1. What the morning breeze whispered to you secretly,
It only flaunted to you while intoxicated.
١. ما أَذاعَت ريحُ الصَّبا لَكَ سِرّاً
إِنَّما عَرَّضَت بِهِ وَهيَ سَكرى
2. And though it pretends to be sleepy, it has
Brought a breeze from sweet basil and perfume.
٢. وَعَلى أَنَّها تَنِمُّ فَقَد أَه
دَت نَسيماً مِنَ العُذَيبِ وَعِطرا
3. And the lightning that stayed up night after night
Learning new kinds of betrayal.
٣. وَأَتى البارِقُ الَّذي بِتَّ تَرعا
هُ فُنوناً مِنَ الخِيانَةِ أَخرى
4. It folds up the train of darkness and illuminates the desert
Until the specter thinks it's the dawn.
٤. باتَ يَطوي ذَيلَ الدُّجى وَيُضيءُ ال
بيدَ حَتّى يَظُنَّهُ الطَّيفُ فَجرا
5. So when will it know loyalty? It only remembers
To blame you and make excuses for you.
٥. فَمَتى يَعرِفُ الوَفاءَ وَما يَذ
كُرُ إِلّا لَوماً عَلَيكَ وَعُذرا
6. And if you have not found your sorrows to be free,
Then die with your sorrows in freedom!
٦. وَإِذا كُنتَ ما وَجَدتَ لأَشجا
نِكَ حُرّاً فَمُت بِدائِكَ حُرّا
7. O my friend! I have grown weary of my wishes
And spent a lifetime being content.
٧. يا خَليلَيَّ قَد سَئِمتُ أمانِي
يَ وَأَنفَقتُ في القَناعَةِ عُمرا
8. So unleash whatever you want from the bondage of captivity,
For we are captives of anxiety and grief.
٨. فَاطلِقا مِن أَزِمَّةِ العِيسِ ما شا
ءت فَإِنَّا في رِبقَةِ الهَمِّ أَسرى
9. The expanse of prosperity has increased upon it
As the darkness stretched over the stars – yearning.
٩. زادَ عَرضُ الفَلا عَلَيها كَما طا
لَ الدُّجى فَهيَ وَالكَواكِبُ حَسرى
10. The countries are expansive, yet they yield
Only a trace of generosity over barren land.
١٠. تَتَرامى بِها البِلادُ وَما تَشُد
دُ إِلّا رَسماً مِنَ الجودِ قَفرا
11. So excuse it if it falls short, for it has undertaken
A difficult set of demands and presented its case.
١١. فاعذُراها إِن أَخفَقَت فَلَقَد را
مَت عَسيراً مِنَ المَطالِبِ وَعرا
12. Time has reduced its share of sons,
So it seeks a share, people and an era.
١٢. نَقَصَ الدَّهرُ حَظَّها مِن بَنيهِ
فَهيَ تَبغي حَظّاً وَناساً وَدَهرا
13. By my life! The victorious king is enough for it,
So let us be more forgiving.
١٣. وَلَعَمري لَقَد كَفاها نَصِيرُ ال
مُلكِ فَلنوسِع البَرِيَّةَ عُذرا
14. It has grazed in his meadows,
Lavishing it with praise and mention.
١٤. رَتَعَت مِن جَنابِهِ في رِياض
ضَوَّعَتها فيهِ ثَناء وَذِكرا
15. And his generosity flowed to it from afar
As the breeze carries fragrance.
١٥. وَسَرى جودُهُ إِلَيها عَلى البُع
دِ كَما تَحمِلُ النَّسائِمُ عِطرا
16. And the harbor of glorious deeds was filled
As it revived the face of the times radiantly.
١٦. وَرَدَت مَشرَعَ المَكارِم مَلآ
نَ وَحَيَّت وَجهَ الزَّمانِ أَغَرّا
17. A celestial rising in which flashes
A lightning bolt of generosity they named "good news".
١٧. طَلعَةٌ كَالصَّباحِ يَلمَعُ فيها
بارِق لِلسَّماح سَمَّوهُ بِشرا
18. And clouds, when gloom gathers,
Are more deserving for it to unleash torrents.
١٨. وَبَنان إِذا تَجَهَّمَتِ الأَنوا
ء أَحرى بِهِ سَحائِبَ عَشرا
19. The tall one outdoes the tall again and again
And leaves the Indian behind in traces and traces.
١٩. يَسبِقُ السَّمهَرِيُّ طولاً وَطَولاً
وَيَفوتُ الهِندِيَّ أَثراً وَأَثرا
20. Glory upon you, O Banu Fazarah! Its renown
Has fortified and enlightened you with the full moon.
٢٠. شَرَفاً يا بَني فَزارَةَ قَد أَح
يا نَداهُ عَلَيكَ حِصناً وَبَدرا
21. Wealthy without the gifts of singers, for
The lake has become an ocean.
٢١. وَغِنىً عَن مَواهِبِ المُزنِ بِالغو
رِ فَقَد صارَتِ البُحَيرَةُ بَحرا
22. The inspired son and fertile meadow have settled in you
When his life was not settled.
٢٢. حَلَّ فيكَ ابنُ مُلهَم وَخَصيبُ ال
رَوضِ ما كانَ عَيشُهُ مُستَقِرّا
23. A cloudburst that initiates generosity, and within it
Lightning that sometimes kindles ember.
٢٣. عارِض يَستَهِلُّ جوداً وَفيهِ
بارِق رُبَّما تَوَقَّدَ جَمرا
24. So its water flowed as white gifts
And its fire ignited crimson ships.
٢٤. فَجَرى ماؤُهُ مَواهِبَ بيضاً
وَوَرَت نارُهُ قَواضِبَ حُمرا
25. We knew his gentle rain, how it prays,
And we knew his clouds, how they shower.
٢٥. قَد عَرَفنا ضِرامَهُ كَيفَ يَصلى
وَعَلِمنا غَمامَهُ كَيفَ يُمرا
26. So we found its wing in peace to be sweet
And saw its sharpness in war to be bitter.
٢٦. فَوَجَدنا جَناهُ في السِّلمِ حُلواً
وَرَأَينا لَظاهُ في الحَربِ مُرّا
27. The fortunes of time bring misery and bounty
And the ways of fate bring benefit and harm.
٢٧. خَطَراتُ الزَّمانِ بُؤسَى وَنُعمى
وَفُنونُ الأَقدارِ نَفعاً وَضَرّا
28. People knew how he strives for glory
Yet they slept as captives and prisoners.
٢٨. عَلِمَ النّاسُ كَيفَ يَسعى إِلى ال
مَجدِ وَلَكِن باتوا نِياماً وَأَسرى
29. And I see in his generosity every excuse
As if they are gifts coming and going.
٢٩. وَأَراهُم مِن جُودِهِ كُلَّ عَذرا
ءِ عَلى أَنَّها مَواهِبُ تَترى
30. And if he counts Hamid, Ali,
Sulayman, Nada, Ka’b and Bakr
٣٠. وَإِذا عَدَّ حامِداً وَعَلِياً
وَسَليمَ النَّدى وَكَعباً وَبَكرا
31. A blessing none but his palms have found
So wonder at it, both settled and nomad.
٣١. مِنَّةٌ لَم يَجُد بِها غَيرُ كَفَّي
هِ فَأَعجِب بِها عَواناً وَبِكرا
32. He surpassed the people at first and last
And contained glorious deeds, nomad and city dweller.
٣٢. سَبَقَ النّاسَ أَولاً وَأَخيراً
وَحَوى المَكرُماتِ بَدواً وَحَضرا
33. Hardships have come to Syria since you left
After which no ease is seen from the hardship.
٣٣. طَرَقَ الشامَ مِن فِراقِكَ خَطبٌ
لا يُرى بَعدَهُ مِنَ العُسرِ يُسرا
34. The Romans know your sword protects them
So they have attempted something in your absence.
٣٤. عَلِمَ الرّوم أَنَّ سَيفَكَ حامي
هِ فَقَد حاوَلوا لِبُعدِكَ أَمرا
35. And the warriors have surrendered to peace
Fleeing from the piercing and disbelief.
٣٥. وَأَجابَ المُحارِبونَ إِلى السِّل
مِ فَراراً مِنَ الطِّعانِ وَكُفرا
36. And when the lair was empty of the beast
The leucrocotta raided and nested in it.
٣٦. وَإِذا ما خَلا العَرينُ مِنَ اللَّي
ثِ أَغارَ السُّرحانُ فيهِ وَكَرّا
37. Your galloping steeds have accustomed them
To the terror of flight, and your horses have instilled panic in them.
٣٧. عَوَّدَتهُم ظُباكَ جامِحَةَ الفَر
رِ وَسَنَّت فيهِم جِيادُكَ ذُعرا
38. And your citadels have protected you since
Your sharp swords have forcibly seized them.
٣٨. وَتَحامَتكُم المَعاقِلُ لَمّا
مَلَكَتها لَكَ الصَّوارِمُ قَسرا
39. They marched from the valley towards them
And they found them in Latakia with bright swords.
٣٩. طَلَعَت نَحوَهُم مِنَ الجَونِ جَون
وَجَدوها بِاللاذِقِيَّةِ شُقرا
40. Racing horses, except they openly hunt prey
And a fifth who flung a line across the coast, and in the capitals, a line.
٤٠. مُقرَبات مِثلُ السَّراحينِ إِلّا
أَنَّها تَقنِصُ الفَرائسَ جَهرا
41. Its spear bent inebriated, drinking nothing
But the blood of horsemen in wine.
٤١. وَخَميسٌ أَلقى عَلى طَرَفِ السا
حِلِ شَطراً وَفي العَواصِمِ شَطرا
42. Led by one with resolute determination and opinion
When the foot of the warrior was unsteady.
٤٢. تَثَنّى قَناهُ سُكراً وَما تَش
رَبُ إِلّا دَمَ الفَوارِسِ خَمرا
43. Experiences have refined his intellect until
They have torn away the unseen before him.
٤٣. قادَهُ مُرهَفُ العَزيمَةِ وَالرَّأ
يِ إِذا قَدَمُ المُحارِبِ غِرّا
44. God raised from your banners when
It was honor for the Muslims and victory.
٤٤. هَذَّبَت فِكرُهُ التَّجارِبُ حَتّى
هَتَكَت دونَهُ مِنَ الغَيبِ سِترا
45. You have reached such virtue that is beyond praise, so
I do not set forth except loyalty and gratitude.
٤٥. رَفَعَ اللَّهُ مِن لِوائِكَ لَمّا
كانَ عِزّاً لِلمُسلِمينَ وَنَصرا
46. Sighs I have embellished from passion
Though they are crude poetry in the ears.
٤٦. طُلتَ قَدراً عَنِ المَديح فَما أَذ
هَبُ فيهِ إِلّا وَفاء وَشُكرا
47. And praise as if the dawn has emerged radiant
And the meadow blossomed and flourished.
٤٧. زَفَرات أَثَرتُهُنَّ مِنَ الشَّو
قِ وَإِن كُنَّ في المَسامِع شِعرا
48. It tells people that remembering your kindness is an obligation
And that my praise holds magic.
٤٨. وَثَناء كَأَنَّما أَطلَع الصُّب
حَ ضِياء وَأَرَّجَ الرَّوضَ نَشرا
٤٩. يُخبِرُ النّاسَ إِنَّ في ذِكرِ إِح
سانِكَ دَيناً وَفي ثَنائي سِحرا