1. سَيفٌ بجَفنكَ مُغمدٌ مَسلولُ

    ماضٍ عَلى العُشّاقِ وَهوَ كَليلُ

    A sword in your eyelid, sheathed yet drawn,

    keen against lovers, though it is blunt.

  2. يَهوى مُضارَبَة الجَريح بحدّهِ

    وَيَهيمُ مِن شَغَفٍ بِهِ المَقتولُ

    The wounded one longs to contend with its edge,

    and the slain one is maddened by passion for it.

  3. هَل عند مُعتَدِلِ القَوامِ لعاشِقٍ

    عَدلٌ وَهَل عِندَ الجميلِ جَميلُ

    Does one so balanced in stature have, for a lover,

    any justice? Does the beautiful one offer any kindness?

  4. رَشأٌ بَخيلٌ بِالسَلامِ أُحبُّهُ

    ومن العَجائبِ أَن يُحبَّ بَخيل

    A gazelle-fawn, stingy with greetings, is the one I love;

    and among wonders is that a miser should be loved.

  5. وُمُعقرب الأَصداغ ما لِلَديغها

    راقٍ وَلا لِعَليلها تَعليل

    And his temple-locks curl like scorpions; their stung victim has

    no charm-healer, nor their ailing victim any solace.

  6. واذا تَبَدّى في سَماءِ قِبائِه

    وَالسُكرُ يَعطِفُ عِطفَه فَيَميلُ

    And when he appears in the sky of his robe,

    and drunkenness bends his side so that he sways,

  7. عقدَ القُلوبَ بِخصرهِ المَعقودِ اذ

    حَلَّ العَزائم بندُه المَحلولُ

    he binds hearts with his girdled waist, while

    his loosened fastening unbinds resolve.

  8. واذا صَباً أَو شَمالٌ مالَت ضُحىً

    بالغُصنِ مالَ بِه صِبّاً وَشَمولُ

    And when an east or north wind, at midmorning, bends

    the bough, youthful ardor and wine make him sway.

  9. ان تكحل الكَحلاء وَهيَ غنيَّةٌ

    فَكَذاك يُمهى السَيفُ وَهوَ صَقيل

    If a naturally dark-rimmed eye is kohled, though it needs none,

    so too a sword is honed, though already burnished.

  10. يا بَدرُ عُذّالي عَلَيكَ كَثيرَةٌ

    وَالمُسعِدون عَلى هَواكَ قَليل

    O full moon, many are those who reproach me over you,

    and few are those who support my love for you.

  11. وَأَليم هجركَ ما يَراكَ مواصِلي

    وَلَذيذُ وَصلِكَ ما اليه وصول

    Your estrangement is painful; my companion does not see you,

    and sweet is union with you, but there is no reaching it.

  12. لَهفي لِما في فيكَ طابَ مَذاقُهُ

    مِن سَلسَبيلٍ ما اليه سَبيلُ

    How I yearn for what tastes so sweet in your mouth:

    Salsabil, to which no path leads.

  13. قَد جاءَ عُذّالي وجرتَ وَقاتِلي

    سِيّانَ حُبٌّ قاتِلٌ وَعَذولُ

    My reproachers have come, and you have wronged me; my slayers

    are alike: deadly love and a reproacher.

  14. أَلقاكَ كَي أَشكو فأسكتُ هَيبَةً

    وَأَقولُ ان عُدنا فَسَوفَ أَقولُ

    I meet you to complain, then fall silent in awe,

    and say: 'If we meet again, then I shall speak.'

  15. وَأَغارُ أَن يأتي الَيكَ بِقصَّتي

    غَيري وَلَو أَنَّ الرياحَ رَسولُ

    And I jealously resent my tale being brought to you by

    another, even if the winds were the messenger.

  16. انَّ الملاحةَ دَولَةٌ سَتَزولُ

    وَأَميرُها بعذارِهِ مَعزولُ

    Beauty is a reign that will pass away,

    and its prince is deposed by the down on his cheeks.

  17. بادِر باحسانٍ وَحُسنك لَم يَحُل

    واعلم بأنَّ الحُسنَ سَوفَ يَحولُ

    Hasten to kindness while your beauty has not changed,

    and know that beauty will change.

  18. قَد بانَ في الخَدِّ الصَقيل لِناظِر

    كَلَفٌ وَفي الغُصنِ الرَطيبِ ذُبول

    Already an observer can see upon the polished cheek

    dark blemishes, and withering in the fresh bough.

  19. كَم ذا الدَلال وَقَد كبرتَ وَخضرةٌ

    في عارضيكَ عَلى العِذار دَليل

    How much more coyness, now you have grown older, and a green tinge

    on your cheeks is a sign of beard-growth?

  20. أَنا كنتُ أَولَ عاشِقيكَ وَقَد سَلا

    غَيري وودّي بِالوَفاءِ ثَقيلُ

    I was the first of your lovers; love has since faded for

    others, but my love is heavy with fidelity.

  21. أَنتَ الحَبيبُ مِن البَريّة كُلِّها

    وَمُحَمَّدٌ دونَ الوَرى المأمولُ

    Of all creation, you are the beloved,

    and Muhammad alone among mankind is the one I hope in.

  22. مَلِكٌ تَفَرَّد بِالجَمال فَلَم يَزَل

    مُذ كانَ ذا مُلكٌ وَلَيسَ يَزولُ

    A king unrivaled in beauty, he has always remained,

    since he first was, possessed of kingship that does not fade.

  23. غَذاه عِرقٌ في المَكارِمِ معرقٌ

    وَنَماهُ أَصلٌ في الفَخار أَصيلُ

    A bloodline deeply rooted in noble virtues nourished him,

    and an ancestry firmly rooted in glory reared him.

  24. بَحر له بيضُ العَطايا لُجَّة

    أَسَدٌ لَهُ سُمرُ العَوالي غيلُ

    An ocean whose white gifts are its deep waters,

    a lion whose brown spears are his thicket.

  25. وَلَهُ العُلى وَلشانئيهِ شَينُهُم

    وَلَهُ النَدى وَلسائليه السُول

    His is eminence, and his haters' is their disgrace;

    his is generosity, and his petitioners receive what they desire.

  26. حَيثُ النُفوس تَسيلُ في سُبُل الرَدى

    وَالخَيلُ في سَيلِ الدِماءِ تَجولُ

    Where souls flow along the paths of death,

    and horses wheel amid a torrent of blood,

  27. صَبغَ النَجيعُ شِياتها فَبَدَت وَما

    يَبدو لَها غُرَرٌ وَلا تَحجيلُ

    gore dyed their markings, so they appeared with no

    white blazes or white stockings showing.

  28. لَولا جُدودُكَ وَالمَنايا شُرَّعٌ

    حالَت قَناً دونَ المُنى وَنُصولُ

    Were it not for your good fortune, with deaths poised to strike,

    lances and blades would have barred the way to your hopes.

  29. يا ابنَ الأَكارِمِ كابِراً عَن كابِرٍ

    طابَت فُروعٌ مِنهُمُ وَأُصولُ

    O son of the noblest, great one sprung from great one,

    noble are their branches and their roots.

  30. بَيتٌ مِن الأَدناس خالٍ مُقفِرٌ

    وَمِن المَكارِم عامِرٌ مأهول

    A house empty and deserted of all defilement,

    but thriving and well peopled with noble virtues.

  31. رأيٌ يُضيءُ اذا الحَوادِثُ أَظلَمَت

    فَدجت وَيَمضي وَالحُسام كَليلُ

    Judgment that shines when calamities grow dark

    and turn pitch-black, and cuts through when the sword is blunt.

  32. وَنَدىً إِذا يَممتَه فَسأَلته

    سالَت عَلَيكَ مِن العَطاءِ سُيولُ

    And generosity: when you turn to him and ask him,

    torrents of bounty pour over you.

  33. لَيثٌ بِهِ السُلطان أَرغم ضدَّهُ

    وَبِهِ يَطولُ عَلى العِدى وَيَصولُ

    A lion through whom the sultan humbled his adversary,

    and through whom he prevails over foes and attacks.

  34. لَيث الوَغى شَهدت لَه أَفعالُهُ

    وَالمَوتُ أَحمَرُ وَالدِماءُ تَسيلُ

    A lion of battle, whose deeds have borne him witness,

    when death was red and blood flowed.

  35. وَإِذا تَناهى مادِحٌ في وَصفِه

    عَضَدَ المقولَ بِصدقِه المَعقولُ

    And when a praiser goes to the utmost in describing him,

    reason confirms the truth of what is said.

  36. حاميتَ يَومَ حماةَ غَيرَ مُفَنَّدٍ

    وَحملتَ عِبءَ الحَربِ وَهوَ ثَقيلُ

    You fought in defense on the day of Hama, beyond reproach,

    and bore the burden of war, though it was heavy.

  37. وَكررتَ يَومَ التَلِّ حَتّى لَم يَكُن

    إِلّا أَسيرٌ مِنهُمُ وَقَتيلُ

    And you charged again on the day of al-Tall, until there remained

    only captives and the slain among them.

  38. فَمُجَدَّلٌ يَسعى إِلَيهِ أَجدَلٌ

    أَو هارِبٌ طارَت إِلَيهِ خُيولُ

    One lies felled, and a falcon hastens toward him,

    or flees, with horses flying toward him.

  39. ماضٍ وَقَد نَبَتِ السُيوفَ وَواقِف

    ثَبتٌ عَلى أَنَّ المَقامَ مَهولُ

    Pressing on when swords have failed, and standing

    steadfast, though the position is terrifying.

  40. في ظِلِّ غازٍ ما لِنَفسٍ تَحتَه

    قَدَمٌ وَلا لِسِوى الأُسود مَقيلُ

    In the shade of a warrior, beneath whom no soul has

    a foothold, and none but lions a noonday resting place.

  41. سامي العَلاءِ إِلى السَماءِ فَفي عُلا

    كُلِّ امرىءٍ قِصَرٌ وَفيهِ طولُ

    His eminence towers to the sky; in the stature

    of every other man there is shortness, but in him there is height.

  42. مِن طَيّبينَ مَصونَةُ أَعراضُهُم

    أَبَداً وَوافِرُ وَفرهُم مَبذولُ

    From noble men whose honor is guarded

    forever, while their abundant wealth is freely given.

  43. قَومٌ أَذالوا في الحُروبِ نُفوسَهُم

    لِلمُلكِ حَتّى مُلِّكوا وَأديلوا

    A people who risked their lives in wars

    for sovereignty, until they were made rulers and granted victory.

  44. الكاشِفين الكَربَ وَهوَ مُجلّلٌ

    وَالفارِجين الخَطب وَهوَ جَليلُ

    Who dispel distress when it envelops all,

    and relieve calamity when it is grave.

  45. يا ناصِرَ الدين الَّذي مَن يأتِهِ

    أَضحى عَزيزَ الكُفرِ وَهوَ ذَليلُ

    O Nasir al-Din, whoever approaches you

    mighty in unbelief finds himself abased.

  46. فالدينُ مَنصورٌ بِهِ وَمؤَيَّدٌ

    وَالشِركُ مَخذولٌ بِهِ مَغلولُ

    Through him the faith is made victorious and strengthened,

    and polytheism is defeated through him and chained.

  47. حاشى غَمامَكَ أَن يُفارِقَ مَنزِلي

    أَو لا يَكونَ لَهُ عَلَيهِ نُزول

    Far be it from your raincloud to forsake my dwelling,

    or fail to descend upon it.

  48. أَنا في جنابِكَ مُذ وَليتَ وَمجدبٌ

    لا مِنهُ مأمول وَلا مَطلول

    I have been in your precinct since you assumed rule, yet remain drought-stricken,

    with nothing to hope for from it, not even touched by dew.

  49. فاِنظر اليّ بِعَينِ جودكَ نَظرَةً

    لا زِلتَ تُسأل دائِماً وَتُنيلُ

    So cast me a glance with the eye of your generosity;

    may you always be petitioned and always give.

  50. واسلم عَلى رُغمِ الحَسودِ مُخلَّداً

    في حالِ عِزٍّ مالَها تَحويلُ

    And live secure, despite the envier, forever

    in a state of glory that never changes.