أَما لي عَلى الأَحبابُ يا سَعدُ مُسعَدُ
وَلا مُنجِدٌ لَمّا أَغاروا وَأَنجَدوا
Is there no relief for me from those I love, O Sa'd, most fortunate?
No helper when they attack and gain victory?
عَذَرتُ العَذارى في صُدودي وَلَم أَقُل
خَليلَيَّ لِمَ حَظِّيَ مِنَ البيضِ أَسوَدُ
I blamed the virgins for holding back, yet said not
"Why, my darling, is my lot from the whites so dark?"
وَلا عَجَبٌ لِلشَيخِ إِن أَلِفَ القِلى
وَقَد كانَ هَذا رَسمُهُ وَهُوَ أَمرَدُ
No wonder the old man took to the young,
For such was his custom, and he is but mortal.
وَأَسمَرُ كَالخَطِّيِّ لَوناً وَلينَةً
يَكادُ يُحَلُّ الخَصرُ مِنهُ وَيُعقَدُ
Dark yet soft-skinned like the gazelle,
His waist so slender it would slip from a bracelet and unwind.
تَقَلَّدَ بِالعَضبِ لِحُسامٍ وَما دَرى
بِأَنَّ دَمي مِن قَلبِهِ يَتَقَلَّدُ
He took up the sword against a warrior, not knowing
That it was my blood, from his heart, he adorned himself with.
وَوَجنَتَهُ وَاللَحظُ وَردٌ وَنَرجِسٌ
وَفي فَمِهِ خَمرٌ وَدُرٌّ مُنَضَّدُ
His cheeks are rose, his glances basil, his mouth
Wine and pearls of speech.
وَكَم شاعِرٍ أَودَت ثَعابينُ شَعرِهِ
إِذا ما بَدا مِنهُنَّ سَبطٌ وَأَجعَدُ
How many poets have had their glory destroyed
When there appeared in their verses bombast and raving?
سَباني كَما يَسبي الأَميرُ عُداتَهُ
فَتى المَلِكِ المَنصورِ وَالخَيلُ تُرعَدُ
He captured me as a prince captures his steeds,
The brave knight of King al-Mansur, while the horses stampeded.
لِناصِرِ دينِ اللَهِ نَصرٌ عَلى العِدى
وَعَزمٌ حَكاهُ المَشرِفِيُّ المُهَنَّدُ
Support for the religion of God, triumph over enemies,
And resolve - thus did al-Mushrifi, the inspired, describe him.
تَجودُ السَحابُ الغُرُّ قَطراً إِذا هَمَّت
وَما جودُهُ إِلّا لُجَينٌ وَعَسجَدُ
The clouds pour forth freely when they intend to rain,
And their pouring is but turbulence and cloudburst.
عَلى بَيتِ شِعرٍ بَيتُ مالٍ عَطاؤُهُ
إِلى أَن خَلا مِنهُ طَريفٌ وَمُتلِدُ
For a line of verse, a house; for his generosity, property -
Until he was emptied of estate and means.
هُوَ البَدرُ لِلسارِ بِكُلِّ تَنوفَةٍ
إِلَيهِ إِذا ما طالَ لَيلٌ وَفَدفَدُ
For those who travel by night he is the full moon,
Whenever the night grows long and dark.
فَصيحٌ إِذا قالَ ابنُ عَبّاسَ عَبدُهُ
وَيَبرُدُ مِن عِيٍّ لَدَيهِ المُبَرِّدُ
Loud-voiced, when the son of ‘Abbas and his servant speak,
And the cool drink grows cold in the jar from their eloquence.
وَمَلِكٌ لَهُ بَحرانَ عِلمٌ وَنائِلٌ
يَفيضُ بِذا صَدرٌ وَتَهِمّي بِذا يَدُ
A king with two seas of knowledge, who attains
Whatever of this the breast pours forth, of that the hand gives.
وَنارانِ لِلحَربِ العَوانِ وَلِلقِرى
غَدَت كُلُّ نارٍ مِنهُما تَتَوَقَّدُ
And two fires for war when he aids, and for homesteads -
Each fire kindled by him blazes up.
هُوَ القَيلُ وَاِبنُ القَيلِ وَالمَعشَرُ الأولى
إِذا غابَ مِنهُم سَيَّدٌ قامَ سَيِّدُ
He is the sayl, the son of sayl, and the excellent stock
When one master among them passes on, another arises.
غُيوثٌ إِذا جادَوا لُيوثٌ إِذا سَطَوا
لَهُم نائِلٌ جَمٌّ وَمَجدٌ مُشَيَّدُ
Succours when they are generous, lions when they pounce -
For them there are attainments ever renewed and glory rebuilt.
أَناصِرَ دينِ اللَهِ لازِلتَ ناصِرِ
عَلى زَمَنٍ فِيهِ الأَديبُ مُطَّهَدُ
Supporter of God’s religion, I remain your supporter
In a time when the literary man is suppressed.
لَئِن جَلَّ حَسّانٌ بِمَدحِ مُحَمَّدٍ
فيها أَنا حَسّانٌ وَأَنتَ مُحَمَّدُ
If Hassân was eminent in praise of Muhammad,
Among my people I am an honoured poet now disfavoured,
وَإِنّي لَفي قَومي كَريمٌ مُسَوَّدٌ
وَكُلُّ عَدوٍّ لي لَئيمُ مُسَوِّدُ
And each enemy of mine is a vile slanderer.
Pour out your favour upon me, do not say
أَصِخ أَيُّها المَولى إِلَيّا وَلا تَقُل
مَضى ذَلِكَ الفَضلُ الَّذي كانَ يُعهَدُ
“That bounty which once was given is gone.”
For had this poetry been composed in the past
فَلَو كانَ هَذا الشِعرُ قِدَماً رَواهُ في
أُمَيَّةَ حُمادٌ وَغَنّاهُ مَعبَدُ
Humâd would have transmitted it in Umayyad times, and Ma‘bad would have sung it,
Since in every land it continues to be sung
عَلى أَنَّهُ مازالَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ
يُغَنّى بِهِ عِندَ المُلوكِ وَيُنشَدُ
Before kings, and declaimed.
No king is hoped for and feared except you,
فَلا مَلِكٌ يُرجى سِواكَ وَيُتَّقى
وَلا شاعِرٌ يُهوى سِوايَ وَيُحمَدِ
No poet loved and praised except me.
