إنّ التي شغَفَ الفؤادَ هواها

قضَتِ الليالِي أن تُطيلَ نَواها

She whose love has captivated my heart

Has made the nights prolong their call

عجَباً لها إذْ أتْلَفَتْ ببِعادِها

قلباً مَشوقاً لمْ يزَلْ مَثواهَا

How strange that with her distance

She has captivated a longing heart that was her dwelling

يا ليتَها رَحمَتْ مُعَنّىً مُغْرَماً

لمْ يدرِ ما مَعْنى الهَوى لوْلاها

Oh, if only she had mercy on a loving soul

Who did not know the meaning of passion but through her

زعَمَ العواذِلُ أنّ قلبيَ عاشِقٌ

صدَقُوا ولكن لا يُريدُ سواها

The beauties claimed my heart was in love

They spoke true, but it desires none but her

هيْهاتَ يطْمَعُ أن يدينَ لسَلْوةٍ

بعْدَ الذي فَعَلتْ به عَيْناها

Never shall it hope to find solace in another

After what her eyes have done to it

قالوا تناسَتْ عهْدَ وُدّكَ إذْ نأَتْ

عنْها الرّكابُ وأنتَ لا تَنساها

They said you forgot your love when traveling parties

Departed from her, while you cannot forget her

فأجَبْتُ كُفّوا لسْتُ أسمَعُ عَذْلَكُمْ

أوَ ما علِمْتُمْ أنّني أهْواها

So I replied, desist! I do not listen to your rebuke

Or have you not known that I adore her?

كمْ بتُّ أسْهَرُ قائلاً يا لَيْتَها

لوْ أنها سمَحَتْ بيومِ لِقاها

How often I stayed up at night saying, oh if only

She would allow a day to meet her

لوْ أنها جادَتْ بأيْسَرِ لحظَةٍ

فازَتْ يَدي من دهْرِها بمُناها

If only she would generously grant the easiest moment

My hand would gain its wishes from her life

لوْ أنها رضيَتْ لجُدتُ بكلِّ ما

ملكَتْ يَميني في سَبيل رِضاها

If only she was pleased, I would give all

That my right hand possesses for her satisfaction

حتى أباحَتْ لمْحَة من وصْلِها

سمَحَتْ بها الأيامُ بعْدَ جفاها

Until she allowed an instant of reunion

The days relented after spurning her

بخِلَتْ زماناً بالوِصالِ وعندَما

جادَتْ عليَّ نَوى الزّمانُ نَواها

She was stingy with union for a time and when

She was generous, fate intended its call

قدْ كان طيبُ الوصْلِ لمحةَ بارِقٍ

آهاً عليْها بعْدَ ذلك آهَا

The sweetness of union was a fleeting glimpse

Alas, after that, alas

عهْدي بها والسّحْرُ من أجْفانِها

كُلُّ النُّهى عن صَبْرِها ينْهاها

My pact with her, and the magic is from her eyelids

All restraint from her patience forbids her

عهْدي بِها والوَرْد من وجَناتِها

باللحْظِ يُمْنَعُ مَن يَرومُ جَناها

My pact with her, and the roses from her gardens

With a glance forbid one who wishes to pluck them

عهْدي بِها والطّيبُ يُذْكَى عَرْفُهُ

منْها فأحْيا النّفْسَ إذ حيّاها

My pact with her, and the perfume made fragrant

From her so I revived my soul when she enlivened it

تحْكي الحَدائِقَ نضْرَةً وشمائِلاً

فلذاكَ أصْبو إذْ تهُبُّ صباها

She depicts the gardens, verdant, with features

And so I yearn when the morning breeze stirs her

تحْكي الكواكبَ رفعةً وتهلّلاً

فأبيتُ منْ كَلَفٍ بها أرْعاها

She depicts the stars, lofty and sparkling

So I refused to burden her, though she eased my burden

لله طَلْعَتُها التي قد أُطْلِعَتْ

فجَلتْ على العُشّاقِ شمْسَ ضُحاها

By Allah, her rising that arose

And outshone the lovers, the sun in its clarity

للهِ ما أحْلى محاسِنَ وجْهِها

وأرقَّ معْناها وأعْذبَ فاهَا

By Allah, how beautiful are her face’s charms

And her meaning is most subtle and her mouth most sweet

للهِ ما أحْلى شمائِلَها التي

ترَكَتْ فُؤادي هائِماً بحُلاها

By Allah, how beautiful are her features that

Left my heart infatuated with her dream

عجَباً لها حلّتْ فؤادَ مُتيّمٍ

كلِفٍ بغيْر الفكْرِ لا يَلْقاها

How wondrous that she has captivated the heart of a depressed lover

Burdened with other thoughts, not contemplating her

ولئنْ كلِفْتُ برَبْعِها فتشوّقي

من أجْلِ مَعْناها إلى مغْناها

And if I am burdened with a fragment of her, then my longing

Is for her meaning, to her singing

وأجيبُ من قدْ لامَني في ذكرِها

دارُ الحَبيبِ أحقُّ أن تهْواها

And I respond to one who blames me for mentioning her

The home of the beloved is most deserving of passion

هي حضرةُ الموْلَى الخليفَةِ يوسُفٍ

شرَفِ الملوكِ إمامِها مَولاها

She is the noble presence of the Caliph Yusuf

The honored king, her master and guardian

رحَلتْ ركائِبُهُ ضحًى عن ربعِها

والنّصْرُ يَقدُمُها إلى مَدْعاها

His traveling parties departed at dawn from her abode

And victory escorts her to her claim

تُنْضي إلى الجبلِ المُنيفِ عزائِماً

أبَتِ المكارِمُ أن تَفُلَّ ظُباها

She proceeds with determination to the lofty mountain

Virtues refused to cast down her pride

ترْمي إلى الغرَضِ القَصيّ بأسْهُمٍ

نزَعَ الوَفاءُ بها إلى مَرْماها

She aims for the far goal with arrows

Loyalty has pulled her towards its target

لتَحُلَّ ذِرْوَتَهُ كما تبغي العُلَى

وتحُلَّ من فئَةِ الضّلالِ عُراها

To take its peak as she seeks the heights

And to be rid of the party of misguidance, their disgrace

أوَ ما عَزائِمُهُ صباحٌ كُلّما

حادَتْ عنِ النّهْجِ القَويمِ هَداها

Or are not her determinations a morning that whenever

They deviate from the straight path, it guides her?

حلَّ المَعاهِدَ منهُ مولىً ناصرٌ

وفّى حُقوقَ المَجْدِ إذْ وافاها

She has made the trustee a protecting master

Who fulfilled the rights of glory when he reached her

تبّاً لهمْ لمْ يَقْدُروا قدْرَ الذي

جادَتْ به يُمْناهُ منْ جَدْواها

Damn them! They did not appreciate the worth of the one

Whose right hand was generous with its overflowing seas

فهِيَ التي ما ساجَلَتْ سُحُبَ الحَيا

إلا وفاقَ الغادِياتِ نَداها

She is the one who did not contend with the clouds of life

Except to surpass the rain-clouds with her showers

أوَ ليْسَ من أوْصافِكَ الشّيمُ التي

غَدتِ المُلوكُ بذِكْرِها تتَباهَى

Or are not of your attributes the qualities that

Kings boast of when mentioning her?

أوَ ليْسَ من أوصافكَ الهِمَمُ التي

تبغي النُجومُ النيِّراتُ عُلاها

Or are not of your attributes the resolves that

The brilliant stars seek their ascension?

هَذا ويا للّهِ من غَرْناطَةٍ

دارٌ نُعيدُ على النّوى ذِكْراها

And O Allah, what a Grenada!

A house we repeat in our intents and remember it

لمّا نأى موْلايَ عنها أصْبَحَتْ

وقدِ اسْتحالت حالُها وحُلاها

When my master left it, it changed

Its state and dreams transformed

إذْ حيثُ حلّ الناصرُ المَلك الرِّضَى

نلقَى المكارِمَ والعُلى والجاها

For wherever the victorious, satisfied king settles

We find generosity, nobility, and grandeur

ما رجّعَتْ شوْقاً إليْهِ حَنينَها

إلا وصدّ العزْمُ عن لُقْياها

It did not arouse longing for him when yearning

Except his determination prevented meeting her

ما أظْمأ الشّوقُ الحَثيثُ بِطاحَها

إلا وغيثُ الدّمْعِ قدْ روّاها

Nor did intense longing thirst in its ruins

Except the rain of tears watered it

سُحُبُ المَدامِعِ كلّما بخِلَ الحَيا

تحْدو بها الذكْرى إلى سُقياها

The clouds of tears whenever life was miserly

Remembrance spurred them on to irrigate it

فقلوبُ أهْليها يُقلِّبُها الجَوى

لمّا تحامَى بالبِعادِ حِماها

So the hearts of its people churn with love sickness

When protection was aloof from its haven

ونُفوسُ أهْليها تَهيمُ بذكْرِه

كَلفاً بما من رِفْدِه أوْلاها

And the souls of its people roam remembering him

Burdened with all he bestowed and endowed

بسطَتْ بنصْركَ للدعاءِ أكُفَّها

واستَوْهَبتْ لكَ في البقاءِ اللهَ

It extended its palms in your victory to supplicate

And asked for your eternity from God as a gift