أفدي بنفسي شادنا قد زارني — عبد اللطيف بن إبراهيم آ…

أُفدِّي بِنَفسي شادِناً قَد زارَنِي

لَيلاً وَقَد نامَت عُيُونُ الحُسَّدِ

I would ransom with my life a young gazelle who visited me

at night, when the eyes of the envious had fallen asleep.

وافَى فأَلفانِي أُراقِبُ وَقتَهُ

أَرعَى السَوارِي ساهِراً لم أَرقُدِ

He arrived and found me watching for his appointed hour,

watching the night-wandering clouds, wakeful, without sleeping.

بَدرٌ يَغَارُ النَيِّران لِحُسنِهِ

كَلا وَحاشا مِثلُهُ لَم يُوجَدِ

A full moon whose beauty makes the sun and moon jealous—

no, far be it! His like has never been found.

بَدرٌ يُضَاهِي الوَردَ ناعِمُ خَدِّهِ

لَوناً وَيُزرِي حُسنُهُ بِالخُرَّدِ

A full moon whose soft cheek rivals the rose

in color, and whose beauty puts virgin maidens to shame.

بَدرٌ تَفرَّدَ بِالمَحاسِنِ وَارتَدى

ثَوبَ الملاحَةِ دَرُّهُ مِن أَغيَدِ

A full moon, unmatched in charms, who has donned

the robe of loveliness—what an admirable, graceful youth!

بَرٌّ مَلِيحُ الدَلِّ أَحوَى أَهيَفٌ

في حُبِّهِ عاصَيتُ أَمرَ مُفنِّدِي

Kindhearted, charmingly coy, dark-lipped and slender-waisted;

for love of him, I defied my reprover's command.

يا حُسنَهُ مِن شادِنٍ لَمّا بَدا

كالشَمسِ في بُرجِ الكَمالِ الأسعَدِ

How lovely a young gazelle he was when he appeared,

like the sun in perfection's most auspicious zodiacal mansion.

فَأَشارَ لي خَوفَ الوُشاةِ بِطَرفِهِ

أَبشِر حَبيبي قَد وَفَيتُ بِمَوعِدِي

Then, fearing tale-bearers, he signaled to me with his glance:

"Rejoice, my beloved; I have kept my appointment."

بِتنا نُدِيرُ مِنَ الهَوَى ما بَينَنا

كَأساً حَكَى الصَهبَاءَ عَذبَ المَورِدِ

We spent the night passing round the love between us,

a cup resembling tawny wine, sweet at its source,

حتَّى إِذا ما الليلُ أَزمَعَ لِلسُرى

وَالصبُحُ كادَ بِنُورِهِ أَن يَبتَدِي

until, when night resolved to journey away,

and dawn was about to appear with its light,

وَدَّعتُهُ والدَمعُ فِي وَجَناتِهِ

كالدَمعِ مِنّي ذائِبٌ لَم يَجمُدِ

I bade him farewell, the tears upon his cheeks

flowing like my own tears, never congealing.

ثمَّ انثَنَيتُ بِزَفرَةٍ مُتَحَسِّراً

ذا لَوعَةٍ طُولَ المَدى لَم تَنفَدِ

Then I turned away with a sigh, full of regret,

with burning anguish that never dwindled through all time.

آهاً عَلَى ماضِي الزَمانِ وَطِيبِهِ

آهاً عَلى عَيشٍ مَضى لي مُرغِدِ

Ah, for days gone by and their sweetness!

Ah, for the life of ease that once was mine!

آهاً عَساهُ أن يَعودَ وَيَنقَضي

عنّا زَمانٌ بِالتَفَرُّقِ مُعتَدِ

Ah, may it return, and may there pass

from us a time that wrongs us with separation!

ما غَرَّدَت في الأَيكِ وَرقاءُ الحِمى

إِلا وَهاجَت لَوعَتِي وَتَنَهُّدِي

Never did the preserve's gray dove sing in the thicket

without stirring my anguish and my sighing.

أَو ما ذَكَرتُ لذيذَ وَصلٍ بَينَنا

إِلا وَزادَت زَفرَتي بِتَصَعُّدِ

Nor did I recall the sweetness of union between us

without my sigh rising with greater force.

يا لَيتَهُ يَطوي الفِراقَ لِتَنطَفي

نارٌ تَشِبُّ بِمُهجَتِي لَم تَبرُدِ

If only he would end separation, to quench

a fire blazing in my heart's core that has never cooled.

فَلِبُعدِهِ أَضحَيتُ صَبّاً مُغرَماً

وعَليهِ قَد ذابَت حَشايَ وَأَكبُدِي

So, through his absence, I have become a yearning, infatuated lover,

and for him my entrails and my livers have melted.

أَهوَى هَواهُ وَأَشتَكي من صَدِّهِ

لِوِصَالِهِ والوَصلُ غايةُ مَقصِدِي

I cherish love for him, and complain of his rejection,

seeking union with him—union is my ultimate aim.

قد فاقَ كلَّ الغِيدِ حُسناً مِثلَما

فاقَ الكِرامَ حَليفُ مَجدٍ أَتلَدِ

He has surpassed all graceful maidens in beauty, just as

the ally of age-old glory has surpassed the noble.

ذاكَ ابنُ صالحٍ الهُمامُ مَنِ ارتَدى

حُلَلَ الكمالِ وَسادَ أَهلَ السُؤدَدِ

That is the valiant son of Salih, who has donned

the robes of perfection, and led the people of eminence;

وَغَذتهُ أَبكارُ المَعالي دَرَّها

فَبَنى لَها بَيتاً بِهامِ الفَرقَدِ

and the virgins of exalted virtues nourished him with their milk,

so he built them a house upon the heights of Farqad.

عَبدُ العَزيز الطَيِّبُ الندبُ الذي

مَهما استَعَنتَ بِهِ استَعنتَ بِمُنجِدِ

Abd al-Aziz, the good, the gallant, who,

whenever you seek his aid, you seek aid from a rescuer.

الطاهرُ الزَاكِي الذَكِيُّ الأَروُعُ ال

وَرِعُ النَجِيبُ الأَمجَدُ ابنُ الأَمجَدِ

The pure, virtuous, intelligent, awe-inspiring,

pious, noble-born, most glorious, son of the most glorious;

المَانِحُ المُعطِي الذي حازَ النَدَى

إِذ فَيضُ يُمنَاهُ كَبَحرٍ مُزبِدِ

the bestower, the giver, who possesses generosity,

for the outpouring of his right hand is like a foaming sea;

الوافِيُ الصَافي الكَريمُ مَنِ انتَمى

فَخراً بِسَامِي فَرعِهِ وَالمحتدِ

the faithful, pure-hearted, generous man, who traces his descent

proudly, through his lofty branch and ancestral stock.

يا صاحِبي إنَّ الزمانَ مُفَرِّقٌ

بَينَ الأَحِبَّةِ عاجِلاً أَو في غَدِ

My friend, time surely brings separation

between loved ones, soon or tomorrow.

فامنُن بِوَصلِكَ واغتَنِم أَيَّامَهُ

قَبلَ الفَوَاتِ وَجُد بِهِ يا مُسعِدي

So favor me with your company, and make the most of its days,

before it is too late; be generous with it, O bringer of my joy.

لازالَ عَيشُكَ بالهَناءِ مُتَمَّماً

صافٍ مِنَ الأَغيارِ غيرُ مُنَكَّدِ

May your life always be made complete with happiness,

clear of vicissitudes, never troubled.

وَخِتامُ نَظمِي بالصلاةِ عَلى الذي

لَولاهُ ما كانَ الوُجُودُ بِمُوجَدِ

And I close my verse with blessings upon the one

without whom existence would not have been brought into being:

الهادِيُ الماحِي الضَلالَة بالهُدَى

الهاشِمِيُّ إِمامُ كلِّ مُوَحِّدِ

the Guide, who effaces error with guidance,

the Hashimite, imam of every monotheist;

وكَذاكَ أَصحابٌ وأَتبَاعٌ وَمَن

والاهُمُ في الدِينِ ليسَ بِمُلحِدِ

and likewise upon companions and followers, and whoever

has been loyal to them in the faith and is no heretic.