بِحُكْمِ العَدْلِ من قاضِي السَّماءِ

حباكَ بِحَقِّ أَحكامِ القَضاءِ

With the judgment of justice from the Judge of the heavens

He gifted you the right to judge with fairness

وِراثَةَ مُورِثِ الأَبناءِ مِمَّا

تَحَلّى مِنْ تُرَاثِ الأَنْبِياءِ

Inheriting from the Inheritor of the children

Adorned with the inheritance of the prophets

أبٌ وَفَّاكَ مِيراثَ المساعي

كما وَفَّيْتَهُ عَهْدَ الوَفاءِ

A father fulfilled your inheritance of efforts

As you fulfilled the covenant of loyalty

تَهَدَّى فَارْتَدى حِلْماً وعِلْماً

فلَمْ تُسبَقْ إِلَى ذَاكَ الرِّداءِ

You were guided, so you donned wisdom and knowledge

None preceded you in wearing that cloak

لِتَلْبَسَهُ بإِفضالٍ وفَضْلٍ

وتَنْشُرَهُ بِهَدْيٍ واهْتِدَاءِ

That it may clothe you with grace and merit

And spread through you guidance and righteousness

نَماكَ وَقَدْ بَنى دِيناً ودُنْيا

لِتَخْلُفَهُ عَلَى ذَاكَ البِناءِ

He brought you up and built a religion and life

That you may succeed him in that building

وشَيَّدَهُ بإِخلاصِ الأَمانِي

وأَسَّسَهُ بِمَقْبُولِ الدُّعاءِ

Constructing it with the sincerity of wishes

And founding it on the acceptable supplication

عَلِيماً أَنَّ أَرْفَعَ مَا بَناهُ

بناءٌ أُسُّهُ لَكَ فِي السَّماءِ

Knowing that the highest thing he built

Is a building whose pillar lies in the heavens

وأَزْكى مَنْ زَكا صِدْقاً وعَدْلاً

زَكِيٌّ حاز ميراث الزَّكاءِ

And the purest one purified in truth and justice

Is the successful one who won the inheritance of purity

فمازَكَ ذو الجلالِ بِعِلْمِ غَيْبٍ

وفَرَّكَ ذُو الرِّياسَةِ عن ذّكاءِ

So the Majestic purified you with the knowledge of the unseen

And the Sublime emancipated you from cleverness

مَلِيكٌ كُلَّمَا بَلَغَ انْتِهاءً

مِنَ العَلْيا أَهَلَّ إِلَى ابْتِداءِ

A king, whenever he reached a limit

Of the most high, he inspires towards a beginning

فَسُؤْدَدُهُ كَجُودِ يَدَيْهِ جارٍ

منَ الدُّنيا إِلَى غَيرِ انْتِهاءِ

So his generosity is like the generosity of hands giving

From the world to without an end

تَجَلَّى فِي بهاءِ نَدىً وعَدْلٍ

ومَدَّ عَلَيْكَ من ذَاكَ البَهاءِ

He manifested in the brilliance of softness and justice

And extended to you some of that brilliance

رجاءٌ فيكَ صُدِّقَ كي يُجازى

كما اسْتَدْعَاكَ تصديقُ الرَّجاءِ

A hope in you, truthful, to be rewarded

As supplicating you sincerely called for reward

وجَزلاً من عطاءِ اللهِ أَعْدَى

يَدَيْكَ بِهِ جزيلاتُ العَطَاءِ

And plenty from the Giving of God brought

To your hands the abounding grants

لتصْرِفَ دعوةَ المظلومِ عَنْهُ

كما صَرَفَ السَّوَامَ إِلَى الرِّعاءِ

To divert the call of the wronged from him

As the shepherd diverted the herd to pasture

وتَرْعى موقِفَ المَلْهوفِ عَنْهُ

يُلَبِّي نَفْسَهُ قَبْلَ النِّداءِ

And tend to the stance of the fervent for him

Answering himself before calling

وتبسُطَ منك للغُرَباءِ وَجْهاً

يُجَلِّي عَنْهُمُ كُرَبَ الجَلاءِ

And extend from you to strangers a face

That reveals from them the worries of exile

فَتُبْلِيَ فِيهِمُ سِيَرَ ابْنِ يَحْيى

كما أَبْلاكَ محمودَ البَلاءِ

So you are tested in them the path of the son of Zechariah

As the Praiseworthy tested you with tribulation

فأَعْطى القَوْسَ بارِيَها وشُدَّتْ

عَرَاقِي الدَّلْوِ فِي كَرَبِ الرَّشَاءِ

So he gave the bow its width and the buckets of the water skin were pulled

In the hardship of leanness

ورُدَّ الرُّوحُ فِي جِسْمِ المَعَالي

ولاحَ النَّجْمُ فِي أُفْقِ السَّماءِ

And the soul returned in the body of glories

And the star shone in the horizon of the sky

وجُرِّدَ للهُدى والحقِّ سيفٌ

مُحَلَّىً بالمحامِدِ والثَّناءِ

And a sword adorned for guidance and truth was stripped

Studded with praise and commendation

فوَلّى النُّكْرُ مهزومَ النَّوَاحِي

وجاءَ العُرْفُ منشورَ اللِّواءِ

So the ignorance retreated, defeated on all sides

And propriety came spreading the banner

وغارَ الظُّلمُ فِي ظُلَمِ الدَّياجِي

ولاحَ العدلُ فِي حُلَلِ الضِّياءِ

And injustice faded into the darkness of night

And justice shone in the dresses of light

بِيُمْنٍ أَلبَسَ الأَيَّامَ نُوراً

يُدِيلُ مِنَ الشَّدائِدِ بالرَّخاءِ

With prosperity he clothed the days in light

Repelling from them the adversities with comfort

وأحكاماً بَثَثْنَ العدلَ حَتَّى

تقاسَمَها الأَباعِدُ بالسَّواءِ

And judgments disseminating justice until

The distant lands shared them equally

وأخلاقاً خُلِقْنَ منَ التَّمَنِّي

فلاقَتْ كُلَّ هَمٍّ بالشِّفاءِ

And morals created from yearning

So they met every worry with remedy

فهُنَّ الماءُ فِي صَفْوٍ ولينٍ

وسَوْغٍ وَهْيَ نارٌ فِي الذَّكاءِ

They are water in purity, softness, and smoothness

And sharp fire in intelligence

فما بالنَّفْسِ عنها مِن تَناهٍ

ولا بالسِّرِّ عنها من خَفاءِ

So the soul is not disgusted of them

Nor is the secret from them in concealment

فكم جَلَّيْتَ من نَظَرٍ جَليٍّ

قرأْتَ بِهِ أَساطِيرَ الدَّهاءِ

So how many insightful insights you revealed

By which you read the myths of cunning

وكم أَوْرَيْتَ من زَنْدٍ ثَقُوبٍ

أَراكَ سِراجُهُ غَيْبَ الرِّياءِ

And how many probing probes you implemented

By which the lamp showed you the unseen of hypocrisy

وكم أَحيَيْتَ من ناءٍ غريبٍ

فقيدِ الأَهْلِ مُنْبَتِّ الإِخاءِ

And how many estranged ones you revived

So the estranged became kindred in brotherhood

وكم نَفَّستَ كُرْبَةَ مستكينٍ

تَأَخَّرَ عنهُ نَصْرُ الأَولِياءِ

And how many poor you relieved

When the aid of the loyal was delayed from him

وكم جَلَّيْتَ من خطْبٍ جليلٍ

وكم دَاوَيْتَ من داءٍ عَياءِ

And how many glorious undertakings you accomplished

And how many corruptions you cured

ولا كَبَني سبيلٍ شَرَّدَتْهُمْ

عن الأَوْطانِ قاضِيَةُ القضاءِ

Without building a road the trials scattered them

From homelands, the judgment of fate abandoned

عواصِف فِتْنَةٍ غَمَّتْ بِغَيْمٍ

بوارِقُهُ سُيُوفُ الإِعْتِداءِ

Storms of strife clouded with a cloud

Whose lightnings were the swords of transgression

فأَصْعَقَهُمْ براعِدَةِ المنايا

وأَمْطَرَهُمْ شآبِيبَ الفَناءِ

So it thundered them with the lightning of death

And rained upon them the downpours of demise

وطافَ عَلَيْهِمُ طُوفانُ رَوْعٍ

أَفاضَ بِهِمْ إِلَى القفْرِ الفضاءِ

And the flood of horror roamed over them

Flowing with them to the empty desert

سهامُ نَوىً إِلَى بَرٍّ وبَحْرٍ

وأَغراضٌ لِنُشَّابِ البلاءِ

Arrows aiming to land and sea

And purposes for the youth of affliction

سَرَوْا فَشَرَوْا بأَفياءٍ صَوافٍ

فيافِيَ لا يَقِينَ من الضَّحاءِ

They travelled so they scattered in barren deserts

Whose bareness cannot be protected from exposure

وحُمْرَ الموتِ من خُضْرِ المَغَانِي

وسُودَ البيدِ من بِيضِ المُلاءِ

And the red of death from the green of pleasures

And the black of destruction from the white of belvederes

ومن كِلَلِ السُّتورِ كلالِ خُوصٍ

وَعَدْتَهُمُ النجاةَ عَلَى النِّجاءِ

And from the weariness of veils, the exhaustion of withering

And you promised them salvation through survival

وَقَدْ جَدَعَتْ أُنوفَ العِزِّ منهُمْ

خطوبٌ سُمْتَهُمْ أَنفَ الإِباءِ

And hardships had severed the noses of their honor from them

Misfortunes clothed them in garments of humiliation

وأَلْبَسَهُمْ ثِيابَ الذُّلِّ خطبٌ

يَلِيهِمْ فِي ثِيابِ الكِبْرِياءِ

That show them in the clothes of arrogance

And a torrent attached them to the deep sea

وَأَلْحَقَهُمْ بِلُجِّ البَحْرِ سَيْلٌ

يَمُدُّ مُدَودَهُ فَيْضُ الدِّماءِ

Extending its flow, the outpouring of blood

So nearly a breeze they fell into blew them away

فَوَشْكاً مَا هَوى بِهِمُ هواءٌ

تأَلَّفَهُمْ بأَفئِدَةٍ هَوَاءِ

Which befriended them in desolate ruins

And the erasure of water of what it etched in it

وحالَ الموجُ دونَ بَني سَبيلٍ

يَطيرُ بهمْ إِلَى الغَوْلِ ابْنُ ماءِ

Homes they left for the ruins

And the slapping of waves in them every face

أَغَرُّ لَهُ جَناحٌ من صباحٍ

يُرَفْرِفُ فَوْقَ جُنْحٍ من مساءِ

Faces that estrangement had turned away from them

And their absence made the water's purity from it

يُذَكِّرُهُمْ زَفِيفُ الرِّيحِ فِيهِ

تناوُحَها بِرَبْعِهِمُ الخَلاءِ

Absent from the brethren of purity

As if they exchanged playfulness for fear

ومَحْوُ الماءِ مَا يَخْتَطُّ فِيهِ

دياراً خلَّفوها لِلْعَفاءِ

And the vastness of water for the vastness of demise

And from splashing and spaciousness the splashing of wind

وصَكُّ الموجِ فِيهَا كُلَّ وَجْهٍ

وُجُوهاً ساوَرَتْهُمْ بالجَفاءِ

And from the playing of passion the playing of air

As if land and sea contended

وعُدْمُهُمُ صفاءَ الماءِ مِنْهُ

بِعُدْمِهِمُ لإِخوانِ الصَّفاءِ

Trade which concerns them is the furthest from praise

They sell desires for tyrannical sale

بِحيثُ تَبَدَّلُوا باللَّهْوِ هَوْلاً

ورَحْبَ الماءِ من رَحْبِ الفِنَاءِ

And they buy misfortunes at high prices

Yet the merchandise from worries

ومن قَصْفٍ وراحٍ قَصْفَ رِيحٍ

ومن لَعِبِ الهَوى لَعِبَ الهواءِ

Rose in them in profit and growth

So how many wishes they sought with wishes

كَأَنَّ البَرَّ والبحرَ اسْتَطَارَا

تِجاراً هَمُّهُمْ بُعْدُ الثِّناءِ

And how many happinesses they sold for misery

And how many their tears overflowed, extending

يبيعونَ الرَّغائِبَ بَيْعَ بَخْسٍ

ويَشْرُونَ المصائِبَ بالغَلاءِ

The abundance of the sea with ample water

Their sides moaned in lament

ولكنَّ البضائِعَ من هُمُومٍ

عَلَتْ بالرِّبحِ فيهمْ والنَّماءِ

Calling upon the sun, alas the abandoned!

And how many turbulent seas amidst darkness they crossed

فكَمْ طَلَبُوا الأَمَانِي بالأَمانِي

وكم باعُوا السَّعادَةَ بِالشَّقَاءِ

And how many lands they made desolate without wealth

And death came demanding souls

وكم فاضَتْ مدامِعُهُمْ فَمَدَّتْ

عُبابَ البَحْرِ بالماءِ الرُّواءِ

Taken by its decree, the hand of destiny

Yet demise did not drive it back in mercy

وَقَدْ وَفَدَتْ جوانِحُهُمْ بِشَجْوٍ

ينادي الشَّمْسَ حيَّ عَلَى الصَّلاءِ

But the prolonging of disease with medicine

So which herald heralded them

وكم خاضُوا كَهِمَّتِهِمُ بُحوراً

وكم عَدِمُوا الثَّرى عَدَمَ الثَّرَاءِ

To a land imagined to be in the sky

And how the sea avoided them

وجاءَ الموتُ مُقْتَضِياً نفوساً

لَوَتْ بِقَضائِهِنَّ يَدُ القضاءِ

Its avoidance from foam being rude

And how strange the nights, which sea

وما رَدَّ الرَّدى عنها حَنَاناَ

ولكِنْ مَطْلَ داءٍ بالدَّواءِ

Roared between folds of clouds

And who would hear that night stars

فَلأْياً مَا أَهَلَّ بِهِم بشِيرٌ

إِلَى أَرضٍ تَخَيَّلُ فِي سَماءِ

Fell with their full moons, they are those

And their course missed the horizon of the son of Zechariah

ولأْياً مَا تجافى اليَمُّ عَنْهُمْ

تجافِيَهُ عنِ الزَّبَدِ الجُفَاءِ

So that their knowledge erred in alchemy

And how many friends travelled without guide

ويا عَجَبَ الليالي أَيُّ بَحْرٍ

تَغَلْغَلَ بَيْنَ أَثناءِ الغُثَاءِ

To it, while the riding animal without halter

And how many riders were protected

ومن يَسْمعْ بأَنَّ نُجومَ لَيْلٍ

هَوَتْ مَعْ بَدْرِها فَهُمُ أُولاءِ

From the arrows of calamities without protection

They did not drink the waters of earth until

وأَخْطَأَ سَيْرُهُمْ أُفْقَ ابْنِ يَحْيى

لِيُخْطِئَ عِلْمُهُمْ بِالكِيمياءِ

It left their faces without water

Nor did they live the life of living

وكم سَرَتِ الرِّفاقُ بِلا دَليلٍ

إِلَيْهِ والمطيُّ بلا حُدَاءِ

Except casting off the cloaks of modesty

Nor did they come to the desert until

وكم وُقِيَتْ رِكابٌ يَمَّمَتْهُ

سِهامَ النائِباتِ بلا وِقاءِ

The throats were filled with thirst

Nor did time guide them to it until

فما شَرِبُوا مياهَ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى

تَرَكْنَ وجوهَهُمْ من غَيْرِ ماءِ

I thought my enemies had died from my disease

Nor did they cast the staff of travel until

ولا نَشَقُوا حياةَ العَيْشِ إِلّا

وَقَدْ خَلَعُوا جَلابِيبَ الحَياءِ

The palate of the inner realm faded from meeting

Nor did they reach the climate of al-Ais except

ولا جابُوا إِلَيْهِ القَفْرَ حَتَّى

تَجَاوَبَتِ الحمائِمُ بالبُكاءِ

Fatal thirst was in the throat

And in the Lord of servants is the comfort of honor

ولا دَلَّ الزَّمانُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى

حَسِبْتُ عِدَايَ قَدْ مَاتُوا بِدائِي

For humiliation that overcame the honor of comfort

And in the Victorious there is refuge and victory

وَلا أَلْقَوا عَصا التَّسيارِ حَتَّى

عَفَتْ حَلَقُ البِطانِ من اللِّقاءِ

For the outcast of means in the bare land

And in the Judge of Judges is the judgment of truth

ولا بَلَغُوا مُنَاخَ العِيسِ إِلّا

وَفِي الحُلْقُومِ بالِغَةُ الذِّماءِ

For those tended by the Shepherd of shepherds

The Father of Wisdom whose hand

وَفِي رَبِّ العبادِ عَزَاءُ عِزٍّ

لِذُلٍّ غالَهُ عِزُّ العَزَاءِ

Cast judgment to you over anyone beseeching or indifferent

You from him are in justice and merit

وَفِي المَنْصُورِ مأْوىً وانتِصارٌ

لِمَنْبُوذِ الوسائِلِ بالعَرَاءِ

To the extent of distance or closeness

In the place of dawn shone from intelligence

وَفِي قاضِي القُضاةِ قَضَاءُ حَقٍّ

لِمَنْ يرعاهُمُ راعِي الرِّعاءِ

Its brilliance glistening and eloquent of the same

If the generous are an example of generosity

أَبُو الحَكَمِ الَّذِي أَلقَتْ يداهُ

إِلَيْكَ الحُكْمَ فِي دانٍ ونَاءِ

You are an example in nobility to emulate

The most beloved of what you judge for

وإِنَّكَ منه فِي عدلٍ وفضلٍ

عَلَى أَمَدِ البِعادِ أَوِ الثَّواءِ

Are those sheltered by the judgment of affection

You are listening through his mercy and hearing them

مكانَ الفَجْرِ أَشرقَ من ذُكاءٍ

تأَلُّقُهُ وأَعْرَبَ عن ذكاءِ

And with his eye you are kind in care

So if they glanced at you from an obscure corner

وإِن يَكُ قُدْوَةَ الكُرمَاءِ جُوداً

فإِنَّكَ بالمكارِمِ ذُو اقْتِداءِ

Then they called upon you from the expanse of solitude

For a debt requiring no payment to a spring

وإِنَّ أَحَبَّ مَا تَقْضِي إِلَيْهِ

لِمَنْ آواهُمُ حُكْمُ الحِباءِ

And branches finely lined

Their debt is worthier upon Islam

وأَنْتَ بسَمْعِ رَأْفَتِهِ سَمِيعٌ

لَهُمْ وبِعَيْنِهِ فِي العَطْفِ راءِ

And God's money is vastest for repayment

It is the truth for which the witnesses of justice

فإن لَحَظُوكَ من طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ

فقد نادَوْكَ من بَرْحِ الخَفاءِ

Came to you from the Lord of the heavens

There is no soothsaying in the glance of your eye

لِدَيْنٍ لا يَدِينُ بِهِ لِنَبْعٍ

وأَغصانٍ مُشَذَّبَةِ اللِّحاءِ

Nor illusion in the light of your insight

Is there then innocence, and at the Gathering doubt

ودَيْنُهُمُ عَلَى الإِسلامِ أَوْلى

ومالُ اللهِ أَوْسَعُ لِلأَداءِ

Clarified by dismissal or departure?

And if you increase then twice over

هُوَ الحَقُّ الَّذِي جاءَتْكَ فِيهِ

شُهودُ العَدْلِ من رَبِّ السَّماءِ

And if you increase then four times over

And after the captives and prisoners

وَمَا فِي لَحْظِ طَرْفِكَ من نُبُوٍّ

ولا فِي نُورِ رَأْيِكَ من هَباءِ

Is there room for emancipation or ransom?

When they said poverty or captivity

فهل ببراءةٍ و الحَشْرِ رَيْبٌ

يُبَيَّنُ بالنِّفارِ أَوِ الجَلاءِ

As they said deliverance from captivity

Can one thirsting at sea be quenched

وإِنْ تَزْدَدْ فَثانِيَةُ المثانِي

وإِنْ تَزْدَدْ فرابِعَةُ النِّساءِ

His echo without the livers of the thirsty?

There is no violation in the promise of the Lord of the Throne

وهلْ بَعْدَ الأُسارى والسَّبايا

مكانٌ للفكاكِ أَوِ الْفِدَاءِ

In what is for the virtuous of reward

Whoever desires the permanence of justice asks

وَقَدْ قالُوا افْتِقارٌ أَوْ إِسَارٌ

كما قالُوا الجلاءُ مِنَ السِّباءِ

The Merciful for you length in permanence

Which free verse of my poetry

وهَلْ بالبَحْرِ من ظَمَأٍ فَيَرْوى

صَدَاهُ بِغَيْرِ أَكْبادٍ ظِماءِ

Manifested to creation in exposure

A gift reaching a peer and guiding equal

وَمَا فِي وَعْدِ رَبِّ العَرْشِ خُلْفٌ

بِما لِلْمُحْسِنِينَ مِنَ الجَزَاءِ

To the equal of gifts and guidance

Crowned with a crown of my affection for you

ومَنْ يَرْغَبْ بقاءَ العدل يَسأَلْ

لَكَ الرحمنَ طولاً فِي البَقاءِ

Collared with a pearl of my praise

وأَيَّةُ حُرَّةٍ من حُرِّ نَظْمِي

تَجَلَّتْ للخلائِقِ فِي جِلاءِ

هَدِيَّةَ واصِلٍ وهَدِيَّ كُفْءٍ

إِلَى كُفْءِ الهَدَايا والهِدَاءِ

مُتَوَّجَةً بتاجٍ من وِدادِي

مُقَلَّدَةً بِدُرٍّ من ثَنائِي