1. My companion mentioned the camp, and his mention aroused thoughts in me,
I yearned with intense yearning and remembered the company of its people for a long time,

2. So I hurried there until I visited it,
With my wrap folded and my sword at my waist,

3. And for the chief minister wholeheartedly,
When I heard the good news at An-Nuway,

4. I swore I would not slacken the reins,
Until I see Hamadan and Al-Qasr,

5. When I saw it from afar,
I exclaimed ten times out of joy for it,

6. And I dismounted from the furthest range of my sight,
Thankfully kissing the hand of the one who brought me the news,

7. A sanctuary the beauties of this world flocked to,
A sea that foams when a young man sees it,

8. I swore he had never seen a sea before it,
Groups that return and groups that begin,

9. Like the sea showing its ebb and flow,
Its domes at dawn narrated tales,

10. Glittering, both small and large,
They depict meadows of lavender, adorned with anemones,

11. The palace makes eyes fall short with its magnificence,
A tower enclosing the sun of the earth,

12. With lions roaring around it,
And that is why she called its tower Asad (Lion),

13. The sun of the sky, and that is enough pride for it!
When we arrived safely, each spent

14. The morning after arrival fulfilling a vow,
And he emerged, sharing the sights of his eyes,

15. And telling the news of his matter,
You would see nations as if

16. They were gathered for the day of their judgment,
And the army tents settled,

17. Like oysters enclosing pearls in their shells,
screening your eyes, you see no gaps

18. From what fills drops and droplets,
Wherever you turn, your eyes fill

19. With bands and your chest with joy for them,
You see sauntering grounds and courtyards

20. Where the neighing responds to the murmuring,
And at the doors, rounded shields

21. With their ears shortened warily,
The positions of the spears deployed

22. Like the palm of morning displaying its red fingertips,
And on the steeds of the horses, young colts

23. Whose manes are groomed beneath them,
Some striking a ball, tearing it,

24. In a field, or racing horses,
Others, mounted on a cheetah to hunt it,

25. Or holding a falcon,
And through the rows of tents, you see

26. The shots of archers twang their bows,
They have scattered for their hands and eyes

27. What is in all the treasuries a scattering,
Their curved daggers made into rings,

28. Large ones on their ears,
They shoot shields and hearts,

29. So that their blackness is deceived by the whiteness.
The market shows wonders in every glance,

30. A land you walk in, none has seen
A land you travel in, neither left nor right,

31. Until we stayed the night hopefully,
Promising ourselves every pleasant thing,

32. And darkness fell, so they multiplied in number,
The youth of spears, their stars blossomed flowers,

33. The guards sang and their staffs crackled,
Vying behind the night, meeting its drums,

34. Or discerning the dawn,
What prey they meet, they tear it apart,

35. Baring their fangs and claws,
If a specter dared approach them stealthily,

36. It would find no escape,
Until dawn shone and its banners were unfurled for us,

37. And you heard the calls to prayer from the flanks
Penetrating the darkness with their cries,

38. And you would think the beating drums,
If you listened morning or evening,

39. Thunder cut rhythmically, and you will not find
Crawling or breaking before it,

40. So they shook off the remnants of their sleepiness and fulfilled
The duty of prayer sincerely,

41. And the young servants hurried
Following their horses’ tracks,

42. Fastening the knots of their thick robes,
In which you see them blossoming flowers,

43. Like pearls, the perfection of their beauty increases
In the eye when crowned with amber,

44. And as if their helmets on the cheeks’ reflection
From the glow became red,

45. Until they took their weaponry,
And raced their best horses,

46. Competing in manners and trying lances and slim spears,
So the Lord of the worlds turned back with them,

47. And the black screen was raised
In the sky above the flowered veil,

48. They asked about the shade, it was removed
From which sun for the other?

49. It veiled the increase of its light's radiance
Out of kindness from its hot eye,

50. Until when it shone from afar
People proclaimed their prayers aloud,

51. And in the council the chest leaned
From it orders emanate, gladdening the chests,

52. A chest whose garment protects it, shielding it
From the arrow of the time’s eye with a shield,

53. A treasure hoarding its glory,
Taking iron to protect it as a shell,

54. The kingdom is the kingdom of the whole earth,
Encircling it like a collar round the neck,

55. Religion a heart in its wings,
However much an apostate fears evil,

56. The sciences the times will bring
Hidden in its folds, a secret,

57. How many clear pages and you will not see
A single line for miserliness in between them,

58. This perfection in truth, not
What was mentioned before it,

59. I remember a group who
Perhaps memories are renewed,

60. Children of a time whose treachery after
Their demise you did not meet,

61. My thoughts do not end regarding it
But its matter does not equal thought,

62. My covenant with them, their tears
Pour heavily when they grant us a trickle,

63. How often I returned from them
Regretfully, and my she-camels regretfully,

64. I hoped to gain wealth from them
While misfortunes reckon their odd number as even!

65. I used to see all chests other than yours
As a chest whose heart had become barren,

66. All becameacles and their companion
Remained seeking water from them,

67. So today I came to the arm of a generous king
I am a guest of hope satisfied by his generosity,

68. And they prayed for the Sultan of people that
O victory's helper, glorify victory for him,

69. And they went early to the parade ground and crowded it
For there the nomads and settled peoples meet,

70. And the grandees see them
Crowding, so they exclaim “God is Great”,

71. And the infantry arrayed around them
Guarding right and left,

72. Their helmets tilting as if they are
Pieces of gardens garlanded with flowers,

73. And you see their sword belts halted
Like lines whose rhythm aligns the line,

74. And the king is like the blazing sun
Dazzling our eyes beyond it,

75. And from the armies staring at him
Surging seas you see around him green,

76. Crowded from the greatness of what they witness
They do not discern themselves from the ground by a handspan,

77. And you see the kings of earth humble
Standing before his throne belittled,

78. Words whispered imperceptibly
With eyes stealing glances secretly,

79. Messengers after messengers arriving
Like drops, one follows the next,

80. And those with pale faces who on the day
Of peace made their brows dusty,

81. And the cries of the wronged tell
The story of the meows or chiding of cats,

82. They raised cases on their staffs
And implore God to resolve them,

83. They approach and the cavalry cuts them off
A horde pulling their whips pulled taut,

84. As if angry without anger
Lashing bellies and backs,

85. The horses coming and going,
These led, those running,

86. Under the little colts’ grooming
Not disobeying any order,

87. With the elephant at the end of the procession,
Frightening the young man with its enormity,

88.
Standing where the eunuchs command and forbid

89. So it obeys the prohibition and command,
Two ears like two shields beneath them,

90. And two tusks like two spears if provoked,
A pavilion rises over its platform

91. Shading it like one who climbed a palace,
Its trunk seems to be

92. The nozzle of a hose if flexed,
And the trumpets buzz if the Sultan rides

93. You would think them vowing through him,
My Master, I fled to him from my time

94. And the brother of disgrace, to him who fled,
So I will surely overlook those who spent

95. A lifetime, whether people knew or did not,
Why should I blame nights past

96. Whether their legacy was good or corrupt?
An old covenant, if sound then sound,

97. Or if it commanded us then it passed,
My gratitude for this era preoccupies me

98. From reproaching that era,
With the just companion my time sought refuge

99. So I will surely forgive its sins completely,
My Master, time is apologizing to us

100. For remaining, and that is enough apology,
I dwelt with it, so I attained every wish

101. And that is why they said, “Dweller of the sea”,
My hopes came to it depressed

102. So the dew healed their burning livers,
I presented them skinny, may he generously

103. Fatten them, after I had thirsted them,
So I will surely thank him abundantly

104. And ingratitude will exceed gratitude,
O You who returned the face of time

105. To prosperity through His justice, good news,
Opened are the eyes of his envious haters

106. Not closing their lids out of hatred,
And their pens seemed to gush

107. From their ribs being sharpened,
Who would hope to see himself

108. With patience owning souls before Your war?
If Chosroes lived he would be seen

109. From fear of Your power clinging to Chosroes,
O You whose loyalty I stored for a time

110. For the sake of a day when hoarding is praised,
You focused a glance I had granted

111. So favor me with another glance,
You possessed all my world

112. So allow my matter to occupy Your thought,
An eye without sleep sealed shut

113. And fingers clasped together yellowed,
The envious looked at their appearance

114. While I knew the essence of their matter,
So until when will greed lead me

115. A slave to it while I fancy myself free?
And old age bared its eye in wonder

116. Winking at me with its eyelid,
So be the one to empty my concerns generously

117. For the free man, You are more worthy of freeing,
O You whom I made my destination, so

118. My difficult journey became smooth to You,
And I see wealth obey me when You make

119. The flaws of time for me poverty to You,
The daughter of my thoughts in generosity came to You

120. So I presented her to You an honorable virgin,
No young man approves the sword of tongues

121. Unless he shows excellence in Your praise,
O You whose lofty position makes

122. The ground and sky equal before You,
The feast returned to You, so meet it

123. With a mouth smiling from joy,
In an everlasting radiant state

124. As long as a fast follows feasting.