أيّها المِصقَعُ المهذّبُ طبعاً

أيّها المِصقَعُ المهذّبُ طبعاً

وفتىً يسحَرُ العُقولَ بيانُهْ

وفتىً يسحَرُ العُقولَ بيانُهْ

O eloquent orator, refined by nature,

O refined, well-mannered poet

And youth whose eloquence enchants minds,

whose eloquence enchants minds,

والفصيحُ الذي إذا قال شِعراً

والفصيحُ الذي إذا قال شِعراً

خِلتَهُ ينظِمُ النّجومَ لِسانُهْ

خِلتَهُ ينظِمُ النّجومَ لِسانُهْ

And eloquent one who, whenever he speaks in verse,

whose poetry, when recited,

You fancy his tongue is stringing stars.

makes his tongue string stars into verse.

لكَ من جوهرِ الكلامِ نِظامٌ

لكَ من جوهرِ الكلامِ نِظامٌ

زانَ ما بينَ دُرِّه مَرْجانُهْ

زانَ ما بينَ دُرِّه مَرْجانُهْ

Yours is a string of the jewels of speech,

Your words have an inner beauty,

Its coral adorning the spaces between its pearls.

like pearls strewn among coral.

ومَعان مثل اليواقيتِ أضحى الل

ومَعان مثل اليواقيتِ أضحى الل

لفظُ فيها مرصّعاً عِقبانُه

لفظُ فيها مرصّعاً عِقبانُه

And meanings like rubies, in which the

Your ideas shine like gems -

Wording has come to have its eagles studded with gems.

eloquence adorns them like necklaces.

عِقدُه في نُحورِ حورِ القوافي

عِقدُه في نُحورِ حورِ القوافي

وعلى معصمِ البلاغةِ حانُهْ

وعلى معصمِ البلاغةِ حانُهْ

Its necklace rests on the necks of the houris of rhyme,

Strung on the necks of lyric meters,

And its tavern upon eloquence’s wrist.

worn on the wrist of rhetoric.

هو للشّاربينَ روحٌ وراحٌ

هو للشّاربينَ روحٌ وراحٌ

بل وروضٌ زَها بهِ ريحانُهْ

بل وروضٌ زَها بهِ ريحانُهْ

For drinkers it is spirit and wine,

To listeners, your poems bring joy,

Indeed, a garden in which its sweet basil flourishes.

a garden where thoughts bloom.

لو رأى ما نَبَيْتَ عنه اِبنُ عادٍ

لو رأى ما نَبَيْتَ عنه اِبنُ عادٍ

جلَّ في عينِه وهانَتْ جِنانُه

جلَّ في عينِه وهانَتْ جِنانُه

Were Ibn ʿAd to see what you have told of,

If the son of Ad saw what you created,

It would loom great in his eyes, and his gardens seem paltry.

he would be enthralled, his paradise eclipsed.

أو ليَعقوبَ منه جاؤوا بشيءٍ

أو ليَعقوبَ منه جاؤوا بشيءٍ

ذهبَتْ عن فؤادِه أحزانُه

ذهبَتْ عن فؤادِه أحزانُه

Or had they brought Jacob something of it,

Or if they brought some to Jacob,

His sorrows would have left his heart.

his sorrows would leave his heart.

يا بديعاً فاقَ الورى وأديباً

يا بديعاً فاقَ الورى وأديباً

رقّ طبعاً وراقَ فيه زمانُه

رقّ طبعاً وراقَ فيه زمانُه

O wondrous one who surpassed humankind, and man of letters,

Unique in the world, accomplished poet,

Gentle by nature, in whom his age grew fair.

your refined nature suits the times.

أنتَ أتحَفْتَني بأبلغِ مدحٍ

أنتَ أتحَفْتَني بأبلغِ مدحٍ

جلَّ قَدْراً وفي فؤادي مكانُهْ

جلَّ قَدْراً وفي فؤادي مكانُهْ

You have graced me with most eloquent praise,

You have honored me with eloquent praise

Great in worth, with a place within my heart.

that holds an exalted place in my heart.

دُرُّ ألفاظِه على الدُرِّ يُزري

دُرُّ ألفاظِه على الدُرِّ يُزري

بل وتُزري على الشّموسِ حِسانُهْ

بل وتُزري على الشّموسِ حِسانُهْ

The pearls of its words put pearls to shame,

Your words outshine pearls themselves,

Indeed, its beauties put the suns to shame.

even the sun cannot match their beauty.

منّةٌ منهُ كالأمانةِ عنديَ ال

منّةٌ منهُ كالأمانةِ عنديَ ال

قِدْرُ منها ثقيلةُ أوزانُهْ

قِدْرُ منها ثقيلةُ أوزانُهْ

A favor from him, like a trust in my keeping; the

Your gift to me is a treasure,

Pot of it has heavy weights.

heavy with value in my scales.