تقول وقد ألمت بي سليمى

من الشاكي فقلت لها سليمان

You said, and my heart was struck with love for you, O Suleima

I complained to her, saying "O Solomon!"

فقالت ما شكوت فقلت حاشا

أنا الشاكي الذي كابدت ضيما

She said, "I made no complaint," so I said, "Far be it!

I am the complainer who has suffered injustice."

فقالت تستعير اسمي لماذا

ولم تك تستعير الشعر يوما

She said, "Why do you borrow my name?

You who never borrowed poetry before."

لعلك تكتفي فتميط حرفاً

لتوجد بيننا نسباً عظيما

Perhaps you'll be content and delete a letter,

To fabricate a great lineage between us."

فقلت الفوز أجمع بانتسابي

لمن خلق الجمال لها خديما

I said, "My pride in being associated with you

Is because the Creator made me your servant."

ولكن ما حذفت الحرف عمدا

بل المحذوف قد أمسى رميما

"But I did not intentionally delete a letter,

Rather, the deleted has become feeble."

محا ضري بنون اسمي فأضحى

سليماً والضنى يمحو الرسوما

"I erased the nun from my name, so it became

Whole, and grief erases features."

فهل من رحمةٍ تفتك أسري

من الداء الذي أعيى الحكيما

"Is there any mercy to free my captivity

From the illness which blinded the wise?"

وجرَّعني الحميم وصدَّ عني

حميماً كنت أحسبه حليما

"It made me drink anguish and diverted from me

The affection I thought was gentle."

فظل الطلُّ يقطر فوق وردٍ

ويودع صفحة القمر النجوما

"So longing still drips atop a rose

And bids farewell to the crescent's cheek."

وانطق خالق الزهر الأقاحي

وأودع في خطابتها النسيما

"Speak, Creator of the blooming wild roses,

And place in their discourse the breeze."

فقالت يا فدتك النفس إنَّا

تساوينا هوىً واسماً كريما

She said, "May I ransom you, my soul. We

Are equal in love and in noble name."

فألقيت العمامة عن دماغي

وقلت مكبراً رحمت سليمى

I threw off my turban from my head

And said, magnifying, "You have mercy, O Suleima!"

وبت بحجرها أمتص فاها

وأرشف من مراضبها القديما

I spent the night by her neighborhood to savor her mouth

And enjoy her ancient cups.

وألثم من محياها نهاراً

يشق بنوره الليل البهيما

And by day I kiss her cheek

Whose light splits the brutal night,

كما شقت دمشق بجود والي ال

ولاية جودت الخطب الجسما

As you split Damascus in your generosity, O Deputy of

Whose generosity the sermons are robust.

وزيرٌ فاضلٌ برٌّ حكيمٌ

يمدِّن حلمه الغرَّ الغشيما

"A virtuous, righteous, wise minister

Whose patience calms the raging angry."

تحنكه التجارب كل يومٍ

وترضعه الفضائلَ والعلوما

"Experience trains him each day

And virtues and knowledge nurse him."

يفيد جريح صارمه افتخاراً

ويضمد بالندى منه الكلوما

"He takes pride in healing his opponent's wound

And bandages the abused with dew."

ويقلب بالسماح العسر يسراً

ويقلب بالصفا الكدر الذميما

"He turns hardship into ease with kindness

And turns bitterness into gentle calm."

فيخجل من يقول السحر زورٌ

وعلم الكيمياء غدا عديما

"So those who say magic is false are shamed

And the science of alchemy is now futile."

ويعجب من طبيب حاتميٍّ

يبرُّ ويبرئ الداء العقيما

"And he amazes those with a Hippocratic physician

Who cures and heals the barren illness."

تسميه العدى ليثاً هجوماً

ويدعوه الندى غيثاً سجوما

"His enemies call him a fierce lion in attack

While the gentle call him a pouring rain in battle."

إذا هز المهند هز ناراً

تسالمه وتبتلع الخصوما

"When he brandishes his sword, it is a fire

That his opponents greet and swallow."

فبشر جلقاً بأغر منها

وأطيب من حدائقها نسيما

"Give glad tidings of a meadow more fragrant than it

And a breeze gentler than its gardens."

وأرفق بالورى من أم طفلٍ

تلاطفه وقد أضحى يتيما

"And be kinder to people than a mother to her orphan child

As you refine and perfect him."

ينول كل نفسٍ مشتهاها

سوى ما يغضب اللَه الرحيما

"Let each soul attain its desires

Except what angers God the Merciful."

كأن الشمس أضحت منه خجلى

فيوم قدومه ارتدت الغيوما

"It is as if the sun has become bashful before you

So on the day you came, the clouds departed."

تقبَّلْ يا نظام الملك منا

ثناء يفضُل الدر النظيما

"Accept, O Pillar of the Nation, from us

Praise that exceeds refined pearls."

تقلُّ نجومه لعلاك شمسٌ

تبشُّ فتخجل القمر الوسيما

"Its stars are few, so you are a sun

That dawns and shames the graceful moon."

وعيِّد بالصفا واسلم لعيدٍ

يزورك كل عامٍ مستديما

"Celebrate in purity and submit to a feast

That visits you enduringly each year."

ودم ما دامت الدنيا إماماً

هماماً فاضلاً برّاً كريما

"And may you remain, as long as life remains,

A protector, virtuous, generous, and noble."