تفديك نفس شج عليل أسى

عزا الدواء له وحار الآسي

May the soul of a grieving man, sick with sorrow, ransom you.

A cure proved elusive for him, and the healer was baffled.

أضناه طول أساه حتى إنه

يحكى لفرط ضناه ذاوي آس

His long sorrow has wasted him, until he

resembles, in his extreme wasting, a withered myrtle.

هزته سارية النسيم وقد جرت

بشذا فروق أريجة الأنفاس

The night-wandering breeze stirred him as it blew

with the scent of Faruq, whose breaths are fragrant.

فكأن في طي الشمال إذا انثنى

من نشرها طرباً شمول الكاس

As though within the north wind’s folds, when he swayed

in rapture at its fragrance, lay the wine of the cup.

وكأنها حملت إليّ رسالة

غرّاء جاءت من أعز مواسي

And as though it had carried to me a letter,

radiant, coming from the dearest consoler.

كمليحة عذراء وافت صبها

من بعد طول تعذر وشماس

Like a lovely virgin who came to her ardent lover

after long elusiveness and reluctance.

يفترّ مبسمها بحسن حديثها

عن سحر فاتن جفنها النعاس

Her mouth parts in a smile as she speaks sweetly,

revealing bewitching magic, her eyelid heavy with sleep.

تدنو فيطمع عاشقيها أنسها

ويشير عز دلالها باياس

She draws near, and her warmth gives her lovers hope,

yet the proud reserve of her coyness hints at despair.

أو روضة فيحاء حياها الحيا

من صوب محلول العرى رجّاس

Or a spacious garden, greeted by the rain

from a thunderous cloud’s downpour, its bonds unloosed.

غناء غناها الصبا فترقصت

طرباً معاطف بأنها المياس

It was lush; the east wind sang to it, and there danced

in rapture the boughs of its gracefully swaying ban trees.

فجنيت نور الفضل من أوراقها

عطر الغلائل طيب الأغراس

So I plucked the flower of excellence from its leaves,

fragrant in its inner robes, sweet in its plantings.

في طيها للسحر بحر زاخر

فيه محل الدر غالي الماس

Within its folds lies a surging sea of enchantment,

where precious diamonds take the place of pearls.

يا للعجاب وإنها لعجيبة

للبحر كيف يحل في قرطاس

What a marvel! It is truly wondrous:

how can the sea make its home in a sheet of paper?

جاءت تطارحني الهوى فأجابها

شوق يصابحني هوى ويماسي

It came to exchange love with me, and was answered

by longing that greets me with love, morning and evening.

وغدت تذكر بالعهود ولم يكن

فكري بناسي عهد أوفى الناس

And it began reminding me of pledges, though

my mind had not forgotten the pledge of the most faithful of men:

حامي حمى الآداب أحمد فارس

في معرك الألباب صعب مراس

the guardian of the sanctuary of letters, Ahmad Faris,

a formidable opponent on the battlefield of minds.

مولى دروس الفضل قد عمرت به

من بعد أن كانت من الأدراس

Patron of learning’s lessons, which through him have flourished

after they had become worn-out relics.

وأعاد جيش النظم منشور اللوا

والنثر منشوراً من الأرماس

And he restored the army of verse with its banner unfurled,

and raised prose from the graves.

وأجدّ للآداب عمر شبابها

غضا وقد وصلت لسنّ الياس

And he renewed the youthful life of literature,

fresh and tender, though it had reached the age of despair.

فضلت شمائله الشمائل رقة

وعلا علاه كل طور راسي

His qualities surpassed all others in gentleness,

and his eminence overtopped every firmly rooted mountain.

وغدت معاليه لأرباب النهى

طوق الرقاب لهم وتاج الراس

And his lofty merits became, for the masters of reason,

a necklace about their necks and a crown upon their heads.

كست القريض حلاه حلة بهجة

يختال منها في أجل لباس

His graces clothed poetry in a splendid robe,

in which it struts in the noblest attire.

لا زال في عون الكريم وصونه

من حادث الزمن الخؤن القاسي

May he ever enjoy the Generous One’s aid and protection

against the misfortunes of treacherous, cruel time.

وإليكها خجلاء من تقصيرها

تحتاج وحشتها إلى الإيناس

And here it is for you, ashamed of its shortcomings;

its loneliness needs the comfort of companionship.

غراء قد بنيت بيوت كمالها

من حسن ودّك فوق خير أساس

Radiant, its perfect verses have been built

from your gracious affection upon the finest foundation.