أهْلاً بها بِكْراً أتَتْ عَذْراءَ

أهْلاً بها بِكْراً أتَتْ عَذْراءَ

تَجْلو علَيْنا غُرّةً غَرّاءَ

تَجْلو علَيْنا غُرّةً غَرّاءَ

Welcome to her, a maiden who came untouched,

Welcome, oh maiden who came as a bright dawn

revealing to us a radiant brow.

Illuminating upon us, radiant and fair

ألْفاظُها تُنسي الجِيادَ تَسابُقاً

ألْفاظُها تُنسي الجِيادَ تَسابُقاً

لمدى الإجادةِ والسّيوفَ مَضاءَ

لمدى الإجادةِ والسّيوفَ مَضاءَ

Her words make one forget steeds racing

Her words make steeds race in eloquence

toward the goal of excellence, and swords in their keenness.

To the horizons of mastery and swords shine

أبْصَرْتُها سَحَراً وكانت قد أتَتْ

أبْصَرْتُها سَحَراً وكانت قد أتَتْ

رَبْعي كما شاءَ الوِدادُ مَساءَ

رَبْعي كما شاءَ الوِدادُ مَساءَ

I beheld her before dawn; she had already come

I saw her at dawn, and she had come

to my dwelling, as affection wished, at evening.

To my abode as affection desired at night

ما كنتُ أدْري أنّ ليلاً مُطْلِعٌ

ما كنتُ أدْري أنّ ليلاً مُطْلِعٌ

من قبْلِ أنْ وردَتْ عليَّ ذُكاءَ

من قبْلِ أنْ وردَتْ عليَّ ذُكاءَ

I had not known that night could bring forth

I did not know a dawn could rise

Dhukāʾ, the sun—until she came to me.

With intellect, before she came to me

لكنّني ما نِلتُ منحَ وصالِها

لكنّني ما نِلتُ منحَ وصالِها

حتى بدا نورُ الضُحَى وأضاءَ

حتى بدا نورُ الضُحَى وأضاءَ

But I gained no gifts of union with her

But I did not attain the bliss of her company

until the light of forenoon appeared and shone.

Until the light of morn shone and lit up

وافَتْ لبَسْطِ العُذْرِ في النظمِ الذي

وافَتْ لبَسْطِ العُذْرِ في النظمِ الذي

فاقَتْ حُلاهُ الغادةَ الحَسْناءَ

فاقَتْ حُلاهُ الغادةَ الحَسْناءَ

She came to set forth an apology in verse whose

She excelled in composing poetry

adornments outshone the beautiful maiden.

Surpassing the beautiful gazelle in charm

مهْلاً أبا الفضْل الذي في فضلِه

مهْلاً أبا الفضْل الذي في فضلِه

وودادِهِ ترَكَ الأنامَ وراءَ

وودادِهِ ترَكَ الأنامَ وراءَ

Gently, Abū al-Faḍl, who in his excellence

Wait, oh Abu Al Fadl, whose merit

and his affection has left mankind behind.

And affection left all people behind

ما شيمَتي ذمُّ الصّديقِ وإنما

ما شيمَتي ذمُّ الصّديقِ وإنما

أهْديهِ شُكْراً دائِماً وثناءَ

أهْديهِ شُكْراً دائِماً وثناءَ

It is not my nature to blame a friend; rather,

It is not my way to blame a friend, but

I offer him constant thanks and praise.

To always thank and praise him

وإذا جفاني مَن وثِقتُ بوُدِّه

وإذا جفاني مَن وثِقتُ بوُدِّه

كان الجزاءُ السّمْحَ والإغضاءَ

كان الجزاءُ السّمْحَ والإغضاءَ

And if one whose affection I trusted shuns me,

And if one I trusted shunned me

my response is leniency and forbearance.

Repaying with forgiveness was best

ما إنْ يُعامِلني بسوءِ قَطيعةٍ

ما إنْ يُعامِلني بسوءِ قَطيعةٍ

إلا بذَلْتُ مودّةً ووفاءَ

إلا بذَلْتُ مودّةً ووفاءَ

He never treats me with cruel estrangement

If he treats me with disdain or aloofness

without my offering affection and fidelity.

I only show him kindness and loyalty

هَذا فكيْفَ بمَن أنالَ ودادَهُ

هَذا فكيْفَ بمَن أنالَ ودادَهُ

مَحْضاً ومدّ خُلوصَهُ أفْياءَ

مَحْضاً ومدّ خُلوصَهُ أفْياءَ

That being so, what of one who bestowed his affection

So what of one who gained his affection

unalloyed, and spread his sincerity as shade?

Purely, and extended his sincerity generously

كذّبْتُ نفْسي إنْ أنا قد سُمْتُهُ

كذّبْتُ نفْسي إنْ أنا قد سُمْتُهُ

بعْدَ الإطالةِ في الثّناء هِجاءَ

بعْدَ الإطالةِ في الثّناء هِجاءَ

I would call myself a liar if I had subjected him,

I would be lying if I named him

after prolonged praise, to invective.

With criticism after lengthy praise

عجَباً يُقالُ أساءَ في منظومِه

عجَباً يُقالُ أساءَ في منظومِه

خِلٌّ أنالَ خليلَهُ ما شاءَ

خِلٌّ أنالَ خليلَهُ ما شاءَ

How strange that he is said to have offended in his verse—

Strange it's said he misspoke in his poem

a friend who gave his friend whatever he wished!

When a dear friend attained what he wished

مَن جاءَ يَنْسُبُ لي كلامَ إساءَةٍ

مَن جاءَ يَنْسُبُ لي كلامَ إساءَةٍ

فهوَ الذي قدْ قالَهُ وأساءَ

فهوَ الذي قدْ قالَهُ وأساءَ

Whoever comes attributing words of insult to me

Whoever attributes to me words of insult

is himself the one who said them and did wrong.

He is the one who said and misspoke them

نظْمي الذي طلبَ الجوابَ ضحىً على

نظْمي الذي طلبَ الجوابَ ضحىً على

جهةِ التّأنُّسِ لا التّعنُّتِ جاءَ

جهةِ التّأنُّسِ لا التّعنُّتِ جاءَ

My verse, which sought a reply at forenoon, came in

My composition seeking a response at dawn was

a spirit of companionship, not of vexatious insistence.

In the spirit of friendship, not stubbornness

هذا وشِعْرُكَ ما علِمْتُ حديقةٌ

هذا وشِعْرُكَ ما علِمْتُ حديقةٌ

تُبْدي محاسنُها سَناً وسناءَ

تُبْدي محاسنُها سَناً وسناءَ

That said, your poetry, as I know it, is a garden

While your poetry, I never knew it as a garden

whose beauties display radiance and glory.

Displaying its beauty, forever renewed

تُنْسي شمائِلُهُ الشّمائِلَ كلّما

تُنْسي شمائِلُهُ الشّمائِلَ كلّما

وافَتْ تَعودُ الرّوضةَ الغنّاءَ

وافَتْ تَعودُ الرّوضةَ الغنّاءَ

Its qualities make one forget the northern breezes whenever

Its features outshine all other features whenever

they come to visit the luxuriant garden.

The melodious garden is frequented anew

هيْهاتَ لا تخْفى مَعانيهِ التي

هيْهاتَ لا تخْفى مَعانيهِ التي

رقَّتْ وراقَتْ بهْجةً وضياءَ

رقَّتْ وراقَتْ بهْجةً وضياءَ

Far from it! Its meanings cannot be hidden,

Never hidden are its exquisite meanings

delicate and delightful in beauty and radiance.

That have softened and glowed with delight and light

لا تحْفِلَنّ بمَن أتى متعرِّضاً

لا تحْفِلَنّ بمَن أتى متعرِّضاً

للقَولِ لا يثْني العِنانَ حَياءَ

للقَولِ لا يثْني العِنانَ حَياءَ

Pay no heed to one who comes meddling

Pay no heed to those who foolishly

in speech, never drawing back the rein out of shame.

Speak without restraint or shame

فلذِكْرِ خصْلِكَ لا أزالُ مُردّداً

فلذِكْرِ خصْلِكَ لا أزالُ مُردّداً

وبشُكْرِ فضلِكَ أعْمُرُ الأنداءَ

وبشُكْرِ فضلِكَ أعْمُرُ الأنداءَ

So I never cease recounting your virtues,

For I will never cease praising your merit

and fill the assemblies with thanks for your bounty.

And thanking your grace, my life long

شيَّدتُ مبْنى الوُدّ في قلبي فلنْ

شيَّدتُ مبْنى الوُدّ في قلبي فلنْ

يخْشى على مرّ الزّمانِ عَفاءَ

يخْشى على مرّ الزّمانِ عَفاءَ

I have built love's edifice in my heart; it shall not

I built the structure of affection in my heart so let

fear effacement with the passage of time.

No fear of time eroding it come