تَرنَّمْ حمامَ الدَّوح في أحسَنِ الصدْحِ
فَقَد هامَ بَينَ وَجْدي إِلى ساكِني السّفحِ
The dove coos melodiously in the most beautiful valley
As it passionately yearns between my rapture and the dwellers of the lowland
أَمَرّتْ نَسيمَ السّفحِ فيك مُلمَّةٌ
شَمَمت لَها نَفحاً فغَرّدْت لِلنَّفحِ
The lowland breeze commanded you, fascinated
It scented a breeze from you, so you sang to the breeze
صَدَحت عَلى الأَغصانِ تَلهو عَنِ الهوى
وَيَنمو غَرامُ الصّبِّ مِن ذَلكَ الصّدْحِ
It warbled on the branches, playing around from passion
And the love of the young man grows from that warbling
بِماذا عَرَفت العشقَ قُل لي أَخا الهوى
وَلَم يَدرِهِ غَيري بِجدٍّ وَلا مَزحِ
Tell me, O brother of passion, how did you know love?
And none but me knows it truly, neither jesting nor serious
وَكَم مِن فَتىً إِن كانَ أَصبَحَ عاشِقاً
فَلَم يُمسِ ذا عِشقٍ وَإن يُمسِ لم يُضْحِ
How many a youth, if he woke up a lover
Did not touch this love, and if he touched, was not smitten
فَغَرِّدْ رَعاكَ اللَّهُ تَغريدَ والِهٍ
تَولَّهَ لا يَدري بِحُسنٍ وَلا قُبحِ
So coo, may God protect you, the cooing of an enamored one
Infatuated, not knowing beauty or ugliness
يَهيمُ بِلا عَقلٍ وَيَصبو بِلا حِجىً
وَيَسري وَلا يَدري النّهارَ مِنَ الجنحِ
Wandering mindlessly and yearning pointlessly
And walking without knowing night from dusk
تَجَسّمَ مِن وَجدٍ تَربّى مِنَ الهوى
تَوَلَّد مِن عِشقٍ يَطولُ عَلى الشَّرحِ
Embodied from fervor, nurtured from passion
Begotten from love, enduring in explaining
فَلا لُبَّ يَنهاهُ وَلا لَوْمَ رادعٍ
وَلا نُصحَ قَد يُجدي فَلا نَفعَ لِلنّصحِ
So neither advice deters him, nor blame prevents him
Nor counsel profits, so counseling is useless
وَذاكَ خَليٌّ عِندَ مِثلي مِنَ الهَوى
وَلا مِثلَ لي في العِشقِ في السرِّ وَالبدحِ
That is a mark of mine in love, none rivals me
In secret and open love
تَعَلّقتُ خَوْداً غادَةً خوْطَ بانَةٍ
تَرَبَّت بِأَزهى الحُسنِ في أَيمَنِ الصّفحِ
I clung passionately to a delicate, slender, tall beloved
Who grew up with the most delightful beauty on the right side
فَأَمّا مُحيَّاها فَشمسٌ مُنيرَةٌ
وَجَبهَتُها الغرّا حَكَتْ كوكبَ الصّبحِ
As for her face, it is a shining sun
And her forehead, so delicate, depicted the morning planet
وَمَبسمُها برقٌ وميضٌ وجيدُها
فَذاكَ عَمودُ الصّبحِ يُزهِرُ في الجنحِ
Her smile is lightning, flashing, and her cheek
Is that pillar of dawn blossoming at dusk
وَحاجِبُها قَوسٌ وأَمّا عُيونُها
سُيوفٌ وَأَمّا القدُّ كَالغصنِ وَالرّمحِ
Her eyebrows are a bow, and her eyes
Are swords, while her stature is a branch and a spear
وَقَد جَرَحت في الشّرقِ قَلبي بِلَحظِها
فَذَا الشَّفَقُ المحمرُّ مِن ذَلكَ الجرحِ
She wounded my heart in the east with her glance
So that red sunset is from that wound
وَوَجنتُها وَردٌ سَباني اِحمِرارُه
وَشامَتُها مِسكٌ غَدا طيِّبَ النّفحِ
Her cheeks are red roses, their redness
And her moles are musk, exuding a good scent
فَبي وَردُ خدَّيها وَنضحُ مِياهِهِ
وَيا طيبَ عطرِ الوَردِ مِن ذَلكَ النّضحِ
The roses of her cheeks are mine, and the sprinkling of their water
And oh, the good scent of the roses' sprinkling!
وَريقَتُها خَمرٌ وَدَدت مَذاقَها
وَلَو كانَ فيه الحدُّ بِالسّيفِ وَالبدحِ
Her saliva is wine, I wished to taste it
Even if the limits were by sword and cleaving
تَحَلَّت عُقود الدّرّ في حُسنِ نَحرِها
كَحُسنِ وِشاحَيها مِنَ الصّدرِ وَالكشحِ
Necklaces of pearls adorned her neck's beauty
Like the beauty of her breasts' drapery and décolletage
فَإِن شِمتَ في يَومٍ أَيا طرفِ نَحرها
فَذَلك عيدُ النّحرِ في مُهجَتي ضحّي
So if you smell her neck one day, O eyelid
That is the Feast of the Sacrifice in my infatuation's immolation
وَرَقَّت حَواشيها عَلى شَرحِ حُسنِها
فَضاعَت عُقولُ النّاسِ مِن ذَلك الشَّرحِ
The edges of her clothes folded over her beauty's bosom
So people's minds were lost from that folding
بَديعةُ حُسنٍ إِنّما الشّمسُ وَجهها
بِرُمحِ قَوامٍ أَثخَنَ القلبَ بالجرحِ
A wondrous beauty, her face is the sun
With the spear of her figure, it wounded the heart with a wound
تَقولُ لِأهلِ العشقِ نِمتُم تَنبَّهوا
فَقَد طَلَعت شَمسُ النَّهار عَلى رُمحي
She says to the people of passion, "You have slept, wake up!
For the sun of day has risen over my spear"
إِذا كَفَحت شَمسُ النَّهارِ بِوَجهِها
تَرى الشَّمسَ قَد غابَت لَدى ذَلك الكفحِ
When the sun contends with her face
You see the sun has set next to that contention
تَعَشَّقتُها بِالسَّمعِ ثمّ لَمَحتُها
وَبِالسّمعِ يَبدو العِشق أَو يبدُ باللّمحِ
I fell in love with her by hearing, then glimpsed her
And by hearing, love appears or starts by a glimpse
تَجلّتْ تُضيء الأفقَ شرقاً ومغرباً
تجلّيَ بِلقيسٍ مِنَ العَرشِ والصرْحِ
She appeared, illuminating the horizon, east and west
An appearance like Layla's, from the Divine Throne and the heavenly palace
فَتَحتُ لَها قَلبي وَقلتُ لَها اِنظُري
إِلى قَلبِ فَتحِ اللَّه أَغضَت عَنِ الفتحِ
So I opened my heart to her and said to her, "Look
At the heart I opened to God," but she ignored the opening
وَأَوحَت إِلى قَلبي وَعقلِيَ خاطِفاً
فَأَمضى وَما خلّى مَحلّاً إِلى الصّلحِ
She inspired my heart and mind fleetingly
And passed by, leaving no place for reconciliation
وَبي قَد رَمى لِلبعدِ في مَهمهِ النّوى
وَقَد ذُقتُ مرَّ المَوتِ في ذَلِكَ الطّرحِ
While I was thrown by fate into its purpose
And I tasted the bitterness of death in that tossing
فَيا مُهجَتي ذوبي أَسىً وَصَبابةً
وَيا دَمعَتي سيحي وَيا مُقلَتي سُحّي
So flow, O my infatuation, in sorrow and pouring
And flow, O my tear, and flow, O my eyelid!
وَإِن جَفَّ دَمعُ العينِ يا كَبدي اِصعَدي
إِلى الطَّرْف حتَّى تَخرجي منه بِالسحِّ
And if the eye's tear dries up, O my liver, ascend
To the eyelid, so you may come out from it by flowing
وَنوبي بِهِ عَن دَمعِ عَيني لِأَنّها
تَسيلُ بِلا رَشحٍ وَتَبقى مَعَ الرَّشحِ
And substitute for my eye's tear, for it
Flows without dripping and remains with dripping
أَجوبُ الفَلا سَهرانَ لا أَعرِف الكَرى
يُلازِمُني سُهْدي مِنَ الصّبحِ لِلصّبحِ
I spend my nights sleepless, not knowing sleep
My wakefulness accompanies me from dawn to dawn
وَسرح الكَرى قَد سمت في رَوضِ مُقلتي
وَسَرح الكَرى في العَينِ مِن أَجملِ السّرحِ
And the sleep of tiredness mounted in the meadow of my eye
And the sleep of tiredness is the most beautiful mounting
فَصارَ الكَرى ذِبحاً سَميناً جَعَلتُه
فِداءَ سِهام العَينِ أَحسِنْ بِذا الذِّبْحِ
So tiredness became a fat sacrifice, I made it
A redemption for the arrows of the eye— excellent this sacrifice!
وَأَضجَعتهُ في العَينِ حينَ ذَبَحته
وَبَسمَلتُ بِالتّكبيرِ في ذَلكَ الذّبْحِ
I laid it down in the eye when I slaughtered it
And I smiled at the takbir in that slaughtering
فَيا وَيحَ قَلبي قَد أَضرَّ بِهِ النَّوى
وَآل بِهِ الإِبعادُ وَالهَجرُ لِلرَّزحِ
Oh my heart, the spear point has harmed it
And distance and estrangement have led it to misery
وَواحسرتي مِن حَيثُ كانَ وِصالهُ
مُحالاً فَماذا مَطمَعُ القَلبِ بِالنُّجحِ
And woe is me, since when his union was
Impossible, what is the heart's hope of success?
عَذولي لَحاكَ اللَّهُ حَيثُ فَضَحتَني
بحُبِّ الّتي فاقَت على البدرِ والضَّحِّ
My weakness—may God humiliate you—when you exposed me
By loving one who surpassed the full moon in brilliance
فَإِنْ كانَ وَجدي وَالغَرامُ وَصَبوتي
مَساوِئَ فاِفضَحني بِها غايَةَ الفضحِ
So if my fervor, my passion, and my yearning
Are faults, then expose me to the utmost exposure
وَعِرضي بِهَذا الفضحِ فيها أَبحته
لِكلّ بَذيِّ القولِ في الجَرْحِ والقَدحِ
And display me with this exposure among them; I have laid bare to
Every slanderer in censure and criticism
فشنِّفْ حَمامَ الدّوحِ حُيِّيتَ مَسمَعي
بِذِكرِ الَّتي أَهوى وَردِّدْه بِالصَّدْحِ
So let the dove of the valley sing—you have delighted my hearing
By mentioning she whom I love—and repeat it with warbling
وَبالِغْ مَعي في حَمدِ أَحمَدَ جاهِداً
وَأَبْدِ مَعي في حمده أبلغَ المدحِ
And reach with me the utmost in praising Ahmad striving
And always praise him with the best praise
أَبو المَجدِ طودُ العزِّ في كلِّ مَوطنٍ
وَركح العَلايا فَخرها فيهِ من ركحِ
Father of glory, pillar of honor in every place
And tamer of summits, he humbled them with toppling
يَميلُ إِلى كَسبِ المَعارِفِ وَالعلى
يَرى أَنّ هَذا الكسبَ مِن أَحسنِ الكدِّح
He inclines to attaining knowledge and heights
Seeing that this earning is the best earning
وَمَن كانَ في كَسبِ المَعارِفِ تاجِراً
يَكون لَهُ العِرفانُ مِن أَطيَبِ الرّبحِ
One whose trade is gaining knowledge
Will have understanding as the most fragrant profit
تَصدّى لِفَتحِ اللَّهِ يَبغيهِ طالِباً
بِجدٍّ وَعَزمٍ فَاِغتَدى مظهر الفَتحِ
He set out seeking God's Opening, desiring it
With seriousness and resolve, so he became manifesting that Opening
أَخو العِلمِ ربّ الفَهمِ زندُ ذَكائِهِ
يُريكَ وَإِنْ لَم يورِهِ أَحسَنَ القدحِ
Brother of knowledge, Lord of understanding, live his intelligence!
He shows you, even if he does not elucidate, the best presentation
فَلَيسَ لَدَيهِ مُشكِلٌ غَيرُ واضِحٍ
وَلا غامِضٌ إِلّا وَيَكسوهُ بِالفضحِ
He has no ambiguous problem, unless it is clear
Nor dimness, unless he elucidates it with explanation
أَبو حَسنٍ في فَصلِ كلِّ قَضيّةٍ
إِياسُ الذّكا رَأياً يُصانُ عَنِ المَضحِ
Father of benevolence—when resolving any issue—
Iyas of intelligence, his opinion is protected from change
تَدينُ القَضايا حيثُما رامَ فَصلَها
لِنصحٍ بِهِ أَلْفَتْهُ مِن أَعدَلِ النّصحِ
The issues surrender wherever he aims to resolve them
For advice he harmonized as the most just advice
وَمِن عَدلِهِ تاهَ القضاءُ تَفاخُراً
وَأبعَدَ عَنهُ الجَوْرَ بِالزيحِ وَالزحِّ
And from his justice, judgment has wandered boastfully
And injustice has kept away from it by removal and cleansing
يَصولُ بِقَول الحقِّ لَم يَخشَ لائماً
وَيَأمُر بِالمَعروفِ يَنهى عَنِ القبحِ
He charges with the word of truth, fearing no critic
And commands right, forbidding wrong
مُصيبٌ بِما يَقضي خَبيرٌ بِما قَضى
وَفي مَوضِعِ التّعديلِ مِن مَوضِعِ الجرحِ
Precise in his judgments, expert in his rulings
And he distinguishes clarification from condemnation in its proper place
أَبو البِرِّ وَالمَعروفِ في لِينِ جانبٍ
أَخو الحِلْمِ ربّ الصّدقِ في الجدّ وَالمزحِ
Father of righteousness and kindness with a subtle manner
Brother of forbearance, Lord of truthfulness in seriousness and jest
حَميدُ المَزايا وَالخصالِ وَقَد حَوى
كَريمَ السّجايا كَالسّخاوَةِ وَالصّفحِ
Praiseworthy traits and attributes—he has contained
Noble qualities like generosity and pardon
سَحابُ النّدى معنُ السّخاءِ فَحاتمٌ
لَدى جودِهِ الهطّالِ يوصَفُ بِالشحِّ
A cloud of dew, essence of generosity, so it has a seal
In its heavy downpour—described as stingy
فَصيحٌ بليغٌ لا يُجارى بَلاغَةً
وَمَن ذا يُجاري الخَيل في العَدوِ وَالضبحِ
An eloquent orator, none rivals his eloquence
And who can rival horses in running and exertion?
خَطيبٌ يُجيدُ النّثرَ أَمّا قَريضهُ
فَفي الغايَةِ القصوى مِنَ الجيّدِ القُحِّ
An orator excellent in prose, and as for his poetry
It is the utmost extent of fine choice poetry
وَمَن خَطُّه أَنسى خُطوطَ اِبنِ مُقلَةٍ
فَعَنها لَدَيه النّاسُ تَضرِبُ عَن صَفحِ
One whose handwriting made me forget the scripts of Ibn Muqla
So people have turned away from them to his script
حَباني قَصيداً مِن بَناتِ فَصاحَةٍ
تَجَلَّت عَنِ الأَشباهِ كَالبدرِ وَالوضْحِ
He presented me a poem from the daughters of eloquence
Which rose above the inferior, like the full moon and bright light
وَبالَغَ بِالإِطنابِ فيها بمِدْحتي
وَلَست بِنَفسِ الأَمرِ أَهلاً لذا المدحِ
He was profuse in his elaboration praising me
While I am not worthy of this praise
فَلا فُضَّ فاها لا ولا خين فِكرة
وَلا عاشَ جافيهِ وَأَكبت بِالبَطحِ
So it has no faults or grammatical errors
Nor did a barren mind compose it, or one who stumbled blindly
فَهاكَ حَماكَ اللَّه بِنتَ فَصاحَةٍ
تَميلُ لِحُسنِ الدَّلِّ مُهتَزَّةَ الكشْحِ
So here is your protection, O son of eloquence
A poem inclined to a beautiful style, fluttering coquettishly
مُضمَّخة مِن مِسكِ مَدحكَ بِالشّذى
فَعطّرَتِ الأرجاءَ بِالعَرْفِ وَالنّفْحِ
Saturated with the scent of your praise in fragrance
It has perfumed the horizons with aroma and redolence
وَتي لاِبنِ فَتحِ اللَّه في النَّظمِ آية
وَيا ما أَجلَّ النَّظم في آيةِ الفتحِ
Woe to the son of God's Opening in prosody—he is a sign
And how excellent in prosody is the sign of the Opening!
أَجبت بِها تِلكَ القصيدَ تَشبُّهاً
وَإِن لَم تشابهها إذِ الفرق كَالصّبحِ
I responded with it resembling that poem
Though it does not resemble it, as the difference is clear as dawn
فَهَبها قبولاً فَالقَبولُ مرادُها
وَعَنهُ فَلا تَعدل إِلى الطَّرد والطّرحِ
So accept it, for acceptance is its aim
And do not turn from it to rejection and discarding
وَدُمْ في أَمانِ اللَّهِ ما هَبَّتِ الصَّبا
وَما جالَتِ الأَبصارُ بِالطَّرفِ وَاللّمْحِ
Remain in God's safety as long as the morning breeze blows
And sights roam with a glance and glimpse
وَما قالَ إِذ يَشدو الحَمام أَخو الجَوى
تَرنّم حمام الدَّوْح في أَحسنِ الصَّدْحِ
As long as the companion of passion sings when the dove trills
"The dove coos melodiously in the most beautiful valley"
