يا ذا العِذارِ الَّذي بِهِ عُذري

يا ذا العِذارِ الَّذي بِهِ عُذري

قامَ فَفيهِ الهَوى هَوىً عُذري

قامَ فَفيهِ الهَوى هَوىً عُذري

O bearer of cheek-down, in which my excuse

O you whose excuses I am excused with,

is established; for love of it is chaste love.

With which love rose up as an excuse for me,

وَجهُكَ مِثلُ الإيمانِ أَبيَضُ مِن

وَجهُكَ مِثلُ الإيمانِ أَبيَضُ مِن

تُحَيتِ فَرعٍ كَظُلمَةِ الكفرِ

تُحَيتِ فَرعٍ كَظُلمَةِ الكفرِ

Your face is white as faith, beneath

Your face is like faith, whiter than

tresses dark as unbelief.

The brightness of a branch, like the darkness of disbelief,

وَقَدُّكَ الرَمحُ وَاللِحاظُ هِيَ ال

وَقَدُّكَ الرَمحُ وَاللِحاظُ هِيَ ال

سُيوف حَداً يَومَ الوَغى تَفري

سُيوف حَداً يَومَ الوَغى تَفري

And your stature is a spear, and your glances are the

Your stature is a spear, and your glances are

swords, keen-edged, that cleave on the day of battle.

Swords, sharp on the day of battle, raging,

وَثَغرُكَ الثَغرُ فَهوَ يمنعُ بِال

وَثَغرُكَ الثَغرُ فَهوَ يمنعُ بِال

بيضِ المَواضي وَبِالقَنا السُمرِ

بيضِ المَواضي وَبِالقَنا السُمرِ

And your mouth is a frontier fortress, defended by

And your mouth is a mouth, it is protected with

white, keen-edged blades and dusky lances.

White smiles and rosy cheeks,

وَالريقُ طَعمُ الحَياةِ مَطعَمُهُ

وَالريقُ طَعمُ الحَياةِ مَطعَمُهُ

وَلَم أَذُقهُ لَكِنَّني أَدري

وَلَم أَذُقهُ لَكِنَّني أَدري

And your saliva has the taste of life;

And saliva is the taste of life, its flavor,

I have not tasted it, but I know.

I have not tasted it, but I know,

كَم لِيَ في ذا القَوامِ حُسنُ مَقا

كَم لِيَ في ذا القَوامِ حُسنُ مَقا

ماتٍ وَكَم لي في الشِعرِ مِن شِعرِ

ماتٍ وَكَم لي في الشِعرِ مِن شِعرِ

How many fine compositions I have on this figure,

How much beauty of stature I have for me in this,

and how many poems I have on those tresses!

And how much poetry I have for me in poetry,

وَكَم مَديحٍ لي سارَ في المَلِكِ ال

وَكَم مَديحٍ لي سارَ في المَلِكِ ال

أَمجَدِ بَهرامَ شاه ذي الفَخرِ

أَمجَدِ بَهرامَ شاه ذي الفَخرِ

And how many poems of mine have circulated in praise of the king,

And how much praise I have for me, it flowed in the glorious king

the most illustrious Bahram Shah, possessed of glory.

Bahram Shah the glorious,

مَلكٌ جَوادٌ لَولاهُ لَم يَكُ في

مَلكٌ جَوادٌ لَولاهُ لَم يَكُ في

زَمانِنا ذا لِلشِعرِ مِن سِعرِ

زَمانِنا ذا لِلشِعرِ مِن سِعرِ

A generous king—without him there would be, in

A generous king, without him there would not be in

this age of ours, no value for poetry.

Our time one who kindles poetry,

ما أَمَّ جَيشاً وَلا اِنتَحى بَلَداً

ما أَمَّ جَيشاً وَلا اِنتَحى بَلَداً

إِلّا اِنثَنى بِالتَأييدِ وَالنَصرِ

إِلّا اِنثَنى بِالتَأييدِ وَالنَصرِ

He never advanced upon an army or made for a land

He has not led an army or conquered a land

but returned with support and victory.

Except victoriously supported and triumphant,

وَلَم يَزَل لِلعُفاةِ مُنتَجَعاً

وَلَم يَزَل لِلعُفاةِ مُنتَجَعاً

وَالوَجهُ مِنهُ البَشيرُ بِالبِشرِ

وَالوَجهُ مِنهُ البَشيرُ بِالبِشرِ

He has always been a resort for seekers of bounty,

And he has not ceased to be a refuge

and his face heralds cheerful welcome.

For the weak, his face giving good news,

لِلحَربِ مِنهُ اللَيثُ المُدِلُّ إِذا

لِلحَربِ مِنهُ اللَيثُ المُدِلُّ إِذا

كَرَّ صَئولاً في الجَحفَلِ المَجرِ

كَرَّ صَئولاً في الجَحفَلِ المَجرِ

In war he is the self-assured lion when

For war, he is the pouncing lion, when

he charges fiercely amid the mighty host.

He growled among the large army, raging,

وَلِلندَى مِنهُ صَوبُ غادِيَةٍ

وَلِلندَى مِنهُ صَوبُ غادِيَةٍ

مُثَعَنجِرِ الودق هامِرُ القطرِ

مُثَعَنجِرِ الودق هامِرُ القطرِ

And in generosity he is a morning raincloud's downpour,

And for dew, he is a pouring cloud

its rain gushing in torrents, its drops pouring down.

With dangling udder, pouring rain,

إِلَيهِ تَسعى العُفاةُ سائِرَةً

إِلَيهِ تَسعى العُفاةُ سائِرَةً

بِحُسنِ ظَنٍّ في البَرِّ وَالبَحرِ

بِحُسنِ ظَنٍّ في البَرِّ وَالبَحرِ

To him the seekers of bounty hasten, journeying

To him the weak flock, traveling

with high hopes across land and sea.

With good expectations, on land and sea,

فَتَنثَني عَنهُ وَالحَقائِبُ وَال

فَتَنثَني عَنهُ وَالحَقائِبُ وَال

أَفواهُ مَلأى بِالحَمدِ وَالشُكرِ

أَفواهُ مَلأى بِالحَمدِ وَالشُكرِ

Then they return from him, their saddlebags and

Then they shy away from him, and the saddlebags and

mouths full of praise and thanks.

Mouths are filled with praise and thanks,

تَيَمَّموا بَعلَبَكَّ حينَ رَأَوا

تَيَمَّموا بَعلَبَكَّ حينَ رَأَوا

هُناكَ رَبَّ السَريرِ وَالقَصرِ

هُناكَ رَبَّ السَريرِ وَالقَصرِ

They made for Baalbek when they saw

They aimed for Baalbek when they saw

there the lord of the throne and palace,

There the Lord of the throne and palace,

مُتَوَّجاً بِالعَلاءِ أَحسنُ خَل

مُتَوَّجاً بِالعَلاءِ أَحسنُ خَل

قِ اللَهِ عِلماً بِالنظمِ وَالنَثرِ

قِ اللَهِ عِلماً بِالنظمِ وَالنَثرِ

crowned with eminence, the finest of

Crowned with glory, the best of God's

God's creation in knowledge of verse and prose.

Creation, in knowledge of prose and verse,

شَأى مُلوكَ الزَمانِ كُلَّهُمُ

شَأى مُلوكَ الزَمانِ كُلَّهُمُ

فَضلاً وَدَبّوا مِن بَعد في الإِثرِ

فَضلاً وَدَبّوا مِن بَعد في الإِثرِ

He outstripped all the kings of the age

He excelled all the kings of time,

in excellence; they crept behind in his tracks.

And they crept behind him in his tracks,

فَلَم يَشُقّوا غُبارَهُ وَحَوى

فَلَم يَشُقّوا غُبارَهُ وَحَوى

غاياتِ كَسبِ الثَناءِ وَالأَجرِ

غاياتِ كَسبِ الثَناءِ وَالأَجرِ

So they never broke through his dust, while he attained

They did not stir his dust, and he contained

the utmost in winning praise and reward.

The heights of gaining praise and reward,

لَو كانَ في الدَّهرِ مِثلُهُ وَعَزِي

لَو كانَ في الدَّهرِ مِثلُهُ وَعَزِي

زٌ ذاكَ لَم نَشكُ فيهِ مِن فَقرِ

زٌ ذاكَ لَم نَشكُ فيهِ مِن فَقرِ

If the age held another like him—and rare

If there were the likes of him and support

is that—we would not complain of poverty in it.

That would not make us doubt poverty,

وَلا اِشتَكَت مِن كَلالِها قُلُصٌ

وَلا اِشتَكَت مِن كَلالِها قُلُصٌ

تَقطَعُ عُرضَ الفَلاةِ وَالقَفرِ

تَقطَعُ عُرضَ الفَلاةِ وَالقَفرِ

Nor would young she-camels complain of their weariness,

Nor would caravans complain of their weariness

crossing the breadth of the desert and wasteland.

Crossing the wilderness and wasteland,

فَمَن أَتاهُ بِالشِعرِ فَهوَ كَمَن

فَمَن أَتاهُ بِالشِعرِ فَهوَ كَمَن

في هَجَرٍ جاءَ مُهدِيَ التَمرِ

في هَجَرٍ جاءَ مُهدِيَ التَمرِ

For whoever brings him poetry is like someone

So whoever came to him with poetry is like one

who comes to Hajar offering dates as a gift.

In Hijr who met the date giver,

لِلعيدِ رَسمٌ وافاكَ نَطلُبُهُ

لِلعيدِ رَسمٌ وافاكَ نَطلُبُهُ

فَجُد بِهِ يا يَتيمَةَ الدَّهرِ

فَجُد بِهِ يا يَتيمَةَ الدَّهرِ

The feast has come to you; we seek its customary gift,

For the feast we seek what befits you

so grant it, O peerless pearl of the age.

So bestow, orphan of time,

وَالوَقتُ صَعبٌ وَبَعلبَكُ كَما

وَالوَقتُ صَعبٌ وَبَعلبَكُ كَما

تَعلَمُ عِندَ الشِتاءِ وَالقَرِّ

تَعلَمُ عِندَ الشِتاءِ وَالقَرِّ

And times are hard, and Baalbek is as

The time is hard and Baalbek is, as

you know it in winter and bitter cold.

You know, in winter and cold,

فَكُن سُليمانَ المَلكَ يا اِبنَ فَرَخ

فَكُن سُليمانَ المَلكَ يا اِبنَ فَرَخ

شاهَ وَنوحاً في فُسحَةِ العُمرِ

شاهَ وَنوحاً في فُسحَةِ العُمرِ

So be King Solomon, O son of Farrukh

So be King Solomon, O son of Farak

Shah, and Noah in length of life.

Shah, and Noah in the primes of life,

فَأَنتَ أَولى المُلوكِ كُلِّهِمِ

فَأَنتَ أَولى المُلوكِ كُلِّهِمِ

بِالمُلكِ فيهِم وَالنَهيِ وَالأَمرِ

بِالمُلكِ فيهِم وَالنَهيِ وَالأَمرِ

For you, of all kings, are most worthy

For you are the foremost of all kings

of kingship among them, and of forbidding and commanding.

For kingship among them, prohibition, and command,