وَيْحَ قَلْبِ المُحِبِّ ماذا يُقاسِي
كُلُّ قَلْبٍ عَلَيهِ كَالصَّخْرِ قَاسِ
Alas! The heart of a lover, what does it endure?
Every heart becomes like stone towards it.
يا جُفُونِي أَيْنَ الدُّمُوعُ فَقَد أَحْ
رَقَ قَلْبِي تَوَقُّدُ الأَنْفاسِ
Oh my eyes! Where are the tears? For my heart
Has melted, my breath kindled to flames.
جَدَّ وَجْدِي بِحُبِّ لاَهٍ وَأَوْدَى
بِفُؤَادِي تَذْكَارُهُ وَهْوَ نَاسِ
My passion and longing intensified through love
Of a beauty, whose memory set my heart afire and maddened me.
مِنْ بَنِي التُّرْكِ لَيِّنُ العِطْفِ قاسِي الْ
قَلْبِ سَهْلُ الْخِداَعِ صَعْبُ المِراسِ
Of Turkish origin, gentle in manners, hard-hearted,
Easy to deceive, difficult to be sociable.
ضَيِّقُ العَيْنِ وَهْوَ مِنْ صِفَةِ البُخْ
لِ فَإِنْ جَادَ كانَ ضِدَّ القِياسِ
Narrow-eyed, which is a trait of the miser, so if he is generous,
It goes against the norm.
جَذَبَ القَوْسَ فَاكْتَسَتْ وَجْنَتَاهُ
ثَوْبَ وَرْدٍ طِرازُهُ مِنْ آسِ
He drew the bow, and his cheeks were adorned
With a rose-colored robe, its embroidery from Aceh.
وَرَمَى عَنْ قَوْسَيْنِ سَهْمَيْنِ هذَا
فِي فُؤَادِي وَذاكَ فِي القِرْطاسِ
And he shot two arrows, one into my heart
And the other into the paper.
فَهُوَ تَحْتَ السِّلاحِ لَيْثُ عَرِينٍ
وَهْوَ فَوْقَ الفِراشِ ظَبْيُ كِنَاسِ
Under arms he is a lion in its lair,
And on the bed, a gazelle in the meadow.
يَا نَدِيْمِي بِاللَّهِ غَنِّ بِذِكْرا
هُ وَمَوِّهْ عَنْ رِيْقِهِ بِالكَاسِ
My friend, for God’s sake sing, make mention of him,
And hide the spittle on his lips with wine.
وَاغْتَنِمْ لَذَّةَ الزَّمانِ فَما جِلَّ
قُ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهْوِ وِالإِيْنَاسِ
And enjoy the pleasures of life, for no amusement
Exists except in revelry and dalliance.
حَبَّذَا النَّيْرَبَانِ مِنْ نَهْرِ ثَوْرَا
وَاخْضِرَارُ المُرُوجِ مِنْ بَانَاسِ
How lovely are the Nereids from the Euphrates river,
And the green meadows of Banas!
وَالنَّسِيمُ الَّذِي يَمُرُّ عَلى الغُو
طَةِ رَيَّانَ عَاطِرَ الأنْفاسِ
And the breeze that blows over the hillocks
Anointed with fragrant breath.
بَلْدَةٌ حَلَّهَا الوَزِيرُ فَمَرْعَا
هَا خَصِيبٌ وَالنّاسُ فِي أَعْراسِ
A town the minister made prosperous, so its pasture
Became fertile and its people immersed in celebration.
قُلْ لِرَائِيْهِ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّ
اسِ هذَا الوَزِيرُ رَبُّ النَّاسِ
Say to the one who sees me, say I seek refuge with the Lord
Of mankind. This minister is the lord of mankind!
هَيْبَةٌ تَمْلأُ القُلُوبَ وَشَخْصٌ
تَمْتَلِي مِنْهُ أَعْيُنُ الجُلاَّسِ
An awe that fills hearts, a dignity from which
The eyes of those seated around are dazzled.
وَذَكَاءٌ يَسْتَنْقِصُ الأبْحُرَ السَّبْ
عَ وَحِلْمٌ لَهُ تَخِرُّ الرَّوَاسِي
Intellect that fathoms the seven oceans, and wisdom before which
Mountains crumble.
