فُؤادُ المُعنّى بِالتّباعدِ مُتلَفُ

فمَنْ ليَ من جَورِ المهفهفِ ينصِفُ

The heart of meaning is refined through separation

So who will defend me from the injustice of the inflamer?

أَمرتُ فُؤادي إِذ أَضرَّ بِهِ الهَوى

بِصَبرٍ لِأنَّ الصَّبرَ لا شَكَّ يسعفُ

I commanded my heart, when love harmed it,

To be patient, for patience will undoubtedly bring relief

تَكَلَّف صَبراً وهو فانٍ وعادمٌ

أغبَّ فناءِ الصبرِ يُجدي التكلُّفُ

It feigned patience, yet it is frail and lacking

The futility of feigned patience is unavailing

وَإِنَّ الأماني واعَدَته بوَصْلِهِ

وَإِنَّ الأماني في المَواعيدِ تُخلِفُ

And hopes had promised it union with the beloved

Yet hopes in their promises are oft deficient

أَبى اللَّهُ إِلّا أَن تَذوبَ حُشاشَتي

وَأَنَّ عُيوني لِلتفرُّقِ تذرُفُ

God willed my infatuation to melt away

And that my eyes should weep in separation

تَأوَّهْتُ مِن هَجرِ الحَبيبِ تَلهُّفاً

وَلَم يَكُ يُجدي في الغَرامِ التلَهُّفُ

I sighed in yearning for the absence of the beloved

Yet sighing brings no remedy in passion

أَأَسلو هَواهُ وَالغَرامُ يثيرُهُ

وَوَجدي بِهِ ما زالَ فيهِ يضعِّفُ

Shall I blame his love when desire provokes it?

And my will in it remains ever weak

وَحُبّي لَهُ لَم يبدُ حبّ خِيانةٍ

ولي في هَواه عِفّةٌ وتعفُّفُ

My love for him was never disloyal love

In his love, I have modesty and virtue

غَزالٌ مِنَ الأَتراكِ ما زالَ نافِراً

وغيرُ نِفارٍ لا يُحبُّ ويُؤلَفُ

A gazelle from the Turks, ever aloof

One who loves not, nor befriends

لَهُ وَجنةٌ حَسناءُ وهوَ مبَرقَعٌ

وَلَلشّمسُ مِن تَحتِ البَراقعِ تُكسَفُ

He has a beautiful, radiant cheek, yet he veils it

While the sun beneath the veil is eclipsed

له مُقلَةٌ وسْناءُ بالسّحر كُحلُها

فكم خَطفت عَقلاً ولم يكُ يُخطَفُ

He has a seducing glance, kohl-lined eyes

That have enchanted many a mind and heart

أُلامُ عَلى سُكري بِعَذبِ كَلامهِ

وفي ثَغرِهِ الحالي سُلافٌ وَقَرقَفُ

I blame his sweet talk for my drunkenness

His moist, ruby lips like wine and nectar

عَلِقتُ به طِفلاً وصِرتُ خليلَهُ

لِأنَّ خَليلَ الحبِّ بِالقربِ يُتحَفُ

I clung to him as a child, became his friend

For a lover's friend is honoured through closeness

وَقَد حَطَّني في مِنجَنيقٍ مِنَ النوى

لِنارٍ مِنَ التّغريبِ يَرمي ويحذفُ

He has flung me into a catapult of hardship

To a fire of exile he hurls and casts off

أَهيمُ به وَلهانَ لا أَعرفُ الكَرى

ومن ذاق مُرَّ الحبّ لا شكّ يَعرِفُ

I swoon for him, crazed, not knowing prudence

And he who tastes love's bitterness surely knows

أَغارُ إِذا مَرَّ النّسيمُ بِخَدِّهِ

عَلى وَردِهِ مِن أَنّهُ النّفحَ يَقطفُ

I grow jealous when the breeze blows on his cheek

Plucking the rose that on his cheek grows

وَيا لَيتَني كُنتُ النَّسيمَ مِنَ الصَّبا

وَما لِلصّبا في مِثلِ قَطفي تلطُّفُ

Would that I were the zephyr breeze from the morning

For the morning breeze is not so bold in plucking

وَقَد حازَ كُلَّ الحُسنِ وَالحُسنُ كامِلٌ

وَلَم يَكُ فيهِ الحسنُ يَوماً ينصَّفُ

He has gained all beauty, and his beauty is perfect

Never once was his beauty deemed excessive

وَكُلُّ جَميلٍ ما حَوى الحُسنَ كلّهَ

وَلَكِنَّ كُلَّ الحسنِ يَحويه يوسُفُ

All beauty he contains, but his beauties

Surpass all others, for he is Joseph

أَخو الفَضلِ وَالعَلياءِ نَجلُ مَحاسنٍ

أَبو المَجدِ مَنْ فيهِ الأماجِدُ تَشرُفُ

Brother of excellence and nobility, son of charms

Father of glory, in whom glories abound

كَريمُ المَزايا دَوحَةُ العزِّ وَالعُلا

وَغُصنُ المَعالي حَيثُ بِالحَمدِ يعطفُ

Generous in qualities, pillar of honour and grandeur

A branch of high virtues, where by praise he thrives

شَريفُ السّجايا وَالطّباعِ الَّتي اِنطَوَت

عَلى كَرَمِ الأَخلاقِ مِن حَيث تظرفُ

Noble in disposition and nature, which fold

Around the generosity of his manners and airs

بَليغٌ يَزينُ السّمعَ في دُرِّ لَفظِهِ

ويا سَعدَ أَسماعٍ بِذاك تشنّفُ

Eloquent, adorning hearing with his utterances

Happy the ears that by such are delighted

خَدَمتكَ يا اِبنَ الأَكرَمينَ بِمدحَةٍ

فَأَوجَزتُ وَالإِطنابُ فيهِ تَعسُّفُ

I have praised you, son of the most generous, with an ode

I was concise, though prolixity would be unjustified

وَلَم يَكُنِ الإِطنابُ يا اِبنَ مَحاسِنٍ

يُفيدُ سِوى التّطويلِ وَالطول يُؤنَفُ

Prolixity, O son of charms, would not avail,

Save undue length which would be cumbersome

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يُحصي المَحاسِنَ كُلَّها

وَيَأتي بِها مَدحاً يَرِقّ وَيطرفُ

Who can enumerate all your charms

And compose a panegyric which captivates and overjoys?

وَلَيسَ عَجيباً أَنَّكَ اِبنُ مَحاسِنٍ

وَأَنتَ بِها دونَ البَريَّةِ توصَفُ

It is no wonder you are son of charms

You by them, beyond all mankind, are described

نُسِبتَ إِلَيها وَهيَ فيكَ تَشرَّفت

ويا فخرَها من حيثُ فيك تُشرَّفُ

You are attributed to them and they are honoured by you

O pride of them, in you they are honoured and prized

وَلَستَ لَها يا اِبنَ الكرامِ مُغايراً

وَلَم تَكُ إِلّا فيكَ تُدرى وتُعرَفُ

You are not different from them, O son of generosity

Save that through you they are known and recognized

فَهاكَ مِنَ الأَبكارِ غَيداءَ غادةٍ

بِعقدِ لآلي المَدحِ فيكَ تزخرفُ

So take from the virgins a necklace of unfading verse

Adorned in its strands with the jewels of your praise

وَأَخَّرها مِنكَ الحَياءُ كَما غَدا

يُؤخِّرُها مِن حَيثُ ماسَت تقصُّفُ

Modesty has deferred it from you, as if

From whence it came, it returned in reserve

فَأَقْبِلْ عَلَيها بِالقَبولِ تَلَطُّفاً

وَمِنكَ أَخا الإِحسانِ يَحلو التلطُّفُ

So accept it with kindly grace, as befits you,

For from you, noble brother, kindness is sweet.

وَدُمْ في أَمانِ اللَّهِ ما لاح كَوكَبٌ

وَما قامَتِ الوَرقاء في الغُصنِ تَهتفُ

Remain in God's safety, for as long as a star shines

And the leaves on branches flutter and wave.

وَحَيثُ اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّه أَضحى بِشِعرِهِ

عَلى مَدحِهِ أَوصافَ ذاتِكَ يعكفُ

Where the son of Fathallah with his poetry

Has composed odes describing your qualities and traits.