ما أَذاعَت ريحُ الصَّبا لَكَ سِرّاً

إِنَّما عَرَّضَت بِهِ وَهيَ سَكرى

What the morning breeze whispered to you secretly,

It only flaunted to you while intoxicated.

وَعَلى أَنَّها تَنِمُّ فَقَد أَه

دَت نَسيماً مِنَ العُذَيبِ وَعِطرا

And though it pretends to be sleepy, it has

Brought a breeze from sweet basil and perfume.

وَأَتى البارِقُ الَّذي بِتَّ تَرعا

هُ فُنوناً مِنَ الخِيانَةِ أَخرى

And the lightning that stayed up night after night

Learning new kinds of betrayal.

باتَ يَطوي ذَيلَ الدُّجى وَيُضيءُ ال

بيدَ حَتّى يَظُنَّهُ الطَّيفُ فَجرا

It folds up the train of darkness and illuminates the desert

Until the specter thinks it's the dawn.

فَمَتى يَعرِفُ الوَفاءَ وَما يَذ

كُرُ إِلّا لَوماً عَلَيكَ وَعُذرا

So when will it know loyalty? It only remembers

To blame you and make excuses for you.

وَإِذا كُنتَ ما وَجَدتَ لأَشجا

نِكَ حُرّاً فَمُت بِدائِكَ حُرّا

And if you have not found your sorrows to be free,

Then die with your sorrows in freedom!

يا خَليلَيَّ قَد سَئِمتُ أمانِي

يَ وَأَنفَقتُ في القَناعَةِ عُمرا

O my friend! I have grown weary of my wishes

And spent a lifetime being content.

فَاطلِقا مِن أَزِمَّةِ العِيسِ ما شا

ءت فَإِنَّا في رِبقَةِ الهَمِّ أَسرى

So unleash whatever you want from the bondage of captivity,

For we are captives of anxiety and grief.

زادَ عَرضُ الفَلا عَلَيها كَما طا

لَ الدُّجى فَهيَ وَالكَواكِبُ حَسرى

The expanse of prosperity has increased upon it

As the darkness stretched over the stars – yearning.

تَتَرامى بِها البِلادُ وَما تَشُد

دُ إِلّا رَسماً مِنَ الجودِ قَفرا

The countries are expansive, yet they yield

Only a trace of generosity over barren land.

فاعذُراها إِن أَخفَقَت فَلَقَد را

مَت عَسيراً مِنَ المَطالِبِ وَعرا

So excuse it if it falls short, for it has undertaken

A difficult set of demands and presented its case.

نَقَصَ الدَّهرُ حَظَّها مِن بَنيهِ

فَهيَ تَبغي حَظّاً وَناساً وَدَهرا

Time has reduced its share of sons,

So it seeks a share, people and an era.

وَلَعَمري لَقَد كَفاها نَصِيرُ ال

مُلكِ فَلنوسِع البَرِيَّةَ عُذرا

By my life! The victorious king is enough for it,

So let us be more forgiving.

رَتَعَت مِن جَنابِهِ في رِياض

ضَوَّعَتها فيهِ ثَناء وَذِكرا

It has grazed in his meadows,

Lavishing it with praise and mention.

وَسَرى جودُهُ إِلَيها عَلى البُع

دِ كَما تَحمِلُ النَّسائِمُ عِطرا

And his generosity flowed to it from afar

As the breeze carries fragrance.

وَرَدَت مَشرَعَ المَكارِم مَلآ

نَ وَحَيَّت وَجهَ الزَّمانِ أَغَرّا

And the harbor of glorious deeds was filled

As it revived the face of the times radiantly.

طَلعَةٌ كَالصَّباحِ يَلمَعُ فيها

بارِق لِلسَّماح سَمَّوهُ بِشرا

A celestial rising in which flashes

A lightning bolt of generosity they named "good news".

وَبَنان إِذا تَجَهَّمَتِ الأَنوا

ء أَحرى بِهِ سَحائِبَ عَشرا

And clouds, when gloom gathers,

Are more deserving for it to unleash torrents.

يَسبِقُ السَّمهَرِيُّ طولاً وَطَولاً

وَيَفوتُ الهِندِيَّ أَثراً وَأَثرا

The tall one outdoes the tall again and again

And leaves the Indian behind in traces and traces.

شَرَفاً يا بَني فَزارَةَ قَد أَح

يا نَداهُ عَلَيكَ حِصناً وَبَدرا

Glory upon you, O Banu Fazarah! Its renown

Has fortified and enlightened you with the full moon.

وَغِنىً عَن مَواهِبِ المُزنِ بِالغو

رِ فَقَد صارَتِ البُحَيرَةُ بَحرا

Wealthy without the gifts of singers, for

The lake has become an ocean.

حَلَّ فيكَ ابنُ مُلهَم وَخَصيبُ ال

رَوضِ ما كانَ عَيشُهُ مُستَقِرّا

The inspired son and fertile meadow have settled in you

When his life was not settled.

عارِض يَستَهِلُّ جوداً وَفيهِ

بارِق رُبَّما تَوَقَّدَ جَمرا

A cloudburst that initiates generosity, and within it

Lightning that sometimes kindles ember.

فَجَرى ماؤُهُ مَواهِبَ بيضاً

وَوَرَت نارُهُ قَواضِبَ حُمرا

So its water flowed as white gifts

And its fire ignited crimson ships.

قَد عَرَفنا ضِرامَهُ كَيفَ يَصلى

وَعَلِمنا غَمامَهُ كَيفَ يُمرا

We knew his gentle rain, how it prays,

And we knew his clouds, how they shower.

فَوَجَدنا جَناهُ في السِّلمِ حُلواً

وَرَأَينا لَظاهُ في الحَربِ مُرّا

So we found its wing in peace to be sweet

And saw its sharpness in war to be bitter.

خَطَراتُ الزَّمانِ بُؤسَى وَنُعمى

وَفُنونُ الأَقدارِ نَفعاً وَضَرّا

The fortunes of time bring misery and bounty

And the ways of fate bring benefit and harm.

عَلِمَ النّاسُ كَيفَ يَسعى إِلى ال

مَجدِ وَلَكِن باتوا نِياماً وَأَسرى

People knew how he strives for glory

Yet they slept as captives and prisoners.

وَأَراهُم مِن جُودِهِ كُلَّ عَذرا

ءِ عَلى أَنَّها مَواهِبُ تَترى

And I see in his generosity every excuse

As if they are gifts coming and going.

وَإِذا عَدَّ حامِداً وَعَلِياً

وَسَليمَ النَّدى وَكَعباً وَبَكرا

And if he counts Hamid, Ali,

Sulayman, Nada, Ka’b and Bakr

مِنَّةٌ لَم يَجُد بِها غَيرُ كَفَّي

هِ فَأَعجِب بِها عَواناً وَبِكرا

A blessing none but his palms have found

So wonder at it, both settled and nomad.

سَبَقَ النّاسَ أَولاً وَأَخيراً

وَحَوى المَكرُماتِ بَدواً وَحَضرا

He surpassed the people at first and last

And contained glorious deeds, nomad and city dweller.

طَرَقَ الشامَ مِن فِراقِكَ خَطبٌ

لا يُرى بَعدَهُ مِنَ العُسرِ يُسرا

Hardships have come to Syria since you left

After which no ease is seen from the hardship.

عَلِمَ الرّوم أَنَّ سَيفَكَ حامي

هِ فَقَد حاوَلوا لِبُعدِكَ أَمرا

The Romans know your sword protects them

So they have attempted something in your absence.

وَأَجابَ المُحارِبونَ إِلى السِّل

مِ فَراراً مِنَ الطِّعانِ وَكُفرا

And the warriors have surrendered to peace

Fleeing from the piercing and disbelief.

وَإِذا ما خَلا العَرينُ مِنَ اللَّي

ثِ أَغارَ السُّرحانُ فيهِ وَكَرّا

And when the lair was empty of the beast

The leucrocotta raided and nested in it.

عَوَّدَتهُم ظُباكَ جامِحَةَ الفَر

رِ وَسَنَّت فيهِم جِيادُكَ ذُعرا

Your galloping steeds have accustomed them

To the terror of flight, and your horses have instilled panic in them.

وَتَحامَتكُم المَعاقِلُ لَمّا

مَلَكَتها لَكَ الصَّوارِمُ قَسرا

And your citadels have protected you since

Your sharp swords have forcibly seized them.

طَلَعَت نَحوَهُم مِنَ الجَونِ جَون

وَجَدوها بِاللاذِقِيَّةِ شُقرا

They marched from the valley towards them

And they found them in Latakia with bright swords.

مُقرَبات مِثلُ السَّراحينِ إِلّا

أَنَّها تَقنِصُ الفَرائسَ جَهرا

Racing horses, except they openly hunt prey

And a fifth who flung a line across the coast, and in the capitals, a line.

وَخَميسٌ أَلقى عَلى طَرَفِ السا

حِلِ شَطراً وَفي العَواصِمِ شَطرا

Its spear bent inebriated, drinking nothing

But the blood of horsemen in wine.

تَثَنّى قَناهُ سُكراً وَما تَش

رَبُ إِلّا دَمَ الفَوارِسِ خَمرا

Led by one with resolute determination and opinion

When the foot of the warrior was unsteady.

قادَهُ مُرهَفُ العَزيمَةِ وَالرَّأ

يِ إِذا قَدَمُ المُحارِبِ غِرّا

Experiences have refined his intellect until

They have torn away the unseen before him.

هَذَّبَت فِكرُهُ التَّجارِبُ حَتّى

هَتَكَت دونَهُ مِنَ الغَيبِ سِترا

God raised from your banners when

It was honor for the Muslims and victory.

رَفَعَ اللَّهُ مِن لِوائِكَ لَمّا

كانَ عِزّاً لِلمُسلِمينَ وَنَصرا

You have reached such virtue that is beyond praise, so

I do not set forth except loyalty and gratitude.

طُلتَ قَدراً عَنِ المَديح فَما أَذ

هَبُ فيهِ إِلّا وَفاء وَشُكرا

Sighs I have embellished from passion

Though they are crude poetry in the ears.

زَفَرات أَثَرتُهُنَّ مِنَ الشَّو

قِ وَإِن كُنَّ في المَسامِع شِعرا

And praise as if the dawn has emerged radiant

And the meadow blossomed and flourished.

وَثَناء كَأَنَّما أَطلَع الصُّب

حَ ضِياء وَأَرَّجَ الرَّوضَ نَشرا

It tells people that remembering your kindness is an obligation

And that my praise holds magic.

يُخبِرُ النّاسَ إِنَّ في ذِكرِ إِح

سانِكَ دَيناً وَفي ثَنائي سِحرا