تِلْكَ المَنَارَةُ فِي المَكَانِ الْعَالِي

تَرْمِي الدجَى بِشُعَاعِهَا الجَوَّالِ

That lighthouse in its lofty place

Casts its roving beams into the gloom of night.

شَيَّدُتُمَاهَا زِينَةً وَهِدَايَةً

لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ حِجَجٍ مَضَيْنَ طِوَالِ

You built it as an ornament and a guide

For people on prolonged pilgrimage.

مِرْآتُهَا عُلْوِيَّة كَشَّافَةٌ

لِغَوامِضِ الأَشْيَاءِ والأَحْوَالِ

Its elevated mirror is revealing,

Disclosing the obscure facets of things.

عَيْنٌ تُطَالِعُ سِرَّ كلِّ حقِيقَةٍ

وَتَرُودُ كُلَّ مَظِنَّة بِسُؤْالِ

An eye surveying the secret of every truth,

And refuting each conjecture with a question.

وَقَفَ النُّبوغُ وَرَاءَهَا مُسْتَشْرِفاً

كُنْهَ الْبَقَاءِ وَغَايَةَ التَّرْحَالِ

Genius stood behind it, gazing ahead

At the essence of eternity and the goal of journeying,

يَسْمُو إِلى نَجْمِ السَّماءِ وَيَنْثَنِي

فَيَزُورُ نَجمَ الأَرْضِ فِي الأَدْغَالِ

Soaring to the stars of heaven and swooping down

To visit the star of earth in the thickets,

يَجْتَازُ أَجْوَازَ الْغُيُوبِ فَيَجْتَلِي

فِيهَا شُمُوساً لَمْ يَدُرْنَ بِخَالِ

Crossing the domains of the unseen, discovering

Suns there that knew no rising or decline,

يَرْنُو إِلى الذَّرِّ الدَّقِيقِ مِنَ الثَّرَى

فَيَرَى دَرَارِيَ لَمْ تُضَأ بِذُبَالِ

Peering at minute particles of dust in the soil

And seeing young plants not yet lit with gleaming dew,

يُلْقِي ابْتِسَاماً وَالْخِضَمُّ مُقَطَّبٌ

وَالمَوْجُ فَوْقَ حُدُودِهِ مُتَعَالِي

Smiling while the salt spray is being whipped up

And the waves mounting beyond their bounds,

فَيَنُمُّ وَجْهُ اللُّجِّ عَمَّا فِي الْحَشَى

وَتُصَادُ مِنْ أَصْدَافِهِنَّ لآلِي

Till the rough face of the sea forgets its rage

And there is a harvesting of its shells and pearls.

مَا زَالَ يَقْتنِصُ الأَوَابِدَ دَائِباً

بِحَبَائِلٍ مِنْ نُورِهَا وَحِبَالِ

It continues tirelessly to snare marvels,

With strands of its light and cables,

وَيُعِيرُ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهَا قَلْبَيْكُمَا

آيَاتِ سِحْرٍ لِلْعُقُولِ حَلالِ

And loans two hearts like yours

Miracles of magic for alert minds,

فَتُوَافِيَانِ الْقَارِئِينَ عَلَى صَدًى

مِنْهُمْ بِمَا يُرْوَى مِنْ الأَقْوَالِ

So they meet the readers with an echo

Of what is recounted in words,

وَتُطَالِعَانِ أُولِي النُّهى بِطَرائِفٍ

تَلِجُ القُلُوبَ بِلُطْفِ الاِسْتِرْسَالِ

And show the people of discrimination novelties

To captivate hearts with gentle intimation

فِي دِفَّتيْ سِفْرٍ تَضَمَّن مَا غَلاَ

مِنْ حِكْمَةِ الأَحْقَابِ وَالأَجْيَالِ

In two books comprising all the distilled

Wisdom of eras and generations,

مُتَجَدِّدٍ عَدَدَ الشُّهورِ رَبِيعُهُ

حُلْوُ الجَنَى وَبِكُلِّ حُسْنٍ حَالِي

Renewed in number with the months, its spring

Sweet and lovely, of every charm possessed.

لَوْ نُضِّدَتْ أَوْرَاقُهُ مِنْ كَثْرَة

طَالَتْ عَلَى مُتَطَاوِلِ الأَجْبَالِ

If its pages were collected for their multitude,

They would extend up the towering mountains.

أَنْشَأْتُمَاهَا لِلعُلُومِ مَجَلَّةً

كسِبَتْ طَرَائِفهَا فُنُونَ جَمَالِ

You created it as a journal for the sciences,

Its elegant style has won the arts of beauty.

سَهِرَتْ عُيُونُكُمَا عَلَى إِتْقَانِهَا

فَمِنَ السُّطورِ بِهَا سَوَادُ لَيَالِي

Your eyes kept vigil perfecting it,

So that in its lines is the blackness of sleepless nights,

وَمِنَ المِدَاد دَمٌ أُرِيقَ وَإِنْ بَدَا

مُتَنَوِّعَ الأَلْوَانِ وَالأَشْكَالِ

And from the ink blood was spilt, though it appears

Multi-colored and figured.

يَعْقُوبُ فِي إِحْيَاءِ مَجْدِ بِلادِهِ

وَبَقَاءِ تَالِدِهَا مِنَ الأَبْدَالِ

Jacob, in reviving the glory of his country

And the continuity of its gifts from one generation to the next,

هُوَ فَيْلَسُوفٌ سِيرَةً وَسَرِيرَةً

مُتَطَابِقُ الأَقْوَالِ وَالأَفعَالِ

Is a philosopher in his conduct and in private,

Matching word with deed.

أَدْنى الرِّجَالِ إِلَى الكَمَالِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ

فِي العَصْرِ شَيْءٌ مُغْرِياً بِكَمَالِ

The closest of men to perfection, nor was there

In his time a thing more tempting than perfection.

وَفَتَى المَوَاقِفِ فَارِسٌ مَا فَارِسٌ

فِي حَوْمَة أَدَبِيَّة وَسِجَالِ

And the stalwart at critical moments a horseman that no horseman

In the feverish midst of a literary fray.

حَلاَّلُ مُعْضِلَةِ الأمُورِ إِذَا غَدَتْ

وَالوَجْهُ قَدْ أَعْيَا عَلَى الحُلاَّلِ

Solver of the riddle of affairs when they become

Knotty, and the adept is wearied by solving.

هَلْ بَيْنَ أَقْطَابِ الفَصَاحَةِ مِثْلُهُ

سَبَّاقُ غَايَاتٍ بِكُلِّ مَجَالِ

Is there between the champions of eloquence his peer,

Forestalling the farthest goals in every sphere?

يَا فَرْقَدَيْ أَدَبٍ وَنُبْلٍ أَدْرَكَا

أَسْمَى المُنَى مِنْ رِفْعَةٍ وَجَلاَلِ

O twin knights of literature and nobility who have attained

The highest wishes of sublime glory!

يَهْنِيكُمَا شَرَفُ المَقَامِ وَخَيْرُهُ

عَلْيَاءُ قَدْرِكُمَا بِغَيْرِ تَعَالِ

May the glory of your position delight you, and its good,

The loftiness of your worth beyond all presumption!

وَالعِيدُ عِيدُ النِّصفٍ مِنْ مِئَةٍ مَضَتْ

فِي خِدْمةٍ هِيَ مَضْرِبُ الأَمْثَالِ

And the feast is the midpoint of a hundred years elapsed

In a service that is proverbial.

عِيدٌ بِلاَدُ الشَّرْقِ فِيهِ بَلْدَةٌ

وَلأَهْلِهِ فِيهِ اشْتِرَاكُ الآلِ

A feast the East's countries share, one its cities

And for its inhabitants a common bond.

وَإِذَا ذَكَرْنَا العيدَ فَلْنَذْكُر أَخاً

لَكُمَا يُنَادِيهِ المَكَانُ الخَالِ

And speaking of the feast, let us speak of a brother

The place calls to without company.

لَمْ يَنْصُرِ العِرْفَانَ نُصْرَتَهُ امْرُؤءٌ

بِشَمَائِلٍ خُلِقَتْ لَهَا وَخِلاَلِ

No man backed gratitude as he backed it

With attributes created for it and its refinements.

إِنْ فَاتَ عَيْنَيْهِ شَهَادَةُ يَوْمِهِ

هَذَا رَآهُ بِأَعْيُنِ الأَشْبَالِ

If the testimony of his day misses him,

The little ones see him with their eyes.

صَحْبٌ كَمَا شَاءَ الوَفَاءُ ثَلاَثَةٌ

كَانُوا لأَهْلِ الشَّرْقِ خَيْرَ مَثَالِ

A fellowship—how faithful were three!—

Who were the best example for the East.

بَدَأُوا جِهَادَهُمْ وَسَارُوا سَيْرَهُمْ

يَبْغُونَ مَطْلُوباً عَزِيزَ مَنَالِ

They began their struggle and pursued their course,

Yearning for a precious hardly gained goal.

صَبْراً عَلَى الأَيَّامِ حَتَّى أَقْبَلَتْ

مِنْ كلِّ وَجْهٍ أَيَّما إِقْبَالِ

Patience for the days until there came

From every side whatever destiny would bring.

أَخْلاَقُ جِدٍّ لا تَتِمُّ بِغَيْرِهَا

فِي الْعَالَمِينَ جَلاَئِلُ الأَعْمَالِ

The ethics of commitment are not perfected without them

Among both worlds' momentous deeds.

لَيسَ الكِبَارُ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ هُمُ الأُولَى

ضَرَبُوا الطَّلى فَدُعُوا كِبَارَ رِجَالِ

The great of men are not preferable

They have enjoyed favor, now leave great men alone!

قَدْ يَحْسَبُ الْعِزَ الرَّفِيعَ مُجَازِفٌ

فِي طَرْقِهِ غِيلاً عَلَى الرِّئْبَالِ

An aspiring adventurer may mistake

In his paths the rumbling thunder for sublimity.

أَوْ يَقْحَمُ المَوْتَ الجَسُورُ وَعَلَّهُ

قَدْ جَرَّأَتْهُ عَقِيدَةُ الآجَالِ

Or the defiant suicidal may court death thinking

His firm belief in fate has emboldened him.

أَمَّا الأْولَى دَأَبُوا وَذَبُوا حِسْبةً

لإِنَارَةٍ وَهُدًى وَكَشْفِ ضَلاَلِ

But the preferable were constant and sacrificed themselves

To cast light and guide and dispel misguidance.

وَشَرَوْا بِرَاحَتِهِمْ هَنَاءَ بِلاَدِهِمْ

فَهُمُ لَعَمْرِي خِيرَةُ الأَبْطَالِ

They bought their countries' peace with their own,

They are my life the finest heroes!

لَهُمُ الوِلاَيَةُ وَالْقُلُوبُ عُرُوشُهُمْ

وَلَهُمْ مَكَانَتُهُمْ مِنْ الإِجْلاَلِ

Theirs is the guardianship and hearts are their thrones,

Theirs their status of veneration!

يَا مَنْ مَدَحْتُهُمَا فَلَمْ تَفِ مِدْحَتِي

بِلُبَانَةٍ وَالْعُذْرِ مِنْ إِقْلاَلِي

You whom I praised but my praise does not measure up,

With courtesy my excuse for falling short.

قَدْ قَامَ مَجْدُكُمَا كَطَوْدٍ شَامِخٍ

مَاذَا يُمَثِّل مِنْه لَمْعُ الآلِ

Your glory stands tall as a firmly anchored

Mountain, what are gleaming swords compared to it!

وَهَلِ الرَّوِيُّ وَإِنْ تَسَلْسَلَ شَافياً

كَالرِّدِّ مِنْ يَنْبُوعِهِ السَّلسَالِ

As for the flowing stream, though it babbles

Is it like the cascade from its fount?

لَا بِدْعَ فِي تَقْصِيرِ شِعْرِي دُونَهُ

شَتَّانَ بَيْنَ حَقيقَةٍ وَخَيَالِ

No innovation in my poetry's falling short

Wide is the gap between reality and dreams!