1. أَلا هَل إِلى بابِ البَريدِ سَبيلُ

    فَلَيلي بِزَوراءِ العِراقِ طَويلُ

    Ah, is there a way to Bab al-Barid?

    For my night in Iraq's Zawra is long.

  2. مَتى تَلتَقي أَجفانُ عَينَيَّ وَالكَرى

    وَهَل يَتَلاقى بُكرَةٌ وَأَصيلُ

    When will my eyelids and sleep meet,

    and can morning and evening ever meet?

  3. سَلامٌ عَلى أَكنافِ جِلَّقَ إِنَّها

    لأَوطارِ قَلبي مَسرَحٌ وَمَقيلُ

    Peace upon the environs of Jilliq; it is

    a roaming-ground and midday refuge for my heart's desires.

  4. رُبوعُ الهَوى أَمّا الهَواءُ فَشَمأَلٌ

    بِهِنَّ وَأَمّا الماءُ فَهوَ شَمولُ

    The abodes of love: as for their air, a north wind blows

    within them; as for their water, it is wine.

  5. وَأَهيَفَ أَمّا خَصرُهُ فَمُخَصَّرٌ

    خَفيفٌ وَأَمّا رِدفُهُ فَثَقيلُ

    And a slender-waisted beloved: his waist is trim

    and light, while his hips are heavy.

  6. فَفيهِ يَحارُ الغُصنُ وَهوَ مُهَفهَفٌ

    وَمِنهُ يَغارُ الظَّبيُ وَهوَ كَحيلُ

    The bough marvels at him, slender though it is,

    and the gazelle envies him, dark-eyed though it is.

  7. هَلُمّوا اِنظُروا حالي وَفي خَدِّهِ دَمي

    شَهيدٌ فَقولوا قاتِلٌ وَقَتيلُ

    Come, look upon my state: my blood upon his cheek

    bears witness; then say, 'A killer and one slain.'

  8. أَزيدُ لَهُ ذُلّاً وَيَزدادُ عِزَّةً

    وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ لِلحَبيبِ ذَليلُ

    I grow more abased before him, and he grows prouder;

    every lover is abased before the beloved.

  9. فَوَجدي كَثيرٌ مِثلُ أَيّامِ بُعدِهِ

    وَصَبري كَأَيّامِ الدُّنُوِّ قَليلُ

    My longing is abundant, like the days of his absence,

    and my patience scant, like the days of nearness.

  10. وَما حَسَنٌ عَن ذَلِكَ الحُسنِ سَلوَةٌ

    وَلا الصَّبرُ عَن ذاكَ الجَمالِ جَميلُ

    It is not good to find solace away from that loveliness,

    nor is patience apart from that beauty beautiful.

  11. أَبى أَن يُوافيني بِسُؤلي رَسولُ مَن

    رِضاهُ لِقَلبي يا عَذولِيَ سولُ

    The messenger refused to bring me my wish from him whose

    favor, O my reproacher, is my heart's desire.

  12. فَدَمعي مُطيعٌ لي مَتى ما دَعوتُهُ

    وَصَبري لَدَيهِ لا يُطاعُ عَذولُ

    My tears obey me whenever I summon them,

    but before him my patience is a reproacher who goes unheeded.

  13. وَكَم لَيلَةٍ باتَ الحَبيبُ مُنادِمي

    فَأَنجَزَني فيها الوُعودَ مَطولُ

    How many a night the beloved was my drinking companion,

    and that habitual delayer fulfilled his promises to me!

  14. فَباتَ يُعاطيني المُدامَ كَريقِهِ

    وَدَمعي عَلى الخَدِّ الأَسيلِ يَسيلُ

    He spent the night passing me wine like his saliva,

    while my tears flowed over the smooth cheek.

  15. إِذا الخَمرُ حَلَّت في اللَّهى اِرتاعَ هَمُّنا

    لَها فَدَعاهُ فَاِستَجابَ رَحيلُ

    When wine settled in our throats, our sorrow took fright

    at it; departure summoned it, and it answered.

  16. تَبيتُ كُؤوسُ الراحِ تَطلُعُ أَنجُماً

    لَها في اللَّهى حَتّى الصَّباحِ أُفولُ

    The wine-cups spend the night rising like stars,

    setting in our throats until morning.

  17. يَطوفُ بِها وَسنانُ لِلوَردِ خَجلَةٌ

    إِذا ما بَدا مِن خَدِّهِ وَذُبولُ

    A sleepy-eyed bearer passes them round; the rose feels shame

    and withers at his cheek whenever he appears.

  18. تُخالِسُهُ اللَّحظَ العُيونُ مَهابَةً

    فَهُنَّ صَحيحاتُ النَواظِرِ حُولُ

    Eyes steal glances at him in awe;

    though sound of sight, they are cross-eyed.

  19. لَنا سَفَرٌ بِاللَّحظِ في وَجَناتِهِ

    وَلَيسَ لَهُ حَتّى يَغيبَ قُفولُ

    Our gaze makes a journey through his cheeks,

    with no return until he disappears.

  20. تَبَدَّلت مِن سُودٍ بِبيضٍ لَهُنَّ في

    فُؤادي وَفَودِي صَولَةٌ وَصَليلُ

    I exchanged black hairs for white, which, in

    my heart and my temple-locks, charge and clash.

  21. لِشَيبي نُصولٌ مِن فُؤادي خِضابُها

    بِما مالَهُ حَتّى المَماتِ نُصولُ

    My gray hair has blades whose dye comes from my heart,

    with a color that will not fade until death.

  22. تَنَكَّرَ شَيبي مُذ تَوَلَّت شَبيبَتي

    فَلي أَسَفٌ بَعدَ الشَبابِ يَطولُ

    My gray hair grew alien when my youth departed;

    mine is a lasting regret after youth.

  23. وَمالي إِذا ما عَضَّني الدَهرُ ظالِماً

    فَأَعرَضَ عَنّي صاحِبٌ وَخَليلُ

    And when time unjustly bites me, I have no one,

    and companion and intimate turn away from me,

  24. سِوى المَلِكِ اِبنِ الناصِرِ الظاهِرِ الَّذي

    نَداهُ بِإِدراكِ النَّجاحِ كَفيلُ

    save King al-Zahir, son of al-Nasir, whose

    bounty guarantees the attainment of success.

  25. إِذا ما غِياثُ الدينِ غاثَ بِجودِهِ

    جَرَت فَوقَ أُكمِ المُعتَفينَ سُيولُ

    When Ghiyath al-Din gives aid through his generosity,

    torrents flow over the petitioners' hills.

  26. مَواهِبُهُ كومُ الذُرى وَسَلاهِبٌ

    فَفيها رُغاءٌ مُطرِبٌ وَصَهيلُ

    His gifts are high-humped camels and towering steeds,

    with delightful camel-cries and neighing among them.

  27. إِذا ما غَزا غازي الأَعادي فَكُلُّهُم

    بُغاثٌ عَلَيها بِالبُزاةِ يَصولُ

    When Ghazi raids his enemies, they are all

    weak birds upon which he swoops with falcons.

  28. تَحُلُّ مُلوكُ الأَرضِ مِن دونِ شَأوِهِ

    فَفيهِم لَدَيهِ دِقَّةٌ وَخمولُ

    The kings of earth remain below his reach;

    beside him they are slight and obscure.

  29. هُوَ اللَّيثُ في يَومِ الكَريهَةِ مُقدِماً

    لَهُ الدَّمُ غَيلٌ وَالذَوابِلُ غيلُ

    He is the lion, charging on the day of battle;

    blood is his flowing stream, and slender spears his thickets.

  30. فَكُلُّ شُجاعٍ مِن سُطاهُ ذَليلُ

    وَكُلُّ جَوادٍ مِن نَداهُ بَخيلُ

    Every brave man is humbled before his onslaught,

    and every generous man is miserly beside his bounty.

  31. وَتَقصُرُ مِن جَدواهُ أَعمارُ مالِهِ

    وَلَكِنَّ أَعمارَ الثَناءِ تَطولُ

    His giving shortens the lifetimes of his wealth,

    but the lifetimes of praise grow long.

  32. فَأَيّامُهُ بيضٌ وُصِلنَ بِمِثلِها

    لَها غُرَرٌ مَعلومَةٌ وَحُجولُ

    His days are white, joined to others like them,

    with renowned forehead-blazes and white stockings.

  33. بِهِ نُصِرَ الإِسلامُ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

    أَتى الناسَ مِن بَعدِ الرَّسولِ رَسولُ

    Through him Islam was aided, as though

    a messenger had come to mankind after the Messenger.

  34. وَطُلَّ دَمُ الأَعداءِ حَتّى دِيارُهُم

    رُسومٌ عَوافٍ بَعدَهُم وَطُلولُ

    The enemies' blood was shed unavenged, until their homes

    were effaced traces and ruined remains after them.

  35. وَحامى عَنِ المَعروفِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

    حَليفٌ يُحامي دونَهُ وَقَبيلُ

    He defended goodness, as though it were

    an ally he shielded, and a clan.

  36. أَأَرهَبُ مِن رَمضاءِ عُسرٍ وَظِلُّهُ

    مَديدٌ لِمَن يَأوي إِلَيهِ ظَليلُ

    Should I fear the scorching heat of hardship, while his shade

    is long and sheltering for whoever takes refuge with him?

  37. لَقَد أَبَتِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا خَصاصَتي

    بِهِنَّ فَهَل عِندي لَهُنَّ ذُحولُ

    The days have insisted on nothing but my destitution

    within them; have they claims for vengeance against me?

  38. وَلا بُدَّ أَن آوي إِلى ملكٍ بِهِ

    عَلى جَيش لَزباتِ الزَمانِ أَصولُ

    I must take refuge with a king through whom

    I charge against the army of time's calamities.

  39. وَيَكفيهِ أَنَّ الناسَ قَد مَنَعوا الحَبا

    فَلَيسَ لَهُ إِلّا إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

    It suffices him that people have withheld gifts,

    so no path leads to bounty except the path to him.

  40. أَلا أَيُّها المَلكُ الَّذي مَكرُماتُهُ

    لَها خَطَرٌ في العالَمينَ جَليلُ

    O king, whose noble deeds

    have mighty worth among all peoples,

  41. شَأَوتَ مُلوكَ الأَرضِ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً

    فَما لَكَ في كُلِّ المُلوكِ عَديلُ

    you have outstripped the kings of earth, east and west;

    among all kings you have no equal.

  42. وَلَو أَنَّني أَسطيعُ زُرتُ مُمَلَّكاً

    جَداهُ عَلى عافي نَداهُ هطولُ

    If only I could, I would visit a crowned ruler

    whose bounty rains upon the seeker of his generosity.

  43. وَلاطَمتُ بِالوَجناءِ وَجنَةَ مَهمَهٍ

    تَلا وَخدَها وَسطَ الفَلاةِ ذَميلُ

    With a sturdy she-camel I would strike the cheek of a trackless waste,

    her swift stride followed by a gentle trot amid the desert.

  44. تَعَدّى إِلَيها مِن نُحولي زِمامَها

    بِإِدمانِيَ السَيرَ الحَثيثَ نُحولُ

    Across her rein, from my own thinness, there would spread to her,

    through my ceaseless, hurried travel, a thinness.

  45. فَيَمَّمتُ مِنهُ البَحرَ بِالدُّرِّ قاذِفاً

    وَمِنهُ فُراتٌ لِلعُفاةِ وَنيلُ

    I would seek in him a sea casting forth pearls,

    and in him, for petitioners, a Euphrates and a Nile.

  46. وَلَكِنَّ ضَعفَ الحالِ أَوهى عَزيمَتي

    فَسُقتُ إِلَيهِ الشِّعرَ وَهوَ رَسولُ

    But straitened circumstances weakened my resolve,

    so I dispatched poetry to him as a messenger.

  47. وَذَلِكَ مَلكٌ كُلُّ صَعبٍ مُمَنَّعٍ

    جَموحٍ لَهُ في العالَمينَ ذلولُ

    He is a king before whom every intractable, impregnable,

    rebellious thing in the worlds is tame.

  48. وَقَد عَلِمَت أَعداؤُهُ أَنَّ أُمَّهُم

    مَتى أَمَّهُم مِن بَأسِهِ لَثكولُ

    His enemies know that their mother,

    when he advances upon them, is surely bereaved by his might.

  49. يُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ مادِحوهُ فَكُلُّهُم

    لَهُ بِالتِماسِ العُذرِ مِنهُ سَؤولُ

    His eulogists fall short of him, and every one

    petitions him for pardon.

  50. إِلى دَوحَةِ المَجدِ المُؤَثَّلِ يَنتَمي

    وَفيها فُروعٌ دونَهُ وَأُصولُ

    He belongs to the great tree of firmly rooted glory,

    with branches and roots beneath him.

  51. تَقومُ مُلوكُ الأَرضِ في الأَرضِ مُثَّلاً

    لَهُ وَلَهُ فَوقَ السِّماكِ مُثولُ

    The kings of earth stand upon the earth in attendance

    before him, while he stands above al-Simak.

  52. وَقافِيَةٍ حَبَّرتُها فَبَعَثتُها

    عَسى أَن يُوافيها لَدَيهِ قَبولُ

    And a poem I embellished and dispatched,

    hoping it might find acceptance with him.

  53. فَفيها مَفاعيلٌ وَهُنَّ هَناتُهُ

    يُقَدِّمُها الإِحسانُ وَهوَ فَعولُ

    Within it are mafa'il, and they are his lesser deeds;

    beneficence leads them, and he is fa'ul, ever a doer.

  54. وَثِقتُ بِرِزقٍ مِنهُ يَأتي مُعَجَّلاً

    كَذَلِكَ مَن أُعنى بِهِ وَأَعولُ

    I have trusted that sustenance from him will come promptly,

    and so have those I care for and support.

  55. إِذا ما اِعتَرى كُلّاً ذُهولٌ عَنِ العُلا

    فَأَنتَ الَّذي لا يَعتَريهِ ذُهُولُ

    When heedlessness of high endeavor overtakes everyone,

    you are the one whom heedlessness never overtakes.

  56. غَدا زَمَني جَوراً عَلَيَّ فَمُرهُ أَن

    يَعودَ لَعَلَّ الحالَ فيهِ تَحولُ

    My time has grown oppressive toward me; command it

    to turn back, that perhaps my circumstances may change.

  57. فَأَنتَ الَّذي في جودِهِ لَم يَقُم لَهُ

    عَلى كَثرَةِ الإِسرافِ فيهِ عَذولُ

    You are he whose generosity has never drawn

    a reproacher, despite all its extravagance.

  58. وَهَل تُعذَلُ السُّحبُ المَواطِرُ في الحَيا

    وَقَد طَبَّقَت مِنها التِلاعَ سُيولُ

    Are rain-bearing clouds reproached for life-giving rain,

    when their torrents have covered the valleys?

  59. فَفي حَلَبٍ رُسلُ المُنى حَلَبٌ فَما

    لَها غَيرَ ما دار السَلامِ رَسيلُ

    In Aleppo the messengers of wishes form a racing field; they have no

    fellow racer save those from Dar al-Salam.

  60. لِشَهبائِها الشُّهبُ الثَّواقِبُ حُسَّدٌ

    تَمَنّى لِغازٍ أَنَّهُنَّ خُيولُ

    The piercing stars envy its gray mare,

    wishing they were horses for Ghazi.

  61. هُوَ السالِبُ الجَبّارِ بَيضَةَ مُلكِهِ

    يَرى أَنَّ حِرمانَ العُفاةِ غُلولُ

    He strips the tyrant of the very core of his kingdom,

    and sees depriving suppliants as embezzlement.

  62. فَما الرَّوضُ كَالدّيباجِ يَبدو نَباتُهُ

    وَقَد سُحِبَت للسُّحبِ فيهِ ذُيولُ

    No garden, its growth appearing like brocade,

    with the trailing skirts of clouds drawn through it,

  63. بِأَطيَبَ نَشراً مِنكَ في كُلِّ مَحفلٍ

    يَقومُ بِهِ المُطري لَهُ فَيَقولُ

    is sweeter in fragrance than you in every gathering

    where his eulogist rises and speaks.

  64. فَلا زالَ ذا مُلكٍ عَقيمٍ مُؤَبَّدٍ

    تَزولُ الرَّواسي وَهوَ لَيسَ يَزولُ

    May he ever hold an everlasting kingdom that begets no rival,

    while the firm-rooted mountains pass away and it does not.