أَقَدَّكَ الغصنُ أَم الذابلُ

ومُقْلتاك الهندُ أَم بابلُ

The one to whom the branch has inclined, is it you, or one who withers away?

And who do you wink with your eyes at, is it India or Babylon?

سِحْران هذا طاعنٌ ضاربٌ

وتلك فيها خَبَلٌ خابل

Both of these bewitch; one striking and piercing,

The other with coquetry and amorous play.

واكبدي مِنْ فارغٍ لم يزل

لي من هَواه شُغُلٌ شاغل

And my liver has all along been suffering from emptiness,

For his love is my constant occupation.

ظبْيٌ متى خاتلته قانصاً

رجعت والمُقْتَنص الخاتل

A gazelle, when I winked at him playfully

Departed, while I who winked was left behind.

لِمَّتُه أَم أَرقمٌ هائِجٌ

ذا سائِف طوراً وذا نابل

Is his shyness because of his pride and self-respect

Which makes him turn away at times, scornful at others?

يشربُ كأْساً طلَعتْ في يدٍ

كوكبُها في قمرٍ آفل

He drinks a cup held in a hand,

Its star rising in the face of a waning moon.

كأَنه والجامُ في كفه

بدر الدُّجى في شَفَقٍ ناهلُ

As though he and the goblet in his hand

Were the bright moon at dawn dipping down to drink.

غصنُ النَّقا يحمل شمسَ الضحى

يا حبّذا المحمول والحاملُ

The crook of a delicate sapling carries the sun of daybreak;

Blessed is what is carried and blessed is the carrier.

أَسمرُ كالأسمر من لحظه

له سِنان جيدُه العامِلُ

Brown like the deep brown of his glance

With beautiful teeth, a strong worker.

مَلاحةٌ بالبخل مقرونةٌ

كلُّ مَليحٍ أَبداً باخلُ

Plainness joined with stinginess,

For every ugly person is miserly.

إِذا نأَى مثَّله في الكَرى

هواه فهو القاطع الواصلُ

If one like him keeps apart from others

It is he who cuts bonds as well as unites.

أَشكو ضنا جسمي إِلى خصره

وكيف يشفي الناحلَ الناحلُ

I complain of my body's leanness to his waist,

But how could one feeble revive another?

يُنكِرُ ما أَلقاه من صَدِّهِ

وأَيُّ فعل ما له فاعل

He denies what he once cast from his sweet agony at separation,

What type of deed has no agent?

مَنْ لي على البُعد بميعادِه

وإِنْ لواني دَينِيَ الماطِلُ

Who will keep his sorrowful date with me

When the deferrer of my debt is my nature?

وكيف لي بالوَصْل منْ طيفه

وذو الهوى يُقْنِعه الباطل

And how could I attain union with his phantom

When one in love contents himself with the unreal?

أَرى دِماءَ الأُسْد عند الدُّمى

أُنْظُرْ مَنِ المقتولُ والقاتل

I see the blood of lions on supple waists -

Look; see who is murderer and who is victim!

مِنْ كلّ لاهي القلب من ذاهلٍ

به فسلْ أَيُّهما الذاهلُ

Among all those things my heart is distracted by some fascination -

Ask them which one enchants the other!

يا صاحِ ما أَحلى مَذاقَ الهوى

لو كان فيه عاذِلٌ عادِل

O intimate friend! How sweet is the taste of love

If in it there be a reproacher who is just.

ما لِيَ لا أَلحظ عينَ المَها

إِلاّ دهاني سِرْبها الخاذل

Why do I not look into the eyes of the beautiful ones

Except my guide leads me to them?

وما لَه ينْفِر من لِمَّتي

كأَنه من أَسدٍ جافِلُ

And why is he angered by my attempts to make contact,

As though he is a lion made anxious?

ما زال يُنْسي نأْيُه هَجْرهُ

حتّى لأَنسى عامَه القابل

His abandonment has not ceased to make me forget his estrangement

Until I forget the year of his return completely!

قضيّة جائِرة ما لها

غيرُ مُجير الدين مستاصِل

It is an oppressive case, for which there is no helper

Other than the supporter of the faith, the extirpator.

وكيف أَخشى من لطيف الحشا

ظُلْماً وتاج الدولة الدائل

How can I fear injustice from the gentle comrade

While the garland of leadership is withering away?

كثَّرَ حُسّاديَ حتى لقَدْ

تنبّه الهاجد والغافل

My rivals have increased until, in the end

The ardent admirer and the heedless are alerted.

وكاد يُعْطي في نَداه الصِّبا

لو أَنّ شيْباً بالنّدى ناصل

Failing youth almost gave the impression,

That grey hair was taking root in glory.

القائدُ الخيلَ مغافيرُها

يزأَرُ فيها الأَسد الباسلُ

The cavalry leader - their hoofs paw the ground;

Within them the noble lion roars.

مُشَمِّرٌ للبأس عن ساقه

والجيش في عِثْيره رافلُ

With his sleeves rolled up for heroism and valor,

And the army in its dust completely equipped.

ماضٍ فما أَورد صادي القنا

إِلاّ تروّى الأَسَلُ النّاهل

Driving ahead his cavalry of warriors,

Who stoop to drink like lions at the stream.

يناهز الأَعداء مَنْ عُرْفُهُ

غازٍ بأَنفال العُلى قافِل

Those whose glory is known charge the enemies;

Victorious, returning with booty sublime.

لم ينجُ مِنْ سطوته عاندٌ

ولم يَخِبْ في ظِلِّه آمل

No obstinate opponent stood against their might

And no hopeful relied on them in vain.

يُزْجي الندى حتّى إِذا ما اعتدى

فالدَّمُ من سطوته هاطلُ

They attack sharply until when transgressors oppose,

Then blood from their force comes pouring forth!

ما ساجَلَتْهُ المُزْن إِلاّ انثنى

مُسْتحيِياً مِنْ طَلِّه الوابلُ

They were never undone by any who came to meet them,

Except they withdrew from their abundant downpour!

لا يتناهى فَيْضُ معروفِه

وأَيُّ بحرٍ ما لَهُ سحلُ

His flood of favors knows no bounds,

Is there a sea without a coast for its depths or shallows?

سَما به نابِهُ آبائِه

حينَ أَسَفّ النسب الخامل

The nobility of his forefathers soars high;

When the noble lineage was reduced to sleeping.

وامتاز بالعلم على أَهله

وهل يساوي العالمَ الجاهل

He excels in knowledge over all of his family,

Can the scholar ever equate with the ignorant?

يا مُحْييَ العدل ويا مُسْرِف

البذل فأَنت الجائر العادل

O enlivener of justice! O squanderer

Of abundant generosity, You are the unjust just one!

يا أَنصتَ الناسِ إِلى حكمةٍ

يقبلها مَنْ سَمْعُه قابِل

O gatherer of people’s ears to a wisdom

That may be embraced by whomever has discerning hearts!

عَلا بك الفضلُ ذرى هِمَّةٍ

عن غُرَّة الشِّعْرى لها كاهل

Merit raised you above low objectives and paltry desires;

Beyond what the noble eminence of great men can comprehend.

لولا سنا فضلك يَجْلو الدُّجى

ما عُرِف المفضولُ والفاضل

If not for the brilliance of your merit exposing all things,

The inferior would never be distinguished from the superior.

ولم يغامر جودَك المعتفي

ولم يجانب مجدَك العادل

And those content with your past generosity

Would never have been audacious enough to seek your equal!

فمن يكن خَصَّ بمعروفه

فأَنت مَنْ إِحسانُه شاملُ

Whoever you favor with your grace

Is included completely under your beneficence.

بوركتَ من غيثٍ إذا ما همى

روَّض منه الأَمَلُ الماحِل

Well done! Like rain, whenever it wills,

It softens hard and solid hope.

إِنْ هزَّك العزمُ فيا طالما

أُرهِف منك الصارمُ القاصِل

If the resolve strengthens you, oh how often

Your noble sword brings quick decisive blows!

سيفٌ متى أَمّ نفوس العِدى

صمَّم والنّصر بها كافل

A sword - when it makes firm the souls of enemies -

Becomes resolute while victory through it comes guaranteed!

فكنتَ كالشّمس سمَتْ إِذ سَمتْ

ونورُها في أُفقها ماثل

You were like the sun when it shone,

Its light clear upon the horizon resting.

وَأَيْنَ يَنْأَى من قلوب الورى

مَن حُبّه في كلِّها نازل

And where can one keep away from the hearts of mankind,

The one whose love in all hearts abides?

فابْقَ حَياً يُنْبِت رَوْضَ المنى

وأَيْن مِنْ أَفعالك القائل

So live on nurturing the garden of desire

And where are your feats of valor to compare!

ودُمْ فما دُمْتَ منارَ الهُدى

فللمعالي سَنَنٌ سابل

Then always be, as long as you are the minaret of guidance,

For noble deeds traditions most glorious.