أقصَرَ عن لوميَ اللائمُ

لما درى أنني هائم

The blamer shortened blaming me

When he knew I was a fancier

ما زلت في حبه منصفاً

من لم يزل وهو لي ظالم

I remained equitable in his love

Though he has been unjust to me

مهفهفٌ ماس في بردهِ

غضٌ ثنته الصَّبا ناعمُ

Soft, supple in its coolness

Continually folded by the gentle breeze

شمسٌ ولكنَّها فرعُهُ

ليلٌ على صبحها فاحم

Sun, but it is its branch

Night over its dawn with obscure dense shadows

أسهر ليلي غراماً به

وهو أخو سلوةٍ نائم

I’m awake all night enamored with him

Though he’s a companion of negligent repose

إنّ ابن ذكوان ذو راحةٍ

ديمتها صوبُها دائم

Ibn Zikwan is really at ease

Its continuance facing his permanent maxim

لم يأتلق برقها خُلّباً

ولا اتقى خُلفَها الشائم

No lace has clasped it with sunny flashes

Nor has any backbiter recoiled from it

ومن أبوه حاتمٍ

قصَّر عن جودهِ حاتمُ

His father is Hatim

So Hatim has shortened of his generosity

يبني العلا بالنَّدى جاهداً

وغيره للعلا هادمُ

He builds high with dew struggling

And another demolishes heights

مٌحكَّكٌ حُولٌ قُلَّبٌ

مُحَنَّكٌ عازمٌ حازم

Smooth-skinned flowing transformed

Agreeable determined resolute

تُبصِرُهُ دهرَه قاعداً

وهو بأعبائهِ قائمُ

You see him spending his days sitting

While he’s standing with all his burdens

إن لقي الخطب في جيشهِ

لاقاه من بطشه هازمُ

If troubles meet him amongst his army

He faces and defeats them with his might

إذا انتضى سيفه مُعلِماً

لم تدر من منهما الصارمُ

When he bares his sword teaching

You can’t recognize which of the two cuts

شمائلٌ مالها عائبُ

وسؤددٌ ماله لائمُ

Visage with no defect

And generosity with no critic

يا أحمداً حمدُهُ رفعةٌ

أنفُ حسودي بها راغمُ

O Ahmad eulogized with nobility

The nose of my envious one is broken

من لم يكن شاعراً عالماً

فإنَّني الشاعرُ العالمُ

If one is not knowing scholar-poet

Then I’m the most knowledgeable poet

البدر في أخمصي شسعةٌ

والنجم في خنصري خاتمُ

Full moon on the bottom of my foot

And the star on my heel a seal

والشمسُ لو حكّمت حرّةً

أبصرتها وهي لي خادمُ

And if free sun arbitrates

You see it as my maid

والدُّرُّ لو بلّغوه المنى

نظَّمه في فمي الناظمُ

And if they communicated your place to pearls

I’d thread them as the arranger in my mouth

أفديك من سيدٍ شكره

فرضٌ على عبده اللازمُ

I ransom you generous master

Gratitude binding on slaves

لا زال في دهرهِ سالما

فالكلُّ منه به سالمُُ

Never did cease in his days well

So all of him by him are well