مالَ وَاِحتَجَب
وَاِدَّعى الغَضَب
He turned away and claimed anger
If only he would explain
لَيتَ هاجِري
يَشرَحُ السَبَب
His reproach is pleasure
If only he would reproach
عَتبُهُ رِضىً
لَيتَهُ عَتَب
To sow between us
Lies and doubts
عَلَّ بَينَنا
واشِياً كَذَب
Or unfounded accusations
That breed suspicion
أَو مُفَنِّداً
يَخلُقُ الرِيَب
For one who slanders
His tears are rainclouds
مَن لِمُدنِفٍ
دَمعُهُ سُحُب
He went to bed weary
His concern is play
باتَ مُتعَباً
هَمُّهُ اللَعِب
Vinegar and honey
Are the same to him
يَستَوي خَلٍ
عِندَهُ وَصَب
I tasted his aloofness
Without taking offense
ذُقتُ صَدَّهُ
غَيرَ مُحتَسِب
I was straitened by him
By messengers and books
ضِقتُ فيهِ بِالر
رُسلِ وَالكُتُب
Whenever he walked
The twigs were abashed
كُلَّما مَشى
أَخجَلَ القُضُب
Between his eyes
And the moles were ancestry
بَينَ عَينِهِ
وَالمَها نَسَب
The water of his cheek
Quenched flames
ماءُ خَدِّهِ
شَفَّ عَن لَهَب
Bearer of wine
Drinking it is a duty
ساقِيَ الطِلا
شُربُها وَجَب
Bring it full
The goblets overflowing
هاتِها مَشَت
فَوقَها الحِقَب
Babylonian
Exhaling the seeds of love
بابِلِيَّةً
تَنفُثُ الحَبَب
Indeed its generosity
Adam plucked grapes
إِنَّ كَرمَها
آدَمُ العِنَب
It was refined so its
Manners are courtesy
هُذِّبَت فَفي
دَنِّها الأَدَب
Offer it to a youth
The best drinker
اِسقِها فَتىً
خَيرَ مَن شَرِب
Whenever arrogance grew
Moderation restrained it
كُلَّما طَغى
راضَها الحَسَب
Worshipers or
Amazing spectacle
عابِدينَ أَم
هالَةٌ عَجَب
Its family is guidance
And sublime glory
أُسُّهُ الهُدى
وَالعُلا طُنُب
Overlooking humanity
Filling the horizons
مُشرِفُ الذُرى
مائِجُ الرَحَب
His Lord stood
Lifting the veils
قامَ رَبُّهُ
يَرفَعُ الحُجُب
At His throne
A throne of clouds
عِندَ عَرشِهِ
عَرشُ مِنحُتُب
Below His glory
Follows triumph
دونَ عِزِّهِ
تُبَّعُ الغَلَب
The nobles among
His distinguished delegates
السُراةُ مِن
وَفدِهِ النُخَب
Around a platform
Rightfully sought
حَولَ سُدَّةٍ
حَقُّها الرَغَب
There the non-Arab and Arab
Are harmonized
طابَ عِندَها ال
عُجمُ وَالعَرَب
And the signs of lineage
Among the loins are content
وَاِرتَضى المَلا
مِن بَني الصُلُب
Among their kindness
A flock scattered
مِن حِسانِهِم
سِربٌ اِنسَرَب
Between a planet
Dragging its tail
بَينَ كَوكَبٍ
يَسحَبُ الذَنَب
Near Aldebaran
Of charming moles
عِندَ جُؤذَرٍ
فاتِنِ الشَنَب
Near Shedar
Baring its fangs
عِندَ شادِنٍ
حاسِرِ اللَبَب
Forbidden roams
Wherever it wanders
تَذهَبُ النُهى
أَينَما ذَهَب
Attracting the signs
Whenever it jumps
يَلفِتُ المَلا
كُلَّما وَثَب
In tresses of silk
Like combed wool
في غَلائِلٍ
سُندُسٍ قُشُب
Below them no
Willpower remains
دونَهُنَّ لا
يَثبُتُ اليَلَب
His breast settled
His shoulder quivered
قَرَّ نَهدُهُ
عِطفُهُ اِضطَرَب
His waist swayed
His chest flowed
خَصرُهُ هَبا
صَدرُهُ صَبَب
Prohibition ran
His gait ambled
يُركِضُ النُهى
مَشيُهُ الخَبَب
Handsome as
Described in books
رائِعاً كَما
شاءَ في الكُتُب
Drawn to
Its likeness
آنِساً إِلى
شِبهِهِ اِنجَذَب
It hides him
Wherever he turns
يَستَخِفُّهُ
أَينَما اِنقَلَب
A troubadour of
Carefully chosen melodies
مُطرِبٌ مِنَ ال
لَحنِ مُنتَخَب
He gathers the signs
Summons the absent
يَجمَعُ المَلا
يُحضِرُ الغَيَب
None seduced the moles
Before it enchanted
ما حَدا المَها
قَبلَهُ طَرِب
O son of the best father
O father of the outstanding
يا اِبنَ خَيرِ أَب
يا أَبا النُجُب
You are the seal
For the villages were created
أَنتَ حاتِمٌ
لِلقِرى اِنتَدَب
Among his brothers
All that is required
في خِوانِهِ
كُلُّ ما يَجِب
No domes stood over
The likes of him
لَم تَقُم عَلى
مِثلِهِ القُبَب
He brought down rain
And it never depleted
أَنهَلَ البَرا
يا وَما نَضَب
He fed humanity
Never saying barren
أَطعَمَ الوَرى
لَم يَقُل جَدَب
They have no echo
No lack among them
ما بِهِم صَدىً
ما بِهِم سَغَب
Rise, Abu Nuwas
Behold the sprouts
قُم أَبا نُواس
أُنظُرِ النَشَب
What is fertile, what is
The sea with bubbles
ما الخَصيبُ ما ال
بَحرُ ذو العُبُب
Did you know it
Raining gold
هَل عَهِدتَهُ
يُمطِرُ الذَهَب
This is the garden
That flourished
ذا هُوَ الجَنا
بُ الَّذي خَصَب
Its meadow shaded
The lands
ظَلَّلَ الوَرى
رَوضُهُ الأَشِب
Best caller
Best mentor
خَيرُ مَن دَعا
خَيرُ مَن أَدَب
Lord of Egypt, live
And reach old age
رَبَّ مِصرٍ عِش
وَاِبلُغِ الأَرَب
Your nights
Are still anticipated
لَم تَزَل لَيا
ليكَ تُرتَقَب
The likes of its purity
Time never granted
مِثلَ صَفوِها الدَ
دَهرُ ما وَهَب
Show it to us
Repeatedly
أَحَبِّها لَنا
عِدَّةَ الشُهُب
Most eloquent poet
He rushed it to
هاكَ مِدحَةُ الش
شاعِرِ الأَرِب
The best suitor
In the Persian style
زَفَّها إِلى
خَيرِ مَن خَطَب
Outshining the Arabs
No poet brought
فارِسِيَّةً
بَزَّتِ العَرَب
The like of it in gold
If you consider it
لَم يَجِئ بِها
شاعِرٌ ذَهَب
You will hear wonder
But it is only
إِن تُراعِها
تَسمَعِ العَجَب
Some of what is owed
بَيدَ أَنَّها
بَعضُ ما وَجَب
