أفي كل يوم لوعة وحنين

ومن كل فج للفراق كمين

In every day there is longing and yearning,

And from every canyon, separation lies in wait,

وكل طريق هكذا عنك موعر

فلي طرق كانت إليك تهون

And every road is thus rough without you,

Yet for you, roads that lead to you are easy.

تقضت عهود باللوى وتصرمت

وعود وخابت يا بثين ظنون

I have fulfilled periods in suffering, and covenants withered,

Promises failed, O Buthaina, hopes were deceived.

وولت لذا ذات عهدت وأسفرت

نوى غربة لا تقضى وشطون

So I turned away from the one I had covenanted with and parted,

Intending exile that will not end nor cease.

كأن لم تدر تلك المناجاة بيننا

ولا هصرت ذاك القوام يمين

As if you did not know that conversation between us,

Nor tied that covenant, nor violated those pacts after us,

ولا اخضلت تلك المعاهد بعدنا

ولا هطلت فيها سحائب جون

Nor did clouds pour down rain in them.

It is up to me to rouse my resolve for this matter,

عليّ لهذا الخطب أيقاظ همة

يضج لها صلد الصفا ويلين

For which bare rock and tender valley cry out,

And a deep well whose water ebbs, its force weakens -

ووجناء مر قال ينكث بأسها

قوي البؤس تدري العزم كيف يكون

You know how resolve can be.

For my heart lies between my ribs,

فإن فؤادي بين جنبي حشوه

أمان ولي عند الزمان ديون

Therein trust and, for me, debts to fate.

My reproachful eyes - rather from determination

وسائلة عتبي أعني من النوى

غنى وعتاب الغانيات فنون

Are riches; and the reproach of singers is an art.

Indeed, one who claims glory, O Malik's garment,

أجل من تقاضى المجد يا لبسة مالك

تولى شمال شمله ويمين

Assumes command though its entirety and detail.

So do not reproach me, and know that height

فلا تعتبيني واعلمي انما العلا

أسير على وخد القلاص رهين

Is captive, bound to the cheeks of steeds.

Those are noble horses, or vessels of tyranny,

تلك المطايا البزل أم سفن طغى

بها الآل تخفى تارة وتبين

The clan concealed at times and at others seen,

Passing back and fro until as if

تمور لرجع الحدو حتى كأنما

عراها بأصوات الحداة جنون

Their nakedness by sharp cries madness makes known.

When the lightning of chieftains is glimpsed, scarcely

إذا لمحت برق العواصم لم تكد

مناسمها تقوى بهن حزون

Do their aspects, grieved within, grow strong.

They glance back toward Damascus as though

تلفت تلقاء الشآم كأنما

تخلى لها بالرقمتين جنين

For them in twain a child they have left behind.

When the vacant one sees them, he says they have hung

إذا أبصر الخالي بها قال علقت

مشافرها بالغوطتين يمين

Their scissors on the twin hills, dexterously.

We have reached elation through travel until

وصلنا السرى بالسير حتى شكا لنا

من الوخد أخفاف لها ومتون

Their cheeks complained to us of both burden and ether.

So we blamed them, refractory ships, each sail

فلذنا بها أوداج كل مطوق

من السحب ممنوع الفناء حصين

Held from annihilation, an impregnable fortress.

Cables that rise high - if you saw them

حبال تمطت العلا لو رأيتها

لقلت لها بين النجوم ديون

You'd say between the stars there were debts upon them.

Their braided manes have turned white, yet after

شابت أواصبها الثلوج فما رقت

لها بعد فقدان الشباب عيون

Losing their youth, no eyes have pitied them.

Oh Lord, a night in which our guide went astray,

ويا رب ليل ضل فيه دليلنا

فأهداه من نجل الحسام جبين

So guide him with the brow of the unsheathed blade.

A lad after seeing whose face no straying remains,

فتى لا ضلال بعد رؤية وجهه

ولا بارق الأفضال منه يمين

And from his liberality no lightning bolt departs.

He reached the height where the star of heaven with its wing,

علاه رقى نسر السما بجناحه

وعرض بعيد الغايتين مصون

And presented, beyond the farthest points, inviolate.

A delicate creation whose manners the morning breeze envied,

ورقة خلق راح يحسدها الصبا

فأضحى عليلا يعتريه أنين

Then became sickly, afflicted with moaning.

In him is might before which judgement bows down,

وبذل تذوب السحب منه خجالة

وبأس به يسطو القضا ويدين

And a knowledge - if people were to act on even some of it,

While they are ignorance, barely to be seen -

وعلم لو ان الناس قامت ببعضه

وهي الجهل حتى لا يكاد يبين

Some people have erected the pinnacle of glory and dew,

Lions whose place is the cave of the meadow.

من القوم شادوا ذروة المجد والندى

ليوث لهم قضب اليراع عرين

Congratulations O sword of the faith, best of the glorious,

By whom the honorable acts built their forts.

هنيئاً حسام الدين يا خير ماجد

به شيدت المكرمات حصون

With the arrival of my master, hearts aright were guided

And by his advent, eyes of the generous were delighted.

بمقدم مولى قد هدت بقدومه

قلوب وقرت للكرام عيون

He alighted in Rome-land, most generous arrival,

Good fortune and success being his companion.

أناخ بأرض الروم أكرم قادم

له السعد خدن والفلاح قرين

News of him came to the West before him,

Encircling the necks of the lofty and adorning.

وقد وفدت أخباره الغر قبله

تطوق أعناق العلى وتزين

Lo, thus is he whose striving is for God -

His days obey him and soften.

ألا هكذا في اللَه من يك سعيه

تدين له أيامه وتلين

O House of Osman, congratulate yourselves on a glorious one

Who protects your honor and makes it secure.

فيا آل عثمان تهنوا بماجد

يذب لكم عن عرضكم ويصون

You have silenced the enemy’s spite through him, indeed

Time, apart from you, because of him, is resentful.

رغمتم به أنف العدو وإنما

الزمان به عن غيركم لضنين

O you who seek, come, let me guide you

To him, for in this discourse, I am honest.

أطلاب مسعاة هلموا أدلكم

عليه فإني في المقال أمين

Lay your hand on the wing of a starry West

And your feet in the wind, for it is sturdy.

ضعوا يدكم في جنح عنقاء مغرب

وأرجلكم في الريح فهو متين

And roam the open country; when you take flight through it

To him, you will hit your mark there.

وهام السها فارقوا إذا حلقت بكم

إليه فما رمتم هناك يكون

I contend with my hyena, though my strength is feeble

And I a fearful believer while time is deceptive.

أجاذب ضبعي إذ قواي ضئيلة

ومؤمن روعي والزمان خؤون

But were it not for you, the ships' cables would not

Have set out for Rome - recalcitrant she-camels.

أما إنه لولاك ما فتقت بنا

إلى الروم رتق الراسيات ظعون

Nor would I know how glory is attained,

Nor how the difficult becomes easy.

ولا كنت أدري كيف يكتسب العلى

ولا كيف صعب الحادثات يهون

You unloaded the burden of my state from me when

Over me a cloud of aid from you wheeled.

أقلت عثار الحال مني إذ هما

علي سحاب من نداك هتون

And I know your merit guarantees

For the seekers of perfection a refuge secure.

وإني لأدري أن فضلك كافل

لبانات طلاب الكمال ضمين

After God, I have none but you facilitating

My attainment of purpose, assisting me.

وما لي بعد اللَه غيرك مسعد

من الناس في نيل المراد معين

At your door I have rested my aspirations’ mounts,

And for me there is no tranquility but in it.

وفي بابكم حطت رحال مطامعي

وما تم لي إلا إليه سكون

Far be it from you to drive me away with refusing

While your gift is pure, no spring muddied.

وحاشاك أن ينتاشني برح غلة

ووردك صاف لا يغيض معين

And you best know what need I have in my heart,

And for me, this makes all manifest and clarifies.

وأنك أدرى من فؤادي بحاجتي

وحسبي بهذا كاشف ومبين