سقى دمع العين لا دموع الغمائم

مواقف نعم بين تلك المعالم

My eyes' tears irrigated, not the clouds' tears,

Stations of bliss between those landmarks,

منازل تملينا أحاديث شجوها

أسانيد أنفاس الصبا والنعائم

Homes that inspired us with their murmurs of passion,

Supporters of youth's breaths and pleasures.

إشارات بث هن أحلى من المنى

ومن خلس التهويم في جفن حالم

Gestures that broadcast sweeter than wishes

And from the furtive languor in a dreamer's eyelid.

وقفت لها أبكي وقد بسم الثرى

لدمعي وكم باكٍ لآخرَ باسم

I stopped for them, weeping, as the earth smiled,

At my tear and many a weeper for another, by name.

وهبت هجوعي الدجى ونجومه

وحسن التسلي بعدها للوائم

I granted my burning to the darkness and its stars

And the beauty of consolation after them to the compatible.

من خرم الظاغنين عن اللوى

مبيت الفتى والوجد ضيف الحيازم

From the loss of the passionate about fervor

A youth's night-lodging, and ardor a guest of valiant men.

لقد هزني ذكر العذيب وحاجرٍ

كصرف الحميا عطف شنوان هائم

Indeed the memory of punishment shook me and Hajar

Like the bending of a pliant one, a roaming gazelle's affection.

وما خطرت قضبانها وتراقصت

شمائلها إلا لشدو الحمائم

Her features never danced and intertwined

Except to the singing of doves.

وعهدي بها والبين ملقٍ قناعه

فمن بائح منا وآخر كاتم

My pact with her and the distance wearing its mask away

So who of us complains and who else conceals?

تبدت فما شمس الضحى بمنيرة

وماست فما أغصانها بنواعم

She appeared so the sun of daybreak lacks splendor

And she vanished so her branches lack gentleness.

حمت وردها بالنرجس الغض وانثنت

تدافع عنه كل راء ولاثم

She protected her rose with unripe narcissus

To defend it, every onlooker and speaker.

ولم أر مثل الحسن يهوي بخيله

ويعشق في أحكامه كل ظالم

I have not seen the like of beauty mad for its stinginess

And passionate in its judgments for every oppressor.

ولولاه لم أبكِ الدماء لضاحك

ولم أسهر الليل التمام لنائم

If it were not for him I would not bewail blood for a laugher

And I would not stay up nights completely for a sleeper.

ولولا جفون البيض ما وخد الأسى

بأسود ساج سفح ساجم

If it were not for white lids how would sorrow fall asleep

In the black, smooth slopes of Sajam?

وما أشك لا أشك النوى بعد بذلها

إلى ابن نظيف ذي العلى والمكارم

I have no doubt, no doubt of vows after giving them

To the son of the immaculate, of high station and generosity.

حمدت الليالي مذ سمحن بقربه

وهاتيك أسنى منه للمناسم

I praised the nights since they allowed his approach

Yet those became more miserable to me than partings.

وقد أوعدتني بالفراق فإن يكن

فلا شاقني من بعده وجه قادم

She promised me separation. If that will be,

Then no face that comes after him will torment me.

وقور الحبا إن كنت تعرف حلمه

تقرب إلى إحسانه بالجرائم

Dignity of love, if you know his patience,

Draw near his kindness with offenses.

إذا ما ذكرناه لمحل تهللت

لذكراه أفواه البروق والبواسم

When we mention him, the lightning of mouths and smiles shine

For remembering him, the lightning bolts and smiling mouths.

وحسب علي أنه كسيمه

إذا سار في جيش الندى المتلاحم

It suffices me that he is like a shower

If he walks in an army of dew, pressing together.

شديد على الفقر الملح سماحة

إذا فتكت شوس الخطوب الغواشم

Stern toward abject poverty, kind

When the misfortunes of time grow fierce.

وزير به طال اليراع على القنا

وراع شفار الباترات الصوارم

Thanks to him the banner lasted long on the spear

And how many a hand extended for him has destroyed.

وذو القول ما قس البلاغة عنده

سوى باقل في النظم أو غير ناظم

In eloquence, none but the lowest part with him

Is prose or less than a composer.

علمت به قصد السبيل على النهى

وما جاها قصد السبيل كعالم

I learned from him to aim for the path of guidance

And none aimed for the path of guidance like a scholar.

سما نحو غايات المعالي فنالها

بطرف عن العلياء ليس بنائم

He ascended toward the heights of glory and attained them

With an eye lifted above the lofty that does not sleep.

وجاد لم يعبس لجاديه وجهه

الجميل ولم يقرع له سن نادم

He was generous, his beautiful face did not frown at his generous,

And the tooth of regret did not wound him.

وقد يكلف السيف الحديث صقاله

ويسود وجه العارض المتراكم

The Indian sword may require its sharpening

And the cheek of the lover may accumulate darkness.

يريد ليخفي عرفه وهو حاذق

بإفشاء أسرار الندى والنمائم

He wants to hide his noble ways and he is clever

At divulging the secrets of dew and intimations.

فدعني من الأخبار أن أقلها

صحيح وإيها من أحاديث حاتم

So let me leave news, the least of which is true

And those are the stories of Hatem among stories.

هو البارق العلوي يروي زلاله

وإن لم يماطل ومضه لحظ شائم

He is the sublime heavenly bolt whose freshness restores

Even if its flashing glance does not watch for a moment.

له الاسم في الآفاق ليس بمضر

إلى الفعل لا يخشى حروف الجوازم

To him belong the names in the horizons, he harms no one

To the act, he does not fear the letters of judgments.

وذو البيت عادي البناء وإن غدت

بيوت أناس واهيات الدعائم

The owner of the house of common build, even if

People's houses with weak pillars become desolate.

تحل بهامات النجود طهاته

لبذل قراه لا بطون التهائم

Adorned with the necklaces of nobles are his qualities

For spending villages, not stomachs gathering.

يبيحك بشر الوجه من قبل زاده

وإصفاده والبشر إحدى المطاعم

The cheer of his face authorizes you through his provision

And shackles, and cheer is one of foods.

هو لابن بدور التمِّ والأنجم العلى

وسحب الغوادي والبحار الخضارم

He is to the son of generations' perfection and the most high stars

And clouds of heavy rain and the deep, snarling seas.

من القوم إن قامت وغى اغمدوا الظبى

وخفوا إلى أعدائهم بالغرائم

Of people, if calamities rose and war sheathed its prey

And they secretly attacked their enemies with atrocities.

هو رفعوا سمك العلى وسماكه

فطال وكم مدت له كف هادم

But they raised the height of ascension and its elevation

So it grew long and how many hands destroying stretched to it.

ولا نسبة بين الأنام وبينهم

سوى أنهم من الجنس أبناء آدم

There is no relationship between people and them

Besides that they are, from the race, Adam's sons.

فلو يدعي المسك الفتيق صفاتهم

لطمن لدعواه خدود اللطائم

If musk pretended their attributes

Cheeks of enjoyments would believe its claim.

ولو لم يتموا في المهود فضائلاً

لمات عوذت أعطافهم بالتمائم

If they had not completed virtues in cradles

Amulets would have died, charms placed around their shoulders.

غنيت فما لقبته بكماله

وفد تضع الألقاب قدر الأكارم

I sang but did not meet his perfection with all of it

And excellence places titles according to generous deeds.

وفي شركة الألفاظ عندي حفيظة

وأين هشام من ذوائبه هاشم

In the association of words I have a treasury with me

And where is Heshām to its picturesque tails, Hāshim?

أجازني النعمى وثنى بمدحه

فواخجلتي من جوده المتلازم

Grace permitted me and doubled his praise

So I am embarrassed by his lasting generosity.

ولو لم أخف عتب العلى ما اجبته

ولكن رأيت القول ضربة لازم

If I did not fear the noble one's rebuke I would not have answered him

But I saw speech as an inescapable strike.

بأي يد أنجو إذا كلماته

تدافعن بي في موجها المتلاطم

With what hand could I be saved if his words

Defend against me in their surging wave?

وجاءت قوافيها تزف هوادياً

بحمر الحلى بيض الطلي والمعاصم

Their rhymes came pouring down gulleys

Red jewelry, white heels, and wrists.

ألذ من الماء القراح مع الطلا

وأحسن من نور الحمى في الكمائم

Sweeter than cool wine mixed with dried fruits

And better than the light of fever in excessive poetry.

جهلت وقاري إن فخرت على الحيا

بقطرة ماء أو بنغبة حائم

I was ignorant and denied, if I took pride

In a drop of water or a passing cloud.

ولكن جلبت الشكر والشكر ونافق

بناديه في سوق من الجود قائم

But I brought gratitude and grateful hypocrisy

Calling in a market of generosity that stood.

أبا حسن عفواً فإني مذنب

فما ضقت عفواً قط عن ذنب خادم

Oh Abu Hassan, pardon me, I am to blame

So do not narrow pardon for a blameworthy servant.

بعثت سطوراً كالصفوف فراعني

بها ألفات سددت كاللهاذم

You sent lines like well-ordered ranks

Troubling me with harmonies that went straight.

خميس معانيه عراب خوالص

تهادى بها قب الحروف الأعاجم

The meanings' Thursday, intimate confidant

Circling with them the non-Arabic letters' hillside.

كأن بياض الطرس تحت سوادها

وميض الظبي في حالك النقع قاتم

As if the whiteness of pages under its blackness

And the swifts' glitter in thick, heavy darkness.

فولت له فرسان فكري هزيمة

ولم تخل حرب من هزيم وهازم

So I set against it my thought's steeds, defeated,

And battle did not lack routed and routing.

وها أنت قد أصبحت خصماً وحاكماً

ويا لك من خصم كريم وحاكم

What an excellent adversary and judge you are!