وَحَقِّكَ إِنّي قانِعٌ بِالَّذي تَهوى

وَراضٍ وَلَو حَمَّلتَني في الهَوى رَضوى

By your right, I am content with what you desire

And I am satisfied even if you burden me with love's grievance

وَهَبتُكَ روحي فَاِقضِ مِنها وَلا تَخَف

لِأَنَّ عِناني نَحوَ غَيرِكَ لا يُلوى

I have given you my soul, so do with it as you please and have no fear

For my rein is not pulled toward anyone but you

وَهى جَلَدي إِن كانَ أَضمَرَ خاطِري

سُلُوّاً وَلَو أَنّي قَضَيتُ مِنَ البَلوى

It is my skin if my innermost thoughts

Were complaining, even if I have suffered tribulation

وَحَقِّكَ قَد عَزَّ السُلُوُّ فَمُنَّ لي

بِوَصلٍ فَإِنَّ المَنَّ أَحلى مِنَ السَلوى

By your right, complaining has become difficult so grant me

A union, for kindness is sweeter than complaining

وَجَدتُ الهَوى حُلواً فَلَمّا وَرَدتُهُ

تَأَجَّنَ حَتّى شابَ بِالكَدَرِ الصَفوا

I found love sweet but when I attained it

It soured until the pure became tainted

وَأَعقَبتَني مِن خَمرِ حُبِّكَ نَشوَةً

فَها أَنا حَتّى الحَشرِ لا أَعرِفُ الصَحوا

And you made me drunk on the wine of your love

So here I am until the day of resurrection, not knowing sobriety

وَلِعتُ بِذِكرِ الغانِياتِ تَمَوُّهاً

عَنِ اِسمِكَ كيلا يَعلَمَ الناسُ مَن أَهوى

And I busied myself mentioning singing girls as a cover

So people do not know who I love

وَأَكثَرتُ تَذكاري لِحَزوى وَرامَةٍ

وَما رامَةٌ لَولا هَواكَ وَما حَزوى

And I frequently mentioned Hazwa and Rama

Yet Rama is nothing without your love, nor Hazwa

وَعَدتَ جَميلاً ثُمَّ أَخلَفتَ مَوعِدي

فَما بالُ وَعدِ الهَجرِ عِندَكَ لا يُلوى

You were beautiful then broke your promise to me

So why is the promise of separation with you not kept

وَصَلتَ العِدى رَغماً عَلَيَّ وَحَبَّذا

لَوَ اَنَّكَ أَصفَيتَ الوِدادَ لِمَن يَسوى

You were friendly with my enemies, and good for you

If you purified affection for one more deserving

وَحَقِّ الهَوى العُذري وَهِيَ أَلِيَّةٌ

تُنَزِّهُ أَربابَ الغَرامِ عَنِ الدَعوى

By the right of blameless love, for she

Absolves the lovers of pretension

وِصالُكَ لِلأَعداءِ لا الهَجرُ قاتِلي

وَلَكِن رَأَيتُ الصَبرَ أَولى مِنَ الشَكوى

Being united with you, not being separated, kills me

But I saw patience better than complaining

وَفَيتَ لَهُم دوني فَسَوفَ أَكيدُهُم

بِصَبري إِلى أَن أَبلُغَ الغايَةَ القُصوى

And you were unfair to them over me so I will fight them

With my patience until I reach the utmost extent

وَإِلّا فَلا أَضحَت لِنُجبِ عَزائِمي

إِلى المَلِكِ المَنصورِ عُصبُ الفَلا تُطوى

Otherwise the resolve of my lofty spirit would not be lost

To al-Mansur, pillar of glory, unbending

وَلِيٌّ لِأَمرِ المُسلِمينَ وَحافِظٌ

شَرائِطَ دينِ اللَهِ بِالعَدلِ وَالتَقوى

Guardian of the Muslims' affairs and keeper

Of the tenets of God's religion through justice and piety

وَصولٌ عَبوسٌ قاطِعٌ مُتَبَسِّمٌ

يُخافُ وَيُرجى عِندَهُ الحَتفُ وَالجَدوى

Gloomy when solemn, smiling when relaxed

Feared yet hoped for; with him are ruin and benefit

وَلِيٌّ عَنِ الفَحشا سَريعٌ إِلى النَدى

بَعيدٌ عَنِ المَرأى قَريبٌ مِنَ النَجوى

A guardian against immorality, quick to reproach

Distant from sight, near to intimacy

وَبالٌ لِمَن عاداكَ وَبلٌ لِمَن راعا

كَ قَحطٌ لِمَن ناواكَ خِصبٌ لِمَن أَلوى

And woe to those who oppose you, good for those who tend to you As famine to those who avoid you, fertility to those who befriend you

He pardons sinners with his forgiveness

وَفِيٌّ يُجازي المُذنِبينَ بِعَفوِهِ

وَلَكِنَّهُ عَن مالِهِ لا يَرىالعَفوا

But about his money he does not see forgiveness

And he is inattentive to people's faults

وَيُصبِحُ عَن عَيبِ الخَلائِقِ لاهِياً

وَعَن رَعيِهِم بِالعَدلِ لا يَعرِفُ السَهوا

And to shepherding them justly, not knowing neglect

Abulaj has managed the times with politics

وَأَبلَجُ قَد راعَ الزَمانَ سِياسَةً

وَشَنَّ عَلى أَموالِهِ غارَةً شَعوا

And raided its wealth with a sweeping raid

We described his gifts to the rider, so she stretched

وَصَفنا نَداهُ لِلمَطِيِّ فَأَطلَعَت

يَداها وَسارَت نَحوَهُ تُسرِعُ الخَطوا

Out her hands and walked briskly toward him

The hot stones kept searing her skin

وَظَلَّت بِها يَكوي الهَجيرُ جُلودَها

وَأَخفافُها مِن لَذعِ قَدحِ الحَصى تُكوى

And her hooves were bent from the striking pebbles

With mighty hands I subjugated the stallion in his meadows

وَبيدٍ عَسَفتُ العيسَ في هَضَباتِها

وَأَنضَيتُ بِالإِدلاجِ في وَعرِها النِضوا

And penetrated his rough terrain in the dark of night

We returned at daybreak to a land where dew is plentiful

وَرَدنا بِها رَبعاً بِهِ مَورِدُ النَدى

غَزيرٌ وَوَعلُ الجَودِ في ظِلِّهِ أَحوى

And the tent-sides of generosity are more soothing in its shade

We enjoyed a ruler who does not break his promise

وَلُذنا بِمَلكٍ لَيسَ يُخلِفُ وَعدَهُ

إِذا مَوعِدُ الوَسمِيِّ أَخلَفَ أَو أَلوى

When the promise of man breaks or bends

And when we halted our steed in his courtyard

وَلَمّا أَنَخنا عيسَنا بِفِنائِهِ

أَفادَت يَداهُ كُلَّ نَفسٍ بِما تَهوى

His hands enriched each soul with what it desires

And he made for us gardens of bliss an abode

وَأَورَدَنا مِن جودِ كَفَّيهِ نِعمَةً

وَصَيَّرَ جَنّاتِ النَعيمِ لَنا مَأوى

Through the generosity of his hands

It suffices me of days that in his shade

وَحَسبي مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَنّي بِظِلِّهِ

وَلي جودُهُ مَحياً وَلي رَبعُهُ أَحوى

I live and his land for me is the most soothing refuge