ما لِلمُتيَّمِ حائِماً حَولَ الحِمى
وَيلاه كَم مَنَعَ الحَبيبُ مُتيَّما
Why does the lover roam around the abode,
Alas! How much the beloved prevents the lover.
قَد كُنت أَزعم قَبل مَعرفة الهَوى
أَنّ القُلوب هِيَ المواطنُ لِلدُمى
I used to claim, before knowing passion,
That hearts are the abodes of regrets.
حَتّى بَرى جَسَدي الغَرام فَلَم يَدع
مِنّي سِوى شَبَحٍ يَلوحُ تَوَهُّما
Until my body saw love, leaving naught of me
Except a phantom that hallucinates.
ما بي هَوى الغيدِ الحِسان وَإِنَّما
أَخلاقُ أَحمدَ قَد دَعَتنيَ مغرَما
It is not the love of gentle gazelles, but
Ahmad's character that made me fall in love.
أَفدي الَّذي وَهَبَ الجَمالُ لَهُ التُقى
وَحَوى الكَمالَ فَحازَ فيهِ تَقَدُّما
I ransom the one whom beauty granted piety,
And who attained perfection, thus excelling.
شَهمٌ لَو اِنتدبَ البَليغ لِوَصفِهِ
قَلَماً لأَعجزه المقامُ وَأَفحَما
Valiant, if the eloquent were sent to describe him,
A pen would be defeated by the task, muted.
وَمُهَذَّبُ الأَخلاقِ باهِرُ لُطفِهِ
أَمسى لِمَجروح الحَشاشة مَرهَما
Refined in manners, his gentle compassion
Became a balm for the wounded conscience.
في مَعشَرٍ هُم في عُيوني كَالضِيا
لا مَعشَرٍ أَنا في نَواظرهم عَمى
Amongst a people who in my eyes are like light,
Not a people whose sights to me are blind.
مِن مَعشَرٍ لَهُمُ قَد اِستَثنى الثَنا
مِنّي فَأَعرَبَ بَعد ما قَد أَعجَما
Of a people who were singled out by praise
In eloquence, after once being inarticulate.
مَولىً بِسنّة سَيّد الرُسل اِقتَدى
حينَ اِلتَحى فَحَوى الكَمال مُتَمَّما
A master following the way of the Master of Messengers,
When he adhered, embodying perfection fully.
وَالمَرءُ غَير مُوقَّر ما لَم يَكُن
فَخماً نَبات العارِضين مفخَّما
A man is not honored unless he is
Tall, with the hair of his temples thick.
كَالنصلِ يشرفُ بِالفرندِ تَجمُّلاً
وَالرَوضِ يَزهو بالنَباتِ تَوسُّما
Like a sword embellished with its sheath
And a meadow adorned by its plants' bloom.
وَالغُصنُ أَبهَجُ ما يَشوقك مورقاً
وَالثَوبُ أَجمَلُ ما يُروقك مُعلما
A bough is most beautiful when leafy,
And a garment most pleasing when embroidered.
وَالجيدُ أَحسَن ما يَكُون مُقلّداً
وَالثَغر ألطفُ ما تَراهُ ملثَّما
A neck is finest when collared,
And a mouth loveliest when veiled.
سِمَةٌ بِها شَرَفُ الرُجولةِ لَم يَزَل
يَنمو كَما عِزُّ المَهابَةِ قَد نَما
A trait by which the honor of manhood always
Grew, as did the glory of awe it inspired.
وَبَديعُ وَصفٍ زيَّن الباري بِهِ
مَولىً إِلى آل الرَسولِ قَد اِنتَمى
And the sublime depiction with which The Creator adorned
A master, traced back to the Prophet's family.
بَدر مَآثره السَنيّةُ أَطلَعَت
لِلمَجدِ في فلك المَكارم أَنجُما
The full moon of his Sunnah acts rose,
For glory, in the zodiac of virtues as stars.
شِيَمٌ بِها يَشفى العَليل مِن الضَنى
وَنُهىً بِها يروى الغَليل مِن الظَما
With noble traits that heal the sick of grief,
And exemplary conduct that quenches the thirsty.
وَشَمائل في الخافِقين غَنيّة
عَن أَن يَكونَ لَها اللِسان مُتَرجما
And sublime qualities, in hearts made wealthy,
Need no eloquent tongue to translate.
إِنّي لأَحمَدُ أَحمَدَ القَومِ الأُلى
قامَت تُفاخرُ فيهمُ الأَرض السَما
Verily I praise Ahmad, the foremost of the sublime folk,
For whom the earth and sky compete in pride.
يا مَن يَرومُ تَشرّفاً يَسمو بِهِ
أرّخ لسنَّةِ أَحمَدٍ شَرف سَما
O you who aspires to an ennoblement leading to ascension
Date the Sunnah of Ahmad - glory everlasting.
