هَلْ يَجْهَلُ السَّمْتَ مَن يَسْتَوْضِحُ الطُّرُقا

أَوْ يُبْعِدُ الشَّمْسَ من يَسْتَيْقِنُ الغَلَقا

Does the one seeking the path not know the signposts?

Or one doubting the dark, not banish the sun?

قَدْ خَبَّرَتْ دوحَةُ المجدِ الَّتِي كَرُمَتْ

عَنْ مُعْتَلَى ذَلِكَ الغُصْنِ الَّذِي بَسَقا

The scrolls of glory which adorned

The lofty branch as it grew

للهِ عَيْنٌ رأَتْهُ وَهْوَ بدرُ دُجىً

يوماً أَهَلَّ فجلَّى نورُهُ الأُفُقا

Has an eye of God that saw it a full moon in the gloom

One day it emerged and its light illuminated the horizons

وكم رأَينا وجوهَ الروضِ ضاحِكَةً

فِي رائِحٍ راحَ أَوْ فِي بارِقٍ بَرَقا

And we saw the laughing faces of the meadow

In the wafting breeze or in the flashing lightning

أَنجبتَهُ يَا وزيرَ المُلْكِ مُدَّخَراً

لفَجْأَةِ الخطبِ إِن غادى وإِن طَرَقا

You nurtured him, O minister of the kingdom, reserved

For the sudden events, be it advancing or defending

وفارساً لِغِمارِ الرَّوْعِ مقتحِماً

وصارِماً فِي يمينِ الملك مُؤْتَلِقا

A horseman charging into the fray

A wielder of the sword in the king’s right hand poised to strike

وَقَدْ يُرى فِي نواحي المهدِ مُبتَدِراً

إِلَى الطِّعَانِ وكَرَّاتِ الوغى قَلِقا

He may be seen in the domains of the cradle, eager

To the spears and to the turmoil of war aroused

تُدْنَى ملاعِبُهُ منه فَلَيْسَ يُرى

غَيْرَ السِّنانِ وغيرَ الرُّمْحِ مُعْتَلِقا

His toys are brought near him but only the lance and spear are seen

Clung to by his hands

للبِرِّ أَوَّلُ مَا قامَتْ بِهِ قَدَمٌ

سعياً وللحَقِّ أُولى نَطْقَةٍ نَطَقَا

The first steps he took were for righteousness

Endeavouring, and the first words he spoke for truth, uttering

حَتَّى غَدا بكتابِ الله معتصِماً

يُحْبى بخُطَّةِ عِزٍّ كُلَّما حَذِقَا

Until he held fast to God’s book, fortified

Gifted in every stratagem whenever apt

ثُمَّ اسْتَمَرَّ إِلَى العلياءِ مُفَتَتِحاً

مَعاقِلَ الفخرِ لا نِكْساً ولا فَرِقا

Then he progressed to the heights, initiating,

The citadels of pride – no setback or separation

تلقاهُ مِنْ دُونِها الأَيَّامُ مُتَّئِداً

بالجِدِّ مُشْتَمِلاً بالحَزمِ مُنْتَطِقا

The days met him, feasting,

Intent on resolve, articulate in wisdom

وَقَدْ أَحاطَتْ أَزاهِيرُ النعيمِ بِهِ

فَصَيَّرَ العِلْمَ فِيهَا رَوْضَهُ الأَنِقا

The flowers of bliss surrounded him

And he made knowledge a meadow of elegance within them

وَمَا غَدَا غيرَ كأْسِ المَدْحِ مُصطَبِحاً

وَلَمْ يَرُحْ غيرَ كأْسِ المَجْدِ مُغْتَبِقا

He awoke only aspiring the cup of praise

And raced none but the cup of glory

مُفَجَّرَ الكَفِّ جُوداً والجبينِ سَناً

ومُفْعَمَ الجَيْبِ نُصْحاً والضَّمِيرِ تُقى

With open palm in munificence and glowing forehead in glory

With pocket filled with sincerity and conscience pious

قَدْ شَرَّدَ الظُلْمَ عن أَوْطانِ شيمَتِهِ

فلَمْ يَدَعْ مِنْكَ لا خَلْقاً ولا خُلُقا

He dispelled injustice from the homelands of his traits

Leaving in you no character or manners

حَتَّى فرايتك اللاتي سَمَوْتَ لَهَا

قَدْ حازَها مِثْلَما قَدْ حُزْتَها نَسَقا

Until you attained the aspirations you sought

Just as he attained them, equitably

وَمَا انْثَنى الأَملُ المُعْطِي رغائِبَهُ

فِيهِ ولا وَقفَ الظَّنُّ الَّذِي صَدَقا

The hopeful expectation did not weary regarding him

Nor the confident assumption ever wavered

حَتَّى يُوَفَّى الَّذِي وُفِّيتَ فِي عَجَلٍ

ومِثْلُهُ إِنْ سعى فِي مِثْلِها لَحِقا

Until fulfilled what you were expeditious in

And if the like aspires the like will attain

فقد رَأَتْ أَنَّهُ حقّاً لَهُ خُلِقَتْ

كَمَا رأَى أَنَّهُ حَقّاً لَهَا خُلِقا

For it saw that it was truly made for him

Just as he saw that he was truly made for it

مُشَيَّعُ السَّعْيِ لَمْ يُبْهَرْ لَهُ نَفَسٌ

حَتَّى أَتى الغايةَ القُصْوى وَقَدْ سَبقا

The guide of endeavour was not dazzled

Until he reached the utmost goal, outpacing

ما احتازَ ذُو هِمَّةٍ فِي المَكْرُماتِ مَدىً

بِمُجْهِدِ الشَّأْوِ إِلّا احْتازَهُ عَنَقَا

None has traversed the horizons of virtues

With utmost effort except he traversed, transcending

لم يَأْنِ أَنْ يَعْلَقَ البِيضَ الحِسانَ وَقَدْ

أَضْحى فؤادُ العُلا صَبّاً بِهِ عَلِقا

He did not refrain from aspiring the sublime nest

For the heart of the lofty to be smitten and fettered by it

ولا انْثَنى لِعِناقِ الخُودِ بَعْدُ وَقَدْ

يَبِيتُ للشُّرْطَةِ العُلْياءِ مُعْتَنِقا

Nor recoil from embracing glory, for he would

Spend the night clasping the noble cause

غَرَّاءُ راحَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَهْوَ بُغْيَتُها

فأَصْبَحَ الدهرُ من أَنفاسِها عَبِقا

The Pleiades set out to him while he was their goal

So the world was perfumed by their breath

وأَصْبَحَ العَرْضُ فِي آثارِهِ أَسِفاً

يُعَلِّلُ النَّفْسَ أَنْ تَسْتَبقِيَ الرَّمَقا

And the horizon was regretful in its wake

Lamenting the soul to hasten its last gasp

إِنْ يُشْجَ أَلّا يُسَمَّى عارِضاً أَبَداً

يُسَلِّهِ أَنْ يُسَمَّى عارِضاً غَدِقا

If stirred, may he never be named transient

Entreated, may he never be named fleeting

فالحَمْدُ للهِ راحَ الغُصْنُ مُعْتَلِياً

والسيفُ مُنْصَلِتاً والبَدْرُ مُتَّسِقا

So praise be to God – the branch set forth ascendant

The sword parrying and the moon waxing crescent

مَنَّاً منَ اللهِ والمولى الَّذِي مَطَرَتْ

سماؤُهُ الدُّرَّ بَلْهَ التِّبْرَ والوَرِقا

A blessing from God and the Master who showered

Its sky with the rain of generosity and leaves

مُسْتَيقِناً أَنَّ شَمْلَ المُلْكِ مُجْتَمِعٌ

يوماً إِذَا كَانَ شملُ المالِ مُفْتَرِقا

Certain that the body of the kingdom united

One day when bodies of wealth disunited