1. إن طيفاً عن حال شجوايَ أملى

    لستُ أدري أدَّى الأمانة أم لا

    Indeed, a phantom dictated the state of my sorrow;

    I do not know whether it discharged its trust or not.

  2. جاءَ ضيفاً وردَّه سهد عينيَّ

    فولَّى بيَ الهمومَ وولَّى

    It came as a guest, but my sleepless eyes repelled it;

    it set cares over me, then turned away.

  3. ليت طيف الحبيب ينقل جسمي

    لا حديثي فكان يحسن نقلا

    Would that the beloved's phantom carried my body,

    not my tale—then it would carry well!

  4. بأبي من إذا تثنَّى دلالاً

    أطرقت في رياضها القضب خجلا

    My father be ransom for him who, when swaying coquettishly,

    makes the boughs bow in their gardens, ashamed.

  5. فاتك اللحظ وهو حلوٌ مع الف

    تك فيا حبَّذا الحسام المحلَّى

    Deadly of glance, yet sweet despite his deadliness—

    how lovely the adorned sword!

  6. عرف الناس سحر عينيه لمَّا

    مدَّ فرعاً فصيَّر الفرع أصلا

    People recognized the magic of his eyes when

    he let down a lock, turning the branch into a root.

  7. مدَّ صدغاً على عذارٍ وخدٍّ

    فرأينا مرعىً وماءً وظلاَّ

    He stretched a temple-lock over cheek-down and cheek;

    and we saw pasture, water, and shade.

  8. ورنا بعده الغزال فقلنا

    حُطّ يا ظبيُ عن جفنك ثقلا

    After him the gazelle cast a glance, and we said:

    "Lift the weight from your eyelid, O gazelle!"

  9. ليسَ يُسلى هواه من قلب صبٍّ

    ونعم فوق خدَّيه يُسلى

    His love cannot be forgotten by a yearning heart;

    and yes, upon his cheeks it is forgotten.

  10. يا سلوِّي عليهِ عليه بُعداً وسُحقاً

    واشْتياقي إليه أهلاً وسهلا

    O my forgetting him—away with it, utterly away!

    And my longing for him—welcome, welcome!

  11. أشتكي جوره التذاذاً بذكرى

    شخصه كالأريحيِّ منه عدلا

    I complain of his tyranny, delighting in recalling

    his person, as a generous heart delights in his justice.

  12. عجبي منه ظالماً مستطيلاً

    وهو إن ماسَ أعدل الناس شكلا

    I marvel at him, unjust and overbearing,

    yet, when he sways, the most balanced of all in form.

  13. باخلٌ بالكلامِ لكن له سيَّا

    ف لحظٍ تكلَّم الناس عنه طفلا

    Stingy with speech, yet he has a sword-wielding

    glance; people spoke of him even as a child.

  14. يا بخيلاً بلفظه ولقاه

    شذَّ ما قد بخلت قولاً وفعلا

    O you who begrudge your words and your company,

    how extraordinary your stinginess in word and deed!

  15. خنت عهدي ولست أوَّل خلٍّ

    خانَ بعد الولاء والودّ خلاَّ

    You betrayed my covenant; you are not the first friend

    to betray a friend after loyalty and affection.

  16. رُبَّ يومٍ قد كانَ ريقك فيه

    ليَ راحاً وكان قدّك نقلا

    Many a day your saliva

    was wine to me, and your figure its sweetmeats.

  17. سائلي عن قديم دهريَ إيهاً

    ذاك وقتٌ مضى ودهرٌ تولَّى

    You who ask about my former days—enough!

    That was a time gone by, an age departed.

  18. وليالٍ جادت وأعقبت اله

    مّ فيا ليت جودها كانَ بخلا

    And nights that were generous, then brought sorrow—

    would that their generosity had been stinginess!

  19. وحبيبٌ جفا ولست بسالي

    ه وحاشا ذاك الجمال وكلاَّ

    And a beloved who shunned me; I am not one to forget

    him—far be that beauty from such a fate, never!

  20. تتقلَّى به العواذل غبناً

    فهو يُهوَى وعواذلي فيه تُقلى

    The reproaching women burn over him, feeling cheated;

    he is loved, while my reproachers are hated for his sake.

  21. عذلوني وفي الحشا عقد ودّ

    لم يدع لاسْتماع عذلٍ محلاَّ

    They reproached me, while a knot of affection in my breast

    left no room for hearing any reproach.

  22. أنا في الحبِّ مثل قاضي قضاة الد

    ين في الجودِ ليسَ يسمع عذلا

    In love I am like the chief judge of the faith;

    in generosity he listens to no reproach.

  23. مغرف في العلى لماضيه يتلو

    وثناه على البسيطة يتلى

    Drawing from the heights, he follows his past;

    and his praise is recited across the earth.

  24. دلفي يوم الفخار يجلى

    وبه منهم الخطوب تجلَّى

    Dulaf-like, he is revealed on the day of glory,

    and through him calamities are cleared away from them.

  25. حازَ غايات أهله بمساعٍ

    قدَّمته إلى السيادة أهلا

    He attained his people's highest aims through endeavors

    that advanced him, worthy, to preeminence.

  26. فأفاضَ الجودين عدلاً ومالاً

    وحمى الجانبين حزناً وسهلا

    So he poured forth both bounties, justice and wealth,

    and protected both terrains, rugged ground and plain.

  27. وحرام أن يطرق العسر والجو

    ر فتىً كانَ في مغانيه حلاَّ

    It is forbidden for hardship and injustice to visit

    a young man who has lodged in his halls.

  28. همَّة تحسب النجوم على الأف

    قِ شعاعاً من جرمها يتجلَّى

    Such resolve—you would think the stars upon the horizon

    were rays shining forth from its own sphere.

  29. وعلوم فاضت على الأرض بحراً

    هادِياً لم يعف كالبحر سبلا

    And learning flooded the earth as a sea,

    guiding, not erasing pathways as the sea does.

  30. كم قضى فرض قاصدٍ لحماه

    ثمَّ والى فأتبع الفرض نفلا

    How often he fulfilled what was due to a seeker of his sanctuary,

    then continued, following the obligation with an extra gift.

  31. كم جنينا منه المواهب شهداً

    إذ بنينا له الركائب نملا

    How often we gathered his gifts as honey,

    when we fashioned our riding-camels as ants for him.

  32. كم إلى بيت ماله في العطايا

    قد ضربنا بطالعِ العيس رملا

    How often, seeking gifts from his treasury,

    we cast sand-figures with the ascendant of pale camels.

  33. لائميه على المكارمِ كفُّوا

    إنَّ للصبِّ بالصبابة شغلا

    You who reproach him for noble generosity, desist!

    A lover has enough to occupy him in his passion.

  34. يا له سالكاً بغير مثيل

    في طريقٍ من السيادة مثلى

    How admirable he is, journeying without peer

    on an exemplary path of preeminence!

  35. وإماماً أقلامه كلّ يومٍ

    تتلقَّى الأقلام قدح معلَّى

    And a leader whose pens every day

    meet other pens as the highest winning arrow.

  36. صانَ للفضلِ ذمَّةً وحوى العل

    م جميعاً فلم تقل فيه إلا

    He honored excellence's covenant and encompassed knowledge

    in its entirety; so you could say of him only this:

  37. لو أرادت شهب النجوم علاه

    ما عزَا الفيلسوف للشهبِ عقلا

    If the bright stars aspired to his heights,

    the philosopher would not have ascribed reason to the stars.

  38. ما ألذُّ النعمى لديه وما أش

    قى حسوداً بنارِهِ بات يُصلى

    How sweet good fortune is with him, and how wretched

    the envier who spends the night scorched in his own fire!

  39. وعدوًّا إن لم ينازله بالقت

    لِ كفاه سيف التحسُّد قتلا

    And an enemy—even if he does not fight him to the death,

    the sword of envy is enough to kill him.

  40. أضعف الهمّ جسمه فإذا قا

    لَ لرجليه بادري كتبت لا

    Worry has weakened his body; whenever he says

    to his feet, "Hurry!", they write "No."

  41. قد بلونا السادات شرقاً وغرباً

    فوجدنا جلال علياه أجلى

    We have tested lords in east and west,

    and found the majesty of his high station brightest.

  42. قيل يعني عطارداً قلت لا بل

    مشتري الحمد بالنفائسِ بذلا

    They said, "He means Mercury." I said, "No, rather

    Jupiter, buying praise with treasures lavishly bestowed."

  43. يا إماماً إذا المفاخر نادت

    هُ مشى ساحب الذيول مدلا

    O leader, when glorious deeds call

    him, he strides with trailing hems, proudly.

  44. أتشكَّى لك الزمان الذي تمل

    ك إصلاحه لديَّ فهل لا

    I complain to you of the times, which you have the power

    to amend for me—will you not?

  45. ومقام للعلمِ لولا نظام

    من مساعيك ما تنظَّم شملا

    And a seat of learning that, but for the ordering

    of your endeavors, would never have gathered its parts together;

  46. ومحاريب شدْتها بدروس

    وصلاة تحبى إليها وتجلى

    and prayer-niches you raised with lessons

    and prayer, brought to them as a gift and unveiled.

  47. حبَّذا أنوار شخصك في سجَّا

    دِ محرابه النقى والمصلَّى

    How lovely the lights of your person upon the carpets

    of his pure prayer-niche and prayer-place!

  48. ربَّ مدح لولاك أمسى محالاً

    ورجاء لولاكَ أصبح محلا

    Many a praise, but for you, would have become impossible,

    and a hope, but for you, would have become barren.

  49. حبَّذا لي مدائحٌ فيك تبدى

    من حياءٍ كالروض يحمل طلاَّ

    How dear to me are praises of you that emerge

    in modesty, like a garden bearing dew.

  50. طالَ إملاؤها عليكَ ولكن

    لك كفٌّ من العطا لن يملاَّ

    Their recitation to you has grown long, yet

    you have a hand that will never tire of giving.

  51. عادة لامها النصيح على البذ

    لِ فقالت سجيَّة الأصل مهلا

    A habit the well-wisher reproached for lavish giving;

    then his inborn nature said, "Gently!"

  52. إن أكن أحسن الثنا فيك قولاً

    فلقد أحسنت أياديكَ فعلا

    If I excel in praising you with words,

    your favors have certainly excelled in deeds.

  53. زادكَ اللهُ بسطةً واقْتداراً

    ومقاماً على السّهى ومحلاَّ

    May God increase your abundance and power,

    and your rank and station above Suha.

  54. جمعَ الله فيكَ ما عزَّ في الخل

    قِ فسبحانه وعزَّ وجلا

    God has gathered in you what is rare in creation;

    glory be to Him, mighty and exalted!