ما لِلمُدامِ تُديرُها عَيناكِ
فَيَميلُ في سُكرِ الصِبا عِطفاكِ
What makes your eyes turn to the wine glass
As your tenderness leans tipsily in youth’s intoxication
هَلّا مَزَجتِ لِعاشِقيكِ سُلافَها
بِبَرودِ ظَلمِكِ أَو بِعَذبِ لَماكِ
Why not mix its drink for your lovers
With the coolness of your injustice or the sweetness of your glance
بَل ما عَلَيكِ وَقَد مَحضتُ لَكِ الهَوى
في أَن أَفوزَ بِحُظوَةِ المِسواكِ
But I have no claim over you, having declared my love
Hoping to gain favour through pleasing you
ناهيكِ ظُلماً أَن أَضَرَّ بِيَ الصَدى
بَرحاً وَنالَ البُرءَ عودُ أَراكِ
It was unfair that the echo hurt me
While the innocent pole won your affection
واهاً لِعَطفِكِ وَالزَمانُ كَأَنَّما
صُبِغَت غَضارَتُهُ بِبُردِ صِباكِ
Alas for your tenderness, time itself
Seems clad in the green of your youth
وَاللَيلُ مَهما طالَ قَصَّرَ طولَهُ
هاتي وَقَد غَفَلَ الرَقيبُ وَهاكِ
However long the night, it shortens its length
Come to me while the guardian is inattentive, here you are
وَلَطالَما اِعتَلَّ النَسيمُ فَخِلتُهُ
شَكوايَ رَقَّت فَاِقتَضَت شَكواكِ
Often has the breeze confided in me, so my own complaints
Moved you, requiring your complaints
إِن تَألَفي سِنَةَ النَؤومِ خَلِيَّةً
فَلَطالَما نافَرتِ فِيَّ كَراكِ
If you befriend slumber in the home of sleepiness
Then long have you been averse to me
أَو تَحتَبي بِالهَجرِ في نادي القِلى
فَلَكَم حَلَلتُ إِلى الوِصالِ حُباكِ
Or if you hide in the companionship of the few
Then how often have I made lawful the way to be near you
أَمّا مُنى نَفسي فَأَنتِ جَميعُها
يا لَيتَني أَصبَحتُ بَعضَ مُناكِ
As for my soul’s wish, it is all you
Would that I were part of your wishes
يَدنو بِوَصلِكِ حينَ شَطَّ مَزارُهُ
وَهمٌ أَكادُ بِهِ أُقَبِّلُ فاكِ
When the anxiety of his visit draws near
A concern with which I could kiss your mouth
وَلَئِن تَجَنَّبتِ الرَشادَ بِغَدرَةٍ
لَم يَهوِ بي في الغَيِّ غَيرُ هَواكِ
If you avoid my guidance out of betrayal
None but you do I love in error
لِلجَهورِيِّ أَبي الوَليدِ خَلائِقٌ
كَالرَوضِ أَضحَكَهُ الغَمامُ الباكي
The Caliph Abu Al-Walid has excellent qualities
Like a garden made joyous by the weeping clouds
مَلِكٌ يَسوسُ الدَهرَ مِنهُ مُهَذَّبٌ
تَدبيرُهُ لِلمُلكِ خَيرُ مِلاكِ
A king who rules time, refined in his rule
His governance of the kingdom is excellent rule
جارى أَباهُ بَعدَما فاتَ المَدى
فَتَلاهُ بَينَ الفَوتِ وَالإِدراكِ
He followed his father after he missed the opportunity
So he succeeded between loss and attainment
شَمسُ النَهارِ وَبَدرُهُ وَنُجومُهُ
أَبناؤُهُ مِن فَرقَدٍ وَسِماكِ
The sun of daytime, its full moon and stars
Are his sons, some manifest, some concealed
يَستَوضِحُ السارونَ زُهرَ كَواكِبٍ
مِنهُم تُنيرُ غَياهِبَ الأَحلاكِ
The happy ones seek out the flowers of stars
Among them are those who illuminate the darkest shadows
بُشراكِ يا دُنيا وَبُشرانا مَعاً
هَذا الوَزيرُ أَبو الوَليدِ فَتاكِ
Good tidings to you, O world, and good tidings to us together
This minister Abu Al-Walid is decisive
تُلفى السِيادَةُ ثَمَّ إِن أَضلَلتِها
وَمَتى فَقَدتِ السَروَ فَهوَ هُناكِ
Sovereignty is attained, then if you lose it
Whenever you lose the cypress tree, there it is
وَإِذا سَمِعتِ بِواحِدٍ جُمِعَت لَهُ
فِرَقُ المَحاسِنِ في الأَنامِ فَذاكِ
And when you hear of one in whom
All the virtues among people are gathered, that is him
صَمصامُ بادِرَةٍ وَطَودُ سَكينَةٍ
وَجَوادُ غاياتٍ وَجِذلُ حِكاكِ
A piercing sword, a lofty pillar,
A generous hand, a ripper of injustice
طَلقٌ يُفَنَّدُ في السَماحِ وَجاهِلٌ
مَن يَستَشِفَّ النارَ بِالمِحراكِ
Frank, open-handed, and ignorant is he
Who attempts to extract fire with churning
صَنَعُ الضَميرِ إِذا أَجالَ بِمُهرَقٍ
يُمناهُ في مَهَلٍ وَفي إيشاكِ
The making of conscience, when postponing the subjugated
He gives it respite, hastening or delaying
نَظَمَ البَلاغَةَ في خِلالِ سُطورِهِ
نَظمَ اللَآلي التومِ في الأَسلاكِ
He threaded eloquence in the lines of his writings
Like threading pearls on a necklace
نادى مَساعِيَهُ الزَمانُ مُنافِساً
أَحرَزتِ كُلَّ فَضيلَةٍ فَكَفاكِ
Time challenged his efforts, saying
“You have attained every virtue, so enough!”
ما الوَردُ في مَجناهُ سامَرَهُ النَدى
مُتَحَلِّياً إِلّا بِبَعضِ حُلاكِ
The roses in their bed, sprinkled by dew
Are not adorned except by some of your splendor
كَلّا وَلا المِسكُ النَمومُ أَريجُهُ
مُتَعَطِّراً إِلّا بِوَسمِ ثَناكِ
Likewise, musk is not fragrant in its aroma
Except with a trace of your name
اللَهوُ ذِكرُكِ لا غِناءُ مُرَجِّعٍ
يَفتَنُّ في الإِطلاقِ وَالإِمساكِ
The only delight is the mention of you, not the singing of one repeated,
Tempting in licence or restraint
طارَت إِلَيكِ بِأَولِيائِكِ هِزَّةٌ
تَهفو لَها أَسَفاً قُلوبُ عِداكِ
A tremor came over your loyal friends
That melted the hearts of your enemies in sorrow
يا أَيُّها القَمَرُ الَّذي لِسَنائِهِ
وَسَناهُ تَعنو السَبعُ في الأَفلاكِ
O you moon whose brilliance
Is envied by the orbiting celestial spheres
فَرَحُ الرِياسَةِ إِذ مَلَكتَ عِنانَها
فَرَحُ العَروسِ بِصِحَّةِ الإِملاكِ
Rejoice in leadership, now that you hold its reins
Like the joy of the bride in the validity of marriage
مَن قالَ إِنَّكَ لَستَ أَوحَدَ في النُهى
وَالصالِحاتِ فَدانَ بِالإِشراكِ
Whoever says you are not alone in virtue
And righteous deeds has fallen into polytheism
قَلِّدنِيَ الرَأيَ الجَميلَ فَإِنَّهُ
حَسبي لِيَومَي زينَةٍ وَعِراكِ
Appoint me to the good opinion, for it
Is enough for my day, beauty and struggle
وَإِذا تَحَدَّثَتِ الحَوادِثُ بِالرَنا
شَزراً إِلَيَّ فَقُل لَها إِيّاكِ
And when events speak slander to me
Say to them, “Away with you!”
هُوَ في ضَمانِ العَزمِ يَعبِسُ وَجهُهُ
لِلخَطبِ وَالخُلُقِ النَدي الضَحّاكِ
His face frowns with determination at calamities and ill manners
The smiling, sociable, deadly serious one
وَأَحَمَّ دارِيٍّ تَضاعَفَ عِزُّهُ
لَمّا أُهينَ بِمِسحَقٍ وَمَداكِ
The honor of Darī‘, which increased,
When it was disgraced by despicable and prolonged siege
وَالدَجنُ لِلشَمسِ المُنيرَةِ حاجِبٌ
وَالجَفنُ مَثوى الصارِمِ الفَتّاكِ
To the shining sun, sleep is a screen
And the eyelid is home to the deadly keen glance
هَنَأَتكَ صِحَّتُكَ الَّتي لَو أَنَّها
شَخصٌ أُحاوِرُهُ لَقُلتُ هَناكِ
Your health, which if it were
A person I conversed with, I would say to it, “Congratulations!”
دامَت حَياتُكَ ما اِستُدِمتَ فَلَم تَزَل
تَحيا بِكَ الأَخطارُ بَعدَ هَلاكِ
May your life last for as long as you continue
And so you live on after death through your achievements
