كَتَبتَ فَما عَلِمتُ أَنورُ نَجمِ

بَدا لِعُيونِنا أَم نَورُ نَجمِ

You wrote, and I did not know if it was the light of a star

That appeared before our eyes, or the light of a star

فَأَسرَحَ ناظِري في وَشيِ رَوضٍ

وَأَلقَحَ خاطِري مِن بَعدِ عُقمِ

So I let my eyes roam in the expanse of a garden

And it sparked my mind after being barren

وَقَسَّمتُ التَفَكُّرَ فيهِ لَمّا

أَخَذتُ بِهِ مِنَ اللَذّاتِ قِسمي

And I divided contemplation about it because

I took from the pleasures my share

فَلَم أَعجَب لِذَلِكَ وَهوَ دُرَّ

إِذا ما جاءَ مِن بَحرٍ خِضَمِّ

So I did not admire that while it is a pearl

When it comes from a turbulent sea

أَشَمسَ الدينِ كَم مِن شَمسِ فَضلٍ

بِها جَلَّت يَداكَ ظَلامَ ظُلمِ

Oh sun of religion, how many suns of superiority

With which your hands dispelled the darkness of injustice

نَظَمتَ مِنَ المَعالي وَالمَعاني

بِدائِعَ حُزنَ عَن نَثرٍ وَنَظمِ

You composed of supreme merits and meanings

With subtle innovations of sorrow instead of prose or verse

لَكَ القَلَمُ الَّذي قَصُرَت لَدَيهِ

طِوالُ السُمرِ في حَربٍ وَسِلمِ

Yours is the pen before which faltered

The long nights whether in war or peace

يَراعٌ راعَ بِالخُطَبِ الزَواهي

جَسيمَ الخَطبِ وَهوَ نَحيفُ جِسمِ

A shepherd who shepherded with great sermons

His slender body yet his speech so weighty

فَفي يَومِ النَدى يَجري فَيُجدي

وَفي يَومِ الرَدى يَرمي فَيُصمي

So on a day of harmony he flows fruitfully

And on a day of rejection he casts so rightly

وَيُرسِلُ في الوَرى وَسمِيَّ جودٍ

وَيَنفُثُ في العُداةِ زُعافَ سُمِّ

And he unleashes in the land a lethal generosity

And he blows at the enemies clouds of poison

وَيُطلِعُ في سَماءِ الطُرسِ شُهباً

ثَواقِبُها لَأُفقِ المُلكِ تَحمي

And he makes rise in the sky of adversity falling stars

Their tails protecting the kingdom’s horizon

إِذ رامَ اِستِراقَ السَمعِ يَوماً

رَجيمُ الكَيدِ عاجَلَهُ بِرَجمِ

When he who steals hearing once tried

The villain of guile met him with pelting

فَيا مَن سادَ في فَضلٍ وَلَفظٍ

كَما قَد زادَ في عَمَلٍ وَعِلمِ

So oh you who excelled in merit and word

As you have excelled in deed and knowledge

لَقَد بَسَمَت لَنا الأَيّامُ لَمّا

بَذَلتَ لَنا مُحَيّاً غَيرَ جَهمِ

The days have really smiled at us when

You dedicated to us an amiable dedication

وَشاهِدَ ناظِري أَضعافَ ما قَد

تَفَرَّسَ قَبلَ ذَلِكَ فيكَ فَهمي

And my watching eye witnessed multiples of what

My understanding had perceived of you before

فَكَيفَ أَرومُ أَن أَجزيكَ صُنعاً

وَأَيسَرُ صُنعُكَ التَنوَيهُ بِاِسمي

So how can I dream to reward your favor

And the easiest favor is to mention my name

فَعَلَّكَ أَن تُمَهِّدَ بَسطَ عُذري

لِمَعرِفَتي بِتَقصيري وَجُرمي

I implore you to pave the way to excuse

My shortcoming and my knowing of my crime

فَمِثلُكَ مَن تَرَفَّقَ بِالمَوالي

وَغَضَّ عَنِ المُقَصِّرِ جَفنَ حِلمِ

The like of you who was gentle with devotees

And forgave the inadequate drawing down the eyelid of forbearance

وَدُم في سَبقِ غاياتِ المَعالي

تُصَوِّبُ لِلفَخارِ جَوادَ عَزمِ

And continue in preceding the ultimate merits

Straightening the steed of resolve toward glory