إِنّي لَيُطرِبُني العَذولُ فَأَنثَني
فَيَظُنُّ أَنّي عَن هَواكُمُ أَنثَني
I yearn for you, so I lean towards you
Yet you think I lean for someone else's love
وَيَلَذُّ لي تَذكارُكُم فَأُعيرُ
أُذناً لِغَيرِ حَديثِكُم لَم تَأذَنِ
The memory of you delights me, so I turn
A deaf ear to others' talk which my ears did not permit
وَأَقولُ لِلّاحي المُلِحُّ بِذِكرِكُمُ
زِدني لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ قَد أَطَرَبتَني
And I say to the sly jester who jokes of you
Give me more, by your father, you have delighted me
أَسكَرتَني بِسُلافِ ذِكرِ أَحِبَّتي
يا مُترِعَ الكاساتِ فَاِملَأ وَاِسقِني
You intoxicated me with the draft of remembering my loved ones
Oh cupbearer, fill and serve me
يا ساكِني جَيرونَ جُرتُم في الهَوى
وَالجَورُ شَرُّ خَلائِقِ المَتَمَكِّنِ
Oh my neighbors who share my passion
Injustice is the worst trait of an overpowering resident
وَسَمِعتُمُ قَولَ الوُشاةِ وَإِنَّهُ
ظَنٌّ رُميتُ بِهِ بَغَيرِ تَيَقُّنِ
And you heard the words of gossip, though it
Was conjecture I was accused with, without certainty
أَيَسومُ إِشراكي بَدينِ هَواكُمُ
مَن لَيسَ في شَرعِ الغَرامِ بِمُؤمِنِ
Do they accuse me of sharing your love?
One who is not faithful to the law of passion is no believer
يا عاذِلي إِن كُنتَ تَجهَلُ ما الهَوى
فَاِنظُر ظِباءَ التُركِ كَيفَ تَرَكنَني
Oh you who blame me, if you do not know what passion is
Look at the Turkish ladies, see how they captivated me
وَاِعجَب لِأَعيُنِهِنَّ كَيفَ أَسَرنَني
مِن مَعشَري وَأَخَذنَني مِن مَأمَني
And wonder at their eyes, how they seized me
From my tribe, and took me from my refuge
بيضُ الطُلى سُمرُ القُدودِ نَواصِعُ ال
وَجَناتِ حُمرُ الحَليِ سودُ الأَعيُنِ
Bright complexion, tanned cheeks, brilliant
Gardens, red lips, black eyes
مِن كُلِّ فاضِحَةِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّها
شَمسُ النَهارِ بَدَت بِلَيلٍ أَدكَنِ
Each with a glowing forehead, as if
The sunlight emerged in darkest night
يَسمو لَها كُحلٌ بِغَيرِ تَكَحُّلِ
وَيُزينُها حُسنٌ بِغَيرِ تَحَسُّنِ
Kohl suits her without make up
Beauty adorns her without embellishing
وَمُضَعَّفُ الأَجفانِ فَوَّقَ لَحظَهُ
نَبلاً عَلى بُعدِ المَدى لَم يُخطِني
And her repeated eyelashes excel
Arrows in distant range which did not miss me
إِن قُلتُ مِلتَ عَلى المُتَيَّمِ قالَ لي
أَرأَيتَ غُصناً لا يَميلُ وَيَنثَني
If I said I leaned on the slender one, he said to me
Have you seen a branch not bend and lean?
أَو قُلتُ أَتلَفتَ الفُؤادَ أَجابَني
دَعني فَما أَخرَبتُ إِلّا مَسكَني
Or if I said you have ruined my heart, he answered me
Leave me be, I have destroyed only my dwelling
أَو قُلتُ يا دُنيايَ قالَ فَإِن أَكُن
دُنياكَ لِم أَنكَرتَ فَرطَ تَلَوَّني
Or if I said: oh my world, he said: so if I were
Your world, why did you deny that I changed colors?
لَم أَنسَ إِذ نادَمتُهُ في لَيلَةٍ
عَدَلَ الزَمانُ بِمِثلِها لَم يَمنُنِ
I will never forget, when I reproached him one night,
Time equaled it with its like, it did not favor me
وَالراحُ تُبذَلُ في الكُؤوسِ كَأَنَّها
لَفظٌ تَلَجلَجَ مِن لِسانٍ أَلكَنِ
Drinks were wasted in cups as if
Slurred speech from an intoxicated tongue
حَتّى إِذا ما السُكرُ ثَقَّلَ عِطفَهُ
كَسَلاً وَسَكَنَ مِنهُ مالَم يَسكُنِ
Until when drunkenness weighed down his shoulder
Languidly, and what was restless in him calmed
عاجَلتُهُ حَذَراً عَليهِ مِنَ الرَدى
عَجَلَ الجُفونِ إِلى حِفاظِ الأَعيُنِ
I was quick to protect him from harm
My eyes hurried to guard the eyes
وَضَمَمتُهُ مِن غَيرِ مَوضِعِ ريبَةٍ
وَأَطَعتُ فيهِ تَعَفُّفي وَتَدَيُّني
And I gathered him without shame
Obeying my chastity and devotion
نَحنُ الَّذينَ أَتى الكِتابُ مُخَبِّراً
بِعَفافِ أَنفُسِنا وَفِسقِ الأَلسُنِ
We are those whom the book informs
Of the chastity of our souls and foulness of tongues
وَكَذَاكَ لا أَنفَكُّ أُلقِيَ مِقوَدي
طَوعَ الهَوى وَأَعَفُّ عِندَ تَمَكُّني
And so I do not cease to hand over my reigns
To the passion, and restrain when I overpower
فَإِذا أَقَمتُ جَعَلتُ أَبناءَ العُلى
سَكَني وَأَبنِيَةَ المَعالي مَسكَني
So when I stand still, I make the lofty
My dwelling, and the highest mansions my home
وَإِذا رَحَلتُ فَجِنَّتي أَجَمُّ القَنا
وَعَلى مُتونِ الصافِناتِ تَحَصُّني
And when I travel, my little camel litter is
The best sedan, and atop the smooth camels is my fort
وَلَكَم أَلِفتُ الإِغتِرابَ فَلَم يَزَل
جودُ اِبنِ أُرتُقَ في التَغَرُّبِ مَوطِني
How often I have gotten used to expatriation, yet it did not cease to be
The generosity of Ibn Urtuq that accustomed me to expatriation
الصالِحُ المَلِكُ الَّذي إِنعامُهُ
كَنزُ الفَقيرِ وَطَوقُ جيدِ المُغتَني
The righteous king, whose gifts
Are the poor man’s treasure and the collar of the prosperous man’s neck
مَلِكٌ يُريكَ إِذا خَطَبتَ سَماحَهُ
عُذرَ المُسيءِ وُجودَ كَفِّ المُحسِنِ
A king who when you seek his leniency
You see the excuse of the transgressor and generosity of the benefactor's palm
مُتَأَلِّقٌ مُتَدَفِّقٌ مُتَرَفِّقٌ
لِلمُجتَلي وَالمُجتَدي وَالمُجتَني
Radiant, effusive, gentle
To the weak, the seeker, and the desperate
بِفَضائِلٍ وَفَواضِلٍ وَشَمائِلٍ
قَيدُ الخَوَطِرِ وَالثَنا وَالأَعيُنِ
With merits, virtues, and qualities
That captivate thoughts, love, and eyes
فَإِذا تَبَدّى كانَ قَيدَ عُيونِنا
وَإِذا تَلَفَّظَ كانَ قَيدَ الأَلسُنِ
So when he appears he captures our eyes
And when he speaks he captures tongues
يُرجى وَيَخشى جودُهُ وَنِكالُهُ
في يَومِ مَكرُمَةٍ وَخَطبٍ مُزمِنِ
Hoping for his generosity and fearing his vengeance
On a day of honor and enduring misfortune
كَالبَحرِ يَرغَبُ في جَواهِرِ لُجِّهِ
عِندَ الوُرودِ وَهَولُهُ لَم يُؤمَنِ
Like the sea, desiring the gems of its abyss
When reaching it, though its horror cannot be trusted
يا طالِباً مِنّا حُدودَ صِفاتِهِ
أَتعَبتَنا بِطَلابِ ما لَم يُمكِنِ
Oh you who asks us for the limits of His attributes
You have burdened us with seeking what cannot be attained
يَأَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي في حَربِهِ
بِالعَزمِ عَن حَدِّ الصَوارِمِ يَغتَني
Oh King, in whose war
Steadfast determination takes the place of sharp swords
لَو أَنَّ رَأيَكَ لِلدُجُنَّةِ لَم تَحُل
صِبغاً وَلِلحِرباءِ لَم تَتَلَوُّنِ
Had your opinion allowed silk to be dyed
Or warp to be colored
فَإِذا هَزَزتَ الرُمحَ نَكَّسَ رَأسَهُ
وَأَجابَ ها إِنّي كَما عَوَّدتَني
So when you shake the spear, it bows its head
Saying “I am as you have accustomed me”
وَإِذا سَأَلتَ السَيفَ قالَ فِرِندُهُ
لا عِلمَ لي إِلّا الَّذي عَلَّمتَني
And when you ask the sword, its blade says
“I know only what you have taught me”
هَذي يَمينُكَ وَالوَغى وَمَضارِبِي
وَدَمُ الفَوارِسِ وَالظَما بِيَ فَاسقَني
This is your right hand, and tumult, and my battles
And blood of cavaliers and oaths which have quenched my thirst
يا مَن رَماني عَن قِسيِّ سَماحِهِ
بِسِهامِ أَنعُمِهِ الَّتي لَم تُخطِني
Oh you who diverted me from the bitterness of your generosity
With arrows of favors which did not miss me
أَغرَقتَني بِالجودِ مَع سَأَمي لَهُ
رَدّاً عَلَيَّ فَكَيفَ لَو قُلتُ اِعطِني
You drowned me in generosity despite my fatigue of it
As a rebuff to me, so what if I said “give me!”
يَعتَادُني بِالشامِ بِرُّكَ واصِلاً
طَوراً وَطوراً في بِلادِ الأَرمَن
Your kindness frequents me in Syria, connecting
Sometimes with the land of Armenia
وَيَزورُني في غَيبَتي وَيَحوطُني
في أَوبَتي وَيَعودُني في مَوطِني
And it visits me in my absence, protects me
In my den, and returns me to my homeland
أَتعَبتَني بِالشُكرِ أَعجَزَ طاقَتي
وَظَنَنتَ أَنَّكَ بِالنَوالِ أَرَحتَني
You have burdened me with gratitude beyond my capability
And thought by bestowal you have relieved me
أَخفَيتَ بِرَّكَ لي فَأَعلَنَ مَنطِقي
لا يَشكُرُ النَعماءَ مَن لَم يُعلِنِ
You hid your kindness from me, so my words revealed it
Those who do not thank benefactors do not profess
شَهِدَت عُلومُكَ أَنَّني لَكَ وامِقٌ
وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ وَالأَنامُ بِأَنَّني
Your intelligence witnessed that I am faithful to you
And God knows—and people know—that I am
وَعَرَفتُ رَأيَكَ بي فَلَو كُشِفَ الغَطا
عَن حالَةٍ ما اِزدادَ فيكَ تَيَقُّني
And I recognized your opinion of me, so if the veil
Was lifted from a condition, your certainty in me would not increase
عَوَّدتَني صَفوَ الوِدادِ فَعُد بِهِ
وَاِصبِر لِعادَتِكَ الَّتي عَوَّدتَني
You accustomed me to the most sincere affection, so return me to it
And be patient with the habit which you accustomed me
وَاِعذِر مُحِبّاً حُبُّهُ لِعُلاكُمُ
طَبعٌ وَصَفوُ وِدادِهِ مِن مَعدِنِ
Excuse a lover whose love for you
Is innate, and sincerity of his affection is from essence
يَدعو لِدَولَتِكَ الشَريفَةِ مُخلِصاً
وَالناسُ بَينَ مُؤَمِّلٍ وَمُؤَمِّنِ
He prays sincerely for your noble state
While people are between hopeful and believing
