1. وَعَدَ الزِيارَةَ طَرفُهُ المُتَمَلِّقُ

    وَتَلافُ قَلبي مِن جُفونٍ تَنطِقُ

    His flattering gaze promised a visit,

    and my heart's ruin comes from eyelids that speak.

  2. إِنّي لَأَهوى الحُسنَ حَيثُ وَجَدتُهُ

    وَأَهيمُ بِالقَدِّ الرَشيقِ وَأَعشَقُ

    Truly, I love beauty wherever I find it,

    and I am entranced by the graceful figure and adore it.

  3. وَبَلِيَّتي كَفَلٌ عَلَيهِ ذُؤابَةٌ

    مِثلُ الكَثيبِ عَلَيهِ صِلٌّ مُطرِقُ

    And my affliction is a rump with a tress upon it,

    like a sand dune with a head-bowed viper upon it.

  4. ياعاذِلي أَنا مَن سَمِعتَ حَديثَهُ

    فَعَساكَ تَحنو أَو لَعَلَّكَ تَرفُقُ

    O my reproacher, I am the one whose story you have heard;

    so perhaps you will show tenderness, or perhaps be gentle.

  5. لَو كُنتَ مِنّا حَيثُ تَسمَعُ أَو تَرى

    لَرَأَيتَ ثَوبَ الصَبرِ كَيفَ يُمَزَّقُ

    If you were with us, where you could hear or see,

    you would see how the garment of patience is torn.

  6. وَرَأَيتَ أَلطَفَ عاشِقَينِ تَشاكَيا

    وَعَجِبتَ مِمَّن لا يُحِبُّ وَيَعشَقُ

    And you would see the tenderest pair of lovers share their sorrows,

    and marvel at anyone who neither loves nor adores.

  7. أَيَسومُني العُذّالُ عَنهُ تَصَبُّراً

    وَحَياتِهِ قَلبي أَرَقُّ وَأَشفَقُ

    Do the reproachers demand that I patiently forgo him?

    By his life, my heart is too tender and too anxious.

  8. إِن عَنَّفوا أَو خَوَّفوا أَو سَوَّفوا

    لا أَنثَني لا أَنتَهي لا أَفرَقُ

    If they rebuke, intimidate, or put me off,

    I do not turn back, desist, or fear.

  9. أَبَداً أَزيدُ مَعَ الوِصالِ تَلَهُّفاً

    كَالعِقدِ في جيدِ المَليحَةِ يَقلَقُ

    Always, with union, my longing grows,

    like a necklace moving restlessly on a lovely woman's neck.

  10. وَيَزيدُني تَلَفاً فَأَذكُرُ فِعلَهُ

    كَالمِسكِ تَسحَقُهُ الأَكُفُّ فَيَعبَقُ

    And he increases my ruin, so I tell of his deed,

    like musk that hands crush, making it give off fragrance.

  11. يا قاتِلي إِنّي عَلَيكَ لَمُشفِقٌ

    يا هاجِري إِنّي إِلَيكَ لَشَيِّقُ

    O my slayer, truly I am anxious for you;

    O you who forsake me, truly I yearn for you.

  12. وَأَذاعَ أَنّي قَد سَلَوتُكَ مَعشَرٌ

    يا رَبِّ لا عاشوا لِذاكَ وَلا بَقوا

    And a group has spread word that I have forgotten you;

    O Lord, for that may they neither live nor endure!

  13. ما أَطمَعَ العُذّالَ إِلّا أَنَّني

    خَوفاً عَلَيكَ إِلَيهِمُ أَتَمَلَّقُ

    Nothing gave the reproachers hope except that I,

    out of fear for you, flatter them.

  14. وَإِذا وَعَدتُ الطَرفَ فيكَ بَهجَعَةٍ

    فَاِشهَد عَلَيَّ بِأَنَّني لاءَصدُقُ

    And if, in loving you, I promise my eyes a brief sleep,

    then bear witness against me that I do not speak the truth.

  15. فَعَلامَ قَلبُكَ لَيسَ بِالقَلبِ الَّذي

    قَد كانَ لِيَ مِنهُ المُحِبُّ المُشفِقُ

    Why, then, is your heart no longer the heart

    whose love and tender care I once enjoyed?

  16. وَأَظُنُّ خَدَّكَ شامِتاً بِفِراقِنا

    فَلَقَد نَظَرتُ إِلَيهِ وَهوَ مُخَلَّقُ

    And I think your cheek gloats over our parting,

    for I looked at it, and it was scented with saffron perfume.

  17. وَلَقَد سَعَيتُ إِلى العَلاءِ بِهِمَّةٍ

    تَقضي لِسَعيِي أَنَّهُ لايُلحَقُ

    And I have striven toward eminence with a resolve

    that decrees my striving cannot be overtaken.

  18. وَسَرَيتُ في لَيلٍ كَأَنَّ نُجومَهُ

    مِن فَرطِ غيرَتِها إِلَيَّ تُحَدِّقُ

    And I traveled through a night whose stars seemed,

    in their excessive jealousy, to stare at me,

  19. حَتّى وَصَلتُ سُرادِقَ المَلِكِ الَّذي

    تَقِفُ المُلوكُ بِبابِهِ تَستَرزِقُ

    until I reached the pavilion of the king,

    at whose gate kings stand seeking sustenance.

  20. وَوَقَفتُ مِن مَلِكِ الزَمانِ بِمَوقِفٍ

    أَلفَيتُ قَلبَ الدَهرِ فيهِ يَخفِقُ

    And I stood before the king of the age in a place

    where I found the heart of Time beating.

  21. فَإِلَيكَ يا نَجمَ السَماءِ فَإِنَّني

    قَد لاحَ نَجمُ الدينِ لي يَتَأَلَّقُ

    So away with you, O star of heaven, for I

    have seen Najm al-Din appear, shining bright.

  22. الصالِحُ المَلِكُ الَّذي لِزَمانِهِ

    حُسنٌ يَتيهُ بِهِ الزَمانُ وَرَونَقُ

    Al-Salih, the king whose age has

    a beauty and splendor in which Time takes pride.

  23. مَلِكٌ يُحَدِّثُ عَن أَبيهِ وَجَدِّهِ

    سَنَدٌ لَعَمرُكَ في العُلى لايُلحَقُ

    A king who narrates on his father's and grandfather's authority—

    a chain of transmission in glory, by your life, beyond compare.

  24. سَجَدَت لَهُ حَتّى العُيونُ مَهابَةً

    أَوَما تَراها حينَ يُقبِلُ تُطرِقُ

    Even eyes have bowed down to him in awe;

    do you not see them lower their gaze when he approaches?

  25. رَحبُ الجَنابِ خَصيبَةٌ أَكنافُهُ

    فَلَكَم سَديرٌ عِندَها وَخَوَرنَقُ

    His domain is broad, its surroundings fertile;

    how many a Sadir and Khawarnaq stand there!

  26. فَالعَيشُ إِلّا في ذَراهُ مُنَكَّدٌ

    وَالرِزقُ إِلّا مِن يَدَيهِ مُضَيَّقُ

    For life is troubled except beneath his protection,

    and sustenance is straitened except from his hands.

  27. ياعِزَّ مَن أَضحى إِلَيهِ يَنتَمي

    وَعُلوَّ مَن أَمسى بِهِ يَتَعَلَّقُ

    Oh, the honor of one who comes to belong to him,

    and the eminence of one who holds fast to him!

  28. أَقسَمتُ ما الصُنعُ الجَميلُ تَصَنُّعٌ

    فيهِ وَلا الخُلُقُ الكَريمُ تَخَلُّقُ

    I swear, gracious action is no affectation

    in him, nor is noble character put on.

  29. يَدعو الوُفودَ لِمالِهِ فَكَأَنَّما

    يَدعو عَلَيهِ فَشَملُهُ يَتَفَرَّقُ

    He invites delegations to his wealth, as though

    he were cursing it, for its gathered whole is scattered.

  30. أَبَداً تَحِنُّ إِلى الطِرادِ جِيادُهُ

    فَلَها إِلَيهِ تَشَوُّفٌ وَتَشَوُّقُ

    His steeds forever yearn for mounted combat,

    eagerly looking toward it and longing for it.

  31. يُبدي لَسَطوَتِهِ الخَميسُ تَطَرُّباً

    فَالسُمرُ تَرقُصُ وَالسُيوفُ تُصَفِّقُ

    The army displays rapture at his might;

    so the brown lances dance, and the swords clap.

  32. في طَيِّ لامَتِهِ هِزبَرٌ باسِلٌ

    تَحتَ العَريكَةِ مِنهُ بَدرٌ مُشرِقُ

    Within the folds of his armor is a valiant lion;

    beneath his temperament lies a radiant full moon.

  33. يُروي القَنا بِدَمِ الأَعادي في الوَغى

    فَلِذاكَ تُثمِرُ بِالرُؤوسِ وَتورِقُ

    He waters the spears with enemies' blood in battle,

    so they bear heads as fruit and put forth leaves.

  34. يَمضي فَيَقدُمُ جَيشَهُ مِن هَيبَةٍ

    جَيشٌ يَغُصُّ بِهِ الزَمانُ وَيَشرَقُ

    He advances, his army preceded by a host of dread—

    a host on which Time chokes and gags.

  35. مَلَأَ القُلوبَ مَهابَةً وَمَحَبَّةً

    فَالبَأسُ يُرهَبُ وَالمَكارِمُ تُعشَقُ

    He has filled hearts with awe and love:

    for might is feared, and noble deeds adored.

  36. سَتَجوبُ آفاقَ البِلادِ جِيادُهُ

    وَيُرى لَهُ في كُلِّ فَجٍّ فَيلَقُ

    His steeds will traverse the horizons of the lands,

    and in every pass a host of his will be seen.

  37. لَبَّيكَ يا مَن لا مَرَدَّ لِأَمرِهِ

    وَإِذا دَعا العَيّوقُ لا يَتَعَوَّقُ

    At your service, O you whose command cannot be opposed!

    And when he calls, Capella does not delay.

  38. لَبَّيكَ يا خَيرَ المُلوكِ بِأَسرِهِم

    وَأَعَزَّ مَن تُحدى إِلَيهِ الأَينُقُ

    At your service, O best of all kings,

    and mightiest of those toward whom she-camels are driven with song!

  39. لَبَّيكَ أَلفاً أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي

    جَمَعَ القُلوبَ نَوالُهُ المُتَفَرِّقُ

    At your service a thousand times, O king

    whose scattered bounty has united hearts.

  40. وَعَدَلتَ حَتّى مابِها مُتَظَلِّمٌ

    وَأَنَلتَ حَتّى مابِها مُستَرزِقُ

    And you have been just until none there complains of wrong,

    and you have given until none there seeks sustenance.

  41. أَنا مَن دَعَوتَ وَقَد أَجابَكَ مُسرِعاً

    هَذا الثَناءُ لَهُ وَهذا المَنطِقُ

    I am the one you summoned, who has answered you swiftly;

    this praise is his, and so is this speech.

  42. أَلفَيتُ سوقاً لِلمَكارِمِ وَالعُلى

    فَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ الفَضلَ فيهِ يَنفُقُ

    I found a marketplace for noble deeds and eminence,

    so I knew that excellence finds a ready market there.

  43. يا مَن إِذا وَعَدَ المُنى قُصّادَهُ

    قالَت مَواهِبُهُ يَقولُ وَيَصدُقُ

    O you—whenever you promise your petitioners their wishes,

    your gifts declare, 'He speaks and keeps his word.'

  44. يا مَن رَفَضتُ الناسَ حينَ لَقيتُهُ

    حَتّى ظَنَنتُ بَأَنَّهُم لَم يُخلَقوا

    O you—when I met you, I cast all others aside,

    until I thought they had never been created.

  45. قَيَّدتُ في مِصرٍ إِلَيكَ رَكائِبي

    غَيري يُغَرِّبُ تارَةً وَيُشرِقُ

    In Egypt, I tethered my riding-camels to you;

    others travel west at times, and east.

  46. وَحَلَلتُ عِندَكَ إِذ حَلَلتُ بِمَعقِلٍ

    يُلقى لَدَيهِ مارِدٌ وَالأَبلَقُ

    And when I alighted with you, I alighted in a stronghold

    beside which Marid and al-Ablaq are cast aside.

  47. وَتَيَقَّنَ الأَقوامُ أَنِّيَ بَعدَها

    أَبَداً إِلى رُتَبِ العُلى لا أَسبِقُ

    And the people became certain that thereafter I

    would never be outstripped in reaching the ranks of eminence.

  48. فَرُزِقتُ مالَم يُرزَقوا وَنَطَقتُ ما

    لَم يَنطِقوا وَلَحِقتُ مالَم يَلحَقوا

    So I was granted what they were not, and uttered what

    they did not utter, and attained what they did not attain.