سلْ بالغَميم معاهِداً لمْ أنسَها
أتعيدُ أيامُ التّواصُلِ أُنْسَها
Send my greetings, though I have not forgotten them, to those days of being in touch which restored its intimacy.
She showed you her affection through her cloak, and presented to you her pillow and quilt.
أبدَتْ لديْكَ من المَعاطِفِ مُلْدَها
أهْدَتْ إليكَ من المَراشِفِ لُعْسَها
My covenant with her and our time together takes care of the hopes’ lost fortunes, bringing its sun closer.
The eyes of events slept while we were at leisure, and the course of fate had forgot us.
عهْدي بها وزمانُنا مُتكفِّلٌ
بِشوارِدِ الآمالِ يُدني شُمْسَها
Our passions longed intensely for her, though the beauty of patience does not strip off its dress.
The phantom did not excite her, rather misfortunes and imagination just touched her.
نامتْ عُيونُ الحادثاتِ ونحْنُ في
دَعَةٍ وصرْفُ الدّهْرِ عنّا قَدْ سَها
Our hearts, were it not for preoccupation with wishes, the procrastination would have allowed its neglect.
And our souls, were it not for the Caliph Yusuf, would have felt despair in what it contemplates.
باتَتْ جوانِحُنا إليْها نُزَّعاً
لا منْ جميلِ الصّبْرِ تنزِعُ لُبْسَها
To God belongs a precedent for her, Yusuf the patron of caliphs did not forget her.
So how often have I visited him with hoopoes conveying the flowers of the garden in their feathers.
لم يُشْجِها الطّيْفُ المُلمُّ وإنّما
زار الخبالُ مع الخَيال فمسّها
A king whose prayers and demeanor are as a sun removing the veil from sights.
Resolution, determination and willpower in pious generosity, his palm has established its five pillars.
فقلوبُنا لوْلا التعلّلُ بالمُنى
لأحَلّها طولُ التسوُّفِ رَمْسَها
The caliphate, when it appointed him as its patron, gifted him legitimately and naturally its own self.
It curbed the enemies, so their flock did not panic, and warded off disasters, so its sun did not darken.
ونفوسُنا لولا الخليفَةُ يوسُفٌ
لاسْتَشعَرَتْ فيما تؤمِّلُ يأسَها
My lord, is there among the two noble sanctuaries a patron like Yusuf to ennoble its Egypt or its Jerusalem?
If you approached the kingdoms, neither Chosroes of Persia nor Caesar of Rome would eclipse its glory.
لله سابقةٌ لها أنِسَتْ بِها
مَوْلَى الخلائِفِ يوسُفٌ لمْ يَنْسَها
Which of the caliphs had a state whose deficiencies you did not remedy, or a noble status you did not honor?
While your kingdom in Tunisia is gifted to you, making its present day glorious, forgetting its past.
فلكَمْ جَلوْتُ لديْهِ غُرَّ فرائِدٍ
ضمّنتُ أزهارَ الحديقَةِ طِرسَها
It is a Hafsid state which through you has realized its hopes, in what it aspired to and guessed.
You erected pillars of justice and beautiful loyalty which formed its foundation.
ملكٌ صلاةُ صِلاتِه وخِلالُهُ
شمسٌ تُزيلُ عن النّواظِرِ لَبْسَها
Were it not for its horses being pedigreed to the violent winds, their breed would not have matched its origin.
Prancing coquettishly with pride in their swiftness, like the repentant circling their goblets.
حزْمٌ وإقْدامٌ وعزْمٌ في تُقىً
في جود كَفٍّ قدْ أقامَتْ خمْسَها
To carry the presence of the patron of the faith, whom God has ennobled with the jewels of holiness.
Beauty has clothed it in its raiment, which no hands could dare touch.
إنّ الخِلافَة إذْ رأتْهُ وليَّها
وهبَتْ لهُ شرْعاً وطبْعاً نفسَها
Whenever the Romans sense its raids, their kings are almost stripped of their wits.
You have lineage to the valiant Khazraj, flaunt it over their Ghassan or Ghassanids.
كفّ العُداةَ فلمْ تُروّعْ سِرْبَها
وكَفى الخُطوبَ فلمْ تُكوّرْ شمْسَها
And to you belongs her whose beauty is graced by modesty, wrapping her head with a turban.
She came to you, not deterred by obstacles barring her way, nor by prices making her doubt their worth.
موْلايَ هلْ في الخافقيْنِ كَيوسُف
مَولَىً يُشرِّفُ مِصْرَها أو قُدْسَها
Time did not silence the tongues of my ingenuity, until favors made fair amends for their muteness.
When my beliefs bent over in praise of you, it humbly bent and broke their severity.
لو لُحْتَ للأمْلاكِ قِدْماً لم يَسُدْ
كِسْرَى وقيصَرُ رومَها أو فُرْسَها
All my intentions, here I am hoping for their fulfillment, if fate wills their contrary.
I am the plant of your favors which have spread, and from the flowers of praises to you, reap their harvest.
أيّ الخلائِفِ دولةً ما فُقْتَها
أو أيُّ أشرفِ حُلّةٍ لمْ تُكْسَها
هذا ومُلْكُكَ في هديّةِ تونُسٍ
لكَ يومُها في العِزِّ يُنسي أمْسَها
هي دولةٌ حفْصيّةٌ بك حقّقَتْ
مَظنونَها فيما رَجَتْهُ وحَدْسَها
شادَتْ مَعالِمَ قد أقمتَ على الرِّضى
وعلى المُوالاتِ الجَميلةِ أُسَّها
لولا انتسابُ خيولِها نُسِبَتْ إلى
هوجِ الرّياحِ ولمْ تخالِفْ جِنْسَها
تحتالُ زَهْواً في أعنّةِ سيْرِها
مثْل النّدامَى قد أدارت كأسَها
لتحُلّ حَضرةَ ناصِر الدّين الذي
بِحُلَى عُلاهُ اللهُ شرّفَ قُدْسَها
أضْفى علَيْها الحُسْنُ حُلّتَهُ التي
لم تسْتَطِعْ أيْدي التّناوُل لمْسَها
فإذا أحسَّ الرومُ منها غارَةً
كادَتْ مُلوكُهُمُ تُفارقُ حِسَّها
للخَزْرَجيّينَ الألى لكَ نِسبةٌ
طاوِلْ بها ذُبْيانَها أو عبْسَها
وإليْكَها عَذْراءَ راقَ جمالُها
بالطّرْسِ قد لفّتْ حَياءً رأسَها
وافَتْ فَما راعَ الوسائِلَ ردُّها
كَلا ولا الأثْمانُ تخْشى بخْسَها
لمْ تُصْمِتِ الأيامُ ألسُنَ فِكْرَتي
إلا وأنصَفَتِ المَواهِبُ خُرْسَها
لمّا انثنَتْ تُثْني علَيك عقائِلي
سَحْبانَها خجَلاً ثَنَتْهُ وقُسَّها
كُلُّ المقاصِدِ منك ها أنا أرْتجي
إسْعافَها إن رامَ دهْرٌ عكْسَها
أنا غرْسُ أنعُمِكَ التي عمّت ومن
زهْرِ المدائِحِ فيكَ تجْني غَرْسَها
