أَسُرُّكِ يَا مُنَايَ وَلاَ أَسُوكِ
وأَنْفِي بِالْهَوَى عَرَضَ الشُّكُوكِ
I confide in you, O consolation, and do not complain to you,
And I deny with passion the allegation of doubts,
وأَحْمِيكِ الَّذِي تَخْشَينَ مِنْهُ
كما يَحْمِيكِ مِنْ عَارٍ أَخُوكِ
And protect you from what you fear,
As your brother protects you from dishonor.
لَقَدْ بُلِّغْتُ فِيكِ مَدَى الْمَنَايَا
وَما بَلَغَتْ مَدَى عَشْرٍ سُنُوِكِ
I have been apprised of the extent of tribulations,
And you have not reached ten years in your age.
أرَى الْهِجْرَانِ مِنْكِ يُحِيلُ صُبْحِي
وَمَا أَذْنَبْتُ لَيْلاً ذَا حُلُوكِ
I see estrangement from you turns my mornings gloomy,
Though I did no wrong in the nights of sweet union.
وَدَهْرُ الْوَصْلِ يحكْي لِي رَبِيعاً
يُشَابِهُ نَبْتُهُ خَليَ الْهَلُوكِ
The days of union recount to me a springtime
Whose plants resemble the spots of the leopard.
رِياضٌ نُمْرِجُ الأَلْحَاظَ فِيهَا
مُنَوَّرَةُ الأَعالي وَالسُّمُوكِ
Gardens in which glances disport,
With heights illuminated and lofty trees.
بَهَارٌ قَدْ حَكَى الْعُشَّاقَ لَوْناً
عَلَى قُضُبٍ حَكَتْهُمْ في النُّهُوكِ
A spring that tells the lovers’ tale to the branches
Which wrote them in coquetry and withdrawal.
وَوَرْدٌ مِثْلُ خَدٍّ مِنْكِ رَاضٍ
جِوَارَ فَمٍ تَبَسَّمَ عَنْ مُسُوكِ
A rose like your cheek, content
Next to a mouth that smiled revealing perfect teeth.
وَيَضْحَكُ أقحُوَانٌ فِيهِ يَحْكِي
لَنَا ثَغْراً تَكَشَّفَ عَنْهُ فُوكِ
And narcissi therein relate to us
A mouth unveiled from which emanated breath.
تَطَلَّعَ بَيْنَ ذَاكَ وَبَيْنَ هَذَا
شَقَائِقُ مِثْلُ أَعْرَافِ الدُّيُوكِ
Between this and that glance anemones
Like the high grounds of wild cows.
مَدَاهِنُ مِنْ عَقِيقٍ نَظَّمَتْهَا
يَدَا خَرْقَاءَ وَاهِيَةِ السُّلُوكِ
Carnelians threaded by a delicate hand
Of slack ability and submissive manner.
حَلَفْتُ بِغُرَّةِ الرَّاضِي فإِنِّي
أَرَاهُ حَقِيقَةً فَوْقَ الْمُلُوكِ
I swear by the cheek of the contented one, I see it
In truth above kings.
بأخَّاذٍ لِمَا يُرْجَى أَلُوفٍ
وعَيَّافٍ لِمَا يُخْشَى تَرُوكِ
Captivating in what is hoped for, chaste towards
What is feared, coy and reserved.
عَبُوسٍ في انِتْهَاكِ الْمُلْكِ فَظٍّ
وطَلْقٍ في مَذَاهِبِهِ ضَحُوكِ
Frowning in violating kingdoms, angry in that,
Easy-mannered in his ways, smiling and cheerful.
نَهُوضٍ بِالْخُطُوبِ إِذَا اعْتَرَتْهُ
فَرَاها هَبَّةَ السَّيفِ الْبَتُوكِ
Rising to challenges whenever they meet him,
Seeing them as gifts of the sharp sword.
عَشِيقُ الْمُلْكِ جَاءَ بِلا كِتَابٍ
يُرَجَّى الْوَصْلُ مِنْهُ وَلاَ أَلُوكِ
The lover of kingship came without letter,
Hoping for union but nothing in writing.
فَمَنْ للْبُخْلِ يُمْسكُ ما حَوَاهُ
فَمَا هُوَ بالْبَخِيلِ ولاَ الْمَسُوكِ
Who then can withhold what he possesses?
He is neither stingy nor reserved.
أَجَلُّ النَّاس آرَاءً وَعلْماً
مَقَالٌ لَيْسَ يُقْرَنُ بِالأُفُوكِ
The best of men in opinion and knowledge,
A speech unmatched by eulogies.
وَمَا أَحْياهُ منْ سُنَنٍ تَعَفَّتْ
فَدَارَ صَلاحُها دَوْرَ الدَّمُوك
He revived forgotten norms,
So their goodness circulated like blood.
رَكُوبٌ للْمَنَابِرِ سَارَ قَصْداً
إلَيْها وَهيَ حَائِرَةُ السُّلُوكِ
Mounting the pulpits, he went seeking them
While they wandered astray.
فَذَكَّرنَا مَقَالٌ مِنْهُ فَصْلٌ
مَقَالَ الْمُصْطَفَى بِحِرَى تَبُوكِ
A speech of his reminded us of a chapter
Like the speech of Mustafa at Hunayn.
فأَطْلَعَ مِنْهُ شَمْسُ الْمُلْكِ سَعْداً
وَكَانَتْ نَحْسَةً بِشَفَا الدُّلُوكِ
The sun of kingship shone favorably from it,
When it had been inauspicious with the rising of misfortune.
لأَعْتَمِدَنَّ سَيْرَ الْمَدْحِ فِيهِ
بإِرِقَالٍ يَبَرُّ عَلَى الرُّتُوكِ
I will surely adopt in praising him
Steps that tread upon necks.
أَحُوكُ مِنَ الْقَصَائِدِ وَشْيَ مَدْحٍ
تُفَضِّلُهُ عَلَى الْوَشْيِ الْمَحُوكِ
I weave from eulogies an elegant robe
I prefer over a woven gown.
لَقَدْ فَتَكَ الزَّمَانُ بِسُوءِ حَالِي
فَأنْقِذْنِي مِنَ الزَّمَنِ الْفَتُوكِ
Time has indeed wreaked havoc on my state
So deliver me from the tyrannous era.
