يا ثالِثَ العُمَرينِ عِلْماً

أَنا ثالثُ الخصريْنِ سُقْماً

O third of the two lives in knowledge,

While I am third of the two waists in sickness,

أأَكون عبدَكَ ثم يقـ

ـتُلني الهوَى جَوْراً وظُلْما

Shall I be your servant, then slayed

By passion unjustly and oppressively?

وأَظلُّ باسْمِك في الهوَى

وأَضِلُ من كَلَفِي بأَسْما

And remain in your name in passion

And go astray from my burdens in your name?

وتكونُ دِرْعِي ثُم تُنـ

ـفِذُ فيَّ بالأَلحاظِ سَهْما

You will be my shield, then pierce

Me with glances like arrows.

فلِحُسْنِ خطِّك قد رشقـ

ـت لها على الخدين وسما

For the beauty of your writing I was

Wounded on the cheeks with a mark.

في نظم ثغرك قد نظمـ

ـتُ لها علَى الثَّغرين نَظْما

In the rhythm of your mouth I composed

For her on the mouths a composition.

والحقُّ أَنِّي قد حَسَمـ

ـتُ صبابَتي عن ظَبى حَسْمَى

Indeed I have decided my youth

From the antelope decisively.

وسَبرتُ عَزْمَ العِشْقِ فيه

فلم أَجِدْ لِلْعِشْقِ عَزْما

And I probed the will of love in it

But did not find for love any will.

وفرغتُ منه تَسلِّياً

وشُغلتُ منكَ بِكُلِّ نُعمى

And I was done with it consolingly

And I was busy from you with all my bliss.

ووجدتُ وصفَ علاكَ أَحـ

ـلَى من مَراشِف كُلِّ أَلْمَى

And I found the description of your eminence

Sweeter than the pillows of all my pain.

أَنت الَّذِي قهر المما

لك كلَّها بأساً وحَزْما

You are the one who conquered the kings

All with might and resolve.

أَنتَ الَّذي سَادَ الملو

كَ وسَاسَها رأْياً وحُكْما

You are the one who ruled the countries

And guided them with view and wisdom.

أَنتَ الَّذِي نال السما

ءَ وحازها قدراً وعِظْما

You are the one who attained the sky

And attained it with destiny and greatness.

أَنت الَّذِي أَفْنى عِدا

ه بِسَطوةٍ رغْماً وعزْماً

You are the one who destroyed the enemies

With might, despitefully and resolutely.

أَنْتَ الَّذِي حازَ النّجو

مَ جميعَها نَجْماً فنجماً

You are the one who attained all the stars,

Star by star.

أَنتَ الَّذِي شقَّ العلو

مَ وخاضَها عِلْماً فَعِلْما

You are the one who split the sciences

And delved into them, science by science.

أَنتَ الَّذِي قد كادَ عُظْـ

ـمُ جلالِه أَن لا يُسمَّى

You are the one whose tremendous

Glory almost cannot be named.

دانَت لَك الدُّنْيا وأَصـ

ـبَح حربُها بيدَيْكَ سِلْما

The world has surrendered to you

And its war has become in your hands peace.

وغَدا قريباً كلُّ من

تزَحٍ وصُغْرى كُلِّ عُظْمى

And everything insignificant and small

Has become near all my greatness.

وغدوتَ في ذَا الدَّهرِ رو

حاً إِذ جعلتَ الدَّهر جِسْما

And you have become in this time a spirit

Since you have made time a body.

وعَلِمْتَ ما سيكون فِكـ

ـراً صائِباً وذَكاً وفَهْماً

And you knew what would be

Thought, hitting and understanding.

وكفيتَ كلَّ مُهمَّةٍ

فكفاك ربُّك ما أَهمَّا

And you sufficed every worry

So your Lord sufficed you from what worries.

وأَريْتَنَا منكَ السحا

ئبَ ثرَّةً والبدرَ تِمَّا

And you showed us your miracles

Copiously, and the full moon complete.

كم مُعْجِزٍ لكَ باهرٍ

من لا يراهُ فَهْو أَعْمى

How many evident, dazzling miracle

Whoever does not see it, he is blind.

وأَنلْتَنا منك النوا

ل معجَّلا والعِزَّ ضَخْما

And you brought us from you victory

Quick, and ample honor.

والوجْهَ طَلْقاً والعلا

ءَ مجسَّداً والفخْرَ فَخْماً

And the face bright, and sublime embodied,

And the pride enormous.

وادْخُل إِلى جنَّاتِه

فإِذا رأَيْتَ رأَيْتَ ثَمَّا

And enter His paradises

So when you see you will see bliss.

وانظر عِداه تجِدْهُمُ

صَرْعى به قَتْلاً وهَزْما

And look at His enemies you will find them

Slain by it, killing and defeat.

أَكلَتْهُم الدُّنيا فطا

بَ لها لحومُ القومِ طَعْمَا

The world has eaten them and so

The flesh of the people was tasty to it.

وبها قد اهْتَضَمُوا فلا

يَستغْرِبِ المأكولُ هَضْماً

And through it they have been digested so

The eaten should not wonder at digestion.

ما في عِداهُ جميعِهم

إِلا مُصابُ العقل مُصْمَى

Among all His enemies

Is none but the ones whose minds are blind.

عمَّوْا مُرادَهمُ فكا

ن الصَّفْعُ تَفْسيرَ المُعمَّى

Their purpose has been blinded so

The slap was interpretation of the blind.

أَصفيَّ دينِ الله يا

أَسْنَى الوَرى قدْراً وَأَسْمَى

Purify, O finest of creation, the religion of God,

In destiny and name.

يا من يُرينا القولَ جزْ

لاً مُحكَماً والأَمرَ جَزْما

O you who show us the saying distinctly

Decisive and the command resolutely.

قَدمت مِن شوقِي لأَن

أُفْنِي ثَرى قدمَيْكَ لَثْما

I have come from my passion

To kiss the ground of your feet fervently.

َسُرُّ قلباً قد تعذَّ

بَ بالفراقِ أَسىً وهَمَّا

It would gladden a heart that has suffered

From separation, misery and worry.

وأُزيلُ غَمّاً قَدْ تَكَا

ثَفَ في نَواحِيهِ وَعَمَّا

And I would remove a sorrow that has piled up

In its sides and spread.

وأَرى سحابَك لا جَها

ماً والمُحيَّا ليس جَهْماً

And I see your clouds without fog

And the living is not dead.

وأَرى بجلِّقَ إِذ أَتا

كَ المالُ مثلَ الماءِ جَمَّا

And I see that when property came to you

It was like ample water.

لم ينكَتِمْ شوقي إِليكَ

وهل يُطيق المسكُ كَتْما

My passion for you has not been concealed

And how can musk conceal its fragrance?

إِني أُؤمِّل أَن أَكو

نَ أَجلَّ مَنْ وَالاَك قَسْما

I wish I would be more loyal

Than he who makes oaths to you.

وأُرى وَسيما حين تصـ

ـنَعُ لي من الإِنْعام وسْما

And I see it as beautiful when you

Prepare for me gifts and favors.

ولقد عَطِشتُ إِلى ندى

كفيكَ يا بحراً خِضَمّاً

And I have thirsted for the drink

Of your palms, O brimming sea.

وأَنا وليّكُم فَلِمْ

يُروى عدوُّكُم وأَظْمَا

And I am your patron, so why

Should your enemy be quenched and I thirsty?