قلبي من الطرفِ السَّقيم سقيمُ

لو أنَّ من أشكو إليه رحيمُ

My heart from the frail side is frail

If only he to whom I complain is kind

أضحى يُنَغِّصُنِي النسيمَ نسيمُه

أفلا يُهنيني النسيمَ نسيمُ

The breeze with its breeze makes me miserable

Why doesn't the breeze make me happy with its breeze

مِنْ وجهها أبداً نهارٌ واضحٌ

من فرعها ليلٌ عليه بهيم

From her face is ever daylight

From her branch is night over which stars keep vigil

إنْ أقبلتْ فالبدرُ لاح وإن مَشَتْ

فالغصنُ راح وإنْ رنَتْ فالرِّيم

If she turns her face the full moon shines and if she walks

The bough stirs and if she sings the wild cows moo

نعمتْ بها عَيني فطالَ عذابُها

ولكَمْ عذابٌ قد جناه نعيم

My eyes enjoyed her so her torment was prolonged

And how much torment does pleasure hide

نظرتْ فأقصدتِ الفؤادَ بسهمِها

ثم انثنَتْ نَحْوِي فكِدتُ أهيم

She glanced at me and aimed at my heart with her arrow

Then she inclined towards me and I almost swooned

ويْلاهُ إنْ نَظَرتْ وإن هِيَ أعْرضتْ

وقعُ السِّهام ونَزْعُهُنَّ أليم

Woe to me if she looks and woe if she turns away

The arrows strike as she draws them out, painfully

ولمَا دَهَتْنِي دون عيني عينُها

لكنَّ غِبَّ النظرتيْن وخيم

And when her eyesapproach mine beneath my eyes

But the two glances were fleeting and momentary

ولما البليَّةُ من خصيمٍ واحدٍ

ما لم يكن للمرء منه خصيم

And when calamity comes from a single foe

One who was no foe becomes like a foe

يا مستحلَّ دمي مُحَرِّم رَحْمتي

ما أنصفَ التحليل والتحريم

O you who legitimize shedding my blood, unlawful to spill

Legitimacy and prohibition were not just

إن الذي وهبتْ يداه مثلكم

يا آل وهب للْعُلا لكريم

They who endowed the likes of you, O family of Wahb

With sublime nobility, were generous

ولئن تَهيَّأ للزمانِ وِلادكم

إن الزمان بمثلكم لعقيمُ

And if there comes a time your equals are born

Time with your equals would be barren

لتَروْن سائلكُمْ أحقَّ بمالِكم

من بعضِكُمْ حتَّى يُقالَ غريم

You will see your questioner has more right to your wealth

Than some of you, until it is said he is covetous

ويحُلُّ في عَلْيا مَراتِب ودِّكُمْ

وخصوصِكُمْ حتى يُقالَ حميمُ

And your exclusivity and intimacy will be dissolved

Until it is said they were confidants

كم من مهيب منكُمُ تعنو له

غُلْبُ الأُسودِ وإنَّه لحليم

How many formidable among you are provoked

By the oppression of the black though he be forbearing

ومُخَدَّعٍ عند السؤالِ كأنه

غِرٌّ هناك وإنّه لحكيم

And how many deceitful, who when asked seem

Ignorant, and yet are wise

ومغفَّل عن كل عثرةِ عاثرٍ

دأبَ الغبيِّ وإنَّه لعليم

And how many listless toward every wrong

With the persistence of a fool, and yet he is knowing

مِمَّنْ أقامَ له الطباعُ قناته

لا مَنْ أقام قناتَه التقويم

Of those whom nature built his canal

Not those who built the canal through discipline

لله أمرُكُمُ الذي لو أنَّهُ

رجلٌ لقال له الرجالُ وسيم

God's command concerning you, which if it were

A man, men would call him comely

لا كان فيه مع النَّماءِ نقيصةٌ

وصفا له التَّخلْيدُ والتَتْميم

Without any growth or diminishment

And accord him immortality and esteem

كم تسكتونَ عن الذي تولونَهُ

لتصغِّروه وإنَّه لجسيم

How much you keep silent about one you befriend

To belittle him though he be momentous

والله يُعْظِمُ قدر معروف لكم

لم تُعظِمُوه وإنَّه لعظيم

And God magnifies the worth of a boon to you

You did not esteem though it be tremendous

واللَّهُ يبعثُني عليكُمْ إنَّني

بإذاعةِ العُرف السَّتِير زعيم

And God sends me against you. Truly I

Lead the discreet who keep hidden affairs

ولحَسبُكُم بنميم ما تُخفونَه

منا وللمسْكِ الذكيِّ نَمِيم

Your maligning what you hide from us is enough

For the chaste and silent spy