دِمَنَ الأحَبَّةِ لَو عَصَيتِ العَاذِلا

لأَجَبتِ عَن ظَعنِ الخَلِيطِ السَّائِلا

My beloveds, had you disobeyed the blamer

I would have answered the insults of the pouring slanderer

وبَرَّدتِ عَنه البَعضَ مِن حَرِّ الهَوَى

وكَفَفتِ عَنهُ وَسَاوِساً وبَلاَبِلا

And cooled him somewhat from the heat of passion

And restrained him from whisperings and confusions

وحَبَستِ في عَينَيهِ بَعضَ دُمُوعَهُ

وشَفَيتِ دَاءً في الجَوانِحِ دَاخِلا

And detained some of his tears in his eyes

And healed an illness intrinsic in his essence

وأرَيتهِ مَلهَى الأحبَّةِ باللِّوَى

زَمنَ السُّرُورِ بِهِ ضُحىً وأصَائِلا

And showed him the pleasures of lovemaking

In the days of joy, morning and evening

أيَّامَنَا بِلِوَى الطَّوِيلِ إِذِ الهَوَى

طَوعُ الصُّبَاةِ مَوَاثِقاً وَوَسَائِلا

Our days in the embrace of intimacy, when passion

Obeys the youths with pacts and paths

لا نَختَشِي تَشحَاجَ أبقَعَ بالنَّوَى

والوَصلُ عَذبٌ لا صُدُودَ ولاَ قِلَى

We do not fear the jealousy of a frowning lover

And union is sweet without barriers or scarcity

نَلهُو عَلَى كُثبانِهِ بِخَرَائِد

رُودٍ تَاَطَّرُ في الرِّيَاطِ غوَافِلا

We play on its dunes with the gazelles

Of a grazing doe scattering in the meadows unmindful

ونَبِيتُ في العَرَصَاتِ نَكتُمُ سِرَّنَا

نَخشَى العَوَاذِرَ أن تَكُونَ عَواذِلا

And we spend the night in the thickets concealing our secret

Fearing the chaste would be forbidding

ونَظَلُّ نَرقُبُ غَيبَةَ الرُّقَبَاءِ كَى

نَصطَادَ بِيضاً كالظِّبَاءِ خَوَاذِلا

And we lurk watching for the absence of the guardians

That we may hunt eggs like partridges, deceived

نَمشِى على الكُثبَانِ بين خرائد

بيض نواعم بالقلوب مَوَائِلا

We walk on the dunes between gazelles

Of delicate, white, tender-hearted doves

مَا إِن بَعَثَن لِحَاظَهُنَّ لِمَرعَوٍ

إِلاَّ أصَبنَ بِهِنَّ مِنهُ مَقَاتِلا

No sooner did they release their gaze to pasture

Than they got some of them as warriors

يَصطَدنَ كُلَّ مُدَجَّجٍ مُتَمَنِّعٍ

مهما نَصَبنَ دَلاَلَهُنَّ حَبَائِلا

They hunt every armed and resistant prey

No matter how much they deploy their ropes

وَتزِلُّ مِن أعلَى شَمَارِيخِ الذُّرَى

نَغَمَاتُهُنَّ الأدفيب الصُّلُودَ العَاقِلا

And their melodies spill from the top of the abodes

Intoxicated, modest, rational

وكَأنَّهُنَّ إِذَا رَنِينَ مِنَ المَهَا

عِينٌ مَطَافِلُ قَد أحَسنَ مُخَاتِلا

And it is as if when they resonate from playfulness

A roving eye has contended fairly

وَكَأنَّ أوجُهَهُنَّ أقمَارُ الدُّجَى

وكَأنَّ في ضَفَرَاتِهِنَّ لَيَائِلا

And it is as if their faces are moons of nightfall

And as if their braids have flashes

وكَأنَّهُنَّ إذا ابتَسَمنَ بَوَارِقاً

بَل هُنَّ أحسَنُ طَلعَةً وأقَاوِلا

And it is as if when they smile flashes of lightening

But they are more beautiful in rising and setting

وَكَأنَّ في أنيَابِهِنَّ عَلَى الكَرَى

عَسَلاً وفي نَكَهَاتِهِنَّ خَمَائِلا

And it is as if their fangs against fate contain

Honey, and their tastes, spirits

وكَأنَّهُنَّ تَثَنِيًّا وتَمَايُلاً

بَانُ النّقَى مُتَثَنِياً مُتَمَائِلا

And it is as if they swaying and swaying

The pure bend swaying, tilting

ولَهَا أنَابِيبٌ رِوىً ومَعَاصِمٌ

مَلاَت بِهِنَّ أسَاوِراً وخَلاَخِلا

And they have wrists, bending softly, and chastity belts

Adorned with bracelets and anklets

وَإِذَا وَعَدنَ وَفِينَ لَكِنَّ الوَفَا

عَدَمُ الوَفَاءِ فَقَد عُهِدنَ مَوَاطِلا

And when they promise and fulfill, but loyalty

Is seldom found, they are known to delay

وكَأنني لَمَّا مَرَرتُ بِدِمنَتَى

ذَاتِ الرُّبَى نَقِفتُ حَنَاظِلا

And it is as if when I passed by my beloved

Of shapely neck, I stopped enchanted

وكَأنَّ في قَلبي غَضاً مُتَضَرِّماً

يغلي زَفِيرِي عَالِياً أو سَافِلا

And it is as if in my heart there is blazing rancor

Seething my sighs loud or low

وَتَخَالُ لَو شَاهَدتَ جَريَ مَدَامِعِي

يَومَ الزَّيَالِ جَوارِياً وَسَوَائِلا

And you would imagine if you saw my tears flowing

One day of departure, maidens and crones

وَكَأَنَّ أَدمُعَ مُقلَتي مِن جَريِها

بَينَ الرُّبوعِ ذَوارِفاً وَسَوالِفا

And it is as if the tears of my eyelids in their flowing

Between the meadows, flowing and streaming

يمني الخَليفةِ والخَليلِ المُصطفي

جَعَلَت تُفَرِّقُ أَينُقاً وَأَجامِلا

On the right of the Caliph and the chosen beloved

They came to separate beauty and perfection

وَدَراهِماً وَقَناطِراً وَمَوائِداً

وَأَرائِكاً وَوَلائِداً وَحُلاحِلا

And dirhams, and chains, and tables

And couches, and coverings, and ornaments

وَجَوارِياً دُهماً قَواطِعَ لِلفَلا

تَشئُو الجَهامَةَ والأسكَّ جَوافِلا

And slender, firm slave-girls

Who straighten resoluteness and submissiveness

وَنَوالَهُ المَأمولَ سَيلاً دافِقاًَ

بِتَلاعِ أَربابِ الحَوائِجِ سائِلا

And his expected downpour, pouring

To the hopes of the seekers, requesting

يَا أَيُّها الشَّيخُ الجَلِيلُ المُصطفي

لا زِلتَ في بُردِ الجَلالَةِ رَافِلا

O eminent, majestic, chosen Sheikh

You persist in the coldness of majesty, kind

أنتَ الذي تَهَبُ القُصَورَ وغَرسَهَا

وبِنَاءَهَا المُتَعَالِىَ المُتَطَاوِلا

You who grants palaces and their cultivation

And their towering, lofty construction

والهَيكَلَ الطِّرفَ المُسَوَّمَ مُسرَجاً

والشَّد قَمِىِّ المُقسَئِنَّ البَازِلا

And the perfumed, pure, thoroughbred horse

And the resolute, judicious archer

والغَادَةَ العَذ رَاءَ بَاهِرَةَ الحُلَى

وَصَدَاقَهَا وتَكُونَ بَعدُ الكَافِلا

And the chaste, brilliant, beautifully adorned bride

And her dower, and you would later fulfill

عَوَّدتَ نَفسَكَ أَن تَمِيلَ مَعَ التُّقَى

أبَداً وأن تَهَبَ الجَزِيلَ السَّائِلا

You have accustomed yourself to incline with piety

Always, and to bestow generously to the asker

وأمَرتَهَأ أن لاَ تَمَلَّ مِنَ العَطَا

حَتى تُمِلًّ هِبَاتُكَ المُتنَاوِلا

And you ordered it not to hesitate to bestow

Until your donations make you hesitate

وَلَقَد وَهَبتَ عَلَى الخُطُوبِ مَوَاهِباً

خَلَفَنَ عَنكَ مُجَارِياً ومُنَاضِلا

And indeed you have granted gifts over tribulations

That flowed from you, struggling and contending

إني لأُرفُلُ في إِلاَكَ فَمِن إِلىً

مُبثُوثَةٍ مِنهَا أمِيلُ ِإلَى إِلَى

I swagger in my dependence so guide me

To scattered dependencies which I lean to

شَيِّمٌ أتَتكَ مِنَ الخَدِيمِ سِجَالُهَا

فَغَدَوتَ فِيها لِلخَدِيمِ مُسَاجِلا

A dispute came to you from the servant

So you became in it disputing the servant

إني أقُولُ لِمَن يُؤَمِّلُ حَاجَةً

أو مَن يُحَاذِرُ في الخُطُوبِ هوائلا

I say to whoever anticipates a need

Or who fears calamities in tribulations

أُمَّ الخَلِيفَةَ مِنهُ تُحظَ بِمُنتَهَى

مَا كُنتُ مِنهُ مُؤَمِلاً ومُحَاوِلا

Seek from him the utmost

That I anticipated and contended

أُمَّ الفَتَى الجَوَّالَ في طُرُقِ العُلاَ

خَيرَ الرِّجَالِ جِبِلَّةً وفَعَائِلا

The mother of the wandering youth in the paths of ascension

The best of men in nature and ancestry

العَالِمَ الجَمَّ الخِصَالِ المُرتَضَى

والتَّابِعَ السَّنَنَ القَوِيمَ العَامِلا

The erudite scholar of perfect traits, the content

And the follower of the straight methodology, the practitioner

والسِّيدَ الأَعلَى هُدًى وهِدَايَةً

والأورَعَ الأتقَى الوَلِىَّ الكَامِلا

And the highest chief of guidance and direction

And the most pious and complete guardian

والمُغني الفُقَراءَ مِن نَفحَاتِه

والمُولِىَ الضُّعَفَاءَ رِفقاً شَامِلا

The enricher of the poor with his breaths

And the aider of the weak gently, inclusively

والغَاسِلَ الرَّينَ المُرِبَّ عَلَى النُّهَى

والكَاسِىَ العِلمَ الغَزِيرَ الجَاهِلا

The washer of filth, cultivated in prohibition

And the clother of abundant knowledge to the ignorant

والمُهدِىَ الغَاوي بِجِذوَةِ سِرِّهِ

وبِجَذبِهِ لِلحَضرَةِ المُتَكَاسِلا

The guider of the misguided with his secret's spark

And his pull to the Presence, the lazy

والحَامِلَ بالكَلَّ الذي يُعيِى الوَرَى

والظَّاهِرَ الرُّتبَ العَزِيزَ الخَامِلا

The carrier of the whole which fatigues humanity

And the prominent, mighty, universal

والبَاذِلَ العِلقَ النَّفِيسَ سَمَاحَةً

والحَاكِمَ النَّدُسَ اللَّبِيبَ العَاقِلا

The giver of the precious solution, generously

And the just, intelligent, reasonable ruler

والمُدني السني مِن جَنَباتِهِ

وَالمُنئى البِدَعَ المُمِيتَ البَاطِلا

The advocate of the Sunnah from his sides

And the denier of destructive, false innovation

نَدباً تَفَقًّه في التَّصَوُّفِ يَافِعاً

ودَرى العُلُومَ مسَائِلاً فَمَسَائِلا

A youth who studied Sufism deeply

And learned the sciences, issue after issue

يُصغِى لاِنشَادِ القَرِيضِ بِسَمعِهِ

حَتًّى يُظَنُّ بِحِفظِهِ مُتَشَاغِلا

He listens to poetry recital with his hearing

Until you would think him preoccupied with memorization

ولِقَلبِهِ في كُلِّ مَعنًى جَولَةٌ

فَتَرَاهُ مِن معنًى جَائِلا

And his heart has an excursion in every meaning

So you see him leaning from one meaning to another

وَيَشُنُّ فِيمَا قَد حَوَاهُ إغَارَةً

فَتَظنُّهُ لَولاَ الجَلاَلَةُ هَازِلا

And he assaults what he has contained jealously

So you would think him, were it not for his majesty, jesting

إِنَّ الفَضَائِلَ إِن أتَينَ جَنَابَهُ

تَكُنِ المُنَى وَجهُنَّ عنهُ جَدَاوِلا

Indeed, if virtues come to him

They would reach wishes, and turn away streams from him

والقَائِلَ المَعرُوفَ في أندَائِهِ

والفَاعِلَ الخَيرَ المُعِينَ الفَاعِلا

The sayer of good in his groanings

And the doer of good, the benefactor, the doer

ألحَقتَ أفقَرَنَا نَدىً بِغَنِيِّنَا

وَجَعلَت كالبَرَمِ السَّخِىَّ الباذِلا

You joined our poverty with our wealth

And made the generous pouring one similar

وبِمَادِرٍ ألحَقتَ حَاتِمَ طَىٍّ

وتَركتَ قُسًّا في البَلاَغَةِ بَاقِلا

And with the spontaneous you joined Hatim

And left everyday speakers in eloquence scant

حَلَّى جُمَانُ مَنَاقِبٍ لَكَ رُصِّعَت

بِمَنَاقِبٍ جِيدَ الزَّمَانِ العَاطِلا

The epochs of time have been adorned for you with traits

With traits dispelling the barren era