دَعينا مِن بعادك أو عِدينا
بِوَصلك أَو بصدّك أَوعِدينا
Whether you call us from afar or bring us near
With your affection or your estrangement call us
لَئن دَنَت المَنازل بَعدَ بُعدٍ
فَإِنّا بِالصُدود لَقَد رَضينا
If the dwellings are brought near after distance
Then with the estrangements we are already pleased
أَلا يا ظبية الجَرعاء رِفقاً
فَقَد فَتَكت ظُبى الأَلحاظ فينا
Oh you doe with slender neck gently
For the doe glances have ravaged us
أَماناً مِن لحاظك وَالتَجنّي
وَتيهٍ قَد أَهاج بِنا شُجونا
Safety from your glance and coyness
And passion that has stirred sorrows in us
بِروحي مَن عَهدت لَها بروحي
فَأَمسى القَلب في يَدِها رَهينا
By my soul whoever I entrusted my soul to
The heart has thus fallen into her custody
مَهاة كُلَّما خَفقت بُنودا
وَجَدت القَلب قَد منعَ السُكونا
A beauty whenever she fluttered eyelids
The heart was found to have denied tranquility
بَدَت فَتمايلت فاِزددت هَتكا
عَلى هَتك فَشمتُ سناً مَصونا
She appeared and swayed so I was rend asunder
Above rending I inhaled protected teeth
وَنادَوا بِالصَبوح لَنا فَقُلنا
ألا هبّي بِصحنك فَاِصبحينا
They called to us at dawn so we said
Come give us your cheek and make our day
فَأَسفر وَجهها عَن رَوض حُسنٍ
أَرانا الوَرد توّج ياسمينا
Her face shone revealing a garden of beauty
The roses crowned jasmine
وَلاح جَبينها فَنَظرت شَمساً
فَهَل شَمس الضُحى تُدعى جَبينا
Her forehead's brilliance made me see a sun
Can the radiant dawn be called a forehead?
وَخَطّ الحسن نُقطة مسك خال
فَصار الحاجب المقرون نونا
Beauty traced a dot of musk on her cheek
So the thin eyebrow became a noon
فَلا كَالثغر مِنها شمت ميماً
وَلا كَالطرّة الحَسناء سينا
None like her mouth have I seen mim a meem
Nor like the lovely mole seen a seen
وَلا خطَّ ابنُ مُقلةَ قَطُّ صاداً
تُشابه مِن لَواحظها عُيونا
No calligrapher traced a letter like her sad
Her glances match each other as eyes
وَلا واواً كواو الصدغ عطفاً
وَلا أَلفاً كَغُصن القدّ لينا
No wow like the wow of her cheek's curve
No aleph like her neck's tender branch
أَقول لَها وَقد نَفرت دَلالاً
قفي قَبل التَفرّق وَدّعينا
I said to her as she walked away coquettishly
Stop before parting and call us
فَما أَنا مَن عَلى ذا البَين يَقوى
وَلا أَن لا أَرى المَولى الأَمينا
I cannot endure this distance
Unless I see the trusted protector
أَمين الدولة العَلياء فيما
يشيّد أَمرَها دُنيا وَدينا
The trusted noble state in what
It builds its affairs of life and religion
أَمين الدولة الغَرّاء لَولا
أَمانته لَما دُعيَ الأَمينا
The trusted virtuous state were it not
For his trust he would not be called trusted
حَليم في المَعارف لَستَ تَلقى
سِوى الرَأي السَديد لَهُ قَرينا
Clement in knowledge you do not find
Except the right opinion a companion to him
حَليف بَصيرَةٍ وَذكاءِ لُبٍّ
وَفكر يَمنَع الوَسنَ الجُفونا
Ally of insight, intelligence of mind
And thought that prevents heavy eyelids
وَإِقدام وَعَزم وَاِهتِمام
وَنور مَهابة يَغشى العُيونا
And courage, resolve, care
And awe covers the eyes
وَحيد في مَناقبه فَريد
صِفات كَماله شَرفت شُؤونا
Peerless in his virtues unique
His perfect traits ennobled affairs
لِكسب المَجد ما مَلَكت يَداه
أَفاد كَأَنَّما يَقضي ديونا
To earn glory what his hands possessed
As though settling debts he gave
شمائل تَشمل العَلياء عزّاً
وَتَكسو الحاسدين عَناً وَهونا
Attributes comprising honor
And clothing the envious in shame and lowness
وَأَخلاق صفت كَرَماً وَحلماً
فَأَصبَح وِردُها ماءً مَعينا
And manners of generosity and clemency
Thus his stream became refreshing water
بِحكمته أبان لَنا عُلوماً
أَخَذنا مِن لَطائِفِها فُنونا
With his wisdom he clarified for us knowledge
We took from its subtleties diverse arts
رَوى عَنهُ أَرسطاليس حزماً
وَتَدبيراً وَلا طبُّ اِبن سينا
Aristotle related to him solemnity
And management though not the medicine of Ibn Sina
لَهُ في كلّ مُعضلةٍ وَخَطبٍ
دَواء يُبرئُ الداء الدَفينا
For him in every complexity and adversity
A remedy that heals chronic disease
لَهُ خُلق الكَمال أَفادَ حَمداً
غَدا عَن طيب عُنصره مُبينا
He possesses the trait of perfection which brought him praise
Morning's scent made it clear
لَهُ كَرم الخِصال أبان حُبّاً
بِأَفئدة الأَنام غَدا كَمينا
He possesses the generosity of traits which showed love
To people's hearts he sneaked in
لَقَد شَرفت بِهِ بَيروت حَتّى
تَقلّد جيدها عقداً ثَمينا
Through him Beirut was ennobled so
Its neck was adorned with a precious necklace
وَقَد عَزّت بِهِ رتبُ المَعالي
وَصادف عزّها حصناً حَصينا
Through him the ranks of highness became mighty
And attained its might an impregnable fortress
بِتَوفيق العِناية نال سَعداً
كَما حازَ السَعادة طورُ سينا
With divine guidance he attained happiness
As Mount Sinai gained good fortune
أَلا يا أَيُّها المَلهوف شَوقاً
لِرُؤيَتِهِ وَقَد أَضحى ظَعينا
Oh you who yearn to see him
And has become disheartened and weary
رُويدك سَوفَ نَنظر مِنهُ شَمساً
نَفوز بِنورها مُستَبشِرينا
Calm yourself you shall see from him a sun
By its light we will be joyous
فَلا تَيأس إِذا ما غابَ عَنّا
وَأبقى حَمدَهُ وَثَناه فينا
Do not despair if he is absent from us
And let his praise and poetry about him remain in us
فَعادات البُدور تَغيب حيناً
وَتُشرق بِالسُرور عَلَيكَ حينا
It is the way of celestial bodies to disappear for a time
And shine joyously upon you for a time
نَأى وَدِيارُنا تَلتاع وَجداً
وخلّى في حشاشتنا حَنينا
He went away and our lands were jubilant
And left behind in our inner selves pining
وَفَوقَ البَحر مِنهُ شَهدت بَحراً
يَميناً إِنَّهُ أَندى يَمينا
Above the sea I saw from him a sea
A right hand, it is the most dewy right hand
سَعى فيما بِهِ أَمر الرَعايا
يؤول إِلى النَجاح بِأَن يَكونا
He worked for what would lead
The affairs of thesubjects to success and prosperity
فَلا بَرحت مَساعيهِ بِخَير
وَلا زالَ الإلهُ لَهُ مُعينا
His efforts did not cease being virtuous
And God remained for him a helper
