أمصطبح بدجلة لي صبوحاً

يغار غبوقه من منتشيه

I have a morning at the Tigris which envies its radiance

And deceit confirms my innocence about Zawra’

ويصدقني على الزوراء زورٌ

قريب العهد يكذب مرتجيه

So unleash in Rusafa a string of pearls

Whose orphaned pearls have orphaned their pickers

فانشر بالرصافة عقد درٍّ

يتيم الدر تيَّم لاقطيه

You see me descending into Baghdad happily

Where the lion feels comfortable for those descending

تراني نازلاً بغداد مغنىً

يطيب الليث فيه لنازليه

Is the Abode of Peace sufficient for my peace

So this is the valley of grief, contracted within

وهل دار السلام تفي سلامي

فذا وادي الغري يضيق فيه

I say to the baths that were melodious

With the floods of Karkh, bring back their voice

اقول الى حمامات تغنَّت

باثل الكرخ صوتك رجعيه

I hope the tragedy of Hussein will extend a hand

To sell me hope, so I buy it

عسى الندب الحسين يمدُّ كفاً

تبيع لي الرجاء فاشتريه

A generous one who knows favor from him

With thousands and thousands of his bellowing

جواد يعرف المعروف منه

بآلاف تألف من مأيه

If he shakes off favor out of stinginess

Eyes of the greedy will bargain over it

اذا ما هزَّ للمعروف كشحاً

تخاوص عنه اعين كاشحيه

I see the moon of the sky when it ascends

Waving with that honorable face

ارى قمر السماء اذا تعلىَّ

يلوح بذلك الوجه الوجيه

He has shown loyal, a full moon, so we said

The full moon of perfection has appeared to its beholder

تجلى موفيا بدراً فقلنا

بدا بدر التمام لمجتليه

Extraordinary is the pride of the son of fourteen

Resembling the moon, without equal he came

زها زهو ابن اربعة وعشر

شبيه البدر جاء بلا شبيه

We sought him in time, hoping

So time yielded him to his seekers

طلبناه على الزمن اقتراحاً

فجاد به الزمان لطالبيه

We described him with every wonderous beauty

So he came perplexing his describers

وصفناه بكل بديع حسن

فجاء به يحيّر واصفيه

How can blackness of nature suit him

More gentle than the breeze and what comes after it?

فكيف تلي له السوداء طبعا

ارق من النسيم وما يليه

Difficulties will be paltry for him until

He removes the sickness from you and you ride it

لسوف يهون فيها الخطب حتى

تميط الداء عنك وتمتطيه

Reproach the blame in him and restrain

For my heart does not obey its reproacher

اعاذل عدِّ فيه اللوم واكفف

فما قلبي يطاوع عاذليه

You rebuke me while I have a stubborn heart

That disobeys the passion in it when reproached

تعنّفني ولي قلب لجوج

يعاصي الشوق فيه معنفيه

Leave me, O critic, and believe my love

For I am not, O critic, claiming it

ودعني يا هذيم وصدق حبي

فما انا يا هذيم بمدعيه

If I could, my longing would ride to him

But the riding animals are not up to it

ركبت لو استطعت اليه شوقي

وما وخد الركاب فارتضيه

Among people, I love refinement

A lover who chooses you and you choose him

احبُّ الناس بين الناس ظرفا

محبٌّ يصطفيك وتصطفيه

Manners and merit make affinity between us

Like a meadow’s flower, pleasant for its picker

يؤلف بيننا ادبٌ وفضلٌ

كزهر الروض طاب لمجتنيه

And we excel in poetry together naturally

It is pure gold for its examiner

ونذهب في القريض معاً بطبع

هو الذهب الخليص لناقديه

Prepare a toast - it is the highest toast

That drinking in it is sweet for those who drink

اجل قدحاً هو القدح المعلى

يسوغ الشرب فيه لشاربيه

And live, for time wanders greatly in you

And none of its wandering burdens you

وعش فالدهر فيك يتيه كبراً

وليس عليك من كبروتيه