1. لَهُ أَينَعَت أَيكُ العُلومِ فَإِن ترِد

    جَناها مَتى ما شاءَ يَهمِ وَيَقطِفِ

    For him the groves of knowledge have ripened; if you desire

    their fruit, whenever he wishes, he pours forth and plucks.

  2. تنوَّعَ في الآدابِ يُبدي معانيا

    يُعبِّر عَنها بِالكَلام المُثَقَّفِ

    He ranged widely through the literary arts, revealing meanings

    that he expresses in polished speech.

  3. كَلامٌ لَهُ سَهلُ المناحِي لَطيفُهُ

    وَقَد صانَهُ عَن كُلفَةِ المُتَعَسِّفِ

    His speech: its subtleties are easy to approach,

    and he has shielded it from the strain of affected expression.

  4. تَنَزَّهَ عَن حوشيِّ لَفظٍ وَرذلهِ

    وَبُرِّئَ مِن تَعقيدِهِ وَالتَعَجرُفِ

    It is free of obscure wording and its baseness,

    and purged of its convolutions and pomposity.

  5. فَما رَوضَةٌ غَناء غبَّ سَمائها

    وَقَد جادَها طَلٌّ بِأَسحَمَ أَوطفِ

    So no lush garden, after its rain,

    lavishly watered by light rain from a dark, drooping cloud,

  6. وَقَد شَرَقت يُوحٌ عَلَيها فَأَشرَقَت

    بِنوّارِها كَالوَرد تَحتَ التَسجُّفِ

    with Yuh, the sun, risen over it, so that it shines

    with its blossoms, like roses beneath a veil,

  7. فَيُونِع مِنها كُلُّ ما كانَ قاحِلاً

    فَيَختالُ في بَردِ الشَبابِ المُفَوَّفِ

    where all that once was barren ripens

    and struts in the striped mantle of youth,

  8. بِأَحسنَ مِما قَد وَشَتهُ أَنامِلٌ

    لَهُ في حَديثِ المُصطَفى أَو بِمُصحَفِ

    is lovelier than what has been embroidered by fingers

    of his, in the Chosen One's sayings or in a copy of the Qur'an.

  9. له خُلُقٌ كَالماءِ لُطفاً شَرابُهُ

    غَدا سائِغاً لِلوارِدِ المُتَرَشِّفِ

    He has a nature gentle as water; its draught

    has become palatable to the visitor who sips.

  10. جَميلُ المحيّا مُستَنيرٌ كَأَنَّما

    مَحاسِنُهُ تُشتَقُّ مِن حُسنِ يُوسُفِ

    Beautiful of face and radiant, as though

    his charms were derived from the beauty of Yusuf.

  11. عَليمٌ بِأَعقابِ الأُمورِ كَأَنَّما

    يُشاهِدُها بِالفِكرِ مِن عِلم آصِفِ

    He knows the outcomes of affairs, as though

    he beheld them in thought through Asif's knowledge.

  12. حَليمٌ عَن الجاني صَفوحٌ كَأَنَّما

    تحلُّمُهُ يَمتدُّ مِن حُلمِ أَحنَفِ

    Forbearing toward the wrongdoer, forgiving, as though

    his forbearance were an extension of Ahnaf's.

  13. وقورٌ فَما أَن يَستقرَّ كَأَنَّما

    رَزانَتُهُ مِن شامِخٍ متكَنِّفِ

    Dignified: no sooner does he settle than it seems

    his gravity comes from a towering, sheltering mountain.

  14. إِذا ذُكِرَت أَوصاف أَحمدَ في الوَرى

    ثَمِلنا كَأَنّا قَد ثَمِلنا بِقَرقَفِ

    When Ahmad's qualities are mentioned among humankind,

    we become drunk, as though we had become drunk on wine.

  15. لَقَد غاصَ في بَحرٍ مِن العلمِ زاخرٍ

    فَأَخرجَ دُرّاً يَنتَقِيهِ وَيَصطفِي

    He has indeed dived into a surging sea of knowledge,

    then brought forth pearls that he selects and chooses.

  16. وَمَن يَكُ تاجاً لِلمَعالي فَإِنَّهُ

    يزين اللآلي بِالثَناءِ المُضَعّفِ

    And whoever is a crown to noble attainments, he indeed

    adorns pearls with redoubled praise.

  17. ثَناء أَريجِ المِسكِ شَنف مَسامِعٍ

    وَذكر لأَفواهٍ وَمسك لآنفِ

    Praise—the fragrance of musk, an earring for ears,

    and a remembrance for mouths, and musk for noses.