نُفوسُ العالَمينَ لك الفِداءُ

فكيف ألَمّ يُؤْلِمُك اشتِكاء

The souls of both worlds are yours for sacrifice

So how could any complaint cause you pain?

وكيفَ خَطا إلى ناديكَ يُفضي

وبالخَطّي قد شَرِق الفَضاء

And how did anxiety find its way,

To spill into your gathering place?

وللجُرْد المُطَهّمَة ارْتِكاضٌ

وللبِيض المُهَنَّدَة انْتِضاء

For polished shields there is flashing,

For straightened mail shirts there is clanging.

فِداؤك حاضِرٌ مِنهم وبادٍ

لأنَّك ما بَقِيتَ لَهُم وقاء

From them is an absent offer of sacrifice—

Because for them you are no shelter.

دَعَوا لك بالخُلودِ وَقد أجيبوا

ولا رَدٌّ إذا خَلُصَ الدُّعاء

They called for your eternity and were answered,

When a sincere prayer finds response.

هُم اقْتَرحوا بَقَاءك لِلْمَعالي

لِيَهْنِئَهم بِدَوْلَتِك البَقاء

They proposed you remain for the heights

That you might allow the heights joy through your survival.

وأمّا الدّين والدُّنيا فَلولا

شِفاؤك لم يُتَحْ لَهما شِفاء

But for religion and world, if not for

Your recovery no recovery would bare for them.

فإن عُوفِيت عوفِيت البَرايا

وَقد ناجى مَعَالِمَها العَفاء

For if you convalesce, the lands convalesce,

And their high points are saved from peril.

ولولا أنْ أفقت لما تجلّت

بأفْقٍ في أشعتِها ذُكاء

And if you had not awakened, no glimmer would have sparkled

In a horizon whose beams bear brilliance.

ولا ضَحِكتْ بُروقٌ في سحاب

لَها من عارض الشّكْوى بُكاء

No lightning in clouds would have smiled

With a cheer opposing the plaint of weeping.

نضا عنك الضّنى بُرْءٌ سعيدٌ

كمَا رَوّتْ صَدى الأرْضِ السّماء

Danger spared you, so happiness heals,

As the echo of the land related to the sky.

وَجَلّلَ وَجْهَكَ الوَضّاحَ نُورٌ

إلى الإصْباح يُنْميهِ النّماء

And your face that gives light was mantled with a glow

Growing toward dawn through prosperity.

كَذاك الشمسُ إن كُسِيتْ شُحوباً

جَلاه النور عَنها والضياء

Just so the sun when clothed in pallor,

Radiance and illumination swept pallor from it.

حَياةُ النّاسِ في تَخْليدِ يَحْيى

وَهل في أبْلَجِ الحقّ امْتِراء

People’s lives are in immortalizing John,

Can there be doubt in the truth’s shining beams?

إمامُ هُدى بِهِ اتّصَل اعْتِدَالٌ

مِنَ الأيّامِ وانْفَصَلَ اعْتِدَاء

The Imam of guidance through whom moderation was linked

From the days, and transgression was severed.

لِغُرّتِه النواظِرُ سامِيات

كما شَاءَ السّنى وشَأى السّنَاء

Eyes were dazzled by his charm,

However times list and fortunes spun.

وما سحّت يَداهُ نَداه إلا

تَبَيّن في الحَيا مِنْهُ الحَياء

And nothing his hands dispensed gave him shame

But was shown in life from him to give life propriety.

أمَوْلايَ أنادي مِنْ بَعيدٍ

ليُظْفرَني بإدنائي النّداء

My prince I call from afar,

That the call might grant me approach.

ولَوْ أنّ الهوى بالقصدِ وافٍ

لَطار إليكَ بالقلبِ الهواء

If my passion equaled my aim,

The breath in my heart would take wing toward you.

وأوشِك أن لاقِيَ كلّ حُسنى

وإحْسان متى سَنَح اللقاء

And I am about to meet every beautiful horizon,

And find grace when we chance to meet.

أقِمْ لِسَعادةٍ يَهْفو ويَضْفو

علَيكَ على الوَلاء لها لِواء

Stand for a happiness that floats and drips

Upon you, over the banners sworn to it.

وَأهلُ السّهْلِ والجَبل انقياداً

وإذعاناً عَبيدٌ أو إماء

While the people of plain and hill bow in obedience—

Slaves or servant girls.

فلا بأس وأنت لنا غياثٌ

ولا يَأسٌ وأنتَ لنا رَجَاء

So no distress while for us you are rescue,

No despair while for us you are hope.

ودونَك مِدْحَةً أوْجَزْتُ فيها

وكُنتُ أطِيلُها لولا الجَفاء

Concise before you an ode I made,

Though I’d have prolonged it, but for my reticence.

ومن شرطِ العيادات اخْتِصار

وهذا الأصْلُ يُطْردُه الهناء

For visit rites demand abridgement,

And this principle is escorted by delight.

لعَلَّ عُلاك تُوسِعُني بحُبّي

قَبُولاً إنّه نِعْمَ الحِبَاءُ

Perhaps your ascent will make me spacious to my love—

Graciously receiving for he is excellent at gift-bestowal.