مَرادُهُمُ حَيثُ السِلاحُ خَمائِلُ

وَمَورِدُهُم حَيثُ الدِماءُ مَناهِلُ

Their desire wherever arms repose, doves nest,

And their resort wherever blood flows, springs well,

وَدونَ المُنى فيهِم جِيادٌ صَوافِنٌ

وَمَأثورَةٌ بيضٌ وَسُمرٌ عَوامِلُ

Below their goal, among them steeds fleet and mottled gray,

White swords and chestnut spears, stalwart and keen.

لِكُلِّ نَجيدٍ في النِجادِ كَأَنَّما

تُناطُ بِمَتنِ الرُمحِ مِنهُ الحَمائِلُ

On the strong neck of each purebred in battle

As though the burden of spears from him hung pendant.

طَويلٌ عَلَينا لَيلُهُ مِن حَفيظَةٍ

كَأَنَّ صَباباتِ النُفوسِ طَوائِلُ

Long on us was his night with the sentinel stars

As though the souls' lamps were lofty poles.

كِناسٌ دَنا مِنهُ الشَرى في مَحَلَّةٍ

بِها اللَيثُ يَعدو وَالغَزالُ يُغازِلُ

It drew nigh so the pleiad for a tryst like the kindling

Of the evening fire and like the fawn gamboling.

لَعَمرُ القِبابِ الحُمرِ وَسطَ عَرينِهِم

لَقَد قُصِرَت فيها السُروبُ العَقائِلُ

By the red domes midst their lairs, their bases curved inwards,

Among them the Pleiades were hemmed in marvelously.

أَمَحجوبَةٌ لَيلى وَلَم تُخضَبِ القَنا

وَلا حَجَبَت شَمسَ الضَحاءِ القَساطِلُ

Veiled is Layla though the bow shone not at dusk

Nor screened the sun of daybreak the high risings.

أَناةٌ عَلَيها مِن سَنا البَدرِ مَيسَمٌ

وَفيها مِنَ الغُصنِ النَضيرِ شَمائِلُ

On her a grace from the boughs of the full moon

And in it a subtlety from the tender branch,

يَجولُ وِشاحاها عَلى خَيزُرانَةٍ

وَتُشرِقُ تَحتَ البُردَتَينِ الخَلاخِلُ

Her wrap wanders upon a meadow green

And beneath the silks her anklets gleam.

وَلَيلَةَ وافَتنا الكَثيبَ لِمَوعِدٍ

كَما ريعَ وَسنانُ العَشِيّاتِ خاذِلُ

And the night we reached the sandy hill for an appointment

The Pleiades deserted it as the fire deserted the wood.

تَهادى اِنسِيابُ الأَيمِ يَعفو إِثارَها

مِنَ الوَشيِ مَرقومُ العِطافَينِ ذائِلُ

The flowing of tears gently effaced their traces

From the cheek, numbered like the Pleiades declining.

قَعيدَكِ أَنّى زُرتِ ضَوؤُكِ ساطِعٌ

وَطيبُكِ نَفّاحٌ وَحَليُكِ هادِلُ

Your camp, where have you alighted? For your light gleams

And your perfume wafts and your trinkets dangle.

هَبيكِ اِغتَرَرتِ الحَيَّ واشيكِ هاجِعٌ

وَفَرعُكِ غِربيبٌ وَلَيلُكِ لائِلُ

You have aroused the quarter and the steed is eager

Your streamer flutters and your night is departing.

فَأَنّى اِعتَسَفتِ الهَولَ خَطوُكِ مُدَمجٌ

وَرِدفُكِ رَجراجٌ وَعِطفُكِ مائِلُ

How then did you hurry past in dread? Your pace reeled,

Your train swayed and your side bent.

خَليلَيَّ مالي كُلَّما رُمتُ سَلوَةً

تَعَرَّضَ شَوقٌ دونَ ذَلِكَ حائِلُ

My friend, whenever I tried for union

Desire thwarted that, nothing else intervened.

أَراحُ إِذا راحَ النَسيمُ شَآمِياً

كَأَنَّ شَمولاً ما تُديرُ الشَمائِلُ

I find rest when the breath blows northerly

As though a wrap were swinging the Pleiades.

ضَلالاً تَمادى الحُبُّ في المَعشَرِ العِدا

وَلَفَّ الهَوى في حَيثُ تُخشى الغَوائِلُ

Strayed passion in the noble throng has persisted

And love twisted where sorrows are feared.

كَأَن لَيسَ في نُعمى الهُمامِ مُحَمَّدٍ

مُسَلٍّ وَفي مَثنى أَياديهِ شاغِلُ

As though in the favors of Mohammed the faithful

There were no sympathizer and in his pair of hands no busyness,

أَغُرُّ إِذا شِمنا سَحائِبُ جودِهِ

تَهَلَّلَ وَجهٌ وَاستَهَلَّت أَنامِلُ

I gleam when we smell the clouds of his munificence

A cheek dimples and fingers begin to shine.

يُبَشِّرُنا بِالنائِلِ الغَمرِ وَجهُهُ

وَقَبلَ الحَيا ما تَستَطيرُ المَخايِلُ

It heralds the attainment of abundant rain, his face,

And before the morning what steeds are saddled!

لَدَيهِ رِياضٌ لِلسَجايا أَنيقَةٌ

تَغَلغَلُ فيها لِلعَطايا جَداوِلُ

By him gardens for traits subtle and beautiful

In which for bounty run rivulets.

أَتِيٌّ فَما تِلكَ السَماحَةُ نُهزَةٌ

وَفِيٌّ فَما تِلكَ الحِبالُ حَبائِلُ

Gentle, so what is that generosity? A fleeting mirage?

And kind, so what are those cords? Mere ropes?

زَعيمُ الدَهاءِ أَن تُصيبَ مِنَ العِدا

مَكايِدُهُ مالا تُصيبُ الجَحافِلُ

The chief of guile that his schemes should strike his foe

When his hordes strike not, amazing!

فَما سَيفُ ذاكَ العَزمِ فيهِم بِمَعضِدٍ

وَلا سَهمُ ذاكَ الرَأيِ أَفوَقُ ناصِلِ

For not by his will that sword of resolution

Nor higher than a peerless archer his arrow of prudence.

بَني جَهوَرٍ عِشتُم بِأَوفَرِ غِبطَةٍ

فَلَولاكُمُ ما كانَ لِلعَيشِ طائِلُ

O people of glory, you have lived in utmost bliss

For were it not for you, life would have no cause.

تَفاضَلَ في السَروِ المُلوكُ فَخِلتُهُم

أَنابيبَ رُمحٍ أَنتُمُ فيهِ عامِلُ

You have excelled the kings in topmost merit

You champions are the staves of one spear.

لَئِن قَلَّ في أَهلِ الزَمانِ عَديدُكُم

فَإِنَّ دَرارِيَّ النُجومِ قَلائِلُ

If few in the kin of time be your number

Then rare are stars though the sky be mother.

فِداؤُكُمُ مَن إِن تَعِدهُ ظُنونُهُ

لَحاقَكُمُ في المَجدِ فَالدَهرُ ماطِلُ

Your ransom is one whom if ambitions embolden

To vie with your glory, time will belie him.

مَناكيدُ فِعلِ الخَيرِ مِنهُم تَكَلُّفٌ

إِذِ الشَرُّ طَبعٌ ما لَهُم عَنهُ ناقِلُ

From them deeds of virtue are ostentation

Since evil is innate, they have no transporter from it.

فَإِن سُتِرَت أَخلاقُهُم بِتَخَلُّقٍ

فَكُلُّ خَضيبٍ لا مَحالَةَ ناصِلُ

So if their morals are cloaked in false piety

Then every gray beard, decidedly will show white.

لَكَ الخَيرُ إِنّي قائِلٌ غَيرُ مُقصِرٍ

فَمَن لِيَ بِاستيفاءِ ما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

Goodness is due to you - I say without neglect -

But who can attain all that you accomplish?

لَعَمرُ سَراةِ الثَغرِ وافاكَ وَفدُهُم

لَما ذَمَّ مِنهُم ذَلِكَ النُزلَ نازِلُ

By your dwelling the cheeks' bloom and what throngs resort

For not in them did that host halt and lodge in vain.

لَأَعذَرتَ لَمّا لَم يُمِلَّكَ مُكثُهُم

إِذا عَذَرَ المُستَثقِلُ المُتَثاقِلُ

You would pardon them, since prolonged their stay

When the burdened pardons the overburdened.

نَضَدتَ رَياحينَ الطَلاقَةِ غَضَّةً

وَرَقرَقتَ ماءَ البِرِّ وَهوَ سَلاسِلُ

The zephyrs of amiability you poured fresh

And pellucid the water of righteousness flows.

فَما مِنهُمُ إِلّا شَديدٌ نِزاعُهُ

إِلَيكَ مُقيمُ القَلبِ وَالجِسمُ راحِلُ

Not but adamant among them the will

To you sincere of heart and body departing.

ضَمانٌ عَلَيهِم أَن سَيُؤثَرُ عَنهُمُ

عَلَيكَ ثَناءٌ في المَحافِلِ حافِلُ

Their surety to prefer over them praise of you

Among the throngs abundant and streaming.

مَساعٍ هِيَ العِقدُ اِنتِظامَ مَحاسِنٍ

تَحَلّى بِها جيدٌ مِنَ الدَهرِ عاطِلُ

Hearing them is a necklace threading together fair traits

Adorning a cheek which time had stripped bare.

تُنيرُ بِها الآمالُ وَاللَيلُ واقِبٌ

وَتُخضِبُ مِنها الأَرضُ وَالأُفقُ ماحِلُ

By it hopes gleam, the darkness flees

And by it the horizon and land are dyed verdant.

هَنيئاً لَكَ العيدُ الَّذي بِكَ أَصبَحَت

تَروقُ الضُحى مِنهُ وَتَندى الأَصائِلُ

Congratulations for the feast day whereby

The dawn glowed through you and the roots anchored.

تَلَقّاكَ بِالبُشرى وَحَيّاكَ بِالمُنى

فَبُشراكَ أَلفٌ بَعدَ عامِكَ قابِلُ

It greeted you with glad tidings and hailed you with desire

So greet it - thousands - another of your years' cycle.

لَئِن يَنصَرِم شَهرُ الصِيامِ لَبَعدَهُ

نَثا صالِحِ الأَعمالِ ما أَنتَ عامِلُ

If the fasting month flows by, after it

Will run deeds righteous that you enact.

رَأَيتَ أَداءَ الفَرضِ ضَربَةَ لازِمٍ

فَلَم تَرضَ حَتّى شَيَّعَتهُ النَوافِلُ

You saw fulfilling the duty as binding

So you were not pleased till supererogations accompanied it.

سَدَنتَ بِبَيتِ اللَهِ حُبَّ جِوارِهِ

لَكَ اللَهُ بِالأَجرِ المُضاعَفِ كافِلُ

You clove to God's house out of love for being its neighbor

To you doubly requited may God be guarantee.

هَجَرتَ لَهُ الدارَ الَّتي أَنتَ آلِفٌ

لِيَعتادَهُ مَحضُ الهَوى مِنكَ واصِلُ

You abandoned for it the abode which you inhabited

So sincere love of you would grow into a habit.

فَإِن تَتَناقَلكَ الدِيارُ فَطالَما

تَناقَلَتِ البَدرَ المُنيرَ المَنازِلُ

For if lands would transmit you time and again

The shining orb has transmitted the stages.

أَلا كُلُّ رَجوى في سِواكَ عُلالَةٌ

وَكُلُّ مَديحٍ لَم يَكُن فيكَ باطِلُ

Behold all other hope but in you is isolated

And every praise if not in you, invalid.

فَما لِعِمادِ الدينِ حاشاكَ رافِعٌ

وَلا لِلِواءِ المُلكِ غَيرَكَ حامِلُ

To the pillar of the faith, who but you lofts?

And the standard of the realm, but you upholds?

لَأَمَّنتَني الخَطبَ الَّذي أَنا خائِفٌ

وَبَلَّغتَني الحَظَّ الَّذي أَنا آمِلُ

You secured me from the fears I dread

And attained me the hopes I anticipate.

أَرى خاطِري كَالصارِمِ العَضبِ لَم يَزَل

لَهُ شاحِذٌ مِن حُسنِ رَأيِكَ صاقِلُ

I find my mind like the angry, wrathful sword

For it a furbisher in your wisdom, polishing.

وَما الشِعرُ مِمّا أَدَّعيهِ فَضيلَةً

تَزينُ وَلَكِن أَنطَقَتني الفَواضِلُ

And poetry is not of what I claim, so desist!

But the virtues move me to speak.

بَقيتَ كَما تَبقى مَعاليكَ إِنَّها

خَوالِدُ حينَ العَيشُ كَالظِلِّ زائِلُ

You remain as your glories remain

Forever, while life is like the vanishing shadow.

فَما نَستَزيدُ اللَهَ بَعدَ نِهايَةٍ

لِنَفسِكَ غَيرَ الخُلدِ إِذ أَنتَ كامِلُ

For the perfected self what but eternity can we seek

Beyond, when you are the epitome of perfection?