دَمعٌ هَوى سِلكاهُ عَن جَلدٍ وَهَى
وَجَوٍ أُصيبَ فُؤادُهُ فَتَأَوَّها
Tears flowed down his cheeks though he tried to restrain them,
His heart was stricken with passion and softly sighed.
نَهنَهتُ مِن دَمعي فَأَقبَلَ عاصِياً
وَالدَمعُ أَعصى ما يَكونُ مُنَهنَها
I tried to stop my tears but they flowed on stubbornly,
Tears are stubborn when one tries to hold them back.
يا مودِعاً جَفني السُهادَ مُوَدِّعاً
وَمُوَلِّياً تَركَ الفُؤادَ مُوَلَّها
Farewell my eyes that sleep takes, farewell,
While you leave my heart forlorn and distressed.
قَد كانَ عَيشي بِالدُنُوِّ وَخَفضِهِ
سِنَةً غَدا كَلَفي بِها مُتَنَبِّها
My life was lowly and humble for a year
Until suddenly it was overturned and awakened.
حَجَبوا الأَهِلَّةَ في الأَكِلَّة وَاِنثَنَوا
فَثَوى كَئيباً بِالوَداعِ مُتَوَّها
The new moon was veiled by the crescent, and they bent,
So it sadly departed with farewells.
هَزَّ الدَلالُ قُدودَهُنَّ وَغِبطَةً
هَزَّ الأَراكُ غُصونَهُ مُتَشَبِّها
The guide shook the rein and the camel driver
Shook the camels’ necks likewise.
وَلَقَد بَعَثنَ إِلى الغُصونِ مَلامِحاً
مِنها وَمِن لَحظِ العُيونِ إِلى المَها
They sent their glances to the branches
And from the gaze of their eyes to the stretch of horizon.
يَبدونَ كَالشَمسِ المُنيرَةِ حُسَّراً
وَمُلَثَّمينَ وَكَالأَهِلَّةِ أَوجُها
They appear unveiled like the shining sun,
Veiled and like the new crescent their faces.
وَمُنَزَّهٍ عَن مُشبِهٍ في حُسنِهِ
أَصبَحتُ فيهِ عَن السُلُوِّ مُنَزَّها
Free from any likeness in its beauty,
I became free of any fault through it.
مَنَحَ القِلى وَنَهى الجُفونَ عَنِ الكَرى
أَهلاً بِما مَنَحَ الحَبيبُ وَما نَهى
It granted wishes and forbade crying,
Greetings for what the beloved granted and forbade!
كَيفَ السَبيلُ إِلى القِلى وَشَفيعُهُ
وُجهٌ وَجيهُ الحُكمِ كَيفَ تَوَجَّها
How can one reach wishes with it as intercessor
When its noble countenance rules?
أَلحاظُهُ أَسيافُهُ وَسِنانُهُ
وَسنانُهُ إِن جَدَّ فينا أَو لَها
Its glances are its swords, and its teeth
And its teeth, if they judged against us or for us.
وَلَكَم بُليتُ بِلائِمٍ في حُبِّهِ
أَضحى أَلداً في الخِصامِ مُفَوَّها
How much did I suffer from a blamer in his love
Who became most stubborn in dispute, confused.
كانَ المُفَوَّهُ جاهِداً فَرَدَدتُهُ
مُثنَى العِنانِ عَنِ الملامِ مُفَهَّها
The confused one struggled so I restrained him,
Pulling the reins back from blame, bewildered.
يا كَم زَجَرتُ المُستَهامَ فَما اِرعَوى
وَنَهَيتُهُ كَي يَستَفيقَ فَما اِنتَهى
How much did I deter the reckless one but he did not understand,
And I forbade him to awaken but he did not stop!
إِنّي أَلَذّ وَأَشتَهي سَقَمي بِهِ
وَمِنَ الشَقاوَةِ ما يَلَذُّ وَيُشتَهى
Truly, I find my sickness with him most delicious,
And from misfortune what is delicious and craved.
وَتَنوفَةٍ مَجهولَةٍ جاوَرتُها
بِنَجيبَةٍ تُطوى فَتَطوي المَهمَها
I dwelled by an unknown ridge
That folds up the confused thoughts.
فَأَرَيتُها أَوضاحَها في لَيلَةٍ
بَدرُ التَمامِ بِأُفقِها مِثلُ السُها
I saw it bare its light in the night,
The full moon rose on its horizon like a torch.
جَلَبَت سَحابَتَها بِلامِعِ بَرقِها
وَحياً بَكى طَرَباً لِرَعدٍ قَهقَها
It brought its clouds with its flashing lightning,
And the living cried out in rapture at its rumbling roar.
تُزجى إِلى البَحرِ المُحيطِ مُحَمَّدٍ
ذاكَ الَّذي فَتَحَ اللَها بِيَدِ اللها
You are carried to the endless sea, O Muhammad,
He who, by God’s hand, opened doors to success.
بِالكامِلِ بنِ العادِلِ المَنصورِ قَد
نادى النَدى لما دَعاهُ مُؤَبِّها
By Al-Kamil bin Al-Adil Al-Mansur he called,
When he called him, the call echoed joyfully.
يا أَيُّها المَلكُ الَّذي لَولاهُ لَم
يَكُ في الوَرى لأَبيهِ خَلقٌ مُشبِها
O king, without whom in the world
None would resemble his father in creation.
بَجَحَت دِمَشقُ عَلى البِلادِ مُنيفَةً
بِمُحَمَّدٍ تَزهو كَأَحسَن ما زَها
Damascus boasted over the lands gracefully
With Muhammad in its prime of beauty.
كمُحمَّدٍ إذ جاءَ يَثرِبَ قادِماً
وَمُهاجِراً وَمُنَوّلاً وَمُنَوَّها
Like when Muhammad came to Yathrib arriving,
An emigrant hosted, and hosted in turn.
أَضحى السَعيدُ الكامِلُ الأَوصافِ مِث
لَ الشَمسِ حَلَّت أَوجَها بَل أَوجَها
He came perfect in character like the sun
That rises fully - no, more than fully risen!
مُستَيقِظٌ لِلمُلكِ رَآّبُ الثَأى
ما زالَ فيهِ مُنبِهاً وَمُنَبِّها
The rider of desolation keeps him awake for the realm,
Never ceasing to awaken and arouse him.
وافَتهُ بِاليَمَنِ الأَماني ما وَنى ال
إِقسيسُ فيما جَدَّ فيهِ وَلا وَهى
Good fortune met him in Yemen - hopes were not vain
Nor did the priest struggle in what he judged or became weary.
فَأَتى بِهِ فَتحُ الفُتوحِ مُبَيَّضاً
لَكِن مِنَ الأَعداءِ سَوَّدَ أَوجُها
With him came the opening of all conquests, whitened,
Though from the enemies it blackened faces.
بِمُشَتّتِ العَزَماتِ مَرهوبَ الشبا
مُتَشاغِلٌ بِالجِدِّ عَنهُ ما لَها
With weakened resolves, the youth terrified,
Busy with seriousness, distracted from anything else.
فَاِنهَد إِلَيهِ بِعَزمَةٍ شاذِيَّةٍ
فَبِها ينالُ مِنَ الأَعادي ما اِشتَهى
So incline to him with rare determination
Through which from enemies you obtain what you desire.
إِنَّ المَمالِكَ صِرنَ في أَيديكُمُ
وَقفاً عَلَيكُم مِثلَ آمِدَ وَالرُها
Kingdoms have certainly become, in your hands,
Stopping because of you, like the high seat and howdah.
كُلُّ المَمالِكِ جَنَّةٌ بَل سِدرَةٌ
وَلَدَيكُمُ المَأوى لَها وَالمُنتَهى
All the kingdoms are gardens - no, lotus trees -
And with you is the refuge for it and the end.
أَنتُم شُموسٌ بَل بُدورٌ طُلَّعٌ
وَسِواكُمُ مِثلُ الثُرَيّا وَالسُها
You are suns - no, shining planets -
While others are like the Pleiades and Suhail.
صَدَقاتُكُم أَبقَت عَلَيكُم مُلكَكُم
ما فيكُمُ مَن ساعَةً عَنها لَها
Your charities have maintained your kingdom;
Among you none for an hour refrained from them.
ما ضَيغَمٌ في الغيلِ يكشِرُ قالِصاً
عَن ناجِذَيهِ مُهَجهِجاً وَمُجَهجِها
No wretched cheat bares his teeth in a grin
From his prominent jaw, gurgling and choking.
يَوماً بِأَعظَمَ فَتكَة مِنهُ إِذا
ما الصافِناتُ نَكَصنَ عَنهُ فُرَّها
One day with a greater massacre than him, when
The drawn swords will not turn back from him in flight.
يَعِدُ الجَوائِزَ موفِياً بِوُعودِهِ
لَم يَألُ في دَرءِ الخُطوبِ المِدرَها
He promises rewards, fulfilling his promises,
Never stinting to repel catastrophes and calamities.
خُذها مُكَمَّلَةَ الحِجى مِن أَفوَهٍ
قَد فاقَ في حُسنِ المَقالِ الأَفوَها
Take them completed in argument from mouths
That have surpassed in eloquence of speech all mouths.
مَدحٌ لَوِ الحَجَرُ الأَصَمُّ غَدا لَهُ
سَمعٌ وَأُنشِدَ بَيتَها لتَدَهدَها
Praise which if deaf rock heard
It would gain hearing and chant its verses, singing them.
وَإِذا المُعيدُ شَدا بَها في مَجلِسٍ
طَرِبَ الجَمادُ فَلَو أَطاقَ لَزَهزَها
When the repeating minstrel sings it in an assembly
Inanimate things would stir - if they could - and shudder.
