لا ورقص الحباب بين العذارى

واصطباحي من العيون السكارى

No, and the lovebirds dance among the virgins,

And my morning comes from the intoxicating eyes.

ما سلونا جواركم بثغيرٍ

جاور الأقحوان فيه العقارا

We did not ask for your neighborhood out of fickleness,

The passionate dwell in it, and it contains passion.

فارفقوا بالفؤاد يا ماليكه

إنما الرفق واجب بالأسارى

So be gentle with this heart, O angels,

For gentleness is a duty towards captives.

لا تبالوا بجاهل الحب من لا

يعرف المسك يحسب المسك قارا

Do not mind the ignorant of love, those who

Cannot tell musk, and mistake musk for dirt.

نحن قومٌ نرى المحبة ديناً

والتلاهي عن الأحبة عارا

We are a people who see love as a religion,

And avoiding loved ones as shame.

كل من فاز بالمحبة منا

حبةٌ منه ترجح القنطارا

All who succeed in love with us

Are specks that outweigh tons.

وَيل قلبي من التي تمنع الصب

بَ لماها وتبذل الدينارا

Woe to my heart from she who denies the lover

Her water, and gives away dinars,

وتواري البها بليل قناعٍ

لا ترى العين في سواه نهارا

And hides her beauty in the veil of night,

Not seeing anything in it but daytime.

صرت في صدها خيالاً وقلبي

صار ناراً ومدمعي تيارا

I have become to her fancy, and my heart

Has become fire, and my tears a stream.

كل ما ابتعت للتصبر درعاً

أشهرت من جفونها بتارا

All I prepared of armor for patience

I displayed from her eyelids pierced.

ليت شعري وقد تلون شعري

تصطفيني لدارها زوّارا

I wish I knew, as my hair turned white,

If she would choose me as a visitor to her home,

وتريني عذارها بعد ما ابيض

ض عذاري وسود الأعذارا

And show me her virgins after my hair whitened,

The virgins' hair blackened and the excuses paled.

طال واحسرتاه وعدي وبعدي

قصر اللَه منهما الأعمارا

My longing for her has been prolonged, and my stay with her shortened,

May God shorten their lives.

وحبا عمر سيدي الشهم عبد ال

قادر الطول والصفا المدرارا

And love the life of my master, the valiant Shihāb ‘Abd al-Qādir,

Of long generosity and flowing nobility.

فهو قطب العلى ودائرة المج

د وبحر الندى وليث الغيارى

He is the axis of highness and the circle of glory,

An ocean of dew, and a lion of valor.

والكريم الذي تسابق كفا

ه لطلّاب نيله الأفكارا

The generous one whose palms compete

To fulfill the seekers of his thoughts.

والذي لو توعد الشمس أدجت

وإذا هدَّد العرمرم غارا

If he threatened the sun it would darken,

And if he scolded the clouds they would pour.

وإذا فاه غادر الصبية الأغ

مار بالعلم سادةً أبرارا

And if the young, foolish boys

Disobeyed him, he would lead noblemen and the righteous.

والمحلَّى من الكمال بتاجٍ

ساد كسرى به وفاخر دارا

Adorned with the crown of perfection,

He surpassed Chosroes and prided himself with his house.

لو حواه الهلال أشرق بدراً

وبدا ليله البهيم نهارا

If the crescent contained him it would shine like a full moon,

And its dark night appear as daylight.

تتوارى الشموس منه حياءً

وهو سمح اليدين لن يتوارى

The suns shy away from him in shame,

While he is kind handed and will not shy away.

كل وقتٍ مضى ولم أمتدحه

فيه أضحى على حياتي عارا

Every time that has passed without my praising him

Has made me ashamed of my life.

لا سباه الإله حلية فضلٍ

عانقت منه فارساً كرارا

God did not adorn him with a garment of virtue

That embraced a noble horseman.

جادني جوده بحار نضارٍ

خلت من بعدها البحار بخارا

His generosity gave me a gushing sea,

After which the seas became vapor.

يا ملاذي الذي افتخار البرايا

صار عند افتخاره فخّارا

O my refuge, boasting of whom has become

The boast of the lands, and in boasting him they pride themselves.

كان عيد العباد فذّاً فأضحى

بك زوّاً يفاخر الأعصارا

It was the feast of servants, and it became through you

A bride that competes with the ages.

فاسلم اسلم لكل عيدٍ كبيرٍ

يجتلي منك كوكباً كُبّارا

So submit, submit to every great feast

That manifests from you a great star.

أحسن العالمين خلقاً وخلقاً

وافتخاراً وبهجةً واقتدارا

Most excellent of both worlds in creation and character,

Pride, delight and power.