لعلكم بعد التجنب والهجر

تديلون من بعد وتشفون من ضر

Perhaps after avoidance and estrangement

You will incline afterwards and recover from harm

فإن الذي غادرتم بين أضلعي

يزيد على مر الزمان ويستشري

For what you left in my ribs

Increases over time and spreads

ولم تنبكم عني النوى غير أنكم

رحلتم من الجفن القريح إلى الفكر

And good intentions did not weep for me except that you

Departed from the eyelids to the mind

ومن عجب أني أسائل عنكم

ومنزلكم بين الجوانح والصدر

And it is strange that I ask about you

While your dwelling is between my heart and chest

واستعطف الأيام فيكم لعلها

تعيد الليالي السباقت كما أدري

And I implored the days regarding you, perhaps

They would return the preceding nights as I know

وأطمع منها في الوصال ولم أزل

عليما بما يؤثرن من شيم الغدر

And I hope from them for reunion and I have not ceased

Being aware of their traits of betrayal

ويوحشني حسن الزمان لنايكم

وإن كنت مأنوس الجوانح بالذكر

And the beauty of the time lonelies me without you

Even though my heart is intimate with remembrance

ولم أنس إذا صدت كما صد شادنٌ

غريرٌ من الربعي أوجس من ذعر

And I have not forgotten when you turned away like the turning

Of a gazelle of my land more timid than alarmed

تميس كما ماس القضيب على النقا

وترنو كما أغضى الشريف من السكر

It grazes like a staff on the soft sand

And it looks as the noble turns away from the wine

وما زلت صبا بالغواني تصيدني

ذوات الثنايا الغر والأوجه الزهر

The singers with the tender sides and bright faces still hunt me

And I have innards filled with youth

وعندي أحشاء ملئن صبابة

كالحاظ أجفان ملئن من السحر

Like an eye filled with sorcery

And if one found what awakens and a thirst

ولوة وجد ما تفيق وظمأة

لا شنب معسول اللمى طيب النشر

With no fermented drink, sweet dispersion

And how much in the wine-skin of prostitutes is a sprinkling

وكم في كناس السمهرية من رشا

أغن يقيم العذر في الخلع للعذر

Who starts a valid excuse for taking off clothes out of desire

And a singer whose voice the breeze makes tremble when it blows

وأهيف يثنيه النسيم إذا جرى

فلو شاء من لينٍ تختم في الخصر

By its softness it could cast a spell to squeeze the waist

The sorceress of words, if she called

وساحرة الألفاظ لو أنها دعت

بنغمتها ميتاً للبى من القبر

With her melody, a dead man would respond from the grave

I peeked beneath the veil of modesty but good love

حسرت قناع الستر فيها ولم يكن

يطيب الهوى يوماً لمن دان بالستر

Never pleases one who is bound by modesty

By God, the nights of desire are further than thoughts

وللَه ليل باللوى أبعد الجوى

وقرب نحراً من مشوق إلى نحر

And closer in intimacy than a throat to a throat

So whatever plaint you wish is deeper than passion

فما شئت من شكوى أرق من الهوى

وما شئت من نجوى الدمن من الخمر

And whatever whisper you wish is sweeter than wine

She walked by, wonderous in her beauty, untouched by perfume

سرت لم تمس الطيب عجباً بحسنها

وقد أفعمت عرض البسيطة بالعطر

And she filled the expanse of the plain with fragrance

So I said: "Obedient to God" or "His son went forth"

فقلت عبيد اللَه أو نجله سرى

فذكرني دارين أوبت بالشحر

And so recalled two homes left in ruins

As if the dawn's light appeared in the night as it went forth

كأن ضياء الصبح في الليل إذ سرى

بصيرة إيمان سرت في عمى كفر

An insight of faith went forth in the blindness of disbelief

As if it were a water-spring that gushed and the tail of the comet appeared

كان مها في الأفق ريعت وقد بدا

لها ذنب السرحان من وضع الفجر

For it is the dawn's placing of the morning

Or else the face of the victorious king brightened

كأن سنى الشمس المنيرة إذا بدا

كسا ورق الإصباح ذوبا من التبر

And illuminated the darkness of gloom in the blazing hot sands

I am astonished at days whose misfortunes

وإلا فوجه الظافر الملك انجلى

فجلى ظلام النقع في الجحفل المجر

Came to injure me from the west and incite against my fullness

And it did not know that in the heat of the victorious one's favor

عجبت لأيام تداعت خطوبها

لتثلم من غربي وتقدح في وفري

I wanted to repel enemies with my sword, Amr

I took sanctuary with him, spreading its shade upon me

ولم تدر أتى في حمى الظافر الرضا

أرد العدى عني بصمصامتى عمرو

And he gave me safety from fate

I laughed in his rain of generosity

حللت جنابا منه مد ظلاله

علي وأعطاني أماناً من الدهر

So smile, O meadow of glory, in gratitude

And how much since I grasped the reins of his horse

جناب بكت فيه غمائم جوده

فاضحكن روض المجد عن زهر الشكر

With his right hand from bounty and his left hand from ease

In the presence of a king whose brightness of forehead

وكم نلت مذ أصبحت الثم كفه

بيمناه من يمن ويسراه من يسر

In the wings of night was like the rising moon

If he plunged into the fray with his thoughts

لدى ملك ما لاح ضوء جبينه

بجنح الدجى إلا كفى مطلع البدر

His discernment would suffice over the white and the brown

And were it not for the flames of war disturbing him

ومتقد الآراء لو جال في الوغى

بخاطره أغنى عن البيض والسمر

His palm would make the spear shafts tremble with green

I see the worshipper of the Merciful a mercy

ولولا اضطرام الباس يه غدا القنا

براحته يهتز بالورق الخضر

From nights that were harsh to him, safety from poverty's wind

And a Kaaba of hopes, many are its pilgrims

أرى عابد الرحمن رحمة من قست

عليه الليالي أمن من ريع بالفقر

It has a sanctuary wherein are feelings for poetry

For those who performed pilgrimage to it with kindness, he commands

وكعبة آمالٍ كثيراً حجيجها

لها حرمٌ فيه مشاعر للشعر

And with his forbearance, he prevents hostility and estrangement

A young man who never girded himself

له من حجاه بالسماحة آمر

ومن حلمه ناه عن اللغو والهجر

Except for his enemies, and set forth war, trailing his robe

Stinginess never confined him in the arena of his justice and striving

فتىً لم يشمر قط إلا عنا له

عداه وساق الحرب مسبلة الأزر

Except his striving was rewarded with victory

O father of Amr, you remain populous for glory

ولم يعترك بخل بميدان عدله

وجدواه إلا فاز جدواه بالنصر

For you are the midpoint of the necklace of pride

And you repelled enemies from me with the wonders of triumph

أبا عامرٍ لازلت للمجد عامرا

فأنك وسطى العقد في عنق الفخر

And flooding attainment when attainment was difficult

You expanded what my burden narrowed in carrying it

وقمت العدا عني برافة ماجد

وغمر نوال سر إذ ساء ذا الغمر

So if you lightened my life, you indeed weighed down my back

And when you raised me to your heavens, my ambition

وأوسعت تعمى ضيقت ذرعا بحملها

فإن خففت عمري لقد أثقلت ظهري

Tomorrow my feet above comforts and eagles

I gave life to the sun of the king in the orbit of highness

ولما ارتقت بي في سمائك همتي

غدا أخمصي فوق النعائم والنسر

And smelled the clouds of generosity in the lightning of munificence

Can one who envies you hope to plot against you

فحييت شمس الملك في فلك العلا

وشمت سحاب الجود في بارق البشر

When you have taken up the quality of firmness while he is still on the trace?

And Obedullah established your house in power

أيرجو ضلالاً أن يناويك حاسد

وقد حزت خصل لسق وهو على الأثر

And harmonized it between the pillars and forgiveness

And you became like al-Ma'mun walking his path

وأرسى عبيد اللَه بيتك في الغلا

وطنبه بين السماكين والغفر

As if you were Moses retracing the steps of al-Khidr

You did not rise with patience when the heights

وأصبحت كالمأمون تقفو سبيله

كأنك موسى تقتفي أثر الخضر

Gave you command with a matter from its wonders, my prince

By God, how they elevated and you elevated from the heights

وما علت صبراً حين قلدك العلا

وجاء بأمر من بدائعه أمري

And by God, what they attained and what you attained in fame

You composed the scattered realm with justice and piety

فلله ما شادوا وشدت من العلا

وللَه ما حازوا وما حزت من ذكر

And stood by the right of God in private and public

And fasting came to you after a feast you fulfilled

نظمت شتيت الملك بالعدل والتقى

وقمت بحق اللَه في السر والجهر

With two fortunate, abundant pleasures and reward

And sickness went away from you, giving glad tidings to his body

وجاءك صوم إثر فطرٍ قضيته

بحظين من سعدٍ جزيلٍ ومن أجر

With the return of blindness and continuance of life

My gratitude will fill each drop it reaches

وأدبر سقمٌ عنك بشر جسمه

بأقبال تعمى واتصالٍ من العمر

With spreading praise of you, more fragrant than perfume

And there remains within my heart a love for you

سيملاً شكري كل قطرٍ تحله

بنشر ثناءٍ عنك أذكى من العطر

With which I will meet the Merciful at the Gathering

وتبقى لكم بين الضلوع محبةً

ألاقي بها الرحمن في موقف الحشر