عشقتُ ظماءَ الكشح لا بل غراثها

عشقتُ ظماءَ الكشح لا بل غراثها

تودُّ الثريَّا أن تكون رعاثَها

تودُّ الثريَّا أن تكون رعاثَها

I loved the thirsty-waisted maidens—nay, the hungry-waisted among them;

I loved the thirst of al-Kashah, nay its downpour

the Pleiades long to become their earrings.

The Pleiades wish to be its pasturage

من الخُرّدِ الوسنانةِ اللحظ حرَّمت

من الخُرّدِ الوسنانةِ اللحظ حرَّمت

على العينِ منِّي أن تذوقَ حثاثها

على العينِ منِّي أن تذوقَ حثاثها

Among modest maidens, drowsy-eyed, who forbade

The glancing of the delicate, slender-waisted one has forbidden

my eye to taste their sleep.

My eyes from enjoying its overflow

نَشت في خدورٍ عنك فتيانُ عامرٍ

نَشت في خدورٍ عنك فتيانُ عامرٍ

حمت بذكورِ المرهفاتِ إناثها

حمت بذكورِ المرهفاتِ إناثها

The young men of ʿAmir drove them from you into secluded chambers;

In your meadows youths from prosperous 'Aamir sprang up

with virile, keen-edged swords they guarded their women.

Protecting with men the darting gazelles among its females

ومُرتبعاتٍ في رياضٍ كأنَّما

ومُرتبعاتٍ في رياضٍ كأنَّما

نَدى حسنٍ في واسمٍ منهُ غاثها

نَدى حسنٍ في واسمٍ منهُ غاثها

And maidens spending spring in gardens, as though

And those sitting in gardens as though

Hasan’s bounty, in a growth-bringing rain from him, had watered them.

The splendor of beauty in a protector its rescue

كأخلاقه أزهارها اللآء دُبِّجت

كأخلاقه أزهارها اللآء دُبِّجت

بوطفاء خِلنا من يَديه انبعاثها

بوطفاء خِلنا من يَديه انبعاثها

Their flowers, like his virtues, were embroidered

Like its morals, its flowers the brilliant were embroidered

by a rain-heavy cloud we fancied had issued from his two hands.

With our affection from his hands their emergence

شأى في المعالي والمكارِم والنُهى

شأى في المعالي والمكارِم والنُهى

فأَحرزَ غايات الفخارِ ثلاثَها

فأَحرزَ غايات الفخارِ ثلاثَها

He outstripped others in lofty achievements, noble virtues, and wisdom,

He climbed high in merits, virtues and warnings

and attained all three summits of glory.

Thus gaining the limits of pride three of them

همامٌ به لا قِست أبناءَ عصرِه

همامٌ به لا قِست أبناءَ عصرِه

ومَن بالصقور الغلبِ قاسَ بغاثها

ومَن بالصقور الغلبِ قاسَ بغاثها

A noble, resolute man—never compare his contemporaries with him;

Aspirations through him, not compared children of his time

and who ever compared their feeble birds with stout-necked falcons?

And who with the hawks has compared the searching of its prey

تراه بنو الآمال في المحلِ غيثها

تراه بنو الآمال في المحلِ غيثها

وعند طروق النائبات غياثها

وعند طروق النائبات غياثها

The children of hope see him as their rain in drought,

The children of hopes see him in position its rain

and as their succor when calamities come knocking.

And at the heels of misfortunes its rescue

تردَّت ثيابَ العيشِ فيه قشيبةً

تردَّت ثيابَ العيشِ فيه قشيبةً

وعند سِواهُ قد تردَّت رِثاثها

وعند سِواهُ قد تردَّت رِثاثها

Through him they have donned fresh robes of life,

The clothes of livelihood in him wore out tattered

while with anyone else they have donned the threadbare ones.

While in others they wore out ruined

من القوم لا تَلقى سوى الحمد كسبها

من القوم لا تَلقى سوى الحمد كسبها

وليسَ ترى إلاَّ المعالي تِراثها

وليسَ ترى إلاَّ المعالي تِراثها

He is of a people whose only gain you find is praise,

From the tribe you meet only praise his gain

and whose only inheritance you see is lofty achievement.

And you see none but the heights his inheritance

مُعوَّدةً سبقَ السؤالِ صِلاتُها

مُعوَّدةً سبقَ السؤالِ صِلاتُها

فإن هي لم تسبق وإلاّ استراثها

فإن هي لم تسبق وإلاّ استراثها

Their gifts are schooled to precede the asking;

Habituated, precede requests his prayers

if a plea has preceded them instead, he deems them tardy.

If not preceded, then multiply its consolation

وكم لفتًى لاثت مآزرها العُلى

وكم لفتًى لاثت مآزرها العُلى

فما حَمَدت إلاَّ عليكَ ملاثها

فما حَمَدت إلاَّ عليكَ ملاثها

And Glory has wound her waistcloths around many a youth,

And how often for a youth its lofty wrappings blamed

yet only upon you has she found their wrapping worthy of praise.

But it only praised you its misfortunes