قد قضَى لي بالصدّ والهجرِ والبل

وى فأصبحتُ راضياً بقضائِهُ

He has decreed estrangement, avoidance, and affliction for me

So I became content with His decree

لا يمستنكرٍ إذا مِتُّ شوقاً

كم محبٍّ من قبلُ ماتَ بدائِهْ

Not blaming the one who dies of passion

Many a lover has died of his malady before

فمماتي في صدِّه ونواهُ

وحياتي في وَصْلِه ولقائِهْ

So my life is in His union and meeting Him

And my death is in His estrangement and avoidance

حسّن اللهُ خَلْقه فسَبى عقلَ

البرايَا بِحُسْنه ورُوَائِه

May God beautify His creation, so it captivated

The minds with its beauty and grace

يا غزالا رَدّ الغزالةَ والبدرَ

جميعاً بنُورِه وضِيائِه

O gazelle, restore the gazelles and the full moon

Altogether with its light and radiance

وتبدَّى ليلا بوجهٍ فعادَ

الليل صبحاً بضوئه وبَهَائِهْ

And by night a face appeared to me, so the

Night became like dawn with its brightness and splendor

وقضيباً إن قام ماسَ دَلالا

أو مشَى ماجَ ردِفْه من ورائِهْ

And if He stands like a wand, the bending twigs cannot match Him

Or if He walks gently, none can keep pace behind Him

بشتكى خَصرُه إلى الردْف إن شاء

قياما ينقدُّ من إعيَائه

His waist complains to his buttocks if He stands for long

Draining Him with fatigue

لم يزل يقتلُ العبادَ بطرفٍ

بقيتْ حمرةُ الدّما بإزائه

He has not ceased to kill creatures with a glance

The redness of blood still upon His cheek

تلكمُ جمرةٌ على وجْنتيه

مِن دَمِ العاشقينَ لاَ مِنْ دمائِه

That is an ember on His cheeks

Not from His blood, but the lovers' blood

لا تلمني فالصبُّ يستعذبُ التعذيبَ

في دَهْرِه وطولِ عنائهِ

Do not blame me, for the lover finds sweetness in torment

Throughout his life and all his troubles

عجباً منه قد تسلّى وقلبي

ما رأَى قطُّ سَلْوَةً بِسوائِه

Wondrous is He, who distracts Himself while my heart

Has never seen any delight in His equal

قُلْ له يقضى ما يشاءُ فإني

أنَا مولاهُ في ملاكِ ولائِه

Tell Him, He fulfills what He wills, and I

Am His subject, under His possession and loyalty

كلّما زدتُ ذلَّةً وخضوعا

رادَ تيها علىّ في خيُلائِه

The more humiliation and submission I show

He returns me to my arrogance

لا يربنِي الرضَى وكانَ مرادى

لستُ أدرى ما حيلتي في رِضَائِه

I am not calmed by acceptance, though that was my wish

I know not what to do to please Him

يا مريضَ الجفونِ أمرضتَ قلبي

فأعنِّي على علاج شِفائه

O He who makes eyelids sick, you have made my heart sick

So help me find a cure and healing for it

قد كفاني ذل الهوى لا تَزدني

وأرحْني من الهوَى وشَقَائه

The humiliation of passion has been enough, do not increase it

And relieve me from passion and its misery

لستُ أقوى على البلاء فقلبي

ذهب الحزنُ والجوَى بعزائه

I cannot handle tribulation, so my heart

Has lost all delight and pleasure from its grief

خلِّ ذكر الذي قلاك وأضنا

ك بهجرانِه وطول ثَنائِه

Leave the mention of the one who meets and parts

With his estrangement and ceaseless blame

وارْو عن عامرٍ وأخلاقهِ الحسنى

وحدّثْ عن جُودِه وسَخَائِه

And speak of the excellent morals of Al-Ameer

And his generosity and munificence

ذلك المرتضى الجوادُ فطوبَى

لامرئٍ ظلَّ تحت لوائِه

That chosen generous one, so blessed is he

Who takes shade under his banner

أيُّ شخصٍ لم يمس في أسْرِ جدواه

فكلٌّ ترَاه من أسَرَائِه

What person has not been captive to his generosity?

For he regards all people as his own family

يضعُ الشىءَ في مواضعِه وهو

ولى الله من خُلَصَائِه

He puts everything in its proper place, and he

Is the friend of God, loyal to Him

أسعدَ الله جدَّه حيث ما كان

من الأرضِ فهو من سُعدائه

May God grant happiness wherever his grandfather is

On earth, for he is among the fortunate

لا يِفَظٍّ ولا غليظٍ على الأبعد

كلا ولا على أقرْبائه

Neither rude nor stern to stranger and kin alike

But rather he is kind to all his relatives

يا جواداً عمَّ البريةَ جوداً

فاستعزُّوا مِن برِّه وعَطائه

O open-handed one who has spread generosity everywhere

So they boast of his righteousness and giving

يا أميراً قد خصَّه اللهُ بالفضل

فأمسى بالعدلِ من أُمَرائه

O prince whom God has graced with superiority

And who rules justly as His trustee

يا تقيّاً لباسُه خشيةُ اللهِ

ونورُ الإيمانِ ملءِ رِدَائه

O pious one whose dress is fear of God

And the light of faith fills his cloak

وسحاباً يُروِى العبادَ لُجْيناً

خالصاً إن ضنَّ السحابُ بمائه

He is a rain cloud quenching the servants' thirst

Pure even when clouds are stingy with their rain

وكريماً يفرهُ كلُّ لسان

في البرايا بمدحِه وثنائه

Generous one whom all tongues praise in the land

For his virtues and poetry in his glory

أنا أصبحتُ في البرية من قتلاهُ

في جوده بسيفِ جَدائه

His slaying sword of generosity has killed me

In the deserts from his overflowing favors

هو والٍ عدلٌ يجورُ على الما

ل كأنَّ الأموال من أَعْدَائه

He is a just guardian even as he is lavish with wealth

As if the riches were all his enemies'

لا تَسَلْهُ يعطى بغير سؤالِ

فكأنَّ السؤالَ من خُصمائه

Do not ask him, he gives without asking

As if to ask were to dispute with him

إنْ أتاهُ فقيرُ قومٍ يريد الفضلَ

منه يُجْبِهُ قبل دُعائه

If a poor man of any people comes seeking his bounty

He answers before he calls

عُمَرىٌّ في عدْله وقضائهْ

أحمديٌّ في صِدْقه ووَفائهْ

He is Umar in his justice and wisdom

Ahmad in his truth and loyalty

هيَّنٌ ليِّنٌ الطبيعةِ سهلٌ

ذُو خشوعٍ لله في سُجَرائِه

Gentle, kind, easy in nature, humble

To God among his fellow worshipers

هو بحرُ المعروفِ والجودِ والفضل

فطوبَى لمن يرُى بفِنائِهْ

He is an ocean of kindness, generosity and grace

So blessed is he who attains his presence

يا حليفَ التقى قد اختارَك الل

أمينَ الورَى على أمنائِهْ

O ally of the pious, God has chosen you

Trustee over the faithful in His dominion

وارتضاكَ الإمامُ سلطانُ سيفٌ

واليَاقي نَزْوَى على أوليائه

The Imam Sultan Saif has approved you

And Yaqut praises you among his saints

يوسفىٌّ في الحسن بل عُمَريٌّ

في تُقاه وبأسِه ومَضَائِه

You are like Yusuf in beauty, or rather like Umar

In piety, power and firmness

لا نظيرٌ له ولا من شبيهٍ

في عُلاه وخُلْقه وسَنَائِه

None can compare to you or resemble you

In your sublime nature, manners and stature

نوَّرَ اللهُ وجهَه بجمالٍ

فتعالَى على شموسِ سمَائه

God has lit his face with a beauty

Transcending the suns in the sky

ذلكَ الدهرُ ليسَ يقضى لشىء

فكأنّ الخطوبَ من أصدقائِه

Time does not decree anything to last

As if trials themselves were his loyal friends

أنت أوفَى الأنام إلاًّ وعهداً

أنت يحيى في نُسُكه وصفائِه

You, most faithful of men, if not for a promise

You are John in your devoutness and purity

أو كموسى في لُطفِه أو كعيسى

في هُداهُ وزهده وتُقَائِه

Or like Moses in his kindness, or Jesus

In his guidance, asceticism, and piety

جعلَ اللهُ حسنَ سعيكَ فينا

كي يدُلَّ الورَى على أنبيائِهْ

May God make your efforts for us lead

The people to His prophets and saints

أنتَ فينا غريبُ خَلْقٍ وخُلْقٍ

في زمانٍ ولستَ من أبنائِهْ

You are a stranger in nature and character

In this age, though not one of its sons

زانَ شعرى وتاهَ فيك كما تا

هَ أخو الكبرياء في كبريائهْ

My poetry has wandered and become lost in you

As the supremely proud became lost in their pride

علمتْني حسنَ القريضِ طباعٌ

ملك غرٌّ فصرتَ مِنْ حُكمَائه

A natural talent taught me the excellence of poetry

An angelic spirit - so you became one of its sages

أنَا لا أبتِغي لمدحِي جزاءً

فوصلي إليكَ خيرُ جَزائِه

I do not seek a reward for my praises of you

For my connection to you is the best reward

يا عديمَ النظيرٍ دامَ لك الدهرُ

فمزَّقْ عنّا ثيابَ دَهائه

O matchless one, may time last for you

And remove from us the clothes of misery