1. None but the beauty of your face is lawful for me,
Nor is there in my heart a place for another.

2. How then to console myself when I was created
Of clay that solidifies not but by your love?

3. Do you suppose I would obey the slanderers
Or listen to the censure of the censurers?

4. Time has dyed youth and dyed too
The dye of love that does not fade.

5. I wonder at your softness despite your potency
Showing temperance, though not tempered.

6. It is soft, yet in its deadliness potent
Such is the nature of the supple bow.

7. Your eyes unleashed arrows to my doom,
So who guided them to my death?

8. Your cheek is an ignition, its flames
Setting my heart aflame.

9. Oh night of promised union, prolonged,
The promise of your separation unfailing.

10. You refused though you owned all beauty.
And how can one who owns refuse?

11. Had you learned generosity
From the disposition of the noblest king:

12. A king whose palm rains bounty
Belittling the gifts of the stretching hand.

13. He boasts of the short spear above power.
Taking pride in the longer eyelash.

14. Meeting him at warring is hard,
While in peace he is of easiest nature.

15. Lighter in going to war than a fading leaf,
And weightier in clemency than the wilting.

16. In darkness of afflictions he gives light
Rising in the night of shackles.

17. To the bold his bounty is a torrent
And the light of his smile to the wretched.

18. He honors the blood-stained garment
And feels for the naked pauper.

19. Known merits continued through offspring.
Mohammed inherited them from Ali.

20. To the Ayyubid household belong victories
In every past and every future.

21. Kings of second glory
Told from first glories.

22. Their munificence grows as grows
Wind upon the pendulum.

23. Oh aide of the faith, son of him who
With it the rule gained footing:

24. Al-Muʿtaḍid favored you with his support
As the lion’s spirit in the cub.

25. And were it not for your existence
Munificence would be beneath the shrouds.

26. You accomplished through gifting what none stated
While others stated but did not accomplish.

27. So my heart is free of your benefaction
And my palm filled with your boons.

28. You gifted ere I praised
And favoured without my asking.

29. Your righteousness persisted until I departed
Out of propriety, else I would not have.

30. Had I wanted to journey to you
I would have eased my heavy load.

31. But I neglected the effort towards you
When I was never neglected by you.

32. And I made up for the lapse in correspondence
With the best I had in my abode.

33. So I sent him hopeful
He'd clarify the fault of the sender.

34. If his qualities attracted pleased attention
Yours would be the merit and mine the pride.

35. If he was not most fair
Nor his words full-orbed:

36. He has the height of wit
And subtlety of instinct and speech---

37. A virgin service I hastened with
Ere the sword of talent were drawn.

38. I aim through it to plead excuse
And praise your greatest merit.

39. And one like you accepts apology
And believes his lover's words.

40. So pity my ill-fate and loss of wishes!
Were my excuse to be refused.