عَفا مَيثُ كُلفى بَعدَنا فَالأَجاوِلُ
فَأَثمادُ حَسنى فَالبِراقُ القَوابِلُ
Time has healed after us, so generations pass,
The tents of my beloved Suad are striking and lofty.
كَأَن لَم تَكُن سُعدى بِأَعناءِ غَيقَةٍ
وَلَم تُرَ مِن سُعدى بِهِنَّ مَنازِلُ
As if her abode was never in the valleys of Ghayqah,
Nor were her dwellings seen in Hinn,
وَلَم تَتَرَبَّع بِالسُيرِ وَلَم يَكُن
لَها الصَيفُ خَيماتُ العُذَيبِ الظَلائِلُ
Nor did she lounge about on travels, nor did
The summer own for her the shady branches.
أَتى الصَبرَ عَن سُعدى هَوىً ذو عَلاقَةٍ
وَوَجدٌ بِسُعدى سارَكَ القَلبَ قاتِلُ
Patience forsook Suad for passionate love,
And sadness for Suad pierced through my heart.
تَصُدُّ فَلا ترمى إِذا الشَخصُ فاتَها
وَتَرمي إِذا ما أَمكَنَتها المَقاتِلُ
She is shy and will not shoot unless out of range,
Yet will shoot when able to fight.
مَتى أَسلُ عَن سُعدى يَهِجني لِذِكرِها
حَمائِمُ أَو أَطلالُ دارٍ مَواثِلُ
When shall I ask after Suad? Her memory stirs in me
Doves or ruins of an abandoned abode.
أَضَرَّت بِها الأَنواءُ وَالريحُ وَالنَدى
وَغَيَّرَ مَغناها الضُحى وَالأَصائِلُ
The breezes, the winds and the dew have harmed her,
And the brightness of morn and the twilight changed her song.
وَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري وَلَو حُبَّ قُربُها
إِلى النَفسُ ماذا اللَهُ في القُربِ فاعِلُ
By Allah, I know not, had the nearness of her love
Approached my soul, what would God do in the nearness.
فَدَع عَنكَ ما لا تَستَطيعُ طِلابَهُ
وَمَن لَكَ عَنهُ لَو تَفَكَّرتَ شاغِلُ
Leave what you cannot seek,
And who for you, if you reflect, is a distraction.
إِذا طَيِّبِ الأَثوابِ قَد أُلهِمَ التُقى
هِجانِ البَنينِ يَعتَريهِ المُعاقِلُ
When thegood man is inspired with piety,
The passions of youth are restrained by him.
وَهوبٌ بِأَعناقِ المئينَ عَطاؤُهُ
غَلوبٌ عَلى الأَمرِ الَّذي هُوَ فاعِلُ
Impetuous in giving away hundreds (of gifts) generously,
Prevailing in the matter which he undertakes.
إِذا قالَ إِنّي فاعِلٌ تَمَّ قَولُهُ
فَأَمضى مَواعيدَ الَّذي هُوَ قائِلُ
When he says: ‘I shall do’, his word is realized,
So the promises of the speaker are fulfilled.
أُريدُ أَبا مَروانَ إِنّي رَأَيتُهُ
كَريماً وَتَنميهِ الفُروعُ الأَطاوِلُ
I want Abu Marwan. I saw him
Noble, growing more eminent through branching descendants,
طَويلُ القَميصِ لا يُذَمُّ جَنابهُ
نَبيلٌ إِذا نيطَت عَلَيهِ الحمائِلُ
Tall of shirt, his side never blamed,
A noble man when burdens are loaded on him,
أَمينٌ مُقِرُّ الصَدرِ يَسبِقُ قَولَهُ
بِفِعلٍ فَيَأبى أَن يُخَيَّبَ آمِلُ
Trustworthy, open of heart, his word forestalling
Deed, so he refuses to disappoint a hopeful one.
وَلا هُوَ مَسبوقٌ بِشَيءٍ أَرادَهُ
وَلا هُوَ مُلهيهِ عَن الحَقِّ باطِلُ
Neither is he preceded in anything he wants,
Nor is he distracted from the truth by falsehood.
بَنى لَكَ أَشرافَ المعالي وَسورَها
بِناً كُلُّ بُنيانٍ لَها مُتضائِلُ
He built for you the highest glories and surrounded them
With a building - every structure for it is diminished.
أَبٌ لَكَ راضَ المُلكَ حَتّى أَذَلَّهُ
وَحَتّى اِطمَأَنَّت بِالرِجالِ الزَلازِلُ
A father for you who tamed the kingdom until he humbled it,
And until tremors were calmed through men.
وَأَنتَ أَبو شِبلَينِ شاكٍ سِلاحُهُ
خَفِيَّةُ مِنهُ مَألَفٌ فَالغَياطِلُ
And you are Abu Shibl - his sword concealed -
Whose hidden side is gentle, yet deadly.
لَهُ بِجَنوبِ القادِسِيَّةِ فَالشَرى
مَواطِنُ لا يَمشي بِهِنَّ الأَراجِلُ
He has in the south of Qadisiyya and Sharah
Abodes where feet cannot tread.
يَرى أَنَّ أُحدانَ الرِجالِ غَفيرَةٌ
وَيَقدُمُ وَسطَ الجَمعِ وَالجَمعُ حافِلُ
He sees the valiant men as numerous
And proceeds amidst the throng when it is crowded.
