دعِ العذلَ إني أكره العذلَ والغَدْرا

وإن خان من أهوى أقمتُ له العُذرا

Leave off reproach! I detest reproach and betrayal,

Even if my beloved betrayed me, I made excuses for him.

ولم أرضَ أيضاً ما حييتُ جنايةً

فمثلي لا يرضى الجناية والغدرا

I never approved of wrongdoing all my life,

One like me does not accept wrongdoing and betrayal.

بَراني هوى ظبيٍ غريرٍ مهفهفٍ

كبدرِ الدُجى بل وجهُه يُخجِل البدرا

Passion struck me for a charming, coquettish, fluttering gazelle,

Like the full moon in the darkness of night, nay, his face puts the full moon to shame.

نذرتُ إذا ما زار في النوم مضجعي

خيالٌ له صوماً ولا أخلِفُ النّذرا

I vowed that if an apparition of him visited me in my sleep,

I would fast - and I don’t break my vows.

تأمّلْ ترى في طرفِه السّحرَ كامناً

وذُقْ ريقَه تلق المعتّقة الخمرا

Look closely, you’ll see magic hidden in his glance,

And taste his saliva - you’ll find it to be aged wine.

إذا جاد لي يوماً بخمرةِ ثغرِه

على ظمأٍ أحسَسْتُ في كبدي جمرا

If he ever gave me a drink from the wine of his mouth,

Quenching a thirst, I felt embers flaming in my liver.

ذلِلْتُ به من بعدِ عزٍّ ومنعة

وأوسعتُه وصلاً فأوسعني هَجرا

I humbled myself to him after pride and aloofness,

And I drew him close but he distanced me even more.

إذا جئتُه أستنجزُ الوعدَ في الهوى

يرفّعُ عِرنيناً ويُسمعُني هُجرا

When I come to him to demand he keep his promise of love,

He turns away haughtily and makes me hear his rejection.

بوجنته روضٌ أنقٌ مدبّجٌ

يفتّحُ في عين الذي ينظرُ الزّهرا

With his cheek a blossoming meadow, a beautiful garden,

That opens flowers in the eyes of those who behold blossoms.

بدا لي وكأس الخمرِ في يده بدت

فأبصرتُ بدراً يحملُ الأنجُم الزّهرا

He appeared to me, cup of wine in hand, it seemed

I saw a full moon carrying the stars as its flowers.

وقد كنتُ في ليلٍ من الصدّ مظلمٍ

فلما بدا أبصرتُ في وجهه الفجرا

I had been in a dark night of separation,

When he appeared, I saw the dawn in his face.

حوى الحسنَ والظّرفَ البديعَ كما حوى ال

إمامُ الفقيهُ الحافظُ الأمجدُ الفخرا

He combined beauty, elegance and sublime charm

Like the eminent jurist, the erudite scholar, the glorious pride.

هو العالمُ العلاّمةُ العلَم الذي

له همّةٌ علياءُ جاوزتِ النّسْرا

He is the learned scholar, the banner under which

Is a lofty resolve that transcends the eagle's.

له راحةٌ فيها لراجيه راحةٌ

إذا ما رآها معسِرٌ صاحَبَ اليُسرا

He is rest for the weary, rest for those who seek rest,

When seen by the distressed, it brings ease.

وأحسنُ ما فيه إذا جئت طالباً

ندى راحتَيه يُكثرُ الرّحْبَ والبِشرا

The best thing about him - when I come seeking

The coolness of his rest, he increases in kindness and good news.

لقد طيّب الرحمن أخلاقه لنا

كما منه فينا طيّب الذِّكر والنّشرا

The Merciful made his character good for us,

As He made remembrance and propagation good among us.

إذا ما رأيتَ الوافدينَ ببابه

فقُل لهمُ يهنيكمُ لكمُ البُشرى

If you see the visitors at his door,

Tell them: congratulations to you, good tidings for you!

ترى مالَه نهباً ترى عِرضَه حِمًى

وسؤدُدَه جمّاً ونائلَه غَمرا

You'll see his wealth is protected, his honor guarded,

His gallantry a force, his attainments abundant.

حمى الفضلَ والمجدَ المؤثّلَ والحِجى

ولم أرَ زيداً قد حواها ولا عَمرا

He protected excellence, lasting glory and shelter,

I didn't see anyone attain it, not Zayd or Amr.

وليس بمُفشٍ سرّ خِلٍّ وصاحبٍ

حفاظاً له حاشاهُ أن يفشيَ السّرا

He is no divulger of secrets, confidant or companion,

Protecting them - God forbid he exposes a secret!

على الخيرِ موقوفٌ برغمٍ عدوّه

ولم يره قطّ امرؤٌ يقصد الشّرا

Despite his enemy's rage, he is bent on good,

And no man ever saw him intend evil.

وجوهُ أعاديه من الغيظِ أصبحتْ

على رغمِهم من فرطِ غيظهم صُفرا

The faces of his enemies have turned yellow from rage

And from their excessive fury have become saffron.

جوادٌ بما تحوي يداه تبرّعاً

وراحتُه من جودِه لم تزلْ صِفْرا

He is generous with what his hands contain, freely giving,

And from his generosity his palms are forever golden.

عهدناهُ ذا فضلٍ ومجدٍ وهمّةٍ

عليماً علياً عالماً صادقاً بَرّا

We knew him to be of merit, glory, resolve,

Learned, lofty, scholarly, truthful and righteous.

فمَن مثلُه بين الورى أين مثله

يُميرُ البرايا كلما قحَطوا بُرّا

Who is his equal amongst mankind? Where is his equal

Who turns wastelands fertile whenever they suffer drought?

عليمٌ بأخبارِ الرسولِ وصحْبِه

وجدوى يديهِ تُخجِلُ الغيثَ والبحرا

Learned in the traditions of the Messenger and his companions,

His helpful hands put rain and the sea to shame.

بجَودِ يَديهِ زيّن الله للعلى

وللمجدِ والإفضالِ والسؤدُدِ النّحرا

With the open-handedness of his hands he adorned the sublime,

Glory, nobility, and gallantry with splendor.

أسيّدَنا خُذها إليك عروسةً

مجانسةَ الأبيات أخرجْتُها بِكرا

My master, I present her to you a maiden,

The companion verses I brought forth as a virgin.

ولم أتكلّفْ مثلَ غيري صُنْعَها

ولم آتِ فيما قلتُ مفتخراً نُكرا

I did not exert myself like others in making her,

Nor in what I said did I boast falsely.

فدُم وارْقَ واسلَمْ وابقَ واعلُ وطُلْ وسُدْ

وعشْ ألفَ عامٍ هكذا بعدَها عَشْرا

So live long, be happy, safe, eternal, lofty, tall, generous and live

A thousand years, and decades more after that!

فلا زلتَ دون العالمين بأسرِهم

تبدِّلُ يُسراً من رأيتَ به عُشْرا

You remain beneath the horizons without equal,

Bringing ease whenever you see hardship.