لِمَنْ بعالي الذرى أَبياتُ أشعارِ

زندُ الحميَّةِ في أعلامها واري

For whom in the heights of glory are verses of poetry,

The zeal in its flags is invigorated and fertile,

هاجتْ شجى النفسِ منها نفحةٌ خطرتْ

كأَنها ريشةٌ مَرَّتْ بقيثارِ

The sadness of the soul blew gently from it,

As if it were a feather passing by a guitar,

الشِّعرُ شعرُ (ابنِ حمدان) بغربته

تمدُّه نفسُ هاني يومَ ذي قار

Poetry is the poetry of Ibn Hamdan in his estrangement,

My willing soul extends to him on the day of Dhi Qar,

يا أيها الشاعرُ المزجي فرائدَه

كالنيِّراتِ بَدَتْ للمدلجِ الساري

O poet who interweaves his masterpieces,

Like lamps they appeared to the delighted assembler,

كأَنما أنتَ عن بعدٍ تساجلني

مهاجرٌ في الهوى يرثي لأنصاري

It is as if from afar you are debating with me,

An emigrant in love who mourns for his supporters,

كفيتَ ما قمت تدعوني إليه فما

أَزال بعدُ عَلى رأْيي وإِصراري

You have done enough calling me to it, so I still

Remain as I want, persisting on my opinion,

لن يبرحَ السهدُ من جفنيَّ منزلَه

حتى أَرى الليلَ موصولاً بأَسفار

Insomnia will not leave its dwelling in my eyelids

Until I see the night connected to horizons,

آثرتُه بجفوني إِذْ تضيِّفني

ومنزلُ الضَّيْفِ عند الناسِ في الدار

I preferred it in my eyelids when it hosted me,

And a guest's dwelling is honored by people in the house,

أَما الهتافُ لمن هام الفؤادُ بها

فالله يعلم أَورادي وَأذكاري

As for acclaiming whom my heart is obsessed with,

God knows my prayers and invocations,

نَعمْ لقيتُ الرزايا في محبتها

وَذاك أَبلغ في حبي وَإِيثاري

Yes, I have met disasters in loving her,

And that is most effective in my love and preference,

قلْ للعواذلِ يستفتوا قلوبَهمُ

إنْ ضمَّ قلباً سليماً صدرُ ختّار

Tell the flirts to consult their hearts,

If the breast of the virtuous contained an honored choice,

فيم الملام وَما باعدت مكرمةً

فيما أَتيت وَلمّا أَدنُ من عار

Why the blame, and I have not distanced a noble deed,

In what I came and refrained from disgrace,

ولستُ أرهبُ كيدَ العاذلين إذا

كنت الكفيلَ بأني مدركٌ ثاري

I am not afraid of the cunning of flirts if

I am guaranteed to obtain my revenge,