وَافَى وَأَرْواحُ العُذَيْبِ نَواسِمُ

وَاللَّيْلُ فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّبَاحِ مَباسِمُ

He came, and the spirits of Udhayb were smiling,

And the night contained glimpses of the dawn.

أَهْلاً بِمَنْ أَسْرَى بِهِ وَعْدٌ لَهُ

مُتَأخِّرٌ وَهَوَىً لَنَا مُتَقَادِمُ

Greetings to him whose promise carried him here -

Though late, the one my passion has desired.

قَدْ كُنْتُ أَقْنَعُ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِهِ بِمَا

يَهْدِيهِ في التَّأْوِيبِ طَيْفٌ قَادِمُ

When seeing him before, I would be content

With what to me his specter's coming inspired;

غِضّ الشَّبيبةِ وَالمَلاحَةِ يَعْذُرُ ال

مُضْنَى بِهِ وَيُلامُ فيهِ اللَّائِمُ

But youth and vigor pardon such constraint,

And none would blame the one by love inspired.

النَّضْرُ مِنْ أَعْطَافِهِ وَكِنَانَةٌ

بِلِحَاظِهِ وَلِمُهْجَتِي هُوَ هَاشِمُ

From his glances, grace, and by my inclination

To him, Hashim's line - forebears exemplary!

فَرْعٌ بِهِ أَصْلُ الصَّبَابَةِ هَلْ تَرَى

بِالقُرْبِ مِنْهُ لِجَمْعِ شَمْلٍ نَاظِمُ

Do you see, by his approach, the tribe's cohesion,

And order's restoration, his concern?

وَنَواظِرٌ هُنّ الذَّوابِلُ لَوْ دَرَى

مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ فَتكْنَ هُنَّ صَوَارِمُ

Were eyes like swords, they'd know whom they accused

Of violence in loving, scarcely hearing

أَمُعَنِّفِينَ عَلى الغَرَامِ وَقَلَّمَا

يُصْغِي لأَوْهَامِ العَوَاذِلِ هَائِمُ

Reason's protests. His eyes betray a lover,

And features where affection leaves its trace.

هُوَ نَاظِرٌ مُتَعَشِّقٌ وَجَوَانِحٌ

فِيهَا مَواطِنُ لِلْجَوَى وَمَعَالِمُ

My heart is passionately his, and I am passion's hostage,

Patience and reproach defying with disdain.

وَهَوَىً لِقَلْبِي غَارِمٌ أَنَا غَارِمٌ

صَبْرِي بِهِ وَأَخُو المَلامَةِ رَاغِمُ

Would I rein in my passion, though still fresh

And tender the shoot of life within his reign?

هَيْهَاتَ أَن أَثْني عَنَانِي وَالصِّبَا

غَضٌّ وَغُصْنُ العُمْرِ رَطْبٌ نَاعِمُ

Or lament my state, when she I love

Is ever true, heedless of rejection's pain?

أَوْ أَشْتَكِي حَالِي وَمَنْ أَحْبَبْتُهُ

أَبَداً لإِخْلافِ القُبُولِ مُلازِمُ

Or dread a matter in the town espied,

Where Bahauddin rules, Joseph of his age?

أَوْ أَخْتَشِي خَطْباً أَراهُ بِبَلْدَةٍ

وَبِهَا بَهَاءُ الدينِ يُوسفُ حَاكِمُ

O best endowed to bear the burdens of the lofty -

Of awe and majesty the tokens plain!

يا خَيْرَ مَنْ نِيطَتْ عَلَيْه لِلْعُلَى

وَمِنَ المَهَابَةِ وَالجَلالِ تَمَائِمُ

None born before you was so generous,

Nor after, of your noble line, remain.

ما كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ كَرِيمٍ يُرْتَجى

مِنْهُ وَلاَ وُلِدَتْ سِوَاكَ أَكَارِمُ

But previously your nature was engraved

On time, which dubbed it, rightly, "Hatem."

لَكِنْ تَجَسَّمَ قَبْلَ خَلْقِكَ جُودُكَ ال

بَادِي وَسمَّاه البَرِيَّةُ حَاتِمُ

It is beneath your determination to arise

To some ambition that the world disdained

حَاشَا لِعَزْمِكَ أَنْ تَقُومَ لِهِمَّةٍ

وَالدَّهْرُ عَنْ إِتْمَامِهَا لَكَ نَائِمُ

To perfect; or to hint, no sage unaware;

Or speak, no scholar failing to explain;

أَوْ أَنْ تَلُوحَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْفَى عَاقِلٌ

أَوْ أَنْ تَقُولَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْرَسُ عَالِمُ

Or give, no sycophant made rich thereby;

Or gesture, leaving no oppressor's rights arraigned.

أَوْ أَنْ تَجُودَ وَلَيْس يَثْرَى مُمْلِقٌ

أَوْ أَنْ تُشِيرَ وَلَيْسَ يَعْدِلُ ظَالِمُ

My noble sons, you have been granted drink and food

And homes, while your devoted slaves remain.

أَبَني الزَّكِيِّ سُقِيتُم وَوُقِيتُمُ

وَبَقِيتُمُ وَالأَكْرَمُونَ فِدَاكُمُ

A lineage, when it is said whose it may be,

The lineages of Arabs for you complain.

نَسَبٌ إِذَا ما قِيلَ مَنْ هُوَ أَعْرَبتْ

أَحْسَابُ أَعْرَابٍ لَكُمْ وَأَكَارِمُ