لا واختصار الخصور

وحق در الثغور

No—by the slenderness of waists,

And by the sanctity of the pearls of mouths,

وكالضحى من وجوه

وكالدجى من شعورِ

And by faces like the light of morning,

And by tresses like the darkness of night,

وحرمة الكاس ملاى

وغنج لحظ المديرِ

And by the sanctity of the brimming cup,

And by the cupbearer's coquettish glance,

والشرب في ظل غيم

سكب الرداء مطيرِ

And by drinking in the shade of a cloud,

Its mantle streaming, heavy with rain,

والسكر بين عروب

حنانة وسكورِ

And by drunkenness between an amorous woman,

Tenderly yearning, and a drunken one,

والروض مثل بساطٍ

من سندس وحريرِ

And by the garden, like a carpet

Of fine brocade and silk,

والنرجس الغض ساه

إلى بهار بهيرِ

And by the fresh narcissus, gazing dreamily

Toward a radiant yellow daisy,

ودمعة الطل منظو

مة على المنثورِ

And by the dew's tear, strung

Upon the stock blossoms,

وما تجعد من ما

ء جدول وغديرِ

And by the rippling water

Of stream and pool,

ينساب في سَبط زهر

كارقم مذعورِ

Gliding through soft flowers

Like a startled speckled snake,

والراح كالنار تجلى

من كف تمثال نورِ

And by the wine, like fire, shining forth

From the palm of a statue of light,

وما باجفان عيني

معذبي من فنورِ

And by what lies in the lids of the two eyes

Of my tormentor—their languor,

وكل حلو التثني

مر الصدود غرير

And by every sweetly swaying beauty,

Bitter in rejection, guileless,

يخطو بقامة غصن

من تحت بدر منيرِ

Stepping with the stature of a bough

From beneath a radiant full moon,

له عذار جديد

من حسنه من عذيري

He has new down along his cheek;

Who will defend me against his beauty?

لقد تخيرت للمد

ح رب خَيخ وخِير

I have indeed chosen for praise

A lord of bounty and generosity:

الصاحب الملك الوا

هب البعيد النظيرِ

The Sahib, the king, the giver,

Whose equal is far to seek,

من خصه الله بالفض

ل والمحل الأثيرِ

Whom God has singled out for excellence

And a favored station;

القائد الخيل مثل ال

عقبان صم النسورِ

The leader of horses like

Eagles, deaf vultures;

ومن له راح عبدا

في الملك رب السديرِ

And he for whom one became a slave—

In kingship, the lord of al-Sadir;

تنقض تحت أسود ال

لقاء مثل الصقورِ

They swoop beneath the lions

Of battle, like falcons;

والمغمد البيض حمرا

بين الطلى والنحورِ

And he who sheathes white blades, reddened,

Between necks and upper chests,

مظفرا بالأعادي

موفق التدبيرِ

Victorious over enemies,

Successful in his planning;

له شجاعة عمرو ال

قنا وراى قصيرِ

He has the courage of Amr

Of the Spears, and the counsel of Qasir;

مخلوقة راحتاه

ليس كل عسيرِ

His two palms were fashioned

To ease every hardship;

معنى بفَك أسير

مان وجبر كسيرِ

Intent on freeing a captive

In distress, and mending the broken;

مدى الكماة ضرابا

بحد عضب طريرِ

Felling armored champions with blows

With the edge of a keen, sharp sword,

في كل يوم من الحر

ب أيوم قمطريرِ

On every day of war,

Dire and grim.

فيا أبا الفضل يا ابن ال

أطواد يا ابن البحورِ

So, O Abu al-Fadl, O son

Of lofty mountains, O son of seas,

أقسمت أنك أحلى

من المنى في ضميري

I have sworn that you are sweeter

Than the wishes within my heart,

وخير من شد أزري

من أول وأخيرِ

And the best of those who bolstered my strength,

Among the first and the last;

ومن به فك همي

عني وزاد سروري

And he through whom my grief was lifted

From me, and my joy increased;

وخير واف لعاف

ولائذ مستجيرِ

And the best to satisfy a seeker of bounty

And a refugee seeking protection.

نشرت فيك مديحي

من بعد طي حصيري

I have spread abroad my praise of you,

After rolling up my mat

من باب كل صغير

من الورى وكيرِ

From the door of every lesser man

Among humankind, and every great one.

حسبي نداك ورى

منه بنوء غزيرِ

Your bounty suffices me and slakes my thirst

With a copious downpour from it.

خلدت تبني المعالي

ما خُلِّد ابنا سيرِ

May you live forever, building lofty glories,

As long as the two sons of Samir endure.