أُلامُ بِحُبّه فَأَزيد وَجداً
وَأَطلب قُربه فَأَنال بُعدا
My love for him increases my passion
And in seeking his nearness, I find but distance
وَأرغب أَن يَكون عَليَّ مَولىً
فَيَأبى أَن أَكون لَدَيهِ عَبدا
I wish he would be my master
But he refuses to be my slave
وأمنحهُ الوَفا فَيَراهُ غَدرا
وَيوليني الجَفا فَأَراهُ ودّا
I give him loyalty, yet he sees it as betrayal
And treats me with disdain, which to me is affection
وَأحمل من تهدّده ثِقالاً
تَكاد لَها الجِبال تَخرُّ هَدّا
I bear from his threats a heavy burden
That nearly makes the mountains crumble
وأعذب ما أَرى تَعذيب قَلب
يمدّ لَهُ العذابَ هَواهُ مَدّا
I find the sweetest torment to my heart
With longing extending his pain and ecstasy
بِنَفسي ذا دَلال ما تَصدّى
لِرَحمة عاشِقٍ لَو ماتَ صَدّا
With my soul so alluring, he did not yield
To a lover's plea, even if he were to die blocked
تَمايل قدّه فاِهتزَّ رُمحاً
فَراحَ يَقدّ درع الصَبر قَدّا
His swaying figure shook like a spear
Piercing the armor of patience completely
وَأنعم ردفهُ وَالخصر رِفداً
فَمال بِنا الهَوى غَورا وَنَجدا
His gait so graceful, his waist so slender
Our passion for him plunged us in bliss
وأسفرَ وَجهه عَن بَدر تمٍّ
وَلَكن فَوق غُصن نقاً تبدّى
His face shone like a full moon
But above a delicate branch he appeared
وَأطلع جيده كعمودِ فجرٍ
تقلّدَ أنجمَ الجوزاءِ عقدا
His cheeks rose like pillars of dawn
Adorned with the stars of Gemini
وَدبَّ عِذارهُ كَالنمل يَسعى
لمبسمه ليرشف مِنهُ شَهدا
His charm moved like ants hastening
To his smile to sip its sweet nectar
وآنس خَدّه ناري فَكانَت
سَلاماً فَوقَ وَجنته وَبَردا
The fire I sensed in his cheek became
A greeting above his apple and coolness
هِيَ النار الَّتي لكليم قَلبي
بَدَت فَرَأَت هُناك هُدىً وَرُشدا
It is the fire that showed my heart's Moses
Guidance and righteousness when it appeared
إِذا نَزل الحَيا أَذكى لَظاها
وَأَنبت حَولَها آساً وَوَردا
Wherever snakes descend their hissing grows
And around them thorns and roses bloom
فَوا عَجَباً لِنارٍ بَينَ ماءٍ
وَثلج لا تَزال تَزيد وَقدا
What wonder a fire amidst water and ice
Still increases its flame and kindling
وَظَبيٍ طَرفه الوَسنان أَضحى
عَلى شرك الجُفون يَصيد أُسدا
A gazelle whose eyelash has become
A bow to hunt lionesses on the dunes of his cheeks
إِذا ما سلَّ سَيف اللَحظ عَمداً
أَشار إلى الفُؤاد فَكانَ غمدا
When the glance's sword attacks with intent
It points to the heart becoming its scabbard
عَذيري مِن غَزالٍ ذي دَلالٍ
تَفرَّد بِالمَلاحة وَاِستبدّا
My doe whose charm is unmatched
Excelling in beauty and monopolizing it
أغالط فيهِ عذّالي وَأَهلي
فأذكر زَينباً وَأريدُ هِندا
I err in comparing my love to Zaynab or Hind
While thinking of him I mention both their names
وَما عايَنت أَلين مِنهُ عَطفاً
وَلا شاهَدت أَرشق مِنهُ قَدّا
I have not seen anyone gentler than he
Nor witnessed a figure more upright
سِوى قلم تَحرّى مَدح حُرٍّ
فَكانَ لِعابد الرَحمَن عَبدا
Except a pen that strove to praise a freeman
And so became a slave to the Lord of Mercy
نَقيب السادة الأَشراف أَتقى
فَتىً بلغ السُها شَرَفاً وَمَجدا
The chief of nobles, most reverent youth
Reaching the highest of merits and glory
همام كانَ واسطةَ اللآلي
بِجيد المَجد وَالأَقرانُ عقدا
He was the intermediary of glories
With the necks of heroes as his necklace
أَبرُّ بَني الكِرام يَداً وَقَولاً
وَأَتقى المنتمين أَباً وَجَدّا
The most righteous of honorable men by word and deed
And the most reverent of those who share his lineage
وَأَسنى الأَذكياء نُهىً وَحلماً
وَأَصفى الأَغنياء تُقىً وَزُهدا
The most refined of the wise in advice and forbearance
And the purest of the wealthy in piety and asceticism
وَأَعلى حزبنا همماً وَحزماً
وَأَوفى قَومنا عدة وَعَهدا
The highest of our party in ambition and resolve
And the most loyal of our people in number and covenant
وَأَولى الأَقرَبين بِكُلّ فَضل
وَأَكرَمهم يَداً وَأَحَقّ حَمدا
The most caring of kin in every merit
And the most generous of them by hand and most deserving of praise
وَأَمنَعهُم حمىً وَأَعزّ جاراً
وَأَرفَعهُم ذرىً وَأعمُّ رفدا
The most zealous in protection and honor for neighbors
And loftiest in worth and most plentiful in giving
تَولّى نصرَتي لَم يَلوِ عَزماً
وَحاول نَجدَتي لَم يَألُ جُهدا
He strove to defend me, his resolve unwavering
And attempted to help me, his efforts unfailing
وَشمّر عَن يَمين اليمن زنداً
وَأَورى في الوَرى لِلعَزم زِندا
He rolled up his sleeve for the ally of the right
And ignited for resolve the spark of flint
وَفى وَأَخو الوَفاءِ أَخو المَعالي
وَمَن أَوفى بِعَونك مِنهُ وَعدا
He fulfilled while the loyal brother fulfilled
And who was more faithful in helping you than he in keeping his promise?
فَتىً عشق المُروؤَة وَاِهتوته
جَوىً وَتَجاوزا في العشق حَدّا
A youth who loved valor and was passionate about it
Transgressing the limits of passion in his fervor
تَغَنَّت باِسمه طَرَباً وَفَخرا
وَشبّب باِسمها كلفاً وَوَجدا
Her name was sung with musical delight and pride
And his was whispered with infatuation and ecstasy
شَمائل مِن نَسيم الرَوض أَذكى
وَطَبع مِن زُلال الماء أَندى
Her features were more vitalizing than a meadow's breeze
And his nature more refreshing than water's clarity
يَنمّ ثَناؤُها كَرَماً وَطيباً
وَيَنمو عزّها شَرَفاً وَسَعدا
Her praise grows like generosity and fragrance
And his dignity expands like nobility and fortune
بذا تَمتاز رُتبة كُلِّ شهم
إِذا اِختَبَر اللَبيب الناس نَقدا
By this, the rank of each valiant person is distinguished
When the perceptive appraise people precisely
فَإِنّ الناس واحدهم بألفٍ
وَألف في الحِساب يعدُّ فَردا
For people equal one in a thousand
And a thousand in counting is but one
