بِحُسنِكِ ذاتَ الحُسنِ شَمسَ الكَواكِبِ
تضيءُ شموسُ الأفق مِن كلِّ جانِبِ
With your beauty, O you of beauty, sun of the stars,
The suns of the horizons shine from every side.
أَنَرتِ الدّجى إِذ كُنتِ أَثقَبَ كَوكَبٍ
وَما كلُّ نَجمٍ في النُّجومِ بِثاقِبِ
You illuminated the darkness when you were the most luminous planet,
And not every star among the stars is bright.
إِلَيكِ قُلوبُ العاشِقينَ تَجاذَبَت
وما كلّ حِبٍّ للقلوبِ بجاذِبِ
Toward you, the hearts of lovers competed,
And not every love pulls at hearts.
رَعى اللَّهُ رَبعاً كُنتِ فيهِ ذُكاءَه
وَأَهلوكِ كانوا فيهِ أَزهى الكَواكِبِ
May God protect the land in which you were its intelligence,
And its people were in it the most radiant of planets.
وَسَقياً لِوَقتٍ كُنتُ فيهِ مُقرَّباً
لَدَيكِ وَقَد كانَ العَذولُ مُجانبي
And a drinking companion for a time when I was favored
Next to you while keeping away was shunned.
فَلا الهَجرُ كَالسلوانِ يَجري بِخاطِري
وَلا البعدُ كَالإِبعاد مِنكِ مُقاربي
So neither does separation flow through my mind
Nor does distance equal separation from you, my companion.
أَسيرُ عَلى سَهلِ السّرورِ بِمَهمَهٍ
وَلَستُ أَرى وَعْراً بِكلّ المَذاهِبِ
I walk the plain of bliss aimlessly,
And I do not see any hardship in any direction.
وَأَركَبُ مَتنَ الصّفوِ وَالأنسِ راكِضاً
وَلَيسَ كَمَتنِ الصّفوِ عزٌّ لِراكِبِ
And I ride the steed of clarity and intimacy galloping,
And the back of a steed is no honor for its rider.
وَأَغرِسُ وَرداً في خُدودِ حَبيبتي
وَأَوْلى بِغَرسِ الوَردِ خدُّ الحبائِبِ
And I plant a rose in the cheeks of my beloved,
And the cheek of loved ones is most deserving to be planted with roses.
وَأَرشُفُ خَمراً مِن لَماها وقَرقَفاً
فَأَشرَبُ شَهداً كانَ حِلّاً لِشارِبِ
And I drink wine from its fermentation and tumbler,
So I drink a honey that was pure for its drinker.
وَأَقطفُ رُمّاناً عَلا فَوقَ نَهدِها
وَأَحلى مِنَ الرُّمّانِ نَهدُ الكَواعِبِ
And I pluck a pomegranate atop her breasts,
And sweeter than a pomegranate are the breasts of coquettes.
وَأَجني ثِمارَ الوَصلِ والأنس مفرداً
وَأَنشقُ عِطرَ القُربِ مِن كلِّ جانِبِ
And I reap the fruits of union and intimacy alone,
And I inhale the fragrance of nearness from every side.
أَتيهُ عَلى العلياءِ مِن كلِّ جانِب
وَتَصفو مِنَ الأَوقاتِ كلّ المَشارِبِ
I come to the most high from every side,
And the times become purified of every drink.
أَطولُ الثريَّا حَيثُ قَد كنتُ قاعِداً
وَأَلعبَ مِن تيهي بِكلِّ الكَواكِبِ
I extend the Pleiades where I was sitting,
And I sport with their loss to all the planets.
وَأَنظِمُ عِقداً كَاللّآلي بِمَدحِها
وَمَدحِيَ ذاتَ الحُسنِ أَسنى مَطالبي
And I string pearls like necklaces in praise of her,
And my praise of the beauty of highest virtues is my greatest request.
وَأَركَبُ مِن أَغلى القَوافي جِيادَها
فَأَحظى لَدى سَبْقي بِأَعلى المَراتِبِ
And I mount the most precious metres like steeds,
So I gain the highest glory in outpacing them.
وَأُبْدي رَقيقَ النّظمِ لِلمَدحِ راغِباً
وَإِنَّ أَجَلَّ المَدحِ تمداحُ راغِبِ
And I express subtle poetry in praise passionately,
And the greatest praise is to praise passionately.
أَخي العزِّ وَالعَلياءِ في شَرَفِ العُلى
أَبي المَجدِ شَمسِ الحُسنِ زَينِ المَواكبِ
O brother of honor and highness, nobility’s sun,
My father of glory, sun of beauty, adornment of processions.
وَمَن فاقَ في جودٍ أَبا المَرأةِ الّتي
تَقولُ لِخَيرِ الخَلقِ هَبني صَواحِبي
And the one who surpassed in generosity the father of the woman
Who said to the best of creation, “give me my companions.”
وَمَن فاقَ في الحِلمِ اِبنَ قَيسٍ وَفي الذّكا
إِياساً وَفي إِنشائِهِ كُلَّ كاتِبِ
And the one who surpassed Ibn Qays in forbearance, Eeyas in intelligence,
And every writer in his composition.
هِزَبرُ الشّرى شِبلُ المَعالي أسدُ الوغى
وَضِرغامُنا الرِّئْبالُ مُبدي العَجائِبِ
Barrier of evil, noble of high ranks, lion of tumult,
And our fierce warrior, exhibitor of wonders.
يَكِرُّ بِلا فَرٍّ وَخدعٍ مُبارِزاً
وَيَسطو كَلَيثِ الغابِ في أَيّ عاضِبِ
He charges without retreating or deception, challenging,
And pounces like a forest lion at every passerby.
فَما صالَ إِلّا وَالأُسودَ رأيتَها
فَمِن مَيّتٍ يَبدو وَآخرَ هارِبِ
So he did not depart except the lions were seen by you
As some appeared dead and others fleeing.
فَأَضيافُهُ في السّلمِ أَهلُ مَكارِمٍ
وَضِيفانُهُ في حَربِهِ كُلُّ ناعِبِ
So his guests in peace are the people of generosity,
And his guests in war are all wailers.
فَما شامَ مَنْ والاهُ غَيرَ كَرامَةٍ
وَقَد شامَ مَنْ عاداهُ ضيق المذاهِبِ
So whoever befriended him tasted naught but honor,
While whoever opposed him tasted but narrow paths.
تَرَدّى وَقاراً في الأنامِ وَهَيبَةً
تَردّى كَمالاً في الوَرى غير ذاهِبِ
He strode with dignity among the people and prestige,
He strode with perfection in the land, never fading.
وَقامَ بِأَعباءِ المَحاسِنِ وَحدَهُ
فَحازَ مِنَ التّوفيقِ أَسنى المَراتِبِ
And he carried alone the burdens of virtues,
Thus attaining the best of ranks from success.
وَتاجَرَ في المَعروفِ في كلِّ مَوسِمٍ
فَأَلفى بَليغَ الحَمدِ خَيرَ المَكاسِبِ
And he engaged in benevolence every season,
So he attained the most eloquent praise and best profits.
مُوقّعُ ديوانِ الخَليفَةِ شاهِنا
وما كلُّ توقيعٍ كَتَوقيعِ راغِبِ
Signatory of the caliph’s Diwan, our master,
And not every signature is like the signature of Rabi’.
يَخطّ بِسعدِ الحظّ وَهوَ اِبن مُقلَةٍ
لِعَينِ المَعالي وَهوَ أَسعَدُ كاتِبِ
He writes with good fortune, and he is the son of Muqla,
To the observant eye, and he is the happiest writer.
إِذا جالَ في الأَوراقِ أَقلامَ خطِّهِ
تَرى السُّمرَ تَعلو فَوقَ بِيضِ القَواضِبِ
When his pens glide on the pages,
You see the fishrise above the white dhows.
وَما خَطّ غَيرَ المِسكِ مِن فَوقِ فِضّةٍ
أَو الضّوء ذي الإِشراقِ بَينَ الغَياهِبِ
And none write musk on silver,
Or light with brilliance between the darknesses but him.
فَيا أَيّها المَولى الّذي طابَ صِيتُهُ
عَلى حُسنِ سَمتٍ لَم يُثَبْ بِمَثالِبِ
So O master whom his reputation is good
For excellent traits that have no flaws.
إِلَيكَ اِنتِسابي وَهوَ لا شكَّ نِسبَةٌ
تَفوقُ مِنَ المَجدِ اِنتِساباً إِلى أبِ
To you is my lineage, which is undoubtedly a lineage
That surpasses the glory of lineage to a father.
لَبِستُ العُلى إِذ كنتُ مَحسوبَ مَجدِكُم
أَجرُّ ثِيابَ الفَخرِ لَست بِراهِبِ
I wore the garments of honor when I was counted among your glories,
I am adorned in the clothes of pride, I am no monk.
وَلي الشّرفُ الأَعلى إِلَيك بِنِسبَتي
وَتِلكَ لَدى الأَشرافِ أَعلى مَناقِبي
And for me is the highest honor through you,
And that among the nobility are my greatest traits.
وَإِنّي عَلى فَخري بِها لَمزاحِمٌ
عَلى رِفعَتي شَمسَ الضّحى بِالمَناكِبِ
And I in boasting of it am a rival
For my prestige the sun at dawn with shoulders.
وَها غادَةٌ تُهدى لِأَعتابِك الّتي
أَقامَت بِها العَلياءُ أَحسَنَ حاجِبِ
And here is a gift sent to your threshold,
At which the supreme erected the best eyebrows.
مُهَفهَفَةٌ بِكرٌ وَخوطَةُ بانَةٍ
وَبَيضَةُ خِدرٍ لا تُشان بِعائِبِ
White and pure, the wrapping of Bana,
And an unblemished egg of Khadir.
وَتَرجو قَبولاً مِنكَ فَضلاً وَلَم يَكُن
عَلَيكَ أَخا المَجدِ القبولُ بِواجِبِ
It hopes for acceptance from you as a grace, and you were not
O brother of glory, obligated to accept.
وَتَبغي الرّضا حَيثُ الرضاءُ رَجاؤُها
وَلَستَ بِمَن ردّ الرّجاء بِخائِبِ
And it seeks approval where its approval is hoped,
And you are not one who disappoints hope.
وَلا أعتب الأفلاكَ أَن لَو رَدَدتها
وَلَستُ على الأفلاكِ يَوماً بعاتِبِ
And I do not blame the celestial spheres, if they sent it back,
And I am not one to reproach the celestial spheres.
وَلَكِنّما عَتبي عَلى الحظّ وحدَهُ
وِإنّي لِغَيرِ الحظّ غير مُعاتِبِ
Rather, my reproach is to fortune alone,
And I do not reproach other than fortune.
عَلى كلِّ حالٍ أَنتَ أَكرَمُ قابلٍ
وَتَعلَمُ أَنّ الردَّ غَيرُ مُناسِبِ
In any case, you are the most honorable acceptor,
And you know refusal is not appropriate.
وَدُمْ بِأَمانِ اللَّهِ ما دامَتِ السّما
وَأَنجمُها ما بَينَ بادٍ وغارِبِ
Live in God's safety as long as the sky
And its stars last between disappearing and setting.
وَحَيثُ اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ أَبدى بِمَدحِهِ
لِأَوصافِك الحَسناءِ كُلَّ الغرائِبِ
And wherever the son of Fathallah expressed in his praise
Of your good traits all wonders.
