يا نارَ أَشْواقَي لا تَخْمُدي

لَعَلَّ ضَيْفَ الطَّيْفِ أَنْ يَهْتَدي

O fire of my passions, do not die out

Perhaps the guest of apparition may find guidance

حَسِبْتُهُ ماءً فَصادَفْتُهُ

لَمْعَ سَرابٍ لَيْسَ يُرْوي الصدي

I thought it was water, but I found it

A mirage that does not quench thirst

تَكَلَّفَتْ عَيْني لَهُ هَجْعَةً

كَنُغْبَةِ الطَّائِرِ فِي المَورِدِ

My eyes pretended drowsiness for him

Like the dozing of a bird at the watering place

صُوِّرَ فِي مِرْآتِها صُورَةً

تَجِلُّ عَنْ لَمْسِ فَمٍ أَوْ يَدِ

It pictured in its mirror an image

That evades the touch of mouth or hand

إِنْ نَعِمَتْ فِي اللَّيْلِ رُوحي بِهِ

فَسَوْفَ يَشْقى جَسَدي فِي غَدِ

If my soul enjoyed it at night

Then my body will suffer in the morning

الصَّدُّ والهِجْرانُ قَدْ جُمِّعا

بِاللَّهِ قُلْ لِي فَبِمَنْ أَقْتَدِي

Estrangement and avoidance are combined

By God, tell me with whom shall I comply?

أَشْكُو إلَى اللَّهِ مَلُولاً إِذْا

قُلْتُ انْتَهَى فِي هَجْرِهِ يَبْتَدي

I complain to God distressed when

I say his avoidance has just begun

الْبّدْرُ فِي مُكْسِرِ شَرْبوشِهِ

حُفَّ بِلَيْلِ الشَّعَرِ الأسْوَدِ

The full moon in his tipped goblet

Is clad in the black night of hair

رَيَّانُ فِي قُرطُقِهِ جِدْوَلٌ

لكِنْ لِهُ قَلْبٌ مِنَ الجَلْمَدِ

His saliva in his mouth is a rivulet

But his heart is made of solid ice

كَأَنَّما هِمْيَانُهُ بَرْزَخٌ

يَمْنَعُ مَوْجَ الرِّدْفِ أَنْ يَعْتَدي

As if his ardour is an isthmus

That prevents the wave of passion to transgress

غَازَلَنا مِنْ نَرْجِسٍ ذَابِلٍ

وَافْتَرَّ عَنْ نَوْرِ أَقاحٍ نَدى

He flirted with us with a withered narcissus

And pretended to have the light of brilliant wit

وَقامَ يَلْوي صُدْغَهُ قائِلاً

لا تَغْتَرِرْ بي فَكَذَا مَوْعِدي

And he stood twisting his cheek saying

"Do not be fooled by me, for such is my tryst"

فَقُلْتُ يَا لِلّهِ ماتَ الوَفَا

فَقَالَ مُوسى لَمْ يَمُتْ خُذْ يَدي

I said: "By God loyalty has died!"

Moses said: "It did not die, take my hand"

المَلِكُ الأَشْرَفُ شاهَ ارْمَنٍ

رَبُّ المَعالي والنَّدَى وَالنَّدي

The most noble king, the sun of the Armenians

Lord of glory, brightness and rivers

مَلْكٌ لَهُ الفَضْلُ عَلَى آدَمِ

وَالفَضْلُ لا يُكْسَبُ بِالمَوْلِدِ

A king who has merit over Adam

And merit is not earned by birth

لَو لَمْ تَرَ الأَمْلاكُ فِي صُلْبِهِ

غُرَّتَهُ الغَرَّاءَ لَمْ تَسْجُدِ

If the angels did not see his origin in loins

They would not bow to his deceiving appearance

الطَّاعِنُ النَّجْلاءَ مَكْحولَةً

نابَ لَها النَّقْعُ عَنِ الإِثْمِدِ

The critic with dimsighted eyes

His fang refrained from sin

وَالضَّارِبُ الفَوهاءَ مُفَتَّرَةً

عَنْ صارِمٍ كالمَبْسِمِ الأَدْرَدِ

And the one who slanders the eloquent

Against a sharp sword like polished Indian steel

يَصْدَى إِذْا أَرْواهُ ماءُ الطُّلى

وَأَعْجَبُ الأَشْياءِ رِيُّ الصَّدي

It echoes when the water of blades touches it

And the most amazing of things is the echo

تَقُولُ لِلخُرْصانِ أَسْيافُهُ

بِنا كُفِيْتِ الطَّعْنَ لا تُرْعَدي

Its swords say to the swordsman

"With us you were sufficed of thrusting, do not waver"

نَحْنُ بِسَدِّ الثَّغْرِ أَو فَتْحِهِ

أَدْرَى وَقَدْ قُمْنا بِهِ فَاقْعُدي

We are more knowledgeable in closing or opening the breach

So rise and take your seat

سَلْهُ تَجِدْ أَفْتى جميعِ الْوَرى

فَلْيَهْتَدِ السَّائِلُ أَوْ يَجْتَدِ

Ask him, you will find the most knowledgeable of all people

So the questioner may find guidance or procrastinate

يُرْزي عَلَى قُبْحِ عُبَوسِ الحَيا

حَياؤُهُ الطَّلْقُ الجَميلُ النَّدِي

He frowns on the ugliness of the snake's frown

His bashfulness is charming and delicate

يا مَلِكَ الأرضِ وإِنْ كانَ فِي

حُصونِهِ يا مَلِكَ الفَرْقَدِ

O king of the land even if

In its fortresses, O king of the ants

مَلأَتَها بِالْخَيْلِ والرَّجْلِ وَالْ

بِيضِ المَواضِي وَالقَنَا الأَمْلَدِ

You have filled it with cavalry, infantry and

The white plains and the old canal

تَكادُ أَنْ تَزْحَفَ يَوْمَ الْوَغَى

إلَى العِدَى مِنْ أُفْقِها الأَبعَدِ

It almost crawls on the day of battle

To the enemies from its furthest horizon

لَبِسْتَ مِنْها تَاجَ مُلْكٍ عَلى

كِسْرَى أَنُو شِرْوانَ لَمْ يُعْقَدِ

You have worn from it the crown of kingship on

A throne that Anushirwan did not conclude