أَجِدَّكُما لَو أَنصَفَ الصَبَّ عاذِلُهُ
لَأَقصَرَ لَكِن عادِمُ الشَيءِ جاهِلهُ
I find that if fate were fair to the one who blames it
It would have been shorter, but the loser is ignorant of it
يَلُومُ وَما أَجرى الفِراقُ دُمُوعَهُ
وَلا هيَّجَتهُ بِالعَشِيِّ بَلابِلُه
He complains though separation did not shed his tears
Nor did its nights excite him with their confusions
وَهَل يَرعَوِي أَو يَسمَع العَذلَ في الهَوى
كَئِيبٌ لَهُ شغلٌ مِنَ البَينِ شاغِلُه
Can he who is blamed in love be reasonable or listen?
He is preoccupied by separation that occupies him
أَحَبُّ حَبيبٍ عِندَهُ رَسمُ مَنزِلِ
يُناجِيهِ أَو رَبعٌ مُحِيلٌ يُسائِلُه
A lover has the abode of his beloved who converses with him
Or a quarter that allures and questions him
إِذا هَتَفَت قَمرِيَّةٌ هَيَّجَت لَنا
جَوىً وَرَسيساً مِن هَوى هُوَ قاتِلُه
When a white-cheeked gazelle aroused our
Passion and murmur of love that kills him
كَأَنَّ الحَمامَ الوُرقَ حادٍ يَشُوقُهُ
تَرَنُّمُهُ وَالدارُ حِبُّ يُواصِلُه
It is as if the twittering doves and the fresh foliage make him
Yearn, and the house is the love that joins him
خَلِيلَيَّ ما لِي أَصطفي بَينَ أَضلُعي
أَخاً لَيسَ يَخلو أَن تَغُولَ غَوائِلُه
My friend, why have I chosen in my ribs
A brother who cannot help his perversities
أَعِفُّ وَلا أَجزِيهِ جَهلاً بِجَهلِهِ
وَلا آكُلُ اللَحمَ الَّذي هُوَ آكِلُه
I pardon without repaying his ignorance with ignorance
Nor eat the meat that eats him
وَيُصبِحُ مَطوِيّاً عَلى الغِلِّ قَلبُهُ
فَلا الوَعظُ يَثنِيهِ وَلا الزَجرُ عاذِلُه
And he wakes up with hatred in his heart
So neither sermon deters him nor censure blames him
لَعَمرُكَ ما لِلمَرءِ في المَرءِ حِيلَةٌ
إِذا باتَ صَدرُ المَرءِ تَغلِي مَراجِلُه
By your life, man has no stratagem against man
When man’s chest starts boiling with its embers
سَيَزدادُ غَيظَاً كُلَّما مَدَّ باعَهُ
فَقَصَّرَ عَن إِدراكِ ما أَنا نائِلُه
He will grow more enraged each time his hatred spreads
So he falls short of what I attain
وَقَد باتَ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ مِن ظُلمَةِ الدُجى
فَما اِشتَكَلَت أَنوارُهُ وَأَصائِلُه
The light of dawn shone in the darkness of night
Yet its lights did not disperse nor its clouds
فَيا مَنطِقِي أَطلِق عِنانَكَ إِنَّما
يُعِدُّ الحُسامَ العَضبَ لِلضَربِ حامِلُه
My utterance, unleash yourself, for only
The sword bearer makes the swords for striking
وَيا خاطِري لَجِّج إِلى الدُرِ إِنَّني
أَرى البَحرَ لا يُستَودَعُ الدُرَّ ساحِلُه
My deepest thoughts, dive for pearls, for I see
The sea does not hoard pearls nor keep them from its shores
وَجازِ ابنَ فَخرِ المُلكِ بِالشُكرِ إِنَّنِي
أَرى الشُكر لا يَجزِي الَّذي هُوَ فاعِلُه
Appreciate the son of the pride of kings with gratitude, for I see
Gratitude does not reward the one who does it
فَتىً عِندَهُ عَفوٌ وَنَفلٌ لِسائِلٍ
وَجانٍ فَإِمّا عَفوُهُ أَو نَوافِلُه
A knight who has pardon and largesse for the beggar
So either his pardon or his voluntary gift
فَلا مُذنِبٌ إِلّا وَأَعطاهُ صَفحَهُ
وَلا سائِلٌ إِلّا وَأَغناهُ نائِلُه
No guilty one sought him but he forgave
No beggar sought him but he enriched the seeker
هُوَ البَدرُ لا يَخفى عَلَيكَ ضِياؤُهُ
هُوَ الغَيثُ لا تَخفى عَلَيكَ مَخايِلُه
He is the full moon whose light you cannot miss
He is the rain whose rivers you cannot overlook
تَرَكنا الغَوادِي وَاِنتَجَعنا بَنانَهُ
فَأَغنَت عَنِ السُحُبِ الغِزارِ أَنامِلُه
We left the valleys and settled in his hills
So his fingers sufficed instead of pouring clouds
تُغَلُّ بِنُعماهُ الرِقابُ كَأَنَّما
صَنائِعُهُ أَغلالُهُ وَسَلاسِلُه
His gifts make necks submissive as if
His making is shackling and chaining
وَما تَصِلَ الأَيدي وَلَو نالَتِ السُها
إِلى الشَرَفِ الأَدنى الَّذي هُوَ واصِله
No hands can reach, even if given lavishly,
The lower nobility that is his accession
وَقَد طاوَلَتهُ النَيِّراتُ فَطالَها
وَأَيُّ امرِئٍ بَعدَ النُجومِ يُطاوِلُه
The shining stars aspire to him vainly
And which man after the stars equals him?
فَلا تَحسَبُوا أَنَّ الغَمامَ يَفُوتُهُ
بِشَيءٍ وَلا أَنَّ الجِبالَ تُعادِلُه
Do not think the clouds can evade him
Or the mountains equate with him
فَما وَلَدَت حَوّاءُ مِن صُلبِ آدَمٍ
وَلا قَبِلَت مِن كُلِّ حَيٍّ قَوابِلُه
Since Eve gave birth to sons from Adam’s loins
And all females received every pregnant one’s babies,
فَتىً كَأَبِي العُلوانِ تَندى يَمِينُهُ
وَيَندى مُحَيّاهُ وَتَندى ذَوابِلُه
No young man like Abu Alwan was created
Whose right hand glistens, his cheek glistens and his sides glisten,
وَلا مِثلُهُ في العُسرِ وَاليُسرِ باذِلاً
يَزيدُ لَجاجاً كُلَّما لَجَّ عاذِلُه
None like him in hardship or comfort, who spends,
Only to grow more stubborn the more his blamer blames him
إِذا سِيلَ أَغنى السائِلِينَ بِمالِهِ
فَلَيسَ يَرى أَن يَسألَ الناسَ سائِله
When adversity struck, his money enriched the needy
So he disdains people begging from beggars
أَنارَت مَغانِيهِ وَصِينَت بِلادُهُ
وَهِينَت أَعادِيهِ وَعَزَّت مَعاقِلُه
His parties illuminated and his country was secured
His enemies were disgraced and his forts were fortified
فَما ضاقَ نادِيهِ وَلا ذَلَّ جارُهُ
وَلا ضاعَ راجِيهِ وَلا خابَ آمِلُه
Neither his call was fruitless nor his neighbor abandoned
Neither his hopeful one was lost nor his dreamer disappointed
جَلا كَربَةَ الإِسلامِ وَالشِركُ دالِفٌ
بِمَجرٍ تَسُدُّ الخافِقَينِ جَحافِلُه
He relieved the plight of Islam while polytheism wheedled
With a flood whose surging ranks dammed the two horizons
لُهامٌ يَسُدُّ الجَوَّ بِالنَقعِ زَحفُهُ
وَتَدفَعُ أَوتادَ الجِبالِ زَلازِلُه
A stalwart whose attack dams the horizon with wounds
And whose tremors make the mountains’ pegs shudder
إِذا سارَ أَذكى النارَ في حِندِسِ الدُجى
مِنَ الصَخرِ حَتّى لا تَبِينُ مَشاعِلُه
When he marched, he lit the fire in the darknesses of night
From the rock until its lights could not be seen
يَسيلُ بَرَجراجِ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّهُ
فُراتٌ جَرَت خُلجانُهُ وَجَداوِلُه
The sparks of his iron flow as if it were
The Euphrates whose eddies and streams flowed
فَأَصبَحَ دِينُ اللَهِ قَد قامَ رُكنُهُ
وَأَنجَحَ مَسعاهُ وَثُقِّفَ مائِلُه
So the religion of God was established, its pillar erected
And its purpose accomplished and its incliner inclined
وَأَيُّ فُخُورٍ ما بَنَتها رِماحُهُ
وَأَيُّ ثُغُورٍ ما حَمَتها مَناصِلُه
What arrogant one did his spears not build?
What frontier did his swords not guard?
وَلا عَجَباً أَن يُصبِحَ الماءُ جارِياً
مِنَ الصَخرِ في القَصرِ الَّذي هُوَ نازِلُه
No wonder the water flows freely
In his palace from the rock that is his dwelling
وَأَن يَغتَدِي مِسكاً ثَراهُ وَلُؤلؤاً
حَصاهُ وَياقُوتاً ثَمِيناً جَنادِلُه
That his throne foams musk and his pearls
Are precious rubies and finest necklaces
زَها بِكَ زَهوَ الرَوضِ دَرَّت غُيُوثُهُ
فَحَيَّت بِوَسمِيِّ النَباتِ خَمائِلُه
By you the garden’s blossoming was beautified and its rain poured down
So its bushes bloomed with my tattooing and songs
كَأَنَّكَ رِضوانٌ وَقَصرُكَ جَنَّةٌ
يَفُوزُ بِرِضوانٍ مِنَ اللَهِ داخِلُه
As if you are Heaven’s contentment and your palace a Heaven
Winner of God’s contentment, whoever enters it
فَبُورِكَ بانِيهِ وَبُورِكَ عَصرُهُ
وَبُورِكَ مِن قَصرٍ وَبُورِكَ آهِلُه
Blessed is its builder and blessed is its era
Blessed the palace and blessed are its inhabitants
فَما رُفِعَت إِلّا لِسَعدٍ قِبابُهُ
وَلا اِجتَمَعَت إِلّا لِخَيرِ مَحافِلُه
None of its domes were raised but for felicity
None of its assemblies gathered but for the best company
لَقَد أَنطَقَ اللَهُ الزَمانَ وَأهلَهُ
بِفَضلِكَ حَتّى ما تُعَدُّ أَفاضِلُه
God made time and its people eloquent about your merit
Until time’s superiorities cannot be counted
فَأجرى بِكَ الأَرزاق حَتّى كَأَنَّما
جَميعُ البَرايا واحِدٌ أَنتَ عائِلُه
Through you, sustenance flowed until it was as though
All creatures, you alone are the provider for them
وَما الجَدُّ إِلّا مَورِدٌ لَكَ صَفوُهُ
وَمَشرَبُهُ الأَهنى وَلِلنّاسِ فاضِلُه
And exertion yields only the finest of its essence to you
While its most splendid remainder is for people
يَرى الدَهرُ قَولِي فِيكَ مِمّا يَسُرُّهُ
فَيَكتُبُ فيكَ الدَهرُ ما أَنا قائِلُه
Time sees my words about you as delightful
So time will write what I say about you
ثَناءً كَنَشرِ المندَلِ الرَطبِ نَشرُهُ
وَحَمداً كَأَبهى حافِلِ الرَوضِ حافِلُه
Praise like the spreading of moist textiles its spreading
And eulogy like the most glorious garden’s beauty
تَفُوحُ عِيابُ الرَكبِ مِنهُ كَأَنَّما
تُضَمَّخُ بِالمِسكِ الذَكِيِّ رَواحِلُه
The traveling party’s robes therefrom emit fragrance as though
Their camels were scented with pure musk
وَما الشِعرُ إِلّا مَركَبٌ لِي ظَهرُهُ
وَغارِبُهُ وَمَنكِباهُ وَكاهِلُه
Poetry is but a steed I mount, its back
And driving force, its shoulder, and its carrier
سَبُوقٌ إِلى الغاياتِ مَرّاً أَحُثهُ
وَمَرّاً أُعَفِّيهِ وَمَرّاً أُناقِلُه
I urge it to the farthest goals time and again
And time and again I spur it and transport it
بَلَغتُ بِهِ أَقصى مُرادِي مِنَ الغِنى
لَدَيكَ فَأَدرَكتُ الَّذي أَنا آمِلُه
I attained through it my ultimate wish of wealth
From you, and grasped what I hoped for
فَمَالي وَلِلحُسّادِ تَغلِي صُدُورُهُم
عَلَيَّ وَهَذا البَحرُ زُرقٌ مَناهِلُه
Why care I what the envious, whose hearts boil against me, say
When this sea’s expanse is the destination for my attainments
فَإِن يَصدُقُوا فَليَلحَقُوا شَأَوَ مارِدٍ
مِنَ الجِنِّ لا يَدرُونَ أَينَ مَخاتِلُه
If they are truthful then let them attain the ranks of rebellious
Demons who know not where their lurking places are
خَلِيلَيَّ أَيُّ الطَيرِ يَحلُو قَنِيصُهُ
أَغِربانُهُ أَم بُومُهُ أَم أَجادِلُه
My friend, which bird's dress is lovelier
Its cranes, its owls, or its partridges?
إِذا قامَ سَحبانٌ خَطِيباً بِمَوقِفٍ
تَبَلَّدَ مَعذوراً عَلى الصَمتِ باقِلُه
Whenever Suhban stands to speak eloquently
His reasonable silence on stillness becomes his responder
سَأَلتُكَ شَرِّفنِي بِسَمعِكَ مُقبِلاً
عَلَيَّ لَيَبدُو حَقُّ أَمرٍ وَباطِلُه
I asked you to honor me by listening closely
To reveal the truth of a matter and its falseness
وَحَكِّم عَلى النُطقِ الَّذي أَنتَ سامِعٌ
جَميلَكَ وَالبَذلَ الَّذي أَنتَ باذِلُه
And judge the speech you are hearing
By your beauty and open-handedness you are known for
فَما تَخذِلُ الأَيّامُ ما أَنتَ ناصِرٌ
وَلا تَنصُرُ الأَيّامُ ما أَنتَ خاذِلُه
For the days do not fail what you defend
Nor do the days assist what you abandon
وَهُنِّيتَ بِالعِيدِ الَّذي أَنتَ حُسنُهُ
كَما أَنَّ حُسنَ الذابِلِ اللَدنِ عامِلُه
You were felicitated for the holiday which is your beauty
Just as the beauty of the languid doe is made by her caretaker
إِذا ما مَضى عامٌ تَسَربَلتَ سَعدَهُ
وَوافاكَ بِالإِقبالِ وَالسَعدِ قابِلُه
When a year passes, you dress in its prosperity
And its auspiciousness and felicity come to greet you
وَلا عَدِمَت خَفقَ البُنُودِ جُيوشُهُ
وَلا فارَقَت عَركَ الوُفودِ مَنازِلُه
The quivering flags’ battalions never receded
Nor did the pilgrims’ caravans leave their stations
