قِف وسلّم في مغاني ذي سلم

واِلثم الآيات منها واِستلِم

Stop and greet the melodies of the one with the ladder

And kiss the verses from it and receive

وَاِسأل الركبَ منها مستعلما

عن دارِ هند ورباب وحذم

And ask the caravan about it, inquiring

About the house of India, Rabab and Hathm

دمناً كم قد سحبنا زمنا

حلل الإعجابِ منها كَم وكَم

How much blood we have drawn for a long time

The wonders of which are unravelled over and over again

وَلَكم غازلتُ في عرَصاتها

غزلة ما بينَ هاتيكَ الخِيَم

And how much did I flirt in its plains

A flirtation between those tents

حيث سُعدى بالرِضى مسعدة

وأميم هيَ مِن وصلي أمم

Where Sa'da is happy with pleasure

And Umm Ayman is the result of my union

هَكذا والدهرُ عنّا نائم

مُستقرٌّ وهَوانا لَم يَنَم

Thus time about us is sleeping

Settled while we did not sleep

وَتَرى أيّامنا مُشمسة

لم يُكدِّر نورها غيمُ الغيَم

And you see our days sunny

Its light not darkened by the clouds' cloudiness

وَليالي حظّنا مقمرةٌ

مادحت فيها بجاميم الظلَم

And the nights of our fortune are moonlit

Praised in it with the beauties of darkness

يا لذاكَ العيشِ ما أعذبهُ

مطعماً كان لمَن منه طعم

Oh that life, how sweet it is

Seasoned, it was for those who tasted it

وَمغنّ في الأماليدِ شدا

وَنسيمُ الريحِ فيها قد نسم

And singing in the gatherings

And the breeze in it has blown

وَالندى في الروضِ كاللؤلؤ والر

روضِ في الزهرِ منير مُبتسم

And the dew in the garden like pearls and buds

A garden in blossoms smiling

رتَّل السجعَ فأورى في الحشا

جمرَ وجدٍ شبّ فيه واِضطرَم

Chant rhymed prose and inspire in lovesickness

Embers and affection kindled and blazed

يا مَلومي لو عرفت الحبّ عن

عينِ عقلٍ كنت فيه لم تلَم

Oh blame me, if you knew love through

The eye of reason you would not blame me

لُمتني في حبِّ سعدى وهوَ في

مَذهَبي دينٌ وفرضٌ قد لَزِم

You blamed me in my love of Sa’da but it is in

My doctrine a duty and obligation which adhered

خلّني والسقم منه إنّني

قَد أرى اللذّات في ذاكَ السقَم

Leave me alone and the sickness from it, I

Can see the pleasures in that sickness

غادةٌ ما واصلت لي حَبلها

قطّ إلّا اِنبتّ قطعاً واِنصَرَم

A visitor who has never united with me

A connection except it sprouted, was cut off, and disintegrated

ضخمةُ الأردافِ يحوي درعها

غصنَ بانٍ فوقَ دعصٍ مرتكم

Large-buttocked, her coat contains

A bough of acacia above a propped up pole

غصن بانٍ فاعم من فوقهِ

قمر مِن فوقه الليلُ اِدلهَم

A bough of acacia hanging over it

A moon over which the night darkened

صنمٌ إِن لاحَ لي قلت له

جلّ هَذا الحسنُ عن حسنِ الصَنَم

An idol, if it appeared to me I would say

Too glorious this beauty over the idol's beauty

يَشتكي خلخالها مِن ساقها

حينَما غصّ فيهِ واِحتكَم

Her anklet complains of her leg

When it was narrowed on it and rubbed

كَشفت برقعَها عَن وجهها

فَبدا في الحسنِ عَن حسنِ الصنَم

She uncovered her veil from her face

So the beauty appeared apart from the idol’s beauty

رحصة الأطرافِ يجري وشحها

فوقَ خصرٍ دقّ منها واِنهضَم

Slender limbs whose dress flows over

A narrow waist it hugs from her and is grouped together

وَإِذا ما صافَحَتني صافحت

ببنانات كأطرافِ العنَم

And if she shook my hand, she shook

With fingers like the ends of spears

وَإِذا اِبتسمت قلت بدا

لؤلؤٌ في الثغرِ منها منتظم

And if she smiles, I would say a

Pearl appeared in her mouth aligned

في لَماها شنبٌ في لحظها

حورٌ في أنفها يَبدو شمَم

In her glance, a mole, in her amorous glance

A houri that sniffs shows through

أسفا لريقتها الروح بلثمها

ما عاينت من تحتَ اللثم

Pitiful for her saliva the soul kisses it through her veil

I have not seen the likes beneath the veil

عَطشا في عطشٍ منّى إلى

رشفة مِن ريقِها العذبِ الشبم

Thirsty in thirst I have wished to

A sip of her sweet, dewy saliva

أيُّها المعسرُ لا ترغب إلى

سمن تحسبهُ وهو ورم

Oh destitute one, do not covet

Fat you assume while it is a cyst

وَاِفصدن وجهَ عرارٍ تلفهِ

بحرَ جودٍ بالعَطايا مُتلطم

And seek the face of a virtuous man you wrap

In an sea of generosity turbulent

ملكٌ سادَ الورى طفلاً وما

نَبتت مِن فوقِ خدّيه اللمم

A king who ruled the world as a child and

No blemishes sprouted above his cheeks

وَأَحاطَ المُلك والإقليم بالس

سيف والرمحِ الرديني والقَلَم

And he surrounded the kingdom and realm with

Sword, spear, the two-edged, and the pen

فَهو مقباسُ هدىً في ملكهِ

وَهوَ مقماعٌ لمن فيهِ اِغتشَم

So he is the source of guidance in his rule

And he is a gag for whoever in it was audacious

لَم يَزل للمجتدي في كفِّه

وَلِمن غاضبهُ شهدٌ وسم

He did not cease to have for the supplicant in his palm

And for he who angers him, honey and poison

كَم هَمت للوفدِ من أنوائهِ

ديمٌ تخجل أنواءَ الديَم

How many intentions for the delegation have come from his layers

Blood shed that would shame the shedding blood

وَأَفاد المجتدي مِن مالهِ

نعماً سابغةً بعد نِعَم

And the supplicant has benefited from his wealth

Bounties, perfect after bounties

ما أَتاهُ معدم مجتدياً

قطّ إلّا صارَ معدوم العدَم

No destitute person has come to him supplicating

Except he became devoid of destitution

أَيقَنت همّته أنّ الثنا

خيرُ محصولٍ وأَزكى مُغتنَم

His ambition was certain that praise

Is the best crop and most blessed profitable thing

أَمِنَ الناسُ العدا في ملكهِ

كأمانِ الطيرِ في سوحِ الحرَم

The people are safe from enemies in his rule

Like the safety of birds in the sanctuaries inviolable

أَيّها القرم الّذي قد صعدت

في مَعاليهِ به قعس الهِمَم

Oh eminent one who has ascended

In his grandeur, through it ambitions bowed down low

إنّني في مَعشري متشيق

لكَ من دونِ عشيري والحشَم

I am in my family lovelorn

For you apart from my family and shyness

فَاِنتعشني من أزاليق بها

صرتُ ما بينَ مخافاتٍ همَم

So enliven me from my woes through which

I have become between fears and ambitions

واِعلمن أنّك إن ضيّعتني

صرت في التضييع لحماً في إضَم

And know that if you let me down

You would become in letting down flesh in a bone bag