هَوِيْتُهُ رَشَئِيَّ الطَّرْفِ وَالجِيْدِ
بَدْرِيَّ ما تَحْتَ تَصْفِيفٍ وَتَجْعِيدِ
My beauty's gaze is gentle and face radiant
Moonlike beneath the braids and curls
حَلَّ القَبا وَلَوَى صُدْغَيهِ فَانْعَقَدا
وَاحَيْرَتا بَيْنَ مَحْلُولٍ وَمَعْقودِ
The mole took lodging while his cheeks dimpled, shutting
Wavering mid the loosened and the tied
يا مُسْكِرِي بِثَناياهُ وَرِيقَتِهِ
هَلْ هذِهِ الخَمْرُ مِنْ تِلْكَ العَناقِيدِ
O you made drunk by his soft mouth and saliva
Is this wine from those grapes?
أَحْيَيْتَنِي بِالَّذِي حَيَّيْتَنِي فَأَنا
فِي أَرْغَدِ العَيْشِ مِنْ ورْدٍ وَتَوْرِيدِ
You brought me to life with what gave me life and so
I live the most blissful life of roses and buds
قَضِيبُ بانٍ إِذْا ما خَفَّ أَثْقَلَهُ
كَثِيبُ رَمْلٍ بَطْيءِ النَّهْضِ رِعْدِيدِ
The stick of the yawner when his heaviness Lightens
Is like a sandy dune, slow to rise, thundering
خَصْرٌ وَِرْدٌف كَأَنَّ البَنْدَ بَيْنَهُما
مُفَرِّقٌ بَيْنَ مَعْدُومٍ وَمَوْجُودِ
A waist and buttocks, between them the waistband
Separates the nonexistent from the real
فِي حُسْنِ يوسُفَ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ مَلِكُ
فَما يُباعُ بِبَخْسِ النَّقْدِ مَعْدودِ
His beauty that of Joseph except he holds
Regal standing, not to be traded cheap
يا مَنْ حَماهُ بِبِيْضِ الهِنْدِ نِمْ فَلَقَدْ
حَمَتْهُ جَفْناهُ بِالْهِنْدِيَّةِ السُّودِ
O you whose cheeks match white Hindi swords, for they
Were guarded by an Indian dark sword
لَهُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ إِنْ لايَنْتَهُ جَسَدٌ
وَالقَلْبُ مِنْ صَخْرَةٍ صَمَّاءَ صَيْخُودِ
For him the water, if an eternal body
The heart of deaf rock worn down
فَلا يَرِقُّ عَلَى نَوْحِي وَلا سَهَرِي
وَالنَّجْمُ قَدْ مَلَّ تَعْدادي وَتَعْديدي
So I'm saddened not by my night chat nor vigils
The star grew weary marking my count
قالُوا تَعَشَّقْ مُباحَ الوَصْلِ قُلْتُ لَهُمْ
لَيْسَ الدَّنِيُّ إِلَى قَلْبِي بِمَوْدودِ
They said, "Fall for forbidden intimacy," I said
"No lowlife takes root in my heart"
فِي أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ لا فِي غَيْرِهِ غَزَلِي
وَإِنْ مَدَحْتُ فَموسى خَيْرُ مَقْصودِ
I flirt with the best of men, not with other
And if I praise, Moses is the best purpose
مَلْكٌ إِذْا ما طَغَى طوفانُ راحَتِهِ
أَرْسَى سَفِينَةَ راجِيْهِ عَلَى الْجُودِي
A floodtide king when his tranquility swells
Anchored the ship of his seeker in kindness
يا قاصِدَ الأَشْرَفِ امْسِكْ عَنْ سُؤالِ فَتىً
إِلَى المَكارِمِ صَبَّ القَلْبِ مَعْمُودِ
O you seeking the noblest, refrain from asking a lord
Whose heart overflowed with virtues
أَغَرُّ يَلْقاك بِالإِحْسانِ مُعْتَذِراً
عُذْرَ الْمُسِيْءِ عَلى مَطْلٍ وَتَرْدِيدِ
I'm amazed meeting you with apologies and excuses
Excuse the wrongdoer his prolonged waiting
الْعَاقِدُ الرَّأْيَ فِي أَعْلامِ عَسْكَرِهِ
فَإِنْ نُشِرْنَ فَعَنْ نَصْرٍ وَتَأْيِيدِ
The advisor to the famous of his troops
If we're defeated, no aid or support
وَالقائِدُ الجَيْشَ كَالبَحْرِ الخِضَمِّ وَما
أَمْواجُهُ غَيْرَ صِيْدٍ أَوْ صَنادِيدِ
The leader to his army as the raging sea
Its waves naught but prey or lions
شُوْسٌ إِذْا اعْتَقَلُوا المُرَّانَ خِلْتَهُمُ
أُسْداً تَأَبَّطْنَ أَمْثالَ الأَساوِيدِ
Valiant lions when they control the reins
Resolute as lords of lions
تَجْلُو لَهُمْ فِي ظَلامِ النَّقْعِ غُرَّتُهُ
مَواقِعَ الطَّعْنِ بَيْنَ الهَامِ وَالْجِيْدِ
Their rashness in dark skirmishes appears
Places of stabbing mid the brow and neck
وَتَسْتَعِيرُ عَوالِيْهِمْ عَزائِمَهُ
فَما يَدَعْنَ وَرِيداً غَيرَ مَوْرودِ
Their towering heights borrow his determination
Leaving no bosom friend but outcast
يا مُخْلِفاً ظَنَّ كِيكاوُوسَ حِينَ أَتَى
يَغْزُو مَعاقِلَ إِسْلامٍ وَتَوْحيدِ
O late one, Kekavus thought when he came
To raid the forts of Islam and Divine Oneness
فِي جَحْفَلٍ عَذَباتُ الكُفْرِ خافِقَةٌ
مِنْ جانِبَيْهِ بِسَعْيٍ غَيرِ مَسْعُودِ
In his army the flags of blasphemy waved
Fluttering without success foretold
فَاسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ مِنَ الأعْرابِ شِرْذِمَةٌ
فَبَدَّدَتْ شَمْلَهُ فِي المَهْمَهِ البِيْدِ
Some nomads came out to meet him
Shattering his band in the melee
نَجا وَأَسْلَمَ لِلْخِرْصَانِ أُسْرَتَهُ
فَسَيِّدُ القَوْمِ رِزْقُ النَّسْرِ وَالسِّيدِ
He escaped and surrendered his captives
To peasants - the leaders' lot is prey and masters'
لَوْ شاءَ شاهَ ارْمَنٍ ما فاتَهُ دَمُهُ
لَكِنْ عَفا عَنْ أَسِيرِ القَلْبِ مَطْرودِ
If the Shah of Armenians wished, his blood unpaid
But exonerating the captive heart outcast
وَرَدَّ أَسْراهُ بَعْدَ السَّلِْب فِي نِعَمٍ
وَلَوْ أَطاقَ لأَحْيا كُلَّ مَفْقودِ
Returning the captives after plunder in grace
Had he means he'd revive all the lost
هَذا هُوَ الجُودُ لا قَعْبانِ مِن لَبَنٍ
وَالجُودُ بِالنَّفْسِ أَقْصَى غايَةِ الجُودِ
That is true kindness, not bowls of milk
And kindness of soul the height of kindness
وَسائِلٍ عَن أِبِي الفَتْحِ اخْتَصَرْتُ لَهُ
صِفاتِهِ فِي مَقامٍ غَيرِ مَجْحُودِ
One asked of Abu El Fatuh so I summed up
His traits in terms beyond imagining
مُبارِكُ الوَجْهِ سَمْحُ الكَفِّ مُشْتَمِلٌ
عَلَى الحِفاظِ وَفِيٌّ بِالمَواعِيدِ
Blessed of face and smooth of palm, embracing
Loyalty and true to his vows
تَصْبو إِلَى مُلْكِهِ شُمُّ الحُصونِ كَما
تَصْبُو النُّفوسُ إِلَى الفَتَّانَةِ الرُّودِ
Citadels incline to serve his rule
As souls incline to tempt the well-built
فَلَيْسَ تَظْما وَتَضْحَى بَعْدَ ما التَحَفَتْ
بِظِلِّ مُلْكٍ ظَلِيلٍ مِنهُ مَمْدودِ
No longer discontent or feeling deprived
Under the shade of swaying rule stretched from him
رَأَتْ شَمائِلَ مِنْ غازِي بنِ يوسفَ قَد
شَهِدْنَ أَنَّهُما أُطْلِعْنَ مِنْ عُودِ
They saw the traits of Gazi son of Joseph, they
Witnessed they were created from glory's staff
أَبْقَى لَهَا اللَّهُ هذا كافِلاً وَسَقَتْ
سَحائِبُ العَفْوِ مِنها خَيْرَ مَلْحودِ
May God sustain this guardian, and the clouds Forgave from it the best downpour
The abundant sea, its sails folded up
لِلَّهِ بَحْرُ نَوالٍ جَفَّ مَشْرِعُهُ
وَطَودُ مُلْكٍ هَوَى مِنْ بَعْدِ تَشيِيدِ
The towering kingdom collapsed after its prime
A vanished lion whose might turned the army back
وَلَيْثُ غابٍ تَرُدُّ الْجَيْشَ سَطْوَتُهُ
أَخْنَى عَلَيْهِ قَضاءٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدودِ
Ruled by fate with no return
Though life was pure a while it was not long before
صَفا لَهُ مَوْرِدُ الدُّنْيا فَما لَبثَتْ
حَتَّى رَمَتْهُ بِتَكْديرٍ وَتَنْكِيدِ
It spurned him with bitterness and sorrow
If the land concealed his splendid person
إِنْ كَانَتِ الأرْضُ أَخْفَتْ شَخْصَ ظَاهِرِها
فَبِالعَزِيزِ سَلَوْنا كُلَّ مَفْقودِ
The Almighty replaces every loss
Crescent of a kingdom whose rise was with fortune
هِلالُ مُلْكٍ تَوَلَّى السَّعْدُ مَوْلِدَهُ
وَما السَّعادَةُ إِلاَّ فِي المَوالِيدِ
Good luck resides only in infants
I see the towering giants desire to shade him
أَرَى السَّناجِقَ تَهْوَى أَنْ تُظَلِّلَهُ
فِي يَوْمِ حَرْبٍ بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ مَشْهودِ
On a war day with God's help witnessed
The hall of justice has become awaiting
وَمَجْلِسَ العَدْلِ أَضْحَى وَهْوَ مُنْتَظِرٌ
لِحُكْمِهِ بَيْنَ تَشْدِيدٍ وَتَسْديدِ
His rule mid force or guidance
Moses - losing David never did him wrong
هذا سُلَيمانُ لَكِنْ سِرُّ خاتَمِهِ
موسى فَما ضَرَّهُ فُقْدانُ داودِ
O guardian of religion, when its keeper slept
And its affairs found order after chaos
يا حارِسَ الدِّينِ لَمَّا نامَ حارِسُهُ
وَناظِماً شَمْلَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ تَبْديدِ
People fancy you declining, carefree
In ignorance though many a frail form lies prone
يَظُنُّكَ النَّاسُ فِي خَفْضٍ وَفِي دَعَةٍ
جَهْلاً وَكَمْ مُسْتَرِيحِ الجِسْمِ مَكْدودِ
Ready your troops the expanse of war now rages
Undone by the Franks, defenses fallen
جَهِّزْ جُيوشَكَ إِنَّ الثَّغْرَ قَد عَبِثَتْ
بِهِ الفَرَنْجُ فَأَضْحَى غَيْرَ مَنْضودِ
Do they hope to pluck its holy strings
As your realm will never be returned?
أَيُدْرِكونَ بِهِ أَوْتَارَ قُدْسِهِمُ
مِنْكُمْ وَذلِكَ مُلْكٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدودِ
O you men I call on you for an incident
That brings down water from the silent rocks
يا لَلرِّجالِ أُنادِيْكُمْ لِنازِلةٍ
تَسْتَنْزِلُ المَاءَ مِنْ صُمِّ الجَلامِيدِ
Where is your zeal? Awake from your slumber
Either for the world now or later beloved
أَيْنَ الحَمِيَّةُ هُبّوا مِنْ مَنامِكُمُ
إِمّا لِعاجِلِ دُنْيَا أَوْ لِمَعْبودِ
My lord take it a bride the pearl of her charm
Is through invention, support, and birth
مَوْلاَيَ خُذْها عَرُوساً دُرُّ لَبِتَّها
مِنَ ابْتِكارٍ وَتَزْييدٍ وَتَوْلِيدِ
And begin the feast day in might and bounty
For people are, thanks to you, daily in feast
وَاسْتَقْبِلِ العِيدَ فِي عِزٍّ وَفِي نِعَمٍ
فَالنَّاسُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِنْكَ فِي عِيدِ
