ما لِمُشتاق مَقَرَّ كُلَّما
سَلَّ سَيفَ البَرقِ غَمدُ الحِندِسِ
What is wrong with a yearner whose abode is misery
Whenever the sword of lightning unsheathed from the scabbard of dark clouds?
أَضرَمَ الوَجدَ لَهُ فاِضطَرَما
حينَ حَيّاهُ الصِبا عَن تونِس
Passion inflamed him, so they both ignited
When the morning breeze greeted him from Tunisia
حَبَّذا الدُنيا وَفَردوسُ النفوس
وَمُنى كُلِّ أَديبٍ وَأَريب
The abode of bliss and paradise of souls
And the wish of every refined and well-versed man
تَتَجَلّى في حُلاها كالعَروسِ
حينَ تَبدو مِن بَعيد أَو قَريب
Appears in her glamour like a bride
When she emerges from afar or near
صانَها بارِئُها مِن كُلِّ بؤس
وَكَفاها كُلِّ معيانٍ مُريب
Her Creator protected her from all misery
And spared her from every wretched miser
وَسَقاها وَرَعاها وَحَمى
وَكَساها حُلَلاً مِن سُندُسِ
He quenched her thirst, cared for her, and guarded her
And clothed her in garments of silk
بَلدَةٌ أَضحَت لِخلّاني حِمى
وَنَدامايَ حَياةَ الأنفُسِ
A city that has become a sanctuary for my companions
And the regret of the life of souls
حَفيظ اللَه حَبيباً لي بِها
وَهوَ في الناظِرِ بَل في الخَلَدِ
May God protect my beloved in it
While he is in the beholder's eye, nay in eternity
صيغَ مِن لُطفِ وَظَرف وَبها
فَبَرى صَبري وَأَبلى جَسَدي
Molded with gentleness, charm and elegance
So my patience withered and my body weakened
حَسب نَفسي في الهَوى مِن حُبِّها
يُلفى في الحُبِّ الَّتي مَقعَد
It suffices my soul in passion for her love
Which I found in the affection of her who has a seated abode
حَبَّذا جَمعي بِهِ إِذ نُظِما
وَهوَ وُسطى عقدِ ذاكَ المَجلِسِ
I loved my gathering with him when we convened
While he was amidst the necklace of that council
ثَغرُهُ كأسي وَخَمري مِن لَمى
قَرقَفيّ عَنبَري اللَعِس
His mouth my cup, and my wine from his saliva
A gurgling of my ambergris and smooth wine
في لَيالٍ أَسرَجَت كُمتَ العُقار
وَسَطَت في كُلِّ أَنسٍ بِخَميس
In nights when worries saddled the planets
And the fifth one ventured in every intimacy
وَنَدامى قَد نَضوا ثَوبَ الوقار
وَجَروا طَلقاً لِما تَهوى النُفوس
And the boon companions had shed the garb of dignity
And freely moved towards what souls desire
وَرَبابٌ حَفَّهُ عودٌ وَطار
حَولَ مُلهٍ وَمُغَن وَأَنيس
With a rebabah engulfing a lute that soared
Around a crooner, singer, and companion
كَيفَ حالي في اِرتِحالي بَعدَما
فارَقَت نَفسي عَديلَ النَفَسِ
How is my state in my travel after
My soul parted from the companion soul?
هَب عَلَيهِم لي سُلوٌ رُبَّما
كَيفَ صَبري عَن كَريمِ المغرِس
Bestow upon them a greeting from me, perhaps
How is my patience from the absence of the noble scion?
كاتِبُ المَغرِب مِن غَيرِ خلاف
وَلِسانُ الدَولَة الصلت الفَصيح
The scribe of the Maghreb without contention
And the eloquent tongue of the state
ذو بَيانٍ قَد سَرى سَريَ السلاف
فاِستَكانَ الصَعبُ واِنقادَ الجَموح
Of eloquent expression that surpassed predecessors
So the arduous succumbed and the untamed submitted
أَحمَدُ الفاضِل أَعني ابنَ الضيف
الوَزيرُ الشَهمُ ذو الضَنِّ الصَريح
Ahmad the virtuous, I mean the son of the guest
The intrepid vizier, straightforward and wise
غُرًّةٌ في دَهرِنا قَد نَجَما
فاِنثَنى مِثلَ نَهارٍ مُشمِسِ
A gem in our time that shone
Then bowed like a radiant sun
ما لِسانُ الدينِ يَرمي عارما
يا زَمانَ الوَصلِ بالأَندَلُسِ
Why does the tongue of religion hurl spears
O days of companionship with Al-Andalus!
حُجَّةُ العَصرِ وَبُرهانُ البِلادِ
المَجاري في عُلاهُ النَيرَين
The proof of the time and evidence of countries
Whose splendor encompassed the two rivers
مُرتَدي الفَخرِ طَريفٍ وَتلاد
مُحرِزُ المَجدِ وَسامي الزِينَتَين
Wearing pride, charm, and beauty
Safeguarding glory and lofty adornments
بِمَعانٍ قَصُرَت عَنها الأَعادِ
أَينَ مَن يَحكي أَبا العَبّاس أَين
With meanings that even transmissions fell short of
Where is one who can recount Abu Al-‘Abbas? Where?
خَصَّني بِالقُربِ لَمّا عَمَّما
بأَيادٍ أَنطَقَت مِن خَرَس
He singled me out with proximity when we convened
With hands that spoke though mute
وَتَوَلّى كاسِدي حَتّى سَما
سوقُهُ بَينَ الجَواري الكُنَّسِ
And he took over my affairs until they reached the sky
His market among the impeccable maidens
هاكَها عَذراءَ ياسامي الفَخار
حَليُها وِدّ وَشُكرٌ وَخَجَل
Receive her, O virtuous one, with delight and shyness
From a sincere lover, distant in burial
مِن مُحِبّ صادِقٍ نائي المَزار
كاسِفِ البالِ خَليّ عَن جَذَل
Concealing anguish, devoid of sternness
She embellished your words in those lands
قَرَّظَت قَولَكَ في تِلكَ الديار
عِندَما سارَ بِها سَيرَ المَثَل
When it roamed them like a proverb
Tunisia, intimate bliss, for her is my longing
تُونِسُ الأنسِ لَها شَوقي نَما
نُزهَةُ النَفسِ وَرَوحُ النَفَسِ
The excursion of the soul and spirit of the soul
Its people have become stars in the sky
أَهلُها أَضحوا نُجوماً في سَما
سَطَعَت مِنهُم بِعقدٍ أَنفَسِ
That shone amongst the necklace of pure souls
