سلوا فاتر الأجفان عن كبدي الحرا

وعن در أجفاني سلوا العقد والنحرا

Ask the languid-eyed one about my burning liver,

and about the pearls of my eyelids, ask the necklace and the bosom.

حبيب إذا ما رمت عنه تصبرا

يقول الهوى لن تستطيع معي صبرا

A beloved—whenever I try to bear being without him,

love says, "You will never have patience with me."

من السمر بالألحاظ إن صال وانثنى

فلا تذكروا من بعده البيض والسمرا

One of the dusky beauties—when he charges with his glances and sways,

speak no more of bright swords or tawny spears after him.

بخيلا غدا بالوصل ما جاء سائلا

له الدمع الا رد سائله نهرا

He has grown miserly with union; never has there come begging

a tear to him but he has driven its pleading stream back as a river.

له مقلة يعزى لبابل سحرها

كأن بها هاروت قد اودع السحرا

His eye has a magic attributed to Babylon,

as though Harut had deposited magic within it.

يذكرني عهد النجاشي خاله

واجفانه الوسنى تذكرني كسرى

His mole recalls to me the reign of al-Najashi,

and his drowsy eyelids recall Khosrow.

تميل به خمر الدلال كأنما

معاطفه من خمر الحاظه سكرى

The wine of coquetry makes him sway, as though

his supple limbs were drunk on the wine of his glances.

يرنحه لطف النسيم اذا سرى

ويهدي لنا من طي ايراده نشرا

The breeze's gentleness makes him sway when it passes by night,

and brings us fragrance from within what it carries.

ويفتر عن ثغر تنظم دره

فلم ادر عقدا مذ تبسم ام ثغرا

And he smiles, revealing a mouth whose pearls are strung;

since he smiled, I could not tell: a necklace or a mouth?

بخديه رحان العذار مسلسل

كأن بها قد خط ياقوته سطرا

On his cheeks the basil of his down is arranged in a chain,

as though his ruby—his Yaqut—had traced a line there.

ومن اعجب الاشياء ان خدوده

لنا نارها الحمرا بها جنة خضرا

Among the strangest things is that his cheeks

have red fire for us, yet contain a green garden.

تراءى وبدر التم في الافق طالع

فلم ادر مذ شاهدت ايهما البدرا

He appeared while the full moon was rising on the horizon;

when I saw them, I could not tell which was the moon.

ارى سهري قد طال في ليل فرعه

ومن فرقه ما زلت ارتقب الفجرا

I see my sleeplessness grown long in the night of his hair,

and from his hair's parting I keep awaiting dawn.

وبات يعاطيني كؤوس حديثه

فمت ولم اشرب عتيقا ولا خمرا

He spent the night passing me cups of his conversation;

so I died, though I drank neither aged wine nor any wine.

اذا ما بدا شاكي السلاح محاربا

فما اكثر القتلى وما ارخص الاسرا

When he appears fully armed, ready for battle,

how many the slain, and how cheap the captives!

وان قام حرب للقتال بطرفه

ترى الخد منه حاملا راية حمرا

And if war breaks out as he fights with his gaze,

you see his cheek bearing a red banner.

بقلبي هواه قد اقام وكلما

جنى في الهوى ذنبا اقام له عذرا

Love for him has settled in my heart, and whenever

he commits a sin in love, it supplies him with an excuse.

لئن ملت يوما عن هواه لسلوة

فلا دمعتي ترقا ولا مقلتي تكرى

Should I ever turn from loving him to seek forgetfulness,

may neither my tears cease nor my eye grow drowsy.

يحذرني عنه العذول بجهله

وعندي تحذير العذول هو الاغرا

In his ignorance, the reproacher warns me away from him,

but to me the reproacher's warning is enticement.

فيا قاتل الله العواذل انهم

اتوا في الهوى شيئا بلومهم تكرا

Ah, may God confound the reproachers! They

have done a monstrous thing in love with their blame.

يقولون كم هذا التجلد والاسى

ومن بعد حلو الوصل يستعذب الهجرا

They say, "How long this stoic endurance and sorrow?

And who, after sweet union, finds separation sweet?"

فقلت لهم اني على الوصل والجفا

مقيم على السراء في الحب والضرا

So I told them, "Through union and estrangement I

remain steadfast in love, through joy and hardship."

وها قصة الشكوى رفعت لعلها

اذا هي وافت كاتب السر ان تقرا

And here I have submitted my petition of complaint, hoping

that it may be read when it reaches the confidential secretary.

هو الفاضل المولى الذي حاز رتبة

تسامت به العليا ونالت به فخرا

He is the distinguished lord who has attained a rank;

high honor has risen through him and gained glory through him.

اخو الجود محمود الندى وافر العطا

اذا جاد لا لوما يخاف ولا فقرا

A brother of generosity, praised for largesse, abundant in giving;

when he gives freely, he fears neither blame nor poverty.

ولا عيب فيه غير ان بماله

يجود ولا بيضاء يبقي ولا صفرا

There is no fault in him, except that with his wealth

he gives freely, keeping neither white silver nor yellow gold.

وتلقاه في سوق المحامد والثنا

بما في يديه يشتري الحمد والشكرا

And you find him in the market of praiseworthy deeds and acclaim,

buying praise and thanks with what is in his hands.

على أي حال كان ان جئت سائلا

ترى الوجه منه قد تهلل بالبشرى

Whatever his condition, if you come as a petitioner,

you see his face light up with gladness.

جواد على الشهبا تسامى محله

وليس يجاريه جوادا على الغبرا

A generous man whose standing has soared over al-Shahba;

no generous man upon the dusty earth can keep pace with him.

يقولون لي في الارض سبعة ابحر

فمالي اراها من انامله عشرا

They tell me there are seven seas on earth;

why, then, do I see ten coming from his fingertips?

الى نحوه فاعطف اذا رمت نائلا

ودع عنك زيد في الانام ودع عمرا

So turn toward him if you desire a gift,

and leave Zayd among mankind; leave Amr too.

وان رمت وردا وافر الجود وافيا

فدونك هذا البحر يا قاصدا مصرا

And if you seek a watering place rich in unstinting bounty,

then here is this sea for you, O traveler bound for Egypt.

بطلعته الايام نارت وأطلعت

شموسا فاخفى نور بهجتها البدرا

At his appearance, the days grew radiant and brought forth

suns whose splendid light hid the full moon.

حلا لي طباق المدح فيه فكيف لا

بشعري وسجعي ابدع النظم والنثرا

Praise's balanced contrasts in him delight me; how could I not

with my poetry and rhymed prose, excel in verse and prose?

واني وان وسعت نظمي بمدحه

حمدت الطريقين القوافي والشعرا

And though I have expanded my verse with praise of him,

I have commended both paths—rhymes and poetry.

له قلم ان جاد يوم ترسل

فينظمها عقدا وينثرها درا

His pen, when it gives freely on a day of letter-writing,

strings them as a necklace and scatters them as pearls,

وينشيء منشينا سلافة سجعه

وفي الدهر ينسينا المعتقة البكرا

and composes the pure wine of his rhymed prose, intoxicating us,

and forever makes us forget aged, virgin wine.

ويذكرنا مصرا وفاضل عصرها

رعى الله ذاك السفح والناس والعصرا

And it reminds us of Egypt and the outstanding man of its age.

May God preserve that hillside, those people, and that age.

فيا قمرا اضحى له السعد طالعا

واشرقت الدنيا بطلعته الغرا

So, O moon for whom good fortune has risen,

and whose radiant appearance has lit up the world,

اليك فخذها من لساني حديقة

موشعة الالفاظ مطلعة زهرا

to you—take her from my tongue as a garden,

embroidered with words, bringing forth flowers.

عقيلة فكر ان اماطت قناعها

فتغنى بها عن كل غانية عذرا

A noble maiden of thought: if she lifts her veil,

let her suffice you in place of every virgin beauty.

بسمع النباتي لو تكرر لفظها

لانساه يوما سكب مرسلها القطرا

If her words were repeated in al-Nubati's hearing,

she would make him forget a day when her sender poured down rain.

ومنها فلو رام ابن حجة وقفة

لجاء بها يسعى وطاف بها شكرا

And were Ibn Hijjah to seek a pause over her,

he would come running with her and circle her in gratitude.

اتتك عروسا تجتلى من خبائها

فألق عليها من حلي الرضا سترا

She has come to you a bride, unveiled from her tent;

so cast over her a veil made from the ornaments of approval.

وقابل ينثر الدر نظم عقودها

عسى منك تلقى في المقابلة الجبرا

And answer her necklaces' stringing with scattered pearls,

that perhaps she may receive relief from you in return.

تذكرك الجود الذي انت اهله

لعل على بعد المدى تنفع الذكرى

She reminds you of generosity, of which you are worthy;

perhaps a reminder may help despite the distance.

لغيرك لم تقصد وما خاب في الورى

لجدواك من وافى ومن قصد البحرا

She has sought no one but you; among mankind none has been disappointed

who came for your bounty or set his course toward the sea.

فجد ببذل الجود وامدد تكرما

اليّ يمينا لا عدمت لها يسرا

So give generously of your bounty and graciously extend

to me your right hand—may you never lack the means for it.

فحسبي عطاء من نداك ونائل

وحسبك ان تلقى المثوبة والاجرا

For a gift and a grant from your largesse suffice me,

and enough for you is to receive recompense and reward.

فلا زلت ممدوحا بكل مقالة

وترقى سما العليا وتستخدم الشعرى

May you remain praised in every utterance,

and ascend the heaven of high honor, making Sirius your servant.

ودمت لهذا الملك سيفا مهندا

تقلده جيدا وتحمي به ثغرا

And may you remain an Indian-forged sword for this kingdom,

adorning a neck with it and guarding a frontier with it.

ولا برحت تتلى محامدك التي

مدائحها من بعض آياتها الكبرى

And may your praiseworthy deeds never cease to be recited,

whose praises are among their greatest signs.

وقصر عن علياك كل مماثل

وطول رب العالمين لك العمرا

May every peer fall short of your eminence,

and may the Lord of the worlds lengthen your life.