1. خُذ مِنَ الدَهرِ لي نَصيب

    وَاِغتَنِم غَفلَةَ القَدَر

    Take for me a share from Time,

    and seize Fate's heedlessness.

  2. لَيسَ طولُ المَدى نَصيب

    صَفوِ عَيشٍ بِلا كَدَر

    There is no lasting share

    of life's pure ease without trouble.

  3. فَاِجلُ لي كاعِباً عَروس

    لَم تَرُعها يَدُ المِزاج

    So unveil for me a full-breasted bride,

    whom the hand of admixture has not startled.

  4. نَشرُها عَطَّرَ الكُؤوس

    وَكَسا نورُها الزُجاج

    Her fragrance perfumed the cups,

    and her light clothed the glass.

  5. في الضُحى تُشبِهُ الشُموس

    وَهيَ تَحتَ الدُجى سِراج

    At forenoon she resembles suns,

    and beneath the darkness she is a lamp.

  6. فَاِرشِفِ الراحَ يا حَبيب

    إِنَّ في ذاكَ مُعتَبَر

    So sip the wine, O beloved;

    indeed, in that there is a lesson:

  7. لِتَرى الشَمسَ إِذ يَغيب

    نورُها في فَمِ القَمَر

    so you may see the sun as it loses

    its light in the moon's mouth.

  8. في رِياضٍ بِها الشَقيق

    قَد جَلا بَهجَةَ التَمام

    In gardens where the anemones

    have revealed beauty in its fullness,

  9. وَزَها زَهرُها الأَنيق

    إِذ بَكَت أَعيُنُ الغَمام

    and their graceful flowers have flourished

    when the eyes of the clouds wept,

  10. وَاِنثَنى غُصنُها الوَريق

    فَشَدَت فَوقَهُ الحَمام

    and their leafy bough bent,

    so the doves sang above it.

  11. قامَ شَحرورُها خَطيب

    راقِياً مِنبَرَ الشَجَر

    Their blackbird arose as a preacher,

    ascending the pulpit of the trees.

  12. كُلَّما ناحَ عَندَليب

    نَقَّطَ الدَوحَ بِالزَهَر

    Whenever a nightingale lamented,

    it dotted the great trees with flowers.

  13. قُم فَإِنّي أَرى الزَمان

    مُحسِناً بَعدَما أَسا

    Rise, for I see Time

    doing good after doing harm.

  14. قَد أَضا لَيلُهُ وَكان

    صُبحُهُ يُشبِهُ المَسا

    Its night has shone, though once

    its morning resembled evening.

  15. تاهَ مِن عُجبِهِ فَلان

    صَعبُهُ بَعدَما قَسا

    It swaggered in self-admiration; then softened

    its harshness, after being hard.

  16. قَد بَدا عِزُّهُ المَهيب

    وَبِمَنصورِهِ اِنتَصَر

    Its awe-inspiring glory has appeared,

    and through its Mansur it has triumphed.

  17. وَرَأى فَتحَهُ القَريب

    مِن أَبي الفَتحِ يُنتَظَر

    And it saw its imminent victory

    awaited from Abu al-Fath:

  18. مَلِكٌ أَضحَكَ السُيوف

    فَبَكَت أَعيُنُ العِدى

    a king who made the swords laugh,

    so the eyes of the foes wept.

  19. جَدَعَت بيضُهُ الأُنوف

    وَرَوَت كَفُّهُ الصَدى

    His white blades severed noses,

    and his palm quenched thirst.

  20. صارِمٌ يُمطِرُ الحُتوف

    وَيَدٌ تُمطِرُ النَدى

    A keen sword that rains deaths,

    and a hand that rains bounty.

  21. لَو دَعا عَزمُهُ النَجيب

    لِقَضا اللَهِ وَالقَدَر

    If his noble resolve were to call

    upon God's decree and destiny,

  22. جاءَهُ طائِعاً مُجيب

    سامِعاً ما بِهِ أَمَر

    an obedient respondent would come to him,

    heeding what he commanded.

  23. قَد حَمى رَبعُهُ الحُصون

    فَهوَ لِلناسِ مُلتَجا

    His abode has protected the fortresses,

    so it is a refuge for people.

  24. وَإِذا خابَتِ الظُنون

    عِندَهُ يَصدُقُ الرَجا

    And when expectations fail,

    with him hope comes true.

  25. المُنى فيهِ وَالمَنون

    فَهوَ يُغشى وَيُرتَجى

    In him are hopes and death,

    so he is visited and looked to with hope.

  26. حَبَّذا رَبعُهُ الخَصيب

    فيهِ يَستَبشِرُ البَشَر

    How fine is his fertile abode,

    where mankind rejoices!

  27. فاقَ في جودِهِ الخَصيب

    وَسَمَت أَرضُهُ مُضَر

    He surpassed al-Khasib in generosity,

    and his land rose above Mudar.

  28. قَد عَلا مَجدُه فَكاد

    هامَةَ المَجدِ يَرتَقي

    His glory has risen, almost

    ascending the crown of glory.

  29. وَلَهُ أَضحَتِ العِباد

    بَينَ راجٍ وَمُتَّقي

    And toward him the people have become

    either hopeful or fearful.

  30. باسِطُ العَدلِ في البِلاد

    آلُ غازي بنَ أُرتُقِ

    The spreader of justice throughout the lands:

    the house of Ghazi ibn Artuq.

  31. مَلِكٌ صَدرُهُ رَحيب

    مِنهُ يُستَمطَرُ المَطَر

    A king whose breast is broad,

    from whom rain is sought.

  32. قَلبُهُ بِالنُهى قَليب

    وَهوَ يَومَ الوَغى حَجَر

    His heart is a well of wisdom,

    and on the day of battle it is stone.

  33. لَو رَأَينا يا اِبنَ الكِرام

    مِثلَ عُلياكَ في الدُوَل

    Had we seen, O son of noble men,

    the like of your eminence among dynasties,

  34. لَنَظَمنا مِنَ الكَلام

    ضِعفَ ما نَظَمَ الأُوَل

    we would have composed in words

    twice what the ancients composed:

  35. دُرُّ لَفظٍ مِنَ النِظام

    مُخجِلٌ سَبعَها الطُوَل

    pearls of wording drawn from verse,

    putting their seven long poems to shame.

  36. فَاِعتَبِر أَيُّها اللَبيب

    هَذِهِ السَبعَةَ القِصَر

    So consider, O wise one,

    these seven short ones:

  37. فيكُم لَفظُها يَطيب

    لا بِمَعنى بِها ظَهَر

    their wording grows sweet in your praise,

    not for any meaning that appears in them.