أَما وَأَلحاظٍ مِراضٍ صِحاح

أَما وَأَلحاظٍ مِراضٍ صِحاح

تُصبي وَأَعطافٍ نَشاوى صَواح

تُصبي وَأَعطافٍ نَشاوى صَواح

Indeed, by glances languid yet sound,

With glances of sickness and looks of health

that captivate, and by waists drunken yet sober,

She captivates, with supple poses and cries of passion

لِفاتِنٍ بِالحُسنِ في خَدِّهِ

لِفاتِنٍ بِالحُسنِ في خَدِّهِ

وَردٌ وَأَثناءَ ثَناياهُ راح

وَردٌ وَأَثناءَ ثَناياهُ راح

of one who enchants with beauty: on his cheek

For a beauty, on her cheek is a rose

are roses, and between his front teeth is wine.

And in the folds of her bosom, tranquility rests

لَم أَنسَ إِذ باتَت يَدي لَيلَةً

لَم أَنسَ إِذ باتَت يَدي لَيلَةً

وِشاحَهُ اللاصِقَ دونَ الوِشاح

وِشاحَهُ اللاصِقَ دونَ الوِشاح

I have not forgotten when my hand spent one night

I cannot forget when my hand rested one night

as his clinging sash beneath the sash.

On her dress beneath her cloak

أَلمَمتُ بِالأَلطَفِ مِنهُ وَلَم

أَلمَمتُ بِالأَلطَفِ مِنهُ وَلَم

أَجنَح إِلى ما فيهِ بَعضُ الجُناح

أَجنَح إِلى ما فيهِ بَعضُ الجُناح

I drew close to what was most delicate in him, and did not

I touched her gently but did not dare

incline toward anything bearing even a little sin.

To go further, though tempted somewhat

لَأُصفِيَنَّ المُصطَفى جَهوراً

لَأُصفِيَنَّ المُصطَفى جَهوراً

عَهداً لِرَوضِ الحُسنِ عَنهُ اِنتِضاح

عَهداً لِرَوضِ الحُسنِ عَنهُ اِنتِضاح

I shall surely offer the chosen Jahwar, in all sincerity,

I will keep my oath to Al-Mustafa

a pledge whose spray waters the garden of beauty,

A covenant to the garden of beauty has blossomed

جَزاءَ ما رَفَّهَ شُربَ المُنى

جَزاءَ ما رَفَّهَ شُربَ المُنى

وَأَذَّنَ السَعيُ بِوَشكِ النَجاح

وَأَذَّنَ السَعيُ بِوَشكِ النَجاح

as recompense for how he eased the draught of wishes,

A reward for the effort with which I strove

and striving heralded imminent success.

And the race which neared triumph

يَسَّرتُ آمالي بِتَأميلِهِ

يَسَّرتُ آمالي بِتَأميلِهِ

فَما عَداني مِنهُ فَوزُ القِداح

فَما عَداني مِنهُ فَوزُ القِداح

I made my hopes attainable by placing hope in him,

My hopes were eased by his intercession

so through him victory in the draw of gaming arrows never eluded me.

And I was not deprived by him of the victor’s cup

لَم أَشِمِ البَرقَ جَهاماً وَلَم

لَم أَشِمِ البَرقَ جَهاماً وَلَم

أَقتَدِحِ الصُمَّ بِبيضِ الصِفاح

أَقتَدِحِ الصُمَّ بِبيضِ الصِفاح

I watched no lightning in a rainless cloud, nor

I lit no useless fires nor vainly

struck sparks from hard stones with gleaming sword-blades.

Struck flint on steel

مَن مِثلُهُ لا مِثلَ يُلفى لَهُ

مَن مِثلُهُ لا مِثلَ يُلفى لَهُ

إِن فَسَدَت حالٌ فَعَزَّ الصَلاح

إِن فَسَدَت حالٌ فَعَزَّ الصَلاح

Who is his equal? No equal to him can be found,

None can match him, matchless as he is

when things go wrong and remedy becomes hard to find.

If times go wrong and well-being ceases

يا مُرشِدي جَهلاً إِلى غَيرِهِ

يا مُرشِدي جَهلاً إِلى غَيرِهِ

أَغنى عَنِ المِصباحِ ضَوءُ الصَباح

أَغنى عَنِ المِصباحِ ضَوءُ الصَباح

O you who ignorantly direct me to another,

Oh you who wrongly led my ignorance astray

the morning light has made the lamp unnecessary.

The dawn’s light makes lamps redundant

رَكينُ ما تُثني عَلَيهِ الحُبا

رَكينُ ما تُثني عَلَيهِ الحُبا

يَهفو بِهِ نَحوَ الثَناءِ اِرتِياح

يَهفو بِهِ نَحوَ الثَناءِ اِرتِياح

Composed is he whom the knee-wraps enfold;

I am satisfied with your praises of him

eager delight carries him toward praise.

To which praise inclines with comfort

ذو باطِنٍ أُقبِسَ نورَ التُقى

ذو باطِنٍ أُقبِسَ نورَ التُقى

وَظاهِرٍ أُشرِبَ ماءَ السَماح

وَظاهِرٍ أُشرِبَ ماءَ السَماح

He has an inner self kindled with piety's light,

With an esoteric core kindled by piety’s light

and an outward self steeped in generosity's water.

And an exterior imbued with the water of tolerance

أُنظُر تَرَ البَدرَ سَناً وَاِختَبِر

أُنظُر تَرَ البَدرَ سَناً وَاِختَبِر

تَجِدهُ كَالمِسكِ إِذا ميثَ فاح

تَجِدهُ كَالمِسكِ إِذا ميثَ فاح

Look: you will see the full moon in radiance; and test him—

Consider the full moon - examine it

you will find him like musk, which gives fragrance when dissolved.

And you will find it as musk when it diffuses its fragrance

إيهِ أَبا الحَزمِ اِهتَبِل غِرَّةً

إيهِ أَبا الحَزمِ اِهتَبِل غِرَّةً

أَلسِنَةُ الشُكرِ عَلَيها فِصاح

أَلسِنَةُ الشُكرِ عَلَيها فِصاح

Come, Abu al-Hazm, seize an opportunity

Come, O man of wisdom, put on a new robe

for which the tongues of gratitude speak eloquently.

On which tongues of thankfulness cry out

لا طارَ بي حَظٌّ إِلى غايَةٍ

لا طارَ بي حَظٌّ إِلى غايَةٍ

إِن لَم أَكُن مِنكَ مَريشَ الجَناح

إِن لَم أَكُن مِنكَ مَريشَ الجَناح

May no fortune bear me flying to a goal,

No fortune of mine will reach its goal

if my wing is not feathered by you.

If I am not your winged steed

عُتباكَ بَعدَ العَتبِ أُمنِيَّةٌ

عُتباكَ بَعدَ العَتبِ أُمنِيَّةٌ

ما لي عَلى الدَهرِ سَواها اِقتِراح

ما لي عَلى الدَهرِ سَواها اِقتِراح

Your restored favor after reproach is my wish;

Reproach me after reproaching for I have

I have no other request to make of Time.

No proposal to fate but wishes

لَم يَثنِني عَن أَمَلٍ ما جَرى

لَم يَثنِني عَن أَمَلٍ ما جَرى

قَد يُرقَعُ الخَرقُ وَتُؤسى الجِراح

قَد يُرقَعُ الخَرقُ وَتُؤسى الجِراح

What has happened has not turned me away from hope;

What has happened does not stop my hopes

a tear may be patched, and wounds may be healed.

The rent may be patched and wounds healed

فَاِشحَذ بِحُسنِ الرَأيِ عَزمي يُرَع

فَاِشحَذ بِحُسنِ الرَأيِ عَزمي يُرَع

مِنّي العِدا أَلَيسَ شاكي السِلاح

مِنّي العِدا أَلَيسَ شاكي السِلاح

So whet my resolve with sound counsel; let fear strike

So sharpen my resolve with wise counsel, sustained

my enemies because of me—a valiant man, fully armed.

By me, though complaining of arms

وَاشفَع فَلِلشافِعِ نُعمى بِما

وَاشفَع فَلِلشافِعِ نُعمى بِما

سَنّاهُ مِن عَقدٍ وَثيقِ النَواح

سَنّاهُ مِن عَقدٍ وَثيقِ النَواح

And intercede, for the intercessor does a kindness by

And intercede, for intercessors are blessed with

bringing about a bond secure on every side.

A pact firmly constructed

إِنَّ سَحابَ الأُفقِ مِنها الحَيا

إِنَّ سَحابَ الأُفقِ مِنها الحَيا

وَالحَمدُ في تَأليفِها لِلرِياح

وَالحَمدُ في تَأليفِها لِلرِياح

Indeed, from the clouds on the horizon comes life-giving rain,

The clouds on the horizon give life

and the praise for gathering them belongs to the winds.

And praise in their gathering belongs to the winds

وَقاكَ ما تَخشى مِنَ الدَهرِ مَن

وَقاكَ ما تَخشى مِنَ الدَهرِ مَن

تَعِبتَ في تَأمينِهِ وَاِستَراح

تَعِبتَ في تَأمينِهِ وَاِستَراح

May he shield you from what you fear of Time—the one

And may He who you fear protect you from fate

you labored to make safe, while he rested.

You who weary yourself to ensure security and rest