1. تَرنَّمْ حمامَ الدَّوح في أحسَنِ الصدْحِ

    فَقَد هامَ بَينَ وَجْدي إِلى ساكِني السّفحِ

    Sing, dove of the grove, in the finest song.

    For, amid my yearning, it has wandered lovesick toward the dwellers of the slope.

  2. أَمَرّتْ نَسيمَ السّفحِ فيك مُلمَّةٌ

    شَمَمت لَها نَفحاً فغَرّدْت لِلنَّفحِ

    Has some visitation passed through you, O breeze of the slope,

    whose fragrant waft you smelled, so you sang for that fragrance?

  3. صَدَحت عَلى الأَغصانِ تَلهو عَنِ الهوى

    وَيَنمو غَرامُ الصّبِّ مِن ذَلكَ الصّدْحِ

    You sang upon the branches, oblivious to love,

    and the lovesick one's passion grows from that song.

  4. بِماذا عَرَفت العشقَ قُل لي أَخا الهوى

    وَلَم يَدرِهِ غَيري بِجدٍّ وَلا مَزحِ

    How did you come to know love? Tell me, brother of desire,

    when none but me has known it, seriously or in jest.

  5. وَكَم مِن فَتىً إِن كانَ أَصبَحَ عاشِقاً

    فَلَم يُمسِ ذا عِشقٍ وَإن يُمسِ لم يُضْحِ

    How many a youth, though morning found him a lover,

    was no lover by evening—and if he was, not by the next forenoon.

  6. فَغَرِّدْ رَعاكَ اللَّهُ تَغريدَ والِهٍ

    تَولَّهَ لا يَدري بِحُسنٍ وَلا قُبحِ

    So sing—may God guard you—the song of a love-crazed one,

    so bewildered by love that he knows neither beauty nor ugliness.

  7. يَهيمُ بِلا عَقلٍ وَيَصبو بِلا حِجىً

    وَيَسري وَلا يَدري النّهارَ مِنَ الجنحِ

    He wanders without reason and yearns without sense,

    and travels by night, unable to distinguish day from darkness.

  8. تَجَسّمَ مِن وَجدٍ تَربّى مِنَ الهوى

    تَوَلَّد مِن عِشقٍ يَطولُ عَلى الشَّرحِ

    He took bodily form from yearning, was nurtured by desire,

    and was born of a love that would take too long to explain.

  9. فَلا لُبَّ يَنهاهُ وَلا لَوْمَ رادعٍ

    وَلا نُصحَ قَد يُجدي فَلا نَفعَ لِلنّصحِ

    No reason restrains him, nor any deterring blame,

    and no advice can help: advice brings no benefit.

  10. وَذاكَ خَليٌّ عِندَ مِثلي مِنَ الهَوى

    وَلا مِثلَ لي في العِشقِ في السرِّ وَالبدحِ

    Yet beside one like me, that man is free of love,

    and none is my equal in love, in secret or in the open.

  11. تَعَلّقتُ خَوْداً غادَةً خوْطَ بانَةٍ

    تَرَبَّت بِأَزهى الحُسنِ في أَيمَنِ الصّفحِ

    I fell in love with a tender, graceful maiden, a shoot of a ban tree,

    nurtured in the fairest beauty upon the most blessed slope.

  12. فَأَمّا مُحيَّاها فَشمسٌ مُنيرَةٌ

    وَجَبهَتُها الغرّا حَكَتْ كوكبَ الصّبحِ

    As for her face, it is a radiant sun,

    and her bright forehead resembles the morning star.

  13. وَمَبسمُها برقٌ وميضٌ وجيدُها

    فَذاكَ عَمودُ الصّبحِ يُزهِرُ في الجنحِ

    Her smiling mouth is flashing lightning, and her neck—

    that is the pillar of dawn, shining in the darkness.

  14. وَحاجِبُها قَوسٌ وأَمّا عُيونُها

    سُيوفٌ وَأَمّا القدُّ كَالغصنِ وَالرّمحِ

    Her eyebrow is a bow; as for her eyes,

    they are swords, while her figure is like a branch and a spear.

  15. وَقَد جَرَحت في الشّرقِ قَلبي بِلَحظِها

    فَذَا الشَّفَقُ المحمرُّ مِن ذَلكَ الجرحِ

    She wounded my heart in the east with her glance,

    and this reddening twilight comes from that wound.

  16. وَوَجنتُها وَردٌ سَباني اِحمِرارُه

    وَشامَتُها مِسكٌ غَدا طيِّبَ النّفحِ

    Her cheek is a rose whose redness captivated me,

    and her beauty mark is musk with a sweet fragrant waft.

  17. فَبي وَردُ خدَّيها وَنضحُ مِياهِهِ

    وَيا طيبَ عطرِ الوَردِ مِن ذَلكَ النّضحِ

    May I be the ransom for the roses of her cheeks and the spray of their waters;

    how sweet the roses' perfume from that sprinkling!

  18. وَريقَتُها خَمرٌ وَدَدت مَذاقَها

    وَلَو كانَ فيه الحدُّ بِالسّيفِ وَالبدحِ

    Her saliva is wine whose taste I desired,

    even if its prescribed punishment were the sword and beating.

  19. تَحَلَّت عُقود الدّرّ في حُسنِ نَحرِها

    كَحُسنِ وِشاحَيها مِنَ الصّدرِ وَالكشحِ

    Pearl necklaces gained adornment from her lovely upper breast,

    like the beauty of her two sashes across her breast and waist.

  20. فَإِن شِمتَ في يَومٍ أَيا طرفِ نَحرها

    فَذَلك عيدُ النّحرِ في مُهجَتي ضحّي

    If one day you glimpse her upper breast, O eye,

    that is the Feast of Sacrifice: make your sacrifice in my lifeblood.

  21. وَرَقَّت حَواشيها عَلى شَرحِ حُسنِها

    فَضاعَت عُقولُ النّاسِ مِن ذَلك الشَّرحِ

    Her contours are too delicate for her beauty to be described,

    and people's minds were lost in that description.

  22. بَديعةُ حُسنٍ إِنّما الشّمسُ وَجهها

    بِرُمحِ قَوامٍ أَثخَنَ القلبَ بالجرحِ

    A marvel of beauty: the sun is but her face,

    upon the spear of a stature that grievously wounded the heart.

  23. تَقولُ لِأهلِ العشقِ نِمتُم تَنبَّهوا

    فَقَد طَلَعت شَمسُ النَّهار عَلى رُمحي

    She tells the people of love, 'You have slept; awaken!

    The sun of day has risen upon my spear.'

  24. إِذا كَفَحت شَمسُ النَّهارِ بِوَجهِها

    تَرى الشَّمسَ قَد غابَت لَدى ذَلك الكفحِ

    When the sun of day encounters her face,

    you see the sun has vanished at that encounter.

  25. تَعَشَّقتُها بِالسَّمعِ ثمّ لَمَحتُها

    وَبِالسّمعِ يَبدو العِشق أَو يبدُ باللّمحِ

    I fell in love with her through hearing, then glimpsed her;

    love reveals itself through hearing, or through a glance.

  26. تَجلّتْ تُضيء الأفقَ شرقاً ومغرباً

    تجلّيَ بِلقيسٍ مِنَ العَرشِ والصرْحِ

    She revealed herself, illuminating the horizon east and west,

    as Bilqis appeared from the throne and palace.

  27. فَتَحتُ لَها قَلبي وَقلتُ لَها اِنظُري

    إِلى قَلبِ فَتحِ اللَّه أَغضَت عَنِ الفتحِ

    I opened my heart to her and told her, 'Look

    at the heart of Fath Allah'; she averted her eyes from the opening.

  28. وَأَوحَت إِلى قَلبي وَعقلِيَ خاطِفاً

    فَأَمضى وَما خلّى مَحلّاً إِلى الصّلحِ

    She sent a darting flash into my heart and mind;

    it pierced through, leaving no room for reconciliation.

  29. وَبي قَد رَمى لِلبعدِ في مَهمهِ النّوى

    وَقَد ذُقتُ مرَّ المَوتِ في ذَلِكَ الطّرحِ

    It cast me far away into the trackless desert of separation,

    and I tasted death's bitterness in that casting away.

  30. فَيا مُهجَتي ذوبي أَسىً وَصَبابةً

    وَيا دَمعَتي سيحي وَيا مُقلَتي سُحّي

    O my lifeblood, melt in sorrow and ardent longing;

    O my tear, flow; O my eye, pour forth.

  31. وَإِن جَفَّ دَمعُ العينِ يا كَبدي اِصعَدي

    إِلى الطَّرْف حتَّى تَخرجي منه بِالسحِّ

    If the eye's tears dry up, O my liver, rise

    to the eye until you stream out of it.

  32. وَنوبي بِهِ عَن دَمعِ عَيني لِأَنّها

    تَسيلُ بِلا رَشحٍ وَتَبقى مَعَ الرَّشحِ

    Take the place of my eye's tears there, for it

    flows when no tears seep, and remains while they do.

  33. أَجوبُ الفَلا سَهرانَ لا أَعرِف الكَرى

    يُلازِمُني سُهْدي مِنَ الصّبحِ لِلصّبحِ

    I roam the deserts sleepless, knowing no slumber;

    my wakefulness stays with me from dawn to dawn.

  34. وَسرح الكَرى قَد سمت في رَوضِ مُقلتي

    وَسَرح الكَرى في العَينِ مِن أَجملِ السّرحِ

    I had pastured sleep's herd in the meadow of my eye,

    and sleep's herd within the eye is among the loveliest herds.

  35. فَصارَ الكَرى ذِبحاً سَميناً جَعَلتُه

    فِداءَ سِهام العَينِ أَحسِنْ بِذا الذِّبْحِ

    Sleep became a fat sacrificial beast; I made it

    a ransom for the eye's arrows—how fine that sacrifice!

  36. وَأَضجَعتهُ في العَينِ حينَ ذَبَحته

    وَبَسمَلتُ بِالتّكبيرِ في ذَلكَ الذّبْحِ

    I laid it down within the eye when I slaughtered it,

    and said 'In God's name' with 'God is greatest' at that slaughter.

  37. فَيا وَيحَ قَلبي قَد أَضرَّ بِهِ النَّوى

    وَآل بِهِ الإِبعادُ وَالهَجرُ لِلرَّزحِ

    Alas for my heart! Separation has harmed it,

    and banishment and estrangement have brought it to exhaustion.

  38. وَواحسرتي مِن حَيثُ كانَ وِصالهُ

    مُحالاً فَماذا مَطمَعُ القَلبِ بِالنُّجحِ

    Alas for me, since union with him was

    impossible—what hope has the heart of success?

  39. عَذولي لَحاكَ اللَّهُ حَيثُ فَضَحتَني

    بحُبِّ الّتي فاقَت على البدرِ والضَّحِّ

    My reproacher, may God disgrace you, since you exposed me

    for loving her who surpassed the full moon and sunlight.

  40. فَإِنْ كانَ وَجدي وَالغَرامُ وَصَبوتي

    مَساوِئَ فاِفضَحني بِها غايَةَ الفضحِ

    If my yearning, passion, and longing are

    faults, then expose me for them to the utmost.

  41. وَعِرضي بِهَذا الفضحِ فيها أَبحته

    لِكلّ بَذيِّ القولِ في الجَرْحِ والقَدحِ

    Through this exposure over her, I have made my honor fair game

    for every foul-mouthed speaker in defamation and disparagement.

  42. فشنِّفْ حَمامَ الدّوحِ حُيِّيتَ مَسمَعي

    بِذِكرِ الَّتي أَهوى وَردِّدْه بِالصَّدْحِ

    So adorn my hearing, dove of the grove—may you be blessed—

    with mention of her whom I love, and repeat it in song.

  43. وَبالِغْ مَعي في حَمدِ أَحمَدَ جاهِداً

    وَأَبْدِ مَعي في حمده أبلغَ المدحِ

    Strive with me to go far in praising Ahmad,

    and offer with me the most eloquent praise of him.

  44. أَبو المَجدِ طودُ العزِّ في كلِّ مَوطنٍ

    وَركح العَلايا فَخرها فيهِ من ركحِ

    Father of glory, a mountain of honor in every place,

    and the buttress of high honors: in him their pride finds a buttress.

  45. يَميلُ إِلى كَسبِ المَعارِفِ وَالعلى

    يَرى أَنّ هَذا الكسبَ مِن أَحسنِ الكدِّح

    He inclines toward acquiring knowledge and eminence,

    seeing this acquisition as the finest toil.

  46. وَمَن كانَ في كَسبِ المَعارِفِ تاجِراً

    يَكون لَهُ العِرفانُ مِن أَطيَبِ الرّبحِ

    Whoever trades in the acquisition of knowledge

    finds understanding among the sweetest profits.

  47. تَصدّى لِفَتحِ اللَّهِ يَبغيهِ طالِباً

    بِجدٍّ وَعَزمٍ فَاِغتَدى مظهر الفَتحِ

    He turned to Fath Allah, pursuing him as a seeker,

    with earnestness and resolve, and became a manifestation of the opening.

  48. أَخو العِلمِ ربّ الفَهمِ زندُ ذَكائِهِ

    يُريكَ وَإِنْ لَم يورِهِ أَحسَنَ القدحِ

    A brother of learning, a master of understanding: his wit's fire-stick

    shows you the finest sparks, even when he has not kindled it.

  49. فَلَيسَ لَدَيهِ مُشكِلٌ غَيرُ واضِحٍ

    وَلا غامِضٌ إِلّا وَيَكسوهُ بِالفضحِ

    No difficulty before him remains unclear,

    and nothing obscure but he clothes it in disclosure.

  50. أَبو حَسنٍ في فَصلِ كلِّ قَضيّةٍ

    إِياسُ الذّكا رَأياً يُصانُ عَنِ المَضحِ

    Abu Hasan in deciding every case,

    an Iyas in intelligence, with judgment beyond reproach.

  51. تَدينُ القَضايا حيثُما رامَ فَصلَها

    لِنصحٍ بِهِ أَلْفَتْهُ مِن أَعدَلِ النّصحِ

    Cases submit, wherever he seeks to decide them,

    to counsel they have found in him among the most just counsels.

  52. وَمِن عَدلِهِ تاهَ القضاءُ تَفاخُراً

    وَأبعَدَ عَنهُ الجَوْرَ بِالزيحِ وَالزحِّ

    Through his justice, the judiciary walks proudly,

    and he has driven injustice from it by removal and thrusting aside.

  53. يَصولُ بِقَول الحقِّ لَم يَخشَ لائماً

    وَيَأمُر بِالمَعروفِ يَنهى عَنِ القبحِ

    He boldly champions the truth in speech, fearing no reproacher,

    and enjoins what is right and forbids what is foul.

  54. مُصيبٌ بِما يَقضي خَبيرٌ بِما قَضى

    وَفي مَوضِعِ التّعديلِ مِن مَوضِعِ الجرحِ

    Accurate in what he judges, expert in what he has judged,

    and in distinguishing the place for accreditation from that for discredit.

  55. أَبو البِرِّ وَالمَعروفِ في لِينِ جانبٍ

    أَخو الحِلْمِ ربّ الصّدقِ في الجدّ وَالمزحِ

    Father of kindness and beneficence, gentle in manner,

    a brother of forbearance, master of truthfulness in earnestness and jest.

  56. حَميدُ المَزايا وَالخصالِ وَقَد حَوى

    كَريمَ السّجايا كَالسّخاوَةِ وَالصّفحِ

    Praiseworthy in merits and qualities, he has possessed

    noble dispositions, such as generosity and pardon.

  57. سَحابُ النّدى معنُ السّخاءِ فَحاتمٌ

    لَدى جودِهِ الهطّالِ يوصَفُ بِالشحِّ

    A cloud of bounty, a Ma'n of generosity; even Hatim,

    beside his pouring generosity, is described as miserly.

  58. فَصيحٌ بليغٌ لا يُجارى بَلاغَةً

    وَمَن ذا يُجاري الخَيل في العَدوِ وَالضبحِ

    Eloquent and expressive, unrivaled in eloquence—

    who can match horses in running and panting?

  59. خَطيبٌ يُجيدُ النّثرَ أَمّا قَريضهُ

    فَفي الغايَةِ القصوى مِنَ الجيّدِ القُحِّ

    An orator who excels in prose; as for his verse,

    it reaches the furthest height of pure excellence.

  60. وَمَن خَطُّه أَنسى خُطوطَ اِبنِ مُقلَةٍ

    فَعَنها لَدَيه النّاسُ تَضرِبُ عَن صَفحِ

    His handwriting made the scripts of Ibn Muqlah forgotten;

    beside his, people turn their faces away from those.

  61. حَباني قَصيداً مِن بَناتِ فَصاحَةٍ

    تَجَلَّت عَنِ الأَشباهِ كَالبدرِ وَالوضْحِ

    He bestowed on me a poem among the daughters of eloquence,

    which shone beyond its peers like the full moon and daylight.

  62. وَبالَغَ بِالإِطنابِ فيها بمِدْحتي

    وَلَست بِنَفسِ الأَمرِ أَهلاً لذا المدحِ

    He lavished lengthy praise on me within it,

    though in truth I am not worthy of this praise.

  63. فَلا فُضَّ فاها لا ولا خين فِكرة

    وَلا عاشَ جافيهِ وَأَكبت بِالبَطحِ

    May its mouth never be shattered—no!—nor a thought betrayed;

    may whoever shuns him not live, but be hurled face-down.

  64. فَهاكَ حَماكَ اللَّه بِنتَ فَصاحَةٍ

    تَميلُ لِحُسنِ الدَّلِّ مُهتَزَّةَ الكشْحِ

    Here, may God protect you, is a daughter of eloquence,

    swaying in lovely coquetry, her waist a-quiver.

  65. مُضمَّخة مِن مِسكِ مَدحكَ بِالشّذى

    فَعطّرَتِ الأرجاءَ بِالعَرْفِ وَالنّفْحِ

    Perfumed with fragrance from the musk of praising you,

    she scented the surroundings with perfume and fragrant wafts.

  66. وَتي لاِبنِ فَتحِ اللَّه في النَّظمِ آية

    وَيا ما أَجلَّ النَّظم في آيةِ الفتحِ

    This is Ibn Fath Allah's marvel in verse;

    and oh, how sublime is poetry in this marvel of Fath!

  67. أَجبت بِها تِلكَ القصيدَ تَشبُّهاً

    وَإِن لَم تشابهها إذِ الفرق كَالصّبحِ

    I answered that poem with this, in imitation,

    although it does not resemble it, for the difference is plain as dawn.

  68. فَهَبها قبولاً فَالقَبولُ مرادُها

    وَعَنهُ فَلا تَعدل إِلى الطَّرد والطّرحِ

    Grant it acceptance, for acceptance is what it seeks;

    do not turn from that toward rejection and casting aside.

  69. وَدُمْ في أَمانِ اللَّهِ ما هَبَّتِ الصَّبا

    وَما جالَتِ الأَبصارُ بِالطَّرفِ وَاللّمْحِ

    Remain in God's protection as long as the east wind blows,

    and as long as eyes rove with looks and glances,

  70. وَما قالَ إِذ يَشدو الحَمام أَخو الجَوى

    تَرنّم حمام الدَّوْح في أَحسنِ الصَّدْحِ

    and as long as, when the doves sing, a man of love's anguish says:

    Sing, dove of the grove, in the finest song.