يُغالِبُني فَرط الغَرامِ عَلى الصَبرِ

وَلا صَبرَ لي عَن صورَةِ الشَمسِ وَالبَدرِ

The excess of passion prevails over my patience

And I have no patience for the image of the sun and the full moon

وَيَعذُلني في الحُبِّ خِلوٌ وَلَو دَرى

بِهِ كَفَّ عَن عَذلي وَقَصَّر عَن زَجري

And he blames me in love for being alone, if only he knew

It would stop his blaming and shorten his rebuke

تَحَيَّرتُ في أَمري وَإِنّي لَعارِفٌ

بِأَمريَ لَكِنّي غُلِبتُ عَلى أَمري

I was confused in my matter though I know

My matter, but I was overcome by my matter

وَصارَ عَليَّ القَلب وَالطَرفُ في الهَوى

نصيرين لِلظَّبيِ الَّذي لَجَّ في الهَجرِ

And my heart and gaze became in love

Allies of the gazelle that hid in estrangement

أَلا أَيُّها الظَمآنَ ها ماء مُقلَتي

وَيا قابِس النِيرانِ ها النار في صَدري

O you who thirst, here is the water of my skin bag

And kindler of fires, here is the fire in my chest

أَبى لِجُفوني فيك أَن تَطعم الكَرى

وَلِلقَلبِ أَن يَخلو مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالفِكرِ

My eyelids refused to be satiated by seeing you

And for the heart to be devoid of anxiety and thought

وَذُبتُ فَلَو أَلقَيتَ في كأسِ خمرةٍ

لما اغتصَّ بي في كأسِها شارِب الخَمرِ

And I wasted away so if you were poured in a cup of wine

The wine drinker would not have seized me in his cup

وَكَم لَذَّةٍ لي قَد نعمت بِطيبِها

وَلَم تَكُ فيما بَينَنا ريبة تَجري

And how much pleasure I enjoyed with its fragrance

And there was no doubt between us

تَطوفُ عَلَينا بِالمُدامِ سَبيَّةً

لَها جفن عَين قَد تَكَحَّل بِالسَحرِ

She came to us with drinks, captured

With an eyelid lined with magic

بدت تحت أَرواقِ الظَلامِ كَأَنَّما

يُواجِهُني مِن وَجهِها لَيلَةُ القَدرِ

She appeared under the arches of darkness as if

The night of decree encountered me from her face

وَلَيلٍ جثمنا تَحتَهُ فَتَطايَرَت

لوقَعَ المَطايا جاثِمات القطا الكُدري

And a night we crouched under it and blankets

Flew if the spotted camels lay down

تَسيرُ بِنا حَتّى إِذا عَزَّ جانِبٌ

مِنَ السَهلِ أَدَنتَنا إِلى جانِب الوَعرِ

It takes us until when the side

Of the plain brought us close to the rugged side

كَواكِبُ رَكبٍ في كَواكِبِ ظُلمَةٍ

تَسيرُ كَما تَسري وَتَجري كَما تَجري

Stars of a group among the stars of darkness

Go just as they go and run just as they run

إِلى سَيدٍ أَوفَت فأوفاني المُنى

إِلى عِزَّةٍ أَوفَت عَلى غُرَّة البَدرِ

To a master who fulfilled and fulfilled me wishes

To glory that fulfilled at the prime of the full moon

إِلى السَيِّدِ المِفضالِ وَالماجِدِ الَّذي

حَوى المَجدَ قدماً بِالمَفاخِرِ وَالقَدرِ

To the esteemed and glorious master who

Contained glory walking with pride and esteem

وَلَمّا ونت بُزل المَطايا حَثَثتُها

بِقَولي لَها سيري إِلى مَعدَنِ الفَخرِ

And when the camels' saddles creaked, I spurred them

With my words, "Go to the essence of pride."

فَلَمّا أَحَست أَنَّكَ القَصدُ أَسرعت

رواحاً وأغنتني عن السَوطِ والزَجرِ

So when she felt that you were the aim, she hastened

Running and spared me the whip and scolding

فَكانَ بِسَعدٍ لا بِنَجسٍ مَناخُها

عَلى بابِ مَن أَغنَت يَداهُ عَن القَطرِ

So with good fortune, not ill-omen was her stopping

At the door of one whose hands were spared from rain

كَريم لَه من أَظلم الناس شاعِرٌ

يُشبِّههُ بِالغَيثِ وَالقَطرِ وَالبَحرِ

A generous man whom the most unjust of people compare

To rain, dripping and sea

وَما زالَ ذا ذهب صَحيحٍ وَخاطِرٍ

وَذِكرٍ وَفِكرٍ لا يُقاسُ إِلى فِكرِ

And he still has flawless gold and thoughts

And mention and ideas that cannot be compared to any thought

وَإِن نابَ خَطبٌ لَم يَكُن دَفعُهُ سِوى

صدور العَوالي وَالمُهَنَّدَةِ البَترِ

And if adversity befell, repelling it would only be

With the determination of the lofty and sharp mountains

رمت صفحة الأَعراب كَفُّ سَحابه

بِسَهمِ النَدى فاهتَزَّ في صَفَحةِ الدَهرِ

The page of nomads was struck by the arrow of its clouds' palm

In the page of time, so it shuddered

أَديبٌ لَبيبٌ ماجِدٌ متكِرِّمٌ

كَريمٌ المحيّا طَيِّبُ الأصلِ وَالذِكرِ

A literary, rational, glorious and generous man

Generous, good-natured, of fine origin and mention

أَلا أَيُّها القيلُ الكَريمُ ومن سَما

بِمَجدٍ وَإِحسانٍ عَلى قِمَّةِ النَسرِ

O you noble, generous, who reached with glory

And benevolence the peak of the eagle

تَقيكَ الرَدى نَفسٌ عَلى كَريمة

تُحبُّكَ حُبَّ الأمن في زمن الذُعرِ

A soul that fears vileness protects you

And loves you with the love of safety in the time of horror

لَقَد رفع الرَحمَنُ قَدرُكَ في الوَرى

كَما في اللَيالي شُرِّفت ليلة القَدرِ

God has indeed raised your value in the world

As the night of decree was ennobled among the nights

فَإِن كنت في جنس البَرايا وفقتهم

فَلِلمِسكِ نَشرٌ لَيسَ يوجد في العِطرِ

So if you attained the prime of probity

Musk has a scattering not found in perfume

إِلَيكَ عَروساً في قَريضٍ زَفَفتُها

إِلَيكَ فَخُذ يا أَبرَعَ الناسِ بِالشُكرِ

As a bride in verses I presented her to you

To you, so receive, O most eloquent in gratitude

فَما عَزَّة الإِنسان إِلّا حَديثِهِ

فَعِش أَنتَ في خَيرِ الحَديثِ الَّذي يَجري

For man's glory is nothing but his speech

So you live in the best ongoing speech

وَعِش أَبَداً ما لاح في الجَوِّ طائِرٌ

وَما هتفت وَرقاء في غُصُنِ نَضرِ

And live forever for as long as a bird

Flies in the air and leaves rustle on a fresh branch