يَميناً بنورِ الفجْرِ يوْماً إذا بَدا

وبالنّجْمِ في جوِّ السّماءِ إذا هَوى

With the light of dawn some day when it appears

And with the star in the sky's expanse when it descends

لقدْ شِدْتَ رَبْعَ النّظْمِ بعْدَ دُروسِه

وأحْيَيْتَ منْهُ سفنّةً وافَقَتْ هَوى

You have composed a quarter of poetry after its lessons

And revived from it a ship that met desire

وأنّسْتَ نفْساً طالَما لقِيَتْ بِها

صُروفُ اللّيالي في مُصاحَبَةِ النّوى

And delighted a soul that for long encountered with it

The turns of nights in accompanying intentions

وأتْحَفْتَ بالدُرِّ الذي مَنْ يفُزْ بهِ

على كلِّ ذُخْرٍ في الوجودِ قدِ احْتَوى

And gifted with a pearl that whoever wins it

Has surpassed all treasures in existence it contained

خَلا أنّ دَعْوَى منْكَ غيْرُ صحيحةٍ

أتَتْ ضِدَّ ما أخْفَى الفُؤادُ وما نَوى

Except that a claim from you is not true

That came against what the heart concealed and intended

ويُكْذِبُها الحِسُّ الذي مَنْ يرُدُّهُ

فللجَهْلِ أصْغى أو إلى أهْلِهِ انْضَوى

And it is denied by the perception that whoever repels it

Has listened to ignorance or joined its people

إذا خبَرٌ ضُمّتْ إليه قَرينَةٌ

حكَمتَ بظنٍّ ليْسَ بالواهِنِ القُوَى

When a report is coupled with a context

You judge with an assumption that is not strongly sound

وزُهْدُكَ في الأنْثى شَهيدٌ مُثبِتٌ

وما ضَلّ مَنْ بالحَقِّ جاءَ ولا غَوى

And your asceticism toward women is a witness proving

And none who came with truth strayed or deviated

وما قُلْتُ بيْتاً منْ نَسيبٍ مُشَبِّباً

بغانِيَةٍ أو بتَّ منْهُ علَى جَوى

And I have not said any verse of yearning, craving

A woman of immorality or craving her in infatuation

إذا ما ذكَرْنا مَنْ يَهيمُ بغادَةٍ

ذُكِرْتَ فنَسْتَثْنيكَ منّا بِما سِوى

When we mention one who is infatuated with a beauty

You are singled out from us by what is other than you

أتَقْعُدُ عنْ قاضِي القُضاةِ ابْنِ أكْتَمٍ

وعنْ حسَنٍ منْ بعْدِ ما نشَرَ اللِّوا

Will I abstain from the judge of all judges son of Aktam

And from Hassan after he disseminated poetry

وأنتَ الذي شمّرْتَ في شدِّ أزْرِهِ

عنِ السّاعِدِ الأقْوى لتَنْشُرَ ما طَوى

While you are the one who rolled up your sleeve

With the strongest arm to spread what he folded

فكمْ مُرْهَفِ العِطْفِ انْتَضى اللحْظَ مُرْهَفاً

عليْكَ وأحْوى الطّرْفِ لُبَّكَ قدْ حَوى

So how many gentle hearts glanced at you gently

And averted their eyes for you have contained their hearts

وزِدْتَ بأنّ الورْدَ عندَكَ إنْ بَدا

أنيقَ الجَنى والآسَ في وَجْنَةٍ سَوا

And you excel in that roses with you if they appear

Are exquisite, fresh in a soft cheek

وهذا لعَمْري مَذْهَبٌ لمْ يُقَلْ بهِ

ولكنّ مَنْ لمْ يرْوِ ليْسَ كمَنْ رَوى

And by my life this is an approach that has not been said about

But one who has not tasted is not like one who has tasted

وإنْ أفْرَطَ الشّيْءُ اسْتَحالَ لضِدّهِ

وكمْ طابِخٍ كشْحانَ رمّدَ ما شَوى

And if something exceeds it changes to its opposite

And how many cooks stinginess spoiled what he cooked

ودونَكَها منّي إليْكَ بَديهَةً

أتَتْ لكَ من قَلْبٍ علَى حُبِّكَ انْطَوى

And below it from me to you is a truism

That came to you from a heart that in loving you is wrapped

بقِيتَ أخا سعْدٍ جَديدٍ لباسُهُ

وعِزٍّ على الأيّامِ ممْتَنِعِ الصَّوَى

You remained a brother to Sa'd, his attire new

And glory over days inaccessible to temptation