1. أَما وَهَواكِ حَلفَةَ ذي اِجتِهادِ

    يَعُدُّ الغَيَّ فيكِ مِنَ الرَشادِ

    Indeed, by my love for you—an earnest man's oath,

    who counts error in loving you as right guidance.

  2. لَقَد أَذكى فِراقُكِ نارَ وَجدي

    وَعَرَّفَ بَينَ عَيني وَالسُهادِ

    Parting from you has indeed kindled the fire of my longing,

    and made my eye acquainted with sleeplessness.

  3. فَهَل عُقَبُ الزَمانِ يَعُدنَ فينا

    بِيَومٍ مِن لِقائِكِ مُستَزادِ

    So will the turns of time return to us

    with one more day of meeting you?

  4. هَنيئاً لِلوُشاةِ غُلُوُّ شَوقي

    وَأَنّي حاضِرٌ وَهَوايَ بادِ

    May the talebearers relish my excessive longing,

    and my presence here, with my passion plain to see.

  5. وَكانَ شِفاءُ ما بي في مَحَلٍّ

    نُرَدُّ إِلَيهِ أَو زَمَنٍ مُعادِ

    And the cure for my affliction lay in a place

    to which we might be returned, or in a time restored.

  6. فَلازالَت غَوادي المُزنِ تَهمي

    خِلالَ مَنازِلِ الظُعُنِ الغَوادي

    So may the morning rainclouds never cease to pour

    among the camps of the women departing at dawn in litters.

  7. نَأَينَ بِحاجَةٍ وَجَذَبنَ قَلباً

    تَأَبّى ثُمَّ أَصحَبَ في القِيادِ

    They went far off with what I sought and drew away a heart

    that resisted, then submitted to the reins.

  8. وَما نادَيتِني لِلشَوقِ إِلّا

    عَجِلتُ بِهِ فَلَبَّيتُ المُنادي

    You never called me to longing but

    I hastened to it and answered the caller.

  9. خَطيأَةَ لَيلَةٍ تَمضي وَلَمّا

    يُؤَرِّقني خَيالٌ مِن سُعادِ

    It is a sin for a night to pass without

    a vision of Su'ad keeping me awake.

  10. وَهَجرُ القُربِ مِنها كانَ أَشهى

    إِلى المُشتاقِ مِن وَصلِ البِعادِ

    And estrangement near her was sweeter

    to the yearning lover than union from afar.

  11. سَتُلحِقُني بِحاجاتي المَطايا

    وَتُغنيني البُحورُ عَنِ الثَمادِ

    The riding camels will bring me to what I seek,

    and the seas will free me from needing scant pools.

  12. وَأُكبَرُ أَن أُشَبَّهَ جودَ فَتحٍ

    بِصَوبِ غَمامَةٍ أَو سَيلِ وادِ

    And I deem Fath's generosity too great to liken

    to a cloud's downpour or a valley's torrent.

  13. كَريمٌ لايَزالُ لَهُ عَطاءٌ

    يُغيرُ سُنَّةَ السَنَةِ الجَمادِ

    Generous, he always has bounty to give

    that changes the course of a barren year.

  14. وَلا إِسرافَ غَيرُ الجودِ فيهِ

    وَسائِرُهُ لِهَديٍ وَاِقتِصادِ

    And there is no excess in him except in generosity;

    in all else he follows right conduct and moderation.

  15. رَبيبُ خَلائِفٍ لَم يَألُ مَيلاً

    إِلى التَوفيقِ مِنهُم وَالسَدادِ

    A ward of caliphs, never slackening in his devotion

    to their success and sound judgment.

  16. إِذا الأَهواءُ شَيَّعَها ضَلالٌ

    أَبى إِلّا التَعَصُّبَ لِلسَوادِ

    When error lends its support to whims,

    he insists on allegiance to the black banners.

  17. شَديدُ عَداوَةٍ وَقَديمُ ضِغنٍ

    لِأَهلِ المَيلِ مِنهُم وَالعِنادِ

    Fierce in enmity, with long-standing rancor

    against those among them given to deviation and obstinacy.

  18. تَعُدُّ بِهِ بَنو العَبّاسِ ذُخراً

    لِيَومِ الرَأيِ أَو يَومِ الجِلادِ

    The sons of al-'Abbas count him a treasure

    for a day of counsel or a day of combat.

  19. لَهُم مِنهُ مُكاتَفَةٌ بِتَقوى

    وَسَطوٌ يَختَلي قَصَرَ الأَعادي

    From him they have support grounded in piety,

    and an onslaught that mows down the enemies' necks,

  20. وَنُصحٌ لَم تَجِدهُ عَبدُ شَمسٍ

    لَدى الحَجّاجِ قَبلُ وَلا زِيادِ

    and loyal counsel the clan of 'Abd Shams never found

    in al-Hajjaj before, nor in Ziyad.

  21. مَليءٌ أَن يُقِلَّ السَيفَ حَتّى

    يَنوسَ إِذا تَمَطّى في النِجادِ

    He is well able to bear the sword, until

    it sways when he draws himself up in the baldric.

  22. مَهيبٌ يُعظِمُ العُظَماءُ مِنهُ

    جَلالَةَ أَروَعٍ وَري الزِنادِ

    He inspires awe; great men revere in him

    the majesty of a splendid man whose fire-steels readily spark.

  23. يُؤَدّونَ التَحِيَّةَ مِن بَعيدٍ

    إِلى قَمَرٍ مِنَ الإيوانِ بادِ

    They offer their greetings from afar

    to a moon appearing from the palace hall.

  24. قِيامٌ في المَراتِبِ أَو قُعودٌ

    سُكونٌ في أَناةٍ وَاِتِّئادِ

    Standing in their ranks or seated,

    they remain still, patient and unhurried.

  25. فَلَيسَ اللَحظُ بِالمَكرورِ شَزراً

    إِلَيهِ وَلا الحَديثُ بِمُستَعادِ

    So no sidelong glance is repeated

    toward him, nor is speech asked to be repeated.

  26. كَفاني نائِباتِ الدَهرِ أَنّي

    عَلى الفَتحِ بنِ خاقانَ اِعتِمادي

    What has spared me time's calamities is that

    I rely on al-Fath ibn Khaqan.

  27. وَصَلتُ بِهِ عُرى الآمالِ إِنّي

    أُحِبُّ شَمائِلَ الفَهِمِ الجَوادِ

    I have fastened hope's bonds to him; indeed, I

    love the traits of the discerning, generous man.

  28. جَفَوتُ الشامَ مَرتَبَعي وَأُنسي

    وَعَلوَةَ خُلَّتي وَهَوى فُؤادي

    I forsook al-Sham, my springtime home and solace,

    and 'Alwa, my beloved and my heart's desire.

  29. وَمِثلُ نَداكَ أَذهَلَني حَبيبي

    وَأَكسَبَني سُلُوَّن عَن بِلادي

    And bounty like yours made me forget my beloved

    and freed me from longing for my homeland.

  30. وَكَم لَكَ مِن يَدٍ بَيضاءَ عِندي

    لَها فَضلٌ كَفَضلِكَ وَالأَيادي

    And how many a white hand of kindness I owe you,

    whose merit is like yours and that of your benefactions,

  31. وَمِن نَعماءَ يَحسُدُني عَلَيها

    أَداني أُسرَتي وَذَوُو وِدادي

    and how many a blessing for which I am envied

    by my nearest kin and those who love me!

  32. لَقيتُ بِها المُصافي كَالمُلاحي

    وَأَلفَيتُ المُوالي كَالمُعادي

    Because of it, I found the sincere friend like a quarreller,

    and found the ally like an enemy.

  33. وَلي هَمّانِ مِن ظَعنٍ وَلَبثٍ

    وَكُلٌّ قَد أَخَذتُ لَهُ عَتادي

    And I have two concerns—departure and staying—

    and for each I have already readied my gear.

  34. فَإِن أوطِن فَقَد وَطَدتُ رُكني

    وَإِن أَرحَل فَقَد وَفَّرتُ زادي

    So if I settle, I have already made my foundation firm;

    and if I depart, I have already made my provisions plentiful.