1. أَبَدى عِذارُكَ إِذ تَبَدّى

    عُذري وَصارَ هَواكَ جدّا

    Your cheek-down, when it appeared, revealed

    my excuse, and love for you became earnest.

  2. نَفسي فِداؤُكَ ما أَقَلَّ

    لِحُسنِ وَجهِكَ أَن يُفَدّا

    My soul is your ransom—how small

    a ransom for the beauty of your face!

  3. يا مَن تَفَرَّد بِالجَمالِ

    عَن البَريَّةِ واِستَبَدا

    O you who stand alone in beauty,

    apart from all creation, possessing it alone.

  4. فَضَحَ الغَزالَةَ حُسنُه

    وَأَبانَ نَقصَ البانِ قَدّا

    His beauty put the gazelle to shame

    and showed the bān-tree lacking in stature.

  5. وَحَمَت عَقارِبُ صُدغِه

    آساً بوجنَتِهِ وَوَردا

    The scorpions of his temple-locks guarded

    myrtle and roses upon his cheek.

  6. أَوما كَفاكَ عَذابنا

    بِالصَدِّ حَتّى زِدتَ بُعدا

    Was our torment not enough for you

    through rejection, that you increased your distance?

  7. أَتُحَرّمُ الوَصلَ الحلالَ

    وَتَسحَتِلُّ القَتلَ عَمدا

    Do you forbid lawful union

    and deem deliberate killing lawful?

  8. أَسَفي عَلى سَعدٍ وَمِن

    خَوفِ الوِشاةِ أَقول سُعدى

    My sorrow is for Sa'd; and from

    fear of the slanderers, I say 'Su'da.'

  9. أَجد الشمالض وان جَرَت

    حَرّى عَلى الأَحشاءِ بَردا

    I find the north wind, even if it blows

    hot upon my entrails, cool.

  10. قالوا تَنامُ فَقُلتُ مَن

    شَوقِ الخَيالِ رَقدتُ قَصدا

    They said, 'You sleep?' I said, 'From

    longing for the dream-image, I slept on purpose.'

  11. النَومُ يُصلحُ بَينَنا

    وَالنَومُ أَصلحُ لي وَأَجدا

    Sleep makes peace between us;

    sleep is better for me, and more beneficial.

  12. لَولا مَحبَّتُهُ الَّتي

    أَبَداً تُريني الغيَّ رُشدا

    Were it not for my love for him, which

    always makes me see error as right guidance,

  13. لَصبرتُ عَنه تَجَلُّدا

    إِذ لَم أَكُن في الحُبِّ جَلدا

    I would have borne his absence, steeling myself,

    for I was not steadfast in love,

  14. وَشَغَلتُ بِالهادي الدُعاةِ وَذا

    كَ أَرشَدُ لي وَأَهدى

    and busied myself with the guide of the summoners; and that

    would be wiser for me and truer guidance.

  15. مَلِكٌ أَنامِلُهُ عَلى

    العافي مِن الأَنداءِ أَندى

    A king whose fingers, toward

    the suppliant, are more generous than the generous.

  16. سَهل خَلائِفُه إِذا

    يَمّمتَهُ يَمَّمتَ سَعدا

    Gentle are his dispositions [reading uncertain]; when

    you turn toward him, you turn toward good fortune.

  17. غَرَسَ الصَنائِعَ في الأَنا

    مِ فأَثمرت شُكراً وَحَمدا

    He planted benefactions among humankind,

    and they bore gratitude and praise.

  18. مِن آلِ غَسّانَ الأُلى

    فَضلوا الوَرى بأساً وَمَجدا

    From the house of Ghassan, who

    surpassed mankind in valor and glory.

  19. صَبٌّ عَلى طولِ الزَمانِ

    يَزيدُ بِالعَلياءِ وَجدا

    An ardent lover who, throughout time,

    grows ever more passionate for high honor.

  20. حَسَنُ السَريرَةِ لَم يَزَل

    لِلَّهِ ما أَخفى وَأَبدى

    Pure of heart, he has always

    devoted to God what he hides and reveals.

  21. ماضٍ عَلى الأَعداءِ

    لا فَلَّت لَهُ الأَعداءُ حَدّا

    Resolute against enemies—

    may his enemies never blunt his edge!

  22. مَلأَ الفَضاءَ عَليهُمُ عَدَداً

    وَسَدَّ الأَرضَ سَدّا

    He filled the expanse against them with multitudes

    and barred the land completely.

  23. كالبَحرِ يُجري خَلفَهُم

    سُفُناً وَفَوقَ الأَرضِ جُردا

    Like the sea, he sends after them

    ships, and over the land, sleek steeds.

  24. فَتَبعتَهُمُ مَسرىً وَمغَدا

    .....

    Then you pursued them by night and morning.

    ...

  25. ما كانَ مثلهُما لِذيـ

    ـالقَرنينِ أَعواناً وَجُندا

    Never did the like of those two serve Dhu—

    —al-Qarnayn as helpers and troops.

  26. شادَت عَلَيها دونَتهم

    مِن خَوفِها يأجوجُ سَدّا

    Against them, before them [text uncertain], there was built

    by Ya'juj, out of fear of them, a rampart.

  27. بحتوفِهم طَعناً

    واِحراقاً وَقَدّا

    With their dooms, through stabbing,

    and burning and cleaving.

  28. أَلا ظَبيةَ

    أَو شادِنٍ تَخذوهُ عَبدا

    Behold, a doe,

    or a young gazelle whom they took as a slave,

  29. بِجِراحِه أَو مُوثَقاً

    حَلَقاً وَقَيدا

    with his wounds, or bound

    in rings and fetters.

  30. وَمُحارِبٌ نَجّاهُ ذو عُددٍ

    يَفوتُ الطَيرَ شَدّا

    And a warrior saved by a well-equipped [mount],

    that outstrips birds in its running,

  31. بِالفَرارِ مِنــ

    ــالرَدى وَالعارُ أَردى

    by fleeing from

    death—though disgrace is deadlier.

  32. هَولٌ أَشابَ صِغارَهُم

    وَأَتوكَ شيبَ الرأسِ مُردا

    A terror that turned their little ones gray;

    and they came to you gray-headed, yet beardless.

  33. أفنَيتَهُم وَورِثتَهمـ

    ـمالاً وَمَملكَةً وَوِلدا

    You annihilated them and inherited from them

    wealth, a kingdom, and offspring.

  34. يا خَيرَ غَسّانٍ أَباً

    وَأَحقَّهم بِالمُلكِ جَدا

    O best of Ghassan in paternal lineage,

    and most entitled among them to kingship through your grandsire,

  35. وَسبقتَ سَبقَهم الوَرى

    بأَساً وَنَيلَ عُلىً وَجِدا

    and you outdid even their surpassing of mankind

    in valor, attainment of heights, and earnest striving.

  36. مَولايَ لا وَقفَ الرَسولُ عَليَّـ

    ــما أَبقَيتَ جُهدا

    My lord, [when?] the messenger stood before me,

    I spared no effort [reading uncertain],

  37. طَلَباً لِشكركَ ما اِستَطَعـ

    ـتَ وَحَقُّ شُكرِكَ لا يُرَدّا

    seeking to thank you as far as I could,

    and the thanks due you cannot be denied.

  38. فاِغفر فان أَخطأتَ في قَلبي

    فَقَد أَحسَستُ قَصدا

    So forgive me; if I erred [reading uncertain], in my heart

    I did indeed feel an intention.

  39. يا بَهجَةَ الأَيامِ لا

    ذاقَت لَكَ الأَيام فَقدا

    O joy of the days, may

    the days never taste your loss.