بقوامه والطلعة الغراء

قد همت بالبيضاء والسمراء

By his stature and radiant countenance,

I have fallen in love with the fair and the dark alike.

من منذري من أسود الشامات في

نعمان تلك الوجنة الحمراء

Who will warn me of the lions of beauty marks in

the Nu‘man of that crimson cheek?

سلطان حسن قد بدا بجبينه

يختال تحت عصابة بيضاء

A sovereign of beauty has appeared upon his brow,

strutting beneath a white headband.

لما أتت زحفا جيوش عذراء

هزم الكرى بكتيبة خضراء

When virgin armies came advancing,

he routed sleep with a green battalion.

وبحلة صفراء لاح فحبذا

بدر تشاهده من الصفراء

He shone in a yellow robe—how splendid

a full moon you behold in that yellow garb!

وعليه أرخى الشعر مبتسما وما

أحلى السرى في الليلة القمراء

He let his hair fall over it, smiling—and how

sweet is night travel on a moonlit night!

يحكي الغزالة حين يبدو طلعة

ويفوقها بالمقلة السوداء

He resembles the sun when his face appears,

and surpasses it with his black eye.

يحلو مشاهدة به قتلي عسى

فيه أكون غدا من الشهداء

To witness my slaying by him is sweet; perhaps

through him I shall be among tomorrow’s martyrs.

في حبه والله مت صبابة

فلذاك أدعى ميت الأحياء

In loving him, by God, I died of longing;

hence I am called the dead one among the living.

او طي على جمر الغضا قلبي ولم

يشعر بان اقوى على الايطاء

Or my heart was folded upon ghada embers, yet he did not

realize that I am stronger at treading.

لا تعجبوا للتيه قلبي قد شوى

بل فاعجبوا لمحاسن الشوّاء

Do not marvel at pride; he has roasted my heart.

Marvel instead at the roaster’s beauties.

ما هاج جمر الشوق بين جوانحي

الا لكوني مجمع الاهواء

The embers of yearning stirred between my ribs

only because I am a meeting-place of passions.

بي مذ رأى الف السهاد فقال لي

من صاد نومك قلت عين الراءي

Since he saw in me the alif of sleeplessness, he said to me,

“Who hunted down your sleep?” I said, “The beholder’s eye.”

ونعم يلذ لي الكرى لكن ارى

مهري عليه الذ من اغفائي

And yes, sleep delights me, but I find

my dowry for it sweeter than my slumber.

ساق اذا ما لم تدر صهباؤه

فيديرها من مقلة حوراء

A cupbearer—when his tawny wine does not circulate,

he serves it from a dark-pupilled, bright-white eye.

ما ازور الحاظا بمجلس لذة

الا حلا شربي على الزوراء

Never does he turn his glances aside at a gathering of pleasure

but my drinking from the crooked cup grows sweet.

لام العذول وظن جهلا انه

رشدي يريد فزاد في اغوائي

The reproacher blamed me, ignorantly imagining that

he meant to guide me, but led me further astray.

واتى يحذرني الغرام وما درى

اني ارى التحذير كالاغراء

He came to warn me against love, not knowing

that I see warning as enticement.

قال اسله فبذاك لم يبق الهوى

يوما بها شيئا من الاشياء

He said, “Forget him, for through that love has not left

a single thing in it, on any day.”

فاجبت ان كانت يدي صفرا فكم

عندي لموسى من يد بيضاء

I answered, “Though my hand is empty, how many

white-handed favors from Musa have I received!”

من في بروج السعد اضحى طالعا

حتى سما شرفا على الجوزاء

He who rose among the constellations of good fortune,

until his nobility soared above Gemini.

بالمال يفعل يوم معترك الندا

ما تفعل الاعداء بالاعداء

With wealth, on generosity’s day of battle, he does

what enemies do to enemies.

فهو الجواد ولا جواد في الورى

ابدا يجاريه على الغبراء

He is the generous one; no steed in all creation

can ever keep pace with him on the dusty plain.

كالنمل تأتيه الوفود لأنه

بالحمد اضحى آية الشعراء

Like ants, delegations come to him, for

through praise he has become the poets’ marvel.

بمديحه المتمسكون تعرفوا

لكمال معرفة به وذكاء

Those who cling to praising him have become known

for their perfect knowledge of him and discernment.

وقعت مواهبه على فقري كما

يقع الدواء على عظيم الداء

His gifts descended upon my poverty just as

medicine works upon a grievous disease.

كم سر مشتاقا وضر مشاققا

افديه في السراء والضراء

How many a yearning soul he gladdened, and an adversary he harmed!

I would ransom him in prosperity and adversity.

يمناه لي بحر اذا ما عاهدت

فتشير لي كل اصبع بوفاء

His right hand is a sea to me; whenever it makes a pledge,

every finger signals faithfulness to me.

كم بالندا راي لها نشر الندى

وطوى بها صاد حديث الطاءي

How many a beholder of its bounty has spread the dew,

and with it folded away the ṣād of al-Ta’i’s tale!

مولاي يا بحر المكارم والوفا

واخا النوال وواحد العلياء

My lord, O sea of noble deeds and fidelity,

brother of bounty, peerless in exalted rank,

خذها اليك عقيلة جاءتك من

فرط الحيا تمشي على استحياء

Take her to you—a noble maiden who comes to you, out of

deep modesty, walking bashfully.

وافتك تبدي العذر عن تأخيرها

والعذر مقبول من العذراء

She has come to offer an excuse for her delay,

and a maiden’s excuse is accepted.

قد احسنت فيك المديح وابدعت

في حسنها ناهيك بالحسناء

She has praised you well and worked wonders

in her beauty—what a lovely maiden!

لا زلت في ميدان كل فصاحة

طلق العنان وفارس الشعراء

May you remain, in every arena of eloquence,

free of rein, the knight of poets,

والمحرز القصبات في سبق العلا

لو نيط شأو المجد بالزرقاء

winning the prize-reeds in the race for eminence,

even if glory’s goal were hung upon the blue heavens,

ما حرك العود النسيم وصفّقت

ورق الغصون على غنا الورقاء

as long as the breeze stirs the bough and

the branches’ leaves clap to the gray dove’s song.