صِفَةُ الطُلولِ بَلاغَةُ القِدمِ

فَاِجعَل صِفاتَكَ لِاِبنَةِ الكَرمِ

The traits of hopes are the eloquence of feet

Describing ruins is the eloquence of a bygone age,

So make your traits for the daughter of generosity

So dedicate your verses to the daughter of the vine.

لا تُخدَعَنَّ عَنِ الَّتي جُعِلَت

سُقمَ الصَحيحِ وَصِحَّةَ السُقمِ

Do not be deceived from the one who was made

Do not be beguiled away from she who serves

The sickness of the healthy and the health of the sick

As sickness to the sound, and health unto the sick,

وَصَديقَةِ الروحِ الَّتي حُجِبَت

عَن ناظِرَيكَ وَقَيِّمِ الجِسمِ

And the soul's friend who was veiled

The spirit's bosom friend, who lies concealed

From your sights and the health of the body

From your gazing eyes and the body's guard.

لا كَرمُها مِمّا يُذالُ وَلا

فُتِلَت مَرائِرُها عَلى عَجمِ

Her generosity is not from what is disgraced and not

Her vine is not the common stock that men degrade,

Her secrets were unveiled to the non-Arabs

Nor were her strands woven on a hollow core.

صَهباءَ فَضَّلَها المُلوكُ عَلى

نُظَرائِها بِفَضيلَةِ القَدمِ

The fair one whom the kings preferred over

A golden vintage, preferred by kings above

Her peers with the merit of antiquity

All her peers, by virtue of her ancient date.

فَإِذا أَطَفنَ بِها صَمَتنَ لَها

صَمتَ البَناتِ مَهابَةَ الأُمِّ

So when they whispered about her they were silent before her

When gathered round her, they fall silent in her court,

The silence of the daughters fearing the mother

As daughters hush in reverence of their mother.

وَإِذا هَتَفنَ بِها لِنازِلَةٍ

قَدَّمنَ كُنيَتَها عَلى الإِسمِ

And when they cheered her for an event

And if they call upon her when a crisis falls,

They put her nickname before the name

They honor her by title before they speak her name.

وَإِذا أَرَدنَ لَها مُحاوَرَةً

رَوَّحنَ ما عَزَّبنَ مِن حِلمِ

And when they wanted to converse with her

And if they seek to hold communion with her soul,

They made gentle what they had of wisdom

They revive the wisdom that had long been banished.

شُجَّت فَعالَت فَوقَها حَبَباً

مُتَراصِفاً كَتَراصُفِ النَظمِ

She was inspired so she did above it layers

When broached with water, bubbles mount her crest,

Arranged like the arrangement of prose

Aligned in perfect order like a string of pearls,

ثُمَّ اِنفَرَت لَكَ عَن مَدَبٍّ دَبّاً

عَجلانَ صَعَّدَ في ذُرا أُكمِ

Then it turned away from you from a creeping slowly

Then she reveals to you a creeping path,

Hastening clouds ascended into high clouds

Hastening its climb upon the summits of the hills.

فَكَأَنَّما يَتلو طَرائِدَها

نَجمٌ تَواتَرَ في قَفا نَجمِ

As if its prey is followed by a star

As though there follows in her fleeing tracks,

Recurring in succession like stars

Star after star in rapid, bright succession.

وَكَأَنَّ عُقبى طَعمِها صَبرٌ

وَعَلى البَديهَةِ مُزَّةُ الطَعمِ

And as if the aftertaste of its flavor is patience

It seems her final aftertaste is bitter aloe,

And over spontaneity the delight of taste

Though at the first sensation, she is tart and sharp.

تَرمي فَتَقصِدُ مَن لَهُ قَصَدَت

جَمَّ المِراحِ دَريرَةَ السَهمِ

She throws and aims at whoever she intended

She strikes her target—the one she meant to hit—

The truer of steps, swift of arrow

With abundant joy, swift as a driven arrow.

فَعَلامَ تَذهَلُ عَن مُشَعشَعَةٍ

وَتَهيمُ في طَلَلٍ وَفي رَسمِ

So why are you confused about a shining one

Why then turn blindly from the radiant wine,

And obsessed with ruins and drawings

To wander lost in love for ruins and for dust?

تَصِفُ الطُلولَ عَلى السَماعِ بِها

أَفَذو العِيانِ كَأَنتَ في العِلمِ

You describe hopes through hearing about her

You describe the ruins only by what you hear;

More eloquent than seeing as if you have knowledge

Is the eyewitness equal to your second-hand lore?

وَإِذا وَصَفتَ الشَيءَ مُتَّبِعاً

لَم تَخلُ مِن زَلَلٍ وَمِن وَهمِ

And if you describe something following

For when you describe a thing as a mere mimic,

You will not lack errors and delusions

You shall not escape from error and illusion.