بِأَبي الريمُ الَّذي مَرَّ بِنا
كَم رَمى مِن سَهمِ لَحظٍ إِذ رَنا
May my father be ransom for the gazelle who passed us!
How many arrows of glances he shot as he gazed!
يَرتَعي مِن حَبَبِ الكَأسِ إِذا
عَبَّ فيها أُقحواناً حَسَنا
He grazes among the cup's bubbles, whenever
he drinks deeply from it, on lovely daisies.
وَبَنو التُركِ إِذا ما حارَبوا
أَغمَدوا البيضَ وَسَلّوا الأَعيُنا
And the sons of the Turks, whenever they fight,
sheathe their bright swords and unsheathe their eyes.
وَتَمَطَّت تَحتَهُم خَيلُهُمُ
بِقُدودٍ أَخجَلَت سُمرَ القَنا
And their horses stretched out beneath them,
with statures that shamed the tawny lances.
كُلُّ أَحوى فاتِرِ الطَرفِ إِذا
ما رَآهُ ذو عَفافٍ فُتِنا
Each dusky one, languid-eyed—whenever
a chaste man sees him, that man is bewitched.
فَاِسأَلوا عَنهُم خَبيراً تَعلَموا
صِدقَ دَعوايَ وَلا سيما أَنا
So ask an expert about them, and you will learn
the truth of my claim—especially if you ask me.
بابِلِيُّ الطَّرفِ حُورِيُّ اللَّمى
يُوسُفِيُّ الحُسنِ بي ما أَحسَنا
Babylonian in gaze, houri-like in dusky lips,
Joseph-like in beauty—may I be his ransom! How lovely!
حاجِباهُ حَجَبا عَنّي الكَرى
وَسَناهُ صَدَّ عَنّي الوَسَنا
His eyebrows have barred sleep from me,
and his radiance has driven drowsiness away from me.
ما رَأَينا قَبلَهُ شَمسَ ضُحىً
فَوقَ حِقفِ الرَملِ تَعلو أَغصُنا
Before him, we had never seen a midmorning sun
above a curved sand dune, rising over boughs.
سُقمُ جَفنَيهِ بِهِ أَسقَمَني
وَضَنى الخَصرِ بِهِ ذُبتُ ضَنى
His eyelids' languor has made me ill,
and through his waist's wasting, I have melted away in sickness.
وَكَأَنَّ الراحَ في راحَتِهِ
وَردَةٌ مِن وَجنَتَيهِ تُجتَنى
And the wine in his palm seems
a rose plucked from his cheeks.
فَهيَ حَمراءُ كَسَيفِ المَلِكِ ال
أَشرَفِ الباري العِدا وَالجُبَنا
So it is red as the sword of King al-
Ashraf, who hews down enemies and cowards.
كَم حُسامٍ سَلَّهُ مِن غِمدِهِ
كادَ يُعشي بِالشُعاعِ الأَعيُنا
Many a keen sword he drew from its sheath
almost blinded eyes with its radiance.
فَتَرى الهاماتِ مِن ضَرباتِهِ
طائِراتٍ مِن فُرادى وَثنى
So you see heads, struck by his blows,
flying off, some singly and some in pairs.
يَمنَحُ المُدّاحَ بِالمالِ وَكَم
عادَ عَنهُ ذو غَناءٍ بِالعَنا
He grants wealth to eulogists, and how often
a man of ability has returned from him weary!
وَلَهُ مَدحٌ بَديعٌ سائِرٌ
تَحسُدُ العَينُ عَلَيهِ الأُذُنا
And he has wondrous praise, spread far and wide;
the eye envies the ear for it.
وَمَتى ما تَأتِهِ تَعشو إِلى
نارِهِ حينَ تَراها مَوهِنا
And whenever you come to him, feeling your way toward
his fire when you see it late at night,
تَلقَ ناراً عِندَها موسى فَفُز
بِأَمانٍ وَبِيُمنٍ وَمُنى
you find a fire with Moses beside it—so win
safety, good fortune, and your wishes.
يَهَبُ الإِبلَ المَقاحيدَ وَما
حَمَلَت وَالصافِناتِ الحُصُنا
He gives large-humped camels and what
they carry, and the poised stallions,
وَالأَقاليمَ بِلا مَنٍّ وَلَو
وَهَبَت يُمنى يَدَيهِ اليَمَنا
and provinces, without vaunting his favors; and even if
his right hand were to bestow Yemen,
لَحَباها سائِليهِ وَاِنثَنى
طالِبَ العُذرِ كَمَن كانَ جَنى
he would grant it to his petitioners, then turn back,
seeking pardon as though he had done wrong.
فَاِزدِحامُ الناسِ في أَبوابِهِ
كَاِزدِحامِ الوَفدِ إِذ جاؤوا مِنى
Thus the press of people at his gates
is like the press of pilgrims when they came to Mina.
عاشَ في مُلكٍ مُقيمٍ أَبَداً
فَهوَ يَستَخدِمُ فيهِ الأَزمُنا
May he live forever in enduring dominion,
for there he makes the ages serve him.
Sol 6.1