لا أترك الحبّ والعذَّال وعَّاظ

ما دام في حفظه للقوم إحفاظ

I do not abandon love and reproaches of censurers

As long as protecting people is in its preservation

يرتاض قلبي إذا ما الحبّ خامرَه

فخلّ عاذله في الحبِّ يغتاظ

My heart flutters when love stirs it

So leave the one blaming me for being angry about love

رووا الشجون على سمعي فإني من

قوم لحديث الشجو حفَّاظ

They told sad poems to my hearing, for I am from

A people who treasure hearing sad poems

وانْظر لألحاظ من أهوى وقل لي عن

علم تلك ظباً أم تلك ألحاظ

And look at the glances of whom I love and tell me about

The science of that gazelle or the glances of that one

أعيذ بالكهف ألحاظاً مناقضةً

تخالهنَّ رقوداً وهي إيقاظ

I seek refuge in the cave from contradictory glances

Which I imagine are asleep while they are wakeful

ومبسماً لبهيِّ الدّرّ متَّسقاً

كأنه لبهاء الدِّين ألفاظ

With a smile smoothly flowing

As if it is the elocution of the shining religion

ذو البيت نظماً ومجداً قد سخا وذكا

حتَّى شتا حوله الطلاب أو قاظوا

The owner of the house has given generously and proven himself

Until students have crowded around him or are awake

لله ما مدحة علياء قد نسبت

فهي الصَّميم ونظم القوم أوشاظ

By God what a sublime eulogy you have attributed

It is the essence while the people's poems are worthless

ودّ العدا منه ما فاض العروض بها

لو أنهم بنفوسِ الغيظ قد فاظوا

Keep enemies away whose abundance overflows with them

As if they were enraged in their souls

مزجت يا بحرُ بحرَيها فذاك وذا

عذب على أنه للدّرّ ألفاظ

You have mixed, O sea, your two seas, so that is

Freshwater while it is the elocution of jewels

مقدس بيتها حتى الخليل به

جذلان والباحث الوزَّان مغتاظ

His house is sanctified, for even Khalil is in it

Fascinated, and the researching prosodist angry

قالت لنظم مجاريها وما ظلمت

ما أنت حمل فإن الحمل نهاظ

It said to the course of its poems and it did not wrong

Since you are not a burden, and burdens are vile

وزاد ذكر عليّ مجدها فلها

مع رقَّة القول بالأنداد إغلاظ

And mention of Ali increased its glory, so for it

Is firmness along with gentle speech for peers

ونطَّقتني ببكرٍ هامَ سامعها

حتَّى كأنَّ انتصاب السمع إنعاظ

And it spoke to me with an earnestness that made its hearer

Feel as if the erecting of hearing were inclining

تجنبت لك حوشيّ الكلام فما

فيها وحوشيت حنياظٌ ولغماظ

I avoided for you the arduous words, so there is not in it

Anything arduous, neither snarling nor scowling

لا زلتَ تملي وتملأ الحلو من كلمٍ

بذكرهنَّ لسان الذوق لمَّاظ

You continue dictating to me and filling sweetness of every word

With mentioning them, so the tongue of taste is smooth