ألا يا مَشوقاً يمّمَ الرّبْعَ والمَغْنى

هنيئاً فوجْهُ الحسْنِ حيّاكَ بالحسْنى

Oh you who yearns to visit this land and its beauty

Congratulations, for your beautiful face greets with beauty

عطفْت على سلمَى الرّكابَ مُسلّماً

فأهْدَتْ جَواباً رائقَ اللفظِ والمعْنَى

You turned towards my steps in submission

And gifted an elegant, eloquent response

ويا طالَما صدّت ولم تَثْنِ مَعطِفاً

ولذّتْ وقد جاذَبْتُها غُصُناً لَدْنا

Oh how you often turned away and did not bend a coat

Yet you delighted when I pulled you, a tender branch

وأمّا وقد لاحَ المحَيّا وحُسْنُهُ

فمِنْ طَلْعةٍ تُجْلَى ومنْ دوحَةٍ تُجْنى

As for when your radiant beauty appeared

From a rising moon and a blossoming meadow

وقِدْماً سرَيْنا بالرَّكائِب مَوْهِناً

ونجْمُ الدُّجى بالأفْقِ لمْ يعرِفِ الوَهْنا

We walked slowly with the mounts in the night

And the star of dusk did not know fatigue

تخوضُ بنا بحْرَ السّرابِ ظعائِنٌ

فللّه عيْنَا مَن رأى البحرَ والسُّفْنا

Imaginary mirages lead us into the sea of mirage

So blessed are the eyes that saw the sea and ships

ولم أنْسَ بالحَيِّ الحِلالِ وُقوفَها

وسُكّانُه المعْنَى فمالي وللمغْنَى

I have not forgotten her standing in the permitted quarter

Its people are meanings, so what do I want with poetry?

وهل شغَفي بالبانِ إلا لأنّه

بهِ شَبَهٌ ممّنْ كَلِفتُ بها معْنَى

My passion for description is only because

Through it I compare one who has inspired meaning in me

هيَ الظّبْيُ جيداً والقَضيبُ تأوُّداً

ثنَتْنيَ مِلْكاً دونَ شرْطٍ ولا اسْتِثْنا

She is a gazelle in form and a staff in intimacy

She captivated me without condition or exception

بنَيِّر مرْآها وحُسْنِ قوامِها

إذا ما تبدّتْ تُخْجِلُ البدْرَ والغُصْنا

The brightness of her mirror and beauty of her stature

When she appears, puts moons and branches to shame

فيا لَيْتَ منْها الطيْفُ قد زارَ في الدُجى

ومن لي بهِ والسُّهْدُ قد ألِفَ الجَفْنا

Oh if only her phantom would visit me in the darkness of night

For who can I hope when sleep has befriended my eyelids?

أطارَ فؤادي الشّوْقُ بعْدَ بِعادِها

فلمْ يتخِذْ في الصّدْرِ وكْراً ولا وَكْنا

Yearning flew away with my heart after she left

It did not make in my chest a den or abode

عجِبْتُ لها إذْ أتْلَفَتْهُ ببُعْدِها

وما اتخذَتْ لمّا نأتْ غيرَهُ سُكْنى

I'm amazed it befriended her despite her distance

And did not take rest except when she came close

لقد عذَرَتْني ثمّ ضنَّتْ بوصْلِها

وأعْجَبُ شيءٍ عاذِرٌ بالمُنَى ضَنّا

She excused me then was stingy to unite

The most amazing thing is one who excuses yet is stingy when fate comes

وقد رجمَ الواشي ظنوناً كَواذباً

فمنْ عاذِرٍ قدْ ضنّ أو عاذلٍ ظنّا

The slanderer has cast doubts and lies

So who excuses yet is stingy or who doubts yet accuses?

وأبْدَعُ شيءٍ طائرُ الدوحِ صادِحاً

يُذكِّرُ بالمغْنى ويُبْدِعُ إن غَنّى

The most unique thing is the ring dove calling loudly

Reminding of the beauty and excelling if it sings

أذِنْتُ لهُ والسمعُ بابٌ لسَجْعِهِ

فثابَ ولمْ يعرِفْ حِجاباً ولا إذْنا

I listened to it and hearing is a gateway to its song

So it returned and did not know a veil or permission

وطوّق بالأنداءِ جيداً كأنّهُ

حَبَى يوسُفاً مَوْلايَ بالمَدْحِ فاسْتَغْنى

It circled with odes as if

It wove Joseph with praise so was self-sufficient

هوَ الملِكُ الأعْلى هو النّاصِرُ الذي

مَعالِي عَوالِيهِ مؤسّسةُ المَبْنى

He is the Highest King, the Victorious Supporter

Whose lofty glories established the foundation

فحَسْبُ ملوكِ الغربِ والشّرقِ أنّهُ

يُؤمّلُه الأقْصى من الخلْقِ والأدْنى

It is enough for east and west kings that He

Hopes for their safety, both far and near

إذا ما تبدّى البدْرُ نُوراً ورِفْعَةً

أرى قدْرَهُ أسْمى وطلعتَهُ أسْنى

When the full moon rises with light and loftiness

I see its value highest and its rising most sublime

تُيَسِّرُ يُسْراهُ لسائِلهِ المُنى

وتَبْسُط يُمْناهُ لآمِلِه الأمْنا

It makes easy the ease for the asker of purpose

And extends its favors for the hopeful of safety

فيُرْدي أعادِيهِ ويُحْيِي عُفاتَهُ

بمَكْرُمَةٍ قدْ سَنّ أو غارَةٍ شنّا

So it defeats its enemies and revives its chastity

With either a generous act or a waged war

حَباني بالآمالِ والمالِ رِفْدُهُ

فأغْنَى وعنْ تسْآل مَنْ دونَهُ أغْنى

Its support enriches me with hopes and wealth

So I am self-sufficient and need not ask others for meaning

مدائِحُهُ كانتْ وسائِلَ للغِنى

فللّهِ ما أغْنى وللهِ ما أعْنَى

My praises of it were means to become rich

So praise belongs to Allah for what enriches me and sustains me

أمَولايَ قد بلّغْتَني كُلَّ مطْلَبٍ

بِفَيْضِ نوالٍ جَوْدُهُ يُخْجِلُ المُزْنا

My Master, you have given me all that I sought

With abundant bestowal whose generosity shames misers

ولمْ لا وقد وافتْ علامَتُك التي

لها الحُسْنُ في شفعِ الزّيادةِ بالحُسْنى

Why not, when your sign which is marked with beauty

In adding to beauty, arrived to intercede?

وجُدتَ بما قد أمّلَ العبْدُ مُنعِماً

فشكراً بما أوْليْتَ من مقْصَدٍ أسْنى

You were generous in fulfilling the hopes of a servant

So thanks for what you bestowed of the best aims

وشرّفْتَ عبْداً قد أتاكَ مُسلِّماً

يَرى اليُمْنَ في تَقبيلِ راحَتِك اليُمْنى

And you ennobled a servant who came submitting

Seeing prosperity in kissing your right hand

نوالكَ كافٍ كافِلٌ كلَّ سائِلٍ

لهُ في الورى معْنىً تَناسَوْا بهِ مَعْنا

Your bestowal suffices, securing every asker

To whom meanings in life are forgotten with neglect

يميناً بمنْ حثّ الرّكائِبَ في مِنىً

ومنْ حجّ بيت اللهِ والحجْرَ والرُّكْنا

A blessing upon the one who hurried his Mount at Mina

And the one who performed Pilgrimage of God's House, the Stone and the Corner

ومنْ قد سَرى ليْلاً لتكْليمِ رَبِّهِ

إلى أن تدَلّى قابَ قوسيْن أو أدْنى

And the one who journeyed by night to speak privately to His Lord

Until he hung two bow lengths or closer

لما ساجَل البَدْرُ المُنيرُ ولا الحَيا

يَلوحُ ويَهْمي منكَ حُسْناً ولا مَنّا

Neither the brilliant full moon nor life

Radiate or bestow from you beauty or bounty

ودونكَها بالحمدِ راقَ جمالُها

وبالمَدْحِ فاقتْ كُلَّ غانِيةٍ حَسْنا

And through praise her beauty surpassed

Every lovely singer in beauty

فأثنى عليْكَ العَبْدُ بَدْءاً وعوْدَةً

إلى أن ثَنى صرْفَ الزّمانِ بما أثْنى

So the servant praised you again and again

To where time turned with what he praised