كُحلٌ بِعَينَيهِ أَم ضَربٌ مِنَ الكُحلِ
وَردٌ بِخَدَّيهِ أَم صَبغٌ مِنَ الخَجَلِ
Is it kohl in his eyes or a type of kohl?
Is it a rose on his cheeks or a dye of shyness?
قَضيبُ بانٍ إِذا ما ماسَ مَيَّلَهُ
دَعَصٌ مِنَ الرَملِ أَو صَوتٌ مِنَ الرَمَلِ
A swaying branch, if it inclines,
Is it a palm tree of sand or a sound from the sand?
يَفتُرُ عَن سِمطِ دُرٍّ في عَقيقِ فَمٍ
عَذبِ المَراشِفِ مَمنوعٍ مِنَ القُبَلِ
It relents from a juicy bite in a tender mouth,
Sweet pillow, forbidden from kisses.
كَشَعرِهِ حَظُّ شِعري مِن مَحَبَّتِهِ
وَكيفَ تَتَّهِمُ الغُزلانَ بِالغَزَلِ
My poetry's fortune from his love,
Is like his hair, so how can you blame the gazelles for their gazelles?
أَقسَمتُ ما رَوضَةٌ بِالنَيرَبَينِ إِذا
سَحَّت عَلَيها شُئونُ العارِضِ الهَطِلِ
I swear by Nayrabian meadow, if
The rain clouds cast their shadow upon it,
شَقَّت شَقائِقَها أَيدي الرَبيعِ وَقَد
ماسَت حَدائِقَها كَالشارِبِ الثَمِلِ
Spring hands split its anemones when
Its gardens were touched like a drunkard.
يَوماً بِأَحسَنَ مِن وَردِ الخُدودِ عَلى
بانِ القُدودِ وَلا مِن نَرجِسِ المُقَلِ
One day, better than the roses on cheeks,
Than narcissus shoots, no, better than bent narcissus.
وَقائِلٍ وَشُموسِ الراحِ آفِلَةٌ
فينا وَشَمسُ مُديرِ الراحِ لَم تَقِلِ
While the suns were setting, he said
But the sun of our love never declined.
هَذا هُوَ الحُبُّ لَولا كَثرَةَ الرِقَبا
وَلَذَّةُ العَيشِ لَولا سُرعَةَ الأَجَلِ
This is love, if not for the abundance of censoring,
And life's joy if not for the swiftness of death.
لا تَأسَفَنَّ عَلى مالٍ فَقُلتُ لَهُ
عَلِيُّ بنُ مامينَ بَعدَ اللَهِ مُتَّكَلي
Do not grieve over wealth, I said to it,
Ali son of Mamoun, after God is my reliance.
مُجاهِدَ الدينِ فَالأَديانَ قاطِبَةً
وَصارِمَ الدَولَةِ الغَرّاءِ في الدُوَلِ
The fighter of religion, so all religions,
And challenger of the splendid state against states.
مَلكٌ لَهُ الرَأيَ وَالراياتِ عالِيَةٌ
يَومَ الطِرادِ عَلى العَسّالَةِ الذُبُلِ
A king whose opinion and high banners
On the day of battle upon the tired horses.
وَفارِسٌ بَطَلٌ لَم يَلقَ طَعنَتَهُ
عِندَ الكَريهَةِ غَيرُ الفارِسِ البَطَلِ
A brave knight whom in the thick of battle
None pierces but the brave knight.
مازالَ في قَولِهِ بَينَ الوَرى عَمَلٌ
وَغَيرُهُ في الوَرى قَولاً بِلا عَمَلِ
His actions between people remain consistent
While others' words among people remain without action.
يَزدادُ في أَعيُنِ الأَعداءِ مَنزِلَةً
كَأَنَّهُ قَمَرٌ في عَينِ ذي حَوَلِ
He rises in the eyes of enemies in rank
As if he were a moon in the eye of one squint-eyed.
كَما يَقيسُ بِهِ الحُسّادُ أَنفُسَهُم
وَأَينَ قَعرُ الثَرى مِن قُلَّهِ الجَبَلِ
How the envious measure themselves against him!
Yet how far is the earth's depths from a mountain's summit?
فَخرَ المَعالي عَلَوتَ الناسَ مَرتَبَةً
وَلَم تَزَل مُنعِماً بِالخَيلِ وَالخَوَلِ
Glories have bowed, you've risen above people in rank
And you remain bestowing horses and horsemen.
كَم حَملَةٍ لَكَ في الأَعداءِ صادِقَةٍ
وَطَعنَةٍ بِأَصمِّ الكَعبِ مُعتَدِلِ
How true are the strikes you deliver to enemies
With steadfast spear tips and sword pommels!
عاجَلتَهُم فَتَرَكتَ الخَيلَ خالِيَةً
مِنهُم وَقَد خُلِقَ الإِنسانُ مِن عَجَلِ
You hastened them and left the horses empty
Of them, though man was created of haste.
ما أَنتَ في أُمَراءِ الدَهرِ مُفتَخَرٌ
إِلّا كَفَخرِ اِبنِ عَبدِ اللَهِ في الرُسُلِ
You take no pride among the world's princes
Save that of Abdullah’s son among the messengers.
حَوَيتَ بِالوالِدَينِ الحَمدَ حينَ أَتى
مُحَمَّدٌ وَتَرَقَبتَ العُلى بِعَلي
You attained praise of both parents when
Muhammad came and you anticipated the most high through Ali.
مَولايَ كَم مادِحٍ تُعطيهِ مُنتَحِلٍ
وَشاعِرٍ لَم تُنِلهُ غَيرَ مُنتَحِلِ
My master, how many plagiarizing panegyrists
Do you reward, other than plagiarizers?
ما يَستَوي في الوَرى دُرٌّ وَمُخَشلَبٌ
وَلا يُقايَسُ بَينَ الصابِ وَالعَسَلِ
No pearl is equal to counterfeit in the world,
Nor is honey compared with aloe sap.
لا تَعجَبَنَّ لِقَصري عِندَ طولِهِم
فَالفَخرُ لِلَّيثِ لَيسَ الفَخرُ لِلجَمَلِ
Do not wonder at my falling short next to their length,
For pride belongs to the lion, not the camel.
أَنا الَّذي حَظُهُ تَحتَ الحَضيضِ وَقَد
نَظَمتُ فيكَ بِلا شِبهٍ وَلا مَثَلِ
I am the one whose fortune is below lowliest,
Yet I composed poetry of you beyond compare.
شِعراً تَعالى عَلى الشِعرى وَجازَ عَلى
الجَوزا وَأَصبَحَ مَحمولاً عَلى الحَملِ
Poetry transcending poets and surpassing
Prize poems, conveyed even by a camel.
