تجني لواحِظه عليَّ وتعتب

تجني لواحِظه عليَّ وتعتب

بالروح يفدَى الظالم المتغضب

بالروح يفدَى الظالم المتغضب

His glances wrong me and reproach me.

My darling reproaches me and complains

May the wrathful wrongdoer be ransomed with my soul!

With my soul I'd ransom the angry dark one

آهاً له ذهبيّ خدٍّ مشرقٍ

آهاً له ذهبيّ خدٍّ مشرقٍ

ما دونه لعديم لُب مذهب

ما دونه لعديم لُب مذهب

Ah for him, with his radiant golden cheek!

Alas, his radiant golden cheek

One bereft of reason has nowhere to turn but to him.

None but the worthless are devoid of its glow

متلوِّن الأخلاق مثل مدامِعي

متلوِّن الأخلاق مثل مدامِعي

والقلبُ مثل خدوده ملتهِب

والقلبُ مثل خدوده ملتهِب

Changeable in temperament, like my tears,

My morals change colors like my tears

And my heart, like his cheeks, is ablaze.

And my heart burns like his blushing cheeks

يعطو كما يعطو الغزال لعاشقٍ

يعطو كما يعطو الغزال لعاشقٍ

ويروغ عنه كما يروغ الثعلب

ويروغ عنه كما يروغ الثعلب

He reaches toward a lover as a gazelle reaches,

He gives like a gazelle gives its lover

And slips away from him as a fox slips away.

And evades like a fox evading capture

تفَّاح خدَّيه بقتلي شامتٌ

تفَّاح خدَّيه بقتلي شامتٌ

فلأجل ذا يلقاكَ وهو مخضب

فلأجل ذا يلقاكَ وهو مخضب

The apples of his cheeks gloat over my slaying;

The apple of his cheek gloats at my murder

That is why they greet you, stained red.

So to him fully bloody will you go

لي في الأماني في لماهُ وخدِّهِ

لي في الأماني في لماهُ وخدِّهِ

في كلِّ يومٍ منزهٌ أو مشرب

في كلِّ يومٍ منزهٌ أو مشرب

In my wishes, his dark lips and cheek offer me,

In my dreams, his cheek and his wine

Each day, a pleasure-ground or a drinking-place.

Each day a meadow or watering hole

أأروم عنه رضاع كأس مسلياً

أأروم عنه رضاع كأس مسلياً

لا أم لي إن كان ذاك ولا أب

لا أم لي إن كان ذاك ولا أب

Should I seek to suckle at a cup to forget him?

Shall I abstain from drinking his cup that gives cheer

May I have neither mother nor father if that be so!

Do I have a mother or father to forbid?

لا فرق عندي بين وصف رضابه

لا فرق عندي بين وصف رضابه

ومدامه إلا الحلالُ الطيب

ومدامه إلا الحلالُ الطيب

To me, there is no difference between describing his saliva

I see no difference between depictions of his wine

And his wine, save that the former is lawful and wholesome.

And his kisses, save what is pure and lawful

وا صبوتي بشذا لماهُ كأنَّه

وا صبوتي بشذا لماهُ كأنَّه

نفسٌ لمادح آل شادٍ مطرب

نفسٌ لمادح آل شادٍ مطرب

Ah, my longing for the fragrance of his dark lips, as though it were

I perfumed my passion with his wine's bouquet

The enchanting breath of a praiser of the house of Shadi.

A soul praising the line of glorious Sa'd

الشائدين الملك بالهمم التي

الشائدين الملك بالهمم التي

وقف السهى ساهٍ لها يتعجب

وقف السهى ساهٍ لها يتعجب

Who raise the kingdom with resolves before which

The king who stilled ambitions so lofty

The star Suha stood dazed, marveling.

That glory halted awestruck in its steps

والقابلين بجودِهم سِلعَ الثنا

والقابلين بجودِهم سِلعَ الثنا

فإلى سوى أبوابهِم لا تجلب

فإلى سوى أبوابهِم لا تجلب

And who accept, with their generosity, the wares of praise,

Those who gained acceptance with their generosity

So those wares are brought to no gates but theirs.

For no gifts but theirs would you amass

والمالكين رقابَنا بصنائعٍ

والمالكين رقابَنا بصنائعٍ

سبقت مطامعنا فليست ترقب

سبقت مطامعنا فليست ترقب

And who own our necks through favors

Those whose crafts gained them our necks

That outstripped our hopes, so they need not be awaited.

Whose skills outpaced our aspirations

جادت ثرى الملك المؤيد ديمةٌ

جادت ثرى الملك المؤيد ديمةٌ

وطفاءُ مثل نوالِه تتصبب

وطفاءُ مثل نوالِه تتصبب

May a steady raincloud drench the soil of King al-Mu'ayyad,

The earth of the victorious king's land yielded fruit

Dense, pouring down like his bounty.

While bounty like his keeps pouring forth

ورعى المقامَ الأفضليَّ بمدحه

ورعى المقامَ الأفضليَّ بمدحه

فضلٌ يشرِّق ذكره ويغرِّب

فضلٌ يشرِّق ذكره ويغرِّب

And may al-Afdal's station be upheld through praise of him,

He shepherded the most virtuous abode with his praise

By excellence whose renown travels east and west.

His fame illuminating east and west

ملك الندى والبأس إمَّا ضيغمٌ

ملك الندى والبأس إمَّا ضيغمٌ

دامي البواتر أو غمام صيب

دامي البواتر أو غمام صيب

King of bounty and valor: either a lion

King of dew and valor, either downpour

With bloodied keen swords, or a cloud pouring rain.

Perpetual showers or pouring clouds

وأبيه ما للسحب مثل بنانه

وأبيه ما للسحب مثل بنانه

وانظر إليها إذ تغيض وتنضب

وانظر إليها إذ تغيض وتنضب

By his father, the clouds have nothing to match his fingertips!

His father, whose construction the clouds envy

And look at them as they ebb and run dry.

Look at them withdraw and run dry

ما سمِّيت بالسحبِ إلاَّ أنَّها

ما سمِّيت بالسحبِ إلاَّ أنَّها

في أُفقها من خجلةٍ تتسحب

في أُفقها من خجلةٍ تتسحب

They were named “clouds” only because

If not for shyness the clouds wouldn't be named thus

In their sky, they slink away out of shame.

In his horizon they shyly withdraw

للهِ فضلُ محمدٍ ماذا على

للهِ فضلُ محمدٍ ماذا على

أقلامِنا تملي علاهُ وتكتب

أقلامِنا تملي علاهُ وتكتب

How wondrous is Muhammad's excellence! What marvels upon

God's bounty on Muhammad - how can

Our pens his eminence dictates and writes!

Our pens dictate it or scribes transcribe it?

ذهبت بنو شادِي الملوك وأقبلتْ

ذهبت بنو شادِي الملوك وأقبلتْ

أيَّامهُ فكأنَّهم لم يذهبُوا

أيَّامهُ فكأنَّهم لم يذهبُوا

The sons of Shadi, the kings, departed, and there came

Sa'd's kings have gone but their days remain

His days—as though they had never departed.

As if they'd never left this temporal plain

للعلم والنَّعماءِ في أبوابِهِ

للعلم والنَّعماءِ في أبوابِهِ

للطالبينَ مطالبٌ لا تحجب

للطالبينَ مطالبٌ لا تحجب

For learning and bounty, at his gates,

Seeking knowledge and arts in his gates

Seekers find what they seek, never withheld.

Seekers find all they seek, nothing barred

واللهِ ما ندري إذا ما فاتَنا

واللهِ ما ندري إذا ما فاتَنا

طلبٌ إليكَ من الذي يُتطلَّب

طلبٌ إليكَ من الذي يُتطلَّب

By God, we do not know, if ever we miss

By God we know not what we miss

Petitioning you, whom else we could seek.

When seeking you, whom all hopes orbit

يا أيُّها الملكُ العريقُ فخارهُ

يا أيُّها الملكُ العريقُ فخارهُ

وأجلُّ من يحمي حماهُ ويُرهب

وأجلُّ من يحمي حماهُ ويُرهب

O king whose glory is deeply rooted,

O deep-rooted king, pride of all kings

And most exalted of those who guard their domain and inspire dread!

Most able to protect and inspire awe

إنِّي لمادِحُ ملككم وشبيبتي

إنِّي لمادِحُ ملككم وشبيبتي

تزهو وها أنا والشباب منكّب

تزهو وها أنا والشباب منكّب

Indeed, I praised your kingship while my youth

I, praising your kingdom, boast of my youth

Flourished; here I am now, with youth turned away.

While my peers bow their heads before you

ولبست أنعمهُ القشيبةَ والصبى

ولبست أنعمهُ القشيبةَ والصبى

فسلبتُ ذاكَ وهذهِ لا تُسلب

فسلبتُ ذاكَ وهذهِ لا تُسلب

And I wore his fresh favors, along with youth;

I wore his gifts of old age and youth alike

Then I was stripped of that, but these cannot be stripped away.

Robbing both of what can't be robbed

خذ من ثنائي كالعقودِ محبباً

خذ من ثنائي كالعقودِ محبباً

إنَّ الثناءَ إلى الكريمِ محبَّب

إنَّ الثناءَ إلى الكريمِ محبَّب

Take from my praise what is beaded like necklaces;

Take my praises like necklaces, pleased

For praise is dear to the generous.

For praises to the noble are beloved

من كلِّ مقبلةِ النظامِ لمثلِها

من كلِّ مقبلةِ النظامِ لمثلِها

نظمُ الوليدِ أبي عُبيدةَ أشيب

نظمُ الوليدِ أبي عُبيدةَ أشيب

From every kiss-worthy composition, beside whose like

To compose like Al-Walid ibn 'Ubaid

The verse of al-Walid Abu Ubayda is gray-haired.

For the like of them when stars align

نادَتْ معانِيها وقد عارضنه

نادَتْ معانِيها وقد عارضنه

عرضتنا أصلاً فقلنا الرَّبرَب

عرضتنا أصلاً فقلنا الرَّبرَب

Its meanings cried out, having rivaled his verse:

Their meanings called me though above my skill

“You presented us at dusk, so we said, ‘The herd of wild cattle!’”

I tried my best - perfection belongs to God