سَنى آنَسَ الْغَرْب فِيهِ هُدَى

فَحَيَّاهُ بِالبشْرِ لَمَّا بَدا

Sunnah delighted the West; guidance was in it,

So he greeted it with good tidings when it appeared.

تَبَيَّن مِنْهُ لأُمِّ اللُّغَاتِ

حُلىً غُرَرٌ رُعْنَه مَشْهَدَا

For the mother of languages its jewels were evident,

Precious pearls, a garden blooming in splendor.

فَأُمُّ الْبَنِينَ الأُولى قَصَّرُوا

تُكَرِّمُ وَاصِفَها المُسْعِدا

The eminent sons were remiss, but she honors

Her eloquent praiser, auspicious.

تُكَرِّمُ نَابِغَةً فَاضِلاً

أَمِينَ البَلاَغِ صَدُوقَ الصَّدَى

She honors an eminent, virtuous poet,

The trusted conveyor, the echo of integrity.

أَبَانَ لِجُهَّالِهَا فَضْلَهَا

وَأَبْدَى فَرَائِدَهَا الخُرَّدَا

He made clear to her ignorant ones her excellence

And displayed her hidden treasures.

بِلَفْظٍ عَلَى كَوْنِهِ مُعْجَماً

حَكَى حُسْنُهُ المُعْرَبَ الجَيِّدا

With wording that, though alphabetical, described

The beauty of the eloquent Arabic tongue.

لِمُشْرِقِهِ مِنْ سَنَاهَا سَنىً

وَمُورِقِهِ مِنْ نَدَاهَا نَدَى

From its lifetime, to its sunnah a sunnah,

And from its call, to its rising a call.

يَكَادُ الطَّرُوبُ لإِيقَاعِهِ

يردِّدُه نَغَماً مُنْشِدَا

Rapture almost repeats for its rhythm

A melody, singing it repeatedly.

أَرَاهُمْ بَدِيعاً بِذاك الْبَدِيعِ

صَفا جَوْهَراً وَحَلاَ مَوْرِدَا

I saw them excel through that Excellent One,

Purity, essence, and a place of descent.

وَبَاحَ لَهُمْ مِنْ كُنُوزِ النُّهى

بِمَا يَسْتَفِزُّ لَهَا الحُسَّدا

And for them from the treasures of guidance

He unlocked what would provoke envy.

كُنُوزٌ سَيَغْزُونَ أَعْلاَقَهَا

وَيَسْبُونَ قَيِّمها المُرْصَدا

Treasures they will raid

And seize their guarded valuables.

فَإِنْ فَعَلُواوَهَمُ فَاعِلُونَ

وَلِلْمَرْءِ فِي الدَّهْرِ مَا عُوِّدَا

If they do—though resolute be the doers—

To man in fate belongs what he is used to.

كَمَا اسْتَنْزَفُوا الشَّرْقَ بَرّاً وبَحْراً

فَلاَ دُرَّ أَبْقَوْا وَلاَ عَسْجَدَا

As they drained East and West, land and sea,

Leaving no pearl or ruby behind.

فَهَذِي الْغَوَالِي بَقَايَا الْمَعَالِي

تُقِرُّ لَنَا الْمَاضِي الأَمْجَدَا

So these remnants of glories are

What affirm for us the most glorious past,

وَمَا ضَائِرٌ فَخْرَنَا أَنْ تُبَاحَ

وَلاَ ضَائِرُ الْجَّاهِ أَنْ تُجْتَدَى

And no loss that our pride be divulged,

Or loss of repute that it be assailed.

أَلاَ لِيْتَهُمْ تَرَكُوا غَيْرَهَا

قَدِيماً وَمَدُّوا إِلَيْهَا يَدَا

Oh, would that they had left it alone

And extended their hands to it long ago.

عَلَى أَنَّهمْ عَلِمُوا بَعْدَ لأْيٍ

كَرَامَةَ أُمَّتنَا مَحْتِدا

Since they knew, after failure,

The sanctity of our nation resolutely.

لأْنَّ بَيَاناً كَهَذَا الْبَيَانِ

جَدِيرٌ كَمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَخْلُدَا

For eloquence like this eloquence

Is worthy, as he willed, to be immortalized.

وَأَنَّ نُفُوساً كَتِلْكَ النَُفوسِ

لَهَا رَجْعَةٌ فِي بَنِيهَا غَدَا

And souls like those souls

Have a return in their children tomorrow.

سَمَا فِي الْمَفَاخِرِ هَذَا الْفَخَارُ

لَنَا وَأَبَى الْحَقُّ أَنْ يُجْحَدَا

It soared in glories—this, our pride,

And the truth refused to be denied.

فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ وَهْوَ ذَاكَ النُّضارُ

إِذَا ما رَأَيْنَا لَهُ نُقَّدَا

So do not grieve, fresh as it is,

When we see it criticized.

يُرِيدُونَ مِنَّا بِنَاءَ الْقَرِيضِ

كَثِيرَ الْمَنَاحِي قَصِيَّ المَدَى

They want from us far-reaching verse,

Great in dimensions, little in scope.

وَقَدْ جَهِلُوا الْبَيْتَ نَبْنِيه فَذّاً

فَيَسْتَغْرِبُ الأَمَدُ الأَبْعَدَا

But they ignored the house—we will build it soon—

So remote time will stare astonished.

حُلاَه تُنَافِسُ زَهْرَ الرِّيَاضِ

وَمَعَنْاهُ يَسْتَنْزِلُ الفَرْقَدَا

Its adornment vies with garden blossoms

And its meaning lodges stars.

أَواصِفُ حُييْتَ مِنْ سَابِقٍ

وَمِنْ أَرْيَحِيِّ بِهِ يُقْتَدَى

I have described, excelling predecessors

And succeeding by it as example.

تَوَخَّيتَهَا غايَةً وَعْرَةً

فَأَدْرَكْتَهَا فَائِزاً أَيِّدا

You aimed for the loftiest, knowing peak,

A victor, aided, attaining it.

بِرَأْيٍ جَمِيلٍ وَسَعْيٍ جَلِيلٍ

خَلِيقٍ عَلَى الدهْرِ أَنْ يُحْمَدَا

With beautiful judgment and splendid effort

Worthy for time to be praised.

كَذَا يُصْرَفُ الْحَزْمُ فِي وَجْهِهِ

وَلاَ تَتَوَلَّى الْمَسَاعِي سُدَى

Thus is discretion directed in its course,

And endeavors never go astray.