ما هِزَّةُ الغُصْنِ إِلا مِلكُ هِزَّتِه

وذِلَّةُ الصَّبِّ إِلا طَوعُ عِزَّته

The swaying of the branch is but its owner's sway

And the submission of youth is but the will of its glory

قد أَشْبهَ البدرَ إِلاَّ في تبرُّجه

وأَشبهَ الظَّبْيَ إِلا في تَلَفُّتِه

It resembled the full moon but for its display

And the gazelle but for its glance and survey

وما رأَى الناسُ ناراً في توقُّدِها

كَنارِ قلبيَ إِلا نَارَ وجْنَتِه

None has seen fire kindle as my heart's fire

Except its flame and blaze in fury and ire

أَهْوَى من العَربِ العَرْباءِ مِن سأَلَتْ

عنه الملاحَةُ أَو حلَّت بِحُلَّتِه

I love the most of Arabs, she who did implore

Her kin about him, or pitched her tent on his terrain

ذلَّت له وأَطاعَتْه فهل عَلِموا

أَنَّ الملاَحةَ أَضْحتْ من أَحِبَّتِه

They submitted to him and obeyed his reign

Know they not she's of those who his love obtain?

أَثْرى من الحُسْن حتى قال عَاشِقُه ال

مهجورُ يا رَبِّ سِّل وقتَ عُسْرتِه

Of beauty he's the wealthiest so that his lover said

Forsaken, Lord, ease his hardship instead

يَشْتَاقُ بارقُ نجدٍ معْ ثَنِيَّتها

والصَّبُّ يشتاقُ برقاً في ثَنِيَّتِه

The lightning of Najd yearns for its bend

As the youngster yearns for lightning at day's end

ويعقِدُ الطَّبْعُ منه قافَ منطقهِ

ويَحْلُل السُّكْرُ منه سِبنَ طُرَّته

Nature has composed of him an ode and verse

As drink composes his reason's scattered purse

يأْوي إِلى بيت شَعرٍ لو شكا مَلَلاً

من مُكْثِه فيه لاسْتَغْنَى بشَعْرتِه

To a bayt of poetry he repairs, should he feel

Bored of staying; by its lines he'd appeal

وما رأَى الحسنَ من لم يرعَ ناظرُه

تلكَ الشمائلَ تَزْهو تَحْتَ شَمْلَتِه

Who hasn't seen Beauty hasn't seen it smile

Under its garb and veil in style

ومَنْ يكُنْ بِبياضِ اللَّون ذا كَلفٍ

فإِنَّ قلبيَ مشغوفٌ بِسمْرتِه

Let pale complexion posing lofty pretend

For my heart is smitten by its dark amend

إِن كان مِسكُ غزالِ الهند سُرته

فإِنَّ مسكَ غزالي سُؤرُ شَرْبته

If Indian gazelle's musk is its scent

My gazelle's musk is the intoxicant draught I've spent

هذا أَميرُ مِلاح الخلق قاطبةٌ

قولُوا لهم فليُطيعوا أَمْر إِمْرته

This is the king of all people's affection

Tell them to heed his rule and direction

ولْيأْخُذوا بيْعةٍ منه مُطاوعَةً

فحُسْنُه قد تَوَلَّى أَخْذَ بَيْعَتِه

And pledge to him allegiance and obey

For his beauty has assumed all pledges today

ولْيقصِدوا قلبي المقصودَ قبلَهُم

مِنه فقلبي المُعَنَّى دارُ هِجْرَته

Let hearts hasten to my heart that yearns

For it's the home of all his love that burns

يَا ناعِسَ الطَّرفِ لاَ والله ما انْتَبهتْ

فيكَ المَحَبَّةُ إِلاَّ وَقْتَ نَعْسَتِه

O heedless eyes awake, by God you never stirred

Except when asleep, towards his love just third

وكاسِرَ الجَفْنِ إِي والله ما انكسرت

فيكَ الجوانحُ إِلاَّ بعد كسرتِه

And break, eyelids, for never you cracked

Except after breaking, to his love you lacked

ما لَحْظُ عينيكِ إِلا شاربٌ ثملٌ

وكسرةُ الجفْنِ إِلا عَيْنُ سَكْرَتِه

Naught are your glances but a drunken haze

Nor cracking lids but spilling tears in craze

ملكتَ قلبي فصُل واقتدت عَاصِيه

فأَعْظِم وأَضْرمتَ فيه نارَه فَته

You ruled my heart, lit and stoked its fire

To spread and grow, doubling its blaze and pyre

إِنِّي لأَرْثي لدمعي من تَزاحُمه

كما رَثيتُ لِشَمْلي من تَشَتُّتِه

I mourn for my tears crowding without halt

As I mourned for my state when it shattered and failed

هل جُهدُ طرفِيَ إِلاَّ سُهْد نَاظِره

وجُهْدُ جَفْنِيَ إِلاَّ سَكْبُ عَبْرَتِه

Are my eyes' fatigue but gazing astray?

My lids' strain but flowing tears at play?

أَنا القويُّ بهمِّي والرشيدُ أَبي

هو الرئيسُ عَلَى الدُّنْيا بِهِمَّتِه

I'm the strong, wise leader, my father's esteem

He's the world's noble guide, glory's supreme

يا سائلاً عن مَعَاليه ليشهرَها

البْدرُ في الأُفْقِ يستَغْنِي بشُهْرَتِه

When asked of his virtues that his fame spread

The full moon in the horizon by its repute is led

ذاكَ الَّذِي يبسِمُ الدَّهْرُ العبوسُ به

تيهاً وتبتَهجُ الدُّنْيا بِبَهْجَتِه

He whose smile makes frowning time laugh and grin

And the world beam and blossom in joy and chagrin

هو العظيمُ وفيه مع تَعَاظُمِه

تواضُعٌ قد تَوَلَّى رَفْعَ رِفْعَتِه

He's the greatest with utmost humility kept

That exalted his rank with glory adept

فما السَّماوَاتُ إِلاَّ مِنْ مَنازِله

ولا الكواكِبُ إِلاَّ من أَسِرَّته

The heavens are naught but places where he stepped

The stars naught but maids in his service prepped

ومن يكن وَسْطَ ذاك الصُّقْعِ منزلُه

فالبدرُ والشَّمسُ خضَّارٌ بحضْرَتِه

Whoe'er sits midst that cosmos centermost

Sun and moon are but greenery by his host

آباؤه الغُرُّ لما كان مُنتَقِلاً

فيهم رأَوْا عزَّةَ الدُّنيا بِعَّزتِه

His ancestry, when he moved on, did see

World leadership was granted by his decree

لا عيبَ في جُودِه المُزْرِي بكثْرَتِه

على الغمائِم إّلاَّ فرطُ كَثْرَتِه

No fault lies in his pouring generosity

Except its excess rains excessively

يسُّره السَّائِلونَ القاصِدون له

كأَنَّ أَفْواهَهم مَسْرى مسرَّته

Those asking of him are at ease and peace

As if their mouths were his joy and reprise

قد طالَعُوا النُّجْحَ لما عَاينُوه فَما

طليعةُ النُّجحِ إِلاَّ بِشْرُ طَلْعَتِه

They saw success as they saw his light appear

For nothing foretells success like his cheer

لو لم يَنُمَّ عليه بِشْرُه لغَدا

ينِمُّ ذاكَ النَّدى مِنْه بنفحتِه

Had not his cheer slept, that dew would awake

To slumber from his breath that day does break

أَحْيا وأَنْشرَ ميْتَ المجْدِ مُجْتَهداً

في لَمِّ لِمَّته أَو رَمِّ رُمَّتِه

He revived dead glory, striving with all his might

To gather its pieces or raise its height

لا يُكْسَبُ المجدُ إِلاَّ من مَكارِمه

ويُقْبَس الفضلُ إِلاَّ من سَجيَّته

Glory cannot be gained but by his dignity

Favor cannot be grasped but his civility

فما المكارمُ إِلاَّ فيضُ راحَتِه

ولا الفضائِلُ إلا حَشْوُ بُردَتِه

All nobility is but his easement's yield

All merits but the lining of his field

إِن امْتطى القلمُ العالي أَنامِله

يكادُ يَبْدو جَناه قَبْلَ مَنْبِتِه

When the sublime pen his fingers did ride

His wing appears almost before its side

ما أَظهرَ اللهُ هذا الفضلَ في بَشَرٍ

إِلاَّ وأُودع سِرّاً في سَريرَته

God never graced a mortal with such charm

Except a secret lay in his soul to safeguard

لا يَعجب الصَّدُّ من مَجْدي فإِنَّ يدي

لم تبتنِ المجدَ إِلاَّ مِنْ بُنُوَّته

My glory astonishes not, for my hand

Has built nothing except by his grace I stand

وليقطع الشَّيبُ من فودَيَّ مَطْمَعه

فإِنَّني مُستَقِرُّ وسْط جَنَّتِه

Let the gray hair cease its hopes in my locks

For I rest assured midst his guard and flocks

أَصبحتُ أَخْتالُ في حَالي ونُضْرتها

به وأَرْتَعُ في عَيْشِي وخُضْرَته

With him I rose and my state turned fresh and sound

And I frolicked in my life and hurled around

وأَسعدُ الناسِ من لاقى بلا تَعَبٍ

مَبْدا السعادةِ في مَبْدا شِبيبَتِه

Happiest of men I met with no toil at all

Bliss's source at the start of my youth's call

إِنِّ تنَّمتُ من كَفَّيه في نِعَمٍ

حتى سَئِمتُ ولا كفْراً لِنِعْمَتِه

Were I to slumber from his palms in bounty

I'd be sated, not denying his plenty