اللَيل حَيث حَلَلنَ فيهِ نَهارُ

فلذا اللَيالي وصلهنَّ قِصارُ

The night where day infiltrated

So the nights were shortened

يا صاحِ أَبصر في السَرابِ ضَعائِنا

كالدُرِّ يَطفو فَوقَهُ التَيّارُ

O companion, see in the mirage our prey

Like pearls floating atop the current

تَقِف العُيون إِذا وَقفن وَأَينَما

دارَت بِهِنَّ العيس فَهيَ تُدارُ

The eyes stop when they stop, and wherever

The rein turned them, they turn

أَرَأَيتَ مِن عنّفت فيهِ فَقالَ لي

أَما الوجوهُ فَإِنَّها أَقمارُ

Have you seen one I reproached, so he said to me

“Surely the faces are moons”

فاسفح بِنَجدٍ ماء عينك إِنَّما

لِلعامِرِيَّة كل نَجدٍ دارُ

So pour from your spring what water your eye has

For every spring in Najd has a house

وَلَها بِهِ مِن كل ماء مَشرَبٍ

وَبِكُلِّ مَسقَطِ مزنةٍ آثارُ

And for it through every drink of water

And in every place of descent, traces

قَومٌ إِذا ما المُزن طَنَّب طَنَّبوا

أَو سارَ نَحوَ دِيار قَومٍ ساروا

A people, if the tambourines sounded, they sounded

Or if it marched to the abode of a people, they marched

فتوقَّ أَعين عامِر وَسُيوفها

كُلٌّ وَجدّك صارِم بَتّارُ

So the eyes of 'Amir and its swords awoke

Each, your ferocious, cutting blade

إِيّاك إِيّاكَ العُيون فَإِنَّها

قَضُبٌ وَأَشفار الجُفونِ شفارُ

Beware, beware of the eyes, for they

Are canes, and the eyelids' edges blades

لَم أَدرِ إِذ وَدَّعنَني أَمُقبِّل

لِحَلاوَة في الريق أَم مُشتارُ

I did not know, when he bade me farewell, was he kissing

For sweetness of saliva, or chewing

أَلبَسنَني سِربال ضَمٍّ ما لَهُ

إِلّا رُؤوسَ نُهودِها إِزرارُ

It dressed me in a gown of intimacy, having

Nothing but the tips of its breasts as trim

أَجني الرِضابُ مِنَ الغُصونِ وَحَبَّذا

تِلكَ الغُصونُ وَحَبَّذا الأَثمارُ

I pick fruits from the branches, and excellent

Are those branches, excellent the fruits

في رَوضَةٍ جمَعَت لمرتاد الصَبا

مَرأىً يُحِلُّ لِمِثلِهِ وَيُسارُ

In a garden it gathered for the frequenter of youth

A view fitting for its like and amenable

بوجوهن ووشيهن وَنَورِها

إِنَّ الثَلاثة عِندَك النَوارُ

With their faces, cheeks, and light

The three for you are illuminators

إِن أَظلمت قطع الرِياض أَضالَها

نُوّارِها فَكَأَنَّها الأَنوارُ

If the gardens' lights misguided it in darkness

It is as if they are the illuminators

وَتَمازَجَت حَتّى كَأَنَّ قطينها

مِمّا تَضَمَّنَ نَبت أَرضٍ قارُ

And they mingled until it was as if their origin

Was from what an established land's vegetation comprised

مِن كُلِّ بَدرٍ يَستَسِرُّ زَمانه

وَلِكُلِّ بَدرٍ مَطلَعٌ وَسِرارُ

From every full moon hiding its time

Each full moon has a rise and decline

لا يُرتَجى درك لِثاري عِندَهُ

جَرح الحَداثَة وَالمهاة جَبارُ

Vengeance for my wounds is not hoped for from him

The wound of passion and deadly infatuation, formidable

في طَرفِها يَقضي غرار من كَرىً

وَلِكُلِّ ماضي الشَفرَتَين غرارُ

In its glance settles the stirring of worries

And for every past, the two lids have stirring

أَرَأَيتَ طَرفِكَ ناشِب أَم سائِف

أَم نافِث لِلسِحرِ أَم خَمّارُ

Have you seen your glance, fixated or roving

Or emitting sorcery, or winking

قَد كُنتَ أَعذَل في الهَوى قِدَماً وَقَد

يُرمى الطَبيبُ بِغَيرِ ما يُختارُ

You had been most helpless in love before

And the doctor is blamed without choosing

خُضتُ الأُمورَ وَعمتُ في غَمراتِها

وَمِنَ الأُمورِ مَخائِض وَغمارُ

I waded into the matters and plunged into its depths

And some matters give birth and some are murky

فَرَأَيت دَهري قَد يُضيء وَلَيسَ مِن

شأن الزَمان الضوء وَالأَسفارُ

So I saw my lifetime illuminating and not from

The nature of time, illumination and revelation

ما عذره أَلّا يُضيءَ وَفضله

عُقدٌ عَلى جيد الزَمانِ مُدارُ

It does not apologize for not illuminating, but its superiority

Is a necklace around the lifetime's neck, revolving

وَصَحوتُ مِن سكر الصِبا وَلَرُبَّما

يَعتادَني في الحين مِنهُ خُمارُ

And I awoke from the intoxication of youth, and perhaps

Its tipsiness would accustom me presently

وَحصرتُ نَفسي بالعفاف عَن الَّتي

تصم الكَريم وَفي العفاف حِصارُ

And I restricted myself to chastity from her

Who clothes the generous, and in chastity, siege

فَظفرت مِن كف المُظَفَّرِ بِالمُنى

إِذ ساعدت بِلِقائِهِ الأَقدارُ

So I won from the hand of the victorious the wish

When the destinies helped meet it

ملك له مِنَنٌ تَمَلَّكَني بِها

وَبِمِثلِها يُتَمَلَّكُ الأَحرارُ

A king who possessed favors that possessed me

And with its like the noble are possessed

أَضحى مقراً لِلضيوفِ وَمالُهُ

ضَيف فَلَيسَ لَهُ لديهِ قَرارُ

It became a place for guests while its money

Was a guest, so it has no stability with it

ينبيك عَنه وَلَو تَنَكَّرَ بشره

إِنَّ البَشاشَةَ لِلكَريمِ شِعارُ

Its cheerfulness indicates it even if its skin disguises

For cheer is the mark of the generous

في قَلبِهِ عَن كُلِّ سوءٍ زاجِرٌ

وَبِفِعلِ كُلِّ فَضيلة أَضرارُ

In his heart preventing any evil

And in doing every virtue, harmful

مَغرىً بإحياء النَدى فيميته

إِنَّ الأَمانَةَ لِلنَّدى إِنشارُ

Tempting to revive moistness and killing it

For loyalty is to moistness, betrayal

صَلى اللَهُ فَإِنَّه

مَن رأيه تَتَبَيَّنُ الأَسرارُ

It did not embellish parchment except his pens

Hands of enemies, inimical upon it, tossing

ما اختارَهُ المَولى عَلى نُضرائِهِ

حَتّى اِرتَضاهُ الواحِدُ القَهَّارُ

And his pens rumble in his parchment

In darkness, their profitable places, lights

جمع الإِلَه لَهُ العُلى وَبِهِ كَما

جُمِعَت بِطرفِ الرَقدِةِ الأَشفارُ

So their shrieking in our hearing is from its beauty

Melody, and in the hearing of enemies, fire

فالوَجهُ بَدرٌ وَالعَزيمَةُ صارِمٌ

وَالكَفُّ بر وَالبَنانُ بِحارُ

It cuts down lions, weakened,

And snakes' venom prolongs, shortened

يعدي اللَئيمَ بِجودِهِ فَلَو أَنَّهُ

حَجَرٌ جَرَت في عَرضِهِ الأَنهارُ

The exhausted flees from the swords in his palm

And gets tired in another's hand, the cutting blade

كتم النَوال وَقَد أَتاهُ تَظَرُّفاً

فَكَأَنَّ إِظهار النَوال العارُ

For the claws in the lion of battle's hand

Are canes, and in another's hands, nails

ما طَرَّزَ القرطاس إِلّا أَقلامه

أَيدي العدى مهجاً عَلَيهِ تُمارُ

It satisfies the battalion and his writing

And his toil, erasing, and crossing out

وَتَمُجُّ في قرطاسه أَقلامه

ظُلَماً مَواقِع نَفعِها أَنوارُ

Not all whom pens praise like the son of

'Ali, do pens praise, the gushing, intuitive pen

فَصَريرها في سَمعِنا مِن حُسنِهِ

نَغَمٌ وَفي سِمعِ الأَعادي نارُ

Why not ask the sons of dogs about his might

And the growling between both armies, kindled?

تَقِصُ اللُيوث الغلب وَهي ضَعائِف

وَتَطول سُمر الخُطِّ وَهيَ قِصارُ

And the whites float in the blood as if

They are seeds, and the spilled blood, potion

يَفري الكَليل مِنَ السُيوفِ بِكَفِّهِ

وَيَكِلُّ في يَد غَيرِهِ البَتّار

Two lands, then remnants and defeated,

And two heavens, bodies and limping

إِنَّ المَخالِب في يَدي لَيث الوَغى

قَضبٌ وَفي يَد غَيرِهِ أَظفارُ

The imam had mercy on you for the city, a mercy

By which hopes were watered, and it is heat

يَرضي الكَتيبة وَالكِتابَة سَعيه

وَعناؤُهُ وَالنَقض وَالأَمرارُ

In a horde the slain fell upon it

Darkness stirring its darkness, destinies

ما كُلُّ مَن حَمِدَتهُ كابنِ ع

ليٍّ الأَقلامُ يَحمَدُهُ القَنا الخَطّارُ

Its spears married pebbles, so

Between the stones and slippers sparked fire

هَلّا سَألت بَني كِلابٍ بأسَهُ

وَالنَقع بَينَ الجَحفَلَين مُثارُ

So it parented a son contradicting its origin

And its father, red, yellow dominating it

وَالبَيضُ تَطفو في الدِماءِ كَأَنَّها

حَبَبٌ وَمَسفوحِ الدِماء عِقارُ

Your spears race, creators in the defiance

Of sight, and in their lids are lashes

أَرضَينَ ثُمَّ تَرائِب وَحَواسِر

وَسماوَتَين جَوارِحُ وَعثارُ

The tongues guide each straying spear

To their throats, as if they are visions

رَحِمَ الإِمامُ بك المَدينة رَحمَةً

رويت بِها الآمال وَهيَ حِرارُ

And it has, over legs, striding, for

The anklets were raised, and the dust over dust

في جَحفَلٍ وَقع المَذاكي فوقه

ظُلماُ يثير ظَلامها المِقدارُ

It uncovers hearts as if they are

Between the hearts and them, a curtain

نَكَحَت سنابكها الحَصى فَتَوَلَّدَت

بَينَ الحِجارَةِ وَالنِعال النارُ

And penetrating into their cores

From where perceptions cannot penetrate

فأباهُما ولدٌ يُنافي أَصله

وَأَباهُ أَحمَرُ يَعتَليهِ صَفارُ

And as if your spear, when it penetrated them

Was a wire stringing them, and they are beads

تَعدو رِماحك خالِقاتٍ في العِدى

حَدقاً وَفي أَجفانِها أَشفارُ

They planted, and they harvested, so if they attempt

Again, this is the bet and racetrack

تَهدي الأَسِنَّة كُلُّ رمحٍ طائِشٍ

لِنحورهم فَكأَنَّها أَبصارُ

They schemed, but their striding did not benefit them

And they passed on, but their fleeing did not benefit them

وَلَهُ عَلى الأَقدامِ إِقدام وَقَد

رفع القَنا وَعَلا الغُبار غُبارُ

And you turned away from them victorious, while their hearts

In fear of you, a blazing army

تَجلو بِحَبّاتِ القلوبِ كَأَنَّها

بَينَ القُلوبِ وَبَينَهُنَّ سرارُ

The doves saw in you a chest like theirs

The sky's breadth, from it a minaret

وَمغلغلات في سويداواتها

مِن حيث لا تَتَغلغل الأَفكارُ

O you whose march and halt

The deserts and cities vie

وَكأَنَّ رمحك إِذ تَغَلغَل فيهم

سلك ينظمهم وَهم تقصارُ

For Damascus, your way has ardor and passion

Since the news pronounced your arrival

زَرَعوا وَقَد حَصَدوا فأن يَتَعَرَّضوا

أُخرى فهذي المهر وَالمُضمارُ

If not for dignity in Damascus and its people

They would have flown from overwhelming joy and flown

كَرّوا فَلَم يَنفعهم إِقدامهم

وَمَضوا فَلَم ينفعهم الإِدبارُ

And the meadows would have grown from it until, vacant

You upon it, a torrent overflowing

وَقفلت عَنهُم غانِماً وَقلوبهم

فيها لخوفك عَسكَرٌ جرارُ

I called you while difficulties surrounded

Me like an arm encompassing a bracelet

رَأَت الضَحاضِح مِنكَ صَدراً مِثلها

سعة ضياء الجَوِّ مِنهُ مَنارُ

My poetry was perplexed by your ascent for it

Is a sun, and the person's eye, then perplexed

يا ذا الَّذي لِمَسيره وَمَقامِهِ

تَتَحاسَد البَيداء وَالأَمصارُ

So relieve, Abu Al-Faraj, the difficulties, for they have

Become, in their twists, a wall turning upon me

لِدِمَشق نَحوَكَ صبوة وَصباوة

مُذ صَرَّحَت بِقُدومِكَ الأَخبارُ

Time conceals my virtues, as if I

And as if they in its heart, concealed

لَولا وَقارُ في دِمَشق وَأَهلها

طارَت لإِفراطِ السُرورِ وَطاروا

It weighed down my hearing from the words of its people

And composure in some matters is composure

وَنبت مِنها المَرجُ حَتّى خِلتَه

خَداً أَسيلاً أَنتَ فيهِ عذارُ

I did not fear except for supremacy, for

Aspiring to glories is for its loftiness eclipsing visions

إِنّي دَعوتك وَالخُطوب محيطة

بي مِثلَما ضَمَّ الذِراعُ سِوارُ

We ransom you from other than time, and you have not ceased

To ransoms like you lifetimes hoard

قَد حار شعري في علاك لأَنَّها

شَمسٌ وطرف المرء ثَمَّ يُحارُ

In them is what empowered them with generosity and life

O glorious, with which cities were adorned

فافرج أَبا الفرج الخُطوبِ فَقَد غَدَت

وَصروفها سورٌ عَليَّ تُدارُ

With such loftiness the dawn never shone

And the birds in its summit vied

يَخفي الزَمان فَضائِلي فَكَأَنَّني

وَكَأَنَّها في قَلبِهِ إَضمارُ

أَثقَلَت سَمعي عَن مَقالَة أَهلِهِ

وَالوَقرُ في بَعضِ الأُمورِ وَقارُ

لَم أَخَف إِلّا للعلو وَإِنَّما

تخطي السُهى لِعُلوِّهِ الأَبصارُ

نَفديكَ مِن غَيرِ الزَمانِ وَلَم تَزَل

لفداء مِثلَكَ تَذخر الأَعمارُ

فيهِنَّ ما خولن مِن كَرَمٍ وَعِش

يا ماجِداً زينت بِهِ الأَمصارُ

في رِفعَةٍ ما لاحَ صُبحٌ طالِع

وَتجاوَبَت في أَيكها الأَطيارُ