1. مالَ وَاِحتَجَب

    وَاِدَّعى الغَضَب

    He turned away and hid,

    and feigned anger.

  2. لَيتَ هاجِري

    يَشرَحُ السَبَب

    If only the one who shuns me

    would explain the reason.

  3. عَتبُهُ رِضىً

    لَيتَهُ عَتَب

    His reproach is favor;

    if only he had reproached me!

  4. عَلَّ بَينَنا

    واشِياً كَذَب

    Perhaps between us

    a slanderer has lied,

  5. أَو مُفَنِّداً

    يَخلُقُ الرِيَب

    or a detractor

    is fabricating doubts.

  6. مَن لِمُدنِفٍ

    دَمعُهُ سُحُب

    Who will aid one sick with love,

    whose tears are clouds?

  7. باتَ مُتعَباً

    هَمُّهُ اللَعِب

    He spent the night exhausted;

    his concern is play.

  8. يَستَوي خَلٍ

    عِندَهُ وَصَب

    The carefree are no different

    to him from the ailing.

  9. ذُقتُ صَدَّهُ

    غَيرَ مُحتَسِب

    I tasted his rejection,

    unsuspecting.

  10. ضِقتُ فيهِ بِالر

    رُسلِ وَالكُتُب

    I wearied, over him, of

    messengers and letters.

  11. كُلَّما مَشى

    أَخجَلَ القُضُب

    Whenever he walked,

    he shamed the slender boughs.

  12. بَينَ عَينِهِ

    وَالمَها نَسَب

    Between his eye

    and the oryx there is kinship.

  13. ماءُ خَدِّهِ

    شَفَّ عَن لَهَب

    His cheek's watery sheen

    revealed a flame.

  14. ساقِيَ الطِلا

    شُربُها وَجَب

    Cupbearer of wine,

    drinking it is a duty.

  15. هاتِها مَشَت

    فَوقَها الحِقَب

    Bring it: there have passed

    over it long ages.

  16. بابِلِيَّةً

    تَنفُثُ الحَبَب

    Babylonian,

    breathing forth bubbles.

  17. إِنَّ كَرمَها

    آدَمُ العِنَب

    Indeed, its vine

    is the Adam of grapes.

  18. هُذِّبَت فَفي

    دَنِّها الأَدَب

    It has been refined, and in

    its cask dwells good breeding.

  19. اِسقِها فَتىً

    خَيرَ مَن شَرِب

    Serve it to a young man,

    the best who ever drank.

  20. كُلَّما طَغى

    راضَها الحَسَب

    Whenever he oversteps,

    noble lineage tames the wine.

  21. عابِدينَ أَم

    هالَةٌ عَجَب

    Is it Abdeen, or

    a wondrous halo?

  22. أُسُّهُ الهُدى

    وَالعُلا طُنُب

    Its foundation is guidance,

    and loftiness its tent-rope.

  23. مُشرِفُ الذُرى

    مائِجُ الرَحَب

    Its summits tower;

    its spacious courts surge.

  24. قامَ رَبُّهُ

    يَرفَعُ الحُجُب

    Its lord rose,

    lifting the veils.

  25. عِندَ عَرشِهِ

    عَرشُ مِنحُتُب

    Beside his throne

    is the throne of Menhotep.

  26. دونَ عِزِّهِ

    تُبَّعُ الغَلَب

    Beneath his might

    stands victorious Tubbaʿ.

  27. السُراةُ مِن

    وَفدِهِ النُخَب

    The noble leaders among

    his delegation are the chosen elite,

  28. حَولَ سُدَّةٍ

    حَقُّها الرَغَب

    around a threshold

    whose due is eager longing.

  29. طابَ عِندَها ال

    عُجمُ وَالعَرَب

    At it, at ease are the

    non-Arabs and the Arabs.

  30. وَاِرتَضى المَلا

    مِن بَني الصُلُب

    And the assembly chose

    from the sons of the Cross.

  31. مِن حِسانِهِم

    سِربٌ اِنسَرَب

    From among their beauties

    a flock glided forth.

  32. بَينَ كَوكَبٍ

    يَسحَبُ الذَنَب

    Among them, a star

    trailing its tail,

  33. عِندَ جُؤذَرٍ

    فاتِنِ الشَنَب

    beside an oryx calf

    with enchanting pearly teeth,

  34. عِندَ شادِنٍ

    حاسِرِ اللَبَب

    beside a young gazelle

    baring his breast.

  35. تَذهَبُ النُهى

    أَينَما ذَهَب

    Reason departs

    wherever he goes.

  36. يَلفِتُ المَلا

    كُلَّما وَثَب

    He draws the gathering's gaze

    whenever he leaps,

  37. في غَلائِلٍ

    سُندُسٍ قُشُب

    in gauzy gowns

    of fresh, fine silk.

  38. دونَهُنَّ لا

    يَثبُتُ اليَلَب

    Against them, no

    armor can stand firm.

  39. قَرَّ نَهدُهُ

    عِطفُهُ اِضطَرَب

    His breast stayed still;

    his side swayed.

  40. خَصرُهُ هَبا

    صَدرُهُ صَبَب

    His waist wafted;

    his chest was a slope.

  41. يُركِضُ النُهى

    مَشيُهُ الخَبَب

    Reason is sent galloping

    by his trotting gait.

  42. رائِعاً كَما

    شاءَ في الكُتُب

    Dazzling, just as

    was willed in the books;

  43. آنِساً إِلى

    شِبهِهِ اِنجَذَب

    at ease, toward

    his like he was drawn.

  44. يَستَخِفُّهُ

    أَينَما اِنقَلَب

    He is swept away,

    wherever he turns,

  45. مُطرِبٌ مِنَ ال

    لَحنِ مُنتَخَب

    by an entrancing strain of

    selected melody.

  46. يَجمَعُ المَلا

    يُحضِرُ الغَيَب

    It gathers the company

    and brings the absent near.

  47. ما حَدا المَها

    قَبلَهُ طَرِب

    Never had the oryx been sung onward

    by a rapturous singer before him.

  48. يا اِبنَ خَيرِ أَب

    يا أَبا النُجُب

    O son of the finest father,

    O father of the noble-born,

  49. أَنتَ حاتِمٌ

    لِلقِرى اِنتَدَب

    you are a Hatim

    who answered hospitality's call.

  50. في خِوانِهِ

    كُلُّ ما يَجِب

    Upon his table

    is all that ought to be.

  51. لَم تَقُم عَلى

    مِثلِهِ القُبَب

    Never have there risen over

    its like any domes.

  52. أَنهَلَ البَرا

    يا وَما نَضَب

    He slaked the thirst of

    humankind, yet never ran dry.

  53. أَطعَمَ الوَرى

    لَم يَقُل جَدَب

    He fed all creation;

    he never said, 'Drought.'

  54. ما بِهِم صَدىً

    ما بِهِم سَغَب

    No thirst afflicts them;

    no hunger afflicts them.

  55. قُم أَبا نُواس

    أُنظُرِ النَشَب

    Rise, Abu Nuwas,

    look at this wealth.

  56. ما الخَصيبُ ما ال

    بَحرُ ذو العُبُب

    What is al-Khasib? What is the

    sea with its swelling waves?

  57. هَل عَهِدتَهُ

    يُمطِرُ الذَهَب

    Have you ever known it

    to rain gold?

  58. ذا هُوَ الجَنا

    بُ الَّذي خَصَب

    This is the noble

    presence that has grown bountiful.

  59. ظَلَّلَ الوَرى

    رَوضُهُ الأَشِب

    All creation is shaded by

    his densely wooded garden.

  60. خَيرُ مَن دَعا

    خَيرُ مَن أَدَب

    The best of all who invited,

    the best of all who gave feasts.

  61. رَبَّ مِصرٍ عِش

    وَاِبلُغِ الأَرَب

    Lord of Egypt, live long,

    and attain your desire.

  62. لَم تَزَل لَيا

    ليكَ تُرتَقَب

    Still, your nights

    are eagerly awaited.

  63. مِثلَ صَفوِها الدَ

    دَهرُ ما وَهَب

    The like of their serenity

    Time has never bestowed.

  64. أَحَبِّها لَنا

    عِدَّةَ الشُهُب

    Cherish them for us,

    as many as the shooting stars.

  65. هاكَ مِدحَةُ الش

    شاعِرِ الأَرِب

    Here is the praise-song of the

    accomplished poet.

  66. زَفَّها إِلى

    خَيرِ مَن خَطَب

    He has brought it as a bride to

    the finest of suitors.

  67. فارِسِيَّةً

    بَزَّتِ العَرَب

    Persian,

    it has outshone the Arabs.

  68. لَم يَجِئ بِها

    شاعِرٌ ذَهَب

    Never has it been produced

    by a poet of bygone days.

  69. إِن تُراعِها

    تَسمَعِ العَجَب

    If you attend to it,

    you will hear wonders.

  70. بَيدَ أَنَّها

    بَعضُ ما وَجَب

    Yet it is only

    part of what was owed.