مَضى المُحبون مِن قَبلي عَلى سِنَنِ

وَفي الهَوى عَملوا بِالفَرض وَالسِنَنِ

The lovers before me have passed away following precedents,

And in passion they followed religious duties and traditions.

لَكنني بَعدَهُم قَد نلت مَنزلة

ما أَدرَكوا شَأوَها في السرّ وَالعَلَن

But after them I have attained a status—

Its stature they never realized, neither in secret nor openly.

بِاللَه يا أَيُّها المياس صِل دنفاً

لَم تَدرِ مُقلتُه ما لذة الوَسَن

By Allah, O she camel be gentle with him

Who has never known the pleasure of intimacy.

وَاعطف عَلَيهِ فَذاك النفس مِن رَشأٍ

عَهدي بِهِ أَنَّهُ في الوَعد لَم يَمِن

And be kind to him, for that soul is noble,

My experience with him is that he never breaks a promise.

فَأَنتَ لِلحُسن يا شَمس الضُحى ملكٌ

بَل أَنتَ رُوحٌ وَذاكَ الحسن كَالبَدَن

You are the sovereign of beauty, O sun of the morning,

Rather you are a spirit and that beauty is like a body.

وَلائِمي فيكَ ما أَجدت مَلامتُه

وَلا صغَت لعذول في الهَوى أُذُني

And my critic of you—I have not found fault with him,

Nor have I listened to a slanderer in love or lent him my ear.

صَبا إِلَيك فُؤادي مُذ سكنت بِهِ

فَهَل يَخون وَإِني خَير مؤتمن

My heart inclined to you since it dwelt in me,

Will it then betray me though I am the best trustee?

هَيهات أَسلو وَذُلي في الصَبابة لي

عزٌّ لَهُ يَتَمنَّى كُلُّ مفتتن

Far from it! I have glory and humility in my youth,

Pride enough for him who covets it though broken inside.

وَإِنَّني فيكَ أَحييتُ النَسيب كَما

أمتني أَنتَ بِالهجران وَالشجن

And in you I have revived an estranged love

As you made me experience estrangement and passion.

فَلا تُعنِّف إِذا ما عَنهُ ملت إِلى

مَدح الشريعيِّ كَهف الملتجي حسن

So do not be harsh if I turn from it to praise

The noble character—a shelter for the refugee.

تاج الإِمارة أَسنى من لَهُ رفعت

رايات مكرمةٍ مِن سالف الزَمَن

The crown of rule is more radiant for one whom

Honorable banners from days gone by have raised.

بَيت السِيادة عَن جدٍّ لَهُ وَأَبٍ

قَد عمّ مِن قَبله العافين بِالمنن

The house of authority—his forefathers and father

Had already overwhelmed the most excellent in favors.

فَيا لَهُ مِن رَئيسٍ لا يُقاس بِهِ

سِواه ذي همة في خدمة الوَطَن

What a remarkable leader he is, none compares,

Of lofty ambition in serving the nation.

فَكَم لَهُ مِن تَدابير مؤيدة

لِلحَق مُدحِضةٍ لِلزور وَالفتن

How many effective policies confirming the truth,

Annulling falsehood and discord.

وَكَم لَهُ صدحت بِالشُكر ساجِعَةٌ

مِن الحَمائم في رَوض عَلى فنن

And how many doves cooing thanks—

In a garden of branches—for his kindness.

وَكَم لَهُ مِن أَياد ماءُ مزنتها

لازالَ يَنهلّ مثلَ العارض الهتن

And how much water have his hands poured forth

From which one may drink endlessly like rainclouds.

فَيَرتوي الحُزن مِن أَنهاره وَبِهِ

يُطهَّر السهل مِن رجس وَمِن دَرَن

Grief finds solace in his rivers and through him

The land is cleansed of filth and thorns.

وَهَذِهِ بكرُ فكرٍ بنتُ ساعتِها

تُجلَى عَليك بِلا مَهر وَلا ثَمَن

And this is an early fruit of a tree, born in its time,

Appearing before you without dowry or price.

لَعَلَّها مِنكَ تَحظى بِالقبول عَلى

رَغم الضرائر ذات الحقد وَالإحن

Perhaps through you it will find acceptance

Despite envious enemies full of malice.

فلا تُقابل مُحيّاها سِوى برضاً

فَإِنَّني في الهَوى عَما سِواه غِني

So meet its greeting with nothing but pleasure,

For in passion I am needless of all else.

لا زلت في دَولة الإِقبال مُبتهجاً

بِطالع في العُلا بِالسَعد مُقترن

I remain enjoying the state of favor, delighted

By an ascendant star marked with good fortune.

ما قالَ ناظمُها في حسن مطلعها

مَضى المُحبون مِن قَبلي عَلى سنن

The composer said nothing in the beauty of its opening verse:

“The lovers before me have passed away following precedents.”