1. ومَجْلسِ أنسٍ راق خُبْراً ومَخْبَراً

    كروضِ الرُبَى جادَتْهُ سُحْبُ الغَمائِمِ

    And a gathering of delight, pleasing in report and firsthand experience,

    like a hillside garden generously watered by rainclouds.

  2. بهِ كلُّ محْمودِ الخِلالِ ممجّدٍ

    يُبَخِّلُ في بَذل النّدى كفَّ حاتِمِ

    Within it is every illustrious man of praiseworthy character,

    who makes Hatim's hand seem miserly in bestowing bounty.

  3. فأظْهَرَ منهُم كلَّ بدْرٍ مُتمَّمٍ

    وأضْحى إلى شمْسِ الضحى أيَّ كاتِمِ

    So it revealed every full-orbed moon among them,

    and utterly concealed the forenoon sun.

  4. مَتى أرْسَلتْ سُحْبُ الغَمائِمِ دمْعَها

    لدَيْهِمْ أراهُمْ بَرْقُهُ ثغْرَ باسِمِ

    Whenever the rainclouds shed their tears

    before them, its lightning showed them a smiling mouth.

  5. تساقَطَ فيه الثّلجُ للأرضِ مثْلَما

    تناثَرَ عِقدُ الدُرِّ من كفّ ناظِمِ

    Snow fell there to the ground, just as

    a string of pearls scatters from a stringer's hand.

  6. تَخالُ ثِمارَ الأرضِ فيهِ فَوارساً

    بخُضْرِ ثيابٍ تحْتَ بيضِ عَمائمِ

    You would take the earth's fruits there for horsemen,

    in green robes beneath white turbans.

  7. فتحسِبُ أنّ الأفْقَ دوْحٌ تلاعَبَتْ

    بأزْهارِهِ في الجوّ أيدي النّواسِمِ

    So you would think the horizon a grove where played

    with its blossoms in the air the hands of breezes.

  8. وشادٍ لهُ في الحُسْنِ أرفَعُ رُتْبَةٍ

    تَرى دونَها أُفْقَ السُّها والنّعائِمِ

    And a singer whose beauty holds the highest rank,

    beneath which you see the horizon of Suha and Na'a'im.

  9. فغنّى وقد أغْنى عنِ السحْرِ صوتُهُ

    ومال بهِمْ ميْلَ الغُصونِ النّواعِمِ

    Then he sang, his voice making magic needless,

    and set them swaying like supple branches.

  10. أتوهُ بما أرْضاهُ بدأ وعودةً

    فأبْصَرَ منهُمْ كيفَ بذْلُ المَكارِمِ

    They brought him what pleased him, first and then anew,

    and he saw in them how noble bounty is bestowed.

  11. وكان على قدْرِ المحاسنِ طالِباً

    فألْقى عليْهِ الجوُّ بيضَ الدّراهِمِ

    And he asked in proportion to his charms,

    so the sky cast white dirhams upon him.

  12. وعودٍ لهُ مهْما ترنّمَ ساجِعاً

    فتَلْقى الخليَّ القلْبِ حالةُ هائِمِ

    And a lute of his—whenever it warbles in song,

    then lovesickness overtakes the carefree heart.

  13. يُميلُ قلوبَ العاشقينَ صبابةً

    فمِنْ بيْن مُبْدٍ للغَرامِ وكاتِمِ

    It sways lovers' hearts with longing,

    some revealing their passion and others concealing it.

  14. ومن قبْلِ أن غنّى عليْهِ مُهَفْهَفٌ

    عليهِ شدَتْ في الرّوضِ وُرْقُ الحَمائِمِ

    And before a slender youth sang to its accompaniment,

    gray doves had sung upon it in the garden.