نَمَّت بِسِرِّ غرامِهِ الأَجْفانُ

لما نَأَتْ بفؤادِهِ الأَظْعَانُ

The eyelids bloomed with the secret of his passion,

When sorrows came to his heart.

ما زَال يُخْفِيه ويُظْهرُهُ البكا

حتى استوى الإِسرارُ والإِعلانُ

He kept hiding it and showing it through weeping,

Until confiding and declaring became the same.

ولقد طوى صُحُفَ الصبابَةِ كاتِمًا

فَبَدَا لها من دمعِهِ عُنْوانُ

And he folded the pages of youth concealing,

So his tears became a title for her.

لا تعذُلِيه إِن جَرَتْ عَبَرَاتُه

فالبَيْنُ جارَ عليه والهِجْرانُ

Do not blame him if his tears flowed,

For separation and abandonment afflicted him.

سارُوا فَهَلاَّ زَوَّدُوهُ بنظرةٍ

منهمْ وقد تَتَلَفَّتُ الغِزلانُ

They went away, could they not give him a glance,

While the gazelles scattered around.

إِنْ كان يحْسُنُ عند سُكَّانِ الحِمى

قتلى فأَين الحُسْنُ والإِحسانُ

If it is good with the people of the sanctuary

To kill, then where is goodness and benevolence?

ما كنتُ أَعلَمُ قبل تشتيتِ النَّوى

أَنَّ الهوى يا صاحِبَيَّ هَوانُ

I did not know before the scattering of companions,

That love - my friend - is humiliation.

بانوا فأَشرَقَتِ البدورُ طوالِعاً

وسرى النسيمُ ومادَتِ الأَغصانُ

They appeared and the houses shone like stars rising,

The breeze blew and the branches swayed.

وعلى الرّكائِب غادةٌ سَمَحَتْ بها

عَدَنٌ ولم يشعًرْ بها رضْوانُ

On the carriages a beauty smiled,

Eden though Redwan was unaware of her.

لما ادَّعَتْ يبرينُ منها رِدْفَها

دانَتْ لِلِينِ قِوَامِها نَعْمَانُ

When she pretended to carry her train,

The delicate stature of Na'man submitted.

عَزَّتْ فهُنْتُ ومن بَلِيَّاتِ الهوى

أَنِّي أُعِزُّكِ دائماً وأَهانُ

You were honored but now you are disgraced,

And from the afflictions of love, I honor and humiliate you.

وعَدَت شمائِلُها الشَّمالَ فكما

هَبَّتْ هَفَوْتُ كأَنني نَشْوانُ

Her charms brought the north wind, so like

A passionate lover I was blown away.

وعَهِدْتُها طَوْعَ الهوى إِذْ منظري

نَضْرٌ وغصنُ شَبِيبَتِي ريَّانُ

I knew her to be compliant to love, as my aspect

Was fresh and the branch of my youth flourishing.

أَيامَ أَسحبُ فضلَ ذَيْلِ صَبَابتي

تيهاً كما سُحِبَتْ لها أَردانُ

I drag the train of my youth randomly,

As the train was dragged for it.

يا عَيْشُ إِنْ تُفْقَدْ فَحَشْوُ جوانِحي

نارٌ وفيضُ مدامِعي طُوفانُ

O life, if you are lost, the stuffing of my essence

Is fire and the outpouring of my tears a flood.

ولَّى الصِّبا ولأَحمدِ بنِ محمدٍ

مجدٌ تقاصَرَ دونَهُ كِيوانُ

Time passed and Ahmad bin Muhammad

Has glory beyond which Kayan's glory diminishes.

حَبْرٌ لنا من راحتَيْهِ وعِلْمِهِ

غيثانِ كلٌّ منهما هتَّانُ

We have ink from his rest and knowledge,

Each like heavy abundant rain.

لَبسَتْ به الإِسكندريَّةُ بهجةً

فَعنَتْ لعزِّ جلالها بَغْدانُ

Alexandria adorned itself with delight through him,

And the height of its glory longed for Baghdan.

وتفاخَرَتْ رُتَبُ العلا شرفًا به

قُلْ كيف لا تتفاخَرُ البُلْدَانُ

The ranks of supremacy honored him,

Say, how can realms not take pride?

ورَنَتْ إِليه عينُ كل رئاسةٍ

حُبًّا فكلٌّ مغرَمٌ هَيْمَانُ

The eye of every leader desired him lovingly,

Each infatuated and passionate.

ونضَا مُحَيَّاهُ الدياجيَ فازْدَهَتْ

تِيهًا بُغرَّةِ وجهه الأَزِمانُ

His bright smile delighted, so time shone

Perplexed by the light of his face.

أَوَ ما ترى رَمَضَانَ أَقبلَ ضاحكاً

ومضَى قَرينَ تأَسُّفٍ شعبانُ

Or do you not see Ramadan approaching laughing,

While Sha'ban left regretfully?

وإِذا أَحبَّ الله عبداً لم يَزَلْ

لِهَواهُ في كُلِّ القلوبِ مَكانُ

When God loves a servant, he remains

In all hearts a place for his passion.

في كَفِّه ولسانِهِ وجنانِهِ

مَنٌّ وإِيمانٌ لنا وأَمانُ

In his palm, tongue and soul,

For us are favor, faith and safety.

وعلى رياضِ بَنَانِه وبيانِه

تتغايَرُ الأَبصارُ والآذانُ

On his gardens of rhetoric and eloquence,

Eyes and ears marvel.

ماذا أَقولُ وقد أَبانَ فضائلاً

جَلَّتْ فلم يَفْخَرْ بها إِنسانُ

What can I say, and he has shown virtues,

That exalted, of which no human can boast?

إِن قلتُ مثلُ البدر بهجَةَ منظرٍ

فالبدرُ قد يُودِي به النُّقْصانُ

If I say, like the full moon in beauty of sight,

The moon itself can be diminished by flaws.

لو قلتُ تحكيه الغَمامُ سماحةً

فنوالُه طولَ المدى عِقْيانُ

If I say, the clouds tell of his generosity,

Yet their downpour is limited.

يا حافِظَ الدينِ استمِعْ مَدْحاً بِهِ

شَدَتِ القِيانُ وسارَتِ الرُّكْبانُ

O guardian of the faith, hear praise of him,

That strengthened pillars and set caravans moving.

فَلأَنْتَ في وجهِ المكارِمِ مَبْسِمٌ

خَصِرٌ وفي عين العلا إِنسانُ

For you are smiling in the face of virtues,

Slender in waist and human in the eye of supremacy.

عوضتني من بعدِ هَوْنٍ عِزَّةً

والمرءُ يُكرم تارةً ويُهانُ

You restored me from humiliation to honor,

And man is honored at times and disgraced at others.

ولقد ينوِّلِنَي سواكَ وإِنما

ما كُلُّ مرعًى مُخْصِب سَعْدانُ

Time makes me incline toward others, and yet

Not every pasture is fertile Sa'dan.

أَقْرَرْتُ أَنِّي عاجِزٌ عن شكر ما

أَوْليتَني ولوانَّني سَحْبانُ

I admit I am incapable

Of thanking you for what you have given me, and clouds have watered me.