1. قسما بحفظ عهودكم وودادي

    لم اقض منكم في الغرام مرادي

    I swear by the keeping of your covenants and by my love:

    I have not attained from you what I desire in love.

  2. وعليكم حسد العذول وما كفى

    حتى العواذل في الهوى حسادي

    The reproacher envied me over you, and that was not enough:

    even the reproachers envy me in love.

  3. ولشقوتي في الحب قد عزّ الرقا

    لما تناءيتم وعز رقادي

    And, to my misery in love, healing charms grew scarce

    when you went far away, and sleep eluded me.

  4. ما ذاك الا ان اميال الجفا

    طالت وطرفي كحلت بسهاد

    That is only because the miles of estrangement

    grew long, and I lined my eye with sleeplessness.

  5. فمروا جنوني بالكرى لتراكم

    وتبيت من وصل على ميعاد

    So bid my madness to sleep, that it may see you

    and spend the night with union promised.

  6. احبابنا عودوا وجودوا باللقا

    فلقد ضنيت وملني عوادي

    Our beloveds, return and graciously grant a meeting,

    for I have wasted away, and my sickbed visitors have tired of me.

  7. روحي لكم قد قدت طوع هواكم

    هذا زمامي دونكم وقيادي

    I have led my soul to you, obedient to your desire.

    Here before you are my rein and my leading-rope.

  8. يا عاذلي عني اقتصر اني لفي

    واد وانت عن الهوى في وادي

    O my reproacher, leave me be; truly I am in

    one valley, while you, far from love, are in another.

  9. كم بين من يبغي الصلاح وبين من

    في عذله مني يروم فسادي

    How great the difference between one who seeks what is right and one

    who, in reproaching me, seeks my ruin!

  10. انا ان سلوت فلا يعاودني الكرى

    كلا ولا زار الخيال وسادي

    If I ever cease to love, may sleep never return to me—

    never, nor may the beloved's phantom visit my pillow.

  11. بابي نزولا بالحشى قد خيموا

    واستوطنوا عوض الخيام فوادي

    My father be the ransom of the guests who pitched their tents in my breast

    and made my heart their home instead of tents.

  12. لسوى هوائم لم امل فكأنما

    خلقو على حسب الهوى ومرادي

    I have inclined to none but love-stricken wanderers, as though

    they were created to accord with love and my desire.

  13. فمتى تلوح لي الخيام وباسمهم

    في كل ناد في الغرام انادي

    When, then, will the tents appear to me? And in their name

    I call out in love in every gathering.

  14. وبذلك المغنى اشبب منشدا

    لا بالرباب وزينب ومعاد

    And of that dwelling I chant songs of love,

    not of al-Rabab, Zaynab, or Ma'ad.

  15. واشيم من نحو التنية بارقا

    تضتر عنه عريب ذاك النادي

    And I watch for lightning from the direction of the mountain pass,

    which the Arab folk of that gathering [perhaps reveal in a smile].

  16. واقول للقلب الذي قد ضل عن

    طرق الهدى بشراك هذا الهادي

    And I say to the heart that has strayed from

    the paths of guidance: 'Glad tidings for you—here is the Guide!'

  17. هذا هو المختار والكنز الذي

    منهاجه قد خص بالارشاد

    This is the Chosen One, the treasure whose

    path has been specially endowed with guidance.

  18. هذا بن زمزم والمشاعر والصفا

    وابن الحطيم وبطن ذاك الوادي

    This is the son of Zamzam, the sacred stations, and al-Safa,

    and the son of al-Hatim and the floor of that valley.

  19. هذا اياديه يكل اخو الحجا

    عن وصفها لو كان تس اياد

    This is he whose favors leave the man of understanding powerless

    to describe them, even were he [perhaps Quss] of Iyad.

  20. هذا هو الداعي الذي يدعو إلى

    سبل الهدى وطريق كل رشاد

    This is the summoner who calls to

    the paths of guidance and the way of all right conduct.

  21. هذا الذي بالسيف لما ان اتى

    كم من معاد صار غير معاد

    This is he who came with the sword—and when he did,

    how many an enemy became an enemy no more!

  22. هذا الذي في الله جاهد صابرا

    بقيام دين الله أي جهاد

    This is he who strove steadfastly in God's cause

    to establish God's religion—what striving it was!

  23. هذا له الاشجار حين دعا اتت

    تسعى على ساق بغير تمادي

    This is he to whom the trees came when he called,

    hastening on their trunks, without delay.

  24. هذا رسول الله ابلغ منذر

    حقا وأفصح ناطق بالضاد

    This is God's Messenger, the most eloquent warner,

    truly, and the most eloquent speaker of the tongue of ḍād.

  25. كم رد من عين وجاد بها وكم

    ضاءت به وشفا بها من صاد

    How many an eye or spring he restored and generously bestowed; how many

    shone through him; with it he relieved the thirsty.

  26. ولكم له من معجزات في الورى

    جلت عن الاحصاء والاعداد

    And how many miracles he has among humankind,

    too great to be tallied or numbered!

  27. منها انشقاق البدر لما ان بدا

    وبذاك يشهد حاضر والبادي

    Among them was the splitting of the full moon when it appeared,

    to which both townsman and desert-dweller bear witness.

  28. وعليه في الافق الغزالة سلمت

    ولوقتها عادت إلى الصياد

    And on the horizon the gazelle greeted him

    and returned to the hunter at its due time.

  29. وعن المثاني والمثالث ذكره

    يغنيك عند سماع صوت الحاد

    And his remembrance, in place of second and third strings,

    suffices you when you hear the camel-driver's voice.

  30. وبآله الانجاب اكرم في الورى

    وبصحبه اهل التقى الامجاد

    And how noble among humankind are his illustrious family,

    and his glorious companions, people of piety!

  31. قوم لهم ان سالموا او حاربوا

    كرم السيول وصولة الآساد

    A people who, whether making peace or waging war, possess

    the generosity of torrents and the onslaught of lions.

  32. كم غادروا فوق الصعيد مزملا

    ما بين بيض ظبا وسمر صعاد

    How many they left shrouded upon the earth,

    between bright sword-edges and dark spear-shafts!

  33. ألفت سيوفهم الوغى واستبدلت

    هام العدا عوضا عن الاغماد

    Their swords grew familiar with battle and took

    enemies' heads in place of scabbards.

  34. وإلى حياض الموت من شغف بهم

    يتسابقون تسابق الوراد

    And toward the pools of death, out of passion for them,

    they race as those coming to water race.

  35. ما السمر والبيض الكواعب عندهم

    يوما سوى سمر وبيض حداد

    For them, dark and fair, budding-breasted maidens are

    never anything but dark spears and bright, sharp swords.

  36. يتلاعبون على ظهور خيولهم

    كتلاعب الفتيان يوم طراد

    They sport upon the backs of their horses,

    as young men sport on a day of jousting.

  37. سادوا بخير المرسلين وكم حووا

    مجدا به من طارف وتلاد

    They rose to eminence through the best of messengers; how much they gained

    of glory through him, both newly won and inherited!

  38. فهو المعد اذا الحروب تسعرت

    وغلت وبيع القتل بيع كساد

    For he is the one held ready when wars blaze

    and seethe, and killing is sold like unmarketable wares.

  39. وهو المشفع في العصاة اذا شكت

    تلك النفوس حرارة الاكباد

    And he is the accepted intercessor for sinners when

    those souls complain of their livers' burning heat.

  40. بالله كرر ذكره في مسمعي

    فلقد حلا في مدحه تردادي

    For God's sake, repeat his name in my hearing,

    for my repeated praise of him has grown sweet.

  41. يا خير مبعوث ومنعوت ويا

    ازكى العباد والفضل العباد

    O best of those sent forth and those described, O

    purest of servants, and [apparently] best of servants!

  42. آيات مدحك قد تلوت عسى بها

    يطوى حسابي يوم نشر معادي

    I have recited verses of your praise, hoping that through them

    my reckoning may be folded shut on the day my resurrection unfolds.

  43. خذها اليك تحية من مغرم

    زاد الغرام به قليل الزاد

    Receive it as a greeting from a lover

    whose love has grown, though his provision is scant.

  44. كسيت بمدحك بهجة فاتت على

    حسب المراد ومقتضى ايرادي

    It was clothed in splendor by praising you, and came in

    keeping with my intent and the demands of my expression.

  45. تبغي القرى جودا وان تقرى فيا

    بشراي بالاسعاف والاسعاد

    It seeks hospitality from your bounty; if it is welcomed, then—

    glad tidings to me of help and happiness!

  46. فبحقه يا رب اسبابي بها

    يسر وثبت بالتقى أوتادي

    So by his merit, O Lord, through it make my affairs

    easy, and make my stakes firm through piety.

  47. واجعل على الهادي صلاتك دائما

    لا تنقضي ابدا بغير نفاد

    And let Your blessing rest always upon the Guide,

    never ending, ever without depletion,

  48. وعلى القرابة والصحابة من بهم

    يحلو الختام ويحسن استطرادي

    and upon his kin and companions, through whom

    the ending grows sweet and my digression becomes fair,

  49. ما شنف الاسماع ذكر حديثه

    وبه تحلى الدر في الاجياد

    as long as remembrance of his words adorns the ears,

    and by it pearls are embellished upon necks,

  50. وسرى النسيم مشببا وتغنت الور

    قاء من طرب على الاعواد

    and the breeze drifts with love-song, and the dove sings

    in delight upon the boughs.