بعدما شطَّ بالشتاءِ المزارُ

ودنتْ بالربيعِ منّا الدِّيارُ

After winter had departed from the shrine

And homes drew near in spring, to us,

بعد ما عَلَّقَتْ وشاحاتِها الرو

ضُ وناطَتْ شُنوفَها الأَشجار

After the meadows had hung up their veils

And the trees tied up their branches,

بعد ما لم ترَ الفواختُ تدري

طرباً ما الهدوُّ أو ما القَرار

After the birds did not know whether to chirp

In joy or settle in tranquility,

بعد ما قلتُ للنَّدامَى وقالوا

كم هزارٍ تُراه غَنَّى الهزار

After I said to the critics and they said

"How much jest did the jester pretend to sing?"

عاد إِذ عاد ذا الربيعُ ستاءً

وجوارُ الشتاءِ بئس الجِوار

Now that spring has returned as winter

And winter's company is miserable company,

قل لآذارَ ما تركتَ لكانو

نَ وكانونَ ويكَ يا آذار

Say to March, "What have you left for

April and April for you, O March?

ذا صقيعٌ ذا زمهريرٌ كما كا

ن وهذي الثلوجُ والأمطار

This is frost, this is ice, as it was before,

And this snow and rain,

ذا هو القُرُّ هو الضُرُّ هذا الصَ

رُّ هذا الدَّمارُ هذا البَوار

This is barrenness, this affliction, this is destruction, this is devastation."

We have added logs to the fireplaces

قد أضفنا إلى الحِبابِ الدواوي

جَ وطابتْ للمصطلينَ النار

And fire was good for those who warm themselves,

Raiment was made lighter after being made heavy

واستُخٍفَّ الدثارُ من بعدِ ما اسْتُثْ

قِلَ في الليلِ والنهارِ الدّثار

In the night and day, the raiment,

And birds took cover, unable to venture out

وتَخفَّى الأطيارُ طُرّاً فما تق

درُ خوفاً أن تنطقَ الأطيار

Fearing the birds might speak.

For us is comfort like embers or sparks

فلنا الراحُ كالشرارِ أو الجم

رِ وما الجمرُ عندها والشرار

And what are embers and sparks to it?

For us is the lute - blessed is the lute -

ولنا العودُ حبّذا العودُ والمز

مارُ أيضاً فحبّذا المزمار

And the flute also, so blessed is the flute,

And for us is the neighbor who is Abu Muhammad

ولنا من أبي محمدٍ الجارُ ال

ذي ما وفى به قطُّ جار

Who never betrayed as a neighbor,

The Hashimite youth and the fulfilling moon

الفتى الهاشميُّ والقمرُ المو

في الذي لا تَفِي به الأقمار

With whom no moons can compete,

O perfection of pride, O son of Abi Tamim

يا تمامَ الفخارِ بابن أبي تمّ

ام المستتمِّ منه الفخار

From whom pride is completed,

The perfumes came to us, when we were most in need of them,

قد أتتنا العُقارُ أحوجَ ما كنّ

ا إليها لمَّا أتتنا العُقار

When the perfumes came to us.

She poured out yellow in the palm as if it were a gold dinar

فسقانا صفراءَ في الكفِّ كالدي

نارِ ساقٍ كأنَّه الدينار

That knew no adulteration other than musk and no science like it and perfume.

We tuned the strings though cares do not attend

ما درى قطُّ ما عذاراً سوى المس

ك وما عِلْمُ مِثْلِهِ والعِذار

Wherever strings are tuned,

We asked for your lasting life - no night has been darker

وحثثْنَا الأوتارَ والهمُّ لا يح

ضرُ في حيثُ تحضرُ الأوتار

Nor day brighter,

You, my chief, O Ja'far, are an ocean from which oceans flow.

وسألْنَا دوامَ عُمْرِكَ ما أظل

لَم ليلٌ وما أضاءَ نهار

The weight of thanking you has weakened poetry

So that poetry cannot carry that weight.

إنما أنت يا رئيسيَ يا جع

فرُ بحرٌ تُمارُ منه البحار

أضعفَ الشعرَ ثِقْلُ شكرِكَ حتى

ليس تسطيعُ حَمْلَهُ الأشعار