هَوَايَ لمحبوبي الأَولِ

فقصِّر من العَذْلِ أَو طوِّلِ

My passion for my first beloved

Whether I blame him less or more

وإِن كان بي صممُ العاشقين

فَبِالعاذلين عَمَى العُذَّل

And if deafness of lovers has struck me

Then to blamers I'm blinded evermore

خلا القلبُ لا السَّمعُ من عَذْلِهم

فإِنيِّ الشَّجِيُّ وإِنِّ الخَلِي

My heart is empty, not my hearing

For I'm the one who's sick, the one who's raw

وبي لا بهم رشأٌ عاطل

ولكن حُلاَه له كالْحُلِي

I've no connection with them at all

But his cheek is so fair, his neck like coral

وفي غُصنه ثمَرُ المُجْتَني

ومن وَجْهه قَمر المجْتَلِي

From his cheeks, the full moon rises

On his branch, fruit of paradise

أُسِرُّ الغرامَ ويُبدي الجمالَ

فمِنيَّ الخفيُّ ومِنْه الجَلِي

I hide this love, he shows his beauty

So I'm hidden, and he's plain to see

ويَشكُو فُؤادِي إِلى طَرْفه

كَشكْوى الجريحِ إِلى المَنْصُل

And my heart complains of him to his glance

Like a wounded man complains of the lancet

ولو كنت خالفتُ فِعْلَ الأَنامِ

رميتُ إِلى سَهْمِه مُقْتَلي

Had I acted against what people do

I'd have cast myself to his arrow, to my death I flew

وما خفتُ من أَسدٍ أَمرَه

وقد مِتُّ من رشإِ أَكْحَل

I don't fear any roaring lion's command

But I'm dying from the gaze of a fawn's black eyes, that's my end

وإِنِّي لأَذكرُ منه الرُّضابَ

فأَشْرَقُ بالبارِد السلسل

When I recall his pleasure, I shine

With a necklace cold, made of chains that entwine

وإِنِّي لأَخْصَر من بَرْدِه

فإِنِّي إِلى كَبِدي أَصْطَلي

When he's icy, I turn blue, it's true

For I clutch my liver, and huddle into its fold

وما زال يجلو سنا وجهه

فغمرةُ همِّيَ لا تَنْجَلي

His face's radiance never ceases to glow

So my sea of sorrow knows no ebb, no flow

وقَلبيَ بالهمِّ من بَعدِه

إِناءٌ ولكنَّه مُمْتلي

After him, my heart is a vessel of woe

Filled up, never empty, always heavy with sorrow

وما يسلي قلبيَ عن همِّه

سوى نائل الملكِ الأَفْضَلِ

Nothing consoles my heart in its grief

Except attaining the most virtuous king's relief

وليس يزول غرامي الطويلُ

إِلاَّ بإِنعامِه الأَطْولِ

My lasting passion will not pass

Unless by his greatest favor, his largesse

له الجودُ كالبأْسِ يومَ اللِّقَا

فكلٌّ يلقَّب بالأَجْزَلِ

In battle, his generosity and might both excel

So each is titled the greatest and best parallel

عليٌّ علا فوق أُفق السَّمَا

وباتَ يرى النجم مِنْ أَسْفَل

Ali rose high above the horizon

To see the stars down below in their prison

وليس يَعدُّ له منزلاً

سِوَى مَعْرَكِ الْحَرْبِ مِنْ مَنْزِل

For him no lodging suffices but war

A dwelling of valor among dwellings of honor

تملَّك طِفلاً كما فضْلُه

تكمَّل والسنُّ لم يكْمُل

As a child he took charge as his merit enables

Maturing while his years were still juvenile

وقد نَشَأَ الدِّينُ لما نَشَا

ووَلَّى به الكفرُ لمَّا وَلي

When he rose up, religion rose in his care

And when he turned, unbelief despaired

أَتى الفَتْح لمَّا أَتى سعدُه

وأَقبلَ في عُمرِه المُقبل

With his fortune, conquest came about

In his youth, glory he brought out

وذلَّت له الأُسْد في غَابِها

فَظلَّت تصانِع بالأَشْبُل

In their lairs, lions submitting to him bowed

So they flirted with cubs, terror allowed

وجارَ كما أَنه قد أَجَارَ

فضرَّ العدوَّ وسرَّ الولي

As a protector, he protected with might

Pleasing his friend and confounding his enemy's plight

تبذَّل في الله يَومَ الجِلادِ

وكَانَ مِنَ النَّصْرِ في مَعْقِل

Sacrificing himself for God on the day of hardship

And winning victory in the hold of his battle grip

وقامَ من الدِّرع في مَنْهَلٍ

ويُمناه بالسيفِ في جَدْول

Standing firm in his armor at the war font

With his right hand and sword swirling in battle current

وما قمرُ التِّمِّ في سعده

سواه وقد لاح في القَسْطل

When the moon of religion joined his fortune

None could equal it shining, so perfectly certain

إِذا أَمَّ يوماً إِلى جَحْفَلٍ

فلا تسأَلنَّ عن الجَحْفَل

If he aims, one day, for a place of war

Ask no questions, seek no more

تكون فوارسُه كالأُسودِ

فترجعُ كالغَنمَ الهُمَّل

His knights become lions in the fray

And return like frightened sheep gone astray

يبدِّلُ أَعضاءَهم خَوْفُه

فأَيديهمُ مِنهُ كالأَرْجُلِ

Fear changes their limbs around

Their hands become their feet on the battle ground

فيأَيُّها الملِك المرْتَقِي

ويأَيُّها الملِكُ المعْتَلي

O highest of kings enthroned

O greatest of kings, prudence you've shown

بكت مصر بالدَّمِ شوقاً إِليكَ

وحنَّت إِلى حُكْمِكَ الأَعْدل

Egypt cried blood in longing for you

And yearned for your most judicious rule

تناديكَ عن كمدٍ مُسرفٍ

وتدعُوكَ عن سَقَم مُعْضِل

It calls you from much tyranny and corruption

And prays you save it from its sufferings

وكَمْ لَكَ فَضْلٌ علَى أَهْلِها

فسمَّتك بالأَفْضَلِ المفْضَل

So many favors you have on its people

It named you the greatest one, the most noble

وقد جئتُ منها رسولاً إِليكَ

فكن بالرُّجوعِ لها مُرْسِلي

I've come from it as messenger to you

So allow my return to bring its wish true

فأَنتَ فتاها ونعِمْ الفَتى

وأَيُّ فتىً كان إِلاَّ عَلي

You're its conqueror, what a great one!

And what conqueror but you, O Ali?