أموضعّ سريّ والذي حسنُ عهدهِ

أموضعّ سريّ والذي حسنُ عهدهِ

عليه من اللاحي أليحُ وأشفقُ

عليه من اللاحي أليحُ وأشفقُ

O repository of my secret, and you whose covenant is fair,

My secret place, whose promise was beautiful

for whom I fear and worry because of the reproacher.

To me is more endearing and compassionate than the cheek of a loved one

أبثك أشواقي إليكَ وإنما

أبثك أشواقي إليكَ وإنما

أحنًّ إلى العلياء أو أتشوَّق

أحنًّ إلى العلياء أو أتشوَّق

I confide to you my longing for you; yet it is only

I confide my longing for you, though

for lofty glory that I yearn or pine.

I yearn for the Sublime, or am filled with desire

وعندي أسير من رجائك لم يكن

وعندي أسير من رجائك لم يكن

على المجد عارٌ لو يغاث ويطلق

على المجد عارٌ لو يغاث ويطلق

And I have a captive of hope in you; it would not be

In my possession is a captive of your grace, who has not been

a disgrace to glory if he were succored and released.

A dishonor to glory, were he to be rescued and set free

فجدْ بكتابٍ صامتٍ وهو ناطقٌ

فجدْ بكتابٍ صامتٍ وهو ناطقٌ

وحسبكَ من جود به الطرسُ ينطق

وحسبكَ من جود به الطرسُ ينطق

So give generously a letter, silent though it speaks;

So create, with a silent book that yet speaks

and enough for you is a bounty through which the page speaks.

And your generosity, whose freshness speaks for it

تضمنَ من حسن الفصاحة والنُهى

تضمنَ من حسن الفصاحة والنُهى

غنّى أنا منه مدَّة الدهر مملقُ

غنّى أنا منه مدَّة الدهر مملقُ

It contains, in fine eloquence and wisdom,

Containing the aesthetics of eloquence and propriety

a wealth of which I am forever destitute.

I am enriched by it for an epoch, polished

معانٍ كأعطاف الغواني رشيقةٌ

معانٍ كأعطاف الغواني رشيقةٌ

تحبُّ على الهجران منها وتعشَق

تحبُّ على الهجران منها وتعشَق

Graceful meanings, like the curves of beautiful women,

Meanings like the flexuous bodies of gazelles

are loved and adored despite their estrangement.

Loved in their abandonment, and passionately sought

وخطٌ كوشي الروض لم يعدُ ناظراً

وخطٌ كوشي الروض لم يعدُ ناظراً

به راتعاً أو خاطراً يتأنق

به راتعاً أو خاطراً يتأنق

And handwriting like a garden's embroidery, never eluding a beholder

And a script like the flowers of a garden, leaving no viewer

who revels in it, or a mind that delights in beauty.

Lingering there, or imagining its elegance

ولولا ولوعي بالفضائل لم يبتْ

ولولا ولوعي بالفضائل لم يبتْ

فؤادي بأمواه الطلاوة يحرقَ

فؤادي بأمواه الطلاوة يحرقَ

And were it not for my passion for virtues, it would not spend the night—

And were it not for my craving for excellence, my heart

my heart—burning in the waters of charm.

Would not have ignited in the flames of allure

ولم أرَ قبلهُ يحمل النَّدى

ولم أرَ قبلهُ يحمل النَّدى

فيبقى ولا شمساً لها لا نفسُ مشرق

فيبقى ولا شمساً لها لا نفسُ مشرق

And before it, I had never seen anything bear dew

Never before have I seen the dew convey such beauty

and endure; nor a sun with no soul as its rising-place.

Remaining perpetually, like a sun whose rising light never fades

قدامَ لهذا الملكِ حُسناً وعدةً

قدامَ لهذا الملكِ حُسناً وعدةً

يجتمع في سحر النُهى ويفرقُ

يجتمع في سحر النُهى ويفرقُ

At the fore for this king, as beauty and provision,

For this king, beauty and company

it gathers and disperses in the enchantment of intellect.

United in the magic of propriety, then divided

وقد حفزتني رحلةُ البين والهوى

وقد حفزتني رحلةُ البين والهوى

سيخلق في الأحشاء ما ليس يخلق

سيخلق في الأحشاء ما ليس يخلق

And the journey of separation has impelled me, and love

And the journey of separation and love have provoked me

will create in my innermost depths what never wears out.

To create in my heart what was never created

نطقتُ بما قلدتني من صنيعةٍ

نطقتُ بما قلدتني من صنيعةٍ

فأشبهني فيك الحمامُ المطوَّق

فأشبهني فيك الحمامُ المطوَّق

I spoke of the favor you hung about my neck,

I have spoken what his gift of craft has moved me to

and in speaking of you, the ring-necked dove resembled me.

So that I resemble, through him, a ring-doved turtle

ولولا أيادي حضرةٍ صاحبيهِ

ولولا أيادي حضرةٍ صاحبيهِ

أرافق منها ما يعين ويرفق

أرافق منها ما يعين ويرفق

But for the favors of his two companions' court—

And were it not for the assistance of his noble hands

whose helpful, kindly gifts accompany me—

Accompanying me with that which aids and comforts

لما كان ذكرٌ جميلٌ ركابه

لما كان ذكرٌ جميلٌ ركابه

إلى غاية الدنيا يغذِ ويعنق

إلى غاية الدنيا يغذِ ويعنق

there would be no fair renown whose mounts

Never would there have been a beautiful mention, its riders

hasten and trot to the farthest end of the world.

Up to the end of the world nourished and embraced

هو الواسع الأعطان للوفد والقرى

هو الواسع الأعطان للوفد والقرى

إذا كفَّهم صدرٌ من العام ضيق

إذا كفَّهم صدرٌ من العام ضيق

He has spacious watering-grounds for delegations and hospitality,

He is the generous open-handed one to envoys and villages

when a straitened opening of the year holds them back.

When a meager year constrained their palms

محاسنُه في وجنة الأرض شامةٌ

محاسنُه في وجنة الأرض شامةٌ

تشوقُ وفي وجه الفضائل رونق

تشوقُ وفي وجه الفضائل رونق

His virtues are a beauty mark on the earth's cheek,

His beauties are a mark on the cheek of the world

stirring longing, and a luster on the face of virtues.

Longed for, and in the face of excellence, bloom

وقد كذب المداح حاشايَ قبله

وقد كذب المداح حاشايَ قبله

ولكنني فيه أقول وأصدق

ولكنني فيه أقول وأصدق

Panegyrists before him have lied—except for me—

The flattering poet before him lied, but

but when I speak of him, I speak the truth.

In praising him, I speak sincerely

فلا برحتْ تلك الثمائلُ في العلى

فلا برحتْ تلك الثمائلُ في العلى

معاني منهَ تستفاد وتسرق

معاني منهَ تستفاد وتسرق

So may those remnants never cease, amid lofty glory,

So those noble qualities have never ceased

to be meanings learned from him and stolen.

Their elevated meanings to be derived and stolen