1. عفا الله عن ذاك الحبيبِ وإنْ جنى

    دَعاني به المشتاقُ في صدِّه العَنا

    May God pardon that beloved, even though he did wrong.

    The anguish of his rejection named me one who yearns for him.

  2. قَسَا قلبُهُ في قول واشٍ وحاسدٍ

    وعهدي به رطب المحبَّة ليِّنا

    His heart grew hard at the words of a slanderer and an envier,

    Yet I remember him tender in affection and gentle.

  3. من الغيد فتَّاك بقدٍّ ومقلة

    إذ لاحَ وسنانُ النواظر بالسنا

    One of the slender beauties, deadly in figure and eye,

    When he appeared, drowsy-eyed, in radiance.

  4. ففي لحظه استكفَى عن الضرب بالظبا

    وفي قَدِّه استغنى عن الطعن بالقنا

    His glance sufficed, with no need to strike with blades,

    And his figure had no need to thrust with spears.

  5. فأَينَ غصون البان منه إذا انثنى

    وأَينَ الظباء العُفر منه إذا رنا

    What are the bān tree's branches beside him when he sways?

    And what are tawny gazelles beside him when he gazes?

  6. فيا سالبي صَبري على البعد والنَّوى

    ويا مُلبسي ثوباً من السُّقم والضَّنى

    O you who rob me of patience through distance and separation,

    And clothe me in a garment of sickness and wasting,

  7. لقد فَتَنَتْني منك عينٌ كحيلةٌ

    وما خُلِقت عيناك إلاَّ لتفتنا

    A kohl-dark eye of yours has indeed bewitched me,

    And your eyes were created only to bewitch.

  8. وليلٍ بإرغام الرَّقيب سَهِرْتُهُ

    كأَنَّ علينا للكواكب أعينا

    And many a night I kept awake, defying the watcher,

    As though the stars had eyes upon us.

  9. نَعمْنا به من لذَّة العيش ليلةً

    وقد طافت الأَقداح من طربٍ بنا

    We enjoyed in it a night of life's pleasures,

    As cups went round among us in delight.

  10. فمِنْ كأس راح للمسرَّات تحتسي

    ومن وَرْد خدٍّ ما هنالك يجتنى

    From a cup of wine you sip for joy,

    And from a cheek's rose, what is there is plucked,

  11. إلى أنْ ذوى روض الدُّجى بصباحه

    وبدَّلَ من وَرْدِ البنفسج سَوْسَنا

    Until the garden of darkness withered with its dawn

    And exchanged violet blossoms for irises.

  12. أَعِدْ ذكر هاتيك اللَّيالي وإنْ مضتْ

    ولم تَكُ بعد اليوم راجعة لنا

    Recall those nights once more, though they have passed

    And will not return to us after today.

  13. إذا ما جَرَتْ تلك الأَحاديث بيننا

    أَمالَ عليها غصنَه البانُ وانحنى

    Whenever those stories pass between us,

    The bān tree inclines its branch toward them and bows.

  14. وإنْ عرض اللاّحي ولامَ على الهوى

    فصرِّح بمن تهوى ودَعْني من الكنى

    And if the reproacher intervenes and censures love,

    Then name your beloved openly, and spare me veiled names.

  15. إلى الله أشكو من تجنّيه شادناً

    أَحِلُّ مكاناً في الحشى فتمكَّنا

    To God I complain of a fawn's unjust treatment:

    I lodge him within my heart, and he takes firm hold.

  16. أُشيرُ إلى بدر الدجنَّة طالعاً

    وإيَّاه يعني بالإِشارة من عنى

    I point to the full moon rising in the darkness,

    And whoever alludes means him by the allusion.

  17. ويا ويحَ قلبي كيفَ يرمينَ أعينٌ

    تعلَّمْنَ مرمى الصّيد ثمَّ رَمَيْنَنا

    Alas for my heart! How eyes shoot at it—

    They learned to aim at game, then shot at us.

  18. خليليَّ هل أحظى بها سِنَةَ الكرى

    لعلَّ خيالاً يطرُقُ العينَ مُوهنا

    My two friends, might I be blessed with them in a moment's slumber,

    Perhaps a phantom will visit the eye late at night.

  19. فما أنا لولا النازحون بمهرقٍ

    فُرادى دموع ينحدرنَ ولا ثُنا

    Were it not for those far away, I would not be shedding

    Tears falling singly, nor in pairs.

  20. رَعَيْتُ لهم عهداً وإنْ شطَّت النوى

    بهم واستبين الودُّ بالصّدق معلنا

    I kept my pledge to them, though separation carried them far,

    And affection was made clear through sincerity, openly displayed.

  21. وإنِّي لأرعى للمودَّة حقَّها

    ولا يهدمنَّ الوُدَّ عندي من بنى

    I indeed uphold affection's due,

    And let none who built affection with me tear it down.

  22. ولا خير في ودّ امرئٍ إنْ تلوَّنت

    بيَ الحال من ريْب الزَّمان تلوُّنا

    There is no good in a man's friendship if, when

    Time's vicissitudes change my fortunes, he changes too.

  23. حبيبٌ إليَّ الدَّهرَ من لا يريني

    ويرعى مودَّات الأَخلاّءِ بيننا

    Forever dear to me is one who shows me no change,

    And preserves among us the affections of close friends;

  24. وكلّ جواد يقتني المال للندى

    وينفق يوم الجود أنفس ما اقتنى

    And every generous man who acquires wealth for giving,

    And spends on the day of generosity the choicest of what he acquired.

  25. لئنْ كنت أغنى النَّاس عن سائر الورى

    فما لي عن سلمان في حالة غنى

    Even if I needed the rest of mankind less than anyone,

    Yet in no circumstance can I do without Salman.

  26. إذا هَتَفَ الدَّاعي مجيباً باسمه

    زَجَرْتُ به طيراً من السَّعد أيمنا

    When the caller cries his name in answer,

    At that name I rouse a bird, an auspicious omen of good fortune.

  27. تأَمَّلتُ بالأَشراف حُسناً ومنظراً

    فلم أرَ أبهى من سناه وأحسنا

    I surveyed the nobles for beauty and appearance,

    And saw none more splendid or fairer than his radiance.

  28. بأكرَمهمْ كفًّا وأوْفرِهم ندًى

    وأرفعِهم قدراً وأمنعِهم بِنا

    With the most generous hand among them and the greatest bounty,

    And the loftiest rank, the most impregnable stronghold.

  29. وكم حدَّثوا يوم النَّدى بحديثه

    فقلتُ أحاديث الكلام إلى هنا

    How often, on the day of bounty, they told his story,

    And I said, 'All stories end here.'

  30. وما زالَ يروي الشّعر عن مكرماته

    حديث المعالي عن علاه معنعنا

    Poetry has never ceased to recount his generous deeds,

    A tale of high honors, passed down from his eminence through a chain of transmission.

  31. بكلِّ قصيدٍ يحصُد العقد نظمها

    تفنَّنَ فيها المادحون تفنُّنا

    In every ode whose composition reaps the necklace,

    The praise-poets displayed their artistry in many ways.

  32. بروحي من لا زالَ منذُ عرفْتُه

    إذا ما أساء الدَّهرُ بالحرِّ أحسنا

    My soul be ransom for the one who, ever since I knew him,

    Has done good whenever fate dealt ill with a noble man.

  33. نَبا لا نَبا عنِّي بجانب ودِّه

    ومَنْ لي به لو كانَ بالوَرْدِ قد دنا

    He withdrew his affection from me—may he never withdraw!

    And who could bring him to me, if he drew near the roses?

  34. وبي فيه من حُرِّ الكلام وجَزله

    مقالٌ من العتبى وعتبٌ تضمَّنا

    Concerning him, I have words of noble and powerful speech,

    An utterance containing conciliation and reproach.

  35. إذا برزتْ لي حجَّةٌ في عتابه

    أعادت فصيح النطق بالصّدق ألكنا

    Whenever an argument appears to me in reproaching him,

    Its truth renders an eloquent speaker tongue-tied.

  36. أبا مصطفى إنِّي وإنْ كنت أخرساً

    فما زالَ كلِّي في ثنائك أَلسُنا

    Abu Mustafa, though I am mute,

    My whole being has ever been tongues in your praise.

  37. أبا مصطفى أمَّا رضاكَ فمُنْيَتي

    ومن عَجَبٍ فيك المنيَّة والمنى

    Abu Mustafa, your favor is my wish;

    And strangely, in you lie both death and hopes.

  38. إذا كانَ عزِّي من لدنك ورفعتي

    فلا ترتضِ لي موطن الذُّلِّ موطنا

    If my honor and elevation come from you,

    Then do not choose the abode of abasement as my home.

  39. ألستُ امرأً أنزلْتُ فيك مقاصدي

    بمنزلةٍ تستوجب الحمد والثنا

    Am I not a man who has entrusted his aims to you

    At a station that deserves praise and acclaim,

  40. وشُكرانُ ما أوْلَيْتَنيه من النَّدى

    لمتَّخذِ المعروف في البرّ ديدنا

    And thanks for the bounty you have bestowed on me,

    For one who makes kindness his constant habit in doing good?

  41. وما كانَ ظنِّي فيك تصغي لكاذبٍ

    وتقبل قول الزُّور من ولد الزِّنا

    I never thought you would listen to a liar

    And accept false words from a son of fornication,

  42. فتبدلني بعد المودَّة بالقلى

    وتغضب ظلماً قبل أنْ تَتَبيَّنا

    Then replace affection for me with hatred,

    And grow unjustly angry before ascertaining the truth.

  43. وأَنْتَ الَّذي جرَّبْتَي وبَلَوْتني

    وأَنْتَ الَّذي في النَّاس تعرف من أنا

    And you are the one who has tried and tested me,

    And you are the one among people who knows who I am:

  44. أَبيٌّ أَشَمُّ الأَنفِ غيرُ مداهن

    قريبٌ من الحسنى بعيدٌ عن الخنا

    Proud, high-nosed, no flatterer,

    Close to goodness, far from obscenity.

  45. صددت وأيم الله لا عن جنايةٍ

    وما كانَ لا والله صدُّك هيِّنا

    You turned away—and, by God, not for any offense;

    And no, by God, your rejection was not easy to bear.

  46. أَبنْ واستبن أمراً تحيط بعلمه

    لعلّك أنْ تَستكشِفَ العذر بيننا

    Clarify and ascertain a matter, grasping it fully,

    Perhaps you will uncover the grounds for pardon between us.

  47. وَهَبْني مُسيئاً مثلَ ما يزعمونني

    بلا ثقةٍ منهم فكنْ أَنْتَ محسنا

    And suppose me guilty, as they allege me to be,

    Without any credibility on their part—then be gracious yourself.

  48. وسُرَّ إذَنْ نفسي ودع عنك ما مضى

    فلا زلتَ مسروراً ولا زلتَ في هنا

    Gladden my soul, then, and put the past behind you;

    May you ever be joyful, and ever live in happiness.