أسهم أصاب القلب أم لَحظُكِ الشَزْرُ

وسُقمٌ بدا ما بين جفنِيك أم سِحْرٌ

Were the arrows that struck my heart your glance, or just illusion?

Was the sickness that appeared between your eyelids magic or spell?

وماذا الذّي في صحن خدّكِ لائحٌ

أماءُ جَمالٍ جائلٌ فيه أم خمرُ

And what is this brightness on the platter of your cheek?

Water of beauty pouring, or is it wine?

سَفرتِ فَجوّلتِ الدُّجَى قبل فَجرِه

أشمس أضاءت من نِقابك أم بدرُ

You traveled and wandered the darkness before dawn.

A sun shining from your veil, or is it the full moon?

لقد أسكرتْ عيناكِ قدَّكِ فانثنى

كما ينثني بالشارب الثمِل السُّكْرُ

Indeed your eyes intoxicated your stature, so it swayed

As the drunk sways with the wine’s inebriation

وحَمَّلْتِني ما لا أطيقُ من الهوى

كما لم يُطِقْ حَمْلاً لأَردافِك الخَصْرُ

And you burdened me with a love I cannot bear

As your slender waist could not bear that burden

أجَوْراً على العُشّاق والعدلُ ظاهر

وظلماً لهمْ والحقُّ أَنْجُمُه زُهرُ

You were unjust to lovers, though justice is clear

And unjust, though the truth’s star is shining bright

ألستِ تخافين العزيزَ ومذ بدت

خلافَتُهُ لم يبق ظُلمٌ ولا غدر

Do you not fear the Almighty, since his caliphate appeared

No injustice remains, no treachery or plight

صِليني لتُشْفَى غُلَّتي بِك مثلَ ما

شفتْ بأبي المنصور غُلَّتَها مصر

Pray I recover from my love sickness for you, like

Egypt recovered from its sickness through Abu Mansur

تباشرتِ الدنيا به وبمُلْكه

وردّ على الأيّام بهجتَها الدهرُ

You brought felicity back to the world through him

And his rule brought joy back to the ages

هَنَاك قدومٌ حَفَّه السعد والعلا

ومدّ عليه عزّ سلطانِه النصر

There was an arrival shrouded in fortune and glory

His mighty reign and victory encircled it

رجعتَ وقد قضّيت ما لم يقضِّه

إمامٌ وما لم يحوِ أمثالهَ عصر

You returned after accomplishing what no imam accomplished

Nor did anyone like you in any age

بفتح بشرقِ الأرض والغرب ذكرهُ

تَغَنّى به الدنيا ويحدو به السّفْر

With the conquest of East and West singing your praises

The world sings your praises and poetry chants your deeds

فإن يك بَدْر لم يُقَسْ بشبيهه

فذى الوقعةُ الكبرى شبيهُتُها بدر

For you are a full moon that none can equal

And that great battle resembles you like the full moon

نصرت بها التوحيد والحق نُصْرَةً

عزيزيَّةً صَلَّى لها المجدُ والفخر

You supported the oneness of God and truth triumphantly

A glorious victory that majesty and pride prayed for

وأرهبتَ أهلَ الشامِ حتّى تركتُهَمْ

وليس لهم سرّ سواك ولا جهر

You terrified the people of Syria until you left them

With no refuge but you, openly or in secret

وسُسْتَهُمُ حَزْماً بما لم يَسُسهُمُ

بمعشاره يوماً زيادٌ ولا عَمْرو

You defeated them with wisdom beyond what ever

Ziyad or Amr had hoped to defeat them with

فلو تَسْمَعُ الموتى لناديتُ مُسْمِعاً

يزيدَ بِخِزْيٍ قم فقد أدرِك الوِتر

If the dead could hear I would call out loudly

"Rise in disgrace, O Yazid, for fate has caught up"

نهضتُ بثارات الحسين وزيده

نهوضاً به من زَيْنب شُفيَ الصدر

I rose to avenge al-Husayn and Zayd

With a resolve like Zaynab’s which healed my heart

ففاطمة الزهراءُ تُفْديك يابْنَها

وتسأل أن تَبْقَى ويبقَى لك العُمْرُ

Fatima al-Zahra will ransom you, O her son

And prays you live long with enduring days

وإنكَ للسَيفُ الذي الله ضاربٌ

به والهدى المدروسُ من نوره الذكر

You are the sword of God, striking with Him

And the guiding light from the beaming of His light

فيا أيّها البحرُ الذي موجُه لُهىً

ويا أيّها الغيث الذي ماؤه تِبرُ

O sea whose waves are delusion, O rain whose water is generosity

Your people you exalted and raised high

فداؤك قْوم طُلْتَهم وعلوتَهُمْ

أبوهُمْ إذا عدّوا أميَّةُ أو صخر

Whenever they count the Umayyads or rocks

Their father if they miss you or become distressed

أراني إذا هذّبتُ فيك قصيدةً

يساعِدني في مدحك النظم والنّثر

When I compose poetry praising you

My prose and poetry aid me in your eulogy

ويجذِبُني قلبي إليك وهِمِّتي

ويعذبُ لي في حوك شعري لك الفكر

My heart and mind drag me toward you

Tormenting me with thoughts of you

وهل أنا إلا ساعةٌ أنت يومُها

ويومٌ من الأيام أنت له شهر

What am I but an hour while you are its day?

And a day while you are its month?

وإني لممزوج بحبّك خِلْقةً

كما امتزجت بالماء في كأسها الخمر

I was created saturated with love for you

As wine mixes with the water in its cup

كلانا لأصلٍ واحدٍ ولمَنبتٍ

تفرّع غُصْنانَا وما اختلف النَّجْر

We both come from one origin and source

Our branches diverged but the roots are one

فيا من عُلاه لي وإن كنتُ عبدَه

ومن أنا عند الانتساب له شَطْر

O you whose high rank is a shelter I seek

Though I am but your servant in lineage and birth

ضميرك يلقاني بخالص ودِه

ووجهُك ما إن ينقضي منه لي بشر

Your conscience welcomes me with pure affection

Your face's glad tidings for me never cease

فإن كنُت في نشري لفضلك مُسْهِبا

ففضلكُ فضلٌ لا يحصِّله الذكر

If my spreading of your virtues grows excessive

Your exceeding virtues cannot be contained

أُهنّيك لا أَعني سواك بأَوبة

كأنك عِقْد وهْيَ من تحته نَحْرُ

I congratulate none but you with an ode

As if you were a necklace and it a pearl

ولو أنّ أرضاً هزّها الشوقُ أقبلت

إليك اشتياقاً أرضُ مصرك والقَصْرُ

If the land shook with longing and came to you

Yearning, your Egypt and your palace would arrive