ما رَوضة خيم قيصومها
وَامتَد في أَطرافِها آسها
No garden is like a tent's pasture
With its pegs extended at its edges
تعطر القاطن أَنوارها
وَتنعش المَصروع أَنفاسها
Its lights perfume the dweller
And its breaths revive the fallen
تبسم الفضي مِن وردِها
إِذ سَرقَ الذَهبي حراسها
The silver smiles from its roses
As the gold steals its guardians
وَنقط الطل رَياحينها
وَزالَ عَن أَوراقِها باسها
Dew dotted its fragrances
And its affliction left its leaves
وَقَد غَزاها الصُبح ريح الصبا
فَاشتبهت في الحال أَجناسها
The morning breeze stormed it
Confusing at once its varieties
فَطولها يشبه عرضها
وَعَجزها يشبه رَأسها
Its length resembles its width
Its inability resembles its prime
وَاقتحمت للحرب فُرسانها
وَصَوتَت للجَري أَفراسها
Its steeds attacked for battle
And its horses neighed for race
كَأَنَّها بكر وَأَحلافها
لَما أَتى للثار جساسها
As if it and its allies were virgins
When the avenger came for its chastity
عجبت مِن مَعركة قَد وَرى
على أَديم الأَرض مقياسها
I wondered at the battle I saw
On the earth's skin its scale
لا تَخشَ مِن قضبانها إِنَّما
مآتم الرَوضة أَعراسها
Do not fear its rods
The garden's griefs are its weddings
أَعجَب مِن حَضرة فَضل بِها
ترشف خمر الفَضل جلاسها
More wondrous than a presence in which is
The drinking of excellence by its sitters
سَمَت عَن الأَفلاك أَفلاكها
وَطاوَل العيوق نبراسها
Its orbits transcended the planets' orbits
And its minarets rivaled the galaxies
راووقها يا صاح تَحريرها
وَكاسها في الحان قرطاسها
Quench its thirst, oh companion, by composing it
And its cup is free in taverns its paper
يعلم عبد اللَه قَد أَشرَقَت
وَطابَ للزوار إِيناسها
Abdullah knows it has shone
And its sociability is good for visitors
إِنسان عين المَجد بَل عَينه
غواص در الفَضل غطاسها
A human, the eye of glory, nay its eye
A diver in the sea of excellence
ما حلت عَن أَعتابه رَغبة
عَن حَضرة أَسكرني كاسها
No desire parted from its thresholds
From a presence that intoxicated me, its cup
وَإِنَّما قيدت في حرفة
قَد أَشغل الخاطر وسواسها
But I was engrossed in versifying
Which distracted the mind and its fancies
لا أَعرف الغمض وَطيب الكَرى
إِلا إِذا ما تم كراسها
I know no drowsiness or good sleep
Except when its notebook is complete
قَد عاقَني الدَهر بإشراكه
وَصد نَفسي عَنكَ افلاسها
Time has distracted me by involving me
And discouraged my soul from you, its bankruptcy
فَاعذر أَبا السَعد وَفَخر الوَرى
وَمن لأَرباب العُلى راسها
So excuse the father of prosperity and pride of the world
And the one who is chief of the sublime, its head
