حيينا فإنَّا في رضى حبِّهم متنا

وصحَّ لقانا بالغيوبِ فما غبنا

We lived happily for we were pleased with their love

And our meeting them made up for their absence

وقلنا وقد جاء البشير فبشَّرنا

أحبَّتنا صدُّوا وقد علموا أنَّا

We said, when the herald brought glad tidings, "Give us good news!"

Our loved ones prevented us, though they knew we were

متى بعدنا عن جنابهمُ عدنا

بعدنا عياناً والقلوب على المنى

When we were away from them and returned

We returned clearly and our hearts were bent on desire

منى القلب لا تخلو لديها من الجنا

فيا حبَّذا الأحباب والبين بينَنا

The heart's desire is always full of love

So excellent are the loved ones and the distance between us

منعنا جناهم فاغْتديْنا بأنَّنا

مدى الدهر ما لذنا بغير ولا عذنا

Their paradise prevented us so we were content that

We have never enjoyed anything but them or complained

لها نعم ملء الأيادِي مباحةٌ

لها راحتا جود وللبحر راحةٌ

It has abundant bounty filling hands

It has the comfort of generosity and the sea has comfort

ومهما عرتنا من صدودِ إجاحةٌ

لنا برحاء القرب في البعدِ راحةٌ

However much the coldness of disregard hurts us

There is the comfort of nearness in distance for us

وقد مسَّنا ضرّ فكيفَ ولو أنَّا

سقى جفنيَ البسَّام سفح المقطم

And we were touched by harm, but if only we were

My eyelids were watered by the tearful witness of al-Muqattam

وحامَ عليها نوء دمع ومهزم

فكم في حماهم من شجيِّ القلب مغرم

And the howl of tears and defeat roared over it

So many bleeding hearts were passionately in love with them

وكم من ذراهم من مشوَّق متيَّم

يودُّ دنوّ الحين منه إذا حنا

And many a yearning, sleepless lover

Wishing to approach them when they came close

وكم مستهام صادح بحنينه

دفين الأسى يبكي لأجل دفينهِ

And many a passionate one loudly crying out his love

Burying his pain, crying for the sake of his buried love

وكم ذي بكى يروي عن ابن معينهِ

وكم ذي سقامٍ مشعر بأنينهِ

And many a weeping one tells of his reliable beloved

And many a sick one indicating his moaning

وما شعروا من ضعفِهِ أنَّه أنَّا

وكم ثمَّ من أغصانِ غيد ثنينا

They were not aware in their weakness that it was us

And after there were many branches of flexible palm trees

إلى العهدِ لا تلوي من الوعدِ بيننا

ورُبَّ ظباً عارضننا ورميننا

That do not twist from the covenant or break the promise between us

And we were kept from and shot many a gazelle

وأعين عين رُعْننا ورعيْننا

بما أخذتْ منَّا وما صرفتْ عنَّا

And the eyes of the watcher watched and guarded

For what it took from us and diverted from us

علونَ وأظهرنَ الجمال مثابةً

تخال لها عندَ الشموس قرابة

They rose high and revealed beauty as a reward

It seemed to have kinship with them in the presence of the sun

ولم تُبق من أرواح قومٍ صبابة

تجافيننا حتَّى فتنا صبابة

And did not leave behind any brave souls of a people

It estranged us until we were tempted by temptation

ولا طفْننا حتَّى سلمنا وما كدْنا

يجنُّ سواد الليل لي بعد قربكم

Nor did we give up until we were safe and we did not transgress

The blackness of night saddens me after your nearness

ويضحي نهاري باسماً عند عتبكم

فلله ليل ما أجنّ لصبِّكم

And my day breaks with blame in your reproach

By God, the night does not sadden for your sake

سلو إن شككتم في جنوني بحبِّكم

نهاري إذا أضحى وليلي إذا جنىّ

Ask, if you doubt my madness in love for you

My day when it dawns, and my night when it darkens

نهاري بأخبار الرضا يتبسَّم

وليلي إلى روح الرجا يتنسَّم

My day smiles with the news of pleasure

And my night breathes in the spirit of hope

وجوهر روحي منكم يتقسَّم

تبشِّرني الألطاف بالقرب منكم

And the essence of my soul is divided among you

Good tidings give me hope of nearing you

فصدريَ ما أفضى وعيشيَ ما أهنا

وما أحسن الدنيا نعيماً ومنسكا

So my chest does not overflow, and my life does not delight

The world is not goodly comfort and dwelling

بدولة سلطان محا شكوَ من شكا

بمطلب جود لم يخف منه مهلكا

With the rule of the Sultan who erased all complaints

With his open door of generosity, fearing no destruction

فسهَّل للدنيا وللدين مسلكا

وأسبلَ أذيال النجاح فأسبلنا

He eased the way for the world and the faith

And let down the train of success, so we let it down

فيا رُبَّ أيد دولة الملك الذي

روى حسن الأوصاف عن عرفها الشذي

O Lord, support the rule of the King who

Watered the beauty of descriptions with his elegant stream

لقد أخذت في ملكها خير مأخذ

بسهميْ ثناء أو دعاءٍ منفذ

He has taken the best position in his kingdom

With my arrow of praise or effective prayer

ترى الفوز منه قابَ قوسين أو أدنى

مليك وجدنا بابه الرحب معدنا

I see success within one or two bow lengths

We found a king whose vast door is a mine

لكسب الثنا والأجر والملك موطنَا

فجاءَ الرجا من كلِّ ناحيةٍ بنا

For gaining praise, reward, and kingdom as a home

So hope came to us from every side

وفاضت بحور الشعر بالمدحِ والهنا

على بابِهِ حتَّى سبَحنا وسبَّحنا

And the seas of poetry overflowed with praise and delight

At his door until we glorified and exalted

وزدنا به من رائق العيش صفوهُ

وجوَّز من بعد التحرُّج زهوهُ

And through him increased the drink of life with its purity

And after discomfort brought its splendor

ولما رأينا الجدّ بالجودِ لهوهُ

ركبنا المطايا والسوانح نحوهُ

And when we saw seriousness with generosity as its amusement

We mounted the steeds and camels toward him

فيا بحر قد صارتْ سوابحنا سُفنا

جرينَ بنا كالسفن جري السوابح

O sea, our ships became our swimmers

Carrying us like ships carry swimmers

إلى بابِ قصرٍ سافر النجْح سافح

سوائر من غادٍ إليه ورائح

To the door of a palace where success spread out

Our lives that went to him and came from him

عمرنا وعمَّرنا بيوت المدائح

فلله حسنى ما عمَرْنا وعمَّرنا

We lived and lived long lives with praise

O King, he has the name and deed of victory

مليك له في اسم وفعل بنصرِهِ

عوائد من سرِّ الجميل وجهره

Habits of benevolence, in secret and openly

And when he gave us victory in wars by mentioning him

ولما نصرنا في الحروب بذكرِهِ

قصرنا على كسب الغنى باب قصره

We sought only to gain wealth at the door of his palace

O excellent palace, built and enriched

فيا حبَّذا القصر المشيَّد والمغْنى

لنا ملكٌ قد كمَّل الله فضله

We have a King whose merit God has perfected

He gave him rule over the entire wilderness

فخوله ملك البسيطة كلّه

بحدٍّ وجمع جمَّع الفضل شمله

With limit, and he collected merit, encompassing it

He is the sea, except that we are a fish to him

هو البحر إلا أنَّنا سمكٌ له

بلقياه نحيى أو بفرقته نَفنى

Through meeting him we live, or by separation we perish

His principles are the ambitions of the eminent predecessors

مبادِيه في العلياء غايات من مضى

من الحائزين الملك يَعْنُو له القضا

The King helps decree fate for him

He has resolute determination and wisdom which is unsheathed

له صارم عزم وحزم قد انْتضى

فهو حاكم بالعدلِ في وصفه رضا

He rules with justice, pleasing in his description

He builds so much and elevates so much nobility

وكم معرب يبني وكم شرف يبنى

يحقُّ لشعري أن يطيش نباته

It is right for my poetry to wander in its growth

Joyfully for a Sultan whose kindness came to me

سروراً بسلطانٍ وفت لي صِلاته

ومدح تسامت كلّ يومٍ رواته

And praise, transcending the transmitters every day

To a garden of speech whose flowers blossomed early

إلى روض قولٍ باكرت زهراته

وأعذرهُ لو طاشَ والإنس والجنا

I apologize if it raves, humans and jinn alike

Mentioning you, O kindest and most generous King

لذكركَ يا أوفى الملوك الأكارم

عفا طلل من ذكر معنٍ وحاتم

A ruins from mentioning a meaning and a seal

As if you sealed them with a seal

كأنَّك عنهم قد ختمت بخاتمٍ

فحاتم طيّ ما له بشر باسم

So Ring is excellent, having no omen in its name

And Meaning, no word senses or understands it

ومعن فلا لفظ يحسّ ولا معنى

لعمريَ لو كانوا نجوماً ترفَّعت

By my life, if they were stars, they would have risen high

And the dawn light would have lifted and removed them

وأحملها ضوء الصباح فأقلعت

ممدَّحة يوم النوال تورَّعتْ

Praising on the day of attainment, it would have refrained

If they were seas, it would have divided and dispersed them

وكانوا بحاراً في زمانٍ توزَّعت

ندامى كأنَّا في أحادِيثِهم خضنا

Regretful, as if in their conversations we became senile

Until the rising of your victorious state appeared

إلى أن تجلَّت طلعة ناصريَّة

جلتْ دولة من ملكها قاهريَّه

Revealing a kingdom from its vanquishing rule

Empowering, the verses of generosity were empowering

مليَّة أبيات العطا قادريَّة

وكان عطا معن القرى نادريَّه

You were most generous, the bestower to the towns

You still are the protector of Islam and victor

وأنت القرى أعطيتَ والكنز والمدنا

فلا زالَ للإسلامِ ملكاً وناصراً

Destroyer of enemies’ wealth, vanquisher and restrainer

You still are, all people in the morning become poets

وللمالِ والأعدا مبيداً وقاهراً

ولا زالَ كلّ الناس أصبحَ شاعراً

Composing poetry in ample measure for my meter

One with ample means does not compose for us ample poetry

يقيم لوزني شعره البرّ وافراً

وما كانَ ذو وفر يقيم لنا وزنا

You have the right, I do not forget at your door my wealth

Organized in times of weakness and strength

وحقُّكَ لا أنسى ببابِك ثروتي

مرتَّبة في حالِ ضعفي وقوَّتي

I did not say what Ibn Jarah said in his hardship

I practice a profession, so employ me for my profession

ولا قلتُ ما قالَ ابن جرح لعسرتي

أذو صنعة فاسْتخدِموني لصنعتي

With my sustenance, or provide for me sustenance with time

برزقي وإلا فارْزقوني مع الزّمنى