لَقَد كُنتُ مِن وَشكِ الفِراقِ أُليحُ

إِذِ الشَملُ دانٍ لَم يَرُعهُ نُزوحُ

I was on the verge of parting in distress

When the gathering was close and departure did not worry it

وَإِذ قَدحُنا واري الزِنادِ وَقِدحنا ال

مُعَلّا وَأَنوارُ الدُنُوِّ تَلوحُ

And when we kindled the fires of parting and ignited

Exalted garments, and the lights of the abodes appeared

فَقَد حُمَّ ما قَد كُنتُ أَخشى وُقوعَهُ

فَقَلبي لِبَينَ الظاعِنينَ قَريحُ

So what I had feared happening has been protected

So my heart among the blamers is wounded

فَواكَبِدي إِن شَطَّتِ الدارُ بَينَنا

وَأَنضَت مَطاياكُم مَهامِهُ فيحُ

So be patient if the abode has expanded between us

And your riding camels have realized their zeal seriously

وَصاحَ غُرابُ البَينِ وَاِنشَقَّتِ العَصا

وَرَدَّ عَذولٌ في الهَوى وَنَصيحُ

And the crow of separation has cried and the stick has cracked

And a lover has returned in passion and is honest

أَجيرانَنا بِالرَقمَتَينِ عَلَيكُمُ

سَلامٌ كَعَرفِ المَندلِيِّ يَفوحُ

Our neighbors bid you farewell sincerely

As the scent of musk spreads

لَقَد كُنتُمُ أَرواحَنا فَذَهَبتُمُ

فَلا جِسمَ يَبقى حينَ تَذهَبُ روحُ

You were our souls, so you left

So there is no body left when the soul departs

حَنَيتُم عَلى جَمرِ الفِراقِ ضُلوعَنا

فَضُمِّنَّ أَكباداً بِهِنَّ قُروحُ

You bent over the embers of separation our ribs

So contain livers in which there are wounds

وَكَم أَوجُهٍ يَومَ الوَداعِ اِجتَلَيتُها

حِساناً وَلَكِنَّ الوَداعَ قَبيعُ

And how many faces I met on the day of farewell

Affectionately, but farewell is bleak

لَقَد صَحَّ وَجدي فَهوَ لَم يَشكُ عِلَّةً

وَما القَلبُ مِن داءِ الغَرامِ صَحيحُ

My passion has healed so it has not doubted illness

And the heart is not healthy from the disease of love

وَكَم مِن قريعٍ لِلنَوى فَكَأَنَّهُ

لقىً بَينَ أَطنابِ الخِيامِ طَريحُ

And how much a loved one was cast down between the tent pegs

As if it was flung between the encampments battered

وَكَم مِن فُؤادٍ ذابَ فَاِنهَلَّ أَدمُعاً

فَفي كُلِّما جفنٍ يُخالُ ذَبيحُ

And how many hearts melted and poured down in tears

So in every eyelid a slaughtered one glitters

وَما هاجَني إِلّا بُكاءُ حَمامَةٍ

تَنوحُ وَبِالسِرِّ المَصونِ تَبوحُ

And nothing aroused me but the weeping of a dove

That laments and reveals the guarded secret and confides

أَضُمُّ بِكِلتا راحَتَيَّ عَلى الحشا

إِذا هِيَ صاحَت سُحرَةً وَأَصيحُ

I gather both my hands upon awakening

When it screams at dawn and I scream

مُوَلَّهَةً بِالبانِ تَدعو هَديلَها

فَأُسعِدُها بِالنَوحِ حينَ تَنوحُ

Infatuated with separation, calling its cooing

So I make it happy with lamentation when it laments

فَيا لَيتَ أَنّي ما عَرَفتُ هَواكُمُ

وَلا عَصَفَت بي في الصَبابَةِ ريحُ

If only I never knew your love

And a wind did not sweep me away in my youth

تَأَلَّقَ مِن لُبنانَ لي فَاِنتَجَعتُهُ

لِمرآكَ بَرقٌ مِن دِمَشقَ مُليحُ

Lightning flashed to me from Lebanon when I regained it

Your visage is brilliant lightning from Damascus

وَقَد كُنتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَستَقبِحُ النَوى

وَأَنَّ مَسيري عَن دِمَشقَ مَليحُ

And I used to find the beloved despicable before today

And that my journey away from beautiful Damascus is excellent

وَمِن جودِ مَجدِ الدينِ في بعَلبكَّ لي

أَتَت نِعَمٌ أَغدو بِها وَأَروحُ

And from the generosity of (Al-Malik Al-Mu'izz) in Baalbek I have

Blessings with which I rise and blessings with which I retire

مَحَلُّ مُلوكِ الأَرضِ مِن دونِ شَأوِهِ

وَكُلُّهُم بادي الكَلالِ طَليحُ

The abode of the kings of the earth is beneath his glory

And all of them displaying perishing decline

غَدا مِثلَ شَهرِ الصَومِ في الصَونِ عِرضُهُ

بِمالٍ لَهُ في المَكرُماتِ يُبيحُ

Tomorrow its honor is like the month of fasting in protection

With money through which generosity makes lawful

هَنيئاً لَهُ شَهرُ الصِيام فَفعلُهُ

بِهِ مَتجَرٌ عِندَ الإِلَهِ رَبيحُ

Congratulations to it the month of fasting, so its deeds

With it are profitable merchandise with God the Lord

إِذا جادَ قالَت طَيِّءٌ عِندَ جودِهِ

أَلا إِنَّ فينا حاتماً لَشَحيحُ

When he is generous, Tai' says in his generosity

Indeed, among us there is a miserly seal

وَإِن صالَ صادَ الأُسدَ في أَجَماتِها

فَزائِرُها الضاري هُناكَ نَبوحُ

And if he travels he hunts the lions in their lairs

So their harmful visitor there roams

يَرى رَأيَ قَيسٍ فائِلاً عِندَ رَأيِهِ

وَإِن قالَ ما قسٌّ لَدَيهِ فَصيحُ

He sees the opinion of Qais leading in his opinion

And if he says what Qais says in it there is eloquence

وَفي مَعمَعانِ الحَربِ عَمرٌو وَعامِرٌ

يَفِرّانِ خَوفاً مِنهُ وَهوَ مُشيحُ

And in the battles Amr and Amer

Flee from him in fear and he is frowning

وَكُلُّ قَريضٍ دونَ نَظمِ قَريضِهِ

وَهَل تَتَساوى رَغوَةٌ وَصَريحُ

And every weak poem is beneath the rhythm of his poem

And can foam and wine be equal?

وَيا حَبَّذا الإِسفِنطُ حينَ يُرى بِهِ

غَبوقٌ زَها مِنهُ لَهُ وَصَبوحُ

How excellent is saffron when it is seen in it

Arrogance from which it and afterglow have radiated

بِهِ عاشَ مَوتى الفَقرِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

أَتى الناسَ مِن بَعدِ المَسيحِ مَسيحُ

Through it the dead of destitution lived until it is as if

After Christ the anointed one came to the people the anointed one

أَلا إِنَّما كُلُّ المُلوكِ كَواكِبٌ

وَمِن وَجهِ بهَرامَ شاهَ يَخجَلُ يوحُ

Lo, indeed all the kings are like stars

And before the face of Bahram Shah the planet Venus is ashamed

فَنالَ الَّذي نالَ اِبنُ داوودَ قَبلَهُ

وَعُمِّرَ ما في الدَهرِ عُمِّر نوحُ

So he attained what the son of David attained before him

And lived what lived in existence as long as Noah lived

فَما شاعَ إِلّا بِالمَحامِدِ ذِكرُهُ

وَلا شاعَ إِلّا في عُلاهُ مَديحُ

Nothing spread except his mention with praises

And nothing spread but his supremacy a panegyric

وَما أَسَدٌ دامي الأَظافِرِ باسِلٌ

غَضوبٌ جَريءٌ في الكُماةِ جَريحُ

And he is not a fierce lion with blood dripping claws

Angry, bold among the valiant and wounded

يُماصِعُ عَن شِبلَيهِ في الغيلِ عابِساً

فَفي وَجهِهِ عِندَ اللِقاءِ كُلوحُ

Baring his teeth in war frowning

So in his face at the encounter is harshness

بِأَفتَكَ مِنهُ وَالكُماةُ مخالِطٌ

دِماءَهُم فَوقَ الجُسومِ مُسيحُ

More deadly than him and mixing with the valiant

Their blood above the corpses anointed

شَأى العُلَماءَ الراسِخينَ اِعتِزامُهُ

وَبَذَّ المُلوكَ الصَيدَ وَهوَ جموحُ

His determination has preferred the firmly rooted scholars

And the kings have wasted the hunt and he yearns

مَهابَتُهُ مِلءُ القُلوبِ وَإِنَّهُ

لَعافٍ عَن الذَنبِ العَظيمِ صَفوحُ

His awe fills hearts and indeed he

Is overlooking the great sin and pardoning

لَهُ صُورَةٌ أَضحَت تَروقُ وَسَورَةٌ

تَروقُ وَخَلقٌ كَالنَسيمِ سَجيحُ

He has an image that appears pleasing and a face

That appears pleasing and a nature like the blowing breeze

مَقاماتُهُ وَقفٌ عَلى الفَضلِ ما بِها

فُضولٌ وَلا فيها يُذاعُ قَبيحُ

His positions are standing upon virtue in them

No superfluities and in them no ugly thing is circulated

فَمِن خَطِّهِ يَقري العُيونَ حَلاوَةً

وَتُقرَأُ مِن شَرحِ الصُدورِ شُروحُ

From his hand eyes are delighted with sweetness

And breasts are opened from the explanation of his writings