جَيْشُ المَلَاحَةِ مَقْرُونٌ بهِ الظَّفَرُ

كَذاكَ قَالتْ لَنا الأَحْدَاقُ والطُّرَرُ

The army of glory is accompanied by victory

Thus the eyes and the knights have told us

فَاذْهَبْ إِذَا أَراكَ الحُسْنُ بَارِقَةً

فَإِنَّ دَمْعَكَ إِنْ تَسْتَسقها المَطَرُ

So go, if beauty appears radiant to you

For your tears, if the rain were to ask for them

وَنَادِ ظَبْيَ النَّقَا إِنْ عَنَّ مُلْتَفِتاً

يَا نُزْهَةَ العَيْنِ لَوْلَا الدَّمْعُ والسَّهَرُ

And call the gazelle of the sand dunes if it turns away heedlessly

O delight of the eye, if not for tears and vigilance

إِنّي أَبُثُّكَ مِنْ شَرْحِ الهَوَى طُرَفاً

فَبَعْضُ أَيْسَره عِنْدِي لَهُ سِيَرُ

I confide to you some of the agony of passion

For me, part of its easiness is extremely difficult

سَهْلٌ وُقُوعُ الفَتَى لكِنْ تَخَلُّصُهُ

صَعْبُ المَرامِ بَطِيءٌ سَيْرُهُ عَسِرُ

It is easy for the youth to fall, but his deliverance

Is hard to attain, its journey arduous

حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَفُزْ بِالصَّبْرِ حَامِلُهُ

رَامَ السُّلوَّ وَقَدْ لا يُسْعِدُ القَدَرُ

Until, when the one carrying it does not succeed through patience

He seeks solace, though fate may not bless

فإِنْ يَفُتْهُ يَمُتْ وَجْداً وإِنْ ظَفَرَتْ

بِهِ يَداهُ تَبقَّى عِنْدَهُ أَثَرُ

If he misses it, he dies of anguish, and if

His hands attain it, its traces remain with him

إِنّي وَإِنْ كُنْتُ أَنْهَى النَّاسَ عَنْ كَلَفٍ

فإِنَّ لِي في الهَوَى شَأْناً لَهُ خَبَرُ

Though I discourage people from burdening themselves

I have in passion an affair that has knowledge of it

وَنَاظِراً بِتُّ في تَسْهِيدِهِ قَلقاً

أَلُومُهُ ثُمَّ أَسْتَحْيي فَأَعْتَذِرُ

I look at the cheeks in their adornment anxious

I blame them, then become shy and apologize

يا حَبَّذَا مَعْهَدٌ لِلْحُسْنِ ما دَرَسَتْ

رُسُومُهُ وَسَقَاهُ الدِّلُّ والخَفَرُ

O would that there was a place for beauty not worn down

By its customs, watered by the shadows and moonlight

يَرُوقُ لِلْحُسْنِ حَتَّى تُجْتَلَى غُرَرٌ

بِسُوقِهِ وهُوَ لَوْ يَدْرِي بِهَا غَرَرُ

Beauty is pleasing until hidden dangers are uncovered

In its features, though if it knew of them, it would be wary

سَاقَتْهُ نَحْوَ أباطِيلِ المُنَى صُوَرٌ

مِنْ حُسْنِهَا تُلِيَتْ في حُبِّهِ سُوَرُ

It has led him to the unrealities of wishes, images

Of its beauty which when adorned with its love are secure

لاَ ذَنْبَ لِلعَيْنِ بَلْ لِلْقَلْبِ مَا خُلِقَتْ

إلّا لِيُدْرِكَ مَا يُبْدِي لَهُ البَصَرُ

The eye is not to blame, but rather the heart created

Only to realize what sight shows it

فَالقَدُّ فَالجِيدُ فالخَدُّ المُوَّردُ فَال

أَصْدَاغُ فالثَّغْرُ فالأَجْفَاُن فَالحَوَرُ

So the stature, the neck, the blushed cheek, the

Sides of the mouth, the lips, the eyelids, the eyes

مَنازِلٌ ما سَرَتْ في حَيِّها مُهَجٌ

إِلَّا وأَوْقَفَها في حُبِّهِ الفِكَرُ

Are stages, none of which a passion has moved through

Without pausing in its love and reflection

وَأَهْيَفَ كُلُّ قَلْبٍ في مَحَبَّتِهِ

عَانٍ وكُلُّ دَمٍ في حُبِّهِ هَدَرُ

And every heart has fallen in love with it

Yearning, and every tear for its love flows

أَفْكَرْتُ مُذْ غَابَ عَنِّي وَجْهُهُ سَهَرِي

حَيْثُ الكَرَى مُذْ تَغيبُ الشَّمْسُ يُنْتَظَرُ

Since his face disappeared from me I have thought in my vigil

Where al-Kara is, since the sun disappears it is expected

سَهْلُ العَرِيكَةِ مِثْلُ البَدْرِ في عُمرٍ

فَمَا أَلمَّ بِهِ كِبْرٌ وَلاَ كِبَرُ

Sahlu al-Arīkah is like the full moon in lifetime

So neither old age nor senility has afflicted it

لَوْلَا النُّهَى وظُنون الكاشِحين بِنا

لَكَانَ وِرْدُ الهَوَى مَا عَنْهُ لِي صَدَرُ

If not for the prohibition and the suspecting gazes of critics

The visitation of love would be unceasing for me

لَيْسَ السِّيَادَةُ في سُودِ العُيونِ وَلَا

بِالخَمْرِ يَرْفَعُ عَنْ وَجْهِ النُّهَى الخُمُرُ

Glory lies not in black eyes, nor does

Wine lift the veil of prohibition from the face

يَا ساقِي الشَّرْب عطِّلْها فَقَدْ جُلِيَتْ

بِغَيْرِ ذاتِ الحبابِ النَّفْسُ والفِكَرُ

O cupbearer, cease it, for without the beloved's

Cheek, the soul and thoughts are revealed

وَيا ظِباءَ الحِمَى لَا السَّرْبُ يُطْمِعُنِي

مِنْهُ السَّرابُ وَلَا مِنْ جِيرة الحَوَرُ

And O roe deer of the sanctuary, neither mirage

Nor an echo from the neighbor charms me

وَيَا غُصُونَ النَّقا لا أَصْلُكُنَّ هُوَ ال

ظِّلُّ الظَّلِيلُ ولا الحُلْوُ الجَنَى الثَّمَرُ

O branches of the sand dunes, he is not

The shade of shade, nor the sweetness of fruit

وَيا دِيارَ الحِمَى شُطِّي أَوِ اقْتَربي

إنْ شاءَ جَادَكِ أَوْ لا جَادَكِ المَطَرُ

And O land of the sanctuary, come closer or farther

If your rain cloud wills, or does not spill its rain

لِي هِمَّةٌ في العُلى لا طالَ لي عُمْرٌ

إنْ كانَ في سَاعِدي عَنْ نَيْلِها قِصَرُ

I have ambition for the heights, no length of life is long

If my arm falls short of attaining it

وَلَيْس تَضْمَرُ لِي خَيْلٌ وَلَا إِبِلٌ

ما تُضْمِر المُعْزَماتِ البيضُ والسُّمُرُ

I have no horses or camels harboring

What white and brown steeds harbor of determination

قالوا الشَّبيبةُ عَنْ دَعْواهُ تَزْجُرُهُ

لَقَدْ صَدقْتُمْ وَلكِنْ لَيْس يَزْدَجِرُ

They said: Youthfulness will deter him from his claim

You spoke truthfully, but it will not deter me

إِنَّ الّذي لَمْ يَزلْ في عَزْمِهِ كِبَرٌ

ما ضَرَّهُ إِنْ يَكُنْ في سنِّهِ صِغَرُ

For he in whom determination has always been greatness

Is not harmed if his age be small

لِي بالأَميرِ أَدامَ اللَّهُ رِفْعَتَهُ

عِزٌّ مُنيفٌ بِهِ أَسْطُو وأَقْتَدِرُ

Through the Prince, may God perpetuate his glory, I have

Honor enabling me, through which I gain power

وَإِنَّكَ ابْنُ جَلا لكنْ عُرِفْتَ فَلَا

تُلْقِ العَمَامَة أَنَّى يُجْهَلُ القَمَرُ

You are the son of nobility, but you were recognized thus disguise not

The turban however the moon may be unknown