صليهِ بما يشفي غَليلَ فؤادهِ

وَرقّي لهُ في عطفهِ واِنقيادهِ

Pray for him with what soothes his heart's anguish

And be gentle with him in your affection and compliance

وَلا تيئسيهِ مِن وصالك إنّه

لَكم مخلصٌ في حبّه وودادهِ

And do not despair him of uniting with you, for he

Is so loyal in his love and affection

فَوصلك يا ذاتَ الوشاحِ يصدّهُ

وَيثنيهِ مِن قبلِ اللقاءِ معادهِ

For your union, O you with the veil, deters him

And holds him back before the meeting at the appointed time

كئيبٌ نأى عنهُ الرقادُ لهجركم

فَناظرهُ لَم يَكتحل برقادهِ

Sleep has avoided the gloomy one in your separation

So his eyes did not line with kohl in his slumber

إِذا هجعَ الخالي وَنامت عيونهُ

يَبيتُ سميراً في الدُجى لِسهادهِ

When the friend falls asleep and his eyes close

He stays awake in the darkness of his vigilance

محبٌّ رَهينٌ في الكآبَةِ قلبهُ

مَدى عُمرهِ أسير لم يفادهِ

A loving captive, his heart held in sorrow

All his life a prisoner that was never ransomed

يودُّ وَلو تقبيلة مِن حبيبه

فإنّ هواه فهيَ آخرُ زادهِ

He wishes even for a kiss from his beloved

For his passion is his only provision

وَيا أيّها اللاحي دعِ القلبَ يصطلي

منَ الوجدِ جَمراً مسعراً في اِتّقادهِ

And O reproacher, let the heart kindle

With passion, a glowing ember in its ignition

وَلا تَنههُ عَن غيّه إِنّه اِمرؤٌ

يَرى الغيَّ أَهدى في الهوى ورشادهِ

And do not forbid him from his madness, for he is a man

Who sees madness in love as the soundest guidance

وَهل لكَ في إِصلاحِ قلبٍ متيّمٍ

كئيبٍ يَرى إصلاحه في فسادهِ

Can you mend the heart of an enamored

Melancholic who sees mending in his ruin?

وَأغيد ضامي الخصرِ يعسل قدّه

كَعودِ النقا في لينهِ وطرادهِ

Embrace the slim waisted one, supple at the hips

Like a pliant sapling in its tilt and sway

تعمّدته ظمّاً وسقي مضاجعي

فأثَّر منه العطر فوق نجادهِ

I perfumed him with incense and my bed carried

Its fragrance atop its pillows

وَبتّ وصَدري نائياً عن فراشهِ

ضَجيعاً وزندي نائياً عن وسادهِ

And I passed the night turned away from my mattress

Tossing and turning, away from my pillow

تَكاملَ فيه الحسنُ بين بياضهِ

وَما بينَ قانيهِ وبين سوادهِ

Perfection embodied in his beauty

Between his temples and between his blackness and fairness

وَأَرضاً قَطَعناها اِعتسافاً وصاحبي

يُناشِدُني الإنشاد فوق سنادهِ

As my companion and I crossed the land leisurely

He recited to me poetry in praise of the generous father of the Arabs

يُناشدُني شِعراً منَ المدح في علا

أبي العربِ المُعطي جَزيلا تلادهِ

A protector, when he shook the spear

The steeds of his enemies scattered before his steeds

هُمامٌ إِذا هزّ القناةَ تَنافَرَت

جيادُ أعاديهِ أمام جيادهِ

He attacks the enemies and defeats their crowds

As the starling defeated the flock in its flight

يكرّ عَلى الأعدا فَيهزمُ جمعَهم

كَما هزمَ السرحان سرح نفادِهِ

His steeds' charge and the whiteness of his meadows

And the brownness of his hills make me proud

بهِ اِفتَخرت يومَ الوغى جرد جيادهِ

وَبيضُ مَواضيه وسمر صعادهِ

A cloud pouring heavy rain the day of its bounty

Brave in calamity the day of its might

غمامٌ ملثّ القطرِ يوم نوالهِ

هزبرٌ شديدُ اليأسِ يوم جلادهِ

And people with the excellence of armor but some of its coldness

Just as camel litters with some of their padding

وَقوم فضول الدرعِ بعض برودهِ

كَذا وَمتون الجردِ بعض مهادهِ

He built a lofty house of glory, its pillars so high

Their summits rose above its pillars

بنى بيتَ مجدٍ عاليات عمادُهُ

فَنافت أعالي سمكهِ وعمادهِ

If you wish, you gain ease and riches from him

Ask and if you wish ruin, turn away

إِذا شئتَ تَحظى منهُ بِاليسرِ والغنى

فَسلهُ وَإِن شئتَ الهلاك فعادهِ

So how do you address him with formality when he is

Utterly sincere in his effort and determination

فَكيفَ تُخاطبهُ المعالي وإنّه

إِلَيها قصارى جدّه واِجتهادهِ

For neither the noble purebred nor the magnificent steed

Are above him in valor and horsemanship

فَليسَ مجير الطعنِ أعلا حميّة

لديهِ وَلا الزاكي مجير جوادهِ

His pen flows with decree in its flow

When it runs on parchment with its ink

لَهُ قلمٌ يَجري القضاء بجريهِ

إِذا ما جَرى في طرسه بمدادهِ

It nearly grants what he intends

In the eloquent tongue even if uncalled

وَكادَ إِلى ما قَد نواه يجيبهُ

لِسان القصي جَهراً وإن لم ينادهِ

Whom the Merciful knew as true in his certainty

And sincerity, He appointed him king of His servants

وَمن علمَ الرحمنُ صدقَ يقينهِ

وَإِخلاصه ولّاه ملك عبادهِ

And here is a cool breeze of ideas

Of poetry that bypassed the market of stagnation

وَهاكَ من الأفكارِ برداً مفوّفاً

منَ الشعرِ لم يعرض لسوق كسادهِ

It portrayed praise in its robes for its wetness

And the embellishments in its rhythms

حَكى المدحَ في غيلابهِ لبلاله

وما كانَ في نغماته من زبادهِ

From a loving devotee loyal to you his affection came

So do you have any thanks scaling his affection?

أَتى مِن محبٍّ مخلصٍ لك ودّهُ

فَهل لكَ في شكر تراقي ودادهِ

Love has intertwined you, so benefit from your bliss

And who would have a plantation without reaping its harvest?

حَباك الثنا فاِمتاحَ من وجدك الغنى

وَمَن يكُ ذا زرعٍ يَفُز بحصادهِ