صرفت فعلي في الأسى وقولي

بحمدِ ذي الطُّول الشديد والحول

I have spent my actions in sorrow and my words

In praise of Him of great might and power

يا لائماً ملامه يطول

إسمع هديت الرشد ما أقول

O you who blame the one blamed, cease your blaming

Listen to the guidance I speak

كلامك الفاسد لست أتَّبع

حدّ الكلام ما أفاد المستمع

Your corrupt words I do not follow

The limit of speech is what benefits the listener

أفدي غزالاً مثلوا جماله

في مثل قد أقبلت الغزاله

I ransom a gazelle who portrayed its beauty

In the simile “the gazelle approached”

ما قالَ مذ ملَّك قلبي واسترقّ

كقولهم ربَّ غلامٍ لي أبق

Since he possessed my heart and captivated it

Like their saying “a boy is for me” remain

للقمرين وجهه مطالع

فهي ثلاث ما لهنَّ رابع

For the two moons are his face's rising places

So they are three to which there is no fourth

لأحرف الحسن على خدّيهِ خط

وقال قول إنَّها اللام فقط

For the letters of beauty on his cheeks a line is drawn

And he spoke saying that it is only the letter laam

داني المزار يحذر الضنين

عليهِ مثل بان أو يبين

The visited shrine warns of rancor

Against its like open or hidden

كتمته والحسن ليسَ يجتلى

والاسم لا يدخله من وإلى

I concealed it though beauty does not disappear

And the name does not enter it from nor to

منفرد بالحبِّ في دار الهنا

مثاله الدار وزيد وأنا

Singular in love in the abode of bliss

Its example is the house, Zayd, and I

لا يختشي ملاعب الظنون

والأمر مبنيٌّ على السكون

He does not fear the wiles of suspicions

And the matter is built on tranquility

في خدِّه التبريّ هانَ نشبي

وقيمة الفضَّة دون الذهب

On his cheek easy gain seems lowly

And the value of silver is less than gold

فاصْرف عليها ثروةً تستام

فما على صارفِها ملام

So spend on it a wealth you can bear

And no blame is on its spender

وانْفق له دينار من ضنٍّ وشح

ولا تبل أخفّ وزناً أم رجح

And give for him a dinar stingily and miserly

And do not weigh less or more on the scale

وإن رأيت قدّه العالي فصف

وقف على المنصوبِ منه بالألف

And if you see his tall stature then describe

And stop on the nunation from it with the alif

والعارض النونيّ ما أنصفته

وإن تكن باللام قد عرفته

And the accidental nun you did not do justice to

Though you recognized it with the laam

في مثله انظم إن نظمت محسناً

وإن ذكرت فاعلاً منوَّنا

In its likeness compose, if you compose beautifully

And if you mention an agent, passive

واهاً لها بحرفِ نونٍ قد عرف

كمثل ما تكتبه لا يختلف

Alas for it with the letter nuun it is known

Like what you would write not differing

يأتي بنقطِ الخال في إعجام

وتارةً يأتي بمعنى اللام

It comes with the beauty spot’s dot in defective script

And sometimes it comes meaning the laam

دونكَ إن عشقتهُ بين الورَى

معظماً لقدره مكبرا

Apart from you, if you love it among mankind

Revering its rank, magnifying it

وإن ترد وجنته المنيرة

فصغر النار على نويره

And if you want its shining cheek

Then lessen the fire next to its light

كم ومتى جادلت فيه من عذلٍ

ولا حتَّى ثم أو وأم وبل

How much and when did I dispute about it with blame

Not even “then” or “and” or “but” or “however”

حتَّى تولَّت أوجه العذَّال

وأقبلَ الغلام كالغزال

Until the faces of the blamers turned away

And the boy approached like a gazelle

للحظهِ المسكر فعل يطرب

مفعولهُ مثل سقى ويشرب

For its intoxicating glance it did an act that elates

Its object like “he quenched” and “he drank”

فلا تلم عويشقاً فيه تلف

ولا سكيران الذي لا ينصرف

So do not blame a lover intoxicated in it

Nor the drunk who does not refrain

لا تلح قلبي في الهوى فتتعبا

وما عليكَ عتبهُ فتعتبا

Do not burden my heart in love so you both weary

And you have no right to blame so do not blame

جسمي وذاكَ الخصر والجفن الدنف

هنَّ حروف الاعتدال المكتنف

My body and that waist and languid eyelid

They are letters of moderation, enveloping

بجفنِهِ نادى الهوى يا للشجي

وكلُّ ياءٍ بعد مكسورٍ تجي

With its eyelid love called “O most passionate!”

And every ya after a broken letter comes

يا جفنهُ الناصب فيه فكري

ونصبهُ وجرُّه بالكسر

O its lowering eyelid preoccupies my thoughts

And its nominative, accusative, and genitive with kasra

إن قيل للظبيِ هنا إلمام

فاكْسر وقل ليقم الغلام

If it is said to the gazelle “here is the Imam”

Then break and say “let the boy stand”

ويا مليحاً عنهُ أخّرت القمر

إمَّا لتهوان وإمَّا لصغر

And O beautiful one, you delayed the moon from it

Either for insignificance or smallness

كرِّر فما أحلى لسمعي السامي

قولك يا غلام يا غلامي

Repeat for nothing is sweeter to my noble hearing

Than your words “O boy, O my boy”

وارْفق بمضناك فما سوى اسمه

ولا لغير ما بقى من رسمه

And be gentle with your prisoner for nothing remains

Except its name and what remains of its shape

فقد حكى العداة بالوقوف

فاعْطف على سائلك الضعيف

For the enemies told of its stops

So turn tenderly to your weak questioner

أفقرت في الحسنِ الغواني مثلما

قالوا حذامي وقطامي في الدما

I am made poor in beauty by the lovesick

As they said “my cheek became skinny” for blood

فافْخر بمعنى لحظكَ المعشوق

في كلِّ ما تأنيثهُ حقيقي

So boast of the meaning of your beloved glance

In everything whose femininity is real

يا لكَ لحظاً بسعاد أزرى

وجاءَ في الوزنِ مثال سكرى

O yours is a glance of good fortune I envy

And it came in prosody as the example of intoxication

حتَّى اسمه منتقص لمنْ وعى

كما يقال في سُعاد يا سُعا

Until even its name is impaired for whoever is aware

As it is said about happy “O happy”

يا واصفاً أوصاف ذيَّاك الصّبا

تمَّ الكلام عنده فلينصبا

O you who describe the qualities of that youth

Speech about it: Let it be nominative

هيهات بلْ دع عنكَ ما أضنى وما

وعاص سبَّاب الهوى لتسلما

Never! Rather, leave what has wearied and what

And disregard the blamer of love so you may be safe

وحبر الأمداح في عليّ

قاضي القضاة الطاهر التقيّ

And the ink of praise is for Ali

The pure, pious judge of judges

بكلِّ معنى قد تناها واسْتوى

في كلمٍ شتى رواها من روى

It has reached every meaning, equaled

In diverse words, narrated by all who narrated

باكر إلى ذاكَ الحما العالي وصفْ

إذا درجت قائلاً ولم تقفْ

Hasten to that lofty protector and describe

When you tread saying and do not stop

دونكَ والمدح ذكيًّا معجبا

نحو لقيت القاضيَ المهذَّبا

Apart from you, and let praise be pleasing and wondrous

Such as “I met the refined judge”

ذو الجود والعلم عليه أرسى

وهكذا أصبحَ ثمَّ أمسى

Of generosity, knowledge, he made it firm

And thus he was in the morning and evening

فاضْرع إلى قارٍ لقاء نافع

واقْرع إلى حامي حماه المانع

So plead to the banner of a beneficial meeting

And knock on the door of the protector whose protection is impenetrable

يقول للضيفِ نداه حب وهل

ومثله ادْخل وانْبسط واشْرب وكل

He says to the guest he called with love and care

“Enter and feel at ease and drink and eat”

إذا ظفرت عندهُ بموعدٍ

يقول كم مال أفادته يدي

When you obtain an appointment with him

He says “How much wealth have my hands produced?”

له يراع كم له في خطرهِ

حماية منظومة مع درَّه

For him possessions are considered in danger

With protection that is systematic along with his pearls

في الجود والبأس وفي العلمِ وفي

ذلكَ منسوب إليه فاعْرف

In generosity, courage, knowledge and in

That he is attributed to it so know

فقولهم أبيض في الهبات

كقولهم أحمر في الصفات

For their saying “white” in gifts

Is like their saying “red” in attributes

شم حدّه يوم الندَى والبأس

فإنَّه ماضٍ بغير لبس

Smell its edge on the day of dew and courage

For it is resolute without ambiguity

لله ما أليَنهُ عند العطا

وما أحدّ سيفه حين السطا

By Allah, how gentle it is in giving!

And how sharp is its sword when unsheathing!

يهزّه ذو الرفع في العلاء

والجزم في الفعلِ بلا امْتراء

The nominative shakes it in highness

And the jussive in the verb without disputing

حبر له يثني الثناء قصدهُ

وخلفهُ وإثرهُ وعنده

Ink that praises it, its purpose is to commend it

And its follow-up, trace, and in its presence

إن قالَ قولاً بين الغرائبا

وقام قسّ في عكاظ خاطبا

If it spoke a word among wonders

And a priest stood in Ukaz delivering a sermon

وإن سخا أتى على ذي العددِ

والكيل والوزن ومذروع اليدِ

And if it was generous, it came upon those counted

Of measure, weight, and limited hands

معطَّل السمع من العذَّال

فحالهُ مغير بحال

Deafening hearing from the blamers

So its state changes the state

الفضل جنس بيته المهنى

ونوعه الذي عليه يبنى

Merit is the substance of its occupational home

And its specific form upon which it builds

سامَ بهِ أهل العلا جميعاً

وادْفع ولا ردًّا ولا تفريعا

It reached all people of knowledge completely

So go forth without rebuttal or ramification

وإن ذكرت أفق بيتٍ قد نما

فانْصب وقل كم كوكباً يحوي السما

And if you mention the horizon of a house that grew

Then make accusative and say “how many stars the sky contains”

بين نظيم المجد والعلاء

عند جميع العرَبِ العرباء

Between the composer of glory and loftiness

According to all eloquent Arabs

يقرُّ من يأتي له أو اقْترب

وكل منسوب إلى اسمٍ في العرب

It pleases whoever comes to it or draws near

And all those attributed to a name among Arabs

تقول مصر في علاه الواجبه

كقول سكَّان الحجاز قاطبَه

You say Egypt in its obligatory loftiness

Like the people of Hijaz say collectively

أبنية الأنصار طلاَّع الفنن

وزادَ مبنى حسنه أبو الحسن

The buildings of the Helpers, the peaks of arts

And the building of its beauty was increased by Abu Al-Hasan

جار إذا ما امْتدَّت الأيادِي

تقول هذا طلحة الجواد

A neighbor, when hands extend

You say “This is the generous Talha”

إذا اجْتليت في العطا جبينهُ

أو اسْتشرت للرجا يمينه

When its forehead shines in giving

Or its right hand is sought for hope

تقول قد خلتُ عنه تولى راحل

وواقف بالبابِ أضحى السائل

You say “I left it, it took care of the traveling mounts”

And the beggar at the door became the questioner

فياض سيب في الورَى فلم يقل

في هبةٍ يا هب مَن هذا الرجل

A torrential rain whose hands did not withhold in giving

Did anyone say about a gift “who is this man?”

قال لهُ الشرع امْض ما تحاوله

وأقْض قضاء لا يردّ قائله

The law told it “carry out what you attempt”

“And judge with a judgement none can rebut”

وأنتَ يا قاصدهُ سرْ في جددْ

واسع إلى الخيرات لقّيت الرّشد

As for you, O its seeker, set out in renewal

And seek the virtues, you will attain guidance

إن تكتحل سناه تلقى الرشدا

وأين ما تذهب تلاق سعدَا

If you use its years as kohl, you will attain guidance

And wherever you go, you meet with happiness

فافْخر به سحب الحيا إن صابا

واسْتوتْ المياه والأخشابا

So boast of it, clouds of life, if it gears up

And the waters and wooden planks became equal

ولا تقل كانَ غماماً ورحل

كانَ وما انْفكَّ الفتى ولم يزل

And do not say it was a cloud and departed

It was and the noble youth did not cease nor desist

باب سواه اهْجر عداك عيب

وصغِّر الباب فقل بويب

Apart from it, shun others' faults

And minimize the door so say “a little”

هذا الذي يفعل فينا الطولا

فقدم الفاعل فهو أولى

This one who acts upon us, the tall

So mention the agent first, for it is more fitting

جود به أنسى أحاديثَ المطر

فليسَ يحتاج لها إلى خبر

Its generosity made me forget rain tales

For it has no need of news for it

مثل الهبا فيه كلام العذَّل

والريح تلقاء الحيا المنهل

The like of its gifts, the words of blamers

And the wind facing the downpouring clouds

وبحر شعر خضتهُ لذكرهِ

وغصت في البحرِ ابْتغاء درِّه

And a sea of poetry churned for mentioning it

And I dove into the sea seeking its pearls

حتَّى ملا عيني نداه عينا

وطبتُ نفساً إذ قضيتُ دينا

Until my eyes filled with its radiance, springs

And I delighted a soul when I fulfilled a debt

دونكها معسولة الآداب

ممزوجة بملحةِ الإعراب

Apart from it, refined in manners

Mixed with the saltiness of grammar

مضى بها الليل مضيِّ الأنجم

وبات زيدٌ ساهراً لم ينم

The night passed with it passing of stars

And Zayd stayed up awake, did not sleep

فافْتح لها باب قبول يجتلى

وإن تجد عيباً فسدّ الخللا

So open for it the door of acceptance that appears

And if you find a fault, then mend the defect

لا زلتَ مسموع الثنا ذا مننِ

جائِلة دائرة في الألسن

You remain heard of praise, with favors

Descending, circulating among tongues

ما لعداك راية تقام

وليس غير الكسر والسلام

None have a banner erected but you

And there is no declension except kasra and peace