1. ما بِعَيني هَذا الغَزالِ الغَريرِ

    مِن فُتونٍ مُستَجلَبٍ مِن فُتورِ

    What lies in the eyes of this innocent gazelle—

    such enchantment drawn from languor!

  2. إِستَوى الحُبُّ بَينَنا فَغَدا الدَه

    رُ قَصيراً وَاللَهوُ غَيرَ قَصيرِ

    Love was equal between us, and time became

    short, while our pleasure was not short.

  3. أَنَخيلٌ بِعالِجٍ أَم سَفينٌ

    عائِماتٌ أَم أُلَياتُ خُدورِ

    Are these palm trees at ‘Alij, or ships

    afloat, or the backs of curtained litters?

  4. قَرُبوا بَعدَ نِيَّةٍ وَاِطمَأَنّوا

    بَعدَ إِدمانِ قُلعَةٍ وَمَسيرِ

    They drew near after separation, and settled down

    after ceaseless uprooting and travel.

  5. لِتَداني القُلوبِ إِنَّ تَداني

    هِنَّ داعٍ إِلى تَداني الدورِ

    Because hearts drew close; indeed, the closeness

    of those hearts calls for homes to draw close.

  6. لَيسَ في العاشِقينَ أَنقَصُ حَظّاً

    في التَصابي مِن عاشِقٍ مَهجورِ

    Among lovers, none has less good fortune

    in youthful dalliance than a forsaken lover.

  7. ضَعُفَ الدَهرُ عَن هَوانا وَما الدَه

    رُ عَلى كُلِّ دَولَةٍ بِقَديرِ

    Time proved powerless against our love; and time

    does not hold sway over every reign.

  8. حَسُنَت لَيلَةُ الكَثيبِ فَكانَت

    لِيَ أُنساً وَوَحشَةً لِلغَيورِ

    The night at the sand dune was lovely; it brought

    me companionship, and the jealous one loneliness.

  9. ضَلَّ بَدرُ السَماءِ أَو كادَ لَمّا

    واجَهَتهُ وُجوهُ تِلكَ البُدورِ

    The sky's full moon lost its way—or nearly did—when

    the faces of those full moons confronted it.

  10. اللَواتي يَنظُرنَ بِالنَظَرِ الفا

    تِرِ مِن أَعيُنِ الظِباءِ الحورِ

    Those women who gaze with languid looks

    from gazelles' eyes, their dark pupils set in white,

  11. يَتَبَسَّمنَ مِن وَراءِ شُفوفِ ال

    رَيطِ عَن بَردِ أُقحُوانِ الثُغورِ

    smile from behind the sheer layers of

    fine cloth, revealing the hail-white daisies of their mouths.

  12. وَيُسارِقنَ وَالرَقيبُ قَريبٌ

    لَحَظاتٍ يُعلِنَّ سِرَّ الضَميرِ

    And, while the watcher is near, they exchange stolen

    glances that reveal the heart's secret.

  13. شَغَلَ الحَمدَ وَالثَناءَ جَميعاً

    عَن جَميعِ الوَرى نَوالُ الأَميرِ

    All praise and acclaim have been drawn away

    from all mankind by the prince's bounty.

  14. وَإِذا ما اِستَهَلّى بِالحَسَنِ الجو

    دُ فَإِنَّ الكَثيرَ غَيرُ كَثيرِ

    And when generosity pours forth through al-Hasan,

    then much does not count as much.

  15. مَلِكٌ عِندَهُ عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ

    كَرَمٌ زائِدٌ عَلى التَقديرِ

    A king who possesses, in every circumstance,

    generosity exceeding all estimation.

  16. فَكَأَنّا مِن وَعدِهِ وَجَداهُ

    أَبَداً بَينَ رَوضَةٍ وَغَديرِ

    So, through his promise and bounty, we seem

    always between a garden and a pool.

  17. جامِعُ الرَأيِ لَيسَ يَخفى عَلَيهِ

    أَينَ وَجهُ الصَوابِ في التَدبيرِ

    Comprehensive in judgment, he never fails to see

    where the right course lies in managing affairs.

  18. تَتَفادى الخُطوبُ مِنهُ إِذا ما

    كَرَّ فيها بِرَأيِهِ المَنصورِ

    Calamities flee from him whenever

    he charges against them with his victorious judgment.

  19. قَهَرَ الدَهرَ أَوَّلاً وَأَخيراً

    بِحِجىً مِنهُ أَوَّلٍ وَأَخيرِ

    He conquered time, at the outset and the end,

    with his wisdom, at the outset and the end.

  20. فَلَهُ كُلَّما أَتَتهُ أُمورٌ

    مُشكِلاتٌ دَلائِلٌ مِن أُمورِ

    So whenever matters come before him—

    perplexing ones—he has clues from other matters.

  21. كِسرَوِيٌّ عَلَيهِ مِنهُ جَلالٌ

    يَملَأُ البَهوَ مِن بَهاءٍ وَنورِ

    Khosrow-like, his own majesty surrounds him,

    filling the hall with splendor and light.

  22. وَتَرى في رُوائِهِ بَهجَةَ المُل

    كِ إِذا ما اِستَوفاهُ صَدرُ السَريرِ

    And you see in his appearance the splendor of kingship

    when the throne's place of honor receives him.

  23. وَإِذا ما أَشارَ هَبَّت صَبا المِس

    كِ وَخِلتَ الإيوانَ مِن كافورِ

    And whenever he gestures, the east wind of musk blows,

    and you would think the iwan made of camphor.

  24. يُطلِقُ الحِكمَةَ البَليغَةَ في عُر

    ضِ حَديثٍ كَاللُؤلُؤِ المَنثورِ

    He utters eloquent wisdom in the course

    of discourse like scattered pearls.

  25. يا اِبنَ سَهلٍ وَأَنتَ غَيرُ مُفيقٍ

    مِن بِناءِ العَلياءِ أُخرى الدُهورِ

    O son of Sahl, you never cease

    building lofty glory until the last of ages.

  26. إِنَّ لِلمَهرَجانِ حَقّاً عَلى

    كُلِّ كَبيرٍ مِن فارِسٍ وَصَغيرِ

    Mihrajan has a rightful claim upon

    every Persian, great and small:

  27. عيدُ آبائِكَ المُلوكِ ذَوي التي

    جانِ أَهلِ النُهى وَأَهلِ الخيرِ

    the feast of your forefathers, the crowned kings,

    men of wisdom and men of goodness,

  28. مِن قُباذٍ وَيَزدَجِردَ وَفَيرو

    زٍ وَكِسرى وَقَبلَهُم أَردَشيرِ

    such as Kavadh, Yazdegerd, and Firuz,

    and Khosrow, and before them Ardashir.

  29. شاهِدوهُ في حَلبَةِ المُلكِ يَغدو

    نَ عَلَيهِ في سُندُسٍ وَحَريرِ

    Those who observed it in the arena of kingship would go

    to it in the morning, in fine brocade and silk.

  30. عَظَّموهُ وَوَقَّروهُ وَمَحقو

    قٌ بِفَضلِ التَعظيمِ وَالتَوقيرِ

    They exalted it and revered it, and it is deserving

    of exceptional honor and reverence.

  31. هُوَ يَومٌ وَفيهِ مِن كُلِّ شَهرٍ

    خُلُقٌ فَهُوَ جامِعٌ لِلشُهورِ

    It is a day with, from every month,

    a quality; thus it gathers all the months.

  32. بَعُدَت فيهِ الشِعرى مِنَ الجَوِّ في ال

    حُكمِ فَلا موقِدٌ لِنارِ الهَجيرِ

    On that day Sirius is distant from the atmosphere in

    its sway; none kindles the fire of scorching noon.

  33. وَكَأَنَّ الأَيّامَ أوثِرَ بِالحُس

    نِ عَلَيها ذو المِهرَجانِ الكَبيرِ

    And it seems that, among the days, the one favored in beauty

    above them all is the day of great Mihrajan.