إذا ما رمت من مهديك أهلا

لقد أنفدت لؤلؤ كل بحر

When you set forth from your cradle folk,

You had exhausted all the pearls in every sea.

أتت تختال في حبر وحبر

على العشاق لا كبر وكبر

You came waltzing in a sea and a sea

Of passion where for lovers there was no shame or shame.

منعمة الشبيبة لم يرعها

مشيب في العذار أقام عذري

The charms of youth had not sought you

When grey hair in rejection stayed my excuse.

سعت نحوي على سحر تريني

بدائع حسنها نفثات سحر

You stretched out to me with the sorcery you show me,

With the wonders of your beauty and breaths of magic,

إلى أن صيرتني في هواها

أسير القلب مبتهجاً بأسري

Until you made me in my love for you

A prisoner of the heart, joyous in my captivity.

سرت لي من رُبى بيروت تهدى

شذي لبنان معلنة بسر

You came to me from the maidens of Beirut, whither you repair,

With choice Lebanese, announcing secretly.

تخبرني وقد ألفت خبيراً

قريب العهد من خَبَر وخُبر

You tell me, for you have known me an expert,

Recently come to knowledge, and knowing.

بأن ذوي هواي بها على ما

عهدت مبرة وكمال بر

That those who love me in it are, as

I knew, sincere and perfect of fidelity.

ألا حيا رُبى بيروت عني

ولبنان الحيا منهلّ قطر

Hail, maidens of Beirut, of me

And Lebanon, whose life is a pouring rainfall.

بدر يملأ الأرجاء دُرا

ويمزج ترب أرضيها بتبر

Full moon filling the expanse with pearls

And mingling its dust with musk.

وحيا من بها ربي وحيا

زماناً مرّ فيها غير مرّ

And hail whoever in it grew up, and hail

A time that passed in it, not passing.

وحيا حيّ وافدة أتتني

برياها تضوع بنفح عطر

And hail, hail, newcomer who came to me

With her splendor smelling of sweet perfume.

وسرّت بالتحية من سريّ

حرىّ بالوداد عليّ قدر

And greeted me from her intimacy

Worthy of affection for me is her measure.

سليل كرامة وربيب عز

ونسل صيانة ورضيع طهر

Scion of glory and nursling of might,

And offspring of loyalty and suckling of purity,

وفرع نجابة من عود مجد

أثيل الأصل من أثلات فخر

And branch of excellence from a stock of glory,

Of noble stock, of outstanding nobility.

كميّ من سلالة أرسلان

ذؤابة قومه الأسد الهزبر

How excellent of the line of Arslan

The ferocious lion of his folk.

فتى خطب العلى وصبا إليها

فكان لها صباه خير مهر

A youth who sought the highest and turned to it,

So for him his youth was the best dowry.

ومن خطب الحسان فلا شفيع

لهن سوى الصبا مقبول أمر

And who sought beauty so no intercessor

For them but youth whose case is accepted.

تعلق قلبه من عهد مهد

بكسب المجد مجتنباً لخسر

His heart clung from the days of the cradle

To gaining glory, shunning losing,

وأولع بالمعالي والمعاني

ونظم الشعر لا لِطلاب وفر

And was enamored of the noble deeds and meanings

And versifying - not for gain or excess,

ولا لصبابة في ورد خد

ولا لصُبابة من خمر ثغر

Nor for youths in the cheek of youth

Nor for youths from the wine of a mouth.

ولكن لاقتناص شرود معنى

يعنّ وحكمة تبدو وسر

But to catch the fleeting idea

That gives meaning and appears as mystery.

وان يلعب فما لعب بعيب

لعهد صبا وشرخ شباب عمر

And if he played it was not with disgrace,

For wont of youth and prime of life.

ولكن تأنف الهمم العوالي

على رغم الصبا سفساف أمر

But lofty ambitions scorn

Despite youth the meanness of affair.

تحرّم قرب أمر فيه إمر

وتوجب هجر كل مقال هُجر

It prohibited the approach of a commanded matter in which is commanding,

And made incumbent shunning all prohibited speech.