تحيي في الصباح على الصبوح

فتحيي في محياها الملج

She greets me in the morning over the morning draught,

and revives me through her lovely face.

وتجلو الراح راحتها فتحلو

ولا يحلو الصبوح بلا صبيح

Her palm makes the wine shine, and it grows sweet;

the morning draught is not sweet without a fair-faced companion.

وتبسم إذ تعاطيني فيبدو

بمبسمها سنا البرق المنج

She smiles as she hands me the cup, and there appears

at her smiling mouth the radiance of bounteous lightning.

إذا شك الضحى عمن تحاكي

غزالته يشير لها ويوحي

If morning wonders who is reflected in

its sun, it points to her and gives a hint.

متى غربت عرا ليلي جنون

وابدل بشر وجهي بالكلوح

Whenever she sets, madness overtakes my night,

and I exchange my face's cheer for a scowl.

وان يخطر على قلبي نواها

نوى معها الرحيل إلى النزيح

And if the thought of her departure crosses my heart,

it resolves to depart with her to a far-off place.

واقضي ان تصد ولو دلالاً

وان وصلت ترد الي روحي

I perish if she turns away, even in coyness;

and if she grants union, she restores my soul to me.

وبي فرق الفراق وان تصلني

كخوف الفقر في قلب الشحيح

I fear separation even when she joins me,

as a miser's heart fears poverty.

فما انا ان وصلت أرى ارتياحاً

وما انا ان هجرت بمستريح

For when she grants union, I find no ease,

nor am I at rest when she forsakes me.

اسير مطلقاً انا في هواها

ولا ارضى باطلاق مريح

I am utterly a captive to love of her,

and will not accept a release that brings relief.

وان جرحت فلا حرج عليها

بجرحي وهي ذات حجا رجيح

And if she wounds me, no blame falls on her

for my wound; she possesses sound judgment.

بذا حكم الهوى من كان يهوى

فلا يطلب قصاصاً بالجروح

Thus love rules whoever loves,

so he seeks no retribution for his wounds.

ولي في شرحه شرح رقيق ال

حواشي قد حوى كل الشروح

I have a commentary on it, delicate in its

marginal notes; it encompasses all commentaries.

فتاليه يقدم في المعالي

كاحمد فارس أهل المديح

So its reader is advanced among the lofty ranks,

like Ahmad Faris, worthy of praise.

هو العلم الشهير بكل قطر

له الأعلام تشهد بالرجوح

He is the luminary renowned in every land;

the eminent attest to his preeminence.

ومنه له شهود العدل فضلاً

عن الاشهاد بالفضل الصريح

And from him come just witnesses on his behalf, quite apart

from testimony to his manifest excellence.

وما كان الشهود به عدولاً

فان جحوده مبدي الفضوح

Nor were the witnesses concerning him impartial,

for denying him lays bare disgrace.

لعل البعض يجحد ذاد مزحاً

والا فهو صج في الوضوح

Perhaps some deny that in jest;

otherwise, he is as unmistakable as dawn.

فاحمد فارس بحر لديه الـ

ـجواري المنشآت كفلك نوح

For Ahmad Faris is a sea, upon which the

ships with raised sails are like Noah's ark.

جوائبه تجوب الأرض طرا

فتوعي كل فائدة وتوحي

His Jawa'ib travels throughout the earth,

gathering every useful insight and conveying it.

هي الشمس المضيئة حيث تبدو

وكيف النجم يظهر عند يوح

It is the shining sun wherever it appears;

and how can a star appear before Yuh, the sun?

إذا ما رامها قرن كفاحاً

فليس لها لعمرك بالكفيح

If a rival seeks to challenge it face to face,

by your life, he is no match for it.

فكان كناطح صخراً وأعشى

يرى الزرقاء ذات عشى قبيح

He would be like one butting rock, and a night-blind man

who deems al-Zarqa afflicted with dreadful night-blindness.

وان تليت تلاها كل مدح

لأحمدها ومنشئها الفصيح

And when it is read, every praise follows it,

for its Ahmad—its eloquent creator.

بليغ لا يجاريه بليغ

ويبلغ من علاه سوى السفوح

Eloquent: no eloquent man can match him,

or reach beyond the lower slopes of his heights.

إذا اقترحت قريحته مقالا

ونت عنه روية ذي القروح

When his creative genius devises a discourse,

Dhu al-Quruh's deliberation falls short of it.

إليه تحيتي تهدى دواماً

ودام بعيشه الرغد الفسيح

My greeting is offered to him always;

and may he live long in comfort and abundance.