خُذ مِنَ الدَهرِ لي نَصيب
وَاِغتَنِم غَفلَةَ القَدَر
Take from fate a share for me
And seize the chance that comes unforeseen
لَيسَ طولُ المَدى نَصيب
صَفوِ عَيشٍ بِلا كَدَر
Long life is not what fate decrees
Only joy without sorrow has been
فَاِجلُ لي كاعِباً عَروس
لَم تَرُعها يَدُ المِزاج
So bring to me a virgin bride
Whose purity no eye has seen
نَشرُها عَطَّرَ الكُؤوس
وَكَسا نورُها الزُجاج
Her smile makes the wine more sweet
Her light shines through crystal sheen
في الضُحى تُشبِهُ الشُموس
وَهيَ تَحتَ الدُجى سِراج
Like suns in the morn she glows
At night she's a lamp serene
فَاِرشِفِ الراحَ يا حَبيب
إِنَّ في ذاكَ مُعتَبَر
Drink deep my love while you still can
For in this there is wisdom keen
لِتَرى الشَمسَ إِذ يَغيب
نورُها في فَمِ القَمَر
See the sun when day is done
Sets her light in the moon's demesne
في رِياضٍ بِها الشَقيق
قَد جَلا بَهجَةَ التَمام
In the meadows the anemone
Bloomed perfection, beauty supreme
وَزَها زَهرُها الأَنيق
إِذ بَكَت أَعيُنُ الغَمام
Then wept the eyes of the raincloud
When its tender branch did lean
وَاِنثَنى غُصنُها الوَريق
فَشَدَت فَوقَهُ الحَمام
The bulbul rose up, a lover true
And from the branch did sing and keen
قامَ شَحرورُها خَطيب
راقِياً مِنبَرَ الشَجَر
Whenever the nightingale lamented
With flowers the branches he did preen
كُلَّما ناحَ عَندَليب
نَقَّطَ الدَوحَ بِالزَهَر
Arise, for I see time itself
Turn kindly though once cruel and mean
قُم فَإِنّي أَرى الزَمان
مُحسِناً بَعدَما أَسا
Its night now gone and dawn appears
Like gentle eve's caressing sheen
قَد أَضا لَيلُهُ وَكان
صُبحُهُ يُشبِهُ المَسا
This one wandered, prideful and vain
But now is tamed, his fires careen
تاهَ مِن عُجبِهِ فَلان
صَعبُهُ بَعدَما قَسا
His glory and might are revealed
And with Manṣūr he is seen
قَد بَدا عِزُّهُ المَهيب
وَبِمَنصورِهِ اِنتَصَر
Near at hand is the victory
That from Abu al-Fatḥ is foreseen
وَرَأى فَتحَهُ القَريب
مِن أَبي الفَتحِ يُنتَظَر
A king whose sword makes laughter flow
And the enemies' eyes tearful lean
مَلِكٌ أَضحَكَ السُيوف
فَبَكَت أَعيُنُ العِدى
With his sword he sheds heads galore
And with his hand guidance serene
جَدَعَت بيضُهُ الأُنوف
وَرَوَت كَفُّهُ الصَدى
If his noble will summoned fate
Fate would harken and obey unseen
صارِمٌ يُمطِرُ الحُتوف
وَيَدٌ تُمطِرُ النَدى
His lands are protected and safe
To people a refuge, a screen
لَو دَعا عَزمُهُ النَجيب
لِقَضا اللَهِ وَالقَدَر
When hopes are dashed, in him still
Hope and faith are nurtured and glean
جاءَهُ طائِعاً مُجيب
سامِعاً ما بِهِ أَمَر
With him joy and death coexist
Shadow and light he brings to them
قَد حَمى رَبعُهُ الحُصون
فَهوَ لِلناسِ مُلتَجا
Blessed are his fertile lands
There good news makes hearts careen
وَإِذا خابَتِ الظُنون
عِندَهُ يَصدُقُ الرَجا
His generosity exceeds even
The generous valley of Muḍar green
المُنى فيهِ وَالمَنون
فَهوَ يُغشى وَيُرتَجى
His glory ascends the heights
Of glory, nearly touching the sheen
حَبَّذا رَبعُهُ الخَصيب
فيهِ يَستَبشِرُ البَشَر
And all people bow before him
Be they pious or worldly lean
فاقَ في جودِهِ الخَصيب
وَسَمَت أَرضُهُ مُضَر
The just ruler of the land
Ghāzī bin Urtuq's noble gene
قَد عَلا مَجدُه فَكاد
هامَةَ المَجدِ يَرتَقي
A king whose heart is most generous
Who rains mercy without spleen
وَلَهُ أَضحَتِ العِباد
بَينَ راجٍ وَمُتَّقي
His heart is supple with wisdom
And in war, stone steadfast and keen
باسِطُ العَدلِ في البِلاد
آلُ غازي بنَ أُرتُقِ
If we saw the like of you, oh noble one
As rulers in every nation and demesne
مَلِكٌ صَدرُهُ رَحيب
مِنهُ يُستَمطَرُ المَطَر
Our poetry would be twice as great
As the ancients' poems long and lean
قَلبُهُ بِالنُهى قَليب
وَهوَ يَومَ الوَغى حَجَر
Pearls of phrase in verse sublime
That shame odes of great length and sheen
لَو رَأَينا يا اِبنَ الكِرام
مِثلَ عُلياكَ في الدُوَل
Consider well, wise one, how in you
Meaning triumphs over form that's terse and lean
لَنَظَمنا مِنَ الكَلام
ضِعفَ ما نَظَمَ الأُوَل
دُرُّ لَفظٍ مِنَ النِظام
مُخجِلٌ سَبعَها الطُوَل
فَاِعتَبِر أَيُّها اللَبيب
هَذِهِ السَبعَةَ القِصَر
فيكُم لَفظُها يَطيب
لا بِمَعنى بِها ظَهَر
