تحملوا من رياض الحسن أفنانا

فأرسلت أدمع العشَّاق غدرانا

They endured the blossoms of beauty’s gardens,

So the tears of lovers were sent in perfidy.

وهيَّجوا يوم سلعٍ من بلابلنا

لما أمالوا من الأعطاف أغصانا

And they stirred on a day of reunions among our nightingales

When they inclined the branches of bosoms.

عربٌ جلوا بظباهم من خدودهم

شقائقاً ومن الأبدانِ نعمانا

Bedouins halted with their gazelles from their cheeks,

Narcissi and from bodies, bliss.

حلّو الفلا وعطت أجيادهم ورنوا

حتَّى أقاموا مع الغزلان غزلانا

They unpacked their bags, and their steeds neighed,

Until they established, with the deer, a union.

واسْتوطنوا عقدات الرمل واحْتملوا

بين المآزر من يبرين كثبانا

I had not known before meeting them

That I thought eyelids to be from swords.

ما كنت قبل تلافي من جفونهمُ

أظنُّ أن من الأسياف أجفانا

Nor had I imagined the meaning of magic through them

Until the hair's plait turned into a snake.

ولا تخيلت معنى السحر عندهمُ

حتَّى تقلَّب حبل الشعر ثعبانا

They related the night told what its wine embraced

Until they elucidated and lo the horizons became clear.

قالوا حكى الليل ما ضمته خمرهمُ

حتَّى نضوا فإذا بالفرقِ قد بانا

Whence does night possess intoxicated temples

Which make souls swoon yet revive them at times?

من أين لليل أصداغٌ معقربة

تردِي النفوس وتحييهنَّ أحيانا

And whence does the full moon have awakening glances

Which set fires in people's passions?

وأينَ للبدرِ ألحاظٌ مفترة

يضرمنَ في مهجاتِ الناس نيرانا

We were and had a livelihood but there followed us

Yearning so oh would that we never were nor existed!

كنَّا وكانَ لنا عيشٌ وأعقبنا

شجوٌ فيا ليت لا كنَّا ولا كانا

O settlers of the valley, do not blame your changes

For here are my tears that have taken on hues.

يا ساكني السفح لا ألجى تلونكم

فهذه أدمعي قد حلن ألوانا

I seek God's forgiveness - has loyalty and dew left

And in people is the perfection of our faith, our master?

أستغفر الله لم يذهب وفاً وندى

وفي الأنام كمال الدِّين مولانا

Filling the eye with good tidings and the palms with radiance

And the heart with love and hearing with elocution.

المالئ العين بشراً والأكف لهى

والقلب أبّهة والسمع تبيانا

And the bestower of money measuring by his plenty

And the conveyor of eulogies taking rhythms.

والمانح المال مكيالاً لكثرته

والمستمدّ من الأمداح أوزانا

He surpassed the generous in extending to their time

So he was a mark while the people were signs.

فاق الكريم على تقديم عصرهُم

فكانَ بسملةً والقوم عنوانا

And he excelled over the excellence of forefathers who passed away

So he was the opening while the people were the Qur’an.

وزاد فضلاً على فضلِ الجدود مضوا

فكان فاتحةً والقوم قرآنا

If the people of glory imagined his ambition

They bowed to its glory blind and sighted.

إذا تمثل أهل المجد همته

خرُّوا لعزَّتها صمًّا وعميانا

It honored ambitions whose resolves matured

So he left what they transmitted about Ma'n of Shiban.

أكرم بها همم شبت عزائمها

فخلّ ما نقلوا عن معن شيبانا

He protected the sanctuary with armies from his fine steeds

When the pens wrote less than little.

صان الحمى بجيوشٍ من مهارقه

لما أقلَّ من الأقلام خرصانا

And he ascended ranks of nobles with a station

Which, when thirsty, meets pouring rainclouds.

وزاد في رتب العلياء منزلةً

تلقى إذا عطشت للسحب أشطانا

That one who increased elucidation from his early days

When the children took fright for the structure.

ذاك الذي زاد من تبيان أوَّله

إذا تخيَّفت الأبناء بنيانا

It is as though his right hand's rest and fingers

Were a sea sending gulfs to the perfectly healthy.

كأنَّ راحته الحسنى وأنمله

بحرٌ يمدُّ إلى العافين خلجانا

O you whom I aim for riding the stars of fortune

While people do not ride to you ostrich-mounted.

يا من ركبت نجوم السعد أقصده

وما ركبت إليه الناس بُعرانا

Thanks for your blessings. If the speech of a clod

Thanked, the valley's slopes and leaves would bow.

شكراً لنعماك إن وفى حديث ثرى

شكر الرياض سفوح الودق هتانا

I asked the dew of your palm to rain favor

And I did not ask the dew of your palm for a flood.

إنِّي سألت ندى كفيك ريَّ صداً

وما سألت ندى كفيك طوفانا

So restrain your gifts from me, for I am a man

Who fears oppression upon myself and aggression.

فاحْبس هباتك عني إنني رجلٌ

أخاف بغياً على نفسي وعدوانا

And close your havens though they offer their gardens

For my contentment is gardens and beatitude.

واغلق لهاك وإن زفت حدائقها

فحسبيَ الودّ جنَّات ورضوانا

I floated my poetry over all poetry

Until I made for my poetry through you a collection.

أمَّرت شعري على الأشعار قاطبةً

حتى اتخذت لشعري فيك ديوانا

And my words became dear and I did not intend by its visitor

Except the precious one and did not expend it freely.

وعزّ قولي ولم أقصد بوافده

إلاَّ العزيز ولم أبذله مجَّانا

My enviers may be many and I bequeathed them

Hypocrisy in speech within your assembly and woes.

وقد تكثر حسَّادِي وأورثهم

نفاق لفظيَ في نادِيك أحزانا

So have mercy on my enemies for I pitied them

From what I see from them in Damascus, perplexed.

فارْحم عداتي فإني قد رحمتهمُ

مما أرى منهمُ في الشامِ حرَّانا

It laments ordeal though my mind does not heed it

By God, nothing but the most wretched heart despairs.

تشكو العناء وما تعنو له فكري

فلا لحى الله إلاَّ قلب أشقانا

Forever humiliate the malicious whom worries

Have stilled and who ascend in the world gloriously.

ودُمْ مدى الدهر تخزي شائناً ركدت

به الهموم وتعلو في الورى شانا

I never feared in praise a sin I would commit

For in praising you is redemption and forgiveness.

ما خفتُ في المدحِ من ذنبٍ أقارفه

فإنَّ في مدحِك المقبول غفرانا