قَضى تِذكار أَبكار اللَيالي

فَأَدّى نَقدَ أَدمُعِهِ اللآلي

The recollection of the virginal nights has passed,

So he paid the price with his plaintive tears.

وَهاجَ بِهِ صَدى صَوت المَثاني

غَراماً عزَّ عَن شبهِ المثالِ

And with it echoed the voice of the yearning minstrel,

Passionately in love beyond any ideal.

وَباتَ أَخا حَنينٍ وَاِنتِحابٍ

فَأَصبَح ذا أَنين وَاِنتِحالِ

He spent the night grieving and lamenting,

So he woke with moaning and pleading.

ألا حَيّا الحَيا زَمَنَ التَصابي

فَكَم بِالأُنس كانَ أَخا اِتِّصالِ

O life, long live the life of intimacy!

For how often was intimacy my loving brother.

وَبي رَشأ بِمُقلَتِهِ غَزاني

يُغازل للغَزالة وَالغَزالِ

And in me a gazelle was raised by his eyelids,

Flirting with the does and the deer.

بليتُ بِهِ أَسيلَ الخَدّ قانٍ

فَأَمسى وَهوَ لي في الحُبّ قالي

With him I was afflicted with flowing tears,

And he became for me in love an ally.

أَرى خلع العذار بِهِ حَلا لي

فَعرَّفني حَرامي مِن حَلالي

I see shedding my chastity for him as lawful,

So he introduced me to the forbidden and lawful.

وَحَسبي أَن يَكون لَهُ ولائي

وَأَنّي لا عَليَّ بِهِ وَلا لي

It suffices me that he be loyal to me

While I have no authority over him nor ties to him.

فَيا صاح اِطّرح حُبّ الغَواني

وَلَو كلّلن بِالدرر الغَوالي

So my friend, cast off love of the immoral ones,

Even if they were crowned with shiny pearls.

لَئِن كانَ النُهى لَكَ وَالحجا لي

أُضيعا بَينَ رَبّات الحجالِ

If abstinence is required of you and passion of me,

We would both wander between the veil-wearing ladies.

وَيا ظَبياً أَصرَّ عَلى تلافي

وَآيات التَجافي قَد تَلا لي

And O gazelle insistently defying me,

While the signs of defiance have been recited to me.

فَدَتكَ النَفس قَد حسن اِعتِقادي

بِأَنّ برمح قامتك اِعتِقالي

May your soul be sacrificed, for my belief in you is good,

That the spear of your stature holds my submission.

وَهَل إِلّا هَواك لذا دَعاني

ترى مَن ذا بِحُبّك قَد دَعا لي

And who but your love has called me?

Do you see anyone who for your love has called to me?

فَإِن تَك قَد عَزَمت عَلى هَلاكي

تَرفّق بِالشجيّ أَخا الهِلالِ

So if you are determined to destroy me,

Be gentle with the broken one, O crescent moon.

فَوا حَربي عَذولي ذو اِعتِداءٍ

أَلَم يَر رُمح قَدّك ذا اِعتِدالِ

Woe to me, my ferocious beloved with transgression!

Does he not see his spear has moderation?

أَضاع صَبابَتي بِهَواك خالٍ

وَكَم قَد ضاعَ مِنها مسك خالِ

He wasted my youth with his love gone mad

And how much pure musk has been wasted from it.

فَإِن تلوي بِجيدك وَهوَ حالٍ

لإِبراهيم مِنكَ شَكَوت حالي

If you turn away your neck while it is in this state,

To Ibrahim I will complain of my condition from you.

مجلّي السَبق ذو الهِمَم العَوالي

وَمَن راعت يَراعتهُ العَوالي

My predecessor, of great ambitions,

Whose ambition is shared by the highly ambitious ones.

هُوَ العلم الشَهير وَمَن أُباهي

بِهِ القَمَر المُنير وَلا أُبالي

He is the famous scholar, the one I boast of,

The shining moon boasts of him, and I do not care.

هُوَ النَصل الَّذي الأعَدا أُغازي

بِهِ وبِنورِهِ الدُنيا أُغالي

He is the sharp sword with which I battle the enemies

And with its light I make the world my dominion.

وَذو حَزمٍ وَعَزم كَالمَواضي

بِجَوهره سَمَت رتب المَوالي

With his essence, ranks of ascendance have risen high,

A noble one, a perfect one I smell with my nose

أشمّ الأَنف أَصيدُ ذو كَمالٍ

لعلياه بِهِ فَخرٌ كَما لي

Hoping through him to have pride as I do.

They are the beams whose emergence is glorious to me,

همام نور طلعتهِ جَلا لي

شُموس هُدىً لِتَقوى ذي الجَلالِ

Suns of guidance for the pious of majesty.

A master who has manipulated meanings

بَديع قَد تَصرَّف بِالمَعاني

وَسادَ فَشاد أَبنية المَعالي

And presided, excelling in the highest structures.

A literary figure whose ideas have brought me,

أَديب بنت فكرتهِ حَباني

على ودٍّ بِهِ اِعتَصَمت حبالي

With affection for him my ropes have entwined.

So there came to me, in necklaces of pearls,

فَوافَت في عُقودٍ مِن جُمانٍ

تَتيه عَليَّ في حلل الجَمالِ

Winds wandering to me in robes of beauty.

And they brought to me their valley breezes

وَأَهدَت لي نَسائمها الغَوادي

سَلاماً يَزدري طيب الغَوالي

A greeting that scorns the scent of valleys.

So forgive me for carrying to him my reply—

فَعُذراً أَن حَملتِ لَهُ جَوابي

ألا يا نسمَةً تهدي الجَوى لي

O breeze that brings affection to me!

My tongue is busy with the beloved ones

لِساني بِالأَحبّة ذو اِشتِغالٍ

وَقَلبي بِالمَحبّة ذو اِشتِعالِ

While my heart is burning with love.

It has maintained a pact with which hope was watered for me

سَقى عَهداً بِهِ كانَ الرجا لي

كسُقيا الحبّ أَفئِدة الرِجالِ

Like the watering of love in the hearts of men.

And we had days that brought us together,

وَأَيّاماً لَنا كانَت توافي

فَوَلَّت وَالهُموم لَنا تُوالي

But they have passed and sorrows continue to come to me.

So O time of the abode of separation,

فَيا زَمَناً لِبَيت البين بانٍ

رُويدك إن ربعَ الصَبر بالي

Restrain yourself though patience is almost exhausted.

Shall I observe the star of your night passing

أَأَرعى نَجمَ لَيلك وَهوَ سارٍ

وَطَرفي ساهِرٌ وَالقَلب سالي

While my eyelid is awake and the heart flowing?

And shall I find diversion while the eye is tearing

وَهَل أَسلو وَدَمع العَين جارٍ

وَلَيسَ لعين هَذا البين جالي

When there is no diversion for this separation?

O you whose fellowship elevates my status,

وَيا خلّاً بِهِ يَسمو مَقامي

أجلُّ مَقام فَضلك عَن مَقالي

Your fellowship is the most sublime beyond my words.

The greeting of a lover seeking you,

تَحيّة مُغرَمٍ لِلقاك صادٍ

وَأَنتَ لَهُ بِنار البُعد صالي

While you are far from him in the fire of distance.

And an outpouring of yearning from a loving heart

وَبثّ تَشوّقٍ مِن قَلب عان

لِساحة باب فَضل مِنكَ عالي

To the courtyard of your gate of high favor.

And if you ask—my soul be sacrificed—about my sincerity,

وَإِن تَسأل فَدَيتك عَن صَفائي

فَإِنَّ العَيش بَعدَكَ ما صَفا لي

Then living after you did not go well with me.

My life refused to partner with any but you,

أَبى عمرٌ لِغَيرك أَن يُوافي

فَغَير عَليّ قَدرك لا يَوالي

For no one equals your worth so as to share with me.

And my remaining after you did not protect me

وَبعدي بَعد بعدك ما وَقاني

عَن الأَغيار مِن قيلٍ وَقالِ

From the discord of gossip and words.

So who can be critical of affection

فَمن يَكُ لِلمَودّة ذا اِنتِقاد

فَإِنّي عَنكَ لَستُ بِذي اِنتِقالِ

When I cannot move on from you?

And after praising you and rejoicing,

وَما لي بَعدَ حَمدكَ وَاِبتِهاجي

بِمَدحك غاية إِلّا اِبتِهالي

I have no ultimate goal but to implore you.

By the most generous one the caller calls us,

بِأَكرَم مَن يُنادينا المُنادي

لَهُ حَيث الهَنا لَكَ وَالمُنى لي

For you and me, wherever bliss may be.

That God may grant you what you wish,

بِأَنّ اللَه يَمنحك الأَماني

كَما أتحفتني دُرر الأَمالي

As you have gifted me the pearls of hopes.

By the status of Muhammed, best of supporters,

بِجاهِ محمّد خَير المَوالي

وَمَن هُوَ بِالعَطاء لَنا موالي

And the one who supports us generously.

God’s blessings upon him whenever

عَلَيهِ اللَه صَلّى كُلّ آن

كَذا الصَحب الكِرام وَخَير آلِ

As well as upon the noble companions and best family.