يا برق حيِّ الأبرقين فَثَهمدا

اِسقِ الغميم غمام قطرِك مرعدا

O lightning, enliven the lightnings and then become still,

Pour down, O clouds, a shower whose thunder rumbles,

وَاِنضح بما في شؤنكَ اللّاتي هَمت

عَبراتُها تلك الطلول الهمّدا

And sprinkle with what befits your condition those who have grieved,

Their tears are those enduring hills.

وَاِكسُ الرسومَ منَ المعاهدِ حلّةً

خَضراء تُبدي لُؤلؤاً وزَبَرجدا

And clothe the landmarks in a verdant garment

That shows pearls and emerald,

حتّى يعودَ الروضُ أخضرَ ضاحكاً

نوّاره في حسنهِ رطب الندا

Until the garden returns lively and laughing,

Its blossoms in their beauty juicy and supple,

ما بينَ أصفر يانعٍ في أحمرٍ

قانٍ وأبيض ناصعٍ في أسودا

Among yellow, plump red,

Deep blue, shining white and jet black,

فَترى كمائمها تضاحك فضَّةً

هَذا لدى هذا وهذي عَسجَدا

So that you see their buds laughing like silver,

This next to that, and that one bent over.

وَسَرى النسيمُ بها ففضَّ لَطائماً

مِن مِسكها بينَ الرياضِ وبدّدا

The breeze blows among them scattering fresh fragrance

From their musk through the meadows far and wide.

وَغَدا يُصافح مِن غصونِ بشامها

فَنناً ورنّح بانها المتأوّدا

And it went to salute their aromatic branches,

Branches of acacia and bending boughs of wild plum.

دمنٌ مَعاهدُها على عهدي بها

مِن بعدِ رحلة أَهلها لن تعهدا

Its landmarks after my pact with it,

After its people’s journey will no more pledge.

يا صاحِ عُج للحيِّ واِذكُرني وقل

لِسعادَ ماذا صدّها أن تسعدا

O messenger, hasten to the Living and remember me, and say

To Sa’d, what has barred her from happiness?

إِنّي عَلى عهدي ولستُ بسامعٍ

مَن لام فيها ما حييتُ وفنَّدا

I am true to my vow and pay no heed

To whoever slanders her as long as I live and compose.

وَأَنا الفداءُ أنا الفداءُ لها ولا

منّي كثيرٌ أَن أكونَ لها الفدا

I am the ransom, I am the ransom for her, and from me

Is it much that I be ransom for her?

ما لو تُبايعني بروحي قبلةً

مِن ثَغرها أَمضي بها متبرّدا

Would that she gave me her soul’s kiss

Before drinking it in gulps I stride.

جسمٌ أرقُّ منَ النسيمِ إِذا سرى

سحراً وقلبٌ فيه يحكي الجلمدا

A body smoother than the breeze as it wanders by night

And a heart that tells of resolve within.

وَإِذا تثنّت في الخطا وتخطّرت

في بردِها حكت القضيبَ الأملدا

And when she sways while walking and her anklets tinkle

She traces the straight, firmly-planted staff.

يا بضّة الجسمِ اِسمحي بفكاكِ من

في أسرِ حبّك لَا يزال مصفّدا

O she of slender waist, allow my release from

Being bound by love of you, ever-chained.

ما لو مننتِ عليّ منك برشفةٍ

كانَت ألذّ منَ الزلالِ وأبردا

What if you would favor me with a draught

Sweeter than pure water and cooler?

في كلِّ يومٍ موعدٌ لي منك يا

هذي وَما أصدقت عِندي مَوعدا

Each day you have a tryst with me, my

Fair one, though you never kept true to a tryst.

وَلَقد سلكتُ هواكِ حتّى أنّني

أَصبحت فيه أرى الضلالَ هو الهدى

I have pursued your love until I see

Error as guidance and the right path as astray.

وَاِستَعذبت نَفسي عذابك في الهوى

فَرضيتُه لي مُصلحاً أو مفسدا

And I made my soul find sweet your torment in love,

Content with it as doing good or leading me to ruin.

كلّي بكلّي مُستهامٌ لَم أقل

في ذاك منّي ما خلا وما عدا

I am altogether perplexed, I have not said

In that from me what is other or different.

ما لي وللدهرِ الخؤونِ كأنّني

كُنت المعادَ لحربهِ والمُبتدا

Why me and the life of sorrows, as though I

Was its adversary from the first and aggressor?

ما خلتهُ بعد الحروبِ مسالماً

إلّا وعادَ إِلى الحروبِ وسدّدا

I left it not in peace after the battles

Except it returned to battles and intensified them

حتّى قصدتُ إِلى أبي الطيبِ الّذي

بِالجاهِ للجادي يجودُ وبالجدا

Until I came to Abū al-Ṭayyib who

Gives bounty to the generous and aids with exertion.

فَأَجارني من ريبِ دهرٍ حرّه

قَد كانَ في أوجع حرّ المدا

So he protected me from the caprice of a time

Whose heat had been most painful heat.

وَحظيتُ منه بوصلِ عيشٍ ناعمٍ

مِن بعدِ عيشٍ في المعيشةِ أنكدا

And I gained through him a life of gentle living

After a life amidst livelihoods most loathsome.

الأمجدُ القرم الّذي ورثَ العلا

عَن كلِّ أشوس لوذعيّ أمجدا

Al-Mujāhid the brave, who inherited glory

Above every valiant and splendid chieftain,

مَلكٌ تفرّد في المكارمِ مثل ما

قَد كانَ والدهُ بها متفرّدا

A king who excels in magnanimity as

His father had excelled in it before him.

وَجرى فعقّب في ميادين العلا

عَمرو بن هند وشاؤه والأسعدا

And he rushed to follow in the arenas of glory

‘Amr ibn Hind, Shā’ and al-Aswad.

وَبنى وشيّد بيت مجدٍ قَد سما

حتّى اِنتهى السبع الطباق مُشيّدا

And he built and constructed a house of glory that rose

Until reaching the seventh heaven well-structured.

لَم يَرتكب في نهجِ مذهبهِ إلى

سُبلِ العُلا إلّا الطريقَ الأرشدا

He has not taken on the path to supremacy

Except the most proper and guided route.

لولا إِقامةُ عدلهِ في أرضهِ

لَغَدت بِساكنها رماداً أرمدا

Were it not for the establishment of his justice in his land

Its inhabitants would have become cold ashes.

يا مَن تكوّن سيفه ويمينه

ناراً مؤجّجة وبحراً مُزبدا

O you whose sword and right hand are

A kindled fire and foaming sea,

إنّي لمجدك قد زَفَفت خرايداً

تُشجي معانيها الحسانَ الخرّدا

I have brought humble gifts for your glory

That my excellent verses extol.

وَشهدنَ لي بالودِّ فيك وَهل ترى

برّا سواها شاهداً كي يَشهدا

And they have testified to my affection for you—but do you see

Any proof other than them that could testify?

أَنت الوحيدُ وحيدُ عصرك لم تزل

في كلِّ مرتبةٍ بمجدكَ أوحدا

You are the unique one, unique in your time. You have not ceased

To be in every position singular in your glory.

وَلَقد رقيتَ السبعَ في رتبِ العلا

فَاِربع أبيتَ اللّعنَ قَد حُزتَ المدا

You have ascended the seven degrees of supremacy

Until you rejected the fourth, and grasped firmly the pillar.

حتّى تكادُ الشهبُ مِن أَفلاكِها

تَهوي إِلى تقبيلِ نعلكَ سُجّدا

Until the stars seem to plunge from their orbits

Prostrating themselves to kiss your slipper.