خَلِيلَيَّ إِنْ لَمْ تُسْعِدا فَذارنِي

وَلا تَحْسَبا وَجْدِي الذِي تَجِدانِ

My two beloveds, if you don't make me happy, leave me alone

And don't consider my passion that you both find

خُذا مِنْ شُجُونِي ما يَدُلُّ عَلَى الْجَوى

فَما النّارُ إِلاّ تَحْتَ كُلِّ دُخانِ

Take from my agonies what indicates my love sickness

For fire exists only under smoke

أَماتَ الْهَوى صَبْرِي وَأَحْيا صَبابَتِي

فَها أنا مَغْلُوبٌ كَما تَرَيَانِ

My patience killed passion, yet revived my youthfulness

So you see I'm defeated, as you both notice

وَلَوْ أَنَّ مَنْ أَهْواهُ عايَنَ لُوْعَتِي

لُعَنَّفَنِي فِي حُبِّهِ وَلَحانِي

And if my loved one saw my torment

He would reproach me for his love and be gentle with me

تَحَمَّلْتُ مِنْ جُوْرِ الأَحِبَّةِ ما كَفى

فَلا يَبْهَظَنِّي الْيَوْمَ جَوْرُ زَمانِي

I've endured the injustice of lovers, enough

So let not today's injustice of time upset me

وكَيْفَ احْتفِالي بِالزَّمانِ وَصَرْفِهِ

وَما زالَ فَخْرُ الْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ أَمانِي

And how can I celebrate time and its turns

While the pride of kingdom still desires from it

عَلِقْتُ إِذا ما رُمْتُ عَدَّ كِرامِهِ

بِأَوَّلِ مَنْ يُثْنى عَلَيهِ بَنانِي

Whenever I aim to count its generosities

I cling to the first one praised with my ode

بِأَزْهَرَ وَضَّاحِ الْجَبينِ مُهَذَّبٍ

جَمِيلِ الْحَيا ماضٍ أَغَرَّ هِجانِ

With the brightest, most radiant forehead, well-mannered

Beautiful, enchanting, who roused passions

إِذا آلُ عَمّارٍ أَظَلَّكَ عِزُّهُمْ

فَغَيْرُكَ مَنْ يَخْشى يَدَ الْحَدَثانِ

When the protection of the Umayyads shades you

Who else besides you fears the hand of time?

هُمُ الْقَوْمُ إِلاَّ أَنَّ بَيْنَ بُيُوتِهِمْ

يُهانُ الْقِرى وَالْجارُ غَيْرُ مُهانِ

They are the people, though between their homes

Homelands are disgraced while neighbors are not

هُمُ أَطْلَقُوا بِالْجُودِ كُلَّ مَصَفَّدٍ

كَما أَنْطَقُوا بِالْحَمْدِ كُلَّ لِسانِ

They unleashed with generosity every shackled one

As they freed with praise every tongue

لَهُمْ بِك فَخْرَ الْمُلْكِ فَخْرٌ عَلَى الْوَرى

لَهُ شائِدٌ مِنْ راحَتَيْكَ وَبَانِ

Through you they pride themselves over all people

You have a comrade in your ease and structure

نُجُومُ عَلاءٍ فِي سَماءِ مَناقِبٍ

عَلِيٌّ وَعَمّارٌ بِها الْقَمَرانِ

The stars of glory in the sky of virtues

Are Ali and Amar their two moons

هَنيئاً لَكَ الأَيّامُ فَالدَّهْرُ كُلُّهُ

إِذا وَقاكَ اللهُ دَهْرُ تَهانِ

Congratulations on your days, so all time

When God protects you, time is disgraced

لِذا الْخَلْقِ عِيدٌ فِي أَوانٍ يَزُورُهُمْ

وَأَنْتَ لَنا عِيدٌ بِكُلِّ أَوانِ

For people, feast comes in a time they visit

While you’re a feast for us at all times

فَحَسْبِي مِنَ النَّعْماءِ أَنَّكَ وَالنَّدى

خَلِيلاً صَفاءِ لَيْسَ يَفْتَرِقانِ

It’s enough favor for me that you and dew

Are intimate, pure, never to part

إِذا رُمْتُ شِعْرِي فِي عُلاكَ أَطاعَنِي

وَإِنْ رُضْتُ فِكْرِي فِي سِواكَ عَصاني

When I aim my poetry at your eminence, it obeys me

Yet if I aim my thoughts at anyone but you, they disobey

وَما ذاكَ إِلاّ أَنَّنِي لَكَ ناطِقٌ

بِمْثِلِ الَّذِي يُطْوى عَلَيْهِ جَنانِي

That’s only because for you I utter

The same as what my soul hides within

أَلاّ حَبَّذا دَهْرٌ إِلَيْكَ أَصارَنِي

وَخَطْبٌ إِلى جَدْوى يَدَيكَ دَعانِي

Oh how excellent if fate led me to you

And a purpose to benefit from your hands guided me

لَقَدْ أَثْمَرَتْ أَيّامُهُ لِيَ أَنْعُماً

وَلَوْلاكَ لَمْ يُثْمِرْنَ غَيْرَ أَمانِي

Its days have certainly borne me blessings

And were it not for you, it would bear no more than wishes

وَإِنِّي لَتَقْتادُ الْمَطالِبَ هِمَّتِي

فَأَرْجَعُ مَثْنِيًّا إِلَيْكَ عَنانِي

I set out to seek what my ambition wants

Then I return, reined in, to you

وَإِنِّي لأَرْجُو منْ عطائِكَ رُتْبَةً

يُقَصِّرُ عَنْ إِدْراكِها الثَّقَلانِ

And I hope to gain from your gifts a status

That the two realms fall short of attaining

فَما تَقْرُبُ الدُّنْيا وَعَطْفُكَ نازِحٌ

وَلا تَبْعُدُ النُّعْمى وَجُودُكَ دانِ

Neither does the world draw near nor your kindness recede

Nor does favor disappear but your generosity remains close