1. عادَني مِنْ هَوى الأَحِبَّةِ عيدُ

    فلِبَاسي فيه غَرامٌ جَديد

    A feast of love for the beloved has returned to me;

    so my attire for it is a new passion.

  2. ونحرتُ الجفونَ مِن بَعدِ أَنْ أَش

    عرْتُ قَلْبي بأَنَّ صَبْري بَعيدُ

    And I sacrificed my eyelids, after I had

    told my heart that my patience was far away.

  3. كلَفٌ عَادَ بعد شيبٍ وَليداً

    وكذا البدْرُ بَعْد شيبٍ وَلِيدُ

    Passion has returned a newborn after growing gray,

    and likewise the full moon is newborn after growing gray.

  4. فغرامِي بالبدرِ كالبدرِ لَكِنْ

    ينقُصُ البدْرُ والغَرامُ يَزِيدُ

    My passion for the full moon is like the moon, but

    the moon wanes, while passion grows.

  5. لا تُهوِّن مِنَ الغَرامِ شَديداُ

    إِنَّ بأْسَ الغَرَامِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيد

    Do not make light of fierce passion;

    indeed, passion's force is a mighty force.

  6. خَفْقُ قلبٍ قَرْعُ الهُمومِ لِقَلْبي

    مثلَ مَا يَقْرعُ الحديدَ الحديدُ

    A heart's beating is sorrows hammering at my heart,

    just as iron strikes iron.

  7. طَالَ قَتْلِي بسيفِ لَحظٍ كَحيلٍ

    لَيْتَ لو أَنَّه إِليَّ حَدِيدُ

    Long have I been slain by the sword of a kohl-dark glance;

    if only it were steel turned toward me!

  8. ما أَرَى غَيرَ نَظْرَةٍ طَرْفَاها

    طرْفٌ مُوعِدٌ وطَرْفٌ وعيدُ

    I see only a glance whose two ends are

    an eye that promises and an eye that threatens.

  9. أَيُّها الكاسِرُ الغمودَ وما يعـ

    ـلَم أَنَّ الأجْفَانَ مِنْهُ الْغُمود

    O breaker of sheaths, not knowing

    that your own eyelids are the sheaths!

  10. أَنتَ أَجْرُ الشَّهِيدِ حُسْناً فكُنْ

    أَجْرِي فإِنِّي بِنَاظِرَيْكَ شَهِيدُ

    In beauty you are the martyr's reward, so be

    my reward, for by your two eyes I am a martyr.

  11. قد عَجِبْنَا وقوسُ جَفْنِك مكسو

    رٌ إِذَا جَاءَ مِنْه سَهْمٌ سَدِيدُ

    We have marveled, though your eyelid's bow is broken,

    when an unerring arrow comes from it.

  12. بِأَبِي مَنْ أَبَى مُرادِي كمثل الدَّ

    هر عِنْدِي يُريدُ مَا لاَ أُرِيدُ

    May my father ransom the one who refuses my wish, like

    Fate, which wills for me what I do not will.

  13. صدَّ عِطْفاً وصَادَ طَرْفاً فما ينـ

    ـفَكُّ هَذا يَصُدُّ أَوْ ذا يصيدُ

    He turned aside with his body and ensnared with his eye; always

    this turns away, or that ensnares.

  14. كيفَ خُلِّدتُ في جَهنَّم ذا الصدِّ

    وَذَنْبِي في عِشْقِه التَّوْحِيدُ

    How am I condemned forever to the hell of this rejection,

    when my sin in loving him is worship of him alone?

  15. قَطَّعُونِي عليه لَوماً وتعنيـ

    ـفاً وقالُوا تَعودُ قلت أَعُود

    They tore me apart over him with blame and

    rebuke, saying, 'Will you return?' I said, 'I will.'

  16. مَنْ يكنْ شوقُه زُروداً فَشَوقِي

    زَرَدٌ فِي عِذارِه لا زُرُودُ

    Let another long for Zurud; my longing is

    for mail-rings in his cheek-down, not for Zurud.

  17. نُسخَةُ الْحُسنِ فَوْقَ خدَّيْه أَبْهى

    منظراً مِنْ تَبِييضِها التَّسْويدُ

    The manuscript of beauty upon his cheeks is lovelier

    to behold blackened than whitened.

  18. في الوَرى مثلُهُ كَثيرٌ ولكِنْ

    كَلَفِي أَبْلَهٌ وعِشْقي بَلِيدُ

    Among mankind there are many like him, yet

    my infatuation is foolish and my love dull-witted.

  19. قد رعيتُ الخدودَ وهْي رياضٌ

    ورأَيتُ الرِّياضَ وهْي خُدودُ

    I have grazed on cheeks that were meadows,

    and seen meadows that were cheeks;

  20. واعتنقْتُ الخدودَ وهْي غُصونٌ

    وهَصَرْتُ الغُصُونَ وهْي قُدودُ

    and embraced cheeks that were branches,

    and bent branches that were slender forms.

  21. ورأَيتُ الفُؤَادَ يَطْربُ مِمَّا

    يُضحِكُ الوَصْلَ حينَ يَبْكِي الصُّدود

    And I have seen the heart delighted by what

    makes union laugh when rejection weeps.

  22. ولَعَمْري فإِنَّ عُمري كَفَوْدِي

    فيه بيضٌ من اللَّيالِي وسُودُ

    By my life, my life is like my two temple-locks:

    within it are white nights and black.

  23. فادِّكَارِي عهدَ الحبيبِ هُبوطٌ

    ومَديحي عبدَ الرَّحيمِ صُعودُ

    So recalling my days with the beloved is a descent,

    and my praise of Abd al-Rahim is an ascent.

  24. لي مِنْ رَاحتَيْه جَنَّةُ مَأْوَى

    ولَه بالثَّناءِ مِنِّي خُلُودُ

    From his two palms I have a garden of refuge,

    and through my praise he has immortality.

  25. أَنا عبدٌ وخِدْمتي مَدْحُ مولىً

    نَجَحَ القَصْدُ عِنْدَه والقَصِيدُ

    I am a servant, and my service is to praise a master

    with whom petition and poem have both succeeded.

  26. هُو قَاضٍ لاَ بَلْ أَمِيرٌ بأَنْ

    أَضْحَتْ لَدَيهِ مِن الْمَعَالِي جُنُودُ

    He is a judge—no, rather a prince, for

    armies of lofty virtues have come to stand at his side.

  27. وفَقِيهُ النَّوالِ يُلْقِي عَطَايَا

    ه عَلَى الْخَلْقِ والغَمامُ الْمُعِيدُ

    And a jurist of bounty, he casts his gifts

    upon mankind, while the cloud repeats his lesson.

  28. كَيْفَ قَاسُوا نَدى يَديْهِ بِمَرّ الرّ

    يح جَرْياً ولِلرِّيَاحِ رُكُودُ

    How could they compare the bounty of his hands to the wind's

    swift course, when even winds fall still?

  29. أَوْ سَعوا جُودَه مَلاماً

    وتَفْنيداً فَضَاعَ الملامُ والتَّفْنِيدُ

    Or strive against his generosity with reproach

    and censure, only for reproach and censure to come to nothing?

  30. ردَّدُوا عَزْلَهم فَردَّ عَلَيْهم

    كُلُّ شيءٍ مردَّدٌ مَرْدُود

    They repeated their calls for his dismissal; he answered them:

    'Everything repeated is rejected.'

  31. إِخوةٌ قطُّ لَمْ يَذوقوا فِراقاً

    هُو وَالْبَأْسُ والتُّقى والجُودُ

    Brothers who have never tasted separation:

    he, valor, piety, and generosity.

  32. فإِذَا جَادَ فالعبيدُ مَوالٍ

    وإِذا صَال فالموَالي عَبيدُ

    When he gives, slaves become masters;

    and when he attacks, masters become slaves.

  33. وإِذا لاَح فالرُّءُوسُ رُكوعٌ

    وإِذَا قَالَ فَالْقُلوبُ سُجُود

    And when he appears, heads bow;

    and when he speaks, hearts prostrate themselves.

  34. هيبةٌ تملأُ القلوبَ فَقَلبُ الـ

    ـدَّهرِ مِنه مُروَّعٌ رِعْدِيدُ

    An awe that fills hearts: the heart of

    Fate is terrified of him, a trembling coward.

  35. ويميناً لَوْ عَرْبد الدَّهْر سُكْراً

    لأُقيمَتْ مِنْهَا عَلَيْه الحُدُودُ

    And a right hand: were Fate to riot drunkenly,

    the prescribed penalties would be enforced upon it by that hand.

  36. قصدَ المجدَ سَاعِياً سَاهِراً فيه

    وأَسْرَى والخلْقُ عَنْهُ رُقُودُ

    He sought glory, striving and keeping vigil for it,

    and journeyed by night while mankind slept, heedless of it.

  37. وإِذا ما ادَّعَى حِيازَةَ مَجْدٍ

    فالبَرَايَا بِما يَقُولُ شُهودُ

    And whenever he claims possession of glory,

    all creation bears witness to what he says.

  38. شهِدَ الكامِلون بالفضلِ للفا

    ضِل أَوْ كَادَ يَشْهَدُ الْمَوْلُودُ

    The accomplished have testified to the virtuous man's excellence,

    or even a newborn all but bears witness.

  39. يا مُجَارِيه قَدْ جَهِدْتَ فَأَقْصِر

    طَالَمَا خَابَ طَالِبٌ مَجْهودُ

    O you who rival him, you have strained yourself; desist!

    Many an exhausted seeker has failed.

  40. وعد الدَّهرُ أَن يجودَ على الـ

    ـخَلْقِ وَلَكِنْ بمثْله لاَ يَجُودُ

    Fate promised to lavish bounty upon

    mankind, but it does not bestow his like.

  41. رَشَدٌ مَعْ أَمَانةٍ قالَ مِنْها الـ

    ـنَّاسُ عَادَ المأَمُونُ عَاشَ الرَّشِيدُ

    Guidance joined with trustworthiness, which made

    people say, 'Al-Ma'mun has returned; al-Rashid lives!'

  42. ومبيدُ الحقودِ عَفْواً وصَفْحاً

    رُبَّما شَانَت الكِرَامَ الحُقودُ

    And he vanquishes grudges through pardon and forgiveness;

    grudges sometimes disgrace the noble.

  43. أَيها الفاضِلُ الَّذِي حَازَ فَضْلاً

    عزَّ فِيه التَّعديدُ والتَّحدِيدُ

    O excellent man who has won a merit

    too great to enumerate or delimit,

  44. كَمْ إِلى كَمْ أَشْكُو إِليكَ حَسوداً

    وزَمَانِي عَليْكَ فَهْو الحَسُود

    how long, how long must I complain to you of an envier,

    and of my Fate, begrudging me you—for it is the envier?

  45. إِنَّ رُكْبِي بِنَابِ دَهْرِيَ مَهْدُو

    دٌ وشِلوي بِظُفْره مَقْدُودُ

    My knees are shattered by my Fate's fang,

    and my body is slashed by its claw.

  46. لم يَزَلْ فيه لِي وَلاَ خَيْرَ فيه

    سَقَمٌ طَارِفٌ وَهَمٌّ تَلِيد

    In it I have always had—and no good is in it—

    fresh sickness and long-standing grief.

  47. صرتُ لمَّا أَعرضْتَ عنِّي مَعدو

    ماً وإِن قِيل إِنَّنِي مَوْجُود

    When you turned away from me, I became

    nonexistent, though it is said that I exist.

  48. صَدِيَت في ذُرَاكَ مِنِّي نَفْسٌ

    وذَوَى فِي ثَراكَ مِنِّيَ عُودُ

    My soul has grown thirsty in your shelter,

    and my stem has withered in your soil.

  49. وتولَّى الإِقطاعَ غيرَ حَميد

    وأَتانِي وهْو العَزِيزُ الْحَمِيدُ

    And the land grant departed, unworthy of praise,

    and came to me, precious and praiseworthy.

  50. والذي أَبْتَغِيه شَيءٌ زَهِيدٌ

    إِنَّما يَطْلُبُ الزَّهِيدَ الزَّهيدُ

    What I seek is something trifling;

    only a lowly man seeks a trifling thing.

  51. كمْ أُنَاسٍ نالوا النَّعيمَ فَلا منّ

    عليهِمْ فيه ولاَ تَنْكِيدُ

    How many people have attained bliss, with no reminder of favors

    held over them for it, and nothing to spoil their joy!

  52. وهُمْ بالشَّقَاءِ أَوْلَى وَلكِنْ

    كيفَ يَشْقَى مَنْ جَدُّه مَسعُود

    They are more deserving of misery, yet

    how can one suffer whose fortune is blessed?

  53. كم تمنيت أَن أَكونَ لَئِيماً

    لا كريماً فلِلِّئَامِ جُدُودُ

    How often I have wished to be base,

    not noble—for the base have good fortunes.

  54. ضاق صْدري وَضَاعَ صَبْريَ لَمَّا

    حرج الدّهرُ بي وضَاقَ الوْجُودُ

    My breast grew tight, and my patience was lost, when

    Fate hemmed me in and existence narrowed.

  55. ولَعَمْرِي لو طَالَعَتْنِي بإِسعا

    دٍ أَيادِيك طَالَعَتْني السُّعُودُ

    By my life, if your favors dawned upon me with

    happiness, auspicious stars would dawn upon me.

  56. فامْتِناناً عليَّ إِنِّي فَقِيرٌ

    والْتِفَاتاً إِليَّ إِنِّي فَقِيدُ

    So show me favor, for I am poor,

    and turn toward me, for I am lost.

  57. وتهنَّ العيدَ الجديدَ سَعيداً

    فهْو عيدٌ وأَنْتَ لِلْعِيد عِيدُ

    And enjoy the new feast in happiness;

    it is a feast, and you are a feast for the feast.

  58. وإِذَا أَسعَد الزَّمانَ بلقيا

    كَ فإِنِّي كَما يُقالُ السَّعِيد

    And when Time gladdens me through meeting

    you, then I am, as they say, the fortunate one.