أدارَ على النّدمان كأسَ عقارِهِ

وحَيَّى بوَرْدِ الخَدِّ من جُلّنارِهِ

He turned the cup of his potion upon the two lovesick ones,

And greeted with the rose on his cheek from his rosary.

وفي طرفه للسكر ما في يمينه

فكلتاهما من خمرِهِ واختماره

And in his glance is as much sweetness as in his right hand,

Both of them are from his wine and his trial.

وماسَ فمالَ البان إذ ذاكَ غَيْرَةً

عليه وأزرى فيه عند ازوراره

And the radiant full moon leaned down with jealousy

Over him, and blamed him as he sat next to his breast.

على أنَّه من روضة الحسن جنَّةً

ولكنَّه ما حفَّها بالمكاره

That he is of the garden of beauty a paradise,

But he did not protect it with fortitude.

وقد نسجت أيدي الرَّبيع ملابساً

مُفَوَّقةً من ورده وبهاره

The hands of spring had woven clothes,

Embroidered with its roses and blossoms.

وسالَ لجين الماء فوقَ زمرّد

يحلّيه من نوّاره بنضاره

And the silver water flowed over emerald,

Beautifying it with its brightness and youth.

وأَصبَحَ مخضرًّا من النَّبت شارب

يروق ويزهو بهجة باصفراره

And it became green with vegetation drinking,

Pleasing and blooming with the beauty of its paleness.

وقد رَقَصَتْ تلك الغصون تطرّباً

لبُلْبُلِه الشَّادي وصوت هزاره

And those branches danced in rapture,

To its singing nightingale and sound of joking.

تألَّفَ ذاك الشكل بين اختلافه

وأبْدَعَ في إحسانه وابتكاره

That figure was composed with its differences,

And excelled in its benevolence and invention.

فهذا يَسُرُّ الناظرين اصفراره

وهذا زها مخضرُّه باحمراره

So this pleases the viewers with its yellowness,

And this one shone green with its redness.

وكم راح يغنيني عن الزهر أغيدٌ

بنرجس عينيه وآس عذاره

And how much a cooing ring-dove sang to me

With the narcissus of its eyes and myrtle of its excuse.

عَصَيْتُ عذولي في هواه ولائمي

وما زلتُ في طوع الهوى واختياره

I disobeyed my lover in his love, and reproached my blamer,

And I still obey desire and choice.

أطال بطول القدّ في الحبِّ حَسرتي

وحيَّرني في خصره واختصاره

He prolonged with his tall stature my sorrow in love,

And confused me with his waist and shortness.

ولله مخضرّ العذار عشقته

وحمر المنايا السُّود عند اخضراره

By God, I loved the green-eyed gazelle,

And the red sighs of death during its greenery.

أُجادلُ عُذَّالي على السخط والرضا

وإنِّي لراضٍ بالهوى غير كاره

I argue with my darling about anger and pleasure,

Yet I am pleased with love and not hating.

يقولُ الهوى العذريّ في مثل حبِّه

إذا لم تُطِقْ هجر الحبيب فداره

Passionate love said regarding its likes of love,

If you cannot bear the beloved's separation, then visit him.

وليلٍ كيومِ النَّقْع أسْوَدَ فاحمٍ

نَخُوض بكاسات الطّلا في غماره

A night as black as tar engulfed us,

We waded with cups of wine into its darkness.

أَغَرْنا على اللَّذَّات ما ذكرت لنا

وأَبْعَدَ كلٌّ عندها في مغاره

We were tempted by pleasures we were reminded of,

And each one wandered far in his cave.

وقد زارَ من أهوى على غير موعدٍ

فيا قُربَ منآه وبعد مزاره

And my beloved visited unexpectedly,

So how near was his arrival and far his departure!

فآنسني في وَصْله بعد هجره

وقد آلف المشتاق بعد نفاره

He made me intimate in his union after his abandonment,

And the ardent lover makes peace after dispute.

وما زال حتَّى صوَّب النَّجم وانطوى

رداءُ ظلام اللَّيل بعد انتشاره

He did not stop until he aimed the stars and the

Cloak of the night's darkness folded after spreading.

ولاحتْ أسارير الصَّباح وبشَرَتْ

بأنَّ الدُّجى قد حانَ حين بواره

The lanterns of dawn emerged and gave glad tidings

That the darkness had come time for its annihilation.

ولم يبقَ من أبناء حام بقيَّة

فما شقَّ عن حامٍ ولا عن غباره

And none of Ham's descendants remained,

Neither for Ham nor for his dust.

يدير علينا كأسَ راح رويَّة

تجرِّدُ من يُروى بها من وقاره

He turns to us a cup of pure drink,

That undresses whom it saturates from his dignity.

تخبرنا عن نار كسرى لعهده

وقد بَرَزَتْ في طوقه وسواره

It tells us of the fire of Kisra and his broken promise,

Which appeared on his necklace and bracelet.

فما نزلت والهمّ يوماً بمنزلٍ

وما أقْبَلَتْ إلاَّ لأجل فراره

It did not alight while worries lodged for a day,

Nor did it approach except to flee.

وقلنا له هاتِ الصَّبوح فكلُّنا

يُريدُ شفاءً بالطّلا من خماره

And we told him, bring us the wine, for we all

Want by the wine a cure from our intoxication.

ونحن بروض رقَّ فيه نسيمه

وجرَّ على الأَنفاس فضل إزاره

We are in a garden soft with its breeze,

That drags on the breaths the edge of its cloak.

وأهدت إلى الأَرواح أرواحها الصبا

أريج خزاماه وطيب عراره

And the morning breezes gave to souls their souls,

The aroma of its basin and scent of its pollen.

وأنعمُ عيشٍ ما حَظِيتُ برغده

وكنتُ لعبد الله ضيفاً بداره

I enjoyed a life whose comfort I never attained,

And I was for Abdullah a guest in his abode.

أَمِنتُ طروق الهمِّ من كلِّ وجهةٍ

إذا كنتُ يوماً نازلاً في جواره

I felt secured from worries from every side,

When once I lodged in his neighborhood.

أقرُّ به عيناً وأَشرح خاطراً

وأشرك شكر الروض وبل قطاره

I delighted my eye and relieved my heart,

And shared gratitude for the garden and its greenery.

فمن فضله أنِّي أبوء بفضله

وأَفخر ما بين الورى بافتخاره

It is by his grace that I confess his grace,

And I pride between people this pride.

ولا خير فيمن لا يؤمَّل نفعه

ولا يتَّقى من بأسه وضراره

No good in one whose benefit is not hoped for,

And whose harm and spite is not feared.

ومنذُ رأيتُ اليُمن طوعَ يَمينه

وَجَدْتُ يَساري حاصلاً في يساره

Ever since I saw Yemen submissive to his right hand,

I found my left fortunate through his left hand.

وقيَّدني منه رقيقُ جميله

فَلَسْتَ تراني مطلقاً من إساره

The softness of his beautiful one tied me,

So you do not see me ever released from his bond.

أبَرَّتْ به في الأَنجبين ذخيرة

وحسبُك ما كانَ الغنى بادِّخاره

It loaded the responsible stars with its provisions,

It suffices you what wealth was in its storage.

أُنزِّه طرفي في محاسن وجهه

وإنْ غابَ عنِّي لم أزلْ بانتظاره

I engage my gaze in the beauty of his face,

And if he is absent from me I do not stop awaiting him.

وإنِّي لأهواهُ على القرب والنوى

وأطربُ في أَخباره وادِّكاره

I love him for being near and intending,

And I rejoice in his news and remembering him.

جَنَيْتُ به غرس المودَّة يانعاً

وكلّ جميل يجتنى من ثماره

I attained by him the planted love, flourishing,

And all beautiful things harvested from its fruits.

سريع إلى الفعل الجميل مبادر

إلى الخير في إقباله وبداره

Quick to good deed taking initiative,

To goodness whether he comes or goes.

رعى الله من يرعى من الخلّ عهده

وأَدَّى له ما ينبغي لذماره

May God protect whoever observes his promise to the friends,

And fulfils for him what befits his measure.

إذا دارَ في زهر العُلى فلك العُلى

فآل زهير الصّيد قطب مداره

When he turns in the blossom of glory, the cycle of glory revolves,

So the chieftains of prey are the axis of its cycle.

صناديدُ يشتارون من ضَرب العُلى

وشوك القنا الخطيّ دون اشتياره

The elite they choose from hitting the glory,

And the thorns of the spear are inferior to its selection.

لقد عرف المعروف من قبلها بهم

وشيد بفضل الله عالي مناره

Good turn was known through them in the past,

And the high minaret of its virtue was built by God's grace.

وهل تجحد الحسَّاد آيةَ مجدهم

وقد طَلَعت في الكونِ شمس نهاره

Can the envious deny the sign of their glory,

When the sun of their day has risen in existence?

بهم كلّ مقدام على الرَّوع فاتك

بسطوته في جنده واقتداره

With them every valiant against fright became courageous,

With his supremacy among his soldiers and capability.

ويفترُّ في وجه المطالب ضاحكاً

ولا الأُقحوان الغضّ عند افتراره

He smiles in the face of demands,

While not even grim warriors in his mockery.

إذا استنصر الصَّمصام أيَّد حزبه

وقام اليماني قائماً بانتصاره

If the alliance sought victory, he supported its party,

And the Yemeni rose to aid in its triumph.

إذا قيل رمح كانَ حدّ سنانه

وإنْ قيل عَضبٌ كانَ حدّ غراره

When it is said spear, the edge of its blade is sharp,

And when it is said canine tooth, the edge of its bitterness is sharp.

وإنْ عُدَّ كُبَّار الأنام فإنَّما

أصاغرهم معدودةٌ من كباره

And if the great of people are counted, then

Their small ones are counted among their great.

هم خيرُ من لا يَبرح الخيرُ فيهم

وما كلُّ من ألفَيْتَه من خياره

They are the best that goodness does not cease in them,

And not all whom you befriend are their best.

تَضَوَّعَ مسكيّ الشذا رِدائه

بعنصره الزَّاكي وطيب نجاره

Musk-scented sprigs perfumed his cloak,

With its pure substance and scent of blossoms.

فهم أبحرُ الجدوى نقيض ولم تَغِضْ

فكم وارد عذب النَّدى من بحاره

They are the sea of benefits, pure and undiluted,

So many a sweet, fresh stream from its seas.

يهون عليه المال إنْ عزَّ أو غلا

وينظر أسناه بعين احتقاره

Wealth is trivial to him if it is valued or rises high,

And he looks at its elevation with scornful eyes.

صفا مثل صفو الرَّاح لَذَّتْ لشارب

ودارت كما شاءَ الهوى في دياره

Clear as the purity of wind's pleasure to the drinker,

And it circulated as desire wished in its regions.

فلا زالت الأَفراح حشوَ ردائه

ولا بَرِحَتْ عن بُرده وشعاره

So joys remained stuffed in his cloak,

And did not depart from his standard and banner.