1. ما أَذاعَت ريحُ الصَّبا لَكَ سِرّاً

    إِنَّما عَرَّضَت بِهِ وَهيَ سَكرى

    The east wind did not divulge a secret of yours;

    she merely hinted at it, drunk as she was.

  2. وَعَلى أَنَّها تَنِمُّ فَقَد أَه

    دَت نَسيماً مِنَ العُذَيبِ وَعِطرا

    And though she betrays secrets, she has brought

    a breeze from al-Udhayb and fragrance.

  3. وَأَتى البارِقُ الَّذي بِتَّ تَرعا

    هُ فُنوناً مِنَ الخِيانَةِ أَخرى

    And the lightning you spent the night watching

    committed other kinds of betrayal.

  4. باتَ يَطوي ذَيلَ الدُّجى وَيُضيءُ ال

    بيدَ حَتّى يَظُنَّهُ الطَّيفُ فَجرا

    It spent the night folding away darkness's train and lighting

    the deserts, until the dream-phantom thought it dawn.

  5. فَمَتى يَعرِفُ الوَفاءَ وَما يَذ

    كُرُ إِلّا لَوماً عَلَيكَ وَعُذرا

    So when will it know fidelity, when it mentions

    only blame against you and excuses?

  6. وَإِذا كُنتَ ما وَجَدتَ لأَشجا

    نِكَ حُرّاً فَمُت بِدائِكَ حُرّا

    And if for your sorrows you have found no

    noble soul, die of your affliction as a free man.

  7. يا خَليلَيَّ قَد سَئِمتُ أمانِي

    يَ وَأَنفَقتُ في القَناعَةِ عُمرا

    O my two friends, I have wearied of my hopes

    and spent a lifetime in contentment.

  8. فَاطلِقا مِن أَزِمَّةِ العِيسِ ما شا

    ءت فَإِنَّا في رِبقَةِ الهَمِّ أَسرى

    So give the pale camels as much rein as they

    wish, for we are captives in sorrow's halter.

  9. زادَ عَرضُ الفَلا عَلَيها كَما طا

    لَ الدُّجى فَهيَ وَالكَواكِبُ حَسرى

    The desert's breadth grew greater for them, just as

    the darkness lengthened; they and the stars are weary.

  10. تَتَرامى بِها البِلادُ وَما تَشُد

    دُ إِلّا رَسماً مِنَ الجودِ قَفرا

    The lands carry them ever farther, yet they make for

    only a barren trace of generosity.

  11. فاعذُراها إِن أَخفَقَت فَلَقَد را

    مَت عَسيراً مِنَ المَطالِبِ وَعرا

    So excuse them if they fail, for they have sought

    a difficult, rugged goal.

  12. نَقَصَ الدَّهرُ حَظَّها مِن بَنيهِ

    فَهيَ تَبغي حَظّاً وَناساً وَدَهرا

    Time has reduced their share of its sons;

    so they seek good fortune, people, and an age.

  13. وَلَعَمري لَقَد كَفاها نَصِيرُ ال

    مُلكِ فَلنوسِع البَرِيَّةَ عُذرا

    By my life, their needs were met by Nasir al-

    Mulk; let us grant humankind ample excuse.

  14. رَتَعَت مِن جَنابِهِ في رِياض

    ضَوَّعَتها فيهِ ثَناء وَذِكرا

    They pastured in gardens within his domain,

    perfuming them with praise and remembrance of him.

  15. وَسَرى جودُهُ إِلَيها عَلى البُع

    دِ كَما تَحمِلُ النَّسائِمُ عِطرا

    And his generosity traveled to them across

    the distance, as breezes carry fragrance.

  16. وَرَدَت مَشرَعَ المَكارِم مَلآ

    نَ وَحَيَّت وَجهَ الزَّمانِ أَغَرّا

    They reached the watering place of noble deeds, brimming

    full, and greeted Time's radiant face.

  17. طَلعَةٌ كَالصَّباحِ يَلمَعُ فيها

    بارِق لِلسَّماح سَمَّوهُ بِشرا

    A countenance like morning, in which gleams

    a flash of generosity they call good cheer.

  18. وَبَنان إِذا تَجَهَّمَتِ الأَنوا

    ء أَحرى بِهِ سَحائِبَ عَشرا

    And fingers, when the rain-bearing stars grow sullen,

    more fit to be ten clouds.

  19. يَسبِقُ السَّمهَرِيُّ طولاً وَطَولاً

    وَيَفوتُ الهِندِيَّ أَثراً وَأَثرا

    They surpass the Samhari spear in length and bounty,

    and outdo the Indian blade in sheen and effect.

  20. شَرَفاً يا بَني فَزارَةَ قَد أَح

    يا نَداهُ عَلَيكَ حِصناً وَبَدرا

    Glory, O sons of Fazara! His bounty has revived

    Hisn and Badr among you.

  21. وَغِنىً عَن مَواهِبِ المُزنِ بِالغو

    رِ فَقَد صارَتِ البُحَيرَةُ بَحرا

    And no need of gifts from rainclouds in al-

    Ghawr, for the lake has become a sea.

  22. حَلَّ فيكَ ابنُ مُلهَم وَخَصيبُ ال

    رَوضِ ما كانَ عَيشُهُ مُستَقِرّا

    Ibn Mulham has settled in you; fertile is the

    garden wherever he makes his home.

  23. عارِض يَستَهِلُّ جوداً وَفيهِ

    بارِق رُبَّما تَوَقَّدَ جَمرا

    A cloud pouring generosity, and within it

    lightning that sometimes flares as live coals.

  24. فَجَرى ماؤُهُ مَواهِبَ بيضاً

    وَوَرَت نارُهُ قَواضِبَ حُمرا

    So its water flowed as white gifts,

    and its fire kindled red, keen-edged blades.

  25. قَد عَرَفنا ضِرامَهُ كَيفَ يَصلى

    وَعَلِمنا غَمامَهُ كَيفَ يُمرا

    We have known his blaze, and how one burns in it,

    and learned how his cloud is milked.

  26. فَوَجَدنا جَناهُ في السِّلمِ حُلواً

    وَرَأَينا لَظاهُ في الحَربِ مُرّا

    So we found his fruit sweet in peace,

    and saw his flame bitter in war.

  27. خَطَراتُ الزَّمانِ بُؤسَى وَنُعمى

    وَفُنونُ الأَقدارِ نَفعاً وَضَرّا

    Time's turns: misery and bliss;

    and fate's diverse forms: benefit and harm.

  28. عَلِمَ النّاسُ كَيفَ يَسعى إِلى ال

    مَجدِ وَلَكِن باتوا نِياماً وَأَسرى

    People know how he strives toward

    glory, yet they remain asleep and captive.

  29. وَأَراهُم مِن جُودِهِ كُلَّ عَذرا

    ءِ عَلى أَنَّها مَواهِبُ تَترى

    And he showed them every virgin gift from his bounty,

    though these gifts came in unbroken succession.

  30. وَإِذا عَدَّ حامِداً وَعَلِياً

    وَسَليمَ النَّدى وَكَعباً وَبَكرا

    And when he counts Hamid and Ali,

    and Salim the generous, and Kaʿb and Bakr:

  31. مِنَّةٌ لَم يَجُد بِها غَيرُ كَفَّي

    هِ فَأَعجِب بِها عَواناً وَبِكرا

    a favor that none but his two hands bestowed—

    so marvel at it, matron and virgin alike.

  32. سَبَقَ النّاسَ أَولاً وَأَخيراً

    وَحَوى المَكرُماتِ بَدواً وَحَضرا

    He surpassed people, first and last,

    and gathered noble deeds, in desert and town.

  33. طَرَقَ الشامَ مِن فِراقِكَ خَطبٌ

    لا يُرى بَعدَهُ مِنَ العُسرِ يُسرا

    A calamity struck al-Sham through your departure,

    after which no relief from hardship is seen.

  34. عَلِمَ الرّوم أَنَّ سَيفَكَ حامي

    هِ فَقَد حاوَلوا لِبُعدِكَ أَمرا

    The Romans knew that your sword protected

    it; so in your absence they attempted a venture.

  35. وَأَجابَ المُحارِبونَ إِلى السِّل

    مِ فَراراً مِنَ الطِّعانِ وَكُفرا

    And the combatants consented to

    peace, fleeing spear-thrusts and acting faithlessly.

  36. وَإِذا ما خَلا العَرينُ مِنَ اللَّي

    ثِ أَغارَ السُّرحانُ فيهِ وَكَرّا

    And when the lair is empty of the

    lion, the wolf raids it and attacks again.

  37. عَوَّدَتهُم ظُباكَ جامِحَةَ الفَر

    رِ وَسَنَّت فيهِم جِيادُكَ ذُعرا

    Your sword-edges accustomed them to headlong

    flight, and your steeds established terror among them.

  38. وَتَحامَتكُم المَعاقِلُ لَمّا

    مَلَكَتها لَكَ الصَّوارِمُ قَسرا

    And the fortresses shrank from you when

    the keen swords conquered them for you by force.

  39. طَلَعَت نَحوَهُم مِنَ الجَونِ جَون

    وَجَدوها بِاللاذِقِيَّةِ شُقرا

    Dark steeds advanced upon them from al-Jawn;

    at Latakia they found them chestnut.

  40. مُقرَبات مِثلُ السَّراحينِ إِلّا

    أَنَّها تَقنِصُ الفَرائسَ جَهرا

    Choice steeds like wolves, except

    that they seize their prey openly.

  41. وَخَميسٌ أَلقى عَلى طَرَفِ السا

    حِلِ شَطراً وَفي العَواصِمِ شَطرا

    And an army placed on the edge of the

    coast half its force, and half in al-Awasim.

  42. تَثَنّى قَناهُ سُكراً وَما تَش

    رَبُ إِلّا دَمَ الفَوارِسِ خَمرا

    Its spears sway drunkenly and drink

    only the blood of horsemen as wine.

  43. قادَهُ مُرهَفُ العَزيمَةِ وَالرَّأ

    يِ إِذا قَدَمُ المُحارِبِ غِرّا

    It was led by one keen in resolve and

    judgment, when a warrior's step was unwary.

  44. هَذَّبَت فِكرُهُ التَّجارِبُ حَتّى

    هَتَكَت دونَهُ مِنَ الغَيبِ سِترا

    Experience refined his thought until

    it tore away before him a veil from the unseen.

  45. رَفَعَ اللَّهُ مِن لِوائِكَ لَمّا

    كانَ عِزّاً لِلمُسلِمينَ وَنَصرا

    God exalted your banner because

    it was honor and victory for the Muslims.

  46. طُلتَ قَدراً عَنِ المَديح فَما أَذ

    هَبُ فيهِ إِلّا وَفاء وَشُكرا

    Your worth towers beyond praise, so I venture into

    it only out of loyalty and gratitude.

  47. زَفَرات أَثَرتُهُنَّ مِنَ الشَّو

    قِ وَإِن كُنَّ في المَسامِع شِعرا

    Sighs that I stirred up out of

    longing, though to the ear they are poetry.

  48. وَثَناء كَأَنَّما أَطلَع الصُّب

    حَ ضِياء وَأَرَّجَ الرَّوضَ نَشرا

    And praise, as though it made the

    dawn rise in radiance and perfumed the garden with fragrance.

  49. يُخبِرُ النّاسَ إِنَّ في ذِكرِ إِح

    سانِكَ دَيناً وَفي ثَنائي سِحرا

    It tells people that in speaking of

    your kindness lies a debt, and in my praise lies enchantment.