قَدْ سَاقَنِي مِنْ نازِعِ المَسَاقِ
قَدْرٌ وَحاجاتُ امْرِئٍ تَوَّاقِ
Fate and a man’s needs have led me
To come knocking at your door.
إِذَا سُرَى المَهْرِيَّةِ العِتاقِ
خاضَتْ إِلَيْكَ اللَيْلَ بِالأَعْناقِ
When the procession of litters
Approached you through the night,
وَالأَرْكُبِ الرامِينَ بِالأَرْواقِ
فِي سَبْسَبٍ مُنْجَرِد الأَخْلاقِ
And the riders firing volleys
In the narrow alley—
غَيْرِ الفِجاجِ عَمِق الأَعْماقِ
يُفْضِي إِلَى نازِحَة الأَمآقِ
Galloping without check
Through the deepest gloom—
خَوْقاءُ مُفْضاهَا إِلَى مُنْخاقِ
إِذَا جَرَى مِنْ آلِها الرَقْرَاقِ
Making for the place of camel litters
With snorting nostrils and rattling tackle
رَيْقٌ وَضَحْضاحٌ عَلَى القَيَاقِي
غَرَفْنَ مِنْ نائِلِكَ الدَفّاقِ
As their equipment jingles and clashes.
We took great draughts from your overflowing cup,
مَجْداً وَعَذْباً لَيْسَ بِالزُعاقِ
سَجْلُكَ سَجْلٌ مُتْرَعُ الإِتْآقِ
Sweet, unmixed; your glory lacks no grace:
Devoutly fearful, rightly guided leader,
رَحْبُ الفُرُوغِ مُكْرَبُ العَرَاقِي
تَسْقِي بِهِ الحَقَّ سَقَاكَ السَاقِي
Scorning base intrigues, warding off oppression.
Through you truth finds its mark and slakes its thirst,
مِنْ كَأْسِهِ بِلَذَّةٍ دِهاقِ
بِلالُ يَا ابْن الأَنْجُم الأَطْلاقِ
As your cupbearer gives you to drink
A delicious, exhilarating draft.
لَيْسَ بِنَحْساتٍ وَلا أَمْحاقِ
وَالأَبْيَضَيْنِ البَدْرِ وَالإِشْراقِ
What luck shone on your birth, son of bright stars!
You are flawless, peerless
فِي الأَشْعرِينَ طَيِّبِي الأَعْراقِ
أَحْسابُهُمْ عالِيَةُ النَفاقِ
Like the full moons of Badr and dawn’s first light.
Arab patriarchs, sweet of stock,
مِنْ أُسْرَةٍ لِمَجْدِهِم مَراقِ
مِنْ حَظِّكُمٍْ وَعِظَم الأَخْلاقِ
Of lofty, generous souls.
From a line ennobled in ancestral glory,
فِيكُمْ جَلالاتٌ عَنِ الدِقاقِ
عَرَّضْتُ نَفْسِي وَدَنَا انْطِلاقِي
By your good fortune and noble deeds.
You have sublime qualities, far from all guile;
وَالمالُ يَفْنَى وَالثَناءُ باقِ
ما وَجْزُ مَعْرُوفِكَ بِالرِماقِ
I exposed myself and drew near to take my leave
As wealth fades but fair fame endures.
وَمَا مَوَاخاتُكَ بِالْمِذَاقِ
وَلا كَبَرْقِ الخُلَّبِ الرَيَّاقِ
Grace and favor can hardly repay your kindness,
Or intimacy parallel your gentle ways
