سَبَقتَ وَلكِن في الفَضائِلِ كُلِّها

عَلى الطيبِ مِن كُلِّ النُفوسِ أَوِ الرُغمِ

You excelled, but in all virtues

Above the good in every soul or despite

سُطورٌ وَلَو قَد شِئتُ قُلتُ لَطائِمٌ

هِيَ المِسكُ أَو كَالمِسكِ في اللَونِ وَالشَمِّ

Lines, and even if I wanted, I would have said copious

It is musk or like musk in color and scent

وَسِربُ عَذارى مِن مَعانٍ جَلِيَّةٍ

لَها سِيمِياءٌ لا تَشُقُّ عَلى الفَهمِ

And a flock of chaste meanings

It has an alchemy not heavy on the mind

عَلى أَنَّها في راحَتَيكَ تَصَرَّفَت

فَلَم تَمشِ إِلا مِن وَلِيٍّ إِلى وَسمي

Although it moved freely in your comfort

So it did not walk but from a guardian to a brand

وَمُستَفهِمٍ لي كَيفَ كانَ وُرُودُها

فَقُلتُ لَهُ وِردُ الشِفاءِ عَلى السُقمِ

And I was asked how was its arrival

So I said to him the arrival of healing from sickness

فَقَد صَدَّقَت رُؤيايَ رُقعَتُكَ الَّتي

كَسَت عَقِبي ما شِئتَ مِن سُؤدَدٍ ضَخمِ

So your missive, which covered my heel as you wished with ample difficulties, was truthful

And turned me over the mattress, agitated

وَأَسهَرَني فَوقَ القَتادِ تَقَلُّبٌ

مِنَ الدَهرِ بِالأَحرارِ بالَغَ في الهَضمِ

By fate with the free in much affliction

Men whose listening hurt me in purpose

رِجالٌ شَجَتني بِالسَماعِ عَلى النَوى

وَيَبلُغ ضُرُّ القَوسِ مِن قِبَلِ السَهمِ

And the harm of the bow comes from the arrow

He took lightly what we fear and spent the night complacent

تَهاوَن بِما نَخشى وَبِت مُتَسَلِّياً

فَقَد تَطرُقُ السَرّاءُ في لَيلَةِ الهَمِّ

For good fortune may sneak in a night of anxiety

Your place, you don't know it from the horizon of ascension

مَكانُكَ ما تَدريهِ مِن أُفُقِ العُلا

فَخُذ مَأخَذَ الأَقمارِ في النَقصِ وَالتِمِّ

So take the course of the waning and waxing moons

For inhibition did not follow freshness with humiliation

فَما أَعقَبَ السَبكُ النُضارَ مَهانَةً

وَلا حَطَّ مَيلُ النَجمِ مِن شَرَفِ النَجمِ

Nor did the inclination of a star demean the prestige of a star