أَبَتِ الوِصالَ مَخافَةَ الرُقَباءِ

وَأَتَتكَ تَحتَ مَدارِعِ الظُلَماءِ

Refusing union fearing censors

You came to me under the cover of darkness

أَصَفَتكَ مِن بَعدِ الصُدودِ مَوَدَّةً

وَكَذا الدَواءُ يَكونُ بَعدَ الداءِ

Having reconciled after estrangement

Thus the cure comes after the disease

أَحيَت بِزَورَتِها النُفوسَ وَطالَما

ضَنَّت بِها فَقَضَت عَلى الأَحياءِ

With its flowers she revived souls though often

She saddened them and so killed the living

أَنتَ بِلَيلٍ وَالنُجومِ كَأَنَّها

دُرَرٌ بِباطِنِ خَيمَةٍ زَرقاءِ

You are in the night and stars like

Pearls inside a blue tent

أَمسَت تُعاطيني المُدامَ وَبَينَنا

عَتبٌ غَنيتُ بِهِ عَنِ الصَهباءِ

You serve me wine while between us

A reproach with which I was content without sober company

أَبكي وَأَشكو ما لَقيتُ فَتَلتَهي

عَن دُرِّ أَلفاظي بَدُرِّ بُكاءِ

I weep and complain but you are distracted

From the pearls of my words by a sea of tears

آبَت إِلى جَسَدي لِتَنظُرَ ما اِنتَهَت

مِن بَعدِها فيهِ يَدُ البُرَحاءِ

She turned to my body to see what

The fingers of separation had left in it

أَلفَت بِهِ وَقعَ الصَفاحِ فَراعَها

جَزَعاً ما نَظَرَت جَراحَ حَشائي

Finding the clashing of cups shocking

Seeing my wounds she was shaken with anguish

أَمُصيبَةً مِنّا بِنَبلِ لِحاظِها

ما أَخطَأَتهُ أَسِنَّةُ الأَعداءِ

A calamity from us, her glances like arrows

The tongues of enemies did not miss their mark

أَعَجِبتِ مِمّا قَد رَأَيتِ وَفي الحَشا

أَضعافُ ما عايَنتِ في الأَعضاءِ

You were surprised at what you saw, but in my entrails

Are many times what you saw in the limbs

أُمسي وَلَستُ بِسالِمٍ مِن طَعنَةٍ

نَجلاءَ أَو مِن مُقلَةٍ كَحلاءِ

I face the night uneasy from a wound

From a blue sword or kohl-dark eyes

إِنَّ الصَوارِمَ وَاللِحاظَ تَعاهَدا

أَن لا أَزالَ مُزَمَّلاً بِدِمائي

Swords and glances swore an oath

That I would remain clad in my blood

أَجَنَت عَليَّ بِما رَأَيتِ مَعاشِرٌ

نَظَروا إِلَيَّ بِمُقلَةٍ عَمياءِ

A company looked at me askance and maligned me

With blind accusation

أَكسَبتُهُم مالي فَمُذ طَلَبوا دَمي

لَم أَشكُهُم إِلّا إِلى البَيداءِ

I gave them wealth so when they sought my blood

I suspected them only of going to the desert

أَبعَدتُ عَن أَرضِ العِراقِ رَكائِبي

مُتَنَقِّلاً كَتَنَقُّلِ الأَفياءِ

I moved my encampments from Iraq’s land

Roaming like the wild animals

أَرجو بِقَطعِ البيدِ قَطعَ مَطامِعي

وَأَرومُ بِالمَنصورِ نَصرَ لِوائي

By cutting ties I hope to end my ambitions

And by victory to raise my banners

أَدرَكتُهُ فَجَعَلتُ أَلثَمُ فَرحَةً

بِوُصولِهِ أَخفافَ نوقِ رَجائي

I met him and began kissing in my joy

At his arrival the cushions of my hopes

أَضحى يُهَنّيني الزَمانُ بِقَصدِهِ

وَيُشيرُ كَفُّ العِزِّ بِالإِيماءِ

Fate congratulates me on his coming

And the palm of glory gestures at me

أَومَت إِلَيَّ مُشيرَةً أَن لا تَخَف

وَابشِر فَإِنَّكَ في ذُرى العَلياءِ

It hinted I should not fear and gave glad tidings

You are in the abode of the sublime

أَبِمارِدَينَ تَخافُ خَطفَةَ مارِدٍ

وَشِهابُها في القَلعَةِ الشَهباءِ

With two fearsome guards do you fear a demon’s snatching?

Their flames are in the lofty citadel

أُلهيتُ عَن قَومي بِمَلِكٍ عِندَهُ

تَنسى البَنونَ فَضائِلَ الآباءِ

I forgot my people for a king who

Makes sons forget their fathers’ virtues

إِنّي تَرَكتُ الناسَ حينَ وَجَدتُهُ

تَركَ التَيَمُّمِ في وُجودِ الماءِ

When I found him I left the people

As those in purity desert ablution

المُرتَقي فَلَكَ الفَخارِ إِذا اِغتَدى

وَإِذا بَدا فَالناسُ كَالحِرباءِ

For you is the glory if you attack

And people are but dust if you advance

أَفنى جُيوشَ عُداتِهِ بِخَوافِقِ ال

راياتِ بَل بِسَواكِنِ الآراءِ

He destroyed the armies of his enemies with resolve not

With waving of banners but firmness of purpose

أَسيافُهُ نِقَمٌ عَلى أَعدائِهِ

وَأَكَفُّهُ نِعَمٌ عَلى الفُقَراءِ

His swords are vengeance upon his foes

While his palms are blessing the poor

إِن حَلَّ حَلَّ النَهبُ في أَركانِهِ

أَو سارَ سارَ الخُلفُ في الأَعداءِ

If pillage occurs it circulates among his pillars

Or if defeat comes it strikes the enemies

أُمُجَندِلَ الأَبطالِ بَل يا مُنتَهى

الآمالِ بَل يا كَعبَةَ الشُعَراءِ

O perfection of heroes, O ultimate

Of hopes, O Kaaba of poetry

أَقبَلتُ نَحوَكَ في سَوادِ مَطالِبي

حَتّى أَتَتني بِاليَدِ البَيضاءِ

I approached you in the darkness of my requests

Until the fair hand came to me

أُرقي إِلى عَرشِ الرَجا رَبَّ النَدى

فَكَأَنَّ يَومي لَيلَةُ الإِسراءِ

I rise to the throne of the Lord of bounty so my day

Is like the night of ascension to the heavens