وَاذْكُرْ لَهُ تَبْرِيزَهُ فِي فَنِّهِ

بِذَكَائِهِ وَبِكَدِّهِ المُتَوَالِي

Recall for him his excellence in his art

With his intelligence and his unceasing toil,

وَبِعزْةٍ فِي نَفْسِهِ صَانَتْهُ عَنْ

رُتَبٍِ يُغَرُّ بِهَا وَعَنْ أَمْوَالِ

And with a dignity in himself that protected him

From ranks that delude with wealth and riches.

لَمْ يَثْنِهِ دُونَ القِيَامِ بِوَاجِبٍ

بَأْسُ المُلُوكِ وَلاَ نَدَى الأَقْيَالِ

Neither the tyranny of kings nor the passing of time

Prevented him from fulfilling his duty.

اَلدَّأْبُ وَالإِتْقَانُ حَيْثُ تَلاَقَيَا

يَسْتَنْبِتَانِ المَجْدَ مِنْ إِمْحَالِ

Dedication and perfectionism, wherever they meet,

Grow glory out of the impossible.

خُلُقَانِ إِنْ تَكُنِ الحَمِيَّة ثَالِثاً

لَهُمَا فَقُلْ فِي رِفْعَةٍ وَجلاَلِ

If enthusiasm is added to the two,

Then speak of him with veneration and majesty,

وَنقَابَةٌ نِيطَتْ بِهِ أَعْبَاؤُهَا

نَاهِيكَ بِالتَّبعَاتِ مِنْ أَحْمَالِ

And a probity with which he shouldered his burdens,

Not to mention the appendages of other loads.

أَبْدَى بِهَا مَا شَاءَ فَضْلُ نُبُوغِهِ

وَعُلُوُّ هِمَّتهِ بِغَيْرِ تَعَالِى

Through it he revealed whatever he wished of the excellence of his genius

And the loftiness of his ambition without arrogance.

وَلِمُسْتَعِيري جَاهِهِ مِنْ نَشْئِهِمْ

عَوْناً بِقَوْلٍ مُسْعِدٍ أَوْ نَالِ

And for those who borrowed his prestige in their youth,

He gave help with an encouraging word or attainment

مِنْ عِلْمِهِ الفَيَّاضِ أَوْ مِنْ رِوْقِهِ

لَمْ يَدَّخِرْ شَيْئاً عَنِ السُّؤَّالِ

Of his abundant knowledge or his agreeableness.

He withheld nothing from questioning.

بَحْرٌ مِنَ الْعِرْفَان صَفْوٌ مَاؤُهُ

عَذْبُ المَوَارِدِ سَائِغُ السَّلسَالِ

A sea of knowledge, pure is its water,

Sweet of springs, savory of cascades,

يُرْوِي النفُوسَ الظَّامِئَاتِ فَتَشْتَفِي

وَسِوَاهُ يُظْمِئُهَا بِلَمْعِ الآلِ

It quenches thirsty souls that drink their fill

While all else thirsts them with the sheen of tinsel.

أَعْظِمْ بِهِ فِي كُلِّ عَاديَةٍ عَدَتْ

مِنْ أَرْيَحِيّ لِلْبِلاَدِ ثِمَالِ

Magnify through it, in every crisis that has befallen

A land of fragrance, the stock of supplies,

يَسْخُو لَهَا بِكَثِيرِهِ وَقَلِيلِهِ

جَذِلاً وَلاَ يَشْكُو مِنَ الإِقْلاَلِ

He is generous to it with much or little,

Unstinting, and does not complain of scarcity.

وَيَجُوزُ مَا فَرَضَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ

مِنْ نَجْدَةٍ وَنَدّى إِلى الأَنْفَالِ

And he exceeds what his soul imposes upon him

Of aid and succor up to largess.