وَلَقَد مَدَحتُكَ يا اِبنَ نَصرٍ مِدحَةً

وَلَقَد مَدَحتُكَ يا اِبنَ نَصرٍ مِدحَةً

ما كُنتَ تَرجو مِثلَها وَتُؤَمِّلُ

ما كُنتَ تَرجو مِثلَها وَتُؤَمِّلُ

And indeed I praised you, O Ibn Nasr, with a panegyric

I praised you, O son of Nasr, with praise

Whose like you never hoped for or expected.

The likes of which you did not hope for or expect

وَفَتَحتُ باباً مِن وِدادِكَ لَيتَهُ

وَفَتَحتُ باباً مِن وِدادِكَ لَيتَهُ

مُستَغلَقٌ بَيني وَبَينَكَ مُقفَلُ

مُستَغلَقٌ بَيني وَبَينَكَ مُقفَلُ

And I opened a door to your affection—would that it

And I opened a door of affection for you

Were shut between you and me, firmly locked.

If only it remained closed and locked between us

وَنَظَمتُ فيكَ مِنَ الثَناءِ قَلائِداً

وَنَظَمتُ فيكَ مِنَ الثَناءِ قَلائِداً

سِترُ المُلوكِ بِمِثلِها يَتَجَمَّلُ

سِترُ المُلوكِ بِمِثلِها يَتَجَمَّلُ

And I strung necklaces of praise for you;

And I strung for you necklaces of praise

The curtain of kings is adorned with their like.

With which kings adorn themselves proudly

وَنَزَعتُ مِن خِدري إِلَيكَ عَقيلَةً

وَنَزَعتُ مِن خِدري إِلَيكَ عَقيلَةً

كانَت يَدايَ بِها تَضَنُّ وَتَبخَلُ

كانَت يَدايَ بِها تَضَنُّ وَتَبخَلُ

And I drew from my secluded chamber a noble lady for you,

And I removed from my bosom a beloved for you

Whom my hands had jealously guarded and withheld.

That my hands were once miserly and stingy with

وَرَضيتُ حَرّاناً لَها داراً وَكَم

وَرَضيتُ حَرّاناً لَها داراً وَكَم

حامَت فَما وَصَلَت إِلَيها المَوصِلُ

حامَت فَما وَصَلَت إِلَيها المَوصِلُ

And I accepted Harran as her home; how often

And I was content with Harran as her home, though

Mosul circled, yet never reached her.

She yearned but could not reach it, however far she traveled

وَرَجَوتُ أَن تَندى صِفاتُكَ لي فَما

وَرَجَوتُ أَن تَندى صِفاتُكَ لي فَما

رَشَحَ الحَديدُ وَلا اِستَلانَ الجَندَلُ

رَشَحَ الحَديدُ وَلا اِستَلانَ الجَندَلُ

And I hoped your qualities would yield me dew, but

And I hoped your noble qualities would be kind to me, but

The iron did not ooze, nor did the rock grow soft.

Neither has iron become soft nor steel flexible

جاءَتكَ رائِعَةَ الجَمالِ كَريمَةَ ال

جاءَتكَ رائِعَةَ الجَمالِ كَريمَةَ ال

أَعراقِ مُهدي مِثلِها لا يَخجَلُ

أَعراقِ مُهدي مِثلِها لا يَخجَلُ

She came to you, wondrous in beauty, noble in

To you came a beauty of glorious stock

Lineage; one who offers her like need feel no shame.

The like of which no guide would be ashamed

فَنَبَذتَها مِن راحَتَيكَ وَإِنَّها

فَنَبَذتَها مِن راحَتَيكَ وَإِنَّها

في الذَبِّ عَن عِرضِ الكَريمِ لَمُنصُلُ

في الذَبِّ عَن عِرضِ الكَريمِ لَمُنصُلُ

Yet you cast her from your two palms, though she

Yet you cast her from your care though she

Is surely a blade in defense of a noble man's honor.

Defends the honor of the noble and will not be turned away

وَغَفَلتَ عَنها مُعرِضاً وَوَراءَها

وَغَفَلتَ عَنها مُعرِضاً وَوَراءَها

مِنّي حَمِيَّةُ والِدٍ لا يَغفُلُ

مِنّي حَمِيَّةُ والِدٍ لا يَغفُلُ

And you neglected her, turning away; behind her

And you were heedless of her, turning away

Is my protective zeal, that of a father who is never heedless.

While behind her I had a father’s protectiveness that does not neglect

وَرَمَيتَها بِالصَدِّ مِنكَ وَما رَما ال

وَرَمَيتَها بِالصَدِّ مِنكَ وَما رَما ال

شُعَراءَ بِالإِعراضِ يَوماً مُقبِلُ

شُعَراءَ بِالإِعراضِ يَوماً مُقبِلُ

And you assailed her with your rejection; never has

You spurned her with disdain though never

A fortunate man assailed poets with disdain, even once.

Have the poets been spurned in a forthcoming day

فَغَدَت مُضَيَّعَةً لَدَيكَ قَليلَةَ ال

فَغَدَت مُضَيَّعَةً لَدَيكَ قَليلَةَ ال

أَنصارِ لا تَدري بِمَن تَتَوَسَّلُ

أَنصارِ لا تَدري بِمَن تَتَوَسَّلُ

So she became neglected in your keeping, with few

She became neglected by you, with few

Supporters, not knowing through whom to seek intercession.

Supporters, not knowing to whom she should plead

فَاِردُد مُطَلَّقَةً إِلَيَّ مَدائِحي

فَاِردُد مُطَلَّقَةً إِلَيَّ مَدائِحي

فَطَلاقُ مَن هُوَ غَيرُ كَفؤٍ أَجمَلُ

فَطَلاقُ مَن هُوَ غَيرُ كَفؤٍ أَجمَلُ

So return my praises to me, divorced;

Return my rejected praises to me

For divorce from one who is no fit match is more becoming.

For separation from one unworthy is best

فَسَأُقبِلَنَّ بِها عَلى مُتَبَلِّجٍ

فَسَأُقبِلَنَّ بِها عَلى مُتَبَلِّجٍ

كَرَماً عَلَيها بِالمَوَدَّةِ يُقبِلُ

كَرَماً عَلَيها بِالمَوَدَّةِ يُقبِلُ

So I shall surely take her to one radiant

I will redirect them to one more splendid

With generosity, who turns toward her with affection.

Who will welcome them and me affectionately

طَلقُ الأَسِرَّةِ باسِمٌ لِعُفاتِهِ

طَلقُ الأَسِرَّةِ باسِمٌ لِعُفاتِهِ

تُعطي يَداهُ وَوَجهُهُ يَتَهَلَّلُ

تُعطي يَداهُ وَوَجهُهُ يَتَهَلَّلُ

Cheerful of countenance, smiling at his petitioners,

By the divorce of captivity, Basim’s name

His two hands give, and his face beams.

Gives his hand though his face still shines

وَلأَنزِلَنَّ وَإِن رَغَمتَ عَلى نِظامِ

وَلأَنزِلَنَّ وَإِن رَغَمتَ عَلى نِظامِ

الحَضرَتَينِ بِها وَنِعمَ المَنزِلُ

الحَضرَتَينِ بِها وَنِعمَ المَنزِلُ

And I shall surely lodge, though it galls you, with Nizam

And I will alight despite you by the order

Of the Two Courts, bringing her—what a splendid lodging!

Of the two encampments, and what an excellent place to alight!