رَنا فاِستخدم الأَلباب سحرا

وَأطلع فَوق غُصن البان بَدرا

My companion, employ your mind as magic

And rise above the jasmine branch as a full moon

غَزال طَرفه الصاحي دَلالاً

كَقَلب مُحبّه سُكراً وَكِسرا

A gazelle whose lively glance is an allurer

Like the heart of his lover, drunk and broken

جَلا في لَيل طرّته صَباحاً

وَأطلع فرقهُ الوَضّاح فَجرا

It appeared in the night of his coquetry as morning

And its separation revealed the daybreak

وَفوق لَظى الخُدود رَأَيت قَلبي

يقلّبه الجَوى بطناً وَظَهرا

And above the warmth of his cheeks I saw my heart

Turned over by yearning, back and front

وَأعذب ما يَكون عذاب صَبٍّ

جَنى وَرد البَها لَم يَجنِ وزرا

And the sweetest agony is that of a passionate lover

Who plucked the rose of love but did not commit sin

وَساق قَد أَقام اللَهو فينا

عَلى ساق فَأَحسَن مِنهُ أَمرا

He set up playfulness between us

Excelling in it over any other affair

بَدا قَمَراً فشمت الزُهر مِنّا

نَشاوى شَمسه وَشممت زَهرا

He appeared as a moon, so I smelled the flowers'

Delight in his sun, and I sniffed a fragrance

وَشمل الأُنس مُنتَظم بِشهم

ذكت أَخلاقه فَنفحن عطرا

And intimacy encompassed us, redolent

With the scents his nature exuded

سَليم الطَبع ذو أَدَبٍ وَلُطف

وَأَوصاف بِها المَلسوع يَبرا

Of fine manners, courtesy, and grace

And qualities that adorn the polished

يَصوغ مِن المَعاني كُلّ عقدٍ

فَتفتخر المَعالي فيهِ دُرّا

He strings each bead of meaning

So glories take pride in him as a pearl

وَيَمنح كُلّ خلٍّ مِنهُ حَظّاً

عَلى حُكم النَدى كَرَماً وَبرّا

And he grants to each barren one from him a share

By the decree of bounty, nobility, and righteousness

فَيا مَن شادَ للأدباءِ ذِكراً

وَسادَ مَحافل الأُرباء صَدرا

So O you who built for the literati a fame

And presided over conclaves of the eminent

بَنيت لِمَجد قَومك كُلّ بَيت

وَلَو شئت اِتّخذت عَلَيهِ أَجرا

You constructed for your people’s glory every verse

And if you wished you could have taken a wage for it

فَهاك مِن المُحبّ رَخيص شعرٍ

عَلا بك إِذ غَلا في الناس سِعرا

That rose with you when prices rose among people

But if you see in it any shortcoming

فَإِن تَرَ فيهِ نَقصاً عَن وَفاءٍ

بِمَدحك فَاِقترح لِأَخيكَ عُذرا

From praising you, then make excuses for your brother

And live long with abundant prestige

وَدُم طول المَدى بِعَريض جاهٍ

وَسد عزّاً وَزد شَرَفاً وَفَخرا

And increase in honor and pride