1. كَرِّرِ اللَومَ عَلَيهِ إِن تَشا

    فَهوَ صَبٌّ بِحُمَيّاهُ اِنتَشى

    Repeat your reproach of him, if you wish.

    For he is a lovesick lover, drunk on its heady wine.

  2. هَزَّهُ بَل أَزَّهُ ذِكرُ الحِمى

    فَتَثَنّى طَرَباً بَل رَعَشا

    Remembrance of the sanctuary stirred him—nay, goaded him.

    So he swayed in rapture—nay, trembled.

  3. كادَ أَن يَقضي فَجَدَّدتُ لَهُ

    ذِكرَ سُكّانِ الحِمى فَاِنتَعَشا

    He nearly died, so I renewed for him

    Remembrance of the sanctuary's dwellers, and he revived.

  4. لَستَ عِندي عاذِلاً بَل عادِلٌ

    سُرَّ بِالذِكرى فَوَشّى إِذ وَشى

    In my eyes you are no reproacher, but a just man.

    Remembrance gladdened him: he embroidered even as he tattled.

  5. مُغرَمٌ حاوَلَ كِتمانَ الهَوى

    وَشُهودُ الدَمعِ لا تَرضى الرُشى

    A lover tried to conceal his passion,

    But the witnesses of tears accept no bribes.

  6. شامَ بَرقَ الشامِ صُبحاً فَصَبا

    وَتَراعاهُ عِشاءً فَعَشا

    He espied Syria's lightning at dawn and yearned,

    And kept watching it at nightfall, so his sight grew dim.

  7. لاحَ وَاللَيلُ بِهِ مُكتَهِلٌ

    وَجَنينُ الصُبحِ حَملٌ في الحَشا

    It flashed while the night around it was full-grown,

    And dawn's embryo was a burden in the womb.

  8. وَهِلالُ الأُفقِ يَحكي قَوسُهُ

    جانِبَ المِرآةِ يَبدو مِن غِشا

    And the horizon's crescent, with its arc, resembled

    A mirror's edge showing from its covering.

  9. وَحَكى كَيوانُ صَقراً لائِذاً

    بِجَناحِ النِسرِ لَمّا فَرَشا

    And Saturn resembled a falcon seeking refuge

    Beneath the Eagle's wing when it spread it.

  10. وَكَأَنَّ المُشتَري ذو آمَلٍ

    نالَ حَظّاً وَمِنَ البَدرِ اِرتَشى

    And Jupiter seemed a hopeful man,

    Who gained good fortune and took a bribe from the full moon.

  11. وَحَكى المَريخُ في صَنعَتِهِ

    خَدَّ مَحبوبٍ بِلَحظٍ خُدِشا

    And Mars, in its fashioning, resembled

    A beloved's cheek scratched by a glance.

  12. وَسَهيلٌ مِثلُ قَلبٍ خافِقٍ

    مُكِّنَ الرُعبُ بِهِ فَاِرتَعَشا

    And Suhayl was like a fluttering heart,

    Where terror had taken hold, so it trembled.

  13. وَبَناتُ النَعشِ سِربٌ نافِرٌ

    هامَ ذُعراً وَمِنَ النِسرِ اِختَشى

    And the Daughters of the Bier were a startled flock,

    Wandering in terror, afraid of the Eagle.

  14. وَالثُرَيّا سَبعَةٌ قَد أَشبَهَت

    شَكلَ لَحيانٍ بِتَختٍ نُقِشا

    And the Pleiades were seven stars resembling

    The Lahyan figure inscribed upon a board.

  15. وَوَميضٌ غادَرَت غُرَّتُهُ

    أَدهَمَ اللَيلِ صَباحاً أَبرَشا

    And a flash whose white blaze turned

    Night's black steed into a dappled morning

  16. طَرَّزَ الأُفقَ بِنورٍ ساطِعٍ

    أَدهَشَ الطَرفَ بِهِ بَل أَجهَشا

    Embroidered the horizon with dazzling light,

    Dazzling the eye with it—nay, bringing it to tears.

  17. فَتَلاهُ مِن دُموعي وابِلٌ

    لا يَزيدُ القَلبَ إِلّا عَطَشا

    Then a downpour of my tears followed it,

    Only increasing the heart's thirst.

  18. طَبَّقَ الأَفاقَ حَتّى خِلتُهُ

    مِن نَدى أَيدي عَليٍّ قَد نَشا

    It covered the horizons, until I imagined it

    Had sprung from the bounty of Ali's hands.

  19. كاتِبُ السِرِّ الَّذي في عَصرِهِ

    سِرُّ دَستِ المُلكِ يَوماً ما فَشا

    The confidential secretary, in whose time

    No secret of the royal throne was ever divulged;

  20. يَقِظُ الآراءِ مَسلوبُ الكَرى

    مُستَجيشُ العَزمِ مَتعوبُ الوَشا

    Wakeful in judgment, robbed of sleep,

    Mustering resolve, with slanderers worn out.

  21. فَالأَماني مِن عَطاهُ تُرتَجى

    وَالمَنايا مِن سَطاهُ تُختَشى

    So hopes are pinned upon his bounty,

    And death is feared at his onslaught.

  22. خُلُقٌ لَو يَقتَدي الدَهرُ بِهِ

    كَحَلَت أَصباحُهُ كُلَّ عِشا

    Such a character that, if Time emulated it,

    Its mornings would anoint every dim eye with kohl.

  23. ذو يَراعٍ راعَ آسادَ الشَرى

    وَحَشا الأَعداءَ رُعباً قَد حَشا

    Master of a reed pen that terrified the lions of Shara

    And filled the enemies' innards with terror.

  24. لا يُراعي ذِمَّةَ الأُسدِ الَّتي

    بَينَها في الغابِ قِدماً قَد نَشا

    It honors no bond with the lions

    Among whom it grew long ago in the thicket.

  25. ظَلَّ لِلأُسدِ بِهِ مُفتَرِساً

    وَلِأَطوادِ العُلى مُفتَرِشا

    With it he kept preying upon lions,

    And taking the mountains of glory as his bed.

  26. أَصبَحَ العَضبُ بِهِ مُرتَعِداً

    وَاِنثَنى اللُدنُ بِهِ مُرتَعِشا

    Before it the sharp sword began to tremble,

    And the pliant spear bent before it, quivering.

  27. فَإِذا أَوحى إِلَيهِ أَمرَهُ

    جاءَ طَوعاً وَعَلى الرَأسِ مَشى

    So whenever he imparted his command to it,

    It came obediently, and walked upon its head.

  28. كُلَّما تاهَ جِماحاً صَدرُهُ

    صَرَّفَتهُ كَفُّهُ حَيثُ يَشا

    Whenever its breast strayed in defiance,

    His hand turned it wherever he wished.

  29. كَفَلَ الأَيّامَ إِلّا أَنَّهُ

    أَيتَمَ الأَطفالَ لَمّا بَطَشا

    It took the days into its care, except that

    It orphaned children whenever it struck.

  30. عَرَبِيٌّ واطِئٌ رومِيَّةً

    يُنسِلُ الزُنجَ لَها وَالحَبَشا

    An Arab mounting a Roman woman,

    Begetting Zanj and Abyssinians for her.

  31. يُصبِحُ الرَوضُ هَشيماً كُلَّما

    رَقَمَ الطَرسَ بِهِ أَو رَقَشا

    The garden becomes dry stubble whenever

    He inscribes or ornaments the page with it.

  32. ما رَأَينا قَبلَهُ لَيثَ شَرىً

    حَمَلَت يُمناهُ صِلّاً أَرقَشا

    Before him we never saw a lion of Shara

    Whose right hand carried a speckled serpent.

  33. أَيُّها القاضي الَّذي كادَ القَضا

    وَيَدُ الأَقدارِ تَقضي ما يَشا

    O judge who outwitted fate,

    While the hand of destiny decrees whatever he wills,

  34. جُدتَ لي بِالوُدِّ مِن قَبلِ النَدى

    مُنعِماً بِالقُربِ لي بَل مُنعِشا

    You gave me affection before bounty,

    Favoring me with nearness—nay, reviving me.

  35. وَبَسَطتَ الأُنسَ لي في زَمَنٍ

    كُنتُ مِن ظِلّي بِهِ مُستَوحِشا

    And you spread companionship for me at a time

    When even my own shadow made me afraid.

  36. فَسَأَجلو ذِكرَكُم في مَوطِنٍ

    يَحمَدُ السامِعُ فيهِ الطَرَشا

    So I shall display your renown in a place

    Where the listener praises deafness.

  37. إِنَّما الذِكرُ طَليقاً مُقعَدٌ

    فَإِذا قُيَّدَ بِالشِعرِ مَشى

    Indeed, renown, when unbound, is crippled;

    But when bound in verse, it walks.

  38. فَاِستَمِع لِاِبنَةِ يَومَيها الَّتي

    جُمِّلَ الفِكرُ لَها بَل جُمِّشا

    So listen to this two-day-old daughter,

    For whom thought was adorned—nay, caressed.

  39. وَاِبقَ في عِزٍّ مُقيمٍ ظِلُّهُ

    بُسِطَ الأَمنُ لَهُ فَاِفتَرَشا

    And remain in glory whose shade endures,

    With safety spread for it and taken as its bed,

  40. مُستَظِلّاً دَوحَةَ المَجدِ الَّتي

    ثَبَتَت أَصلاً وَطابَت عُرُشا

    Sheltering beneath the spreading tree of glory,

    Firm in its roots and flourishing in its boughs.