عَوَّدتَهُ أنه يَجني وأعتذرُ

لحسنه كلُّ ذَنبٍ منه مُغتَفَرُ

You made him used to reaping while I apologize,

For his beauty, every fault of his is forgiven.

هُوَ الغنيُّ وإني في هواه إلى

أمانه من عذاب الهجر مُقتَقر

He is rich, and for his love, I am inclined

To seek refuge from the torment of estrangement.

يا مالكَ القلب رِفقاً إنَّ نارك في

أضالعِ الصَّبِّ لا تُبقى ولا تَذر

O owner of my heart, gently, your fire in

The ribs of passion leaves nothing remaining or scattered.

ما أنكر الطَّرفُ أن الشَّعرَ منك دُجىً

وإنما غَرَّهُ من وجهك القمرُ

The gaze did not deny the poetry was from you, radiant,

But what deceived it was your moon-like face.

فَضَحتَ غُصنَ النَّقَا ليناً فظلَّ إذا

ما ماس قدُّك بالأوراق يَسترُ

So you made the soft branch of the palm tree lean, so it would shade

When your stature touched the leaves they would hide.

يا مُدنَف الخَصرِ قد غادَرتني دَنِفاً

وناعسَ الطرف قد أودى بي السَّهَرُ

O you of the slender waist, you left me emaciated

While the sleepy gaze has led me to insomnia.

إني لأعجبُ من طرف تدبرُ به

على محبّيك خَمراً وهو مُنكَسرُ

I am amazed by a gaze which contemplates

Wine for your lovers while it is broken.

يا عادلي فيه قل مهما أردت فما

عندي وعيشك مما قُلتَه خبر

O my justice in it, say whatever you want, for I have no

Awareness of what you said or knowledge of it.

قل للذي ظنّ أن الظبي يُشبِهُهُ

من أين للظبي ذاك الجيدُ والحورُ

Tell the one who thought the gazelle resembled him

Where would the gazelle get that neck and cheek from?

استودعُ اللَه من ودَّعتُهُم سحراً

يوم الرحيل وهُم للقلب قد سحرُوا

I entrusted those I bid farewell when they departed in the morning

To God, for they had enchanted my heart.

فقال قلبي لطرفي عند فُرقَتِهم

ماذا بدمعك يوم البَينِ تَنتَظرُ

So my heart said to my eyes when they were separated

What are you waiting for on the day of separation with your tears?

هناك لَبت جفوني وهي مسرعة

إن الجفون بأمرِ القلب تأتَمِرُ

There my eyelids melted while rushing

For the eyelids act on the heart’s command.

ماضي العزيمة ما في باعه قِصَرُ

يوم الهيَاج ولا في طبعه خَوَرُ

Determined, with no shortcoming in his courage

On the day of commotion, nor any defect in his nature.

تُثنى على جوده أخلاقُهُ وكَذا

يُثنى على حسن أفعال الحيَا الزّهرُ

His morals and actions are praised

And so are the good deeds of the virtuous life.

فغير بدعٍ إذا ما خِلتُهُ مَلَكاً

لأنه حاز ما لا حازَهُ البَشَرُ

So it is no wonder if I imagine him an angel

For he attained what no human attained.

تجمَّع الحسنُ والإحسان فيه معاً

وإنما بالمعاني تُعشَقُ الصورُ

Beauty and benevolence gathered in him together

For it is with meaning that forms are loved.

كم للنَّدا من معانٍ كلها طُرِقَت

وكلُّ معنى له في الجود مُبتَكَرُ

How much subtlety the Nada has, all of which are composed,

And every meaning has in his generosity something new.

سَمحٌ إذا حلَّ في مغناه ذو أدب

فالمدح يُنظَمُ والأموال تنتَثرُ

Generous, when endowed with manners in his singing,

So poetry is composed and money is scattered about.

يرتاحُ للمدح علماً أنه سببٌ

للجود لا كالذي بالمدح يَفتَخرُ

He is relaxed with praise, knowing it is a reason

For generosity, not like one who boasts with praise.

عوِّل على قصده بعد الإِله تَجد

عَوناً وغَوثاً لديه العزُّ والظَّفَّرُ

Rely on his intention, after God you will find

Help and salvation, for might and victory are with him.

واستَجل من وجهه شَمساً إذا بزغت

يكاد يَعجزُ عن إدراكها البصرُ

And seek from his face a sun when it rises,

The eyesight almost falls short of perceiving it.

وشنِّف السمعَ من ألفاظ مِقوله

فإِنه بَحرُ علمٍ كُلُّهُ دُرَرُ

And treat your hearing gently with his words spoken

For it is an ocean of knowledge, all of it pearls.

به انتَصرتُ على جَورِ الزمانِ وهل

يزِلُّ من بات بالأَنصار ينتَصرُ

With it I gained victory over the tyranny of time, does one

Who spent the night with supporters cease to be victorious?

حسبي اعتمادي على بيت مكارِمُه

في الدهر يُخبرُ عنها البدوُ والحضَرُ

It suffices me to rely on the house of his virtues

In life, about which the Bedouin and the settled speak.

قومٌ بقولِ رسول اللَه فَضلَهُمُ

في الجاهلية والإسلام مُشتَهِرُ

A people made superior by the Messenger of God’s words

Well known for nobility in pre-Islamic and Islamic times.

قَيسُ بن سَعدٍ وما أدراك جَدُّهُم

إن الأصول عليها تَنبتُ الشَّجرُ

Qais ibn Sa`d ‐ and what do you know of their grandfather?

For trees grow on the roots they originate from.