تضاهيك بالجيد الغزالة والصلف

وتسمو عليها بالإضاءة والشرف

The gazelle rivals you in neck and proud bearing,

but you surpass her in radiance and nobility.

ومذ رام بدر التم يحكيك طلعة

فبان به نقص ولازمه الكلف

And when the full moon sought to match your countenance,

its imperfection showed, and dark blemishes clung to it.

فهب انه يحكيك معنى وصورة

فمن اين للبدر الرشاقة والطيف

Then suppose it resembles you in essence and form:

whence could the moon have such slender grace and a dream-apparition?

فلو شام قبل النصف منك قلامة

ورام يحاكيها لولى وما انتصف

Had it glimpsed a nail-paring of yours before reaching half-full,

and sought to imitate it, it would have turned away without reaching half.

كذلك غصن البان ما زال عابثا

بقدك حتى عمره ضاع وانقصف

Likewise, the ban-tree's bough kept trifling

with your figure, until its life was wasted and it snapped.

فطوبى لراء ورد وجنته اجتلى

وبشرى لصاد من لما ثغره رشف

Blessed is the beholder who has gazed upon the rose of his cheek,

and glad tidings to the thirsty one who has sipped from his dusky lips.

فمن ثغره الصبح المبلج يجتنى

ومن خده الورد المدرج يقتطف

For from his lips the radiant dawn is gathered,

and from his cheek the furled rose is plucked.

فاياك من تلك اللواحظ ان رنت

واياك من ذاك القوام اذا عطف

So beware those sidelong glances if they linger,

and beware that figure when it sways.

فمن قده يخشى عليك اذا انثنى

ومن لحظه يخشى عليك اذا رهف

For his figure makes one fear for you when it bends,

and his gaze makes one fear for you when it grows keen.

اذاب جوى جسمي بنار غرامه

فلا عجب قلبي عليه اذا نطف

Love's anguish melted my body with the fire of passion for him,

so no wonder if my heart drips for him.

وابقى عقيق الدمع وقفا بمقلتي

واجرى على سفح المحاجر ما وقف

And it left carnelian tears as an endowment in my eye,

and made that endowment flow down the slopes of my eye sockets.

قضى بعده صبري ومن قبل ما قضى

بجسمي اوحى بالسقام وبالتلف

His absence ended my patience; before it made an end

of my body, it foretold sickness and death.

رعى الله عصرا طاب من خمر ريقه

وحيى زماناً بالسوالف قد سلف

May God preserve an age sweetened by the wine of his saliva,

and bless a time that passed among those side-locks.

شريف جمال حل في القلب ساكنا

ونعم مكانا حل يوما به الشرف

A noble beauty has taken up residence in the heart,

and splendid is the place where nobility once dwelt.

امام من الانصار لا دنس به

ولا عيب الا انه طيب السلف

An imam of the Ansar, with no stain upon him,

and no flaw, save that he comes of worthy forebears.

على نفسه الامساك يخشى من الغنى

على انه لم يخش فقرا ولم يخف

He fears for himself the miserliness that wealth may bring,

though he has never feared poverty or felt afraid.

وليس على الانفاق بلحقه الاسى

ولكن على الامساك بأخذه الاسف

No sorrow overtakes him for spending,

but regret seizes him for withholding.

هو السيف الا ان ليس به صدا

هو البحر الا ما لجوهره فدف

He is the sword, except that he bears no rust;

he is the sea, except his pearls have no [shells].

فتى لا يرى منه اشد اذا سطا

وليس يرى منه ابر اذا رأف

A young man, with none fiercer than he when he strikes,

and none kinder than he when he shows compassion.

فمن قاسه بالليث لاشك ما درى

ومن قاسه بالغيث لا شك ما عرف

Whoever compares him with a lion surely does not understand,

and whoever compares him with rain surely does not know.

اذا ما العطا والكف عنه سألته

اليك على الحالين مد يدا وكف

If you ask him to give or to withhold,

in each case he extends a hand to you or holds it back.

على نفسه قد اقسم الدهر حالفا

بمثلك لم يسمح وقام بما حلف

Time has sworn a solemn oath upon itself

that it has never granted your like—and it has kept its oath.

فيا حرم المأوى لمن هو خائف

ويا كعبة الجدوى لمن طاف واعتكف

O sanctuary of refuge for whoever is afraid,

and O Kaaba of bounty for those who circle you and stay in devotion,

لعمرك قد تلفت ما ملكت يدي

هواة لاني واثق منك بالخلف

by your life, I have squandered all my hand possessed,

[out of love], for I trust you to replenish it.

بعيدك قد ضاقت فجد لي تكرما

فانك رب الجود يا واسع الكنف

At your festival I am hard pressed; so give to me graciously,

for you are the lord of bounty, O you of ample shelter.

وخذها عروسا من حماة ولم تكن

لغيرك نهدى في الانام ولم تزف

And take her as a bride from Hama; never

has she been offered to another among mankind, nor led as a bride.

اتتك تروم النقد منك ونقدها

قبولك اياها على قول من وصف

She comes to you seeking payment; and her appraisal

is your acceptance of her, as the describer has said.

فلا زلت اهلا للجوائز ما شدا

على غصن بان طائر الدوح او هتف

So may you ever remain worthy of rewards, as long as there sings

on a ban-tree bough a bird of the grove, or raises its call.