أهواه فتان اللواحظ أغيدا

أهواه فتان اللواحظ أغيدا

ترك الغزال من الحياءِ مشردا

ترك الغزال من الحياءِ مشردا

I love him, bewitching in his glances, supple and graceful;

I love the charmer with the flirtatious glances,

He left the gazelle fleeing in shame.

The gazelle left out of shyness, wandering,

ولأجله الأغصان مالت من صباً

ولأجله الأغصان مالت من صباً

والبدر طول الليل بات مسهدا

والبدر طول الليل بات مسهدا

And for his sake the branches bent with longing,

And for his sake the branches bent with the morning breeze,

And the full moon spent the whole night sleepless.

And the full moon lay awake all night long.

وأغنّ أقسم لا عصيت عصابةً

وأغنّ أقسم لا عصيت عصابةً

تدعو إليه ولا أطعت مفندا

تدعو إليه ولا أطعت مفندا

And a sweet-voiced one—I swear never to defy a band

I swear I did not disobey a band

That calls me to him, nor ever heed a faultfinder.

That calls me to him, nor did I obey a deterrent.

نشوان من خمر الصبى ودلالهِ

نشوان من خمر الصبى ودلالهِ

فإذا تثنى أو تجنى عرْبدا

فإذا تثنى أو تجنى عرْبدا

Drunk on the wine of youth and his coquettish charm,

I am elated with the wine of the youth and his coquetry,

So when he sways or finds fault unjustly, he runs riot.

So if he bends or turns away, I become delirious.

أنا من رأى ناراً على وجناته

أنا من رأى ناراً على وجناته

تذكو فآنس من جوانبها هدى

تذكو فآنس من جوانبها هدى

I am the one who saw a fire upon his cheeks

I am one who saw fire on his cheeks

Blazing, and discerned guidance from its sides.

Kindling, so I felt assured of guidance from its sides.

أبداً أميلُ إلى لقاه وإن جفا

أبداً أميلُ إلى لقاه وإن جفا

وتحنّ أحشائي له وإن اعتدى

وتحنّ أحشائي له وإن اعتدى

I ever incline toward meeting him, even if he shuns me,

I am forever inclined to meet him though he is aloof,

And my inmost being yearns for him, even if he wrongs me.

And my innermost being yearns for him though he transgresses.

وأطولَ أشجاني بطرفٍ فاترٍ

وأطولَ أشجاني بطرفٍ فاترٍ

ترك الفؤادَ بناره متوقّدا

ترك الفؤادَ بناره متوقّدا

And he prolonged my sorrows with a languid glance

With a listless glance, he prolonged my branches of love,

That left my heart ablaze with its fire.

Leaving my heart aflame with its fire kindled.

ومورّد الوجناتِ لولا حسنه

ومورّد الوجناتِ لولا حسنه

لم يجرِ دمعي في هواه موَرَّدا

لم يجرِ دمعي في هواه موَرَّدا

And a rosy-cheeked one—but for his beauty,

The rosy-cheeked one, were it not for his beauty,

My tears would not flow rose-red in love for him.

Would not have let my tears flow freely in love for him.

شدَّت مناطقه معاطفَ قدّه

شدَّت مناطقه معاطفَ قدّه

فضممت حرفَ اللين منه مشدَّدا

فضممت حرفَ اللين منه مشدَّدا

His girdles tightened around the curves of his figure,

His firm waistbands tightened his robes,

So I clasped his 'soft letter,' tightly doubled.

So I drew near the letter of softness in him, doubled.

وبليت منه بدور عشقٍ دائمٍ

وبليت منه بدور عشقٍ دائمٍ

مثل الهلالِ إذا استسرَّ تجدَّدا

مثل الهلالِ إذا استسرَّ تجدَّدا

And through him I was afflicted with an unending cycle of love,

And I have endured from him constant rounds of love

Like the crescent, which renews itself whenever it vanishes.

Like the crescent when it begins to wax anew.

قد أقسمت أحشاي لا تدع الأسى

قد أقسمت أحشاي لا تدع الأسى

كأناملِ المنصور لا تدع الندى

كأناملِ المنصور لا تدع الندى

My inmost being has sworn never to relinquish grief,

My innermost being has sworn it will not abandon sorrow,

Like al-Mansur's fingers, which never relinquish bounty.

As if the fingers of al-Mansur will not abandon dew.

أبهى الورى خلقاً وأبهر منظراً

أبهى الورى خلقاً وأبهر منظراً

وأجل آلاءً وأكرم موْلدا

وأجل آلاءً وأكرم موْلدا

Fairest of mankind in form and most dazzling to behold,

The most magnificent of creation and most dazzling in appearance,

And greatest in beneficence and noblest by birth.

The most sublime in lineage and most generous in birth.

ملك يغار البدر لمّا يجتلى

ملك يغار البدر لمّا يجتلى

ويذيب قلب الغيث لما يجتدى

ويذيب قلب الغيث لما يجتدى

A king the full moon envies when he is beheld,

A king whom the full moon envies when he appears

And who melts the rain's heart when asked for bounty.

And melts the heart of rain when he is sought.

في وجهه للملكِ نورُ سعادةٍ

في وجهه للملكِ نورُ سعادةٍ

تعشو له الآمالُ واجدةً هدى

تعشو له الآمالُ واجدةً هدى

In his face shines a light of good fortune for kingship;

In his face there is for the king an auspicious light

Hopes seek its light, finding guidance.

By which hopes thrive and find guidance.

فرعٌ يخبر عن مبادي أصله

فرعٌ يخبر عن مبادي أصله

يا حبَّذا خبرٌ لديه ومبتدا

يا حبَّذا خبرٌ لديه ومبتدا

A branch that tells of the beginnings of its root;

A branch that tells of the origins of its root—

Ah, how fine in him are both 'predicate' and 'subject'!

How excellent a report with both precedent and beginning!

طالت يداه إلى مآثر بيته

طالت يداه إلى مآثر بيته

فحبت مكارمه بكلّ يدٍ يدا

فحبت مكارمه بكلّ يدٍ يدا

His hands reached up to the glorious deeds of his house,

His hands reached out to the glories of his house

So his noble deeds bestowed a favor for every favor.

So his virtues were grasped by every hand and arm.

ذو همةٍ في الفضل يحكم يومها

ذو همةٍ في الفضل يحكم يومها

ويريك أحكم من فواصلها غدا

ويريك أحكم من فواصلها غدا

Possessed of lofty resolve in excellence, he perfects its day,

With an ambition in virtue he rules his day,

And tomorrow shows you something more finely wrought than its endings.

And you see his judgments more decisive than their morrows.

وشجاعةٍ تنضي السيوف صقيلةً

وشجاعةٍ تنضي السيوف صقيلةً

وإلى المعامع ربها يشكو الصدى

وإلى المعامع ربها يشكو الصدى

And courage that unsheathes gleaming swords,

And a courage that unsheathes polished swords

And their master complains of rust to the mêlées.

And complains of the flashing blades to the echo.

يزدادُ معنًى بيته حسناً به

يزدادُ معنًى بيته حسناً به

فكأنه بيتُ القريضِ مولدا

فكأنه بيتُ القريضِ مولدا

His house grows lovelier in meaning through him,

Meaning gains in his house through him,

So it seems a newly fashioned verse of poetry.

As if it were the natal home of poetry.

ويشيم ما سنى أبوه من العلا

ويشيم ما سنى أبوه من العلا

لا قاصراً عنه ولا متبلدا

لا قاصراً عنه ولا متبلدا

And he scans the heights his father made attainable,

And he upholds what his father established of sublimity,

Neither falling short of him nor slow-witted.

Neither falling short of it nor indifferent to it.

ما شادَ إسماعيلُ بيتَ فخاره

ما شادَ إسماعيلُ بيتَ فخاره

إلا ليستدعي إليه محمدا

إلا ليستدعي إليه محمدا

Isma'il did not build the house of his glory

Ishmael only erected his house of pride

Except to summon Muhammad into it.

To summon Muhammad to it.

سارٍ على منهاجه فإذا رأت

سارٍ على منهاجه فإذا رأت

عيناكَ منصوراً رأيتَ مؤيدا

عيناكَ منصوراً رأيتَ مؤيدا

He follows his path; so when

Proceeding upon his path, so when

Your eyes see Mansur, you see Mu'ayyad.

You see Mansur, you see one given victory.

يا ابن الذي ملأ الوجود مواهباً

يا ابن الذي ملأ الوجود مواهباً

والأفق ذكراً والصحائف سؤددا

والأفق ذكراً والصحائف سؤددا

O son of him who filled the world with gifts,

O son of the one who filled existence with gifts,

And the horizon with renown, and the pages with glory:

The horizon with fame, and pages with purpose.

شرَّفت شعري ذاكراً وأنرته

شرَّفت شعري ذاكراً وأنرته

حتى كأنَّ بكلِّ حرفٍ فرْقدا

حتى كأنَّ بكلِّ حرفٍ فرْقدا

You ennobled my verse of praise and illumined it,

You have ennobled my poetry by mentioning it

Until every letter seemed to hold a Farqad star.

As if each letter were illuminated by a lamp.

فلأهدينَّ فريدةً لممدّح

فلأهدينَّ فريدةً لممدّح

أضحى بنيل نداه شعري مفردا

أضحى بنيل نداه شعري مفردا

So I shall surely offer a unique pearl to one much praised;

So I will dedicate a unique gem to the praised one

Through receiving his bounty, my poetry has grown peerless.

Whose attainment of his support made my poetry singular.

حسب ابن شادٍ أن يراني للثنا

حسب ابن شادٍ أن يراني للثنا

عبداً وحسبي أن أراهُ سيدا

عبداً وحسبي أن أراهُ سيدا

Enough for Shadi's son to see me, in praise,

It is enough for Ibn Shaddad to be seen by praise

A slave; and enough for me to see him a master.

As a servant, and enough for me to see him as a master.