سَيفٌ بجَفنكَ مُغمدٌ مَسلولُ

ماضٍ عَلى العُشّاقِ وَهوَ كَليلُ

A sword in your eyelids' sheath, drawn smoothly,

Marching against lovers, and it is lean.

يَهوى مُضارَبَة الجَريح بحدّهِ

وَيَهيمُ مِن شَغَفٍ بِهِ المَقتولُ

It yearns to strike the wounded with its edge,

And it rages with passion for the slain.

هَل عند مُعتَدِلِ القَوامِ لعاشِقٍ

عَدلٌ وَهَل عِندَ الجميلِ جَميلُ

Is there justice for a moderate lover

From the fair one? Is there a fair response?

رَشأٌ بَخيلٌ بِالسَلامِ أُحبُّهُ

ومن العَجائبِ أَن يُحبَّ بَخيل

A niggardly morning breeze I love,

Yet it is wondrous that a niggard is loved!

وُمُعقرب الأَصداغ ما لِلَديغها

راقٍ وَلا لِعَليلها تَعليل

When the one with knit brows and glowing temples appears,

Neither soothing nor excuse for her ailment.

واذا تَبَدّى في سَماءِ قِبائِه

وَالسُكرُ يَعطِفُ عِطفَه فَيَميلُ

And when she reveals herself in the sky of her veil,

While tipsiness sways her figure to lean.

عقدَ القُلوبَ بِخصرهِ المَعقودِ اذ

حَلَّ العَزائم بندُه المَحلولُ

She tied hearts with her cinched waist when

Resolves were untied by her supple bond.

واذا صَباً أَو شَمالٌ مالَت ضُحىً

بالغُصنِ مالَ بِه صِبّاً وَشَمولُ

And if the north or south wind inclined at dawn

With the branch, the pouring rain and the left wind inclined.

ان تكحل الكَحلاء وَهيَ غنيَّةٌ

فَكَذاك يُمهى السَيفُ وَهوَ صَقيل

It befits the kohl-eyed beauty to apply kohl

Just as it befits the polished sword to be made more brilliant.

يا بَدرُ عُذّالي عَلَيكَ كَثيرَةٌ

وَالمُسعِدون عَلى هَواكَ قَليل

O my full moon, many blame me for you

Yet those made happy by your love are few.

وَأَليم هجركَ ما يَراكَ مواصِلي

وَلَذيذُ وَصلِكَ ما اليه وصول

Painful is your estrangement, if you don't keep company,

And sweet is your union if you arrive.

لَهفي لِما في فيكَ طابَ مَذاقُهُ

مِن سَلسَبيلٍ ما اليه سَبيلُ

My craving for what your mouth has, tasting beautifully,

No path leads to it, it has no way.

قَد جاءَ عُذّالي وجرتَ وَقاتِلي

سِيّانَ حُبٌّ قاتِلٌ وَعَذولُ

My blamer came, you went away, and my killer –

They are the same, loving and blaming killer.

أَلقاكَ كَي أَشكو فأسكتُ هَيبَةً

وَأَقولُ ان عُدنا فَسَوفَ أَقولُ

I met you – how can I complain, silenced in awe,

And say: “If we return I shall surely speak.”

وَأَغارُ أَن يأتي الَيكَ بِقصَّتي

غَيري وَلَو أَنَّ الرياحَ رَسولُ

I’m jealous that someone else may tell you my tale

Even if the winds themselves were messenger.

انَّ الملاحةَ دَولَةٌ سَتَزولُ

وَأَميرُها بعذارِهِ مَعزولُ

Kingship is temporary, it shall pass,

And its prince stripped of might.

بادِر باحسانٍ وَحُسنك لَم يَحُل

واعلم بأنَّ الحُسنَ سَوفَ يَحولُ

Do good quickly – your beauty won't last,

And know that beauty itself will change.

قَد بانَ في الخَدِّ الصَقيل لِناظِر

كَلَفٌ وَفي الغُصنِ الرَطيبِ ذُبول

There appeared on the polished cheek coquetry

And on the pliant branch, withering.

كَم ذا الدَلال وَقَد كبرتَ وَخضرةٌ

في عارضيكَ عَلى العِذار دَليل

With so many charms and greenness, how can he guide

When proof of chastity is on your cheeks?

أَنا كنتُ أَولَ عاشِقيكَ وَقَد سَلا

غَيري وودّي بِالوَفاءِ ثَقيلُ

I was your first lover, now others propose,

Yet my love’s commitment remains heavy.

أَنتَ الحَبيبُ مِن البَريّة كُلِّها

وَمُحَمَّدٌ دونَ الوَرى المأمولُ

You're the beloved of the whole wilderness,

And Muhammad is the hoped for among mankind.

مَلِكٌ تَفَرَّد بِالجَمال فَلَم يَزَل

مُذ كانَ ذا مُلكٌ وَلَيسَ يَزولُ

A king who alone has beauty, and remains

A king since his reign began, eternal.

غَذاه عِرقٌ في المَكارِمِ معرقٌ

وَنَماهُ أَصلٌ في الفَخار أَصيلُ

Feeding on the dripping sweat of glories,

Growing on roots of noble pedigree.

بَحر له بيضُ العَطايا لُجَّة

أَسَدٌ لَهُ سُمرُ العَوالي غيلُ

A sea whose gift giving is boundless waves,

A lion whose lofty domain is a dense forest.

وَلَهُ العُلى وَلشانئيهِ شَينُهُم

وَلَهُ النَدى وَلسائليه السُول

His is the heights, while his detractors have but disgrace,

His the dew, while his seekers get but requesting.

حَيثُ النُفوس تَسيلُ في سُبُل الرَدى

وَالخَيلُ في سَيلِ الدِماءِ تَجولُ

Where souls flow towards moral decay,

And steeds course towards bloodshed unrestrained.

صَبغَ النَجيعُ شِياتها فَبَدَت وَما

يَبدو لَها غُرَرٌ وَلا تَحجيلُ

The herd dyed their wool, appearing with what

Doesn’t show for them, neither curls nor braiding.

لَولا جُدودُكَ وَالمَنايا شُرَّعٌ

حالَت قَناً دونَ المُنى وَنُصولُ

If not for your ancestors, while death lies in wait,

It would have barred the path to purpose.

يا ابنَ الأَكارِمِ كابِراً عَن كابِرٍ

طابَت فُروعٌ مِنهُمُ وَأُصولُ

O scion of nobles, more noble than any noble,

Branches and roots from them thrived.

بَيتٌ مِن الأَدناس خالٍ مُقفِرٌ

وَمِن المَكارِم عامِرٌ مأهول

A house empty of flaws, empty of ornaments,

And full of virtues, inhabited and populated.

رأيٌ يُضيءُ اذا الحَوادِثُ أَظلَمَت

فَدجت وَيَمضي وَالحُسام كَليلُ

A view lighting up when calamities darken,

Advancing though the swords have failed.

وَنَدىً إِذا يَممتَه فَسأَلته

سالَت عَلَيكَ مِن العَطاءِ سُيولُ

Bestowing when you seek it,

Rivers of gifts for you then stream.

لَيثٌ بِهِ السُلطان أَرغم ضدَّهُ

وَبِهِ يَطولُ عَلى العِدى وَيَصولُ

A lion subduing his enemies by might,

Endlessly assailing the enemies, fiercely prowling.

لَيث الوَغى شَهدت لَه أَفعالُهُ

وَالمَوتُ أَحمَرُ وَالدِماءُ تَسيلُ

Lion of battle, his deeds bear him witness,

As blood spills and death turns crimson.

وَإِذا تَناهى مادِحٌ في وَصفِه

عَضَدَ المقولَ بِصدقِه المَعقولُ

And when a praiser is excessive in his praise,

Reason supports the thing said.

حاميتَ يَومَ حماةَ غَيرَ مُفَنَّدٍ

وَحملتَ عِبءَ الحَربِ وَهوَ ثَقيلُ

You protected the day of protectors without weakening,

Bore the burden of war, heavy though it was.

وَكررتَ يَومَ التَلِّ حَتّى لَم يَكُن

إِلّا أَسيرٌ مِنهُمُ وَقَتيلُ

You returned the day you routed them, till none remained

But prisoner or corpse from among them.

فَمُجَدَّلٌ يَسعى إِلَيهِ أَجدَلٌ

أَو هارِبٌ طارَت إِلَيهِ خُيولُ

So one flees while another chases,

Or a fugitive, horses bolting to it.

ماضٍ وَقَد نَبَتِ السُيوفَ وَواقِف

ثَبتٌ عَلى أَنَّ المَقامَ مَهولُ

Advancing with bared swords, though standing

Firmly, for the outcome unknown.

في ظِلِّ غازٍ ما لِنَفسٍ تَحتَه

قَدَمٌ وَلا لِسِوى الأُسود مَقيلُ

In the shadow of a warring gazelle, not a foot

Remains for anyone, nor rest for the black steeds.

سامي العَلاءِ إِلى السَماءِ فَفي عُلا

كُلِّ امرىءٍ قِصَرٌ وَفيهِ طولُ

The sublime reach to heaven in their loftiness, so in the height

Of every matter, a limit, and in it, rising still.

مِن طَيّبينَ مَصونَةُ أَعراضُهُم

أَبَداً وَوافِرُ وَفرهُم مَبذولُ

Good folk whose honor is preserved forever,

Generous through ample giving.

قَومٌ أَذالوا في الحُروبِ نُفوسَهُم

لِلمُلكِ حَتّى مُلِّكوا وَأديلوا

A people who abased themselves in wars,

For the kingdom, until empowered and aided.

الكاشِفين الكَربَ وَهوَ مُجلّلٌ

وَالفارِجين الخَطب وَهوَ جَليلُ

Dispelling woes, though heavy laden,

And relieving grave events, though grave.

يا ناصِرَ الدين الَّذي مَن يأتِهِ

أَضحى عَزيزَ الكُفرِ وَهوَ ذَليلُ

O helper of faith, one who comes to him

Becomes mighty, and unbelief is frail.

فالدينُ مَنصورٌ بِهِ وَمؤَيَّدٌ

وَالشِركُ مَخذولٌ بِهِ مَغلولُ

Thus faith, through him, is helped and supported,

While unbelief, through him, is weakened and bound.

حاشى غَمامَكَ أَن يُفارِقَ مَنزِلي

أَو لا يَكونَ لَهُ عَلَيهِ نُزول

I fear that your protecting cloud might leave my abode,

Or cease its descent upon it.

أَنا في جنابِكَ مُذ وَليتَ وَمجدبٌ

لا مِنهُ مأمول وَلا مَطلول

Since you took authority I've been in your wing, despondent,

Hoping for nothing, asking nothing.

فاِنظر اليّ بِعَينِ جودكَ نَظرَةً

لا زِلتَ تُسأل دائِماً وَتُنيلُ

So look upon me with your eye of munificence,

Ever asked, you answer still.

واسلم عَلى رُغمِ الحَسودِ مُخلَّداً

في حالِ عِزٍّ مالَها تَحويلُ

And continue, despite the envious, secured

In glorious fortune that knows no change.