أَمسِك دارِينَ أَم أَنفاسُ أَنقاسِ

وَوَشيُ صَنعاءَ أَم نَقشٌ بِقرطاسِ

Holding two houses or breaths counting breaths,

And the whispers of Sanaa or engraving on paper,

أَم رَوضَةٌ جَمَعت أَشتاتَ زَهرتِها

أَشخاصُ نورٍ لأَنواعٍ وَأَجناسِ

Or a garden that gathered the scattered flowers,

Figures of light for kinds and races,

نَظمٌ توَدُّ الغَواني لَو يَكونُ لَها

عِقداً عَلى النَحرِ أَو تاجاً عَلى الراسِ

A string that the lyrical poems would want to be

A necklace around the neck or a crown on top of the head,

محبَّرٌ بِسَوادِ الحِبرِ أَبيضُهُ

يا حُسنَهُ من دُجى في نورِ نِبراسِ

Inked with the blackness of ink, its whiteness,

Oh how beautiful is its gloominess with the light of the lamp,

حَيّا فَأَحيا أبا حَيّان وافِدُهُ

وَآنس النَفسَ مِنهُ أَيَّ إِيناسِ

It revived so it revived Abu Hayyan its newcomer,

And delighted the soul with whatever companion,

يا يَومَ سَعدٍ مُتاحٍ قَد غَدا مَلَكي

بِهِ قَريباً وَشَيطاني بِهِ خاسِ

O day of happiness accessible, it has become mine

With it soon and my devil with it disgraced,

أَطلَعتَ أَنجُمَ سَعدي إِذ أَفَلنَ كَما

شَبَبتَ بَعدَ خُبُوءٍ ضوءَ مِقباسِ

You brought out the stars of my happiness when they disappeared as

You ignited after obscurity the light of the wick,

ما ظَنت النَفسُ أَن تَسخو الدُهورُ بِما

ضَنَّت بِهِ إِذ أَلانَت قَلبَها القاسي

The self did not think that time would be generous with what

It was stingy with when its heart was cruel,

عادَ المشيبُ شَباباً وَالأَسى فرحا

فَقَلبيَ الأُمَوي وَالرَأس عَباسِي

Grey hair returned to youth and sorrow to joy

So my Umayyad heart became Abbasid and the head,

لَما اِنتَمَيتُ لِنَجمِ الدينِ أنجم عَن

قَلبي الأَسى وَغَدا لي مسقِمي آسي

Since I belonged to the star of religion, the stars disappeared from

My heart the sorrow and my chronic illness became well,

وَمُذ تعرَّف مَنكورِي إِلَيهِ نَأت

مَآتِمي وَدَنَت في الوَقتِ أَعراسي

And since my stranger knew him

My bereavements disappeared and my weddings approached in time,

فَثغرُ دَهرِيَ بَسّامٌ وَجانِبُهُ

لَينٌ وَكانَ قَديماً عابِساً عاسِي

So my life's mouth is smiling and its side

Is soft, and it used to be frowning and grim,

بِالنَجمِ أَهلُ النُهى هُم يَهتَدونَ وَهَل

يحارُ مَن يَهتَدي بِالنجمِ في الناسِ

With the star the people of chastity are guided and does

He who is guided by the star among people get lost?

رَبُّ المَعارف وَهّابُ العَوارِفِ مُه

دٍ للطائِفِ ذو الإِحسانِ وَالباسِ

The Lord of knowledges and Granter of spiritual insights, leading

The gentle one of excellent morals and appearance,

يُولي الجَميلَ وَيَنساهُ وَيذكرُ ما

تُوليهِ شُكراً لَهُ مِن ذاكِرٍ ناسِ

He appoints the good and makes it forgotten and remembers what

Gives him in gratitude of a remembering companion,

أَحيا بِيَحيى رَخيَّ البالِ ذامِقَةٍ

وَمَن يُناويهِ في مَقتٍ وَإِفلاسِ

He revived with Yahya one with an easy life and a taster

And whoever intends him harm or poverty,

لأَشكُرَنَّ الَّذي أَسداهُ مِن نِعَمٍ

شُكرَ الغَمامِ رِياضَ الوردِ وَالآسِ

I will thank the One who bestowed on me blessings

The gratitude of the cloud, the meadows and the myrtle,