1. For whom did the suns set in the horizons,
And rose between the knuckles of buttons?
١. لِمَنِ الشُّموسُ غَرَبْنَ في الأَكوارِ
وطَلَعْنَ بين معاقِدِ الأَزرار
2. The killers, whose eyelids in killing
Are sharper than the edges of swords.
٢. القَاتلاتِ بأَعيُنٍ أَشفارُها
في الفَتْكِ أَمْضَى من ظُباتِ شِفارِ
3. They exposed me to illness when they passed by,
Swaying coquettishly like the fluttering flag.
٣. عَرَّضْنَنِي للسُّقْمِ حِينَ عَرَضْنَ لي
يخطِرْنَ زَهْواً كالقَنَا الخَطَّارِ
4. If only they were horses fed with grains,
Adorned with beads of flowing tears.
٤. ولَوَيْنَ أَجياداً يُحَلِّيها النَّوَى
بفرائِدٍ من فَيْضِ دَمْعٍ جارِي
5. The departing beloveds took away my love,
Leaving my heart hostage to passion and reminiscence.
٥. سارَ الحُداةُ بمن أُحِبُّ وخلَّفوا
قلبي رهينَ الوَجْدِ والتذكارِ
6. The veils were lifted from gardens of beauty,
Untouched by the hands of rain.
٦. نَضَت البَرَاقِعُ عن رياضِ محاسِنٍ
لم تحتكِمْ فِيها يَدُ الأَمْطارِ
7. She glanced at me with a blue, kohl-lined eye,
So the vigilant glanced back with a vicious, deadly eye.
٧. وَرَنَتْ إِليَّ بطَرْفِ ريمٍ أَكْحَلٍ
فرنا الرقيبُ بطَرْفِ لَيْثٍ ضَارِ
8. How can I reach the wonders of a garden
Surrounded by fire for those seeking access?
٨. كيفَ السَّبيلُ إِلى بدائِعِ جَنَّةٍ
حُفَّتْ لطالِبِ نَيْلِها بالنَّارِ
9. God does not keep beauty distant out of hatred,
Sweet agony makes dangers tolerable.
٩. لا يُبْعِدِ الله الجمالَ مَحَبَّةً
عَذْبَ العذابِ مُهَوِّنَ الأَخطارِ
10. So leave forever the banner of youth as my creed,
And listen to descriptions of the star of faith in my poems.
١٠. فَدَعِ الصِّبا أَبداً شِعاري واستَمِعْ
أَوصافَ نَجمِ الدِّينِ في أَشعاري
11. A king who shows you his gifts and beauty,
The overflowing oceans and radiance of moons.
١١. مَلِكٌ يُريكَ نَوالُه وجمالُه
فيضَ البحارِ وبهجةَ الأَقمارِ
12. Whenever I saw a prisoner of hardship,
I rescued him from adversity.
١٢. مَا إِنْ رأيتُ أَسيرَ عُسْرٍ أَمَّهُ
إِلا وأَنقذه من الإِعسارِ
13. Time flowed gently for us by his kind nature,
Until it became like pouring water.
١٣. رَقَّ الزمانُ لنا برِقَّةِ طَبْعِه
حتى لأَصبحَ كالزُّلال الجاري
14. He brought back the émigrés like noble Arabians,
Redeeming the elegance of dawns.
١٤. ردَّ الهواجِرَ كالأَصائِلِ وانثنى
فكا الليالي رَوْنَقَ الأسحارِ
15. Split between the crescent's beauty,
And the planet Saturn's might.
١٥. متقسمٌ بين الهلالِ المُجْتَلَى
حُسْناً وبين الضَّيْغَمِ الزَّءَّارِ
16. When he draws his sword it laughs eagerly,
When he forgives, wealth holds arrogance.
١٦. فإِذا سَطَا فَالسيفُ يَضْحَكُ غُرَّةً
وإِذا عفا فالمالُ ذو اسْتْعبارِ
17. He is delighted by requests, as if
His asker quenched his thirst with a drink of life.
١٧. جَذْلاَنُ يُطْرِبُهُ السُّؤالُ كأَنما
يَسْقِيهِ سائِلُهُ بكأَسِ عُقَارِ
18. You see him on days of turmoil as if
He were an army on his own in battle.
١٨. وتراهُ فِي ويوم الوغى وكأَنه
من نفسه في عسكرٍ جرَّارِ
19. His company contains only young heroes,
Seeking vast generosity and hospitality.
١٩. من معشرٍ ما فيهمُ إِلا فتىً
طامِي عُبابِ الجودِ رحبِ الدارِ
20. By his deeds, many a yellow man makes you forget
The actions of sharp white swords.
٢٠. وَلرُبَّ أَصْفَرَ في يَدَيْهِ فَعَالُه
ينْسِيكَ فِعْلَ الأَبيضِ البَتَّارِ
21. Like the hissing cobra, except
He alternates harm and benefit.
٢١. كالحَيَّةِ النَّضْنَاضِ إِلا أَنَّهُ
مُتَقَسَّمٌ للنفعِ والإِضرارِ
22. God protects you, you built heights of glory
That will not fade away over time.
٢٢. الله جارُكَ قد بَنَيْتَ مراتباً
في المجدِ لا تَفْنَى مع الأَعْصارِ
23. You let your generosity flow like a sea from your right hand,
And sound principles stand by you.
٢٣. أَجريتَ من يمناكَ بحرَ سماحةٍ
وَقَفَتْ عليكَ نَتَائِجَ الأَفكارِ
24. When you make generosity your livelihood, you will keep
Reaping the fruits of gratitude, the best fruits.
٢٤. وإِذَا جَعَلْتَ الجودَ غَرْسَكَ لم تَزَلْ
تَجْنِي ثِمارَ الشَّكْرِ خَيْرَ ثِمارَ
25. You have resolves no swords can match,
How can they be counted when the stars are not?
٢٥. وعزائمٍ لك ما السيوفُ قواطعٌ
أَنَّي تُعَدُّ ولا النجومُ سوارى
26. They prevail when you prevail them, as if
They come to pass along with destiny.
٢٦. تمضي متى أَمْضَيْتَها فكأَنما
تأْتي على قَدَرٍ مع الأَقدار