لولا جفون ومقل

محكولة من الكحل

Were it not for eyelids and eyes,

darkened with kohl,

ولحظات لم تزل

أرمى نبالاً من ثعل

and glances that have always been

surer with arrows than Tha'l,

وبرد رضابه

ألذ من طعم العسل

and the coolness of his saliva,

sweeter than the taste of honey,

يظما إلى وروده

من عل منه ونهل

one still thirsts to drink from it,

though one has drunk of it, once and again—

لما وصلت قاطعاً

إذا رأى جدي هزل

I would never have courted one who breaks with me,

who jokes whenever he sees me earnest.

مخالف لو أنه

أضمر هجري لوصل

A contrary one: if he

meant to forsake me, he would seek union.

وأغيد منعم

يميل كلما اعتدل

And a supple, pampered youth,

who sways whenever he stands straight;

يهتز غصن قده

ليناً إذا ارتج الكفل

the branch of his stature quivers

softly, when his buttocks tremble.

غر إذا جمشته

أطرق من فرط الخجل

An innocent: when I fondle him,

he lowers his head from overwhelming shyness.

أريعن مدلل

غزيل يأبى الغزل

A flighty, pampered little one,

a little gazelle who refuses courtship.

سألته في قبلة

من ثغره فما فعل

I asked him for a kiss

from his lips, but he would not oblige.

راضته لي مشمولة

تري النشاط بالكسل

Wine cooled by the north wind tamed him for me,

showing liveliness through languor,

حتى أتاني صاغراً

يحدوه سكر وثمل

until he came to me submissive,

driven by drunkenness and intoxication.

أمسى بغير شكره

ذاك المصون يبتذل

By evening, without his thanks,

that guarded one was freely enjoyed.

وبات بين عقده

وبين قرطه جدل

And all night between his necklace

and his earring there was a tussle.

وكدت أمحو لعساً

في شفتيه بالقبل

And I almost erased the dusky tint

on his lips with kisses.

فديته من مبسم

ألثمه فلا أمل

I would ransom that smiling mouth with my life,

which I kiss and never tire of,

كأنه أنامل

لمجد الإسلام الأجل

as though it were the fingers

of the most exalted Glory of Islam.

معروفهن أبداً

يضحك في وجه الأمل

Their bounty forever

smiles in the face of hope.

الناصر بن الصالح اله

ادي من المدح أجل

Al-Nasir, son of al-Salih al-Hadi,

is loftier than praise;

لكن يعد مدحه

للصدق من خير العمل

yet praising him is reckoned,

for its truthfulness, among the finest deeds.

من نستعيد باسمه الع

الي إذا خطب نزل

He whose lofty name we invoke for refuge [reading uncertain]

whenever a calamity descends.

أبلج من شبابه

نور الشباب المقتبل

From his youth shines forth

the light of youth in its first bloom.

يبدو به في غرة الدني

ا سرور وجدل

Through him, on the world's bright brow appear

joy and exultation [reading uncertain].

ويسرق الملك به

أجلى وتفخر الدول

And through him kingship shines [reading uncertain],

more brightly, and dynasties take pride.

لم يلتفت كماله

لعلة من العلل

His perfection has paid no heed

to any flaw whatsoever.

نزه سمع مجده

عن ذكر ليت ولعل

He has kept the ears of his glory pure

from mention of 'if only' and 'perhaps.'

ما رام قط شرفاً

ممنعاً إلا حصل

Never has he sought a distinction,

however inaccessible, without attaining it.

ولا رأى مكرمة

مهجورة إلا وصل

Nor has he seen a noble deed

neglected without embracing it.

ذو شيم بمثلها

في الدهر يضرب المثل

A man of qualities whose like

are proverbial throughout the ages.

طاهرة أعراقه

آخرهن والأول

Pure are his ancestral roots,

the latest and the earliest.

كريمة أخلاقه

إن جد فيها وهزل

Noble are his manners,

whether he is earnest or playful.

رفيعة همته

من دونها نجم زحل

Lofty is his aspiration;

below it lies the star Saturn.

ليث ردى غيث ندى

إن طال يوماً أو بذل

A lion of death, a raincloud of bounty,

whether one day he shows his might or gives.

ما من سطاه وعطا

ه ثمد ولا وشل

Neither his might nor his bounty

is a shallow pool or a trickle.

يشرق نور صدقه

إن قال قولاً أو فعل

The light of his truthfulness shines

whether he utters a word or acts.

تقدست أوصافه

عن ذكر جبن أو بخل

His qualities are sanctified

beyond any mention of cowardice or stinginess.

وأصبحت علياؤه

مديحها لا ينتحل

And his exalted standing has come to be such

that praise of it is no fabrication.

نداه يملي قلمي

والفضل فضل من أمل

His bounty dictates to my pen,

and the credit belongs to the one who dictated.

له يد سلطانها

بحولها لا بالحيل

He has a hand whose power

lies in its strength, not in tricks.

إن طعنت فلا شوى

وإن رمت فلا شلل

When it thrusts, the wound is never slight;

and when it shoots, no palsy shakes it.

أو كتبت فلا خطا

في خطها ولا خطل

Or if it writes, there is no error

in its script, nor any foolishness.

كتابة حروفها

أحسن من سود المقل

Writing whose letters

are lovelier than the eyes' dark pupils,

كطرر في غرر

أو طرز على حلل

like forelocks upon radiant brows,

or embroidery upon fine robes.

لو رام ابن مقلة

قالت له أنت أقل

If Ibn Muqla tried to match it,

it would tell him, 'You are lesser.'

ساحته منتجع

لكل من سار وحل

His courtyard is a resort for sustenance

for everyone who journeys and alights.

أبوابه ملاذ من

زلت به النعل وزل

His gates are the refuge of those

whose sandal slips, and who stumble.

كم مهجة أغاثها

لمطلق ومعتقل

How many a life has he rescued,

of free men and prisoners alike!

ومعشر آمنهم

من بعد خوف ووجل

And many a company he has made safe

after fear and dread.

خلصهم بجاهه

مشفعاً فيما سأل

He delivered them through his standing,

his intercession accepted in what he asked.

أعتق باصطناعه

من عز منهم ثم ذل

Through his patronage he set free

those among them once honored, then abased.

لولا اعتلاقهم به

لسبق السيف العذل

Had they not held fast to him,

the sword would have preceded reproach.

أعتقهم ثم غدا

كل على نداه كل

He freed them, and thereafter

each became a burden upon his bounty.

يا جاهلاً لفضله

سلني وغيري لا تسل

O you who do not know his merit,

ask me, and ask no one else.

قد زرته فنلت من

إنعامه ما لم ينل

I have visited him and gained from

his beneficence what had never been attained.

والتف ذيل فضله الض

افي علي واشتمل

And the ample hem of his bounty

wrapped itself around me and enveloped me.

حسبي أن يخالني ال

رائي له من الخول

It is enough for me that one who sees me

should think me one of his retainers.

يا ناصري أنت الذي

ينصرني ممن خذل

O my champion, you are the one

who aids me against those who abandoned me.

يا ابن أبي الغارات بل

يا ابن المواضي والأسل

O son of the Father of Raids—rather,

O son of keen blades and spears!

يا ابن الذي زان الهدى

والحلي زينة العطل

O son of him who adorned right guidance,

as jewelry adorns unadorned women.

وأصبحت رسومه

في كل قطر تمتثل

And his ordinances came to be

obeyed in every land.

وجملت آراؤه ال

إسلام في عقد وحل

And his counsels beautified

Islam, in binding and unbinding.

قد كنت قبل مدحكم

أرضى من الوبل بطل

Before praising you, I used

to accept mere dew in place of heavy rain,

وأقبل العذر من الن

اس إذا الخل أخل

and accept excuses from people

whenever a friend failed me,

وأنظم الدر لهم

شكراً على النزر الأقل

and string pearls for them

in thanks for the scantiest little gift.

فاليوم أصبحت بكم

أعز من دق وجل

So today, through you, I have become

more honored than men both small and great.

نوهتم باسم الثنا

من بعد ما كان خمل

You raised the name of praise to renown

after it had lain obscure.

أعليتموه بعدما

كان الحضيض المبتذل

You lifted it high after

it had lain in the debased depths.

أمسى جديداً ثوبه

من بعد ما كان سمل

Its garment became new

after it had worn to rags.

ولا رأت عين الهدى

في دهرنا لكم بدل

And may the eye of right guidance never behold

in our age a replacement for you.