بِحُبِّ المِلاحِ وَعِشقِ العَذارى

ومُرِّ الغَرام خَلعتُ العِذارا

With my love of play and passion for maidens

And the bitterness of love, I've shed my chastity

وَوَردِ الخُدودِ ومَيلِ القُدودِ

وَهَزِّ البنودِ شَرِبت العُقارا

With rosy cheeks and swaying figures

And shaking ringlets, I've drunk liquor

شَربت عقارَ الهِيامِ صَبوحاً

فَزدت بِذاتِ الخِمارِ خِمارا

I drank the draught of passion in the morn

And with that wine I added to my drunkenness

رَداح تَميسُ كَخوطَةِ بانٍ

فَصَفَّقَ قَلبي إِلَيها وَطَارا

A fawn, graceful as a gazelle

My heart fluttered and took flight for her

وَدَعجاء رودٍ وَحَوراء خودٍ

تَبَدَّت تسلُّ العقولَ اِحوِرارا

A brunette with dark tresses and a blonde with fair locks

Dazzling minds and stirring passions

وَهَدباء تَرمي نِبالاً بِغَمزٍ

أَصابَ فُؤادي فَصادَفَ نارا

An archer shooting glances with a wink

Hit my heart and set it aflame

مَريضَةُ جَفنٍ صَحيحةُ سِحْرٍ

فَقَلبي أَذابَ وَعَقلي أَطارا

Sickly eyelids but sound sorcery

Melting my heart and making my mind soar

مَليكةُ حُسنٍ رَفيعةُ شَأنٍ

تَظلُّ المُلوكُ لَدَيها أسارى

A queen of beauty, noble in rank

Kings are her prisoners, bowing before her

مَليحَةُ ذاتٍ رَشيقَةُ قدٍّ

بِشَمسِ المُحيّا تَبَدَّت جَهارا

A lovely being, slender in figure

The sun of life makes her glow openly

بَدا الخالُ فيه كَنُقطَةِ مِسكٍ

فَأَصبَحَ فيها الأنامُ حَيارى

A mole on her cheek seems like a drop of musk

People are confused, not knowing where to look

هوَ البدرُ في الشَّمسُ حلّ ولو لم

تَكُن حَرقتهُ لَفيها أَنارا

She is the full moon in the sun—even if

Her brightness didn't burn, she would illuminate

وَلَمّا عَلى خَدِّها اِسودّ قالَت

له صِرْ لخدّيَ خالاً فصارا

And when a black spot appeared on her cheek, she said:

"Be a mole on my cheek," and so it became

فَإِن تَبتَسِم أَو تفُهْ بِكَلامٍ

تَرى البرقَ يَظهَرُ لا يَتَوارى

When she smiles or speaks a word

You see lightning though it does not hide

وَخَمرُ لَماها يَفوحُ كَمِسكٍ

فَعُشّاقُها مِنهُ تَبدو سكارى

The wine of her saliva smells of musk

And her lovers seem drunk from it

غَزالَةُ سِربٍ تَصيدُ الضّواري

فَتَملِكُهُم قوّة وَاِقتِدارا

A gazelle of a herd hunting the fierce beasts

Overpowering them with might and ability

تُغازي فُؤادي بِغزل لِحاظٍ

فَصارَ أَسيراً يَخِرُّ اِنكِسارا

She raids my heart with amorous glances

And it becomes a captive, bowing in defeat

تَحلَّى بِها الحُسنُ إِذ تَخِذَتهُ

عَلى الجِسمِ وَصفاً لَها لا إِزارا

Beauty adorned itself when it took her

As its description, she wears no clothes but herself

فَلا لَيلَ إِلّا الذّوائبُ منها

وَلا شَمسَ إِلّا الجبينُ اِستَنارا

She has no night but her flowing tresses

No sun but her radiant brow

أَرى كلَّ أُفقٍ بِها مُستَضيئاً

وَكُلُّ زَمانٍ أَراهُ نَهارا

I see every horizon illuminated through her

And anytime seems like daylight to me

تَعشّقتها حينَ أَن كُنت حَملاً

فَهِمْتُ بِوَجدي أَجوبُ القِفارا

I fell in love when I was but an embryo

And so I roamed the deserts, crazed with passion

أُحبُّ اِقتِراباً إِلَيها وَمنها

وَهاتيكَ طَبعاً تَحبُّ النِّفارا

I love approaching and avoiding her

And she, by nature, loves aloofness

وَزادَ غَرامي وَوجديَ فيها

وَكَم في هَواها عَدِمتُ اِصطِبارا

My love and passion for her grew

And how much patience I lost in her love!

أُساقُ بِوَجدي لِعَذبِ هَواها

وَلَستُ أُساق إِلَيهِ اِختِيارا

I'm driven by the sweetness of her love

Not by my own choice but coerced

كَتَمتُ هَواها وما بُحتُ فيه

وَكادَ فُؤادي يَموتُ اِنفِطارا

I concealed my love for her and didn't confess it

And my heart almost burst from it

فَباحَت دُموعي بِدونِ اِختِياري

لِأَنّ عُيوني اِنفَجرنَ اِنفِجارا

My tears flowed without my will

For my eyes erupted pouring forth

فَسالَت دِماءً وَطَوراً كحبرٍ

وَحيناً عَقيقاً وَتاراً بِهارا

Sometimes blood, sometimes purple dye

Other times carnelian and spring rain

هَجرتُ مَنامي وَإنّيَ بَيني

وَبَينَ النّجومِ جَعلت السّمارا

I abandoned sleep though sleeplessness destroys me

I made the stars my companions through the night

وَكَيفَ مَنامي وَكَيفَ نعاسي

وَإِنّي أَرى العاشِقين سَهارى

How can I sleep, how can I slumber

When I see lovers staying up through dawn?

وَما العاشِقونَ بِغَير أَسامٍ

وَإِنّي المُسمّى فَخلِّ اِفتِكارا

Lovers do naught but keep vigil

And I am named the passionate one—imagine that!

وَلَيسَ الكِرامُ بِغَيرِ عليٍّ

أَخي الجودِ أَدناهُ يَحكي البِحارا

The generous ones are none but ‘Ali

My brother in munificence—the oceans narrate of him

رَحيبُ الرِّحاب وَبَحرٌ عُبابٌ

فَأنّى يُضاهَى وأنّى يُجارَى

Expansive, a turbulent sea

How can he be matched, how can he be compared?

كَريمُ السّجايا شَريفُ الطّباع

حَميد المَزايا أقَامَ الفَخارا

Noble traits, lofty morals

Praiseworthy qualities—he established glory

عليُّ الجَنابِ بِحسٍّ وَمَعنى

رَفيعُ المَكانَةِ سامٍ مَنارا

‘Ali, so refined and wise

Lofty in status, a towering minaret

بِعَرشِ المَعالي لِكرسيِّ مَجدٍ

عَلَيهِ تَربّى بَنى العزَّ دارا

On the throne of glory, the seat of majesty

Heroes of might were raised in his care

هزَبْرٌ هَصورٌ وليثٌ جسورٌ

وقرْمٌ غَيورٌ يقيل العِثارا

A formidable lion, a brave warrior

An ardent hero removing disgrace

يَصولُ بِعَزمٍ يَجولُ بِحَزمٍ

وَيَسطو بِعَضْبٍ يَجرُّ البَوارا

He storms with resolve, roams with wisdom

And pounces with rage, dragging away the fugitives

عَلى أَصهَبٍ يَسبقُ الرّيحَ جرياً

وَفي لَمْحِ طرفِيَ كَالطّيرِ طارا

On a chestnut steed, outrunning the winds

And in the blink of an eye, flying like a bird

أَغرُّ أَصيل إِذا قَد عَلاهُ

وَسارَ كَالطودِ بِاللَّيثِ سارا

How excellent a thoroughbred when it gallops, bearing him

Pacing like a lion amongst lions

يَطولُ عَلَيهِ الهِلال بِكفٍّ

فَيَهوي على الطَّوع كَيفَ أَشارا

The crescent moon swoops down upon him with a fist

And he fells it upon the compliant one however he wishes

بِفكرٍ أعاديهِ إِنْ جالَ قالوا

لنحو الفَرار البِدارَ البدارا

When they think to attack him, they say

“Flee! Flee!” Taking to flight

وَلَو وَهِموا أن يكرَّ عليهم

لَولَّوْا وَقالوا الفِرارَ الفِرارا

Has any horseman stood in battle, charging forth,

Tearing the dust open for this lion?

وَهَل فارِسٌ قامَ في الحَربِ يَعدو

يَشقُّ لِهذا الهِزَبْرِ غبارا

Adorned with forbearance and excellent conduct

Perfection itself joined with dignity

تَحلّى بِحلمٍ عَلى حسنِ خلقٍ

وَضَمَّ الكَمالُ إِلَيهِ الوقارا

In him, I wanted to prolong my praise

But my incapacity made me seek brevity

وَفيهِ أَرَدت إِطالةَ مَدحي

وَلَكِن لِعَجزي وَدِدت اِختِصارا

However much I try to eulogize him, my falling short

Is the state of one deficient, prompting apology

فَمَهما أَطَلت اِعتَلاني قصورٌ

وَشَأنُ المُقصّر يُبدي اِعتِذارا

So here my brother in superiority, a chaste bride

I devised for your praise, a creation

فَهاكَ أَخا الفَضلِ بِكراً عَروساً

أَجَدْتُ لِمَدحك فيها اِفتِكارا

A nugget of beauty, a marvel of rhetoric

Upon which I fashioned rhetoric like a bracelet

خَريدَةُ حُسنٍ بَديعةُ نَظمٍ

وَصُغتُ البلاغَةَ فيها سِوارا

An orphaned pearl, mighty in existence

The treasuries of mansions pale before it

يَتيمَةُ درٍّ تعزُّ وجوداً

وَعَنها تَعرَّت خَزائن دارا

Give your attention to it and do not see a fault

One like you veils faults and dishonor

فَأَقبِلْ عَلَيها ولا ترَ عَيباً

فَمِثلُك يسترُ عَيباً وَعارا

Live in safety, behind strong, impenetrable ramparts

And everlasting, protective glory

وَدُمْ بِأَمانٍ وَحِصنٍ حَصينٍ

وَعِزٍّ مَنيعٍ مُعاذاً مُجارا

For as long as time remains, no humor has called out at dawn

Nor has a pigeon responded to humor

مَدى الدّهر ما صاحَ صُبحاً هزارٌ

وَما قَد أَجابَ الحمامُ الهِزارا

Nor has a lover like me shed his chastity

With love of play and passion for maidens

وَما خَلَع الصبّ مِثلي عذارا

بِحبّ المِلاحِ وَعشقِ العَذارى