مِثالُكِ مِن طَيفِ الخَيالِ المُعاوِدِ
أَلَمَّ بِنا مِن أُفقِهِ المُتَباعِدِ
Your likeness recurs from the horizon of my fanciful thoughts
Afflicting me from its distant horizons
يُحَيِّ هُجوداً مُنتَشينَ مِنَ الكَرى
وَما نَفعُ إِهداءِ السَلامِ لَهاجِدِ
It revives ardent yearnings from the nominations of fate
And no use in greeting those who kneel in prayer
إِذا هِيَ مالَت لِلعِناقِ تَعَطَّفَت
تَعَطُّفَ أُملودٍ مِنَ البانِ مائِدِ
When she leans for an embrace, she shows affection
The affection of a graceful gazelle at a well-spread repast
إِذا وَصَلَتنا لَم تَصِل عَن تَعَمُّدٍ
وَإِن هَجَرَت أَبدَت لَنا هَجرَ عامِدِ
When she reaches us, she does not arrive deliberately
And when she deserts, she shows us intended desertion
تُقَلِّبُ قَلباً ما يَلينُ إِلى الصِبا
وَمَنزورَ دَمعٍ عَن جَوى الحُبِّ جامِدِ
She turns a heart that does not soften to youth
And tears that do not flow from the bosom of ardent love
تَمادى بِها وَجدي وَمُلِّكَ وَصلَها
خَلِيُّ الحَشا في وَصلِها جِدُّ زاهِدِ
My passion and possession went to her extremities
While the horseman in reaching her is an ascetic monk
وَما الناسُ إِلّا واجِدٍ غَيرُ مالِكٍ
لِما يَبتَغي أَو مالِكٌ غَيرُ واجِدِ
People are either desirous without possession
Or possessed without desire
سَقى الغَيثُ أَكنافَ الحِمى مِن مَحَلَّةٍ
إِلى الحِقفِ مِن رَملِ اللِوى المُتَقاوِدِ
The rain watered the environs of the sanctuary
From the sands of twisting sands to the still sands
وَلازالَ مُخضَرٌّ مِنَ الرَوضِ يانِعٌ
عَلَيهِ بِمُحمَرٍّ مِنَ النورِ جاسِدِ
Ever verdant from the meadows, lush
With redness of light upon it penetrating
يُذَكِّرُنا رَيّا الأَحِبَّةِ كُلَّما
تَنَفَّسَ في جُنحٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ بارِدِ
The scent of the loved ones reminds us whenever
It blows through wings of the cold night
شَقائِقُ يَحمِلنَ النَدى فَكَأَنَّهُ
دُموعُ التَصابي في خُدودِ الخَرائِدِ
Anemones carrying dew as though they are
Tears of the Pleiades on the cheeks of the maidens
وَمِن لُؤلُؤٍ في الأُقحُوانِ مُنَظَّمٍ
عَلى نُكَتٍ مُصفَرَّةٍ كَالفَرائِدِ
As though the produce of the apples in the brilliance of morning
Are golden coins from Tibet and far off lands
كَأَنَّ جَنى الحَوذانِ في رَونَقِ الضُحى
دَنانيرُ تِبرٍ مِن تُؤامِن وَفارِدِ
Encampments scattered in the gardens flourishing
With every sweet new water from pure springs
رِباعٌ تَرَدَّت بِالرِياضِ مَجودَةً
بِكُلِّ جَديدِ الماءِ عَذبِ المَوارِدِ
When a nice wind blows upon them, it reveals for it
Rills of a torrent flowing over them with purpose
إِذا راوَحَتها مُزنَةٌ بَكَرَت لَهّا
خَآبيبُ مُجتازٍ عَلَيها وَقاصِدِ
As though the hand of victory of the Khagan came
With those lightning bolts flashing
كَأَنَّ يَدَ الفَتحِ بنِ خاقانَ أَقبَلَت
تَليها بِتِلكَ البارِقاتِ الرَواعِدِ
Bestowing freely when he initiates grace
With the first of gifts recurring
مَلِيّاً إِذا ما كانَ بادِئَ نِعمَةٍ
بِكَرِّ العَطايا البادِئاتِ العَوائِدِ
I saw the dew become a confidante conforming
To its nature without a pact
رَأَيتُ النَدى أَمسى شَقيقاً مُناسِباً
لِأَخلاقِهِ دونَ الحَليفِ المُعاقِدِ
It wrapped itself above those standing so they
Yearned expectantly for the visiting delegation
تَلَفَّتَ فَوقَ القائِمينَ فَطالَهُم
تَشَوُّفُ بَسّامٍ إِلى الوَفدِ قاعِدِ
The loud voice makes people lower before him
Vessels of words like gentle winds
جَهيرُ الخِطابِ يَخفِضُ القَومُ عِندَهُ
مَعاريضَ قَولٍ كَالرِياحِ الرَواكِدِ
They wade in veneration, the tallest extend their hands
And the most dignified reveal themselves in the spectacles
يَخُضّونَ بِالتَبجيلِ أَطوَلَهُم يَداً
وَأَظهَرَهُم أُكرومَةً في المَشاهِدِ
And I did not see the like of men compete
To excellence until a thousand counted as one
وَلَم أَرَ أَمثالَ الرِجالِ تَفاوَتَت
إِلى الفَضلِ حَتّى عُدَّ أَلفٌ بِواحِدِ
No fault in his manners except he
Feels stranger's woe among them, with little aid
وَلا عَيبَ في أَخلاقِهِ غَيرَ أَنَّهُ
غَريبُ الأُسى فيها قَليلُ المُساعِدِ
The generosity of these manners, anger slept its sleep
In the breast of the envious plotter
مَكارِمُ هُنَّ الغَيظُ باتَ غَليلُهُ
يُضَرَّمُ في صَدرِ الحَسودِ المُكايِدِ
And you will not discern in fate a place of grace
If you do not guide yourself to it with an envier
وَلَن تَستَبينَ الدَهرَ مَوضِعَ نِعمَةٍ
إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُدلَل عَلَيها بِحاسِدِ
His outstanding view and his affability suffice
To a reliance on deficient poetry
كَفى رَأيُهُ الجُلّى وَأَلقى سَماحُهُ
نَفاقاً عَلى عِلقٍ مِنَ الشِعرِ كاسِدِ
My abode where hardship pitches its tent
Informs of the understanding of generous heroes
وَإِنَّ مُقامي حَيثُ خَيَّمتُ مِحنَةٌ
تُخَبِّرُ عَن فَهمِ الكِرامِ الأَجاوِدِ
And something of my craft is happening in my field
With which I capture the minds of wandering ode
وَكائِن لَهُ في ساحَتي مِن صَنيعَةٍ
قَطَعتُ بِها عُقلَ القَوافي الشَوارِدِ
And I rightfully deserve his public notice not to disregard me
When I address him lengthily with poems
وَإِنّي لَمَحقوقٌ بِأَلّا يَطولَني
نَداهُ إِذا طاوَلتُهُ بِالقَصائِدِ
I compose for him bracelets of ice as ornament
And string together his conversation in a threading of necklaces
يُحَكنَ لَهُ حَوكَ البُرودِ لِزينَةٍ
وَيُنظَمنَ عَن جَدواهُ نَظمَ القَلائِدِ
It suffices my blessed brother as reward when he mounts
Coursers of poetry above fate everlasting
وَحَسبُ أَخي النَعمى جَزاءً إِذا اِمتَطى
سَوائِرَ مِن شِعرٍ عَلى الدَهرِ خالِدِ
I possessed by it sympathy for foes and it created for me
Bonds of kinship in distant men
مَلَكتُ بِهِ وُدَّ العِدى وَأَجَدَّ لي
أَواصِرَ قُربى في الرِجالِ الأَباعِدِ
The beauty of nights in your survival so may
Your survival in a lifetime upon them endure
جَمالُ اللَيالي في بَقائِكَ فَليَدُم
بَقاؤُكَ في عُمرٍ عَلَيهِنَّ زائِدِ
And you have filled a life from my father victory he
Is of glorious lineage and slumbering forefathers
وَمُلّيتَ عَيشاً مِن أَبي الفَتحِ إِنَّهُ
سَليلُ العُلا وَالسُؤدُدِ المُتَراقِدِ
When he braces himself for glory, he braces himself with resolve
In which a glorious one succeeding glorious subsides
مَتى ما يَشِد مَجداً يَشِدهُ بِهِمَّةٍ
تَقَيَّلَ فيها ماجِداً بَعدَ ماجِدِ
And if he seeks far-reaching pursuits of glory
He attains it with sincere and fatherly exertion
وَإِن يَطَّلِب مَسعاةَ مَجدٍ بَعيدَةٍ
يَنَلها بِجَدٍّ أَريَحِيٍّ وَوالِدِ
As the palm of the giving hand extended
Its fingers to a shoulder in munificence and aid
كَما مُدَّتِ الكَفُّ المُضافُ بَنانُها
إِلى عَضُدٍ في المَكرُماتِ وَساعِدِ
It pleases you in guidance going toward rectitude
And satisfies you in anxiety rising to glory
يَسُرُّكَ في هَديٍ إِلى الرُشدِ ذاهِبٍ
وَيُرضيكَ في هَمٍّ إِلى المَجدِ صاعِدِ
He has movements necessitating that he
Will ascend as high as the full moon among those lying still
لَهُ حَرَكاتٌ موجِباتٌ بِأَنَّهُ
سَيَعلو عُلُوَّ البَدرِ بَينَ الفَراقِدِ
Appointments to days within him and my desire
To God in fulfilling those appointments
مَواعِدُ لِلأَيّامِ فيهِ وَرَغبَتي
إِلى اللَهِ في إِنجازِ تِلكَ المَواعِدِ
Could I be ungrateful for blessings openly manifest?
I am not one to deny hidden righteous deeds
أَأَجحَدُكَ النَعماءَ وَهيَ جَلِيَّةٌ
وَما أَنا لِلبِرِّ الخَفِيِّ بِجاحِدِ
Whenever I travel the countries on my she-camels
I find my driver plunging to you and my guide
مَتى ما أُسَيِّر في البِلادِ رَكائِبي
أَجِد سائِقي يَهوي إِلَيكَ وَقائِدي
The best of my store is your good opinion it
Is my lifeline to which I repair and renew
وَأَكرَمُ ذُخري حُسنُ رَأيِكَ إِنَّهُ
طَريفي الَّذي آوي إِلَيهِ وَتالِدي
