مالِي وَلِلتَّشْبِيبِ بِالأوْطانِ
لي شاغِلٌ بِجَمالِكَ الْفَتَّانِ
What is my concern with roaming the homelands
When your alluring beauty preoccupies me
الرِّيقُ وَالثَّغْرُ الْعُذَيْبُ وَبارِقٌ
وَقَباكَ مَزْرورٌ عَلى نُعْمانِ
Your saliva, lips, charming smile, and lightning teeth
Your cheeks adorned on Nu'man's bounty
وَسْنانٌ حُورِيُّ الصِّفاتِ كَأَنَّهُ
مَلَّ الْجِنانَ فَفَرَّ مِن رِضْوانِ
A radiant mouth of houris in nature as though
It filled the heavens then fled from bliss
طالَتْ عَلى عِطْفَيْهِ لَيْلَةُ شَعْرِهِ
فَتَرَنَّحا كالْعاشِقِ الْوَلْهانِ
Her night of hair flowed over her shoulders
She sighed like a swooning lover
وَاخْضَرَّ فَوْقَ الْوَرْدِ آسُ عِذارِهِ
فَعَجِبْتُ لِلْجَنَّاتِ فِي النِّيرانِ
Above roses her braids were greener
I was amazed by gardens amidst fires
جُنَّتْ بِمَنْظَرِهِ الْبَديعِ عُيونُنا
فَتَسَلْسَلَتْ بِمَدامِع الأَجْفانِ
Your eyes were delighted by his beautiful sight
Then overflowed with tears from the eyelids
غَزَلِيْ بِهِ وَمَديحُ موسى رَوْضَةٌ
جَمَعَتْ فُنونَ الْحُسْنِ وَالإِحْسانِ
My love poem and Moses' praise are a garden
That combined beauty and benevolence
مَلِكٌ بِهِ اخْضَرَّ الزَّمانُ كأنَّما
أيَّامُ دَوْلَتِهِ رَبيعٌ ثانِ
A king with whom the times turned green as though
The days of his rule were a second spring
أَثْرى ثَراهُ بَعْدَ مَحْلِ مَحَلِّهِ
بِدَوامِ سَحَّ سَحابِهِ الْهَتَّانِ
He enriched it after its decline with might
With the persistence of his pouring clouds
فَلِكُلِّ غادِيَةٍ رَحيقٌ سَلْسَلٌ
وَلِكُلِّ غُصْنٍ هِزَّةُ النَّشْوانِ
So every rose has a dangling necklace
And every branch has the shook of delightedness
وَالنَّهْرُ خَدٌّ بِالشُّعاعِ مُوَرَّدٌ
قَد دَبَّ فِيهِ عِذارُ ظِلِّ الْبانِ
The river's cheek is reddened by the rays
As the charm of shade crept through it
وَالْمَاءُ فِي سُوقِ الْغُصونِ خَلاخِلٌ
مِنْ فِضَّةٍ وَالزَّهْرُ كالتِّيجانِ
And the water in the lanes of branches is anklets
Of silver and flowers like crowns
فَكَأَنَّ طائِرَها خَطيبٌ مصْقَعٌ
قَد قامَ فَوْقَ مَنابِرِ الأَغْصانِ
So it's as if their songbird is a melodious orator
Who stands atop the minbars of branches
يَشْدو وَأُنْشِدُ فَالْمَدائِحُ بَيْننا
تُهْدى إلى موسى بِكُلِّ لِسانِ
Singing while I recite so praise between us
Is gifted to Moses in every tongue
اشْرَبْ ثَلاثاً يا نَديمُ وَسَقِّني
وَاطْرَبْ لِعُجْمَةِ نُطْقِهِ وَبَيانِي
Drink three times, my boon companion, and serve me
And delight in the marvel of his speech and my verse
كأْساً إِذْا صافَحْتُها أَثْرَتْ يَدِي
مِنْ فِضَّةٍ مُلِئَتْ مِنَ الْعِقْيانِ
A cup, when I clasp it, my hand glistens
With silver filled with pearls
حَمْراءُ رَصَّعَها الْحَبابُ بِجَوْهَرٍ
كَالزَّهْرِ فِي مَرْجٍ مِنَ الْمَرْجانِ
Ruby which gems adorned with jewels
Like flowers in a meadow of coral
وَاللَّهِ لَوْ عَقَلَ الْمَجوسُ لِكاسِها
جَعَلُوُه بَيْتَ عِبادَةِ النِّيرانِ
By God, if the Magi were reasonable with his cup
They would make it their temple of fire
سُكْرُ الْمُدامِ وَشُكْرُ موسى مَذْهَبي
فَلَقَدْ مَحَوْتُ بِطاعَتي عِصْيانِي
The wine's inebriation and thanking Moses are my ways
For I have erased my sins with my obedience
شُغْلِي مَدائِحُهُ وَغَيْري لَمْ يَزَلْ
كالْبومِ يَنْدُبُ دارِسَ الْجُدْرانِ
My occupation is praising him while others ceaselessly
Are like owls lamenting the ruins
لَلْبِيدِ وَالْكُومِ الرَّواسِمِ مَعْشَرٌ
عَدَلَ الزَّمانُ بِشَأْنِهِمْ عَنْ شَانِي
Labid, Kumait, and renowned peers
Time has turned from their glory to mine
سِيَما إِذْا الْتَهَبَ الْهَجيرُ وَحَوَّمَتْ
فَوْقَ السَّرابِ حُشاشَةُ الظَّمْآنِ
Especially when the departure burns and mirages whirl
Above the horizon with the cravings of thirst
وَالشَّمْسُ تُرْسِلُ فَضْلَ خَيْطِ لُعابِها
تَمْتاحُ مِن عَطَشٍ ثَرى الْغُدْرانِ
And the sun sends the excess of its drool
To quench the thirst of barren lands
يَشْوِي الْوُجوهَ سُمومُها فَكَأَنَّما أعْ
تاضُوا عَنِ الأَكْوارِ بِالْكيرانِ
Its poisons blacken faces, as if
They cured themselves of flush with ash
فَعلامَ أُلْقِي لِلْمَهالِكِ مُهْجَتي
وَالأَشْرَفُ السُّلْطانُ قَدْ أغْنانِي
So why should I vent my passions to disasters
When the noblest of sultans has enriched me
طَرَدَ الْقَنِيصَ بِكُلِّ ضارٍ ضامِرٍ
مِنْ مِخْلَبَيْهِ مُقَرَّطِ الآذانِ
He dispelled with his clawed hands every harm and humiliation
With ears alert for repayment
وَبِكُلِّ مُرْدَفَةٍ مُغَلْغَلَةٍ لَها
فِي كُلِّ عُضْوٍ مُقْلَةُ الْغَضْبانِ
And with every heavily armed cavalry that in every limb
Contains the wrath of vengeance
تُرْكِيَّةٍ سُبِيَتْ فَسالَ بِخَدِّها
ما كانَ مِنْ كُحْلٍ عَلى الأجْفانِ
A Byzantine taken captive whose cheek
Poured what was on the eyelids of kohl
قُلْنا وَشِلْوُ قَنِيصِها فِي صَدْرِها
هذا عِناقُ الْعاشِقِ الْوَلْهانِ
We said, the rending of her shirt in her chest
Is the embrace of a swooning lover
لَوْ قالَ موسى أجِرْنِي مِنْهُما
لَنَجا وَأصْبَحَ فِي أعَزِّ أمانِ
Had Moses asked for refuge from them
He would have survived and awakened in greatest safety
موسى الّذي أَزْرى بِكِسْرَى وَاعْتَلى
فِي أَسْرِ إِيواني عَلى الإِيوانِ
Moses who eclipsed Kisra and ascended
In the chambers of my palace above the palace
لَبَّى أَخاهُ مِنَ الْجَزِيرَةِ بَعْدَما
سَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الْكُرْجُ كُلَّ مَكانِ
He answered his brother from the island after
Every road before him was blocked
بِجَحافِلٍ زُمْرُ الْمَلائِكِ فَوْقَها
مَحْفوفَةٍ بِخواطِفِ الْعِقْبانِ
With angelic legions above whom
Eagles hovered with fluttering wings
لا يَهْتَدونَ إِذْا ادْلَهَّم عَجاجُهُمْ
إِلاَّ بِشُعْلَةِ صارِمٍ وَسِنانِ
They cannot find their way when their throngs are confused
Except by the flames and blades of a sharp sword
فَجَلا عَن الإِسْلامِ ظُلْمَةَ كُفْرِهِمْ
وَأَعادَهُ لِلْعِزِّ بَعْدَ هَوانِ
So he dispelled the darkness of their disbelief
And restored glory after humiliation
طَهَّرْتَ أَرْمينِيَّةً فاسْتَبْدَلَتْ
مِنْ دَقَّ ناقُوسٍ بِصَوْتِ أَذانِ
You purified Armenia which then exchanged
The toll of church bells for the call to prayer
نَفَذَتْ جُسُومَهُمُ الرِّماحُ كَأَنَّهُمْ
بَعْضَ الَّذي حَمَلُوا مِنَ الصُّلْبانِ
Their spears penetrated as though they
Carried part of crossed timbers
يا مَنْ يُصَدِّقُ مادِحيْهِ كَأَنَّهُمْ
يَتْلُونَ آيَاتٍ مَنَ الْقُرْآنِ
O You who makes those praising seem as if
They recite verses from the Quran
يا مَنْ يَرَى أَيْدي العُفاةِ لِمالِهِ
أَكْفى الْكُفاةِ وَأَوْثَقَ الْخَزَّانِ
O You who sees the hands of the destitute upon His wealth
As the most sufficient caretakers and trusted treasurers
يا مَنْ يَرى أَنَّ الثَّناءَ ذَخيرَةٌ
تَبْقى عَلَيْهِ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فانِ
O You who sees that praise is a treasure
That remains with Him though all things perish
أَغْلَيْتَ أَعْلاقَ الْمَحامِدِ بَعْدَما
كانَتْ تُباعُ بِأَرْخَصِ الأثْمانِ
You made the depths of praises expensive after
They were sold for the cheapest of prices
شَوَّالُ مِثْلكَ مُطْعِمٌ فَلأِجْلِ ذا
أَضْحى لَهُ فَضْلٌ عَلى رَمَضانِ
The likes of You provide food so for that
Shawwal has favor over Ramadan
فَتَهَنَّ يا مَلِكَ الْمُلوكِ بِعيدِهِ
فِي ظِلِّ مُلْكِ دائِمِ السُّلْطانِ
So congratulate, O King of Kings, on his feast
In the shade of an eternal Sultanate
