يا سَائِقَ الاظْعَانِ أَينَ تَسُوقُ

ما بعدَ رامةَ مَنْزِلٌ مَومُوْقُ

O driver of lamentation, where are you leading?

Beyond Ramah, there is no resting place

سَلِّمْ على الدِّمنِ التي لم يَعْفها

الاَّ صَبُوحُ سَحَائِبٍ وَغَبُوْقُ

Greet the abode I did not leave it

Except for mornings of clouds and fog

دِمَنٌ بها حُمِّلتُ أَعبَاءَ الهَوى

فَحَمَلتُ منه ما أَطاقَ مُطيْقُ

An abode in which I was laden with the burdens of passion

So I carried from it what the tolerant can bear

لا عزَّني خُدَعُ الرَّبابِ فانَّهُ

منعَ الرقادَ خيالُها المألُوْقُ

The deceit of tents did not cheer me

For their phantom deprived me of rest

وَلَهٌ يَرِقُّ لَهُ الغيورُ وفُرقَةٌ

يَشتاقُ فيها العَاشقَ المَعْشُوْقُ

And a passion whose ardour made the jealous love

And whose separation made the lover yearn for the beloved

وهوىً ملكتُ على العُيونِ طِلابَه

وعلى الظُّنُونِ وِصَالُه مَسْرُوْقُ

And a love I controlled over its seekers

While gaining it was stolen from suspicions

أَفنى بَشَاشَتَهُ العِتَابُ فلم يكنْ

الاَّ تَأَوّهُ زفرةٍ وَشَهِيْقُ

Complaints erased its joy, so it was not

Except sighs and moans

لو كنتُ أُنْصَفُ ما لُحِيتُ وعادَني

حَدِبٌ عليَّ من الغَرَامِ شَقيْقُ

If I were fair, I would not have been blamed

And a humpbacked love would not have bent over me

ولكنتُ أُعذَرُ في الحَنينِ اليكمُ

لو كانَ لي في العَالَمينَ صَدِيْقُ

I would have been excused in longing for you

If I had a friend in the two worlds

يحْظَى بنَيلكم البعيدُ ولا أَرى

قُربى يُقرّبُ انَّ ذا لَعُقُوْقُ

The distant gains your watering place, and I do not see

My kinship drawing nearer - that is disloyalty

وكذا الزَّمانُ يَخيبُ فيه عَاقِلٌ

ويُفيدُ فيه جاهلٌ مَرْزُوْقُ

And so is time that disappoints the reasonable

And benefits the ignorant who gains sustenance

كلُّ الملوكِ وكلُّ مَنْ طَلَبَ العُلا

عَمَّنْ يُقدِّمُ شَاوْهْ مَسْبُوْقُ

All the kings and all who sought elevation

Were led by one who presented a meal

الاَّ بَهَاء الدولتينِ فانَّهُ

فرعٌ له زُهْرُ النجومِ عُرُوْقُ

Except the splendor of the two abodes, for he

Is a branch whose flowers have celestial roots

صافيِ الهُمومِ ولم يكنْ تِلْعَابَةَ

غَلَبَتْ عليهِ الكأسُ والابرِيْقُ

Pure of worries, and was not for mockery’s sake

Overcome by wine and goblet

وغناءُ مُطْربةٍ تَحثُ سُجَاحَهَا

صَهْبَاء حابى لونَها الراووْقُ

And singing of a melody arousing her passions

An ivory-like beauty whose complexion is pinkish

مَلَكَ البلادَ مع العِبادِ وأَشْرَقَتْ

بضيائهِ الدُّنْيَا وَسَاغَ الرِّيْقُ

He ruled the countries and creatures and shone

His light on the world and tasting was pleasant

وسَمَتْ به عند المكارمِ غايةٌ

ما تُستطاعُ وهضبةٌ أَزليْقُ

And with nobilities, an unattainable epitome was characterized

Which the camel litter cannot reach and a very smooth slope

يَنْفَلُّ عنها العَيْرُ وهو مُوَقَّحٌ

ويَزِلُّ ظُفْرُ الطَّيْرِ وهو ذَلِيْقُ

From which the camel slips and while completely saddled

And the bird's claws slip though sharp

عيهاتَ تُغنى الشَّمْسُ كلَّ مُراهِقٍ

وَيَعوقُ دونَ مَنَالِهِ العَيُّوْقُ

Alas! The sun cannot warm every adolescent

And the incapable are hindered from reaching it

عَبَّى بدُولابَ الجنودَ وأَوَمضَتْ

لِسيوفهِ في الدَّارعينَ بُرُوْقُ

He rallied the regiments of soldiers and flashed

Against the armored were the white swords

وَسَرى لهم جِنْحَ الظَّلام مُشَمِّرٌ

يسْري الى حَاجَاتِهِ التَّوفيْقُ

And for them the wing of darkness proceeded, ready

To fulfill their needs through success

راضَ الخطوب وشيَّعتْهُ عَزيمةٌ

كالسيفِ أَيسرُ مسِّه التَّطبيْقُ

Pleased with the misfortunes of fate and determination accompanied him

Like a sword, quick to apply

فثنى جَماجِمَهم وفضَّ جموعَهم

ماضٍ اليهِ الجمعُ والتفريْقُ

So he bent their skulls, and scattered their groups

While the gathering and separation went to him

وغداً بجسرِ النَّهْرَوَانِ تَحُفُّه

بيضُ الصَّوارم والطِّوالُ الرُّوْقُ

And tomorrow at the Bridge of the Euphrates will be adorned

With naked blades and extended lances

وكأَنهُ ليثٌ أَصابَ فريسةً

أَهدى غنيمتَها اليهِ طَريْقُ

As if he is a lion who caught prey

And led its booty to it

طيَّانُ يجمعُ للوقيعةِ نَفْسَهُ

واذا مشَى الخُيلاءَ فهو لَبِيْقُ

A wolf gathering itself for the raid

And when the brave walked, he is a howling

يُقْضَى الاهمُّ وَحَاجَتي مَحْبُوْسَةٌ

انَّ الطَّليقَ من الهَوانِ طليْقُ

The important is accomplished, while my need is imprisoned

Release from humiliation is release

قَصُرَتْ يدُ الأَيامِ عنكَ فانَّها

طالتْ بطولكَ والمَعانُ رَفْيقُ

The days fell short of reaching you, for they

Lengthened due to your length, and time is a friend

ولقد رأيتُكَ طالعاً في مَجْلِسٍ

أَفضى اليهِ الحُسْنُ والتَّأنيْقُ

And I saw you rising in a gathering

To which beauty and grace led

حَصباؤُه الدرُّ المُبدَّدُ نَظمُه

وَثَراهُ مِسْكُ التُبَّت المفتُوْقُ

Its pebbles are scattered pearls, its structure

And its carpet is shredded musk

ما كان أَكملَ منكَ فيهِ منظراً

يُرضى العيونَ جَمَالُهُ وَيَروْقُ

None were more perfect than you in it, in appearance

Pleasing eyes is his beauty and agreeable

حياكَ يومُ المِهرجانِ فانَّهُ

يومٌ بتَهْنِئَةِ الملوكِ حَقيْقُ

Your life on the feast day, for it is

A day of congratulating kings, true

وبقيتَ تخلقُ كلَّ عامٍ مِثلَهُ

ما دامَ فوقَ سَرَاتِها مخلوْقُ

You remained creating the like of it every year

As long as there is a creature above the ground

بِالشَّمسِ حينَ تغيبُ عن أَبصارِنا

كَلَفٌ وبالبيداءِ بَعدَكَ ضِيْقُ

By the sun when it disappears from our sights

A grievance, and after you the wilderness is narrow