الخَدُّ وَردُ الرّبى والخالُ مِعْطارُ
وفي كِلا وجنتَيْهِ الماءُ والنارُ
The cheek is a rose garden and the mole a sweet basil,
In both are fire and water, the two cheeks.
وَجَفنُهُ مُذ بَدا في الكَسْرِ يَسْحرني
فَصَحَّ عِندي أَنَّ الجفنَ سحّارُ
Since its lid appeared through the intoxicating wound,
I believe the eyelid is bewitching.
فَهَلْ أفيقُ ولَحْظاهُ السُّقاةُ لَنا
وَالكَأسُ مَبسَمُهُ والثّغرُ خمّارُ
Shall I regain consciousness while its glances are watering us
And the cup smiles and the lips pour wine?
ساقٍ بَدا وكُؤوسُ الرّاحِ في يَدِهِ
يَلوحُ مِنها على الأَكوانِ أَنوارُ
A gazelle appeared with cups of comfort in its hands,
From which lights shine on the universes.
وَقَد غَدَتْ حَولَهُ النُدمانُ دايِرةً
كَأَنَّهُم هالَة بِالبَدرِ قَد داروا
And around it the boon-companions form a circle,
As if they are a halo around the full moon.
تَرى مَحاسِنَهُ لِلبَدرِ كاسِفَةً
وَكَمْ بِها عَمِيَتْ في الحبِّ أَبصارُ
You see its beauty outshining the moon,
And with it many sights in love are blinded.
إِذا بَدَتْ غَسَقاً أنوارُ غُرَّتهِ
فكمْ يَغيبُ لضوءِ الشمسِ أقْمارُ
When its charms shine in the darkness,
How many moons disappear before the light of the sun?
وَإِن تَبَدَّى كَغُصنِ البانِ مُنعَطِفاً
تَفَتّكَتْ فيهِ شُبّانٌ وَأَبْكارُ
If it shows like a bending myrtle branch,
Upon it the youths and virgins swoon.
عَشِقتُه وهوَ طِفلٌ كالهِلالِ لهُ
منَ البَهاءِ بشَرقِ الحُسنِ إسفارُ
I loved it while still a crescent-shaped child,
The dawn of beauty shone from its rise.
فيهِ خَلَعْتُ عِذاري وانتصَبْتُ لهُ
بِمدْحَةٍ لَم تَسَعْها اليَومَ أَسفارُ
For it I shed my virginity and stood praising it
With a panegyric no books can contain today.
حَيثُ اللِّحاظُ بِسَيفِ الغَمزِ فاتكَةٌ
لَها العَقارِبُ مِن صُدغَيهِ أَنصارُ
Where the glances strike with the sword of the wink,
For them, from its cheeks, the scorpions are helpers.
حَيثُ القَوامُ بِلينِ المَيلِ يَطعَنُني
وَكَمْ تَناهَتْ لَدى ذا المَيلِ أَعْمارُ
Where the figure with the bending sways pierces me,
And before that bend how many lives ended!
حَيثُ المُدامَةُ بَينَ الدُرِّ جاريَةٌ
لَها اللِّسانُ بِكَأسِ الثّغرِ عصّارُ
Where wine flows amidst pearls,
For it the tongue is a squeezer in the cup of the lips.
حَيثُ المَحاسِنُ خَطّتْ فَوقَ وجنَتِهِ
لامَ العِذارِ الّتي فيها الوَرى حاروا
Where the charms marked above its cheek
The softness of chastity that dazzled all people.
لِلّه درُّ جَبينٍ كالهِلالِ بَدا
فلم يَلُحْ معهُ للبَدْرِ إظْهارُ
Praise be to the brow like a crescent that appeared,
The full moon cannot shine with it.
وَشامَةٍ مِنْ شَذاها الطّيبُ مُكتَسِبٌ
لِأَنَّ في خَدّهِ وَرْداً لها جارُ
And to the mole whose sweet fragrance is gained
Because a rose for it on the cheek settled.
كَأَنَّها مِن مُلوكِ الزّنْجِ جالِسَة
مِن فوقِ كُرسيِّ خدٍّ للبَها دارُ
It is as if it were a king of the Zanj sitting
Atop the throne of a cheek too splendid to house it.
مِنها يَفوحُ عَبيراً عِطرُ نَفحَتِها
كَما لَقَد فاحَ مِن ذا النَّدبِ أَعطارُ
From it wafts a scent, the breeze of its exhalation,
As the perfume spread from that line.
نَدبٌ عَلا لِسماءِ العزِّ مرتَفِعاً
وَفي ثُريّا العُلى حَفَّتْهُ أَنوارُ
A line risen to the sky of honor,
And in the highest heaven the stars revolved around it.
شَهمٌ لَقَد رَكِبَ المَعروفَ سابقةً
لَها المَكارِمُ وَقتَ السّبْقِ مِضمارُ
It is audacious, mounting virtues in advance,
For it glories and racetracks are wide.
بَحرٌ تَراهُ بِمَوجِ الفَضْلِ مُلتَطِماً
وَغَيثُ راحتِهِ بِالجودِ مِسْطارُ
A sea you see surging with waves of generosity,
And the rain of its comfort pours forth.
بَدرٌ بِمَنزِلَةِ الأفضالِ مطلَعُهُ
لَهُ بُروجُ العُلى وَالعِزِّ تَختارُ
A full moon whose rise is in the position of virtues,
For it the celestial constellations are picked.
هوَ الهُمامُ الَّذي فيه الزّمانُ صَفا
فَما اِعْتَراهُ بُعَيدَ الصّفوِ إِكْدارُ
It is the resolute one, in whom the times are untainted,
No remote disgrace has touched it.
هوَ الإِمامُ الَّذي جَلّتْ مَناقِبُهُ
وَضاقَ عَنْ جَمعِها كُتبٌ وَأَسْفارُ
It is the imam whose merits are proclaimed,
And books and pages fall short of collecting them.
هوَ الكَريمُ الَّذي قَد صارَ حاتَمهُ
نَسْياً فلَيسَ له ذا الآنَ إذْكارُ
It is the generous one who has made Hatim
Forgettable, no longer remembered today.
هوَ الَّذي صارَ بِالإِحْسانِ يَملِكُنا
وكَم لهُ أعْبُدٌ دانَتْ وأحْرارُ
It is he who by his benevolence has made us his subjects,
And how many slaves and freemen have surrendered to him!
لا عَيْبَ فيهِ سِوى اِستِقلالِهِ مِنَحاً
منْ كَفُّه وَصْفُها لا شكّ إكْثارُ
His only fault is his lavish independence,
To describe it is, no doubt, excessive.
فَيا لَهُ بَطلاً لِلأُسدِ مُقتَنِصاً
وإنّهُ أسدٌ في الحَرْبِ كرّارُ
O lion hunter and lion of war howling,
Through him the dew's discourse is corrected
بهِ حديثُ النّدى قد صحّ معضلُهُ
وحسَّنَتْهُ بنقْلٍ عنهُ أخْبارُ
And adorned by reports narrated about him.
Through him the great ones were honored after being debased,
بهِ الأكابِرُ عزّتْ بعْدَما خفضَتْ
كَما بِهِ عَزَّ أَقطارٌ وَأَمْصارُ
As through him many lands and cities became glorious.
Thanks to him there is a system that has become wise,
لِلّهِ مِنهُ نِظامٌ قَد غَدا حِكَماً
يَتيهُ منها لِذي الأفْهامِ أفكارُ
Thoughts of the intelligent wander confused by it.
And the pearls of his current eloquence conclude
ودُرُّ منطقِهِ الحالي نَتيجَتُهُ
مِن لُؤلُؤِ اللّفظِ مَنثورٌ وَأَشعارُ
In prose and poetry strewn about.
O ultimate lotus tree, O Kaaba of virtue,
يا سِدْرَةَ المُنتهى يا كَعبَةَ الفضَلا
يا رَوضَ عِلمٍ به للفضلِ أزهارُ
O garden of knowledge in which virtues are flowers.
O Ja'far of virtue, who brings Spring to life through him
يا جعفَرَ الفضلِ مَن يَحْيا الرّبيعُ به
ومَن به أُودِعت للمجدِ أسرارُ
And in whom the secrets of glory are stored.
O Ahmad, excellent in description and deed.
يا أحمدَ الوَصفِ والفعلِ الحَميد ومَنْ
لهُ المَحامِدُ بينَ الخَلقِ تختارُ
For him praises amongst people are chosen.
So take care of your flock, O God of the Throne, joyfully,
فَخُذْ رَعاكَ إِلَهُ العَرشِ غانِيةً
في حُسنِها حارَ أَلبابٌ وَأَنظارُ
Minds and sights are confused by its beauty.
The listener passionately sways to it in ardour,
بِها يَهيمُ شَجاً في الشّدْوِ سامِعُها
كَأَنَّما هيَ أَنغامٌ وَأَوتارُ
As if it were melodies and strings.
It came to you walking shyly in wonder,
أتَتْكَ تَمشي عَلى اِستِحْيائِها عَجَباً
بِكراً لَها بِخِباءِ الفِكرِ أسْتارُ
At dawn, with screens of thought covering it.
Stretch out your palm to it and veil its shame generously,
فَاِبْسُطْ لَها الكَفَّ وَاِسْتُرْ عَيْبَها كَرَماً
فَإِنّ مِثلكُمُ للعَيبِ ستّارُ
For the likes of you are screens for shame.
And submit to the safety of God however you are sealed,
وَاِسْلَم وَدُمْ في أَمانِ اللَّهِ ما خُتِمَتْ
بِحُسْنِ صَدْحٍ مِنَ التّغريدِ أطْيارُ
With the beautiful honesty of birdsong.
