ألا من لمسلوب الفؤاد رهينه

معنى بمحجوب الوداد ضنينه

O you whose heart is captive and hostage,

Whose affection is veiled and whose love is grieving,

أخو شجنٍ يرعى النجوم كأنما

تعلق أعلى هدبه بجبينه

A brother of longing, guarding the stars as if

His brow was suspended from their heights,

تجلده شكّ إذ لام لائمٌ

ولكن فرط الوجد عقد يقينه

Enduring blame when a blamer condemns him,

But excessive passion has tied his certainty,

وفي قلبه داءٌ دفين من الأسى

فلا غروَ أن يبكي لأجل دفينه

In his heart a latent, buried pain of sorrow -

No wonder he weeps for his buried love!

وظبي له في أسرة الترك نسبة

وفي الهند معنى من مضاء جفونه

To him belongs a doe among the Turk's captives,

And in India, a meaning from the water of his eyes,

من الطالبي كتم الغرام صبابة

وأحسن بمكتوم الغرام مصونه

Al-Talibi concealed love in his youth,

And he who hides love protects its honor,

كتمت الهوى في عشقه متفلسفاً

فأصبح عشقي قائلاً بكمونه

I concealed passion in my love like a philosopher -

So my love spoke revealing its secrecy,

وعاينت في خدَّيه خطّ عذاره

فأقسمت في صحف الجمال بنونه

I saw the lines of her cheek and swore

By the beauty of her dimples and graces,

يحن لي قلبي فلله من رأى

حمًى يتبع الغادين رجع حنينه

My heart yearns and by God whoever saw

A loved one following the departing with longing,

هو الحبُّ يحلو فيه للمرء دمعه

ويطربه في الليل صوت أنينه

It is love in which a man's tears are sweet to him

And the sound of moaning delights him at night,

برغميَ طرف غاب عنه عزيزه

فعوضه ماء البكا بمهينه

Despite my will an absent beloved

Replaced my eyes with the water of tears,

روى عن معين الدمع طرفيَ فاسمعوا

حديث جوى قلبي عن ابن معينه

My eyes were sated from the spring of tears - so listen

To the conversation of my heart about her son,

وإني جلدٌ في ممارسة الهوى

مدلٌّ بمهديِّ الولاء أمينه

I am steadfast in the practice of love,

Swaying in devotion to my faithful beloved,

يقوم بنصري في الصبابة عون من

أقام ابن أيوبٍ عماداً لدينه

I am supported in my passion by one whose help

Established the pillars of his faith like Ibn Ayyoub,

مليكٌ تولَّى الفضل بعد ضياعه

وهذَّب هذا الدهر بعد خبونه

A sovereign who assumed virtue after its loss

And refined this age after its vileness,

ومدَّ يميناً يعذر البحر والحيا

إذا حلفا يوم الندى بيمينه

Who extended a hand that makes excuses for the sea and life

If they swear an oath on the day of dew,

أخو صدقاتٍ تقدر المدح قدره

فما يشتري في المدح غير ثمينه

The brother of charity who values praise as it should be

For he does not buy praise except with gems,

إذا جلب الناس الثناء لبابه

فما جلبوا إلاَّ لباب زبونه

When people bring praise to his door

They bring it only to the door of nobility,

وما ذاك شحًّا بالثناء وإنَّما

سجية فياض الغمام هتونه

That is not from stinginess with praise - rather

It is the nature of a pouring cloud to be tranquil,

شجٍ بالعلى والعلم والبأس والندى

فلله ما أحلى حديث شجونه

Ardent in the heights, knowledge, valor and dew

So excellent is the discourse of his passions!

له منزل تهوي المقاصد نحوه

هويَّ حمام الأيك نحو وكونه

He has an abode towards which purposes incline

Like the inclination of a dove flock to their nest,

تدفق طوفان الندى بجنابه

فأمست مطايا الوفد مثل سفينه

The flood of dew flows from his side

So the pilgrims' steeds are like his ship,

إذا طلب الملك المؤيد معسرٌ

رأى بشره في وجهه كضمينه

When a pauper seeks the victorious king

He sees good news in his face like a guarantee,

عجبت لبشر ضامن الوجه إذا غدا

يطالبه عافي الندى بديونه

I am amazed that when the face's guarantor comes

The dew's creditor demands his debts from him!

وأروع يهتزّ الزمان لأمره

وما الطود أرسى جانباً من سكونه

How magnificent that the age trembles at his command

While the towering mountains stand still,

إذا حاول الفعل الجليل وجدته

بلا قده في المعضلات وسينه

If he attempts a momentous deed, you will find him

Matchless in tribulations and equal to them,

عزيمة من لا يصعب الجد في العلى

عليه كأنَّ الجد بعض مجونه

A resolute man whom exertion in the heights

Does not weary, as if toil were his habit,

كثير السرى ما بين مشتجر القنا

فيالك ليثاً سائراً في عرينه

Often travelling between the thickets of spears

You are a lion walking in its den,

يلاقي العدى يوم الوغى متبسِّماً

كأنَّك قد لاقيته بخدينه

You meet the enemy on the day of battle smiling

As if you had met him with your cheeks,

وتلهيه في الهيجاء رنَّة قوسهِ

إذا وترٌ ألهى امرأً برنينه

Distracting him in the fray with the twang of your bow

When a vibrating string distracts a man with its resonance,

ولو شاء أغناه عن الجيش ذكره

ورُبَّ حسامٍ هازم بطنينه

If you wished, the memory of you would suffice over armies

And how many swords are defeated by their clashing!

أيا مالكاً أغنى عن الغيث جوده

وأغنته حومات الوغى عن حصونه

O sovereign whose generosity suffices over rain

And skirmishes of war suffice over citadels,

بك ارتدَّ مشكوّ الزمان عن الأذى

وأطلق أبناء المنى من سجونه

Through you the afflicted time turned from harm

And released the children of purpose from prison,

وقد كان ذا همزٍ يحاذر فانتهى

إلى مدِّه بعد الإباء ولينه

It had been censorious and suspicious but ended

Gentle and kind after refusal and harshness,

وكم لك عندي من ندًى يفضل الثنا

ويحلف أن الشعر غير قرينه

How much favor you have with me that surpasses praise

And swears poetry is not your peer,

إذا قلت قد قابلته بقصيدةٍ

بدا غيره مستظهراً بكمينه

When I say I have met you with a poem

Others appear jealous in ambush,

فدونك مدحاً من قريحة مادحٍ

يقابل أبكار الصِّلاة بعونه

So I praise you with the talent of a praiser

Who meets the best prayers with his help,

رأى أنَّك البحر الذي طاب ورده

فجاءك من نظم القريض بنونه

He saw you as a sea with pure roses

So he came to you with the stringing of pearls in his poem.