لمن العيسُ أصبَحَت مُستَقِلَّه

بشُموسٍ مِن مثلِها مُستَظِلَّه

For whom has dawn become independent

With suns the like of which are shaded

فأحسُّ الفؤادَ طارَ وما كا

نَ يَطيرُ الفُؤادُ إِلا لِعِلَّه

So I feel my heart has flown though it was not

A heart that flies except perhaps

حينَ أبدَينَ كالأَهِلَّةِ لكِن

نَ مَواعيدَهُنَّ تُغني الأَهِلَّه

When they appeared like crescents but

Their trysts entertain the crescents

وَرِعاتٌ عَن الخِيانَةِ إِلا

نَظَراتٍ رأَينَها مُستَحَلَّه

And shepherdesses free from betrayal except

Glances I saw her welcome

بِأبي كلُّ ذاتِ لَحظٍ مِن النُّس

كِ وأَجفانُها علَى غَيرِ مِلَّه

By He who every glance of dawn from forgetfulness

And their eyelids not inclined to blink

نكِّبا بي عَن مَسلكِ الحَمدِ والذ

ذَمِّ فإنِّي أَرى الطَّريقَ مَضَلَّه

Turn me from the path of praise and censure for I see the path gone astray

And I see poverty when coupled with honor

وأرَى الفَقرَ حينَ يُقرَنُ بالعِز

زَةِ خَيراً مِن الغِنى بِمَذلَّه

Better than wealth in disgrace

And though the knockers of nights

وعلَى أنَّ طارِقاتِ اللَّيالي

طارِقاتٌ لَولا أبو عَبد اللَّه

Are knockers, were it not for Abu Abd Allah

Who came between me and them and halted

حَال بَيني وبَينها وأقامَت

فأَطالَت وخِفتُها أن تَمَلَّه

So they lengthened and I feared their boredom

Ever does the youth rise like a

دائِماً يَنهضُ الفَتى وهوَ كالس

سَيفِ فَيشفي صَدراً ويُبردُ غُلَّه

Sword and heals a breast and cools an inflammation

He spends all the money on

يُنفِقُ المالَ كلَّه في مُهِمَّا

تِ المَعالي فيُحرِزُ المَجدَ كلَّه

Sublime endeavors thus attaining all glory

Where the lowlifes cannot hope

حيثُ لا يَطمعُ العَواذِلُ مِنهُ

في عَساهُ أن يَنثَني أَو لعَلَّه

For his spear that it might bend or maybe

And long ago I advised him but that

وقَديماً نَصحتُه فَأبَت ذا

لِكَ نَفسٌ عَلى النُّفوسِ مُطِلَّه

Soul of souls refused

Like the perfect one in generosity and

كمُلَ الكامِليُّ في الجودِ والمَج

دِ خِصالاً قامَت عَلَيها الأَدِلَّه

Glory traits on which evidence stood

And dew and loftiness qualities of a folk

والنّدى والعُلى خَلائِقُ قَومٍ

جُبلَت في طِباعِهم والجِبِلَّه

Ingrained in their nature and temperament