجرت العزم والشوق مزعجٌ

وفي القلب منه ما أقام وأقعدا

Your determination and yearning called me, troubling

And in the heart from it what stayed and settled

أتيتكَ عطشاناً وبحرُك زاخرٌ

يفيضُ بموج قد تلاطمَ مزبِدا

I came to you thirsty and your sea overflowing

With waves that were turbulent and foamy

وما كنت للصادي سراباً بقيعة

إِذا ما دعا حوليه جاوبه الصدى

And I was not a mirage for the one calling me an expanse

If the echo answers his call around it

فدونكَ من قد جاء يعرض نفسه

فان ترض بي عبداً رضيتُك سيّدا

It is you that someone who came to offer himself

So if you accept me as a servant, I accept you as master

متى تمتحنّي قائلاً تلق واعيا

حفيظاً لما تملي على مردّدا

When you test me saying receive consciously

Retaining what you dictate to the repeater

فخذ بيدي وادلل على الرشد مهتد

فما كل من يؤتي يدل على الهدى

So take me by the hand and guide me to righteousness, guided

For not everyone who comes guides to guidance

وما خابَ من كان الرجاء يقودهُ

إِليك إِلى العلَم المزيّد بالندى

And whoever hope leads him to you

To knowledge, increased with dew, does not despair

وأَنت كثيرٌ في الزمانِ وأهله

وإن كنت قد أصبحت بالعلم مفردا

You are abundant in time and its people

And if you have become unique in knowledge

بقيت لحفظِ العلم ينشر في الورى

فكانت لك الأعداء والاوليا فدا

You remained to preserve knowledge spreading in the world

So enemies and loved ones were devoted to you

ولا زالت النعماءُ دارُك دارَها

تمد بها ظلاً على الخلقِ سرمدا

And blessings remain your house, their house

Shading the people with it eternally