خلّياني وَصَبوَتي وَشُجوني

يا خَليليَّ فَالصَبابة ديني

Let me be, my youthfulness, and my passions,

O my beloved, for impetuosity is my faith,

وَدَعاني فَإِنّ وَجدي دَعاني

لِأعاني بِهِ عَذاب الهونِ

Leave me alone, for my fervor calls me,

To bear with it the torment of love’s ache,

وَسَلا ظبية الحِمى عَن فُؤادي

هَل سَلا فَاِستحقّ قَطع الوَتينِ

Did the doe of ardour ask after my heart?

Has she ever asked, to deserve the severing of the ties?

لا وَمَن مَوَّه الجُفون بِسحرٍ

باتَ هاروت مِنهُ كَالمَفتونِ

No! And he who has seduced the eyelids with magic,

Harut slept from it as if spellbound,

ما سَلوت الهَوى وَعَهد الغَواني

أَغِنا الوُرقِ عَنهُما يغنيني

Neither have I asked about passion or the promise of the beautiful maidens,

Would that the foliage make me needless of them both!

ما شَجاني شَجوَ الحَمائم إِلّا

لِشُؤون بِها تَسيل شُؤوني

I was not saddened but by the cooing of the doves,

For it stirred my passions, so my passions poured forth,

أَنا وَالوُرقُ في الحَدائق سيّا

ن غَراماً حَنينها وَحَنيني

I and the foliage in the gardens strolling,

From infatuation - their yearning and my yearning,

حَبَّذا صَبوَتي وَعَهد التَصابي

جادَهُ صَيّب العهاد الهتونِ

Excellent were my youthfulness and the days of comradeship,

He brought them, the warbler of promised fidelity,

وَسَقى بِالحِمى مَلاعبَ غيدٍ

غانيات كَاللؤلؤ المَكنونِ

And quenched with fever the frolics of the gazelle,

The singing slave-girls like hidden pearls,

مربع كانَ لي كَجَنّة عَدنٍ

وَأَنا مِنهُ بَينَ حورٍ وَعينِ

A quadrangular garden I had, like Eden,

And I was in it, amongst houris and eyes,

بَينَ خودٍ لَها الهِلالُ قَرين

لاحَ مِن فَوق حاجب مَقرونِ

Amongst cheeks, with them the new moon a companion,

That peeks out from above an eyebrow knit together,

وَفَتاةٍ تَهزّ قَدَّ قَناةٍ

كَم لَدى هَتك فَتكهِ مِن طَعينِ

And a girl sways a slender, delicate form,

So many slain by her deadly onslaughts!

حَرَكات بنت عَلى الكَسر قَلبي

فَغَدا ناصِباً بِغَير سُكونِ

Movements of hers that broke my heart upon rejection

So it became hostile without any tranquility

وَظِبا الترك ما تَرَكنَ قِتالي

بِظُبى الهِند مِن نِصال العُيونِ

And the Turkish swords, all the battling they spared me,

With the Indian gazelles’ glances and arrows from their eyes,

أَتُرى لَو جَنحت لِلسلم يَوماً

هَل يَقيني مِنهنَّ حسن يَقيني

Would I find, if I incline toward peace one day,

Would their beauty grant me confidence, confidence in myself?

وَبِروحي ما أنس لا أنس غُصناً

بِالتَثَنّي مَع الهَوى يثنيني

By my soul! I cannot forget any branch,

That bends toward passion, bending me with it,

وَغَزالاً مَتى تَصدّى لِصَدِّي

أَو غَزاني جَفا الرقادُ جُفوني

Or a gazelle, if she turns to face my opposition,

Or if languor of sleep overcame my eyelids,

يا مَليك الجمال رِفقاً بِعَبدٍ

طالَما هامَ فيكَ كَالمَجنونِ

O fairest of beauty, be gentle with a slave

Who has yearned for you like a madman,

وَعَن البَحر دَمعُهُ باتَ يروي

ما رَوى البَحر عَن أَيادي الأَمينِ

And his tears flowed about the sea

That the sea never gave to the hands of the faithful,

الأَمير الَّذي سَجاياه تنسي

ذكر فَضل الرَشيد وَالمَأمونِ

The prince whose commendable qualities bring to mind

The excellence of Al-Rashid and Al-Ma’mun,

مَن تَسامَت بِعزِّهِ آل رَسلا

ن عَلى الفرقدين بِالتَمكينِ

The one with whom the family of Ruslan rose up high

With power over the two brilliants (the sun and moon),

أَريحيٌّ لَو حاتمٌ ضَنَّ بِالتُر

ب لَأَمسى بِالتبر غَير ضَنينِ

One of Bani Urayhah, if Hatim spurned generosity,

He would have ended up, due to his spurning, ungenerous

ذو هِبات أَقلُّها فَوقَ ما في

كُلّ كنز يُعزى إِلى قارونِ

The one whose donations - even the least of them - surpass

Everything attributed to Qarun and his treasures

مغنطيسُ القُلوب تَجذبها جد

واهُ جَذب الظامي لِماءٍ مَعينِ

He attracts hearts like a magnet, pulls them

With the attraction of water for the thirsty,

طالما جلتُ في البِلاد فَأنّى

مِن رِكابي حَلّت رِحال ظَعينِ

How often have I wandered the lands so that, from my travels,

My feet detached from the saddle of the weary camel,

أَجِدِ الناسَ بِالدُعاء لَهُ في

مَأمن وَالزَمان في تَأمينِ

I find the people praying for him, securely

And time in safekeeping,

وَإِذا سَرَت فَالثَناء أَمامي

وَوَرائي وَيسرَتي وَيَميني

And if I depart, praise is before me

And behind me, on my right side and my left,

آصفيٌّ إِذا اِدَلهمَّ بِنا الخَط

بُ دَعَوناه بِالقَويِّ المَتينِ

The family of Asafi - if hardship befalls us -

They call us with the title ‘the Firm and Strong’,

فارس الخَيل لا تَخال لَهُ في

مَجدِهِ غَير سَعدِهِ مِن قَرينِ

The horseman of horses, for his glory none can compare but

For his good fortune - his companion,

بَطَل لَو سَطا لَما خلت إِلّا

أَنَّهُ اِغتالَ كُلّ لَيثِ عَرينِ

A hero - had he brandished his sword - none would remain

Except that he slew each lion in its lair,

كَم لَهُ في الكماة مِن طَعنَةٍ في

مُقلَةٍ تَحتَ وَسمةٍ في جَبينِ

How many stabs with a spear tipped with death, from him,

Under the birthmark on a forehead!

وَلَهُ رَهبَةٌ تَكاد لعمري

في الحَشا تستفزُّ قَلبَ الجَنينِ

He has an awesomeness that almost

Can stir the heart of the embryo in the womb,

كَوكَب المَوكب الَّذي قامَ يهدي

كُلَّ سارٍ بِنورِهِ المُستَبينِ

He is the star in the procession that rises to guide

Every one who travels by the light of his shining lamp,

تَستَميل النُهى عُقودُ أَمالي

ه بِباهي التَرصيع وَالتَرصينِ

My hopes’ necklaces draw favor through

The beauty of its studding and composition,

فَتَرى الدرّ يزدري بِالدَراري

زينة تَزدَهي بِلا تَزيينِ

So you see the jewels disdain the river pebbles -

Adornment made more beautiful without adornment,

حِكَمٌ تَنجَلي بِآيات فَضلٍ

تَتَسامى بِحُكم حَقٍّ مُبينِ

Wisdom gleaming with signs of grace

Rising with the wisdom of clear divine decree,

قُدرة مَع تَعفّفٍ وَسَخاءٌ

مَعَ حلمٍ وَشدَّةٌ مَع لينِ

Power along with dignity, generosity along with

Clemency, and firmness along with softness,

هَكَذا ميسم الكِرام وَإِلّا

فَالمَعالي بِغَير حرز مَكينِ

Thus is the springtime of the generous, but otherwise

Glory without firm control is unattainable,

وَإِذا لَم تصن بِأَيدي كَريم

فَهيَ لَيسَت بِذات عرضٍ مَصونِ

For if a man of prestige does not protect them,

They are no longer of guarded honor,

هاكَها يا أَجلَّ مَن وَلّي الحُك

مَ بِلُبنانَ مِن رَفيع وَدونِ

There! A gift to you - the most majestic of those appointed to power

Over Lebanon, both the eminent and commons,

غادَة مِن كُنوز شُكريَ نعما

ك تَحلّت بِعقد دُرٍّ ثَمينِ

An offering from the treasures of my gratitude, adorned

With a string of precious pearls,

وَأَتَت بِالعيد السَعيد تهنّي

حينَ حَيّا بِالطالع المَيمونِ

And it came at the joyous feast to give congratulations

When the fortune-favored crescent brought good tidings,

عيد فطر لَهُ مَواهب أَجر

وَلَكَ اللَه فيهِ خَير ضَمينِ

The feast of Ramadan whose rewards are great

And may Allah grant you its hidden good on it,

كُلّ عيدٍ بِالناس يشري تَهاني

كَ هَناءً فَلَيسَ بِالمَغبونِ

Every feast reminds people to exchange greetings

As joy - so it is not shortchanged,

كَم بِمَعناك هامَ شَهر صِيام

ذو غَرام أَودى بِهِ للأَنينِ

How many times in your presence did the fasting month pine,

One who loves you or is tormented unto moaning,

وَلعمري لَأَنتَ من لَو رَأى البد

رُ سناه لَعادَ كَالعرجونِ

By my life, you must be one whom if the full moon saw

It would go back curved like the crescent,

فَاِهنَ واِنعم وَسُد وجُد واِرقَ وَاِغنَم

وَاِبقَ وَاِسلم وَدُم وَصُم كُلّ حينِ

So delight and enjoy, treat well and be treated well, hope and gain,

Live long and prosper, be calm and fast - at all times,

طِبتَ ذِكراً يُعطِّر الفَم شُكراً

فَاِلق دَهراً هَناه غَير مُهينِ

You are of excellent repute - your name scents the mouth with gratitude -

So face time that has let you down with no disgrace,

لا اِنبَرى لِلوَرى يرى كُلَّ يَوم

بِكَ عيد عَلى مَمَرّ السِنينِ

Rise above the creation - let it see you every day

With a feast marking the passing of years,

ما صبا الرَوض نَشرهُ فاح لَمّا

بِيَديهِ اِستَمال عَطف الغُصونِ

Neither has the garden poured its blossoms and fragrance

When he charmed the branches’ affection with his hands,

أَو تَثنّت أَفنان دَوح وَريقٍ

فَتَغَنَّت ورقاءُ ذاتُ فُنونِ

Nor have the stems of the lote tree and willow’s frond bent over,

So the foliage sang, endowed with arts,

أَو شَدا من رَوى حَديث التَصابي

خَلّياني وَصَبوَتي وَشُجوني

Nor has one who recalled the tale of youth and passion sung,

Let me be, my youthfulness, and my passions.