أَهَلَّ بالبَيْنِ فانْهَلَّتْ مدَامِعُهُ

وآنس النَّفرَ فاستكَّتْ مسامِعُهُ

He bid farewell, so his tears flowed,

And he found comfort in his companions, so their ears perked up,

وَوَدَّعَ المَنزِلَ الأَعلى فأَوْدَعَهُ

فِي القَلبِ لاعِجَ بثٍّ لا يُوادِعُهُ

He left the highest abode, so it nestled

In his heart—no aimless sojourn—that will not bid it adieu,

يا معهداً لَمْ يُضِعْ عَهدَ الوفاءِ لَهُ

مُكسَّفُ النورِ عافي القدْرِ ضائِعُهُ

O pillar that never broke its pact of loyalty,

Whose light is eclipsed, whose worth forlorn,

ولا ثَنى عَبَراتي عنْ تَذَكُّرِهِ

دَهْرٌ تَقارَعُ فِي صدري قوارِعُهُ

Nor do my laments cease remembering him,

While my innermost self is battered by piercing sorrows,

حَسبي ضُلوعٌ ثَوَت فِيهَا مَصائِبُهُ

وَمُقلَةٌ رَبَعتْ فِيهَا مَرابعهُ

My ribs that endured his calamities suffice me,

And my eyelids that swelled with his tears,

سَقاكَ مثلُ الَّذِي عفَّى رُباكَ عسى

يُنبيكَ كيْفَ غريبُ الرَّحْلِ شاسِعُهُ

May you be given drink like what stoked your passion,

That alerts you to how the traveler yearns,

صباً كَتَصعيدِ أَنفاسي وصوبُ حياً

تُريكَ عبْرةَ أَجْفانِي مَدامِعُهُ

My youth like the crumbling of my sighs, and my prime,

Like the cooing of the doves nesting in my orchard,

سحٌّ إذَا شَفَّ صحنَ الخدِّ ضائِرُهُ

شفى تباريحَ مَا فِي القلبِ نافِعُهُ

How often has my night shortened its stretches

Foolishly, and my morn knit not its stitches,

لله من وَطَنٍ قلبي لَهُ وطنٌ

يَبلى وأَبلى وَمَا تبلى فجائِعُهُ

How often have orchards around me ripened,

Though life was crude, the garden's bliss beguiling,

لا يسأَمُ الدَّهْرُ من شَوقٍ يُطالِعُني

مِنهُ ومن زَفرةٍ منِّي تُطالِعُهُ

How often my siesta place was shaded amongst its trees,

By every branch, the doves' cooing was spellbinding.

فطالَما قَصَّرَتْ لَيلي مَقاصِرُهُ

لَهواً وَمَا صَنَّعت صُبحي مَصانِعُهُ

If your groves' lament brought you joy today,

Then how much my longing helped appease your craving,

وطالما أَيْنعتْ حولِي حدائِقُهُ

والعيشُ غضٌّ أَنينُ الرَّوضِ يانِعُهُ

How oft in it I was graced by a beloved,

For whom I shed my chastity—he who claimed it—

وكم أُظِلَّ مَقِيلي وَسْطَ جَنَّتِهِ

بكُلِّ فرع حَمامُ الأَيكِ فارِعُهُ

A meadow delightful to the eye of passion,

And a place of drink fine to the youth,

إِنْ تُسعِدِ اليومَ أَشجاني نوائِحُهُ

فكم وكمْ ساعَدَتْ شَجْوي سَواجِعُهُ

How oft I cracked the heart of night of a moon,

For whom my soul pined—right in its core,

وكم وَفى ليَ فِيهِ من حبيبِ هوىً

خَلَعتُ فِيهِ عِذاري فَهو خالِعُهُ

I eyed unresting eyes, while my composure,

Downcast of gaze upon me slumbering,

رَوْضٌ لعَيْن الهوى راقَتْ أَزاهِرُهُ

ومَشرَبٌ للصَّبَا طابَتْ مَشارِعُهُ

My whip of fellowship ahead, my bridle of intimacy,

Drawing me to it—knotting, embracing me,

وكم صَدَعْتُ فؤادَ اللَّيلِ عن قَمرٍ

لَهُ هَوىً فِي صميمِ القلبِ صادِعُهُ

I never ventured past the edge of death swaggering,

Except my tender branch, pliant, came barking

خالَستُ فِيهِ عيوناً غيرَ هاجِعةٍ

والحَزمُ عنِّي غضيضُ الطرفِ هاجِعُهُ

My greetings to him, kisses and hugging

That his twisting knot about me kept tugging,

وفي نِجادِي جريُّ الإِلفِ مُقْدِمُهُ

وَفِي عِناني مُشيحُ الجذْلِ دارِعُهُ

I never shed armor, save when its links

Were split by my breast—all its passions keeping,

فما تجاوَزْتُ قَرْنَ الموتِ مُعتسفاً

إِلّا وقِرني رخيم الدَّلِّ بارِعُهُ

Nor feared I any arrow from his gazing,

Melting my blade, its target my heart seeking.

تَحِيَّتي منه تَقبيلٌ ومُعتنَقٌ

يَشدُّنِي غُلُّهُ فِيهِ وجامعُهُ

A limb who tasted the bliss—never

Would it embrace a pearl save cleaving it,

لم أخلَعِ الدِّرعَ إِلّا حِينَ شَقَّقَهُ

عن صفحِ صَدريَ مَا تَحوي مدارِعُهُ

The smooth tenderness of braids beneath the curtain,

The swaying of the curls above the choker clipping,

ولا تَوَقَّيتُ سَهماً مِنْ لَواحِظِهِ

يُذيبُ سَيفي وَفِي قَلبي مَواقِعُهُ

It leans a while, drunk with allure drawing me,

Then it curves, the curtain's folds exposing,

غُصنٌ تَجرَّعَ أَنداءَ النَّعيمِ فما

يُطوَّقُ الدُّرَّ إِلّا وهو جارِعُهُ

So my waist disgorged sand dunes separating us,

While my chest sprouted pomegranates repulsing it,

غَضُّ القباطِيِّ تَحْتَ الوَشي ناعِمُها

مُخلخَلُ الجيدِ فَوْقَ العقدِ رادِعُهُ

My cheeks' channels bring pain when ravaged,

Their shape preserves musk—thus preventing it,

يَميسُ طَوْراً وسُكرُ الدَّلِّ عاطِفُهُ

وتارَةً وانثناءُ الوَشيِ لاذِعُهُ

I spend the night under the portico of darkness,

Yearning is my companion, intimacy is third,

فاستفرَغَ الخَصرُ كُثبانا تُباعِدُهُ

وأنبتَ الصدْرُ رُمَّاناً تُدافِعُهُ

Dawn's magic is countered by words challenging me,

Musk's fragrance by a cup I vie.

وفي السوالِفِ خوْفُ الصُّدغِ يَجرحُهُ

تِمثالُ صُدْغَيهِ مِسكاً فهو مانِعُهُ

At peace extending hands the light of comfort,

Had it no bashfulness, her fingers would have reached him,

فَبِتُّ تَحْتَ رِوَاقِ اللَّيلِ ثانِيَهُ

والشوقُ ثالثُهُ والوَصْلُ رابعُهُ

As if the roses of his cheek it melted,

And his saliva—sweetened wine—it mixed,

والسحرُ يسحرُ من لفظٍ يُنازِعُني

والمِسكُ يَعبقُ من كَأْسٍ أُنازِعُهُ

Fruits of life, though hopes of me expired,

And greed lost appetite, hither came to gratify me,

راحاً يَمُدُّ سناها نُورُ رَاحتهِ

لولا المها لجرَتْ فِيهَا أَصابعُهُ

Its storer ransacked musk, camphor unstored,

Prodigal with roses, apples sold cheaply.

كَأَنما ذاب فِيهَا وردُ وَجْنته

وشجَّها ريقُها المعسول مائعُهُ

So guide the stars of night whose moon is lost,

While in my lap his crescent lay safely,

جنى حياةٍ دَنتْ مِنِّي مطاعِمُهُ

من بعدِ مَا قَدْ نَأتْ عنِّي مطامِعُهُ

And guide the yearning of wild deer bereft,

While in my meadow their gazelle grazed freely,

قَدْ أَنهَبَ المِسكَ والكافورَ خازِنُهُ

وأرخَصَ الوَرْدَ والتفاحَ بائِعُهُ

My eyes' expanse—how far did their gazes wander!

My breast's heat—how much did its bones contain!

فيا ضَلالَ نُجومِ اللَّيلِ إِذْ عَدِمَتْ

بَدْرَ السماءِ وَفِي حِجري مَضاجِعُهُ

My eyes are mirrors I use to deduce dawn,

When its first rays are too shy to shine plainly,

ويا حَنينَ ظِباءِ القفْرِ إذ فَقدَتْ

غَزَالَهُنَّ وفي رَوْضي مَرَاتِعُهُ

A madness that intensifies night's gloom for the sentinel,

And provokes the morn's first light to rise hastily,

مَجالُ طَرْفِي وَمَا حازَتْ لواحِظُهُ

وحرُّ صَدري وَمَا ضَمَّتْ أَضالِعُهُ

So he wondered at a doe challenging me,

While I wrestled a lion—his equal in might,

وَالطِّرْفُ مرْآةُ عيني أَستَدِلُّ بِهِ

عَلَى الصَّباحِ إذَا مَا خِيفَ ساطِعُهُ

He never saw a horn I hugged

Save having bid farewell to a soul never retracting,

جَوناً أزيدُ به لَيلَ الرَّقيبِ دُجىً

ويستثيرُ ليَ الإِصباحَ لامِعُهُ

Until first light emerged, its braids combed,

Chasing night, its ringlets disheveling,

فباتَ يَعجبُ من ظبيٍ يُصارِعُني

وَقَدْ يحِنُّ عَلَى لَيثٍ أُصارِعُهُ

As if a band of strays met their fate,

And you, O Mansur, were locked with them fighting,

وَمَا رأَى قبلَها قِرْناً أُعانِقُهُ

إِلّا وَوَدَّعَ نفساً لا تُراجِعُهُ

Or like the brandishing of spears—you unfurled them

Through the door of outright conquest—you facilitated it,

حَتَّى بَدا الصُّبحُ مُشمَطّاً ذَوائِبُهُ

يُطارِدُ اللَّيلَ مَوْشِيّاً أكارِعُهُ

An army stirred by deadly rumbling led

By fate grim unto your enemies marching,

كَأَنَّ جَمْعَ ضلالٍ حانَ مَصرَعُهُ

وأنتَ بالسيفِ يَا مَنصورُ صارِعُهُ

Dawn of brilliant star—but for its glare,

And night of billowing wave—but for its foam,

أَوْ كاشتِجَارِ رِماحٍ أنتَ مُشْرعُها

فِي بابِ فتحٍ مُبينٍ أَنتَ شارِعُهُ

Omens of fortune in the horizon its guides,

And fortune's stars heralding with good tidings,

جَيشٌ يَجيشُ برَعْدِ المَوْتِ يقدُمُهُ

إِلَى عِدَاكَ قضاءٌ حُمَّ واقِعُهُ

You held the standard's lead—God elevated it,

To a promise assured—its consequences unseen,

صباحُ بارِقةٍ لولا عَجاجَتُهُ

وَليلُ هابيةٍ لولا لوامِعُهُ

In trade honest—its goods never adulterated,

Pairing of struggle and fasts—resolve accompanied it,

دلائِلُ اليُمْنِ فِي الهَيجا أَدِلَّتُهُ

وأَنجُمُ السَّعدِ بالبشرى طَلائِعُهُ

Patience flanked it. No darkness of stillness you dwelled,

Nor daylight of cave you sought refuge,

يُهدى بِهَدْيِ لِواءٍ أَنتَ عاقِدُهُ

للهِ واللهُ بِالتأْييدِ رافِعُهُ

You roamed the land seeking a fort to inhabit,

And combed the wilderness for an army to combat,

لِمَوْعِدٍ غيرِ مكذوبٍ عواقِبُهُ

فِي مَتْجَرٍ غَيرِ مُزْجاةٍ بضائِعُهُ

Until you wrecked the noses of polytheism altogether

With the side of the citadel of disbelief—you split it,

مَثنى جِهادٍ وصوْمٍ ضمَّ شملَهُما

عَزْمٌ يُسايرُهُ صَبرٌ يشايِعُهُ

Vanished the dark lion who misled the lost,

Deceiving God—while he deceiving it,

فلا ظَلامُ قَرارٍ أَنتَ ساكِنُهُ

ولا نَهارُ مُغارٍ أَنتَ وادعُهُ

If its utmost outskirts your lips split,

Then you split its hinterlands—sealing its fate,

تَهيمُ فِي الأَرْضِ عن حِصنٍ تُنازِلُهُ

وتَخرِقُ البيدَ عن جيشٍ تُقارِعُهُ

If the emigrant from home takes caution of you,

Then foes took caution—on a day you were its caution,

حَتَّى جَدَعْتَ أُنُوفَ الشِّركِ قاطِبةً

بأَنفِ مَعقلِ كُفرٍ أَنتَ جادِعُهُ

You left it from the gales of victory a tempest,

Whereafter no subsidence or sinking remained,

غابُ الأُسودِ الَّذِي غُرَّ الضَّلالُ بِهِ

فَخادَعَ اللهَ منهُ وهوَ خادِعُهُ

As if the one who blows death's trumpet laid them low,

Toppling its lofty walls—their structures crumbling,

فإِنْ شَجتْ ثغرَكَ الأَقصى مَرابصُهُ

فقد شَجتْ أَرْضَه القصوى مَصارِعُهُ

So the calf refusing to drink its milk,

The infant forgetful of the breast that nursed it,

وإِنْ يَرُعْ نازِحَ الأَوْطانِ عَنكَ فقدْ

راعَ العدى منهُ يومٌ أَنتَ رائعُهُ

They roamed under the lightning of death—every coward

And valiant warrior: the lion cub's guardian, its hunter,

صَبَّحتَهُ من رِياحِ النَّصرِ عاصفةً

لا تتَّقي بَعدَها خَسفاً بَلاقِعُهُ

One meets it with despair—so it submits,

The other meets it with harmony—so he aids it,

كَأَنَّ نافخ صُورِ الموتِ أَصعقَهُ

فَهدَّ أَسوارَهُ العليا صَواقِعُهُ

With steeds whose fast gait you adorned them,

An army—its calamities therein contained,

فَمقعَصٌ ناشِزٌ عنهُ حلائِلُهُ

ومُرْضَعٌ ذاهِلٌ عنهُ مَراضِعُهُ

You brought them to Egypt, and eyes aspired

To witness the like of what your Lord created,

وهامَ تَحْتَ بُرُوقِ المَوْتِ كلُّ رَشاً

اللَّيثُ كافِلُهُ والليثُ فاجِعُهُ

The earth wears them at times, at others divests them,

The bridge carries them perforce—then dumps them,

هذا مُعانِقهُ يأْساً فَمُسلِمُهُ

وذا مُعانِقهُ إِلفاً فَشافِعُهُ

A surging host—its summit and depth billowing,

A torrential flood—its onslaughts successive,

عواطِلاً أَنتَ حَلَّيتَ الخُيولَ بِهَا

جيشاً غدائِرُها فِيهِ بَراقِعُهُ

The sun wearing from it a cloak of darkness,

Though day's face shone radiant and beaming,

أَورَدتها المِصرَ والأَبصارُ طامِحةٌ

لِصنعِ مَا لَكَ ربُّ العرشِ صانِعُهُ

By the auspice of your fortunate brow, its flight,

And the luck of your blessed leader—its ascent,

والأَرضُ تَلبسُهُ طَوْراً وتَخلعُهُ

والجِسرُ حامِلُهُ كَرْهاً فواضِعُهُ

You brought him forth matching his namesake, long live you through him,

A venerable sage, strong resolve binding him,

طوْدٌ منَ الخيلِ أَعلاهُ وأَسفلُهُ

بَحْرٌ من السَّيلِ مُلتجٌّ دَوافِعُهُ

Who bestows life on those you spared sharing it,

And drinks lethal poison to those you fought against.

والشَّمسُ لابسةٌ منهُ قِناعَ دُجىً

واليومُ أَزْهرُ وَجهِ الجوِّ ماتِعُهُ

He fulfilled the raiment of forbearance, wearing it,

And adorned him with the wraps of war, nursing it,

بيُمنِ حاجِبِكَ الميمونِ طائِرُهُ

وَسَعدِ قائِدِكَ المسعودِ طالعُهُ

Whom noble traits shone through his qualities,

And the efforts he exhausted built up his merit,

أَنجبتَهُ كاسْمِهِ تَحيا عُلاكَ بِهِ

كَهلُ التجارِبِ شَرْخُ العزْمِ يافِعُهُ

So glories handed down the ancients he inherited

With a name certified by deeds matching it,

ساقِي الحياةِ لمنْ سالَمْتَ مُطعِمُها

ذُعافَ سُمٍّ لِمَنْ حارَبتَ ناقِعُهُ

And if the world narrowed for an outcast,

Then the magnanimity of his soul is broader than it,

أَوْفى بِهِ فِي رِداءِ الحِلمِ لابسُهُ

وَعَلَّهُ بلِبانِ الحَرْبِ راضِعُهُ

If darkness befell one day the hopeful,

Then the sovereign of leadership, clear of night, outshone it,

مَنْ أَشرَقَتْ بسجاياهُ مَقاوِلُهُ

وأَعرَقَتْ فِي مَساعيهِ تبابعُهُ

And but for him, ties are cut off,

Advocates rejected, cases refuted,

وقَلَّدَتْهُ تُجيبٌ حَلْيَ سابقها

حَتَّى غدا السابقَ المتبوعَ تابعُهُ

Without him, hopes are utterly dashed,

And without him, needs are too paltry to mend,

واحْتازَ إِرْثَ الأُلى آوَوْا وَهُمْ نَصرُوا

باسمٍ يُصدِّقُهُ فِعلٌ يُضارِعُهُ

He who inclines his ear is as though

His acts unto his enemies take place,

فإِنْ تضايَقَتِ الدُّنيا بمُغتَربٍ

فَمُنذِرٌ بعدُ رَحْبُ الصدرِ واسِعُهُ

And God placed in his hands, for Islam to keep,

Sublimities preserved—therein deposits placed—

وإِنْ دَجا فلَقٌ يوْماً بذي أَمَلٍ

فَذُو الرِّياساتِ طَلقُ الليلِ ناصِعُهُ

O you who joined by dew what God joined!

And you who severed by hail what God severed!

ومن سواه لمقطوعٍ أَواصِرُهُ

ومن سواه لمردودٍ شَوافِعُهُ

Rejoice in a pride and instinct you harvested,

From the righteousness of conquest and fasts you sowed!

ومن سواهُ لخطبٍ جَلَّ فادِحُهُ

ومَن سواهُ لِخرقٍ قلَّ راقِعُهُ

And a place of worship you rose for prayers,

Radiant as the moon you emerged from it praying,

ومن يُسيمُ نَداهُ فِي خزائِنهِ

كَأَنَّه فِي أَعاديهِ وَقائِعُهُ

Amidst an army of might and help—you stirred it,

Gathering religion and world—you brought together,

واسْتودَعَ اللهُ للإِسلامِ فِي يدِهِ

مكارِماً حُفظتْ فِيهَا ودائعُهُ

Revered of might in visions—dazzling,

Lowering your gaze to the Merciful—humbled,

يا واصِلاً بالندى مَا اللهُ وَاصِلُهُ

وقاطِعاً بالظُّبى مَا اللهُ قاطِعُهُ

And a stand for you the supplicants elevated,

To the heavens—its Witness and Hearer,

اسْعدْ بفخرٍ وفِطرٍ أنت حاصِدُهُ

مِنْ برِّ فتحٍ وصَوْمٍ أَنتَ زارِعُهُ

For you the sermon was commenced therewith,

And the worshipper prostrating did not reveal his secret,

ومَشهدٍ لِلْمُصلَّى قَدْ طَلَعتَ لَهُ

كالبدرِ مُشرِقَةً مِنهُ مطالعُهُ

And they exchanged greetings of Eid and conveyed to you

The finest salutations disseminating far reaching,

في جيشِ عزٍّ ونصرٍ أَنت غُرَّتُهُ

وشملِ دينٍ ودُنيا أَنتَ جامِعُهُ

A throng racing to your palace, praise driving it,

And praise reining it. Where virtues are upheld,

مُعظَّمُ القَدْرِ فِي الأَبصارِ باهِرُهُ

وخافِضُ الطَّرْفِ للرَّحمنِ خاشِعُهُ

The banners of faith kept lofty,

Brilliance of religion inhabited, its laws preserved,

ومَوقفٍ لَكَ فِي الدَّاعينَ رَفَّعَهُ

إِلَى السمواتِ رائيهِ وسامِعُهُ

Succession of kingship protected with its seal,

From the clay of glory—God is its Shaper.

بكَ استُهِلَّ بِهِ فصلُ الخطابِ وَمَا

أَسَرَّ ساجِدُهُ الدَّاعِي وراكِعُهُ

So submit to them and those whose hopes

Death came to claim—towards your auspice competing,

وسَلَّموا من صَلاةِ العيدِ وافتتَحوا

إِليكَ أَزْكى سَلامٍ شاعَ شائِعُهُ

Sorrows mount the mountains in piles,

Spurred by sincerity—its hardship apparent,

جَمعاً يؤُمُّ إِليكَ القصرَ مُستَبِقاً

الحَمدُ قائدُهُ والحَمدُ وازِعُهُ

Many a turbulent sea beneath a sea of gloom,

Roared towards your billowing sea—its sources,

حَيْثُ المكارمُ مَرفوعٌ معالمُها

ونَيِّرُ الدينِ معمورٌ شَرائِعُهُ

And of your remarkable qualities—innovations sublime,

The land came to request of you—its wonders,

وتالِدُ المُلكِ محفوظٌ بخاتَمِهِ

من طينةِ المَجدِ والرَّحمنُ طابعُهُ

No worth then did you reduce, you who raise it,

No worth then did you raise, you who demote it,

واسْلَمْ لَهمْ ولمنْ أَوْفَى بِهِ أَمَلٌ

فاتَ المنايا إِلَى يُمناكَ نازِعُهُ

So prosper by a pride and merit you reaped,

From the harvest of conquest and fasts you sowed!

يعلُو الجِبالَ بأَمثالِ الجبالِ أَسىً

يَحدوهُ جدٌّ عَثورُ الجَدِّ ظالِعُهُ

وَرُبَّ لُجَّةِ بحرٍ تَحْتَ بَحرِ دُجىٌ

قاسى إِلَى بحرِكَ الطَّامي يَنابِعُهُ

وَمِنْ شمائِلِكَ المُعيي بَدائِعُها

فِي الأَرْضِ جَاءَتْكَ تستَملي بدائِعُهُ

فلا تَواَضعَ قَدرٌ أَنتَ رافِعهُ

وَلا تَرْفَّعَ قَدْرٌ أَنتَ واضِعُهُ