أقول لحر ساءه الدهر والنوى

وشوش منه الفكر أي تشويش

I say to a noble man whom fate and separation have distressed

and whose thoughts they have thrown into utter confusion:

إذا استصرخ الأيام أغضت ولم تجب

بناظر مكفوف ومسمع أطروش

If he calls upon the days for help, they avert their eyes and do not answer,

with a sightless eye and a deaf ear.

عليك بقصد الأروع الورع الذي

تملك رق المجد من آل حرفوش

Seek out the illustrious, pious man who

has made glory his slave—a man of the house of Harfush.

وهو الأكرم الوضاح موسى أبو الندى

أمير المعالي والمكارم والجيش

He is the most generous, radiant Musa Abu al-Nada,

lord of lofty honors, noble deeds, and the army.

له ذروة الدار التي فضل الوري

بادرا كها فضل الوقار على الطيش

His is the pinnacle of the house; he has surpassed mankind

by attaining it, as dignity surpasses rashness.

ممنعة العلياء تلحظها ذكا

بناظر مزعوج النواظر مدهوش

Its lofty heights are unassailable; the sun gazes upon it

with a bewildered gaze and startled eyes.

أرانا نواحي بعلبك كغادة

من العدل في ثوب من لخصب منقوش

He has shown us the regions of Baalbek like a graceful maiden

in a robe of justice embroidered with abundance.

وتشتاقه حمص الشام واختها

تشوق منهاض الجناحين للريش

Homs of al-Sham and her sister long for him,

as one with broken wings longs for feathers.

هنيئاً لمن يمسي ويصبح جاره

له خير ملبوس واشرف مفروش

Happy is whoever is his neighbor at evening and morning:

he has the best garments and the most splendid bedding.

ولو كان من اعدائه جبل هوى

وصار كعهن في البسيطة منفوش

Even if a mountain were among his enemies, it would fall

and become like carded, colored wool upon the earth.

فلا زال في الدنيا ملإذا لقاصد

يزجي آليه العيس في ارغد العيش

So may he ever remain in this world a refuge for the seeker

who drives pale camels toward him, amid life's fullest ease,

على الدهر ما هبت صباً وتحرشت

بأفنان زهر الروض الطف تخريش

through all time, so long as the east wind blows and teases

the garden's flowering boughs with the gentlest of scratches.