يا رَاقِدَ الطَرْفِ ما لِلطَّرْفِ إغفاءُ

حَدّثْ بِذاكَ فما في الحُبِّ إخْفاءُ

O you who sleeps with eyelids closed, why does the eye slumber?

Speak of that, for in love there is no concealment,

إنَّ اللَّياليَ وَالأيَّامَ مِنْ غَزَلي

في الحُسْنِ والحُبّ أَبْناءٌ وأَنباءُ

Surely the nights and days of my love for you

Have tales and news of beauty and passion.

إذْ كلّ نافرةٍ في الحُبّ آنِسةٌ

وَكُلّ مَائِسَةٍ في الحَيِّ خَضْراءُ

Each companion in love becomes intimate,

And each drinking partner becomes verdant in life.

وَصَفْوَةُ الدَّهْرِ بَحْرٌ والصّبا سُفُنٌ

وَللِخلاعَةِ إرْساءٌ وإسْراءُ

The elite of life is an ocean, youth are ships,

And to revelry there are moorings and sailings.

يا ساكِني مِصْر شَمْلُ الشّوْقِ مُجْتَمِعٌ

بَعْدَ الفِراقِ وَشَمْلُ الوَصْلِ أَجْزاءُ

O dwellers of Egypt, yearning has brought us together

After separation, and being together is fragmentary.

كأنّ عَصْرَ الصِّبا مِنْ بَعْدِ فُرْقَتِكُمْ

عَصْرُ التّصابي بِهِ لِلّهْوِ إِبْطاءُ

As if, after your absence, the era of youth

Became, because of frivolity, an era of tardiness.

نارَ الهَوَى لَيْس يَخْشَى مِنْكِ قُلْبُ فَتىً

يكونُ فيهِ لإبراهيمَ أَرْجَاءُ

A valiant man's heart fears not love's fire,

If in it lies solace for Abraham.

نَدْبٌ يَرَى جُودَهُ الرّاجي مُشافَهَةً

والجُودُ مِنْ غَيرِهِ رَمْزٌ وإِيْماءُ

A reproach is seen by the hopeful suitor directly,

While generosity from another is merely a sign and wink.

ذُو هِمَّةٍ لو غَدتْ لِلأُفْقِ ما رَحَلَتْ

لَه ثُريّا وَلا جَازَتْهُ جَوْزاءُ

A man of ambition, if the horizons journeyed for him,

Would have abundant wealth, untouched by measly gains.

لَوْلَا أخُوكَ ولا أَلْفى مَكارِمَهُ

لَمْ تَحْو غَيْرَ الَّذي تَحْوِيه بَطْحَاءُ

Were it not for your brother and his noble deeds,

Naught would contain you but the wilderness.

لَكِنْ تَعَوَّضْتُ عَنْ سُحْبٍ بِمُشْبهِهِ

إِذْ سُحْبُ هَذا وهَذا فِيهِما المَاءُ

Yet I replaced a cloud with its likeness,

Since in both this and that lies the water.

وَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ ظِلٌّ بارِدٌ شَبِمٌ

وَعِنْدَ ذا مَنْهَلٌ صَافٍ وأَهْواءُ

With that is refreshing shade and cool breezes,

And with this a clear spring and gusts of wind.

إِلَيْكَ أَرْسَلْتُ أبياتاً لِمَدْحِكُما

في سَاحَتَيْهِنّ إسْراء وإرْسَاءُ

To you both I sent verses in praise,

With open areas of sublimity and firmament.

لم يَقوَ مِنهنّ إقْواءٌ لِقَافِيَةٍ

وَلَمْ يَطأْهُنّ في التَّرْتيبِ إيْطاءُ

None were empowered by a rhyme,

Nor tread by sequencing and pacing.

فإنّ نَظْمِي أفرادٌ مُعدّدةٌ

وَنظْمُ غَيْري رُعاعاتٌ وغَوْغاءُ

For my poetry is unique, individuated verses,

While others' is rabble and clamor.

فلا يُقاسُ بِدُرٍّ مِنْه مُخْشَلبٌ

هَذا دَواءٌ وَقَوْلُ الجاهِلِ الدّاءُ

So an undistinguished piece of it cannot be compared

To a pearl - this is a cure, and the ignorant's words are sickness.

عَلَيْكَ مِنّي سَلامٌ ما سَرَتْ سَحَراً

نُسَيْمَةٌ عِطْرُها في الكَوْنِ دَرَّاءُ

From me to you, greetings that have continued since dawn,

Their fragrance diffusing perfume in the universe.