يا ظَبيَةَ المِسكِ إِنّ المِسكَ مَحمودُ

وَالمِسكُ طيبٌ وَطيبُ المِسكِ مقصودُ

O musk doe, musk is praiseworthy

And musk is good, and the goodness of musk is intended

نَفحاً لِخِدنِ الهَوى يُشفى بِهِ دنِف

مِن صِحَّةِ العِشقِ مَفؤود وَمَكبودُ

An exhalation to the beloved's cheek, it heals the sick

Of the sincerity of love, lost and tied down

هَواك بِالوَجدِ مَقصور عَلى خَلَدي

وَإِنّني فيهِ طولَ العُمرِ مَمدودُ

Your love in my innermost being is confined

And I in it am extended lifelong

الشَّوقُ بي جَدّ وَالتّهيامُ أَفرَطَ بي

وَهَل لِشَوقِيَ حَدٌّ فيك مَحدودُ

Passion in me is serious and infatuation has overwhelmed me

And does my passion for you have a limit, confined?

عَيني بِها اللّيلَ ضَوءُ النّجم مالِئها

وَكُحلها في الدّجى سهدٌ وتَسهيدُ

My eyes, the light of stars fills them by night

And their kohl in the darkness is bowing and submission

رِفقاً بِصبٍّ لَهُ البَيداءُ مَسكنه

ناءٍ عَنِ الأَهلِ وَهوَ اليومَ مَفقودُ

Gently, to a youth whose abode is the desert

Wailing from his people and today he is lost

فَفيكِ ذاتَ البها قَد هامَ ذا دَلَهٍ

وَلهانَ ضاقَت بِهِ الأَفقارُ وَالبيدُ

So in you, the one of splendor, one infatuated has become obsessed

And has succumbed, and the horizons and deserts have narrowed around him

البُعدُ أَضناهُ وَالتّبعيدُ أَتلَفهُ

يا وَيحَ مَنْ حَظُّه بَعدٌ وَتَبعيدُ

Remote distance has weakened him and exile has finished him

Oh what a pity for one whose lot is remote distance and exile

في هَيكَلٍ كَالخلالِ الروحُ مِنهُ سَرَت

كَأَنَّه الآنَ مَعدومٌ وَمَوجودُ

In a temple, the spirit has flowed out from it

As if now, it is nonexistent and existent

لا تَعجَبي مِن لَهيبِ النّارِ في كَبِدي

قَلبي لِنارِ الهَوى وَالحبّ أُخدودُ

Do not wonder at the flames of fire in my liver

My heart is set ablaze by the fires of love and affection

إِلَيك ذاتَ جَمالٍ زاهِرٍ نَضِرٍ

عَنّي الجَفا فَالجَفا لِلشّملِ تَبديدُ

To you, one with blossoming, flourishing, thriving beauty

Keep your aloofness from me, for aloofness causes separation

فَقَرّبيني فَإِنّ القُربَ يُسعِدُني

قَد صِرتُ شَيخاً وَقُرب الشّيخِ مَحمودُ

So bring me near, for nearness makes me happy

I have become an old man, and the nearness of an old man is praiseworthy

قالَت عَلَيكِ بِمَسعودٍ أَخي شَرَفٍ

تَحظى بِسَعدٍ وَذاكَ الشّيخ مسعودُ

She said, may you be fortunate my noble brother

May you enjoy bliss, and that old man be fortunate

الكامِل المُكتسي بِالمَجدِ مِن صِغَرٍ

وَمَن لَهُ في الوَرى بِالمَجدِ مَشهودُ

The perfect one clothed in glory from a young age

And one whose glory among all people is witnessed

رَضيع ثَديِ العُلى مَحضونِ سُؤددهُ

نعم وَمِن شَرَفِ العَلياءِ مَولودُ

Suckled at the breast of the Most High, his wet nurse hastening him

Yes, and from the nobility of nobles, born

نَجمُ الكَمالِ عَلى العَلياءِ مَطلَعُهُ

بِأُفقِ عِزٍّ عَلَيهِ السّعدُ مَمدودُ

The star of perfection, over the noble ones is its rise

With the horizon of glory upon it, good fortune is extended

مَعنُ السّخاءِ وَمَن قَد فاقَ حاتمهُ

وَمَنْ مِنَ الجودِ فيهِ يَفخرُ الجودُ

The meaning of generosity, and one who has surpassed Hatim

And one from whom generosity itself feels pride

خِدن الفِطانَةِ دَرّاكاً بِفَرطِ ذكا

مَن في عِدادِ إِياس فيهِ مَعدودُ

Clever one, an insightful intellectual with excessive intelligence

One counted amongst Iyas in wisdom

وَمَن إِذا قَد رَأى رَأياً بِواقِعَةٍ

فَإِنّ في رَأيِهِ التّصويب مَعقودُ

And one who when he has seen any view concerning an incident

Then the soundness of his view the hitting of the target is knotted

الفارِس الفَحل في رَأيٍ وَمَعركةٍ

وَمَنْ بِهِ بيض أيّام العِدى سودُ

The champion horseman regarding view and battle

And one by whom the days of enemies are blackened

عَذب الحَديثِ وَكَم تَحلو فكاهَتهُ

مرّ الجِدال بِقَهرِ الخَصمِ مَجدودُ

Sweet spoken and how pleasurable is his wittiness

Bitter disputant, subduing the adversary bent

طَلق المُحيّا صَبيح الوَجهِ مُبتَسم

عَنِ المَكارِمِ لا يَلوي له جِيدُ

Elegant, bright of face, smiling

Not deviating from noble deeds, his neck not bending

حَميد خلق وَما أَسنى شَمائلهُ

وَكُلُّها الدّهرَ مَمدوحٌ وَمَحمودُ

Praiseworthy of manners and how excellent are his traits

Each of them the ages have praised and deemed good

قَد نالَ حَظّاً سَعيداً لا نَظيرَ لَهُ

بِسَعدِهِ اِنفَلَقت مِنهُ الجَلاميدُ

He has attained a blessed unmatched lot

Due to his good fortune, because of him chains have shattered

سَعد المَعالي بِمسعود الحُظوظ بها

وَذو المَعالي السّعيد الحظِّ مَسعودُ

Glory of high positions with good luck blessing them

And the glorious one, the fortunate one, lucky

يا أَيُّها الشَّهمُ مَن طابَت خَلائِقُهُ

وَصَحَّ عَن طيبِها فيهِ الأَسانيدُ

Oh you noble one of fine manners

And it is proven of their goodness in him firmly established

إِلَيك بِنت عَروض أخت قافِيَةٍ

في وَجهِها فَوقَ ماءِ الحُسنِ توريدُ

To you, daughter of prose, sister of rhyme

Above the water of beauty, freshness (is) poured

غَيداء بِنتُ البَها جَلَّت مَحاسِنُها

بِكرٌ مِن الغيدِ فيها تَفخَر الغيدُ

Flirtatious one, daughter of splendor, her beauties have all manifested

Virgin among the blossoms in which blossoms feel pride

عَلَيك وَهيَ كَخوطِ البانِ قَد وَرَدت

وَالمَنهل العذبُ مَقصودٌ وَمَورودُ

Upon you while she is like the lines of lightning that flashed

And the sweet spring is sought and frequented

أَقبِل عَلَيها إِذا لاقَتكَ مُبتَسِماً

حَتّى يَكونُ لَها عِندَ اللّقا عيدُ

Come to her smiling when she meets you

So that for her by the meeting there would be a feast

وَاِسلَم وَدُم بِالهَنا تُكْسى بِعافِيَةٍ

عَليكَ دامَ لَها ما عشت تَأبيدُ

And submit, live comfortably blessed with wellness

For you, may it last, her era abide

رَغيدَ عَيشٍ وَلا تَنغيصَ يَلحقهُ

عَليَّ قَدرٍ له بالعزِّ تشييدُ

Easy living without worry afflicting it

For me a decree for it with honor erected

مَدَى الزّمانِ وَما الورقاءُ قَد صَدَحَت

وَلَذَّ مِن صَدحِها لِلسّمعِ تَغريدُ

Eternity, and the warbler has trilled

And the ear has savored its trilling with chirping

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ وَما ودقُ السّماء هَمى

ما ماسَ في الرّوضِ غُصن وَهوَ أُملودُ

No lightning flashed and the sky has not rumbled, worrisome

No branch in the garden bowed while supple

ما الفَتحُ قالَ وَطيب المَدحِ ضَمَّخهُ

يا ظَبية المِسك إنَّ المِسكَ محمودُ

No conquest he said, and the fragrance of praise perfumed it

O musk doe, musk is praiseworthy