لَقَد أَطْلَقَتْ كَفّاً وَقَد خَضَّبَت كَفّا
وَرامَت بِهَجرِ الصّبِّ عَن وَصْلِها كَفّا
She freed a hand though it was stained with henna
And wished to part from her lover in youthful separation
يَتيمَةُ حُسنٍ وَهيَ بالِغةٌ بهِ
إِلى الغايَةِ القُصوى منَ الأَكمَلِ الأصفى
An orphan of beauty, yet full-grown in it
To the utmost extent of the most perfect and purest maturity
فَمَن شامَ مِنها أَيَّ عُضوٍ بِطَرفِهِ
فَما هوَ عَمّا قَد رَأى ينقلُ الطّرفا
Whoever's eye alights on any part of her
Will speak of naught else that he has seen after averting his gaze
وَلَمياءُ أَحلى الخمرِ كانَ رضابُها
وَماء حَياةِ النّفسِ لَو ذاقَتِ الحتفا
And the soft radiance of the loveliest wine was her complexion
And the water of life itself, were it tasted, would perish
إِذا اِبتَسَمَت فَالبرقُ يَبدو وَلَيتَها
غَدَت مِن خِلالِ البرقِ تَمنَحُني رَشفا
When she smiles, lightning seems to flash
And I wish she would grant me a draught from amidst the lightning
تَميسُ بِقدٍّ خلتُهُ خيزرانةً
وَكَم أَخجَلَ الأَغصانَ مِن هَزِّهِ عِطفا
She sways with a slender shape, bare of adornment
How many branches has it shamed with its bending
غَزالَةُ سِربٍ لا تُضاهى بِحُسنِها
وَذاكَ مُحالٌ أَن يُحاطَ بِهِ وَصفا
A gazelle of the herd, unmatched in beauty
And it is impossible to encompass that in description
فَلَو كَشَفَت لِلنّاسِ عَن كُنهِ حسنِها
أَشاروا إِلَيها أَنْ دَعي الكشفا
If she revealed to people the essence of her beauty
They would point to her and say, "Forbear from revealing!"
أَلَستِ تَرينَ النّاسَ جُنّوا بِدونِهِ
وَقَد خطفَت مِنهُم عُقولُهُم خَطفا
Do you not see the people are distraught without her?
She has snatched away their minds with sudden plunder
وَإِنّي وَذاكَ الحسنِ فيهِم أَشَدُّهم
جُنوناً بِذاكَ الحُسنِ أَكثَرُهُم سُخفا
And I, for that beauty among them, am the most crazed
For that beauty, the most foolish among them
وَلا بِدعَ أَنّ الشّمسَ تَبدو مِثالَها
فَإِنّهُما أُختان وَالفرقُ لا يَخفى
It is no wonder that she appears like the sun
For they are two sisters, and the difference cannot be hidden
تَمَلّكَتا بَدرَ السّماءِ مَعَ السّما
وَأَنجمَها وَالأرضَ كِلتاهُما نِصفا
They have seized the full moon of the sky along with the sky
And its stars, each owning half
تَقاسَمتا ما قَد تَقَدَّم ذِكرُهُ
فَصاحَبَتا عَدْلاً وَجانَبَتا الجُنفا
They divided all that I have mentioned before
Dealing justly, shunning injustice
وَصَيَّرتا كلّاً مِنَ الأَرضِ وَالسّما
نَصيباً أَرى التّعديلَ في مِثلِهِ يُلفى
Making each of the earth and sky
A share that I think cannot be matched in equivalence
وَقَد ضَمّتا لِلأّرضِ أَنّ مريدَها
يبينُ نَهاراً ثمَّ لَيلاً بِلا إِخفا
And they stipulated for the earth that her lover
Should appear by day, then by night without concealment
وَقَد ضَمّتا بَدرَ السّماءِ إِلى السّما
وَأَنجمَها اللّاتي لَقَد حَسُنَت رَصفا
And they allotted to the full moon of the sky and the stars
That were beautifully arranged in order
عَلى شَرطِ أَن يَخفى بِليلٍ مُريدُها
وَيَبدو نَهاراً يَستَحِقُّ بِهِ الكشفا
On condition that her lover be veiled by night
And appear by day deserving full revelation
وَيُدرِكُهُ كَسفٌ يعيبُ جَمالَه
وَأَن يَكتَسي لِلنّقصِ بَدرَ السّما خَسفا
While overtaking him is an eclipse that mars his beauty
And the full moon of the sky is clothed in darkness
وَقَد أَخَذَت تِلكَ الغَزالة وَاِرتَضت
بِالأَرضِ اِختِياراً أَن تَبينَ وَلا تَخفى
And that gazelle agreed and chose
The earth, preferring to appear and not be hidden
فَتاةٌ رَداحٌ غادَةٌ خُوطُ بانةٍ
قَدِ اِمتَلأت لُطفاً كَما اِمتَلأت ظُرفا
A slender, languid, gentle-paced gazelle
Filled with charm as she is filled with grace
أَهيمُ بِها وَجْداً وَأَصبو بِها جَوى
وَأَسهرُ كلَّ اللّيلِ لا أَعرِفُ الإِغفا
I pine for her with passion and long for her in ardour
I stay awake all night, knowing no sleep
تُضيءُ ظَلامَ اللّيلِ نارٌ بِمُهجَتي
بِها أَستَضيءُ اللّيلَ تَذكو وَلا تَطفا
A fire in my entrails lights up the night’s darkness
By it I illuminate the night, kindled, not quenched
فَلا لُبَّ لي ناهٍ وَلا عَقلَ عاقِل
وَلا خِلّ نصّاح يَقول أَلا كُفّا
I have no sane mind, no mind that reasons
No sound adviser to say, "Enough!"
وَلَستُ بِنَهيِ اللبِّ كُنتُ بِمُنتَهٍ
وَلَم أَكُ مَنصوحاً بِذا النُّصحِ مُنكفّا
Nor was I, through the sanity of reason, deterred
Nor was I, by such advice, made to refrain
وَكَيفَ وَوَجدي صارَ جُزءاً مِنَ الحَشا
وَإِنْ زالَ ذاكَ الجزءُ متُّ وَلَم أُشفَ
How could I be, when my passion became a part of my innards?
And if that part were erased, I would perish
وَلَكِن أُريدُ النُّصحَ حتَّى يَهيجني
لِأَزدادَ مِن وَجدي عَلى صَبوتي أَلفا
But still I want advice, so that it may rouse me
To increase, in my passion, my fervent love
وَمَدحُ عَلِيِّ القدرِ وَالاِسمِ مَذهَبي
عَلَيهِ عَكَفتُ القلبَ في حُبِّهِ عَكفا
And praising the Most High, of Mighty Name, is my way
To Him I devoted my heart, lovingly inclined
أَخو المَجدِ وَالعَلياءِ شِبلُ أَكارمٍ
ومَنْ قَد تَبَنَّى الجودَ وَالبذلَ وَالعَرفا
The brother of glory and nobility, the lion cub of the generous
He who has adopted munificence, generosity, and graciousness
هُوَ الأَسدُ الرّئبالُ وَالضّيغَمُ الّذي
لَقَد أَلبَسَ الآسادَ في حَربِهِ الرَّجفا
He is the fierce, terrible lion, the warrior
Who has clad warriors in his awe-inspiring battles
يُكافِئُ كُلَّ الأسدِ لو صَفَّ وَحدَهُ
إِذا قامَتِ الآسادُ في حَربِهِ صَفّا
He could overcome each lion, if it faced him alone
When the warriors rise up in battle array before him
فَكَم فارِسٍ يَعدو عَلى ظَهرِ مُلجَمٍ
لَقَد خَرَّ مِن خَوفٍ فَلَم يَستَطِع زَحفا
How many horsemen charge on the back of a led steed
Then fall from fear, unable to advance
وَكَم قَطَّ مِن لَيثٍ بِأَبيَضَ قاضِبٍ
أَطارَ لَهُ نِصفاً وَأَبقى لَهُ نِصفا
How many fierce lions with bared fangs
He has cloven in half, leaving each half
فَيُمناهُ لا شُلَّت ولَا كَلَّ زندُه
وَلا شنّجَ الرّحمَنُ يَوماً لهُ كفّا
Yet his right hand does not fail, his might does not decline
Nor has the Compassionate ever frowned at him
أَميرٌ وَجيهٌ كامِلٌ ذو وَسامةٍ
جَميلٌ سَليمُ الطّبعِ رَقَّ وَقد شفّا
A distinguished, eminent, perfect amir of prestige
Handsome, sound in nature, steadfast, already healed
يَسيلُ بِهِ ماءُ اللّطافَةِ كَيِّساً
وَأَجْلِلْ بِهِ في جَمعِهِ الكيس وَاللّطفا
The water of gentleness flows copiously through him
And gather in his company the wise and gentle
حَليمٌ جَليلٌ ذو وَقارٍ وهَيبةٍ
حَكيمٌ يَسوسُ الأمرَ لا يَصحَبُ العُنفا
Forbearing, venerable, dignified and revered
Wise, governing affairs, not resorting to violence
فَأَكرِمْ بِهِ ذاتاً وَنَفساً كَريمةً
وَأَحمِدْ بِهِ صيتاً وَأَحسِنْ بِهِ وَصفا
So honour through him a noble spirit
And praise through him repute and extol him in verse
فَيا أَيّها الشّهمُ الّذي عَزَّ مِثلُه
إِلَيكَ مِنَ الأَبكارِ غانيةً وَطفَى
O valiant one, peerless in might!
To you the virgins sing amorously and languish
عَروساً إِلَيك الفكر حَيثُ تَوشّحَت
بَديعَ قَوافي النَّظم قَد زَفَّها زَفّا
As a bride she came to you, her thoughts adorned
With the beautiful rhymes of verse, led to you in procession
فَماسَت وَقَد حَلَّت بِمَدحِكَ جيدَها
فَتاهَت بِهِ فَخراً وَمالَت بِهِ عِطفا
She tilted her neck, praising you,
And leaned toward you, coquettishly inclined
وَما اِستَكمَلَت في الفِكرِ مدّةَ حَملِها
فَلا بِدْعَ أَنّ النّقصَ فيها لَقَد يلفى
She did not perfect during her term the full period of her pregnancy
So inevitably the deficiency in her must be overlooked
فَأَقْبِلْ عَلَيها مُحسِناً بِقَبولِها
وَأَسبِل عَلى عَيبٍ تُعابُ بِهِ سُجفا
Look on her with favour, accepting her
And overlook any faults for which she might be blamed
وَدُم في ضَمانِ اللَّهِ مَرعِيَّ حِفظِهِ
وَشادَ عَلَيكَ اللَّه مِن حِفظِهِ كَهفا
Live in God's protection, guarded by His care
And may God fortify you with His shelter
مَدى الدّهرِ ما هَبَّت نَسيمٌ مِنَ الصَّبا
فَمَيّلتِ الأَغصان تَعطِفُها عَطفا
For as long as the zephyrs blow from the morning breeze
And sway the branches, bending them flexibly
وَما هامَ ذو وَجْدٍ وَأَقسَمَ قائِلاً
لَقَد أَطلَقَت كفّاً وَقَد خَضّبَت كفّا
For as long as the lovesick roam, swearing,
"She freed a hand though it was stained with henna"
