الزهرُ تَبسِمُ نُوراً عن أقاحيها

إذا بكى من سحابِ الفَجْرِ باكيها

The flowers smile, radiating light from their buds,

When the dawn clouds cry over their weeping ones.

نورُ الأقاحي الذي ما بالحياءِ بهِ

من صِحَّةٍ وصَفاءٍ عَزَّ مُنشيها

The light of the buds which is not shy

Of health and purity, glorifying their creator.

تلكَ الرُبوعُ لليلى أينَ مَربَعُها

عن قصدِهِ وسُيوفُ العُرْبِ تَحْميها

Those meadows for Layla - where is their courtyard

Safe from those who seek it and the swords of the Arabs protect it?

أدماءُ تَجْني على الأكباد مُصليةً

تَبارَكَ اللهُ ما أحلَى تَجَنّيها

Blood is harvested on the livers as prayers

Blessed is God - how sweet is their harvest!

ليْلَى ولي شَوقُ قيسٍ في محبّتها

فشِعرهُ فجُنونٌ شابَهُ فيها

Layla has the passion of Qays in her love

So his poetry is madness that has possessed him through her.

خالٌ لها عَمَّهُ وَرْدٌ بَدا حَرَماً

في وَجنةٍ حُمِيَتْ عمَّن يُدانيها

A cheek mole for her - her uncle is a rose that appears a sanctuary

In a cheek that is protected from those who would court her.

للهِ مُقلَتُها السوداءُ صائدةً

قُلوبَ عُشّاقها والقُرطُ راعيها

For God - her black eyelashes hunt

The hearts of those who love her and her earrings are their shepherd.

يقول قومي رُويداً قد سَقِمتَ هوىً

فقُلتُ مَهْلاً شفائي من نواحيها

My people said, slow down for you have fallen ill from love

So I said, wait - my healing is from her sobbing.

لعلَّ صافي نسيمٍ من خَمائلها

أتَى يَهُبُّ على رُوحي فيشفيها

Perhaps a gentle breeze from her tresses would come

To blow life into my soul and heal it.

وبي رِقاقُ ليالٍ في النقاءِ وَفَت

بِيضُ اللّقاءِ فما أهَنى لياليها

And I have soft nights in purity that

Dawn of meeting has weakened - not her nights.

في جَنَّةٍ حُوْرُها تزهو بنا وبها

لو كان يصفو خُلودٌ في روابيها

In a paradise - its maidens blossom for us and in it

If eternity was perfected in its terraces.

يَهُزُّني ذِكرُها وجداً فأَعْلَمُهُ

جُرحاً ورُوحي تراهُ من مجَانيها

The memory of her shakes me with passion so I make it

A wound - and my soul sees it from my sides.

أسأتُ كتمَ الهوى والصَبُّ كيف لهُ

سِترٌ وأدمُعُهُ قد هلَّ واشيها

I was wrong to conceal my love and passion - how can it

Have a cover when my tears have collapsed and betrayed it?

ليسَ الهوى بخفيٍّ عندَ رادِعِهِ

فكيفَ ناشرُهُ يَطْويِهِ تمويها

Love is not hidden from its repeller

So how can its publisher conceal and disguise it?

استودعُ اللهَ صبراً ما أُمارِسُهُ

ومُهجةً عن حِسانٍ لَسْتُ أَحميها

I entrust God with patience - I do not practice it

And an infatuation I do not protect.

طاب الهوى والضنى واللَومُ لي فدَمِي

أُسَرُّ في بذلِهِ في حيِّ أَهليها

Passion, suffering, and blame to me are good - my blood

I feel secretive in spending it in the alley of my family.

لَبَّيكَ يا لحظَها الجاني على كَبِدٍ

سالتْ أسىً في الهَوَى لولا تأَسِّيها

That poured misery into passion - if not for you provoking it.

If you pardon voluntarily then pardon is more beloved to me

إنْ تعفُ طوعاً فإنّ العفوَ لي أرَبٌ

أو لا فرَيحانُ رُوحي في تَفانيها

Or else - the basil of my soul is in your service.

I wish youth would return to me after old age

ليتَ الصِبا عاد لي بعد المَشيبِ على

شرطِ الوفا وهْوَ مِن تجلّيها

On the condition of loyalty - it is from its manifestations.

An unmarried lady does not appear alive

بِكرٌ محجَّبةٌ لا تنجلي لحياً

حتى من النَجمِ حتّى ما يُلاقيها

Until even the stars - she does not face.

Grace worked for her and humiliation for me always

راقَ الدَّلالُ لها والذُلُّ لي أبَداً

ولم يَرُقْ كأْسُ وردي من تدانيها

And the cup of my roses did not please through her courting.

My tear and her smile - the precious pearl - an echo

دمعي ومَبِسمُها الدُّرُّ الثمينُ صدىً

لمُهجتي فبصَبرِ القلبِ أُرْويها

To my infatuation - so with patience of the heart I water it.

When she saw my serious and overwhelming passion for her

لمّا رأت جِدَّ وَجْدي في محبَّتها

قامت بسيماءِ هَزْلٍ عينُها تِيها

She stood with the marking of jest - her eyes wandering.

The ignorant assumed love is easy without effort -

ظنَّ الجَهُولُ الهَوَى سَهْلاً لوالجِهِ

مَهْلاً فقد تاهَ جهلاً أو عَمِي تِيها

Wait! For he has gone astray out of ignorance or blinded.

It is provoked by the flirtation of an eye - its weaver comes

يَهيجُهُ غزلُ عينٍ جاءَ حائكُهُ

يَحُوكُ بُرْدَ الضنَى حَلْياً لهاويها

To knit the yarn of sorrow - an abyss for those who love it.

Indeed - the eyes which their charm appeared

إنَّ العُيونَ التي بانت لَطائفُها

لها خَفاءُ معانٍ ليسَ نَدريها

Have a concealment of meanings - we do not know them.

Spells - its arcane symbolism arises

طلاسمٌ سحرُها المرموزُ طالعةٌ

أَشكالُهُ في سُطورٍ حارَ قاريها

Its forms in lines - perplexing its reader.

A composer composing a melody in the appearance of mourning - in order

لواحظٌ لُحْنَ في زِيِّ الحِدادِ لِكَي

يُبرِزنَ حُزناً على قَتْلَى رواميها

To bring out grief over those killed from her terraces.

The robbers, the weeping mourners, the crying ones - for they

الناهباتُ البواكي المبكياتُ فقد

كَفّت عقولُ البرايا عن معانيها

Have restrained the minds of the lands from their meanings.

If not for a blackness she has - my hair would not whiten from

لولا سَوادٌ لها ما أبيضَّ فَوْدِيَ عن

شَيبي ولا احمرَّ دمعي من تهاديهَا

My age - nor would my tears redden from her accord.

The beloved of beauty - from the rules of her state -

عزيزةُ الحُسن من أحكام دولتِهِ

أنْ يجنيَ الذُلَّ دهراً من يُواليها

Is that humiliation is harvested for ages by those who befriend her.

All wounds - medicine heals them except

كلُّ الجراحاتِ مُشفيها الدواءُ سِوَى

جِراحِها أينَ حلَّت فَهيَ مُشفيها

For her wounds - where they have healed them.

To the eyes which in their gaze is fascination -

إلى العُيونِ التي في طرفها حَوَرٌ

عَهدُ الرِعايةِ رِقّاً من مُحبيّها

The legacy of caring tenderly for those who love her.

Woe to whoever turns crookedly from her - a disease which

ويلاهُ من زَيْغها داءً نطيبُ بهِ

فلا شُفينا بِعتقٍ من دياجيها

We did not heal from the ransom of her protectors.

My soul and my eyes are ransom for a pure eye

رُوحي وعيني فِدَى عينٍ مُطهَّرةٍ

ومُهجةٍ للّتي بالنَّفسِ أفديها

And an infatuation which I would sacrifice myself for.

She is the beautiful - but between her lover

فَهْيَ الجميلةُ لكن بين عاشقها

والصبرِ جورٌ قبيحٌ من تجافيها

And patience there is ugly injustice from her estrangement.

Time is lost and passion grew long and I sorrow

ضاعَ الزمانُ وطالَ الوجدُ وا أَسفي

ولم يقصِّرْ سباقي في تصابيها

Nor did my race shorten in her harmony.

Her reproach drew me nearer so I turned away

أشابَني عَتْبُها قُرباً فأزهَدَها

وعَيَّرتْني بشيءٍ جاءَ من فِيها

And she blamed me for something that came from her.

For old age the most beneficial remedy in a youth is news

للشَيْبِ أنفعُ طِبٍ في الفتى نَبَأً

بما يوافي وترهيباً وتنبيها

Warning and alerting him.

A head which sleeping youth shackles in vain

رأسٌ يُصفِّدُهُ نامي الصِبا عَبَثاً

بأَدهمِ الشَعْرةِ النَدّابِ ناميها

With the bond of a curling hair sleeping it.

A life - long in fear - most just for it

عيشٌ قصيرٌ طويل الرُّعبِ أعدَلُهُ

ما يَقصُرُ النفسَ قُرباً نحوَ باريها

Is what shortens the self nearer to its Creator.

The lightning of wishes is amiss - unless rarely

برقُ المُنى خُلَّبٌ إلا أقلَّ حِبَىً

تَقِرُّ عَينٌ بهِ رَصدْاً يُسلّيها

A satisfied eye watches it wishfully entertaining it.

And the people - some desire what is destined

والناس من يشتهي ما المطلُ حاصلُهُ

ومن تفيهِ عِدَاتٌ نام داعيها

While phrases preoccupy others - calling them.

I seek refuge in God from knowledge without action

أعوذ بالله من علمٍ بلا عملٍ

ومن تَدارُكِ نفسٍ كَلَّ راعيها

And the reform of a soul which exhausted its shepherd.

Obstinacies that stopped me - I do not obey them

لَوَّامةٌ أوقفتني لا أُطاوعُها

ولا يُحبِّبُ ضُعفِي أنْ أُعاصيها

Nor does my weakness liking to oppose them.

The fire is permitted for her sake instead of dishonor in lands

حَلَت لها النّارُ دُونَ العارِ في دُوَلٍ

من حاسديها بأَرضٍ سالَ واديها

From her enviers - in an earth that flowed with its rivers.

Leave me and what is in me - is there blame upon me in it?

ذَرْني وما بيَ هل لَومٌ عليَّ بها

وقد مُلئِتُ ومَلَّتْ من أعاديها

And has she not filled and wearied from my enemies?

Do not stand still, O honorable people of the neighborhood

رِماحَكم يا كرامَ الحيِّ لا تَقِفوا

ولا تَرُعْكُم بِلىً جَدَّت دواهيها

Nor be frightened by decay that eroded its cure.

When all the tribulations descended

كُلُّ البلايا من الدُنيا مَتَى نَزَلَتْ

بنا فنِيرانُ إبراهيمَ تُفنيها

From the world - the fire of Abraham destroys them.

A fire and a light - when war said to it

نارٌ ونُورٌ متى قال النِّزالُ لهُ

والجُودُ هاتِ يداً لم يُلقَ ثانيها

And altruism - bring forth a hand - none matched it.

He built from glory a house without pillars

بَنَى من العِزِّ بيتاً دُونَ أعمدةٍ

سِوَى قَناةٍ لهُ عَزّتْ مبانيها

Except channels - their buildings glorified it.

Al-Lu`ayy the dear, the courageous, the king who does not

اللوذعيُّ العزيزُ الباسلُ المَلِكُ ال

غازي المَلا بِيَدٍ حَسْبي أياديها

Retreat, the conqueror checked the ascent of misguidance.

For the sword, the spear, and the pens were born

للسيفِ والرُمحِ والأقلامِ قد وُلِدَتْ

راحاتُهُ ولِسُؤَّالٍ تفاجيها

His palms and for questioning - surpassing them.

A threatening, estimable, glorious, and eminent conqueror

غازٍ مَهيبٌ حسيبٌ ماجدٌ نَجِبٌ

صافي الصِفاتِ نفيسُ النفسِ زاكيها

Pure traits - precious soul - his self flourishing.

His words are sermons - his deeds are meteors

أقوالُهُ خُطَبٌ أفعالُهُ شُهُبٌ

آراؤهُ قُضُبٌ باللهِ حاميها

His opinions - rods protected by God.

He revived praise deserving belonging surrendering

أحيى المحامدَ مُفداةً مُسلِّمةً

أليسَ أموالُهُ تَفنى وتُبقيها

Are not his properties spent while immortalizing them?

And he repealed whatever passed of the justice of the companions without

وَردَّ ما مرَّ من عَدلِ الصَحابةِ لا

يلهو بزَهرٍ ولا خمرٍ يُعاطيها

Indulging in vanities or wines or partaking in them.

Puller of the reins of horses - violence permits their flank

جَرَّارُ خيلٍ يَحِلُّ البأسُ جانِبَها

والفتحُ والحتفُ عَدلاً بين أيديها

And victory and death equitably between their hands.

Ask the people of Acre when its east glowed red

سَلْ قومَ عكاءَ حِينَ اربَدَّ مشرِقُها

والشأمَ والتُركَ لمَّا اسودَّ ناديها

And Greater Syria and the Turks when its sanctuary blackened.

The servant of al-Khalil to the servant of God became through it

عبدُ الخليلِ لعبد اللهِ صارَ بها

إسما وشبهَ اسمهِ راحت أساميها

A name - and resembled his name - rested their names.

He tread the countries by God's permission - breaking them

داسَ البلادَ بإذن اللهِ يكسِرها

وتَكسِرُ السيفَ نَزْعاً من نَواصيها

And the swords were broken forcibly from their scabbards.

His companies charged with warriors in their domination

ماجت سراياهُ أبطالاً بسَطْوتها

تُبقي وفيّاً وتُبلي مَن يُعاديها

Remaining loyal and wearing out those who opposed them.

I loved the game of one whose ambition tells of history

أحبِبْ بأصيَدَ تحكي الدَّهرَ همَّتُهُ

لكن متى نابَ شرٌّ مَن يحاكيها

But when harm retreated from one who resembled them.

Far from the examples - without equal for him

بعيدُ قدْرٍ عن الأمثالِ ليسَ لهُ

شبهٌ فما مَدحُهُ ما جاءَ تَشبيها

So praise that came does not resemble him.

It is he who the pilgrimage of the People of the House came through

هوَ الذي حجُّ آلِ البيتِ جاءَ بهِ

بعدَ الذَّهابِ جَلِيِّ الطُرْقِ جاليها

After going - clear ways - their returns.

The Sa`udi wandered misguided and Wahhab of darkness so

ضلَّ السُعوديُّ وَهَّابُ السوادِ فما

أهداهُ إلاَّ ببرْقِ البيض واليها

None guided him except by the lightning of the white banner.

Messenger of truth - descended fighting - his way

رَسولُ حَقٍّ نِزالُ الحربِ سُنَّتهُ

وفَرْضُهُ الجِدُّ بالجَدْوى يُواليها

And his duty seriousness in advising it.

He wanted the Hijaz and the black slaves then threw

رامَ الحجازَ وسُودَ الزّنجِ ثمَّ رَمَى

فيها القِتالَ وأمَّ الرُومَ يَرْميها

In it fighting and supplied the Romans throwing them.

God is the greatest - this is the state of one who sat

اللهُ أكبرُ هذا حالُ مَنْ جَلَسَ ال

أَيَّامَ فوقَ سُروجِ الخيلِ يُدميها

Days atop the saddles of horses - bloodying them.

And praise to God - his early mornings do not

والحمدُ للهِ لم تَقصُرْ بواكرُهُ

في ما يقوُمُ ولم تُحصرْ مساعيها

Fall short in what he stands up or limits his efforts.

Victorious in calling and soldiers - victory near him supports him

غَلاَّبُ نادٍ وأجنادٍ يُعاهِدُهُ

نصرٌ قريبٌ على لُطفٍ يماشيها

Based on kindness harmonizing them.

He counted wishes, activity, resolve, and generosity without

أحصى المُنى والثَّنا والحَزْمَ والكَرَمَ ال

أسنى وآياتِ عدلٍ لَستُ أُحصيها

Drowsiness - and signs of justice I do not enumerate them.

Ruin does not befall Egypt while he abandons it

لا أعقَبَ الويلُ مِصراً وَهْوَ تارِكُها

همّاً فجُودُ يَديهِ جاءَ يُغنيها

A worry - so the altruism of his hands came enriching it.

A sea, a moon, and a lion - his command cannot be

بحرٌ وبدرٌ وليثٌ لا يُرَدُّ لهُ

أَمرٌ وصَمْصامةٌ سبحانَ باريها

Repelled - and strife glorifying its Creator.

Father of victories - mother of war - burning it

أبو الفُتوحاتِ أُمُّ الحربِ طاهيها

سُلطانُ ساحاتِ بَرِّ العُرْبِ واقيها

Sultan of the land of Arab righteousness protecting it.

To him countries with the selves of servants due to what

لهُ البلادُ بأشخاصِ العبادِ بما

أبقَى التِلادُ بما حاطت أقاصيها

Immortalized the hills through what surrounded their peripheries.

Muhammadian `Ali - his status broke

محمَّديٌّ عليٌّ شأْنُهُ كُسِرَتْ

طوارقُ الرَوع باسمٍ منهُ يأتيها

The awe of misfortune - from a name of his coming to it.

O day of `Uthman - only then did its early morning lock up

يا يومَ عُثمانَ لم يَقفُلْ بباكرِهِ

إلاَّ حفايا ظُعونٍ وَهْوَ حاديها

Except preparations while fleeing their courtyards.

A foot slipped with him - came walking with him

زَلَّت به قَدَمٌ جاءَت بهِ مَرَحاً

فرَدّها عن يدٍ والنَّصرُ تاليها

So he repelled it from a hand and victory followed it.

The sword of the sultan of Egypt has awe - lives

لسيفِ سُلطانِ مصرٍ هَيبةٌ لقِيَ ال

بلادَ حيٌّ بها يا سَيفَ غازيها

The countries - O sword of conqueror raiding them!

You surpassed favor - that you are the world and its conqueror

فاقَ الثَّنا أنَّكَ الدُّنيا وقاهِرُها

سعداً وحاكمُها حقاً وقاضيها

Happy days - and its ruler truly - and its judge!

O opener of the high continuous dew and verdure office

يا فاتحَ المنصِبِ الطاري نَدَىً وردىً

على الصَدَى والعِدَى يُخلِي طواريها

Upon reverberation and enmity - emptying its burdens!

I came to you - enlivening the night eagerly

أتيتُ نحوَك أُحْيي الليلَ عن عَجَلٍ

وأقتُلُ الخيلَ جوَّاباً أُزَجّيها

And killing the horses - answering - rousing them.

By God witnessing - many a night I stayed awake with yearning

واللهُ يشهَدُ كم ليلٍ سَهِرتُ بكم

أجلو رقيمةَ دُرٍ رُدَّ جاليها

Polishing durable pearls - their caravans returned.

None came to it before except thankfully wondrous

لم يأتها قَبْلُ إلاّ شاكرٌ عَجَباً

وجئتُ بعدُ فأهدتني قوافيها

And I came after so it gifted me its rhymes.

It left a headache in a head which went to steal it

أبقَت صُداعاً برأسٍ راحَ يسلُبُهُ

وحبَّذا سَلبُ أدواءٍ تُداويها

And good riddance to the thefts of cures healing them.

I did not find a match for it from those whom I

لم ألقَ كُفْواً لها مِمَّنْ رَفَعتُ يدي

قبلاً إليه فلم أهتمَّ تنزيها

Raised my hands to previously - so I did not care to revere it.

Rhetoric remained enslaved to it submitting to it

ظلَّ البديعُ لها عَبداً يُلِمُّ بها

وكلُّ خَطبٍ سليمٌ عِندَ راقيها

And all words correct in the presence of its composer.

So delight in it and it is delighted with its honorer

فانعَمْ بها وهْيَ فَلْتَنْعَمْ بمُكرِمها

جُوداً ومُعظِمِها جاهاً ومُعُليها

Altruism - and revering it - glory - and extolling it.

It pleased like the lowest of your meanings of benevolence - for not

راقَتْ كأدنَى مَعانيكَ الحِسانِ فما

آياتُ حقٍ كشَطْرٍ من مَبانيها

Signs of truth like half of its structures.