1. أَوحَشَت أَربُعُ العَقيقِ وَدورُه

    لِأَنيسٍ أَجَدَّ عَنها بُكورُه

    Al-'Aqiq's dwelling-sites and homes have grown desolate,

    bereft of a companion who hastened away at dawn.

  2. زانَ تِلكَ الحُمولَ إِذ بانَ فيها

    مُرهَفٌ ناعِمُ القَوامِ غَريرُه

    Those laden camels were graced, as he departed among them,

    by a delicate youth, soft of stature and guileless.

  3. شَدَّ ما يُمرِضُ الصَحيحَ قُواهُ

    مَرَضُ الطَرفِ ساجِياً وَفُتورُه

    How powerfully it sickens one whose strength is sound—

    the sickness of his tranquil gaze, and its languor.

  4. وَتُذيبُ الأَحشاءَ ساعاتُ هَجرٍ

    ضَرِمٍ في الضُلوعِ يَحمى هَجيرُه

    And hours of separation melt the inward parts,

    blazing within the ribs as its noonday heat grows fierce.

  5. لا يَني يوفِدُ الحَبيبَ إِلَينا

    كَذِبُ الطَيفِ سارِيَن وَغُرورُه

    Unceasingly the beloved is sent to us

    by the night-roaming phantom's falsehood and deceit.

  6. زائِرٌ في المَنامِ أَسأَلُ هَل أَط

    رُقُهُ في مَنامِهِ أَو أَزورُه

    A visitor in sleep—I ask: shall I come by night

    to him in his sleep, or visit him?

  7. ما لِذا الحُبِّ لا يُفادى أَسيرُه

    وَالصِبا أَفحَشَ اِقتِضاءً مُعيرُه

    What ails this love, whose captive is not ransomed?

    And youth—its lender is outrageously harsh in demanding repayment.

  8. يُكثِرُ البَرقَ أَن يَهيجَ اِشتِياقي

    حَفلُهُ في الوَميضِ أَو تَعذيرُه

    Lightning rouses my longing again and again,

    whether lavish in its flashing or faint.

  9. وَقُصارى المَشوقِ يَصرِمُهُ الشا

    ئِقُ إِقصارُ شَوقِهِ أَو قُصورُه

    And the utmost recourse of the lover whom his beloved forsakes

    is the curbing of his longing, or its waning.

  10. آمِري بِالسُلُوِّ لَم يَدرِ أَنّي

    بِسَبيلٍ مِنَ الهَوى ما أَحورُه

    He who urges me to forget did not know that I

    am on a path of passion from which I do not turn back.

  11. آضَ بَثُّ الغَرامِ حُزناً فَهَل يُع

    قِبُ حُزنَ الغَرامِ فينا سُرورُه

    Love's anguish has become sorrow; will

    its joy follow love's sorrow within us?

  12. وَصَغيرُ الحُظوظِ يَنمى عَلى الأَي

    يامِ حَتّى يَجيءَ مِنهُ كَبيرُه

    And small good fortunes grow with the passing

    days, until great fortune comes from them.

  13. قُلتُ لِلشاهِ رُبَّما كانَ خَيراً

    مِن بِدىءِ الَّذي يُرَجّى أَخيرُه

    I said to the Shah: at times, better

    than the beginning is the end of what one hopes for.

  14. عَلَّ هَذا الأَميرَ أَسعَدَهُ اللَ

    هُ بِطولِ البَقاءِ يَرضى أَميرُه

    Perhaps this prince—may God bless him

    with long life—will win his own prince's approval,

  15. فَيُؤَدّي رِسالَةً عَن مُطاعٍ

    لَم يَعُقنا عَن بُغيَةٍ تَقصيرُه

    and convey a message on behalf of one whose word is obeyed,

    whose shortcomings have not kept us from a wish.

  16. أَصلَحَ الشامَ بَعدَ طولِ فَسادٍ

    أَسَدٌ قَد حَمى الشامَ زَئيرُه

    He restored al-Sham after long disorder—

    a lion whose roar has protected al-Sham.

  17. شِبهُهُ مُعوِزٌ فَكَيفَ بِأَن يو

    جَدَ أَو أَن يُصابَ يَوماً نَظيرُه

    His like is hard to find; how, then, could

    his equal be found or ever come to hand?

  18. وَإِذا ما غَدا أَبو الجَيشِ في الجَي

    شِ غَدا الحَزمُ مُستَمِرّاً مَريرُه

    And whenever Abu al-Jaysh sets out with the

    army, resolve grows firm, its strands twisted tight.

  19. ما تَجَلّى لِظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ إِلّا

    أَطفَأَ الأَنجُمَ المُضيئَةَ نورُه

    Never does he shine forth into the darkness of night without

    his light extinguishing the radiant stars.

  20. واضِحٌ في دُجى الخُطوبِ وَحَتمٌ

    أَن يَسودَ السَحابَ حُسناً صَبيرُه

    Radiant amid the darkness of calamities; and it is certain

    that the clouds' dense mass reigns over them in beauty.

  21. تَتَفادى الأَعداءُ مِن سَطوِ لَيثٍ

    خِضِلٍ مِن دِمائِهِم أُظفورُه

    The enemies evade the onslaught of a lion

    whose claw is drenched in their blood.

  22. كَم سَرى مُنفِرٍ لِهامِ رِجالٍ

    ساكِنٍ باتَتِ السُيوفُ تُطيرُه

    How often he went by night, scattering men's heads,

    once still, which swords sent flying all night long.

  23. إِن أُكَلِّفهُ حاجَةً لا يُواكِل

    جَدُّهُ دونَها وَلا تَشميرُه

    If I entrust him with a need, neither

    his diligence nor his vigorous pursuit of it leaves it to others.

  24. أَو أُحَمِّلهُ مُثقِلاً مِن خَراجي

    يُلفَ في طَولِهِ قَليلاً كَثيرُه

    Or if I lay on him a heavy burden of my tax dues,

    its great amount is found small beside his bounty.

  25. وَأَبو الصَقرِ إِنَّهُ وَزَرُ السُل

    طانِ في عُظمِ أَمرِهِ وَوَزيرُه

    And Abu al-Saqr—he is the sovereign's refuge

    in his weightiest affairs, and his minister.

  26. حافِظُ المُلكِ أَن تُزالَ أَواخي

    هِ وَراعيهِ أَن تُضاعَ أُمورُه

    He guards the kingdom lest its moorings be removed,

    and tends it lest its affairs be neglected.

  27. أَيّدٌ في السِلاحِ تَبهى عَلَيهِ

    خَلَقُ الدِرعِ مُحكَماً وَقَتيرُه

    Strong in arms; splendid upon him are

    the worn coat of mail, firmly wrought, and its small rings.

  28. لَيسَ يَنفَكُّ أَيدُهُ يَدرَأُ الجُلّى

    وَقَيضٌ مِن أَمرِهِ تَدبيرُه

    His strength never ceases to ward off the gravest calamity,

    and his planning is equal to the matter before him.

  29. يَقَظاتٌ إِذا تَناصَرنَ لِلنا

    صِرِ أَوجَبنَ أَن يَعِزَّ نَصيرُه

    Vigilant thoughts which, when they join in aiding the defender,

    ensure that his supporter shall be mighty.

  30. فَمَتى غابَ في مِراسِ الأَعادي

    فَسَواءٌ مَغيبُهُ أَو حُضورُه

    And whenever he is away contending with enemies,

    his absence and his presence are alike.

  31. صِفَةُ الحُرِّ أَن تَناهى عُلاهُ

    وَكَذا الحَولُ أَن تَناهى شُهورُه

    A noble man's defining trait is the fullness of his greatness,

    just as a year's is the completion of its months.

  32. إِن يَعِد يوشِكِ النَجاحَ وَإِن يَت

    رُك فَمِثلانِ وَعدُهُ وَضَميرُه

    If he promises, fulfillment is near; and if he refrains,

    his promise and his unspoken intent are alike.

  33. كُلَّ يَومٍ نُطيفُ في حُجرَتَيهِ

    حَولَ كِنزٍ مِنَ العُلا نَستَثيرُه

    Every day we go about in his two chambers,

    around a treasure of glory that we draw forth.

  34. أَغدَقَت بِالنَوالِ أَنواءُ كَفَّي

    هِ وَفاضَت لِلراغِبينَ بُحورُه

    The rain-stars of his two palms have poured forth bounty,

    and his seas overflow for those who seek it.

  35. لِيَفِر وَفرُكَ المُلَقّى وَإِن أَع

    وَزَ أَن يُجمَعَ النَدى وَوُفورُه

    May the wealth you lavish grow abundant, though it is hard

    to unite generosity with its abundance.

  36. لَيسَ يَعدو مِنَ الإِصابَةِ وَالتَو

    فيقِ في الرَأيِ وَالحُسَينُ وَزيرُه

    He never strays from correctness and success

    in judgment, with al-Husayn as his minister.

  37. إِنَّ مَن قَلَّ الزِيارَةَ يُنبي

    كَ بِأَنَّ الأَطماعَ لَيسَت تَصورُه

    One who visits rarely is telling

    you that covetous hopes do not sway him.

  38. وَلَئِن جُدتَ بِالكَثيرِ فَإِنّي

    ناشِرٌ ذِكرَ ما وَهَبتَ شَكورُه

    And if you lavish much, then I

    shall spread the fame of what you bestowed, grateful for it.

  39. لا تَجَرَّم عَلى تِلادِكَ تَختا

    رُ الَّتي في وُقوعِها تَبذيرُه

    Do not wrong your inherited wealth by choosing

    what, when carried out, squanders it.

  40. أَخلَصَ الجِدَّ وَالكِفايَةَ حَتّى

    راحَ مَحفوظَةً عَلَيهِ أُمورُه

    He devoted himself to diligence and capable service, until

    his affairs came to be safeguarded for him.

  41. يَجمَعُ الحَزمَ وَالنَصيحَةَ وَالتَو

    فيقَ في رَأيِ ناصِحٍ يَستَشيرُه

    He combines prudence, sincere counsel, and success

    in the judgment of a loyal adviser whom he consults.

  42. لَستُ بِالمُلحِفِ المُنَقِّبِ عَن ذا

    تِ طَريقٍ أَخالُ غَيري يَسيرُه

    I am not an importunate seeker, probing the course

    of a road I suppose another travels.

  43. وَسِوايَ الغَداةَ تُحدى مَطايا

    هُ إِلى مَنبِجٍ وَتَرحَلُ عيرُه

    This morning, it is another whose riding camels are driven

    to Manbij, and whose caravan sets out.