عَلِمَتْ بِأنَّ غَرامَهَا في خَاطِرِي
فَتَعَزَّزَتْ وَرَنَتْ بِطَرفٍ فَاتِرٍ
She knew my passion burned for her in my heart,
So she grew distant, glancing at me listlessly.
وتَبَرَقَعَتْ لَمَّا رَأتني زَائِراً
أكَذاكَ يُفْعَلُ بِالحَبيبِ الزَّائِرِ
She veiled herself when she saw me visiting,
Is this how a lover should be treated when visiting?
إنْ كَانَ يَعجَبُهَا النُّفُورُ فَإنَّمَا
أهوَى التَّعَزُّلَ فِي الغَزَالِ النَّافِرِ
If aloofness pleased her, then indeed
I love keeping apart, like a startled gazelle.
هَيفَاءُ يُثقِلُهَا الحِلِيُّ وَوَجهُها
أبهى وأفتنُ من حليّ السّامري
Hayfa, jewellery weighs her down and her face
Is lovelier and more alluring than the jewels of a Samaritan.
لا تنكروا ولهي بها فعيونها
حَكَمَتْ عَلَى ضَعفِي بِحُكمٍ قَاهِرِ
Do not deny I am smitten with her, for her eyes
Have condemned me, with an overwhelming judgement.
أو مَا تَرَونَ مِنَ القَوامِ وثَغرِهَا
طَعنِ الرّمَاحِ ونَفَثْ سِحرِ السَّاحِرِ
Or have you not seen her stature and lips,
Like the thrust of a lance, and the sorcery of a bewitcher.
وَمَتَى أشَرتُ مُعَرضاً فِي حَاجَةٍ
غَفَلَتْ ومَرَّتْ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرِ
And whenever I gestured discreetly, wanting something,
She was heedless, speaking of other things.
لَمْ أنسَ إذ قَالَتْ عَهدْتُكَ خَائِفاً
وَقْعَ الشَّوائِبِ مِنْ زَمَانٍ جَائِرِ
I cannot forget when she said, “I knew you were fearful
Of the pitfalls in these unsettled times.”
بِمَنِ انْتَصَرْتَ عَلَيهِ قُلْتُ مُبادِراً
إنِّي انتَصَرتُ بِأحمَدَ بنِ النَّاصِرِ
When asked who I took revenge on, I replied eagerly,
“I took revenge through Ahmad ibn al-Nasir.”
قَالَتْ ظَفِرتَ فَثِق إذاً بِمُوَفَقٍ
رَحبِ الفَنَاءِ لِوارِدٍ والصّادِرِ
She said, “You were victorious, so trust in your good fortune,
Vast is the field for one who arrives and departs.”
مَا فِي الرّجال كَمَنْ ذَكَرتَ ولاتَقُلْ
في الألفِ فَردٌ مِثلُ هذا النَّادِرِ
No man can compare to the one you mentioned, do not say
Among a thousand there is one like this rare man.
مَنْ ذا يَراهُ ولَمْ يَقُلْ في حَقِهِ
كَم قَد بَقَى مِنْ أولِ للآخِرِ
Who sees him and does not say of him,
“How much remains from beginning to end!”
ورث السيادة من أبيه وجده
وهلم جرا كابراً عن كابرِ
He inherited sovereignty from his father and grandfather,
Generations of the great, from one great man to another.
ولقد وردت عليه إثر مشقةٍ
فدحتْ وفلبي في جناحي طائرِ
And truly, after hardship befell him,
I arrived ruffled and crumpled under the wing of a bird.
وَالشَرُّ يَنظُرُنِي بِكُلّ ثَنِيةٍ
شَزراً ويَلقَانِي بِوَجهٍ غَادِرِ
Evil watches me at every turn,
Mocking me maliciously with a treacherous face.
فَإذا أنَا لَمَّا لَمَستُ بِكَفِّهِ
جَذلاَنُ أخطُرُ في انشِرَاح الخَاطِرِ
But as soon as I touched his palm,
I felt delight spread through my heart.
يَا آل نَاجٍ كُلُّكُمْ مِنْ أجلِهِ
أهلُ المَديحِ وأهلُ شُكرِ الشَّاكِرِ
O family of Naji, you are all, because of him,
Worthy of praise, and appreciative of the appreciator.
بَلْ بَيتُكُمْ فِيهَا الفَضَائِلِ جُمِّعَتْ
جَمعاً يُحصَلُ كُلَّ حَظّ وَافِرِ
Indeed, virtuous merits in all their varieties
Have gathered in your house, every ample share.
مَا بَينَ بَطلٍ أو عَميدٍ ولاَيَةٍ
أو بَحرِ فَضلِ أو رئيسِ مَحَابِرِ
None between a champion, or a provincial governor,
Or an ocean of excellence, or chief man of prestige.
يَا سَيِّداً قَد رَدَّ لِي مِن فَضلِهِ
عِزي وحَيَّاني بِخَيرٍ بَاكِرِ
O master, his generosity has restored my honour,
And given me life through timely good.
حُسنُ الطَّويَّةِ في الكَرِيمِ سَجيَّةٌ
تَخفى وَيُظهِرُهَا جَمَالُ الظَّاهِرِ
A noble nature in the generous man is instinctive,
Hidden, yet his handsome appearance reveals it.
أبقَاكَ رَبُّكَ سَالِمَاً فِي غِبطَةٍ
حَتَّى تُعَمِّرَ عُمرَ جَدّ عَاشِرِ
May your Lord keep you safe and sound, in bliss,
Until you live out the lifetime of your glorious ancestor.
