لَهْفِي من العَاذِلِ وَالْعَاذِر
ذَا ظَالمِي فيكَ وَذَا ضائِري
My longing from the reproacher and the excuser
The one who wronged me regarding you and the one who harmed me
ذا عزَّني فيك وذَا عَادَني
لأَنَّه يَنْظر فِي نَاظِري
The one who weakened me regarding you and the one who helped me
For he looks into my eyes
يا طائرَ الحُسْنِ الَّذي وَكْره
قد حَلَّ من قلبيَ فِي طَائِر
O you, the bird of beauty that enchanted me
My heart has left from my chest like a bird
وكاسِرَ الْجَفْنِ الَّذي هُدْ به
قَلْبي بِه فِي مِخْلَبيْ كَاسِر
And the eyelid breaker who made my heart
Break with it in my claws like a breaker
فيه فتورٌ ألْهَبَ النَّارَ بي
واحر قلباه من الفاتر
In it is a numbness that ignited the fire in me
And my heart became restless from the apathetic one
طرفك قد أسقمه سحرُه
ما أَعْجَبَ السِّحرَ عَلَى السَّاحِر
Your glance has been afflicted by its magic
How amazing is magic upon the magician!
والثَّغرُ قَد أَفْحمنِي نَظْمُه
يَا حَسَدَ المفحَمِ للشَّاعِر
And the mouth whose prose astounded me
O envy of the astounded poet!
مَا زُرْتَنِي ضَيْفاً وكَم زُرتَني
طَيْفاً فأَهلاً بك مِن زَائِر
You did not visit me as a guest yet you visited me frequently as a specter
So hello to you, o visitor!
ولا عَلى عيني رَاقَبْتني
مستيقِظاً لكن على خَاطِري
You did not watch over my eyes while I was awake
But in my thoughts while I slept
نِمْتَ وطَيْفاً زُرتَني فاْعجَبوا
فإِنَّه عندي بِلاَ آخر
You came to me as a specter so they were amazed
For with me, it has no end
رجَعتَ بعدي حَنفيّاً بِه
في قَتْلِكَ المسلَم بِالْكَافر
You returned after me as a protector of it
In your killing a Muslim with an infidel
ما أَشْوق المهجورَ مِنِّي إِلى
قَتْلِي وَلكن بيدَ الْهَاجِر
How I long for the abandoned one from me
To kill me but with the hands of the emigrant
فالْوجْد لي وَحْديَ دونَ الْوَرَى
والملكُ للهِ وللظَّاهِر
So the ecstasy is for me alone without the people
And the kingdom belongs to Allah and the apparent one
مَلكٌ مُلُوك الأَرْضِ في أَسْرهِ
بالجودِ أَو بالصَّارِم الْبَاتر
A king, the kings of the earth are in his captivity
With generosity or with the cutting sword
أَسْراهُمُ مَن هُو في أَسْرهِ
قد يَشْرُفُ المأْسُورُ بالآسِر
He captured them, the one who is in their captivity
The captive may gain prestige through the captor
تَمْلِكُهم مِنْه يَدَا قَاهِرٍ
قد أَصبحُوا مِنْهُ لدَى غافِر
Your hands, O conqueror, possess them
They have become under your forgiveness in the morning
ويُحسن العفْوَ ولكِنَّه
أَحسنُ ما كان من القادر
You are excellent in pardon but you are
Better than what you can do as the capable one
كَم لأَعاديِه بِهِ عَثْرَةً
وكَمْ تَراه عاذِرَ الْعَاثِر
How much he stumbled his enemies
And how often you see him excusing the stumbler
عَادَوه لَمَّا أَنْ رَأَوْا قَطْرَه
يُغْرِقُ في تَيَّارِه الزَّاخِر
His policy in generosity has no equal
And how much precedent he has set
مَا جَحدُوا الفضلَ ولكنَّها
عَداوَةُ العَاجِز لِلْقَاهِر
His sword brought so much joy to a Muslim
Just as it brought misery to an infidel
فقل لمن ناواه جهلاً به
علقم لا لست إلى عامر
How much victories he achieved and became victorious
He is described as the winner and the successful one
من يَسمع الأَوْتَارَ لا يعتَرِضْ
للناقِض الأَوْتَارَ وَالواتِر
He returned with victory and revived with it
The memory of his father, the victorious king
يَصيدُ ظبيُ الخَدرِ حُسْناً ولا
يصيدُ غيرَ الأَسد الحاذر
The light of my time's sun from his face
Is brighter like the shining moon
والدَّهْرُ في خِدمَتِه واقفٌ
يخدُمه بالفلكِ الدَّائِر
He is praised in the complaining era
And just in the tyrannical time
كم ثائرٍ صَار إَلى حِزْبه
فَأَدْرَكَ الثَّأْر مِنَ الثَّائِر
His favors are known by all people
Present and in the desert
وجرَّدَ السَّيف ولكنَّه
أَغْمَده في دَمِه الْمَائِر
So everyone you see striving
In the abundance of his overflowing generosity
وفازَ بالنَّصر فأَحْيَا بِه
ذِكْرَ أَبِيه الملك النَّاصِر
He gives generously from its beauty
Yellow like the radiant gold
جلا دَياجِي الدَّهْرِ مِنْ وجهه
أَبلَجُ مثل القمرِ الزَّاهِرِ
O king, the source of his favors
Is to stop at what comes and goes
مُمدَّحٌ في الزَّمن المُشْتكي
وعادلٌ في الزمن الجائِر
I am the one who loved you, not for my own sake
But out of love for your magnificent grace
إِنعامُه عِند جميع الوَرَى
يُعرف بِالْبَادِي وبِالحاضر
I have a tongue that has not ceased to be
Like a sword in the hands of one who draws it
فَكُلُّ مَن تُبصِرهُ سَاعِياً
في غمرةٍ مِنْ جودِه الغامر
How much news it has and how many
Common examples it has
يجود بالبِدرِة من حُسنها
صفراءُ مثلُ المُهرَةِ الضَّامِر
If you wish, rhymed prose will come from a composer
Or if you wish, prose will come from a narrator
يا ملكاً مورِدُ إِنعامِه
وقْفُ عَلى الوارِدِ والصَّادِر
I wanted to praise you as a composer
And as a narrator with a perceptive mind
أَنا الذي أَهواكَ لاَ لِلْجدا
لكِن هَوىً في فضلكَ الْبَاهر
If you wish, you can call my mind
A meadow in which I praise the rain
ولي لسانٌ في فمِي لم يَزل
مثلَ حسامٍ في يَدَيْ شَاهِر
So I said what I sent to that
Pure gathering is not as a servant
وكَم لَهُ مِنْ خَبرٍ شَائِع
وكم له مِنْ مثَل سَائِر
I hope for success in it while I am
Not the most knowledgeable among my people
إِن شئتَ جاءَ النظمُ من ناظمٍ
أَو شئتَ جاءَ النَّثْرُ مِنْ نَاثِر
I presented my gratitude and I must
Present the favor to the grateful one
وشئتُ أَنْ أَمْدَحه ناظِماً
وناثراً بالخاطِر الشَّاطِر
It became in the land of Egypt, and indeed
The rest of me went to serve him
وخاطري إِن شئتَ سَمَّيتَه
روضاً به أُثْني عَلى المَاطر
I sold myself in loyalty to him
And I am not losing in my sale
فقلتُ مَا أَرْسلته خادِماً
به لِذاكَ الْمجْلِسِ الطَّاهِرِ
Who will defend me from an unjust ruler
Whose light is like the shining moon
أَرجو نَفَاقا فِيه مَعْ أَنَّني
مَا أَنَا فِي قَوْمِيَ بِالبَائِر
Breaking the hearts of lovers without care
Of the losing party's loss
قَدَّمْتُه شُكْرِي ولاَ بُدَّ أَنْ
تُقَدَّمَ النُّعْمىَ إِلى الشَّاكِر
They appointed him as judge so he judged between them
No, but he judged over them with injustice
وصارَ في مِصرَ بعضي وقد
سَارَ إِلى خِدْمتِه سَائِرِي
They are misguided, do not be surprised if one who
Seeks guidance from a defiant rebel goes astray
وبِعْتُ نفسي في ولائي له
ولَسْتُ في بَيْعِيَ بِالْخَاسِر
If they complain about him, I say that I
Am not a complainer of him but a thanker
مَنْ مُنْصِفي من حَاكِمٍ جَائِر
أَبلجَ مِثلِ القَمَر الزَّاهِر
With him, my murder was delayed
With a sword from his apathetic eyelid
مُخَسِّر العُشَّاقِ أَرْوَاحَهم
ولاَ يُبالِي غَبْنَ الْخَاسر
He returned from it sympathizing with me
And became from it my reproacher and excuser
هم حَكَّموه فقَضَى بينَهم
لاَ بَلْ عليهم بالْقَضاءِ الْجَائِر
The eyelid is broken so my love flew away
How the breaker tore the bird away!
ضلُّوا ولا تَعْجَب إِذا ضَلَّ مَنْ
يَرْجُو الهُدى مِنْ رَشإٍ جائِر
O you who I am emigrating to, if only
My call when I call him was "O visitor!"
إِذَا شَكَوْا مِنْه فأَنِّي لَه
مَا أَنَا بِالشَّاكِي بَلْ الشَّاكِر
I have a watcher, if not for the fact
That I fear for my tears upon my watcher
كَانَ به قَتْلِي عَلى مُهْلَةٍ
بِصَارِمٍ مِنْ جَفْنِه الْفَاتِر
I have no power over your abandonment
Nor a victor over your injustice
وعَادَ مِنْه رَاحِمي غَابِطي
وصَارَ مِنْه عَاذِلي عَاذِرِي
Rise, let us drive away worries with a cup of drink
On a long night without sleep or driving away
قد كَسَر الْجفْنَ فَطارَ الحَشَا
مَا أَفْتَكَ الْكَاسِرَ بالطَّائِر
Yellow that leaves nothing in the heart from
The whispers of sorrows or whistles
يا هَاجِري لَيتَ نِدائِي إِذَا
ناديتُه كَان بِيَا زَائِري
I will not be led to drink by the cup
So bring it and drink to praising one
لِي نَاظِرٌ لو لَمْ تكُنْ فِيه مَا
أَشْفَقْتُ مِنْ دَمْعِي عَلَى نَاظِري
I will not forget from his favors my rememberer
I would not, were it not for honesty in praising him
مَا لي عَلى هَجْرِكَ مِنْ قُوَّة
ولا عَلَى جَوْرِكَ مِنْ نَاصِر
Associate with my name the trait of poet
And poetry is a sin unless for his glory
قُمْ نَزْجُر الهَمَّ بكأْسِ الطِّلا
ليلَةَ لاَ ناهٍ ولاَ زَاجِر
His forgiveness is hoped for from the forgiving one
Any poetry I said in another
صفراءَ لا تتركُ في القلبِ مِن
وسَاوِسِ الأَحزانِ مِنْ صَافِر
It is an experimentation of the mind
The king, the glorious king who I am
ومِنْ مُديرِ الكَأْسِ سُكْرِي فَلا
أُحيلُ بِالكأْسِ عَلى الدَّائِر
Drowning in his abundant generosity
His manifest and hidden favors have no
فهاتِها واشْربْ عَلى مَدْح مَن
لَمْ أَنْس مِنْ إِنْعامِه ذَاكِرِي
Equal, neither in the desert nor in the city
King of kings of earth in his matter
ما كنتُ لَولاَ الصِّدقُ في مَدْحِه
أُلصِقُ باسمِي سِمةَ الشَّاعِر
With generosity or the cutting sword
Praised in the complaining time
والشِّعر ذَنْبٌ في سِوى مَجْدِه
تُرجَى لَهُ مَغْفرةُ الْغافرِ
And just in the tyrannical time
His giving was for him first
وكلُّ شِعْر قُلْتُ في غَيْرِه
فإِنَّه تَجرِبَةُ الخَاطِر
But it was without last
Rarities of generosity, he has regular
المَلِكُ الْملْكُ العزيزُ الَّذي
غَرِقْتُ في إِنْعامِه الزَّاخِر
When the regular is seen as rare
He demolishes property when he builds prominence
إِنْعَامُه الْبَادِي مَعَ الْحاضِر ال
مَوْجُودِ في البادِي وفي الحَاضِر
Oh wonder of the demolisher, the constructor!
He pardons the sinner when able
ملك ملوك الأرض في أمره
بالجود أو بالصارم البتر
How excellent is pardon from the able!
So the inspiration of the inspired is his favor
ممدوَّحٌ في الزَّمن الْمُشتَكَى
وعَادلٌ في الزَّمَنِ الْجَائِر
And his forbearance excuses the stumbler
His conduct in generosity has no equal
وبذلُه كَان لَهُ أَوَّلٌ
لكِنَّهُ كَانَ بِلاَ آخِر
And how much precedent he has
His sword brought so much joy to a Muslim
فنادِرُ الجُودِ لَهُ راتِبٌ
حِينَ يُرى الرَّاتِبُ كَالنَّادِر
Just as it brought misery to an infidel
How much victories he claimed and became victorious
يهدِمُ مَالاً حِينَ يبني عُلاً
يا عَجَباً لِلهَادِمِ العَامِر
He is described as the winner and the successful
He returned with victory and revived with it
يَعْفُو عَن الْجَاني على قُدرَةٍ
ما أَحْسَن الْعَفْوَ مِنَ القَادر
The memory of his father, the victorious king
O king, the source of his favors
فَمُنهضُ المنهاض إِنعامُه
والحِلْمُ منه عاذِرُ العَاثِر
Is to stop at what comes and goes
I am the one who came to you, not for my own sake
سيرتُه في الجودِ لا مِثْلها
وكم لَه مِن مَثَلٍ سَائِر
But out of love for your magnificent grace
I have sent from my rainy thoughts
وسيفُه كم سَرَّ مِنْ مُسْلمٍ
كَمَا به قَدْ سَاءَ مِنْ كَافِر
So listen to what I compose
كَمْ ظَفَرٍ فَازَ به فاغْتَدى
يُنْعَت بالفَائِزِ والظَّافِر
وعَادَ بالنَّصرِ فَأَحْيَا بِه
ذِكْرَ أَبِيهِ الْمِلكِ النَّاصِر
يَا مَلِكاً مورِدُ إِنْعامه
وقْفٌ عَلى الْوَارِد وَالصَّادِر
أَنَا الَّذي جئتُك لا للْجَدا
بل لِلْهوى في فَضْلِكَ الْبَاهر
أَمْطَرتَني بالجُودِ فاسْمع لِما
أُنْشِئُه مِنْ خَاطِري المَاطِر
