قِف بِجيرونَ أَو بِبابِ البَريدِ
وَتَأَمَّل أَعطافَ بانِ القُدودِ
Stand at Gerona or at the post office door,
And observe the beautiful gazelles bounding o’er,
تَلقَ سَمراً كَالسُمرِ في اللَونِ
وَاللِينِ وَشِبهِ الخُدودِ في التَوريدِ
You will meet a dark-eyed damsel passing there,
Of tender form and blushing cheeks so fair,
مِن بَني الصَيدِ لِلمُحِبينَ صادوا
بِعُيونِ الظِبا قُلوبَ الأُسودِ
The hunters have ensnared, for lovers true,
With the dark orbs of the gazelle, hearts of the lion stout,
يا نَديمَيَّ غَنِّياني بِشِعري
وَاِسقِياني بُنَيَّةَ العُنقودِ
My boon companions, come sing me a lay,
And serve me wine from the ripening grape I pray,
عَرِّجا بي ما بَينَ سَطرا وَمَقرا
لا بِأَكنافِ عالِجٍ وَزَرودِ
Meander with me ‘twixt prose and rhymed metre,
Not in hermit's cell or cloister austere,
سَقَّياني كَأساً عَلى نَهرِ ثَورا
وَذَراني أَبولَها في يَزيدِ
Serve me a cup by the bank of the Dhu'l-Thurayya,
Then leave me to pour it out on the sands far away,
أَنا مِن شيعَةِ الإِمامِ حُسَينٍ
لَستُ مِن سُنَّةِ الإِمامِ وَليدِ
I am of Husayn's creed, not of Walid's sunna,
My doctrine is one, but abode in the land,
مَذهَبي مَذهَبٌ وَلَكِنَّني في
بَلدَةٍ زُخرِفَت لِكُلِّ بَليدِ
With every fool and idiot teeming around,
Yet here is a pleasant and elegant town,
غَيرَ أَنَّ الزَمانَ فيها أَنيقٌ
تَحتَ ظِلٍّ مِنَ الغُصونِ مَديدِ
With gardens of clove and narcissus smiling,
And fragrant with ambergris and aloes beguiling,
وَرِياضٍ مِنَ البَنَفسَجِ وَالنَرجِسِ
قَد عُطُّرَت بِمِسكٍ وَعودِ
Like good Salih ibn Ruzzik, famed far and wide,
To both commoner and king much solace provide,
كَثَنا الصالِحِ بنَ رُزّيكَ في كُلِّ
قَريبٍ مِنَ الدَنى وَبَعيدِ
A prince, for his foes everlastingly mourning,
His raiment like steel mail twisted and burning,
مَلِكٌ لَم تَزَل ثِيابُ عِداهُ
في حِدادٍ وَثَوبُهُ مِن حَديدِ
A vizier, than al-Fadl more generous in deed,
’Neath the rule of great Haroun, all munificence exceed,
وَوَزيرٍ في الفَضلِ أَوفى مِنَ الفَضلِ
بنِ يَحيى في ظِلِّ مُلكِ الرَشيدِ
He surpassed Abd al-Malik in knowledge and grace,
Eloquent, wise, no match for Abd al-Hamid in his place,
فاقَ عَبدَ المَليكِ في العِلمِ
وَالحِلمِ بَليغٌ يَفوقُ عَبدَ الحَميدِ
Daily his enemies fall, himself only mounting,
As before they had risen, now equal their counting,
كُلَّ يَومٍ عِداتُهُ في هُبوطٍ
حَيثُ كانوا وَمجدُهُ في صُعودِ
With aid against them from Allah he's blessed,
As Bukht-Nassar against the Jews stood confessed,
وَلَهُ ناصِرٌ مِنَ اللَهِ فيهِم
مِثلَما بُختَ نُصَّرَ في اليَهودِ
He won the Imam, light of God's unity,
Quintessence of Ahmad and of Ali, verily,
فازَ بِالفائِزِ الإِمامِ الَّذي
أَصبَحَ مِصباحَ شيعَةِ التَوحيدِ
No Sa'd nor Sa'id amongst them you’ll find,
He inherited kingship, no mere line assigned,
صَفوَةً مِن مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلِيٍّ
لَيسَ مِن سَعدِهِم وَلا مِن سَعيدِ
The sword of this Imam fails never to smite,
Nor quenched is love's flame in the envious wight,
وَرِثَ المُلكَ لا كَما زَعَمَ الغَيرُ
وَخَلّى ما قيلَ في داوُودِ
Midst rulers you are the necklace's central gem,
Of verse the Pole Star, and ode's diadem,
سَيفَ هَذا الإِمامِ لا فُلَّ حَدّاكَ
وَلا زَلَّت نارُ قَلبِ الحَسودِ
Yours is the glory, when Mahmud in elation
Approached with fair praise and commendation.
أَنتَ بَينَ المُلوكِ واسِطَةُ العِقدِ
وَقُطبُ الرَحى وَبَيتُ القَصيدِ
وَلَكَ الفَخرُ حينَ أَقبَل مَحمودُ
بِحُسنِ الثَنا مِن مَحمودِ
