عينُ فتّانةٍ لها القلبُ خدرُ

عينُ فتّانةٍ لها القلبُ خدرُ

سَحرتني وأعينُ الغيدِ سحرُ

سَحرتني وأعينُ الغيدِ سحرُ

An enchantress’s eye has the heart for its secluded bower.

A bewitching eye that captivated my heart

It bewitched me; the eyes of graceful maidens are sorcery.

It enchanted me, and the eyes of the doe are enchantment

طفلةُ الحيِّ شأنُها اللهو لكن

طفلةُ الحيِّ شأنُها اللهو لكن

حالتا لهوِها خضابٌ وعطر

حالتا لهوِها خضابٌ وعطر

The tribe’s young girl is given to play, yet

A child of life whose concern is play, yet

her play takes two forms: henna and perfume.

Her condition for play is kohl and perfume

أقرأتني الجمال حرفاً فحرفاً

أقرأتني الجمال حرفاً فحرفاً

وهو في صدرِها المطرَّزِ سفر

وهو في صدرِها المطرَّزِ سفر

She taught me to read beauty, letter by letter,

She taught me beauty letter by letter

and it is a book within her embroidered bosom.

Written in the pages of her embroidered chest

وجلت لي وما سوى الثغر كأسٌ

وجلت لي وما سوى الثغر كأسٌ

وسقتني وما سوى الريقِ خمر

وسقتني وما سوى الريقِ خمر

She unveiled a cup to me—nothing but her mouth—

She came to me, nothing but her smile a cup

and gave me drink—no wine but her saliva.

She gave me to drink, nothing but her saliva wine

وهدتني بوجهِها وهو بدرٌ

وهدتني بوجهِها وهو بدرٌ

تحت ليلٍ أظلَّني وهو شعر

تحت ليلٍ أظلَّني وهو شعر

She guided me with her face, a full moon,

She seduced me with her face, a full moon

beneath a night that shaded me—her hair.

Veiled by the night's darkness that covered me like hair

نَشرتهُ دلاٍّ عليَّ ولفّت

نَشرتهُ دلاٍّ عليَّ ولفّت

ني عناقاً فلذَّ لفٌّ ونشر

ني عناقاً فلذَّ لفٌّ ونشر

She spread it coquettishly over me, and wrapped

She spread before me a heart of passion and wrapped

me in an embrace—how sweet the wrapping and spreading!

Me in an embrace, so her wrap was binding and spread

يا سقى عهدَها حياً من ثنايا

يا سقى عهدَها حياً من ثنايا

ها ودمعي لها وميضٌ وقطر

ها ودمعي لها وميضٌ وقطر

Oh, may rain water the days with her! From her front teeth

O you who revived with her from the folds of life

and my tears come lightning flashes and raindrops for her.

My tears for her are a sparkle and drops

جرحتني بلحظِها ثمَّ قالت

جرحتني بلحظِها ثمَّ قالت

هل لجُرح الهوى بقلبكَ سبرُ

هل لجُرح الهوى بقلبكَ سبرُ

She wounded me with her glance, then said:

She wounded me with her glance then asked

“Can love’s wound in your heart be probed?”

Does the wound of passion in your heart probe?

لا وكأسي محمد حسن الفخرِ

لا وكأسي محمد حسن الفخرِ

بقلبي جُرح الهوى مُستمر

بقلبي جُرح الهوى مُستمر

No—by my cup, Muhammad Hasan al-Fakhr—

No, and my cup is ever-flowing with pride

the wound of love endures in my heart.

In my heart the wound of passion persists

حيِّ في مطلع السماحِ هِلالاً

حيِّ في مطلع السماحِ هِلالاً

عن عُيونِ الراجينَ لا يستسر

عن عُيونِ الراجينَ لا يستسر

Greet a crescent moon at generosity’s horizon,

Live as a new crescent rising at dawn

that never hides from the eyes of those who hope.

Hidden from the expectant eyes that cannot be detected

وَلدَته العلياءُ أنجبَ مَن قد

وَلدَته العلياءُ أنجبَ مَن قد

حملاه للمجد بطنٌ وظهر

حملاه للمجد بطنٌ وظهر

Eminence bore him, the noblest of those whom

Borne by the sublime, fathered by one who

womb and loins have carried toward glory.

Carried him to glory in womb and back

مُستهلاٍّ على يد اليمنِ فيه

مُستهلاٍّ على يد اليمنِ فيه

بارِكِ السعدَ وهو طهرٌ أغرُّ

بارِكِ السعدَ وهو طهرٌ أغرُّ

Newly risen at good fortune’s hand; in him

Auspiciously guided by the hand of fortune in him

bless good fortune, for he is pure and radiant.

Bless happiness, so pure and shining white

ونَما في العلاء غصنُ صِباه

ونَما في العلاء غصنُ صِباه

وهو من ريّق المحاسنِ نَضر

وهو من ريّق المحاسنِ نَضر

And the branch of his youth grew in loftiness,

And grew in the sublime a branch of his youth

fresh with the choicest beauties.

Green from the sap of beauty

ما نضا بُردةَ الشبابِ ومنه

ما نضا بُردةَ الشبابِ ومنه

ملءُ بُردِ الزمانِ مجدٌ وفخر

ملءُ بُردِ الزمانِ مجدٌ وفخر

He has not shed the cloak of youth, yet from him

Not worn by the cloak of youth and from it

glory and pride fill the mantle of time.

The fullness of glory and pride's attire

خلفكم يا مشايخَ الحزمِ عجزاً

خلفكم يا مشايخَ الحزمِ عجزاً

فاتَ سبقاً كهلُ التجارب غِرُّ

فاتَ سبقاً كهلُ التجارب غِرُّ

He has left you helpless behind him, elders of resolve;

After you, o wise elders, incapacity followed

a youthful novice, yet an elder in experience, has raced ahead.

And the old of experience were outrun

مَن إذا حلبةُ الخَطابةِ فيها

مَن إذا حلبةُ الخَطابةِ فيها

ضمَّه والخصومَ سبقٌ وحضر

ضمَّه والخصومَ سبقٌ وحضر

One who, whenever in the arena of oratory

When the arena of oratory among them

racing and galloping bring him and his rivals together,

They embraced him, outdoing opponents present

قال بالفصلِ ناطقاً فأرّموا

قال بالفصلِ ناطقاً فأرّموا

وادّعى الفضلَ سابقاً فأقرّوا

وادّعى الفضلَ سابقاً فأقرّوا

speaks with decisive judgment, and they fall silent;

He spoke judiciously, so they threw

and claims preeminence as the frontrunner, and they concede;

And claimed excellence, preceding, so they acknowledged

وروى نثرَهُ الفريد فقالوا

وروى نثرَهُ الفريد فقالوا

أكلامٌ بفيه أم فيه درُّ

أكلامٌ بفيه أم فيه درُّ

and recites his matchless prose, and they ask:

And he told his unique prose, and they said:

“Is there speech in his mouth, or are there pearls?”

Are these words from a mouth or within it a pearl?

يدُه ليس تألف الدرهم المضرو

يدُه ليس تألف الدرهم المضرو

بَ مكثاً لكن عليها يمرُّ

بَ مكثاً لكن عليها يمرُّ

His hand never grows used to a minted dirham

His hand is not accustomed hoarding the harmful coin

lingering there; it merely passes across his hand.

To linger, though over it, it passes

كرهَ البخلَ مذ ترعرع حتَّى

كرهَ البخلَ مذ ترعرع حتَّى

سمعُه عن سماع لا فيه وقر

سمعُه عن سماع لا فيه وقر

He hated stinginess from the time he grew up, so much that

He hated stinginess since he was a child until

his hearing is deaf to the sound of “no.”

His reputation from hearing is nothing in it, and settlement

وإلى الآن ليس يدري سوى قول

وإلى الآن ليس يدري سوى قول

بلى منذ قالها وهو ذرُّ

بلى منذ قالها وهو ذرُّ

And to this day he knows no utterance but

And to this day he knows nothing but the saying

“yes,” since he first spoke it, when he was a mere speck.

"Yes" since he uttered it, and he was a toddler

سل به الأرضَ بالوقارِ وبالأط

سل به الأرضَ بالوقارِ وبالأط

وادِ أيًّا على قراها أقرُّ

وادِ أيًّا على قراها أقرُّ

Ask the earth of his gravity and of the mountains:

Ask through him the land in dignity and

which rests more firmly upon its back?

In cliffs which of its towns is more settling

وعلى وجهِها إذا اغبرَّ جدباً

وعلى وجهِها إذا اغبرَّ جدباً

أنداهُ أم الغمامِ أدرُّ

أنداهُ أم الغمامِ أدرُّ

And on its face, when it grows dusty with drought,

And on its face when barrenness covers it

which pours more freely—his dew or the clouds?

The rain's mother waters it more generously

ذو محيًّا يكادُ يقطرُ ماء ال

ذو محيًّا يكادُ يقطرُ ماء ال

بِشر منه لو كانَ للبِشر قَطر

بِشر منه لو كانَ للبِشر قَطر

He has a face from which there almost drips the water of

With a smile that nearly drips water of

cheerfulness—if cheerfulness had drops to shed.

Good tidings, if there was for people a dripping

وسجاياً كالروضِ باكرَه الطلُّ

وسجاياً كالروضِ باكرَه الطلُّ

نسيمُ الصَبا عليه يمرُّ

نسيمُ الصَبا عليه يمرُّ

And innate qualities like a meadow visited at dawn by dew,

And traits like a garden its blossoms plucked

with the east wind’s breeze passing over it.

By the morning breeze passing through it

ومزاياً تُكاثرُ الشهبَ عدًّا

ومزاياً تُكاثرُ الشهبَ عدًّا

وبها لا يُحيطُ نظمٌ ونثر

وبها لا يُحيطُ نظمٌ ونثر

And merits that rival the bright stars in number,

And virtues multiplying the stars in number

and neither verse nor prose can encompass them.

Which no prose or poetry can encompass

فهو والمكرُمات روحٌ وجسمٌ

فهو والمكرُمات روحٌ وجسمٌ

ووشاحٌ يُزينها وهو خَصر

ووشاحٌ يُزينها وهو خَصر

So he and noble deeds are soul and body,

So he and benevolence are spirit and body

and a sash adorns them, while he is the waist.

And a cloak adorning it at the waist

وبإيداعها لهُ السرَّ لطفٌ

وبإيداعها لهُ السرَّ لطفٌ

وبتفويضها لهُ الأمر جبرُ

وبتفويضها لهُ الأمر جبرُ

And in their entrusting him with their secret there is gentleness;

By confiding in him secrets is kindness

and in their delegating authority to him there is compulsion.

And by entrusting him command is obligation

يا أخا المكرُمات وهو نِداءٌ

يا أخا المكرُمات وهو نِداءٌ

أجدُ المكرماتِ فيه تسرُّ

أجدُ المكرماتِ فيه تسرُّ

“O brother of noble deeds!”—a call

O brother of benevolence, and this is a call

in which I find those noble deeds rejoicing.

I find benevolence in him delighted

هاك سيّارةً مع الريح لكن

هاك سيّارةً مع الريح لكن

تلك شهرٌ رواحُها وهي دهر

تلك شهرٌ رواحُها وهي دهر

Take this traveler that journeys with the wind; yet

That is a month, its soul blowing and it is an era

the wind’s evening journey is a month; hers, an age.

Built from thought-filled purpose for you my nation

بنتُ فكرٍ على النوى لك أمّت

بنتُ فكرٍ على النوى لك أمّت

لم يَلد مثلَها لمثلك فكر

لم يَلد مثلَها لمثلك فكر

A daughter of thought, she made for you across the distance;

No mind has birthed its equal for your equal mind

no mind has borne her like for one like you.

Whenever the burdens of life weighed down its steps

كلَّما أثقلَ الحيا من خُطاها

كلَّما أثقلَ الحيا من خُطاها

خفَّ فيها هوىً إليك مبرُّ

خفَّ فيها هوىً إليك مبرُّ

Whenever modesty weighs down her steps,

An ardent passion for you in it became lighter

devoted longing for you lightens her pace.

Of knowledgeable essence, however long the night of anxiety lasts

ذاتُ علمٍ مهما يطل ليلُ همٍّ

ذاتُ علمٍ مهما يطل ليلُ همٍّ

كلُّ ليلٍ يأتي بعُقباه فجر

كلُّ ليلٍ يأتي بعُقباه فجر

She knows: however long a night of sorrow lasts,

Every night that comes has after it a dawn

every night comes with dawn in its wake.

And the toil of the journey passes when it

وعناءُ المسرى يزولُ إذا طا

وعناءُ المسرى يزولُ إذا طا

بَ لها بعده لديكَ المقرُّ

بَ لها بعده لديكَ المقرُّ

And the hardship of night travel vanishes when

Comes to rest with you afterwards its refuge

afterward, her resting place with you is sweet.

Revive it! The best you have chosen as a bride

حيِّها خير ما اجتليتَ عَروساً

حيِّها خير ما اجتليتَ عَروساً

بنت يومٍ لها قَبولك مهر

بنت يومٍ لها قَبولك مهر

Welcome her, the finest bride you have ever beheld unveiled:

A daughter of the day for whom you paid consent as dowry

a daughter of a day, whose dowry is your acceptance.

A sister of justification who came to the reproach seeking

أختُ عذرٍ جاءَت على العتب تسعى

أختُ عذرٍ جاءَت على العتب تسعى

ألها إذ تأخرت عنك عذر

ألها إذ تأخرت عنك عذر

A sister to an excuse, she came hurrying despite reproach;

Excuse her, for she was late coming to you

does she have an excuse for her delay in reaching you?