طُلُول لها بالأَبرقينِ دوارسُ

مَحَتْهَا السَّواري والرِّياحُ الرَّوامسُ

She had braids shining like lightning

Erased by combs and winds that softly blow

فما لكَ منها اليومَ الا تذكرٌ

كما تُذكرُ الأحلامُ وهي وساوسُ

So why do you today recall her only

As dreams recalled though they are fleeting fancies

اذا لم تَزُرْ ذات السُّلوس ديارَها

فلا زارَها من أَسحمِ الفيد راجِسُ

If you don’t visit the gentle lady’s abode

Then neither will the dark knight ever visit

سقى اللهُ دهراً سالمتنا صروفُه

وعصراً لبِسْنَا عيشَه وهو ناعِسُ

God watered the vines of our peace for an age

And we wore the garb of ease while it slumbered

ونيلَ الأَماني بعدَ مَطلٍ وَلَيَّةٍ

وهنَّ وانْ أسلَفْهَهُنَّ خَسائِسُ

But wishes were fulfilled after pleading and nightlong vigil

And joy however much the envious blamed it

اذا المرءُ لم يَشْكُمْكَ بالودِّ مِثْلَهُ

وَقصَّرَ عمّا جئتَهُ فهو باخِسُ

When a man doesn’t thank you with love like yours

And falls short of what you gave, he is ungrateful

رأَيتُ أَبا الفضلِ اللبيب بكَيْسِهِ

تناولَ مجداً لم تَنلْهُ الأَكايسُ

I saw the clever Abu Al-Fadl in his wisdom

Achieve glory no contenders could attain

على حينَ لم يظفَر بحمدِك ظافرٌ

ولم يقتَبس من نَارِ ذَمِّكَ قابِسُ

While no victor won your praise, you who are praised

Nor kindled from the fire of your blame, any kindlers

رأى هِمةً فوقَ النجوم فقاسها

بهمته اِنَّ الأُمورَ مَقايسُ

He saw an ambition higher than the stars and gauged it

By his ambition, indeed things are gauged by their like

تمهَّلَ قُدَّام السِّماكِ ولم يكنْ

تكِنَّةَ نجمٍ أردفته الفَوارسُ

He waited before lofty aspirations and did not behave

Like an indifferent star followed by horsemen

وانَّ أَخي من لا يَمُلُّ خَليقَتي

ومن لا يَراني قائماً وهو جالسُ

My brother does not weary of supporting me

And does not see me standing while he is seated

ومن هو في جِدّي وقيعةِ باطِلي

بَعيدٌ قَريبٌ ضاحكٌ مُتَشَاوِسُ

He is far, yet near, laughing, exchanging whispers

In my seriousness and jest, defeating all nonsense

فتىً ينْصِفُ الخُلاَّنَ في كلِّ مجلسٍ

له صدرُه والمجِلسُ المُتَقَاعِسُ

A noble youth who treats boon companions courteously

While the gathering remains seated, he stands

كريمُ السَّجَايا لا يُنافِسُ في الغِنَى

ولكنَّه في المكْرُماتِ مُنَافِسُ

Generous of gifts, he does not compete in wealth

But in generous deeds, yes, he competes

أَبوكَ الذي لم ينقُضِ النَّاسُ فَتلَهُ

ولم يَفترضْ منه الغَميرةَ لامِسُ

Your father whom the people did not undo his cords

And whom the biting blade did not touch

وحلَّ على كيدِ العِدى وهو أَعزلٌ

مَحلاًّ تَحاماه القَنا والفوارسُ

He overcame the enemy’s plots, though without armor

With places the spear and horsemen protected

بنو حاجبِ النُّعمانِ صَحْبى وأُسرتي

لكلِّ امريءٍ في صَحبهِ من يُجانسُ

The Banu Hajib al-Numan are my comrades and family

For every man among his comrades there is an intimate

هُمُ مَنعوني من مخالبِ ضَيْغَمٍ

هِزَبْرٍ له غُلبُ الأُسودِ فَرائسُ

They prevented me from the claws of a calamitous

Snarling fate having the attack of lions as booty

وكَبتُ منالَ الكفِّ منه ففتُه

وقد تحبسُ الشيءَ القريبَ الحبائسُ

And I grasped the reach of the palm from it, so I rent it

Though things nearby may be held back by obstacles

أَخصُّكَ بالقولِ الذي أنتَ أهلُهُ

وان رَغِمَتْ مما أَقولُ المَعَاطِسُ

I address you with words you deserve

Even if the spying slanderers spurn what I say

مَعَاطِسُ قومٍ يَحْوِطُوْنَ أَمامَه

ولم يَحرسوا الوُدَّ الذي أَنتَ حَارسُ

Slanderers who surround him in front

Yet did not guard the affection which you guard

هُمُ حينَ يَدمى من أَديمكَ مُلدَغٌ

ذئابٌ على شَمِّ الدماءِ لَغَاوسُ

When your skin is pierced by their bite

They are wolves smelling blood, impetuous

يُعاطونَك البِشرَ الطليقَ وكلُّهم

بِجَنْبيهِ من داءِ العَدَواةِ نَاحِسُ

Showing you honest joy while each conceals

In his soul the sickness of enmity and spite