ما لظبي الحمى إليه التفاته
بعد ما كدَّر المشيبُ حياته
What care has the thirsty gazelle for his life
After gray hair has marred his youth
لهِجٌ بالهوى وإن نفرت أي
دِي الليالي غزالَهُ ومهاته
Passionate with love, though any doe may shy away
The dark nights weaned his fawn and dam
كلَّما قيل قد سلا عن فتاةٍ
عادَهُ الحبّ فاسْتجدّ فتاته
Whenever it was said he forgot about a girl
Love returned so he sought out a new darling
ما على من عصى النهى فيه رأيٌ
لو عصى في الهوى عليَّ نهاته
No blame to one who disobeyed advice in love
Had he disobeyed anyone else’s prohibitions against me
بأبي فاتر اللحاظِ غرير
رامَ تشبيهه الغزالُ ففاته
By my father whose glances have faded
The gazelle tried to compare himself but failed
صائل الحسن إنْ رنا وتثنى
سلَّ أسيافه وهزَّ قناته
The swordsman of beauty, if he sings and sways
Unsheathes his sword and shakes his spear
لعيون الورى بخدَّيه وردٌ
طالما عاقبَ السهادُ جناته
For the eyes of maidens, his cheeks are roses
Long has the night watchman punished their gardens
ساقيَ الرَّاح بادِّكار لقاه
لا عدِمنا ذاكَ اللقا وسقاته
Cupbearer of respite, when he met him
We did not lack that meeting and his pouring
هاتِ كأسِي وإن لحنت من ال
سكرِ فلا تلحني إذا قلتُ هاته
Give me my cup, though I may falter drunk
Do not blame me if I say “give it here”
أنا فرعٌ من النباتِ إذا ما
هجرَتهُ السقاةُ خافَ مماته
I am a branch, if abandoned by irrigators
I fear my death will come
أنبتته نعمى الصفيّ وأحيت
ذكرَ أسلافه فسرت نباته
The loyalty of the sincere raised me up
And revived the memory of my ancestors, spreading my growth
حبَّذا من إمام لفظٍ وفضلٍ
نشرَ الذكر في البلادِ دُعاته
Blessed is the imam of eloquence and merit
Who propagated remembrance through the land, his callers
ناظمٌ يشتكي الوليد قصوراً
حيت تتلو رُواته أبياته
A composer complains of al-Walid’s palaces
Where his transmitters recite his verses
من أناسٍ كانُوا إذا عزمَ الده
ر وحامى كفاته وحماته
Of people who, when valor was determined and passionate
Were its pillars and defenders
إن تعالى الثناءُ كانوا بنيه
أو تعالى الفخار كانوا بناته
If praise was proclaimed they were its sons
If pride was proclaimed they were its daughters
قوَّضوا وابْتدى فريد صفات
طال أو تقرع الخطوبُ صفاته
They demolished and the unique, virtuous one perished
Whether fate extends or misfortunes repeat
ما حمدنا للدهرِ إلاَّ دواهُ
ولرقم الطروس إلاَّ دَوَاته
We do not praise time except for its rotation
Or the heavenly spheres except for their circuit
سار علم القريض يطلبُ حجًّا
فغدى بابُ فضلهِ ميقاته
The science of poetry traveled seeking a pilgrimage
So the door of its merit became its destination
تارةً من حماة يدعى وطوراً
يستحثُّ الثنا إليه حُداته
Sometimes called from Hama, sometimes
He hastens praise to himself, his neighbors
يا مفيدَ الورى لآلئَ بحرٍ
يعرِفُ الذوقُ عذبه وفراته
O benefit of existence, pearls of a sea
Whose sweetness and freshness the taste discerns
وصل العبد من قريضك برّ
سرّ أحبابه وساءَ عِداته
May the servant reach through your poetry, secret
Of his loved ones, and avoid their harm
رائق الكأس غير أن عتاباً
طالما للمحبِّ كان قذاته
The wine is pure, though for the lover
Its bitterness has often been his spite
أيُّ ذنبٍ لساتر نظمه عن
كَ ومن ذا يهدِي لطود حصاته
What fault in the concealer of his prosody
From you, and who can guide rocks to its summit?
خلّ هذا وانعَمْ بباب مليك
عمّ بالعدل والنوال عُفاته
Leave this and enjoy the gate of a just king
Whose fairness and gifts are widespread
لو طلبنا له شبيهاً من الده
ر لكنا كطالبٍ إعنَاته
If we sought his equal from time
We would be like the seeker of gifts
زوجتنا حماة نعمى يديه
فغدى كلنا يحبّ حماته
We married Hama, bounty of his hands
So we all came to love our mother-in-law
