أَبَدى عِذارُكَ إِذ تَبَدّى
عُذري وَصارَ هَواكَ جدّا
Your excuses appeared when you appeared,
And my excuse became serious love for you.
نَفسي فِداؤُكَ ما أَقَلَّ
لِحُسنِ وَجهِكَ أَن يُفَدّا
My soul is your ransom - how small a price
For the beauty of your face to be ransomed!
يا مَن تَفَرَّد بِالجَمالِ
عَن البَريَّةِ واِستَبَدا
O you who are singular in beauty,
Transcending all others and unmatched,
فَضَحَ الغَزالَةَ حُسنُه
وَأَبانَ نَقصَ البانِ قَدّا
Your beauty outshines that of gazelles
And shows the flaw of full moons.
وَحَمَت عَقارِبُ صُدغِه
آساً بوجنَتِهِ وَوَردا
The moles on your cheek vie
With myrtle and roses in beauty.
أَوما كَفاكَ عَذابنا
بِالصَدِّ حَتّى زِدتَ بُعدا
Was our torment from your aloofness not enough
That you increased the distance?
أَتُحَرّمُ الوَصلَ الحلالَ
وَتَسحَتِلُّ القَتلَ عَمدا
Do you forbid the lawful union
And make a habit of deliberate murder?
أَسَفي عَلى سَعدٍ وَمِن
خَوفِ الوِشاةِ أَقول سُعدى
I regret the joy, but out of
Fear of gossip, I say "My bliss!"
أَجد الشمالض وان جَرَت
حَرّى عَلى الأَحشاءِ بَردا
I feel the cold north wind though it
Burns my guts with chill.
قالوا تَنامُ فَقُلتُ مَن
شَوقِ الخَيالِ رَقدتُ قَصدا
They said "You sleep," and I said "Out of
Yearning for your image I lay down deliberately."
النَومُ يُصلحُ بَينَنا
وَالنَومُ أَصلحُ لي وَأَجدا
Sleep reconciles us
And sleep is best for me and more fulfilling.
لَولا مَحبَّتُهُ الَّتي
أَبَداً تُريني الغيَّ رُشدا
If not for your love which
Always shows me the right way,
لَصبرتُ عَنه تَجَلُّدا
إِذ لَم أَكُن في الحُبِّ جَلدا
I would have endured patiently
Since I am not one to despair of love.
وَشَغَلتُ بِالهادي الدُعاةِ وَذا
كَ أَرشَدُ لي وَأَهدى
I busied myself with guides and the rightly-guided one
Who guides me and shows me the way,
مَلِكٌ أَنامِلُهُ عَلى
العافي مِن الأَنداءِ أَندى
A king whom I wish safety
From calamities and the protection of helpers,
سَهل خَلائِفُه إِذا
يَمّمتَهُ يَمَّمتَ سَعدا
Whose reign is easy if
You support him - you bring good fortune.
غَرَسَ الصَنائِعَ في الأَنا
مِ فأَثمرت شُكراً وَحَمدا
He implanted skills in souls
Which then bore fruits of gratitude and praise.
مِن آلِ غَسّانَ الأُلى
فَضلوا الوَرى بأساً وَمَجدا
Of the house of Ghassan the sublime
Who excelled mankind in might and glory,
صَبٌّ عَلى طولِ الزَمانِ
يَزيدُ بِالعَلياءِ وَجدا
A spring of generosity through time
Ever increasing with loftiness and passion.
حَسَنُ السَريرَةِ لَم يَزَل
لِلَّهِ ما أَخفى وَأَبدى
Good in nature he remains
To God in private and in public.
ماضٍ عَلى الأَعداءِ
لا فَلَّت لَهُ الأَعداءُ حَدّا
Firm against enemies, no enemy could challenge him,
He filled the horizon with armies
مَلأَ الفَضاءَ عَليهُمُ عَدَداً
وَسَدَّ الأَرضَ سَدّا
And blocked the land with barriers.
Like the sea with ships sailing behind them
كالبَحرِ يُجري خَلفَهُم
سُفُناً وَفَوقَ الأَرضِ جُردا
And cavalry over land in rows.
You pursued them aggressively and directly...
فَتَبعتَهُمُ مَسرىً وَمغَدا
.....
None like the two of them existed for the one
Of the two ages as supporters and soldiers.
ما كانَ مثلهُما لِذيـ
ـالقَرنينِ أَعواناً وَجُندا
Because of fear of them Gog and Magog
Erected against them the dam.
شادَت عَلَيها دونَتهم
مِن خَوفِها يأجوجُ سَدّا
With their swords
Piercing, burning, cutting.
بحتوفِهم طَعناً
واِحراقاً وَقَدّا
They would not take
A gazelle or yearling as captive,
أَلا ظَبيةَ
أَو شادِنٍ تَخذوهُ عَبدا
With their wounds, or chained
By the neck and fettered,
بِجِراحِه أَو مُوثَقاً
حَلَقاً وَقَيدا
A warrior whom a lord with might rescued,
Escaping from the talons of the vultures.
وَمُحارِبٌ نَجّاهُ ذو عُددٍ
يَفوتُ الطَيرَ شَدّا
Fleeing from calamity and dishonor is more calamitous.
Terror overwhelmed their young
بِالفَرارِ مِنــ
ــالرَدى وَالعارُ أَردى
And brought you white hair in youth.
You destroyed them and inherited
هَولٌ أَشابَ صِغارَهُم
وَأَتوكَ شيبَ الرأسِ مُردا
Their wealth, kingdoms, and offspring.
O best of Ghassan fathers
أفنَيتَهُم وَورِثتَهمـ
ـمالاً وَمَملكَةً وَوِلدا
And most rightful of them to rule,
You surpassed their precedence, and in the world
يا خَيرَ غَسّانٍ أَباً
وَأَحقَّهم بِالمُلكِ جَدا
Attained might, high position, and fervor.
My master, the messenger would not stop thanking you
وَسبقتَ سَبقَهم الوَرى
بأَساً وَنَيلَ عُلىً وَجِدا
As long as I exerted effort,
Seeking to thank you as much as I am able, though the right of your thanks cannot be repaid.
مَولايَ لا وَقفَ الرَسولُ عَليَّـ
ــما أَبقَيتَ جُهدا
So forgive me, for if I erred in my heart,
I did so deliberately.
طَلَباً لِشكركَ ما اِستَطَعـ
ـتَ وَحَقُّ شُكرِكَ لا يُرَدّا
O joy of my days - may the days
Never lose you.
فاِغفر فان أَخطأتَ في قَلبي
فَقَد أَحسَستُ قَصدا
يا بَهجَةَ الأَيامِ لا
ذاقَت لَكَ الأَيام فَقدا
