خُذ في هَوى الغيد عَنّي أَحسَن الخَبَرِ
وَقُل رَوَيناه بِالإِسناد عَن عُمَرِ
Take good tidings from me about the beloved,
And say we related it with attribution from Umar.
وَاِنقُل أَحاديث أَشجاني مُسلسلَةً
عَن صَبوَتي عَن مَجاري الدَمع عَن سَهَري
And transmit the conversations that made me complain,
About my youth, about the paths of my tears, about my night vigil.
وَاِهجر مَواضيع عذّالي فَقَد وضعت
في العذل مفترياتٍ حكمهنَّ فَري
And abandon the topics of my blamers, for I have composed
About separation some false allegations whose rule is separation.
وَاِنسخ صحاح رِواياتي فَقَد نسخت
أَحكام شَرع الهَوى في سالف العصرِ
And transcribe the verified narrations of my love stories, for I have transcribed
The rules of the law of love from the previous age.
وَاِنقُل عَن الأَغيد البسّام لي أثراً
إِذا نَقلت عَن العبّاس مِن أَثَرِ
And transmit from the beloved gazelle a trace for me,
When you transmit from Al-Abbas any trace.
بِالروح أَحوى حَوى روحي بِراحتهِ
فَلم يَزَل خاطِري مِنهُ عَلى خَطَرِ
With the spirit I desired his inclination,
So my thoughts about him have not ceased to be in danger.
مرُّ التَجنّي إِذا ما مَرّ فيهِ حَلا
هَتكي وَفتكي وَتبريحي وَمُصطبري
When the critic passes by, he undresses, kills, and unveils me,
My dissolution, my destruction, my exposure, and my confusion.
أَشكو فَأَنثُر ياقوت الدُموع لَهُ
فَيَنثَني باسِماً يَفترّ عَن دررُ
I complain so I shed the gems of my tears to him,
So he smiles at me, stopping the scattering of pearls.
مورَّس الوَجه أَغدو حينَ أَنظره
مَورَّد الخَدّ مِن تيه وَمِن خَفرِ
My face becomes rosy when I look at him,
My cheek reddened from confusion and from being swept away.
كَأَنّ في الخَدّ ما في القَلب مِن لَهَب
وَزيد فيهِ سَواد القَلب وَالبَصَرِ
As if in the cheek is what is in the heart of fire,
With more blackness of heart and sight added to it.
ريم رَنا فَرَمى قَلبي فَأَنفذ بِي
سَهماً فَرى القَلب عَن قَوس بِلا وَتَرِ
The gazelle glanced, so he shot my heart, striking me
With an arrow, so the heart sees without a bow or string.
فَمَن لِجرح بِهِ الآسي يحارُ أَسىً
مِن أَسهُم اللَحظ أَم مِن أَسهُم القَدَرِ
So who will heal the wound of the hopeless one, bewildered in pain,
From the arrows of the glance or from the arrows of fate?
يا ساحر الطرفِ كَم بِالسحر تمرضني
أَنا السُها بِالخَفا يا كَوكَب السحرِ
O magician of the eyelashes, how you sicken me with magic,
I am bewitched with wink, O star of magic!
نحولُ خصركَ يا مَولايَ أنحلني
وَطالَما قَد أَطَلت الهَجر فَاِختصرِ
Your slender waist, my master, releases me,
Since you have prolonged estrangement, so be concise.
بِما بِعطفيكَ مِن لين وَمِن هيف
وَما بِعينيك مِن غنجٍ وَمِن حورِ
By the gentleness and languor in your arm,
And the flirtation and tenderness in your eye,
وَما بصبّك مِن سكر وَمِن وَلَهٍ
وَما بِثَغرك مِن خَمر وَمِن سَكَرِ
And the nectar and infatuation in your mouth,
And the wine and intoxication in your lips.
إِلّا رَحمتَ عَليلاً لا عِلاج لَهُ
يا جارح القَلب إِلّا مرهم النَظَرِ
Have mercy on a sick one who has no cure,
O wounder of the heart, except the ointment of seeing you.
أشتاقُ رَشف اللَمى وَاللَحظ يَمنَعني
فَيَظمأ القَلب بَينَ الوِرد وَالصَدرِ
I yearn for a sip and a glance, but it prevents me,
So the heart thirsts between roses and breasts.
يا لَوعة الوَجد إن أُحرَم بِهِ أَمَلي
عَلى فُؤاديَ لا تبقي وَلا تَذري
O agony of passion, if my hopes are denied me
Over my heart, you leave nothing and spare nothing.
ما أَنس لا أَنسَ لَمّا زارَني سحراً
وَقَد تَشاجر ورق الأَيك في الشَجَرِ
I do not forget, I do not forget when he visited me at night,
And the leaves of the creeping plants had quarreled in the trees,
وَسنان يَفترّ عَن بَرق فَأنشدهُ
يا ساهر البَرق أَيقظ راقد السَمرِ
And his shining teeth smiled, so I recited to him:
O watcher of the lightning, wake the sleeper of the night vigil.
فَقامَ يَسعى وَشَمس الراح في يَدهِ
يا مَن رَأى الشَمس تجلى في يَد القَمَرِ
So he got up, walking quickly, and the sun of comfort was in his hand,
O you who saw the sun shine in the hand of the moon!
لاهوت حسن بناسوت الجَمال بَدا
في صورةٍ حارَ مِنها عابد الصُورِ
The divinity of the beauty of his appearance showed
In a form the worshipers of images were confused about.
لَو قابل النسوة اللاتي فُتنَّ جَوىً
لَقُلن تاللّه ما هَذا مِن البَشَرِ
If he met the women who were infatuated with passion,
They would say, by God, this is not one of humans!
حَيّا مَرابع أنسي يَنثَني مَرَحا
فَقُلت أَهلاً بِغُصن البانة النَضرِ
He came to me cheerful, so I said, Welcome
To the tender branch of flexibility and youth.
وَماس في حللٍ خُضر فَذكّرني
خُضر الرُبوع زَهَت بِالسَيّد الخضري
And he was clad in green garments, so he reminded me
Of the green meadows adorned with the verdant.
مُختار أَهل التُقى وَالفَضل سَيّدهم
سَميّ مُختار رَبّ العَرش مِن مُضَرِ
The chosen one of piety and superiority, their master,
The elect chosen one of the Lord of the Throne from Mudar.
مُحمّد الذات مَحمود الصِفات لَهُ
مِن المَحامد عدٌّ غَير منحصرِ
Muhammad in essence, praiseworthy in attributes, for him
From praises a number that cannot be comprehended.
بَحرٌ مِن العلم لَكن لا قَرار لَهُ
طود مِن الحلم لَكن قطّ لَم يمرِ
An ocean of knowledge, but without shores for it,
A towering mountain of patience, but a cat has never passed it.
مِن الألى رَسخت أَقدامهم وَسَما
إِقدامهم فَوق هام الأَنجُم الزهرِ
From firmness their feet were rooted, and their courage
Soared above the zealousness of the sparkling stars.
مُستَظهر الحَقّ حَتّى لا خفاءَ بِهِ
مُؤيّد الحُكم بِالبُرهان وَالأَثَرِ
Manifesting the truth until there is no concealment with it,
Supported by evidence and traces.
فَالسَمع تَاللّه لَم يسمع بذي نَظرٍ
أَعلى يَداً مِنهُ بِالسَمعيِّ وَالنَظرِ
By God, hearing has not heard one with insight
Higher of hand than him in hearing and sight.
وَرُشد إِرشاده كَالماء يخمدُ ما
بِالقَلب أَورَت زِناد الغيّ مِن شَرَرِ
The guidance of his guidance is like water extinguishing what
The wicked ignited in hearts of sparks.
مَولى بِهِ ثَغر دمياط تَبسّم عَن
نَيل المُنى وَبُلوغ العزّ وَالوَطَرِ
My master, by him the lips of Damietta smiled,
Attaining wishes and reaching might and loftiness.
بِهِ اللَيالي غَدَت صَفواً بِلا كَدَرٍ
وَتِلكَ أَيّامُها أَمناً بِلا حَذَرِ
By him the nights became pure without any filth,
And those days secure without any caution.
سقيت يا ثغر دُمياط كُؤوس هنا
وَجادك الغَيث مِن هامٍ وَمُنهمرِ
You quenched thirst, O lips of Damietta, from cups of bliss,
And your rain clouds poured from zeal and downpour.
رُبوع فَضل إِذا ما بِتّ أَذكُرُها
يَلتَذّ سَمعي كَما يَشتاقُها نَظَري
Gardens of virtue, when I spend the night remembering them
My hearing is delighted as my sight yearns for them.
إِن يَسمح الدَهر لي يَوماً بِرؤيَتِها
لَم يَبقَ لِلدَهر ذَنب غَير مُغتَفرِ
If time allows me one day to see them,
No sin of time remains except a forgiven sin.
أَحيا المَعالم نَشر العلم مِنهُ بِها
فَلو نَبا الغَيث أَغناها عَن المَطَرِ
It gave life to landmarks, spreading knowledge from it,
So if the rain announced good tidings, it would spare it from rain.
يا دَوحَة لَم يَزَل في ظِلِّها مَلأ
أَعلى مِن الزُهر يجني يانع الزهرِ
O Doha, in its shade a filled group never ceased
Picking ripe fruit above flowers.
وَنيّراً يَهتدي الساري بِطلعَتِهِ
يَسمو على النيّرين الشَمس وَالقَمَرِ
And a brilliant star they are guided by its rising,
Transcending sun and moon.
سقياً لجنّة فَضل أَنتَ غارسها
لَم يفسد المَنّ مِنها يانع الثَمَرِ
A waterer of the garden of virtue you planted,
No defect occurred in its ripe fruit.
يا وارثَ العلم وَالإِسم اِرتَفع شَرَفاً
وَاِفخَر فَما فَوق ذا فَخرٌ لِمُفتَخرِ
O inheritor of knowledge and name, rise in nobility
And take pride, for none is prouder than the proud.
جلّت مَساعيك في دَرس العُلوم فَكَم
مطوّلٍ عَنك مَأخوذ وَمُختَصرِ
Your efforts shined in studying the sciences, so how many
Summaries are transmitted from you and full transmissions.
إِنّ الفُنون الَّتي أَنشأت في صغرٍ
كانَت هُدىً لِشيوخ العَصر في الكبرِ
Surely the arts you established in your youth
Were guidance for the elders of the age in old age.
لِلّه مِنكَ همام بَذل همّته
في طاعة اللَه لا في طاعة البَشَرِ
To God belong the concerns, he exerted his efforts
In obeying God, not in obeying humans.
صافي السَريرة إِلّا أنّ سيرته
مسك إِذا ضاع ما ضاعَت مَع السيرِ
Pure in conscience, but his conduct
Is musk - if it is lost, nothing is lost with travel.
يَسرو إِذا البَدر يَسري في أسرّته
شتّان ما بَين سارٍ مِنهما وَسَري
How different between one who walks among them happily
And one who walks among them secretly by night!
إِذا دَعا الطِرس أَقلامي لمدحته
لَبّت عَلى الراس تَسعى سَعي مُبتدرِ
If the young pigeons called my pens for his praise,
They would comply, hastening to the task.
صَريرها عِندَ سَمعي في طلاوته
ألذُّ مِن نَغمات الناي وَالوَتَرِ
Their scratching, when I hear it in its freshness,
Is sweeter to me than the melodies of flute and strings.
أبتاع مِنها القَوافي كُلّها غررٌ
في سوق فِكري بِلا غبن وَلا غررِ
I bought from it all rhymes as precious gems
In the market of my thoughts without any cheating or gems.
لِمَن عَلا الشعر سعراً في مَدائحهِ
حَتّى غَلا وَهوَ مَن رَيب الغلوّ بَري
For one who raised the price of poetry in his praises
Until it became expensive, and he avoids exorbitance in price.
أَكرم بمُنتسبٍ للحمد مكتسبٍ
لِلّه منتدبٍ بِاللَه مُنتصرِ
Honor one related to praise, earning,
From God commissioned, by God supported.
يَفوح طيب ثَناه في حَواسدهِ
كَفائح المسك بَينَ الفهر وَالحجرِ
The fragrance of his praise emanates in his sermons
Like the diffusion of musk between spacious mounts.
مَن خَصّه اللَهُ بِالحُبّ القَديم كَما
عَلَيهِ أَجمَع حُبّ البَدوِ وَالحَضَرِ
One whom God distinguished with ancient love, as
The love of nomads and city dwellers united upon him.
عَذب المَناهل مَشمول الشَمائل في
نور الفَضائل باهي المَجد وَالخَطَرِ
Sweet waterhole, embraced in mannerisms in
The light of virtues, magnificent in glory and venture.
هُوَ الهمام الَّذي في الدين همّتهُ
فاقَت عَلى فوق حَدّ الصارم الذكرِ
He is the zealous one whose zeal in religion
Surpassed the edge of the sharp sword.
فاِنشر عَلَيهِ لِواء الحَمد واِدع لَهُ
عَلى المَدى بِمَزيد الفَضل وَالعُمرِ
So spread over him the banner of praise and invoke for him
Continued increase of grace and life.
وَرِد تَجد بَحر علم عِندَ بَحر تقىً
وَفُز لَدى مَجمَع البَحرين بِالدررِ
You will find an ocean of knowledge with an ocean of piety,
And attain at the confluence of the two seas pearls.
وَاِنظم عُقود الثَنا وَاِنثُر مَحامدهُ
فَرائِداً بَينَ مَنظوم وَمنتثرِ
And string together necklaces of praise and scatter his glories
In prose and verse.
وَقُل أَقل عثرَتي وَاِستُر عَلى زللي
وَاِصفح عَن العَجز وَاِمنَح عَفو مُقتدرِ
And say I fell short, and conceal my stumble,
And pardon incapacity, and grant the pardon of the Capable.
وَاِعذر قُصورَ فَتىً جَفَّت قَريحتهُ
يا خَير مُقترح عُذراً لِمعتذرِ
And excuse the inadequacy of a lad whose talent dried up,
O best proposer of excuses for one who makes excuses.
فقري لِسجع حَمام الرَوض أنظمهُ
إِلَيكَ فَضلاً عَن الأَسجاع وَالفقرِ
The inadequacy of my technical composition, I drafted it
To you, surpassing technicality and inadequacy.
وَإِنَّما غيرة الأَيّام قَد منعت
سَبيل قصدي وإن الدَهر ذو غِيرِ
But the jealousy of time has hindered
My intention, and time is jealous.
إِلَيكها مِن بنات الخدر جاريةً
بِها تَجرّى عَلى حسّان نَظم جَري
To you from the words of poetry a young girl
Runs with it to the poetry of passion.
أمّت حِماكَ حَماكَ اللَه راجيَةً
قبولَها مِنكَ يا شَمسي وَيا قَمَري
It protects you, may God protect you, hoping
For your acceptance, O my sun and O my moon!
فَاِسلم وَدم كَوكَب الأَسحار ما طَلَعت
غَزالة الأُفق تَرعى نَرجس السحرِ
So submit to the star of dawn, it rose
A gazelle of the horizon grazing the narcissus of dawn.
