قَمَرٌ إِذا فَكرت فيهِ تَعتبا
وَإِذا رَآني في المَنام تَحَجبا
A moon, when I think of him, I blame
And when he sees me in a dream, he veils
صادَفتُهُ فَتَناوَلت لَحظاتُهُ
عَقلي وَأَعرض نافِراً مُتَحجبا
I met him and my mind grasped his glances
And turned away, aloof and veiled
منورد الوَجنات خشية ناظر
أَضحى بِريحان العذار منقبا
The light of gardens, fearing a watcher
Became cloaked in the basil of chastity
ساوَمتُهُ وَصلاً فَأَعجَم لِفظُهُ
وَأَظنَهُ عَن ضد ذَلِكَ أَعرَبا
I bargained with him for fellowship but his words were unclear
And I think he spoke the opposite of that
أَنا مِنهُ راضٍ بِالصُدود لِأَنَّني
أَجد الهَوان لَدى الهَوى مُستَعذِبا
I am content with his aloofness because
I find yearning is sweet in love
شَيئان حَدّث بِاللَطافة عَنهُما
عَتب الحَبيب وَعَهد أَيّام الصِبا
Two things he spoke of gently:
The beloved's reproach and the days of youth
وَثَلاثة حَدث بِطيب ثَنائِها
زَهر الرَبيع وَخَلق يُوسف وَالصِبا
And three he spoke of beautifully:
Spring flowers, Joseph's beauty, and youth
عَلّامة الآفاق مِن أَشعارِهِ
لِعُلومِهِ أَضحت طِرازاً مُذهبا
The signpost of horizons in his poetry
His knowledge made it gilded embellishment
مَن لَو أَصابَ البرا يَسر قَطرة
مِن راحَتيهِ عادَ رَوضاً مخصَبا
He who attained goodness, a drop
Of his comfort became a fertile meadow
مَن لَو نَظمت الشُهب فيهِ مَدائِحاً
لَظنَنت فكري قَد أَساءَ وَأَذنَبا
If I composed poems praising him
I would think my mind had erred and sinned
ما نَسمة سحرية شَحرية
باتَت تَعل مِن الغَمام الأَعذَبا
No magical, enchanting morning breeze
Spent the night rising from the sweetest cloud
نَشوانة ظلَّت تَجرر في الرُبا
ذَيلاً بمسكي الرِياض مطيبا
A gentle beauty trailing her dress
In the gardens' musky paths
يَوماً بِأَحسَن مِن صِفات جَنابِهِ
أَنّى تَداولها اللِسان وَأَطيَبا
One day with his most excellent traits
How could tongue express and make them sweet?
مَن ذا يُقاس بِماجد جعلت لَهُ
أَرضاً رِقاب الحاسِدين وَقَد أَبى
Who can compare to Majd who made
The necks of envious ones his land, and he refused?
