حُيِّيتِ يا مُخْتَطَّ سبْتِ ابْنِ نوحْ
بكُلِّ مُزْنٍ يَغْتَدي أو يَروحْ
Hail, O city laid out by Sabt, son of Noah,
With every rain cloud that comes at dawn or dusk.
وحمّلَ الرّيحانَ ريحُ الصّبا
أمانَةً فيكِ الى كُلِّ روحْ
The morning breeze has charged the basil
To carry a fragrant trust through you to every soul.
دارُ أبي الفَضْلِ عِياضٍ التي
أضْحَتْ برُباهُ رِياضاً تَفوحْ
The house of Abu al-Fadl Iyad, which
Has become, upon its heights, fragrant gardens.
يا ناقِلَ الآثارِ يُعْنَى بِها
وَواصِلاً في العِلْمِ سَيْرَ الجَموحْ
O transmitter of traditions, devoted to them,
Pursuing the swiftest course in learning:
طِرْفُكَ في الفَخْرِ بَعيدُ المَدَى
طَرْفُكَ للمَجْدِ شَديدُ الطّموحْ
Your steed ranges far in pride;
Your gaze aspires ardently to glory.
كَفاكَ إعْجازاً كِتابُ الشِّفا
والصُّبْحُ لا يُنْكَرُ عنْدَ الوضوحْ
The Book of Healing is wonder enough to your credit;
No one denies the morning when it is plain to see.
للّهِ ما أجْزَلْتَ فِينا بهِ
منْ مِنْحةٍ تَقْصُرُ عنْها المُنوحْ
How generous a gift you have bestowed on us!
No lamenting voice can do that gift justice.
رَوْضٌ منَ العِلْمِ هَمَى فوْقَهُ
منْ صَيِّبِ الفِكْرِ الغَمامُ السَّفوحْ
A garden of knowledge over which
The pouring clouds of thought have shed their rain.
فمِنْ بَيانِ الحَقِّ زَهْرٌ نَدٍ
ومنْ لِسانِ الصّدْقِ طَيْرٌ صَدوحْ
From its exposition of truth comes a dewy flower;
From its truthful tongue, a singing bird.
تأرّج العَرْفُ وطابَ الجَنى
وكيفَ لا يُطْعِمُ أو لا يَفوحْ
Its fragrance spreads, and its fruit is sweet;
How could it fail to nourish or give fragrance?
وحُلّةٌ منْ طِيبِ خَيْرِ الوَرى
في الجَيْبِ والأعطافِ منْها نُفوحْ
And a robe scented by the best of humankind
Breathes perfume from its collar and folds.
ومَعْلَمٌ للدّينِ شَيّدْتَهُ
فهَذِهِ الأعْلامُ منْهُ تَلوحْ
You have raised a landmark for the faith;
Its signs shine forth from it.
فقُلْ لِهامانَ كَذا أو فَلا
يا مَنْ أضَلّ الرُّشْدَ تُبْنَى الصّروحْ
So tell Haman: build like this, or do not build,
O you who lost the path of wisdom in raising palaces.
في أحْسَنِ التّقْويمِ أنشأتَهُ
خَلْقاً جَديداً بَيْنَ جِسْمٍ وروحْ
You fashioned it in the finest form,
A new creation between body and spirit.
فعُمْرُهُ المَكْتوبُ لا يَنْقَضي
وإنْ تَقَضّى عُمْرُ سامٍ ونُوحْ
Its written life will never end,
Though the lives of Shem and Noah came to an end.
كأنّه في الحَفْلِ ريحُ الصَّبا
وكُلُّ عِطْفٍ فهْوَ غُصْنٌ مَروحْ
In the gathering it is like the morning breeze;
Every graceful bend is a swaying branch.
ما عُذْرُ مَشْغوفٍ بخَيْرِ الوَرى
إنْ هاجَ منهُ الذِّكْرُ أنْ لا يَبوحْ
What excuse has one devoted to the best of humankind
For staying silent when remembrance stirs within him?
عَجِبْتُ منْ أكْبادِ أهْلِ الهَوى
وقدْ سَطا البُعْدُ وطالَ النّزوحْ
I marvel at the hearts of those in love
When distance strikes and separation grows long:
إنْ ذُكِرَ المَحْبوبُ سالَتْ دَماً
ما هُنَّ أكْبادٌ ولكِنْ جُروحْ
At mention of the beloved, they bleed.
They are no longer hearts, but wounds.
يا سَيّدَ الأوْضاعِ يا مَنْ لهُ
بسَيّدِ الأرْسالِ فَضْلُ الرّجوحْ
O master of compositions, O you who possess
A surpassing merit through the master of the messengers,
يا مَنْ لهُ الفَخْرُ على غَيْرِهِ
والشّهْبُ تَخْفى عِنْدَ إشْراقِ يُوحْ
O you who excel all others in honor:
Meteors vanish at the radiance of Yuh.
يا خَيْرَ مَشْروحٍ وفَى واكْتَفَى
منْهُ ابْنُ مَرْزوقٍ بخَيْرِ الشُّروحْ
O finest work explained, from which Ibn Marzuq
Has drawn a full and excellent commentary.
فَتْحٌ منَ اللهِ حَباهُ بهِ
ومِنْ جَنابِ اللهِ تأتي الفُتوحْ
It is a gift of insight God has granted him;
From God's presence come such gifts of insight.
Sol 6