أَمَا تَرَى راهِبَ الأَسْحَارِ قَدْ هَتَفا

وحَثَّ تَغْريدُهُ لَمّا عَلاَ الشّعَفَا

Behold the monk chanting at dawn,

His warbling hastens as the boughs rustle.

أَوْفَى بِصَبْغِ أبي قَابُوسَ مَفْرقُهُ

كَدُرَّةِ التّاجِ لَمّا عُولِيَتْ شَرَفَا

The hue of his hood resembles Father of Qabus,

Like a pearl-studded crown raised loftily.

مُشَنّفاً بِعَقيقٍ حَولَ مَذْبَحِهِ

هَلْ كُنتَ في غيرِ أُذْنٍ تَعْقِدُ الشُّنُفَا

Adorned with carnelian around his altar,

Were you not lending an ear, plaiting braids?

كأنّما الْتَفَّ في هُدَّابِ راهِبَةٍ

يَسْتَوْحِشُ الأُنْسَ إلاَّ بيعَه أنفا

As if a ringdove roosted on a devotees chest

Finding company loathsome unless selling itself.

لمّا أراحَتْ رُعاةُ اللّيلِ غَارِبَةً

مِنَ الكواكبِ كانتْ تَرْتَعِي السُّدُفا

When the shepherds of night rested their flock

Of stars grazing the boughs.

هَزَّ اللِّواءَ على ما كانَ مِنْ سِنَةٍ

واهْتَزَّ ثُمَّ عَلا وارْتَجَّ ثُمَّ هَفا

He shook his banner despite his advanced years

Swaying, rising, then settling gently.

ثُمَّ اسْتَمَرّ كما غَنّى على طَرَبٍ

مُرَنّحٌ قَدْ عَلا تَطْرِيبُهُ وَصَفَا

Then persisted melodiously in song,

Trilling, his clear tones rising.

إذا اسْتَهَلَّ اسْتَهَلّتْ حولَهُ عُصَبٌ

كالحيِّ صِيحَ صَباحاً فيه فاختلفا

When he commenced, flocks gathered about

Like desert beasts roaring at dawn vying in estimation.

نَبّهْتُهُ والنّدامَى طالَ مَكْثُهمُ

فقلتُ قُمْ واكْفِنا الهَمَّ الذي وَكَفَا

I roused him as revelers overstayed their welcome,

Saying arise, relieve us of the care that consumed us!

فاصْرِفْ بِصِرْفِكَ وَجْهَ الماءِ يومكَ ذَا

حتى تَرَى نائماً منهم ومُنْصَرِفا

Turn your visage from the water this day

Until you see the sleepers departing.

فَقامَ مُلْتَحِفاً كالبدرِ مُطّلِعاً

والظّبي مُلْتَفِتاً والغُصْنِ مُنْعَطِفا

So he stood, cloaked like the rising moon

The gazelle glancing back, the bough inclining.

رَقّتْ غُلالَةُ خَدَّيْهِ فلَوْ رَمِيَا

باللّحْظِ أَوْ بالمُنَى هَمّا بأنْ يَكِفَا

The smoothness of his cheeks softened, were they to glance

Or wish, they would cease their resistance.

كأنَّ قافاً أُدِيرَتْ فوقَ وَجْنَتِهِ

واخْتَطَّ كاتِبُهَا مِنْ فَوْقِها أَلِفَا

As if a Qaf were inscribed above his cheek

And its scribe had flourished a thousand whorls.

فقلتُ مِنْ بعد ما شَاهَدْتُ هَيئتَهُ

حَسْبِي بِذَا عِوَضاً مِنْ خَمْرَتي وكَفا

After beholding his countenance, I said

That suffices me in place of wine cups and more.

فاسْتَلَّ راحاً كَبِيضٍ وافَقَتْ حَجَناً

خِلالَنا أو كَنَارٍ صادَفَتْ سَعَفَا

He shone brilliantly, matching the full moon

Parting our company, or fire meeting kindling.

فكانَ مِنْ ضَوْئِها إِذْ قامَ مُصْطَبِحاً

وضَوْءِ وَجْنَتِهِ ما عَمّنَا وَكَفَى

In the radiance as he rose revived at dawn

His cheek and my companions lit our abode sufficiently.

صَفراء أو قَلَّ ما اصْفَرَّتْ فأَنتَ تَرى

ذَوْباً مِنَ الدُّرِ رَصُّوا فوقَهُ صَدَفَا

Bright as barely yellowed by jaundice, yet you see

Scattered above it, shells of scattered pearl.

فلَمْ يَزَلْ في ثلاثٍ واثنتين وفي

خَمْسٍ وعَشْرٍ وما اسْتَعْلَى وما لَطُفَا

Ceaselessly, for thirty-one days, and for

Fifteen days more he persevered, not tiring or relenting,

وأَمْتَري وَدْقَ سِمْطَيْ لُؤلُؤٍ بَرِدٍ

عَذْبٍ وأَرْشُفُ ثَغْراً قَطُّ ما رُشِفا

I peer through the chink of two lustrous pearls, pure,

Sweet, taking a draught - never have I drunk so deeply.

حتى حَسِبْتُ أنو شروانَ مِنْ خَوَلي

وخِلْتُ أَنَّ نَديمي عاشِرُ الخُلفا

That I imagined him a cupbearer of Khawali,

And my boon companion, the choicest of successors.