مديحُك كَالمِسْكِ لا يُكْتَتَمْ

به يُبْتَدَى وبه يُخْتَتمْ

Your praise is like musk, it cannot be concealed

It is begun with and ended with

وما بَرِحَ المَدْحُ بَعْد النَّسيبِ

وذا مَذْهبٌ شاعَ بَيْنَ الأُمَمْ

And praise did not cease after lineage

And this is a prevalent doctrine among the nations

ومَدْحُكَ من قَبْلِ خَلْقِ النسيبِ

ونظْمِ القريض وخَلْق النَّسَمْ

And your praise existed before the creation of lineage

And the composition of poems and the creation of breath

صِفَاتُك قائمةٌ في النُّفوسِ

قديماً وثابتةٌ في القِدَمِ

Your attributes stand in souls

Since old and fixed in antiquity

على أَنَّ لي همةً في النسيبِ

ولكنَّ مدْحَك مِنْهُ أَهَمْ

Though I have ambition in lineage

But your praise to me is more important

وإِنَّ النسيبَ إِذا ما مُدِحتَ

يُقالُ ولكنَّه لا يَتِمْ

And indeed when lineage is praised

It is said but it does not complete

وإِن النسيبَ يَسُرُّ النفُوسَ

ويُذْكِي العقولَ ويُصْفِي الشِيَمْ

And indeed lineage gladdens souls

And kindles minds and clarifies innate dispositions

ولا سيما وَهْوَ مِنْ عَاشِقٍ

رماهُ الهوى وبَراهُ السَّقَمْ

Especially when it is from a lover

Thrown by passion and cured by illness

ومحبوبةٍ فوق شَمْسِ الضُّحَى

فلا تَحْفِلَنَّ ببدرِ الظُّلَمْ

And a beloved above the dawn sun

So do not heed the full moon

تعلَّقْتُه ناعسَ المقْلتينِ

يَنِمُّ على أَنَّه لم يَنَمْ

I hung it on sleepy eyelids

That sleeps on that it did not sleep

وهِمْتُ بِه أَسْمَر المرشَفَين

عليه اللَّمى وعليه اللِّمَمْ

And I imagined the one with reddened eyes

Afflicted by tears and grief

فَبَرْقُ مُقبَّلهِ لا يَشَامُ

ووردةُ وجْنَتِه لاَ تُشَمْ

So the light of his kiss cannot be smelled

And the rose of his cheek cannot be sensed

إِذا كَسَر الجفنَ مَن فَتْرَةٍ

فللجفنِ كسْرٌ وللصَبِّ ضَمْ

When he closes his eyelids out of weakness

The eyelids break and the tears gather

لجنسين منه كمالُ الجمالِ

فللعُرب عَيْنٌ وللتُّركِ فَمْ

For two kinds he has the perfection of beauty

So the Arabs have an eye and the Turks a mouth

وعمَّ الورى بالهوى خَالُه

ويا قَلَّ ما يوجدُ الخالُ عَمْ

And the land was filled with his passion's beauty spot

Oh how rarely a beauty spot is found to be widespread

وعِقُد مقبَّلِه كلُّه

يتيمٌ ولكن نراهُ ابْتَسَمْ

And the knot of his kiss is all

Orphaned yet we see it smiling

أَيا عاذِلي فيه لما رآهُ

لئن كنتَ أَعْمَى فإِني أَصَمْ

Oh you who blame me for what I saw him as

If you are blind I am deaf

وَهبْكَ أَبا ذَرِّ هذَا الكلامِ

فَهَبْنِي أَبا جَهْلِ هذا الصَّنَمْ

Take Abu Dharr in this talk

So consider me Abu Jahl in this idol

وأَيْنَ العواذِلُ ممن هَويْتُ

ولو كُنَّ ثَمَّ لأَبْصرنْ ثَمْ

And where are the blamers from the one I loved

And if they were there I would make them see

أُسِرُّ الغرامَ وَيْبدُو عَليَّ

وما انْكَتَم الشَّيْبُ تَحْتَ الكَتَمْ

I conceal passion and it shows upon me

And gray hair did not conceal under concealment

على أَنَّنِي مُذْ عرفْتُ الهَوَى

جهلتُ النُّهى واستطبْتُ الأَلَمْ

Since I knew passion

I ignored prohibition and resigned myself to pain

وبِعْتُ الكَرَى واشتريتُ السُّهادَ

فما ذُقْتُ طَعم الكَرَى مُنْذُ كَم

And I sold lies and bought forgetfulness

Yet I have not tasted the taste of lies ever since

وأَربعةٌ قطُّ لم تَفْتَرِقْ

هَوىً وجوىً وحياةٌ وهَمْ

And four have never separated

Passion and love and life and worry

ولا تعجَبَنْ لحياةِ الهمومِ

حياةُ الهُمُومِ بمَوْتِ الهِمَمْ

And do not wonder at the life of worries

The life of worries is by the death of resolve

ويومٍ كَليلةِ صَدِّ الحبيب

يقالُ أَضاءَ وقلت ادْلَهَم

And a day like the eve of the beloved's rejection

It is said it lit up and I said it burned out

أَرى الْبَرْقَ في خَدِّه كالشحُّو

بِ والشمسَ في وجْهِهِ كالغَمَمْ

I see lightning in his cheek like the glow

And the sun in his face like clouds

وما اسودَّ إِلا لأَنِّي به

قَبَرْتُ العُلاَ ودفَنْتُ الكَرمْ

And only turned dark because through it

I buried glory and buried generosity

ولكن أُعِيدَ بعَبْدِ الرحيمِ

وما زال بالجُودِ مُحيي الرِّمَمْ

But it was revived through Abdurraheem

And he still revives ruins through his generosity

ولولاه كنتُ نَبَذْتُ الدواةَ

ولولاه كنتُ كَسرتُ القَلَمْ

And were it not for him I would have discarded the pen

And were it not for him I would have broken the pen

ولولا فريضةُ مَدْحِي له

لقلتُ بكم يُشْتَرى لي بكم

And were it not for the duty of my praise to him

I would have said for how much can I be bought

وعمَّ الورى بالهوى خَالُه

ويا قَلَّ ما يوجدُ الخالُ عَمْ

And the land was filled with his passion's beauty spot

Oh how rarely a beauty spot is found to be widespread

وعِقُد مقبَّلِه كلُّه

يتيمٌ ولكن نراهُ ابْتَسَمْ

And the knot of his kiss is all

Orphaned yet we see it smiling

أَيا عاذِلي فيه لما رآهُ

لئن كنتَ أَعْمَى فإِني أَصَمْ

Oh you who blame me for what I saw him as

If you are blind I am deaf

وَهبْكَ أَبا ذَرِّ هذَا الكلامِ

فَهَبْنِي أَبا جَهْلِ هذا الصَّنَمْ

Take Abu Dharr in this talk

So consider me Abu Jahl in this idol

وأَيْنَ العواذِلُ ممن هَويْتُ

ولو كُنَّ ثَمَّ لأَبْصرنْ ثَمْ

And where are the blamers from the one I loved

And if they were there I would make them see

أُسِرُّ الغرامَ وَيْبدُو عَليَّ

وما انْكَتَم الشَّيْبُ تَحْتَ الكَتَمْ

I conceal passion and it shows upon me

And gray hair did not conceal under concealment

على أَنَّنِي مُذْ عرفْتُ الهَوَى

جهلتُ النُّهى واستطبْتُ الأَلَمْ

Since I knew passion

I ignored prohibition and resigned myself to pain

وبِعْتُ الكَرَى واشتريتُ السُّهادَ

فما ذُقْتُ طَعم الكَرَى مُنْذُ كَم

And I sold lies and bought forgetfulness

Yet I have not tasted the taste of lies ever since

وأَربعةٌ قطُّ لم تَفْتَرِقْ

هَوىً وجوىً وحياةٌ وهَمْ

And four have never separated

Passion and love and life and worry

ولا تعجَبَنْ لحياةِ الهمومِ

حياةُ الهُمُومِ بمَوْتِ الهِمَمْ

And do not wonder at the life of worries

The life of worries is by the death of resolve

ويومٍ كَليلةِ صَدِّ الحبيب

يقالُ أَضاءَ وقلت ادْلَهَم

And a day like the eve of the beloved's rejection

It is said it lit up and I said it burned out

أَرى الْبَرْقَ في خَدِّه كالشحُّو

بِ والشمسَ في وجْهِهِ كالغَمَمْ

I see lightning in his cheek like the glow

And the sun in his face like clouds

وما اسودَّ إِلا لأَنِّي به

قَبَرْتُ العُلاَ ودفَنْتُ الكَرمْ

And only turned dark because through it

I buried glory and buried generosity

ولكن أُعِيدَ بعَبْدِ الرحيمِ

وما زال بالجُودِ مُحيي الرِّمَمْ

But it was revived through Abdurraheem

And he still revives ruins through his generosity

ولولاه كنتُ نَبَذْتُ الدواةَ

ولولاه كنتُ كَسرتُ القَلَمْ

And were it not for him I would have discarded the pen

And were it not for him I would have broken the pen

ولولا فريضةُ مَدْحِي له

لقلتُ بكم يُشْتَرى لي بكم

And were it not for the duty of my praise to him

I would have said for how much can I be bought

وأَنَّك أَوفاهُم بالعهودِ

وأنك أرعاهم للذمم

And that you are the most fulfilling of pacts

And you are the most caring for reputations

فخار أجل وطول أطل

وبأْسٌ أَشدُّ وعزمٌ أَشَمْ

Pride is magnified, and power is fiercer

And determination is stronger

ودولتُه ركنُها قائِمٌ

برغم العدوِّ الأَغثِّ الأَعَمْ

And his kingdom's pillar stands

Despite the most ignorant enemy

يعاديك كلُّ لئيمِ الأُصولِ

مباحِ الحريم مُشاعِ الحُرَم

Every vile-originated scoundrel opposes you

Violator of sanctuaries, violator of homes

له خَلوةٌ كلُّها تَنْقَضِي

برتْقِ الفُتُوقِ وسَدِّ الثُّلمْ

He has a privacy that ends all

With clasping buttons and blocking holes

ويَحْلِفُ أَنِّي الحبيبُ النصيحُ

ويَكْذِبُ بل حاسِدٌ متَّهم

And he swears that I am the beloved advisor

And he lies, rather he is jealous and accused

ينمُّ إِليكَ وطوْراً عليْكَ

فتمَّ له أَمْرُه حين نَمْ

He sleeps to you sometimes and against you other times

So his matter was complete when he slept

يُرى في الخَلا حاملاً طاعِناً

ولكِنْ إِذا مَا رآكَ انْهَزَمْ

He appears bearing arms and attacking in seclusion

But when he sees you he is defeated

وباسْمِكَ قد حَلَّ فوق السَّما

ولولاكَ لَم يَسْمُ بل لم يُسَمْ

And by your name he rose above the sky

And were it not for you he would not have been named rather he would not have been named

ويَكْفُر أَنعمَك السابغاتِ

فسوفَ تعودُ عليهِ نِقَمْ

And he denies your abundant bounties

So vengeance will return to him

ويمضغُه الدَّهرُ مَضْغَ الأَديم

ويَعْرُكُهُ النحسُ عرْك الأَدَم

And time will chew him like leather

And bad luck will grind him like skin

وأَعْدِلُ عن ذا إِلى شُكْرِ من

أُقصِّر عنه لفرْطِ العِظَم

And I divert from him to thanking whom

I fall short of due to the utmost grandeur

رددْتَ أَبي بعد أَن كانَ سَارَ

وكادت مَطيتُه أَن تُزَم

You returned my father after he had departed

And his mount had almost stumbled

رددت إِرادتَه إِذْ أَرادَ

وثَبَّطْتَ عزْمَتَه إِذْ عَزمَ

You returned his will when he willed

And you frustrated his determination when he determined

نَهَيْتَ عزيمَته فانتهى

رسمتَ إِقامَته فارْتَسَمْ

You stopped his resolve so he stopped

You designed his stay so it was designed

وواللهِ ما بك من حاجةٍ

إِلى أَحدٍ من جميع الأُمَمْ

By God you have no need

To anyone among all the nations

ولكنْ رَفَقْتَ له رحمةً

فلو سارَ لانحط أَو لانْحَطَم

But you were gentle to him as mercy

For had he traveled he would have fallen or crashed

وخِفْتَ على عِقْدنا الانتثار

لأَنَّ ببقياه كان انتَظَم

And you feared for our pact to scatter

Because by its remaining it was systematic

ولو كان فارقَ طوعاً نداكَ

لأَعقَبَه في الطريق الندم

And had he parted willingly from your proximity

Regret would have followed him in the road

نقعتَ به غُلَّتي والصَّدى

جمعتَ به كبدي والشَّبَمْ

You solved my worry and echo

You gathered my liver and thirst

جمعتَ به شَمْلَنا بل جَمَعْـ

ـتَ سُقْيَا الغَمَامِ وكَشْفَ الغُمَم

You united our group, rather you united

The watering of clouds and the clearing of clouds

وإِنّي لأَشْكرُ الصنيعَ

كشُكر الرياضِ لصُنْعِ الدِّيم

And I thank for the deed

Like the meadow's thanking for the rain

وفي النفس واحدةٌ أَحرقتْ

فؤَادِي فأَصبح فيها حَمَمْ

And in myself is one that burned

My heart so it became in it worries

تقُولُ أَعاديَّ لولا أَبوكَ

لما كُنْتَ تدخلُ ذاكَ الحَرَمْ

She says, "Were it not for your father

You would not have entered that sanctuary"

وكنْتَ القصيَّ وكنتَ البعيد

وكنتَ من العالَم المُهتَضمْ

And you would have been remote

And you would have been from the negligible world

وإِنَّ الأَجلَّ يراك الأَقلَّ

ولو كُنْتَ مِمَّنْ رَقَى أَو رَقَمْ

And indeed death sees you the least

Even if you had risen or engraved

وما زال فعلكَ منه يُذَامُ

وما زَال قَصدُك منه يُذَمْ

And his deeds towards it are still blamed

And his purpose from it is still condemned

وما أَنت من جِنْسِ من يُصْطَفَى

ولا أَنتَ من نَوع ما يُحْترم

And you are not from the type that is chosen

Nor are you from the essence of what is honored

وليس لذاتِك ذاك القَبُولُ

وليس لنَفْسِك ذَاكَ القَدَمْ

And your essence does not have that acceptance

Nor does your soul have that antiquity

ولكن أَبوكَ له خِدْمَةٌ

دخلْتَ بها في غِمارِ الخَدَم

But your father has a service

Through which you entered the immersion of service

وأَحسب أَنهمُ يكذون

وهل يَصدقُ الحاسدُ المتَّهمْ

And I reckon they are lying

And does the jealous accused lie?

وحاشا لمجدِك من أَن أُضام

بأَنّي إِلى غير ذاتِي أُضَمْ

And far from your glory to be blemished

That I attach myself to other than my essence

وقد كَذَبُوا أَنت لِي واصِفٌ

بحسن الفِعالِ وحُسْن الفَهم

And they have lied, you described me

With good deeds and good understanding

وكُتْبُك تشهد أَنِّي الحبيبُ

وأَنّي الأَخصُّ وأَنّي الأَعم

And your books testify that I am the beloved

And that I am the most special and I am the most universal

أَبي بِي سار اسمُه في البلاد

وجابَ الوِهادَ بها والأَكَمْ

My father traveled by me, his name in the countries

And he roamed the deserts and sand dunes

وأَحْيَيْتُ أَسْلافِيَ الأَقدمين

فقاموا وهم يَنْفُضُون اللِّمَم

And I revived my oldest ancestors

So they stood while shaking off worries

وهم وأَنا بِكَ حُزْنَا الفَخَارَ

وصارَتْ لنا في البَرَايَا قِيَمْ

They and I through you took pride as glory

And for us in the deserts became substitutes

بقيتَ ويَبْلى الزمانُ الجديد

وتبّاً لمذهبِ أَهَل القدم

You remained and the new eras pass away

Woe to the doctrine of the people of old

فلا بُدَّ من أَن تمورَ السماءُ

ويَذْوِي بها كُلُّ نَجْم نَجَمْ

So the sky must become turbulent

And every star in it melts away

ويظهرُ في الفرقدين العَمى

كما بان في الهَرَمينِ الهَرَمْ

And blindness appears in the two bright stars

As it appeared in the two pyramids, the pyramids

وليْسَ السماءُ كما قد رأَيـ

ـتَ بالشُّهْبِ إِلاَّ أَديمَ حَلَم

And the sky is not as you have seen

With meteors, except lasting dreams

ونجمُك في كلِّ ذا لا هَوَى

وركنُك في كل ذَا لا انْهدَم

And your star in all that does not set

And your pillar in all that does not collapse

تدومُ ويُقْسَمُ فينا نَدَاك

فأَمّا عُلاَك فما يُقْتَسَم

You remain and your help in us is divided

As for your elevation, it cannot be divided

وأَرْبَعَةٌ فيَّ ممَّا وَهَبْـ

ـت نَفْسٌ وروحٌ ولَحمٌ وَدَمْ

And four things in me from what you have granted me

A soul, a spirit, flesh, and blood