ما في وُقوفِكَ ساعَةً مِن باسِ
نَقضي ذِمامَ الأَربُعِ الأَدراسِ
In your standing not an instant with weariness
We fulfill the reins of the four friends
فَلَعَلَّ عَينَكَ أَن تُعينَ بِمائِها
وَالدَمعُ مِنهُ خاذِلٌ وَمُواسِ
Perhaps your eye will aid with its water
While tears from it are failing and scarce
لا يُسعِدُ المُشتاقَ وَسنانُ الهَوى
يَبِسُ المَدامِعِ بارِدُ الأَنفاسِ
The new moon gladdens not the longing one
The cool breaths wither the tears
إِنَّ المَنازِلَ ساوَرَتها فُرقَةٌ
أَخلَت مِنَ الآرامِ كُلَّ كِناسِ
The dwellings had been parted by separation
That emptied every settlement of tranquility
مِن كُلِّ ضاحِكَةِ التَرائِبِ أُرهِفَت
إِرهافَ خوطِ البانَةِ المَيّاسِ
From every smiling damsel I was startled
Like the startling of the maker’s outstretched hand
بَدرٌ أَطاعَت فيكَ بادِرَةَ النَوى
وَلَعاً وَشَمسٌ أولِعَت بِشِماسِ
A full moon obeyed in you the gesture of purpose
Passionately and a sun ignited with flames
بِكرٌ إِذا اِبتَسَمَت أَراكَ وَميضُها
نَورَ الأَقاحي في ثَرىً ميعاسِ
The early dawn when she smiles seeing you
The light of her brightness in dusty soil
وَإِذا مَشَت تَرَكَت بِصَدرِكَ ضِعفَ ما
بِحُلِيِّها مِن كَثرَةِ الوَسواسِ
And when she walks she leaves upon your chest some
Of her adornments’ burdens and preoccupations
قالَت وَقَد حُمَّ الفِراقُ فَكَأسُهُ
قَد خولِطَ الساقي بِها وَالحاسي
She said, and farewell had been mixed so its cup
Was blended by the pourer and the taster
لا تَنسَيَن تِلكَ العُهودَ فَإِنَّما
سُمّيتَ إِنساناً لِأَنَّكَ ناسي
Do not forget those covenants, for it was
You were named human for you are forgetful
إِنَّ الَّذي خَلَقَ الخَلائِقَ قاتَها
أَقواتَها لِتَصَرُّفِ الأَحراسِ
The One who created creatures made
Their livelihoods for the変management of the watchful
فَالأَرضُ مَعروفُ السَماءِ قِرىً لَها
وَبَنو الرَجاءِ لَهُم بَنو العَبّاسِ
The earth is the sky’s known abode
And the Abbasids are the sons of hope
القَومُ ظِلُّ اللَهِ أَسكَنَ دينَهُ
فيهِم وَهُم جَبَلُ المُلوكِ الراسي
The people are God’s shade; He settled His religion
In them, and they are the enduring mountain
في كُلِّ جَوهَرَةٍ فِرِندٌ مُشرِقٌ
وَهُمُ الفِرِندُ لِهَؤُلاءِ الناسِ
In every brilliant jewel is a shining facet
And they are the facet for these people
هَدَأَت عَلى تَأميلِ أَحمَدَ هِمَّتي
وَأَطافَ تَقليدي بِهِ وَقِياسي
My aspiration calmed in extolling Ahmed
And my following him and measuring myself to him
بِالمُجتَبى وَالمُصطَفى وَالمُستَرى
لِلحَمدِ وَالحالي بِهِ وَالكاسي
With the Chosen One, the Selected, the Concealed
For praise, wearing him, and being his associate
وَالحَمدُ بُردُ جَمالٍ اِختالَت بِهِ
غُرَرُ الفَعالِ وَلَيسَ بُردَ لِباسِ
And praise is the coolness of beauty he was adorned with
Gems of action, not the coolness of garb
فَرعٌ نَما مِن هاشِمٍ في تُربَةٍ
كانَ الكَفيءَ لَها مِنَ الأَغراسِ
A branch grew from Hashim in soil
Whose match from trees would have been fitting
لا تَهجُرُ الأَنواءُ مَنبِتَها وَلا
قَلبُ الثَرى القاسي عَلَيها قاسي
The minarets do not abandon their terrain
Nor does the hard ground act harshly toward it
وَكَأَنَّ بَينَهُما رَضاعَ الثَدي مِن
فَرطِ التَصافي أَو رَضاعَ الكاسِ
As if between them is the suckling of a breast from
The excess of affinity or the suckling of a cup
نَورُ العَرارَةِ نَورُهُ وَنَسيمُهُ
نَشرُ الخُزامى في اِخضِرارِ الآسِ
The light of virtuousness is his light and his breeze
Is the scattering of meadows in verdure
أَبلَيتَ هَذا المَجدَ أَبعَدَ غايَةٍ
فيهِ وَأَكرَمَ شيمَةٍ وَنِحاسِ
You have worn out this glory to its farthest extent
In it, and most generously its quality and essence
إِقدامَ عَمرٍو في سَماحَةِ حاتِمٍ
في حِلمِ أَحنَفَ في ذَكاءِ إِياسِ
The resolve of ‘Amr in Hatem’s magnanimity
In the forbearance of Ahnaf and the intellect of Ayyas
لا تُنكِروا ضَربي لَهُ مِن دونِهِ
مَثَلاً شَروداً في النَدى وَالباسِ
Do not deny that I strike for him apart from him
An example wandering in dew and garb
فَاللَهُ قَد ضَرَبَ الأَقَلَّ لِنورِهِ
مَثَلاً مِنَ المِشكاةِ وَالنِبراسِ
For God has struck the lesser light as an example
Of the niche and the lamp
إِن تَحوِ خَصلَ المَجدِ في أَنفِ الصِبا
يا اِبنَ الخَليفَةِ يا أَبا العَبّاسِ
If the traits of glory transform in the breath of youth
O son of the Caliph, O Abu al-‘Abbas
فَلَرُبَّ نارٍ مِنكُمُ قَد أُنتِجَت
في اللَيلِ مِن قَبَسٍ مِنَ الأَقباسِ
For by you many fires have been kindled
In the night from an ember of the embers
وَلَرُبَّ كِفلٍ في الخُطوبِ تَرَكتَهُ
لِصِعابِها حِلساً مِنَ الأَحلاسِ
And many shoulders in calamities you have left
To their difficulties, laughing from the laughters
أَمدَدتَهُ في العُدمِ وَالعُدمُ الجَوى
بِالجودِ وَالجودُ الطَبيبُ الآسي
You stretched him in non-existence - and non-existence is enlivened
By generosity, and generosity is the healing physician
آنَستَهُ بِالدَهرِ حَتّى إِنَّهُ
لَيَظُنُّهُ عُرساً مِنَ الأَعراسِ
You consoled him with fate until he
Thinks it a wedding from the weddings
غَلَبَ السُرورُ عَلى هُمومي بِالَّذي
أَظهَرتَ مِن بِرّي وَمِن إيناسي
Joy has overcome my worries with what
You have shown of righteousness and intimacy
عَدَلَ المَشيبُ عَلى الشَبابِ وَلَم يَكُن
مِن كَبرَةٍ لَكِنَّهُ مِن ياسِ
Old age ruled over youth but it was not
From aging, though it was from despair
أَثَرُ المَطالِبِ في الفُؤادِ وَإِنَّما
أَثَرُ السِنينَ وَوَسمُها في الراسِ
The effect of aspirations is in the heart; indeed
Only the effect of years and their marking on the head
فَالآنَ حينَ غَرَستُ في كَرَمِ الثَرى
تِلكَ المُنى وَبَنَيتُ فَوقَ أَساسِ
Now when I have planted in the soil’s vine
Those wishes and built over a foundation
