عينُ فتّانةٍ لها القلبُ خدرُ
سَحرتني وأعينُ الغيدِ سحرُ
A bewitching eye that captivated my heart
It enchanted me, and the eyes of the doe are enchantment
طفلةُ الحيِّ شأنُها اللهو لكن
حالتا لهوِها خضابٌ وعطر
A child of life whose concern is play, yet
Her condition for play is kohl and perfume
أقرأتني الجمال حرفاً فحرفاً
وهو في صدرِها المطرَّزِ سفر
She taught me beauty letter by letter
Written in the pages of her embroidered chest
وجلت لي وما سوى الثغر كأسٌ
وسقتني وما سوى الريقِ خمر
She came to me, nothing but her smile a cup
She gave me to drink, nothing but her saliva wine
وهدتني بوجهِها وهو بدرٌ
تحت ليلٍ أظلَّني وهو شعر
She seduced me with her face, a full moon
Veiled by the night's darkness that covered me like hair
نَشرتهُ دلاٍّ عليَّ ولفّت
ني عناقاً فلذَّ لفٌّ ونشر
She spread before me a heart of passion and wrapped
Me in an embrace, so her wrap was binding and spread
يا سقى عهدَها حياً من ثنايا
ها ودمعي لها وميضٌ وقطر
O you who revived with her from the folds of life
My tears for her are a sparkle and drops
جرحتني بلحظِها ثمَّ قالت
هل لجُرح الهوى بقلبكَ سبرُ
She wounded me with her glance then asked
Does the wound of passion in your heart probe?
لا وكأسي محمد حسن الفخرِ
بقلبي جُرح الهوى مُستمر
No, and my cup is ever-flowing with pride
In my heart the wound of passion persists
حيِّ في مطلع السماحِ هِلالاً
عن عُيونِ الراجينَ لا يستسر
Live as a new crescent rising at dawn
Hidden from the expectant eyes that cannot be detected
وَلدَته العلياءُ أنجبَ مَن قد
حملاه للمجد بطنٌ وظهر
Borne by the sublime, fathered by one who
Carried him to glory in womb and back
مُستهلاٍّ على يد اليمنِ فيه
بارِكِ السعدَ وهو طهرٌ أغرُّ
Auspiciously guided by the hand of fortune in him
Bless happiness, so pure and shining white
ونَما في العلاء غصنُ صِباه
وهو من ريّق المحاسنِ نَضر
And grew in the sublime a branch of his youth
Green from the sap of beauty
ما نضا بُردةَ الشبابِ ومنه
ملءُ بُردِ الزمانِ مجدٌ وفخر
Not worn by the cloak of youth and from it
The fullness of glory and pride's attire
خلفكم يا مشايخَ الحزمِ عجزاً
فاتَ سبقاً كهلُ التجارب غِرُّ
After you, o wise elders, incapacity followed
And the old of experience were outrun
مَن إذا حلبةُ الخَطابةِ فيها
ضمَّه والخصومَ سبقٌ وحضر
When the arena of oratory among them
They embraced him, outdoing opponents present
قال بالفصلِ ناطقاً فأرّموا
وادّعى الفضلَ سابقاً فأقرّوا
He spoke judiciously, so they threw
And claimed excellence, preceding, so they acknowledged
وروى نثرَهُ الفريد فقالوا
أكلامٌ بفيه أم فيه درُّ
And he told his unique prose, and they said:
Are these words from a mouth or within it a pearl?
يدُه ليس تألف الدرهم المضرو
بَ مكثاً لكن عليها يمرُّ
His hand is not accustomed hoarding the harmful coin
To linger, though over it, it passes
كرهَ البخلَ مذ ترعرع حتَّى
سمعُه عن سماع لا فيه وقر
He hated stinginess since he was a child until
His reputation from hearing is nothing in it, and settlement
وإلى الآن ليس يدري سوى قول
بلى منذ قالها وهو ذرُّ
And to this day he knows nothing but the saying
"Yes" since he uttered it, and he was a toddler
سل به الأرضَ بالوقارِ وبالأط
وادِ أيًّا على قراها أقرُّ
Ask through him the land in dignity and
In cliffs which of its towns is more settling
وعلى وجهِها إذا اغبرَّ جدباً
أنداهُ أم الغمامِ أدرُّ
And on its face when barrenness covers it
The rain's mother waters it more generously
ذو محيًّا يكادُ يقطرُ ماء ال
بِشر منه لو كانَ للبِشر قَطر
With a smile that nearly drips water of
Good tidings, if there was for people a dripping
وسجاياً كالروضِ باكرَه الطلُّ
نسيمُ الصَبا عليه يمرُّ
And traits like a garden its blossoms plucked
By the morning breeze passing through it
ومزاياً تُكاثرُ الشهبَ عدًّا
وبها لا يُحيطُ نظمٌ ونثر
And virtues multiplying the stars in number
Which no prose or poetry can encompass
فهو والمكرُمات روحٌ وجسمٌ
ووشاحٌ يُزينها وهو خَصر
So he and benevolence are spirit and body
And a cloak adorning it at the waist
وبإيداعها لهُ السرَّ لطفٌ
وبتفويضها لهُ الأمر جبرُ
By confiding in him secrets is kindness
And by entrusting him command is obligation
يا أخا المكرُمات وهو نِداءٌ
أجدُ المكرماتِ فيه تسرُّ
O brother of benevolence, and this is a call
I find benevolence in him delighted
هاك سيّارةً مع الريح لكن
تلك شهرٌ رواحُها وهي دهر
That is a month, its soul blowing and it is an era
Built from thought-filled purpose for you my nation
بنتُ فكرٍ على النوى لك أمّت
لم يَلد مثلَها لمثلك فكر
No mind has birthed its equal for your equal mind
Whenever the burdens of life weighed down its steps
كلَّما أثقلَ الحيا من خُطاها
خفَّ فيها هوىً إليك مبرُّ
An ardent passion for you in it became lighter
Of knowledgeable essence, however long the night of anxiety lasts
ذاتُ علمٍ مهما يطل ليلُ همٍّ
كلُّ ليلٍ يأتي بعُقباه فجر
Every night that comes has after it a dawn
And the toil of the journey passes when it
وعناءُ المسرى يزولُ إذا طا
بَ لها بعده لديكَ المقرُّ
Comes to rest with you afterwards its refuge
Revive it! The best you have chosen as a bride
حيِّها خير ما اجتليتَ عَروساً
بنت يومٍ لها قَبولك مهر
A daughter of the day for whom you paid consent as dowry
A sister of justification who came to the reproach seeking
أختُ عذرٍ جاءَت على العتب تسعى
ألها إذ تأخرت عنك عذر
Excuse her, for she was late coming to you
