من مجيري من قدّه السمهريّ
أو عذيري بطرفه البابلي
My solace, tall of stature like Maymūn,
Or my raccoon-eyed companion.
بدر تم يرنو بعيني غزال
ويحيي بحاجب كسروي
A full moon who gazes at me coyly like a gazelle,
And greets me with an eyebrow like a bent bow.
عمُّهُ الحسن والهلال أخوه
والتياعي من خاله العنبري
Beauty is his uncle, and the crescent his brother,
His maternal uncle is ambergris.
شفتاه عن العذيب روتنا
والثنايا تروي عن الجوهري
His lips tell of sweetness,
His dimples narrate tales of jewels.
اسكن الوجد في الحشاشة لما
جرّ قلبي بلامهِ الذهبي
Passion dwells in my breast since
He captivated my heart with his gilded paleness.
قام يهتز والمعاطف تثني
غصن بأن تحت القبا السندسيّ
He sways, his robes rustling,
A branch beneath his silk robe.
ورمانا من العيون بنبلٍ
يا لنبل يرمى بغير قسيّ
With eyes like pomegranates, gracefully,
What grace, though no bow is bent!
عربيُّ الألحاظ تركي ثغرٍ
معجب في قوامه الفارسي
Arabic is his glance, Turkish his smile,
His figure amazes like that of a Persian.
اسكرتنا عيناه حتى كأنا
قد رشفنا من ريقه الكوثريّ
His eyes intoxicated us, as if
We had sipped from his nectar.
ما أزاح اللثام إلّا وبتنا
في رياضٍ من وجهه القمري
When he lifted his veil we found ourselves
In gardens, his face the moon.
بين وردٍ من الخدود وآسٍ
من عذارٍ وناظرٍ نرجسيّ
Among roses of his cheeks, and myrtles
Of his temples, narcissi of his eyes.
شاكل الخمر خدّه حين وافا
نا بكاسٍ كالمبسم الدريّ
His cheek meets us like wine
In a cup, like a blossoming orchard.
أترى خده تجلى عليها
أم تجلت بخده الورديّ
Do you see his cheek revealed on it?
Or are the roses revealed on his cheek?
عاطني الكاس يا مليك فؤادي
واسقنيها من كفك العندميّ
Give me the cup, O sovereign of my heart,
Offer it to me from your soft hand.
وأدرها صرفاً وان شئت فاسمح
وامزجنها بريقك العسليّ
Turn it gently, or if you wish then give me leave
To mix it with your sweet saliva.
أن صبح الجبين لاح وغنّت
في رياض الجمال ورق الحلي
The dawn of his brow shone, the leaves
Rustled in the garden of beauty.
يا جميلاً عذاره قيد قلبي
فترفق بصبك العذري
O beautiful one, his coquetry binds my heart,
So be gentle with your captive.
أعذارٌ للحسن أم هو لامٌ
حررتهُ يدُ الفتى البحري
Coquetry excuses beauty, or is it
The sea-child's hand that set it free?
هو ذو الفهم والنباهة يوحنا م
المفدى مولى الحجى الألمعيّ
He is wise and brilliant, John
The ransomed, the shining Luminary's ward.
لوذعيٌّ مهذبٌ ذو خلال
مثل عرف الرياض غب الولي
Well-mannered and refined, so immaculate
Like the aroma of flowers in gardens.
كاتبٌ تحسد الدراري حروفاً
برأتها بنانهُ من بريّ
A scribe whose writing makes parchment
Jealous, as his fingers release it purely.
اللفاتٌ تزري بقد الغواني
حين تجلى بثوبها الحبريّ
The ribbons parade at the waists of beauties
When they shine in their ink attire.
وعيون من المداد يرشن ال
سحر في مقلة الرشا الجؤذريّ
Eyes of ink spraying magic
In the eyelash pen’s reservoir.
تتمنى سطوره الغيد حلياً
فهي أجلى من سطعها اللؤلؤي
His lines yearn to adorn themselves
For they are brighter than their pearl gleam.
ما صديغٌ على خديدٍ بازهى
من رقيمٍ بطرسه الفضي
No vermilion more radiant on parchment
Than his lines in silver ink.
جرّ ذيلاً على ابن مقلة لما
جرّ سطراً من المداد السجي
He outshone the son of the pen case when
He drew a line in black ink.
وروى عنه ياقوت وابن هلالٍ
خصهُ الفرد بالجمال البهي
Yaqut and Ibn Hilal narrated his virtues,
As excellence singled him out.
اطلع الحبر في القراطيس دراً
بين دري لفظٍ ومعنى جلي
Ink emerged as pearls on the pages,
Between strings of eloquent words and meaning.
وأتانا من البديع بنثر
فاق نظم البديع والبحتري
And he brought us prose in rhetoric
Surpassing the rhetoric of poets.
يا لهُ مفرداً توشح مجداً
نال منه طيب الثناءِ الذكي
His unique style dresses glory,
Drawing fine sincere praise.
بسديد الآراء أخجل قيساً
وإياساً أزرى بفكرٍ ذكي
With sound judgement he shamed Qays
And censured Iyas with wise thought.
رق لفظاً وراق أنساً ولطفاً
يسترقان كل قلبٍ صفي
Eloquent in diction, endearing in company, gentle,
They steal every pure heart.
فصحاء الأتراك تأخذ عنه
وهو منشي فصاحة العربي
The eloquent Turks learn from him
Though he is the paragon of Arabic speech.
مانع النفس جامع الحمد سمحٌ
مطلق الكف بالنوال الوفي
He refuses souls, gathers praise, is forgiving,
Bountiful of hand and faithful bestowal.
زاده اللَه رفعةً وقبولاً
ورعاه بعين لطفٍ خفي
May God raise him high and accept him,
And guard him with an invisible care.
