1. سِوايَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَعْشَقِ الْمَجْدَ عاشِقُ

    وَغَيْرِي لِمَنْ لَمْ يَصْطَفِ الْحَمْدَ وامِقُ

    Someone other than me loves whoever does not love glory;

    and someone else cherishes whoever does not choose praise.

  2. عَزَفْتُ عَنِ الأَحْبابِ غَيْرَ ذَوِي النُّهى

    فَلَسْتُ بِمُشْتاقٍ وَغَيْرُكَ شائِقُ

    I have turned away from loved ones, except those endowed with reason;

    so none but you can stir my longing.

  3. أُحِبُّكَ ما حَنَّتْ سَلُوبٌ وما شَدا

    طَرُوبٌ وَما تاقَ الْعَشِيّاتِ تائِقُ

    I love you as long as a bereaved she-camel moans, and as long as song rises

    from a joyful soul, and as long as a yearning soul longs in the evenings.

  4. وَمالِيَ لا يَقْتادُنِي نَحْوَكَ الْهَوى

    وَعِنْدِيَ حادٍ مِنْ هَواكَ وَسائِقُ

    And why should love not lead me toward you,

    when love for you gives me a camel-chanter and a driver?

  5. أَأَثْنِي عِنانِي عَنْكَ أَطْلُبُ مَطْلَباً

    وَأَتْرُكُ خَيْراً مِنْهُ إِنِّي لَمائِقُ

    Should I turn my rein away from you, seeking some other goal,

    and leave what is better than it? I would surely be a fool.

  6. يُطِيعُ النَّوى مَنْ خافَ فِي أَرْضِهِ الطَّوى

    وَلَوْلا احْتِباسُ الْغَيْثِ ما شِيمَ بارِقُ

    He who fears hunger in his own land submits to separation;

    and were rain not withheld, no lightning flash would be watched.

  7. أَيا بْنَ عَلِيٍّ إِنْ تَرَدَّيْتَ فاشْتَمِلْ

    رِداءَ الْمَعالِي إِنَّهُ بِكَ لا ئِقُ

    O son of Ali, if you don a cloak, wrap yourself

    in the cloak of lofty honors; it befits you.

  8. فَأَنْتَ الْحَقِيقُ بِالْعَلاءِ وَبِالثَّنا

    إِذا الْحَقُّ يَوْماً أَوْجَبْتْهُ الْحَقائِقُ

    For you are worthy of eminence and praise,

    whenever the facts establish what is rightfully due.

  9. لَعَمْرِي لَئِنْ كُنْتُ امْرَأً فاتَهُ الْغِنى

    فَحَسْبِي غِنىً أَنِّي بِجُودِكَ واثِقُ

    By my life, even if I am a man whom wealth has eluded,

    it is wealth enough for me that I trust your generosity.

  10. وَقَدْ عَلِقَتْنِي النّائِباتُ فَوَيْحَها

    أَما عَلِمَتْ أَنِّي بِحَبْلِكَ عالِقُ

    And misfortunes have seized me—woe to them!

    Do they not know that I cling to your rope?

  11. أَلَمْ تَدْرِ أَنِّي مِنْ أَبِي الْيُمْنِ نازِلٌ

    بِحَيْث ُتَحامانِي الخُطُوبُ الطَّوارِقُ

    Do they not know that I lodge with Abu al-Yumn,

    where the calamities that strike keep clear of me?

  12. أَلَمْ يغْنِنِي بَحْرٌ جُودِكَ زاخِرٌ

    أَلَمْ يَحْمِنِي طَوْدٌ بِعِزِّكَ شاهِقُ

    Has the surging sea of your generosity not enriched me?

    Has a mountain towering with your might not protected me?

  13. أَلَمْ يَكُ لِي مِنْ حُسْنِ رَأْيِكَ صارِمٌ

    لِهامِ الْعِدى والْفَقْرِ وَالدَّهْرُ فالِقُ

    Have I not a keen sword in your sound judgment,

    cleaving the heads of foes, poverty, and Time?

  14. لَقَدْ بَرَّحَتْ كَفّاكَ فِي الْجُودِ بِالْحَيا

    فَلا عاقَها إِلاّ عَنِ الْبُخْلِ عائِقُ

    Your two hands have indeed put the rain to shame in generosity;

    so may no hindrance restrain them except from stinginess.

  15. سَماؤُكَ مِدْرارٌ وَرِيحُكَ غَضَّةٌ

    وَعِزُّكَ قَهّارٌ وَمَجْدُكَ باسِقُ

    Your sky pours rain abundantly, and your breeze is fresh;

    your might is all-subduing, and your glory towers high.

  16. وَما بَرِحَتْ مِنْكَ الْخَلائِقُ تَعْتَلِي

    إِلى سُؤْدَدٍ لا تَدَّعِيهِ الْخَلائِقُ

    And your character traits have never ceased to rise

    to a preeminence no creature can claim.

  17. إِذا ما تَنُوخِيٌّ سَما لِفَضِيلَةٍ

    تَخَلَّى مُجارِيِهِ وَقَلَّ الْمُرافِقُ

    Whenever a Tanukhi rises toward excellence,

    his rival falls back, and companions grow scarce.

  18. تَوَسَّطْتَ مِنْهُمْ بَيْتَ فَخْرٍ عِمادُهُ

    صُدُورُ الْقَنا وَالْمُرْهَفاتُ الذَوالِقُ

    Among them you stand at the heart of a house of pride, whose pillars are

    spearheads and finely honed, sharp-pointed swords.

  19. بَنى أَوَّلٌ مِنْهُمْ وَشَيَّدَ آخِرٌ

    إِلى مِثْلِهِ تَسْمُو الْعُيُونُ الرَّوامِقُ

    An earlier one among them built it, and a later one raised it high;

    gazing eyes look up toward its like.

  20. سَمَتْ بِسَعِيدٍ فِي تَنُوخَ وَغَيْرِها

    ذَوائِبُ مَجْدٍ بِالنُّجُومِ لَواصِقُ

    Sa'id has been raised high in Tanukh and elsewhere

    by crests of glory that cling to the stars.

  21. بِأَزْهَرَ لَوْ أَلْقَى عَلى الْبَدْرِ مَسْحَةً

    بِبَهْجَتِهِ لَمْ يَمْحَقِ الْبَدْرَ ماحِقُ

    A radiant man: were he to lay a touch upon the full moon

    of his splendor, no waning could blot out the moon.

  22. أَغَرُّ إِذا أَجْرى الْكِرامُ إِلى مَدىً

    شَآهُمْ جَوادٌ لِلسَّوابِقِ سابِقُ

    Bright-browed, when the noble race toward a goal,

    he outstrips them—a noble steed outrunning the swiftest.

  23. فَتىً عَطَّرى الأَيامَ مِنْ طِيبِ ذِكْرِهِ

    شَذىً تَتَهاداهُ الأُنُوفُ النَّواشِقُ

    A youth whose sweet renown has perfumed the days

    with fragrance that inhaling noses exchange as gifts.

  24. وَزِينَتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيا فَباهَتْ وَطاوَلَتْ

    مَغارِبُها تِيهاً بِهِ وَالْمَشارِقُ

    The world was adorned with him; they boasted and vied in stature—

    its western and eastern lands, proudly exulting in him.

  25. أَنامِلُهُ لِلْمَكْرُماتِ مَفاتِحٌ

    عَلَى أَنَّها لِلْحادِثاتِ مَغالِقُ

    His fingertips are keys to noble deeds,

    yet they are locks against calamities.

  26. غَمائِمُ غُرٌّ لَيْسَ تُدْرى هِباتُها

    أَهُنَّ سُيُوبٌ أَمْ سُيُولٌ دَوافِقُ

    Bright clouds—of their gifts, one cannot tell:

    are they bounties, or torrents pouring forth?

  27. تَأَلى عَلَى الإِسْرافِ فِي بَذْلِ مالِهِ

    فَلَمْ يَقْتَصِرْ وَالصّادقُ الْعَزْمِ صادقُ

    He swore to be lavish in giving away his wealth,

    so he did not stint; one true in resolve is true to his word.

  28. فَوَاللهِ ما أَدْرِي أَتِلْكَ مَواعِدٌ

    تَقَدَّمْنَ مِنْ إِحْسانِهِ أَمْ مَواثِقُ

    So, by God, I do not know: are those promises

    that came beforehand from his kindness, or binding pledges?

  29. بَقِيتَ لِعَبْدٍ عائِدٍ بِكَ سَعْدُهُ

    وَعِشْتَ لِعَيْشٍ خالِدٍ لا يُفارِقُ

    May you endure for a servant whose good fortune returns through you,

    and may you enjoy enduring life that never leaves you.

  30. وَلا زِلْتَ مَأْمُولاً لأَيّامِ عِزِّكَ الْ

    بَواقِي وَمَأْمُوناً عَلَيْكَ الْبَوائِقُ

    And may you ever be a source of hope through your days of glory—

    the days that remain—and may you be safe from calamities.

  31. نَطَقْتُ بِمَدْحٍ أَنْتَ أَهْلٌ لِخَيْرِهِ

    وَمِنْ شَرَفِي أَنِّي بِمَدْحِكَ ناطِقُ

    I have spoken praise whose finest you deserve;

    and it is my honor that I speak your praise.

  32. شَرُفْتُ بِهِ وَالْفَخْرُ فَخْرُكَ مِثْلَ ما

    تَعَطَّرَ مِنْ فَضِّ اللَّطِيمَةِ فاتِقُ

    I have gained honor through it, though the glory is yours, just as

    the opener is perfumed by breaking a perfume pouch's seal.

  33. وَلَسْتُ أُبالِي عِنْدَ مَنْ باتَ كاسِداً

    إِذا هُوَ أَضْحى وَهْوَ عِنْدَكَ نافِقُ

    And I do not care with whom it lies unsold,

    if it finds a ready market with you.

  34. غَرائِبُ مِنْ أَبْكارِ مَدْحٍ كَأَنَّها

    كَرائِمُ مِنْ أَزْهارِ نَوْرٍ فَتائِقُ

    Rare marvels of virgin praise, as though they were

    choice flowers bursting freshly into bloom.

  35. تَشُوقُ وَتُصْبِي السّامِعِينَ كَأَنَّما

    بِها يَتَغَنّى مَعْبَدٌ أَوْ مُخارِقُ

    They stir longing and captivate the listeners, as though

    Ma'bad or Mukhariq were singing them.

  36. تَمُرُّ بِأَفْواهُ الرَّواةِ كَأَنَّها

    مُصَفَّقَةٌ مِنْ خَمْرِ عانَةَ عاتِقُ

    They pass through the mouths of the reciters, as though they were

    decanted, aged wine from Anah.

  37. لَقَدْ حَدَقَتْ بِي مِنْ أَيادِيكَ أَنْعُمٌ

    فَعِنْدِي مِنْ شُكْرِي لَهُنَّ حَدائِقُ

    Blessings from your favors have indeed encircled me;

    so I have gardens of gratitude for them.

  38. فَإِنْ أَنا لَمْ أُطْلِقُ لِسانِي بِحَمْدِها

    فَأُمُّ الْعُلى وَالْمَجْدِ مِنِّيَ طالِقُ

    And if I do not set my tongue free to praise them,

    then the mother of loftiness and glory is divorced from me.