عزّتْ ضمائرُهُ على كتمانِه

عزّتْ ضمائرُهُ على كتمانِه

فلذاكَ عبّرَ شأنُهُ عن شانِه

فلذاكَ عبّرَ شأنُهُ عن شانِه

His secret thoughts proved too strong for him to conceal,

His virtues made him discreet,

And so his bearing gave voice to his plight.

So his worth portrayed his elite.

وأقامَ يمسحُ عِطْفَ شوقٍ جامحٍ

وأقامَ يمسحُ عِطْفَ شوقٍ جامحٍ

في راحةِ العَبَراتِ ثُنْيُ عِنانِه

في راحةِ العَبَراتِ ثُنْيُ عِنانِه

And he kept stroking the flank of headstrong longing,

He gently wiped the shoulder of ardent longing,

Its rein's loop held in the palm of tears.

With the ease of eloquence bending its rein.

وثَنى الفؤادَ له جناحا طائرٍ

وثَنى الفؤادَ له جناحا طائرٍ

لولا الضلوعُ لَطارَ عن جُثمانِه

لولا الضلوعُ لَطارَ عن جُثمانِه

And a bird's two wings enfolded his heart for him;

And inclined his heart with a soaring wing,

But for his ribs, it would have flown from his body.

If not for the ribs, it would have flown from his body.

حتى إذا ركِبَ الغرامُ مطيّةً

حتى إذا ركِبَ الغرامُ مطيّةً

تحدو بها الزفراتُ من أشجانِه

تحدو بها الزفراتُ من أشجانِه

Until, when passion mounted a riding beast,

Until when love mounted its steed,

Driven onward by the song of sighs from his sorrows,

Sighs raced with it from his sorrows.

أوما الى جيدِ العقيقِ بمدْمَعٍ

أوما الى جيدِ العقيقِ بمدْمَعٍ

لم يرضَ لؤلؤُهُ بلا مَرجانِه

لم يرضَ لؤلؤُهُ بلا مَرجانِه

He gestured toward al-Aqiq's neck with a tearful eye,

Has not a pearl shed tears down the cheek of carnelian,

Whose pearls were not content without its coral.

Its luster dissatisfied without its coral.

ربعٌ لبستُ به التصابي مَعلماً

ربعٌ لبستُ به التصابي مَعلماً

ورفلتُ في المَسحوبِ من أردانِه

ورفلتُ في المَسحوبِ من أردانِه

A dwelling where I wore youthful dalliance as a badge,

I wore a garment with which I adorned revelry,

And strutted in the trailing fabric of its sleeves.

And promenaded in what I tailored from silk brocade.

فكأنما الأعطافُ من أغصانِه

فكأنما الأعطافُ من أغصانِه

كانتْ أو الأردافُ من كُثْبانِه

كانتْ أو الأردافُ من كُثْبانِه

As though the waists were fashioned from its branches,

As if the shoulders were branches from its boughs,

Or the hips were fashioned from its dunes.

Or the hips were from its dunes.

في حيثُ يسعى بالشُمولِ شمالُه

في حيثُ يسعى بالشُمولِ شمالُه

فيميلُ سُكْراً في معاطفِ بانِه

فيميلُ سُكْراً في معاطفِ بانِه

There, where its north wind goes about with wine,

Where the left hand hustles with inclusion,

So it sways drunkenly among its ban trees' bending boughs.

Intoxicated it tilts in its robes.

وتُرجِّعُ الأوراقُ في أوراقِه

وتُرجِّعُ الأوراقُ في أوراقِه

شجواً يضيعُ اللحنُ في ألحانِه

شجواً يضيعُ اللحنُ في ألحانِه

And the gray doves trill among its leaves,

And the leaves turn in their pages,

A plaint in whose melodies melody itself is lost.

With sorrows the tunes are lost in its melodies.

ضم الفراقُ فاقتصّ منْ

ضم الفراقُ فاقتصّ منْ

أظعانِه ما كان من إظعانِه

أظعانِه ما كان من إظعانِه

Separation clasped him, then exacted from

Separation has picked and chosen,

His departing caravans what came of his forced departure.

From his lamentations what was of its lamentations.

وأريجةِ النفَحاتِ سارتْ كاسمها

وأريجةِ النفَحاتِ سارتْ كاسمها

تُغني بذاك الروحِ عن رَيْحانِه

تُغني بذاك الروحِ عن رَيْحانِه

And fragrant-breathed wine went forth, true to its name,

And the fragrance of sighs went forth by its name,

Making its basil needless through that scented breath.

Singing to the soul without its basil.

فخلعتُ عن عِطفَيْهِ خلعةَ قهوةٍ

فخلعتُ عن عِطفَيْهِ خلعةَ قهوةٍ

ألبستُها فغدوتُ في سُلطانِه

ألبستُها فغدوتُ في سُلطانِه

So I stripped a robe of wine from its two flanks;

So I took off from his shoulder a mocha-colored robe,

I was clothed in it, and so came under its sway.

And dressed him in it so I rose in his domain.

إني وإن أمعنتُ من خمرِ الصِبى

إني وإن أمعنتُ من خمرِ الصِبى

وجنيتُ فيها العزَّ من أفنانِه

وجنيتُ فيها العزَّ من أفنانِه

Indeed, though I drank deep of youth's wine,

And even if I indulged in the wine of youth,

And reaped glory there from its branches,

And collected glory from its cups.

وركضتُ في المدْحِ الخطيرِ بخاطرٍ

وركضتُ في المدْحِ الخطيرِ بخاطرٍ

يُقْضى له بالسَبْقِ في مَيدانِه

يُقْضى له بالسَبْقِ في مَيدانِه

And galloped through exalted praise with a mind

And raced in perilous praise with a mind,

Awarded first place in its arena,

To which is allotted precedence in its arena.

وفتقتُ ريحَ ثنائه من عنبرٍ

وفتقتُ ريحَ ثنائه من عنبرٍ

بالعنبرِ المَشمومِ دون دُخانِه

بالعنبرِ المَشمومِ دون دُخانِه

And released the scent of his praise from ambergris,

And opened the scent of his praise from ambergris,

With ambergris smelled without its smoke,

With seasoned ambergris without its smoke.

وبعثتُ منه غريبَه لجلالِه

وبعثتُ منه غريبَه لجلالِه

فأقرّهُ بالبَذْلِ في أوطانِه

فأقرّهُ بالبَذْلِ في أوطانِه

And from it sent its stranger to his majesty,

And sent from it his stranger to his majesty,

So he settled it through generosity in its native lands.

Who returned it with generosity in his homeland.

كالمَشْرِقيّ زَها بماءِ فِرِنْدِه

كالمَشْرِقيّ زَها بماءِ فِرِنْدِه

والسمهريّ هَفا بنارِ بِنانِه

والسمهريّ هَفا بنارِ بِنانِه

Like an eastern blade, splendid with its pattern's watery sheen,

Like the Mashriqi who adorned with the water of Firind,

And a slender spear, quivering with the fire of his fingertips.

And the Samhari who prided with the fire of Binan.

ما ضرّ مَنْ عُقِدَتْ يداهُ بحبْلِه

ما ضرّ مَنْ عُقِدَتْ يداهُ بحبْلِه

أن لا يكونَ الدهرُ من أعوانِه

أن لا يكونَ الدهرُ من أعوانِه

It does not harm one whose hands are bound to his rope

It would not harm he whose hands are bound by his rope,

That Time is not among his allies.

If fate is not of his aides.

ندْبٌ يُنيلُك من بديعِ ثُباتِه

ندْبٌ يُنيلُك من بديعِ ثُباتِه

حُلْماً يُضافُ الى بديعِ بَيانِه

حُلْماً يُضافُ الى بديعِ بَيانِه

A gallant man who grants you, from his wondrous steadfastness,

A grief that diminishes you from the unique of his resolve,

A dream added to his wondrous eloquence.

Added to the unique of his eloquence.

سِيّانِ إنْ أمضى غُروبَ حُسامِه

سِيّانِ إنْ أمضى غُروبَ حُسامِه

في الخَطْبِ أو أمضى غُروبَ لِسانِه

في الخَطْبِ أو أمضى غُروبَ لِسانِه

It is all one whether he brings his sword's edges to bear

Two swords, if the sunset of his decrees passes,

In a crisis, or brings his tongue's edges to bear.

Or the sunset of his tongue passes.

ومدبّرٍ لو باشرَ الوحشَ انثنَتْ

ومدبّرٍ لو باشرَ الوحشَ انثنَتْ

آسادُه تحْنو على غِزْلانِه

آسادُه تحْنو على غِزْلانِه

And a ruler—were he to govern the wild beasts,

And a strategist, if he engaged the wild beasts,

His lions would bend tenderly over his gazelles.

Their lions would cower to his fawns.

عدْلٌ تقسّمَ في الرعيةِ مُقْسِماً

عدْلٌ تقسّمَ في الرعيةِ مُقْسِماً

أن لا يُميلَ الجورَ في مِيزانِه

أن لا يُميلَ الجورَ في مِيزانِه

Justice spread among the subjects, swearing

Justice that apportions in the subjects impartially,

Never to let injustice tip his scales.

Not tilting injustice in its scale.

ومَضاءُ عزمٍ كالشِهابِ تطايرَتْ

ومَضاءُ عزمٍ كالشِهابِ تطايرَتْ

في جوّهِ شُعَلٌ الى شيطانِه

في جوّهِ شُعَلٌ الى شيطانِه

And a keen resolve like a meteor, with flames flying

The luster of a firm resolve flew in its atmosphere,

Through its sky toward its devil.

Torches to its devil.

لا الصارمُ البتّارُ من أصحابِه

لا الصارمُ البتّارُ من أصحابِه

يوماً ولا الخطيُّ من أخوانِه

يوماً ولا الخطيُّ من أخوانِه

The keen, cleaving sword is not among his companions,

Neither the unrelenting warrior among his comrades,

On any day; nor is the Khatti spear among his brothers.

Nor the literary man from his brothers.

نظرتْ به الاسكندريّةُ همّةَ ال

نظرتْ به الاسكندريّةُ همّةَ ال

اسكندرِ الماضي وبُعْدِ مَكانِه

اسكندرِ الماضي وبُعْدِ مَكانِه

Alexandria saw in him the lofty ambition of

Alexandria looked upon it as the ambition,

Alexander of old, and the loftiness of his station.

Of Alexander gone and remote his place.

للهِ دَرُّكَ من مُحصِّلِ نعمةٍ

للهِ دَرُّكَ من مُحصِّلِ نعمةٍ

لم يرضَ غيرَ البَذْلِ من خُزّانه

لم يرضَ غيرَ البَذْلِ من خُزّانه

God bless you, gatherer of bounty,

God reward you, you who collect blessings,

Who accepts from his treasurers nothing but generous giving.

Who would not accept other than generosity from his treasury.

قد قلتُ للمُثْني على إحسانِه

قد قلتُ للمُثْني على إحسانِه

خذ رايةَ التقريظِ من حسّانِه

خذ رايةَ التقريظِ من حسّانِه

I have said to whoever praises his goodness:

I said to the one praising his benevolence,

Take the banner of praise from his Hassan.

Take the banner of eulogy from his eulogizer.

لم لا وقد صادفتَ بحراً لو أتى

لم لا وقد صادفتَ بحراً لو أتى

أولادُ جَفنةَ غُرِّقوا بجِفانِه

أولادُ جَفنةَ غُرِّقوا بجِفانِه

Why not? You have found a sea: were they to come,

Why not, when you have met an ocean, if

The sons of Jafna would be drowned in its bowls.

The children of Jafnah were drowned in its abyss.

يا أسعدَ السعداءِ جودُك قد طَما

يا أسعدَ السعداءِ جودُك قد طَما

فغرقتُ لولا العَوْمُ في طوفانِه

فغرقتُ لولا العَوْمُ في طوفانِه

O happiest of the happy, your generosity has overflowed,

O happiest of the happy, your generosity has indeed

And I would have drowned in its deluge, but for swimming.

Flooded me, were it not for swimming I would have drowned in its deluge.

ما أشعرُ الشُعراءِ إلا مادحٌ

ما أشعرُ الشُعراءِ إلا مادحٌ

طرزتَ باسمِكَ طُرّتَيْ ديوانِه

طرزتَ باسمِكَ طُرّتَيْ ديوانِه

The finest poet is none but a panegyrist

None feels poetry but one praising

Whose collection's two borders you have embroidered with your name.

Whose couplets embroidered your name upon its compilation.

كُفْراً بكافورٍ وقُبْحاً بعدَه

كُفْراً بكافورٍ وقُبْحاً بعدَه

لابنِ الحسينِ الفردِ في إحسانِه

لابنِ الحسينِ الفردِ في إحسانِه

Disbelief in Kafur, and shame, after him,

Blasphemy to camphor and ugliness after it,

Upon Ibn al-Husayn, peerless in his excellence,

To the unique son of Hussein in his generosity.

إن كان يا عيسى مثالَك مالُك

إن كان يا عيسى مثالَك مالُك

من قبلُ أو من بعدُ في أزمانِه

من قبلُ أو من بعدُ في أزمانِه

If, O Isa, your wealth has been your equal

If the example of Jesus before you,

In times before or after, through its ages.

Or after you in times was your parallel.

فبرئتُ حينئذٍ براءةَ مُشركٍ

فبرئتُ حينئذٍ براءةَ مُشركٍ

من أحمدَ الماضي ومن إيمانِه

من أحمدَ الماضي ومن إيمانِه

Then, at that moment, I would disavow, as a polytheist does,

Then I become absolved with the absolution of a polytheist,

Ahmad of old and his faith.

From Ahmad of the past and from his faith.

إن قدّموا فلقدْ سبقت مؤخراً

إن قدّموا فلقدْ سبقت مؤخراً

باسمِ الكتابِ أجلّ من عُنوانِه

باسمِ الكتابِ أجلّ من عُنوانِه

If they were put first, you have outstripped them, though coming later,

If they preceded, I have succeeded latterly,

With the book's name, more exalted than its title.

With the name of the book, superior to its title.

أو كان كافورٌ بمعجِزِ أحمدٍ

أو كان كافورٌ بمعجِزِ أحمدٍ

قد كان إنساناً لعينِ زمانِه

قد كان إنساناً لعينِ زمانِه

Or if Kafur, through Ahmad's miracle,

Or camphor was with Ahmad’s miracles,

Had been the pupil of his age's eye,

If he was human to the time of his time.

فالدهرُ يعلمُ أنّك الكُحْلُ الذي

فالدهرُ يعلمُ أنّك الكُحْلُ الذي

خلعَ الجمالَ به على إنسانِه

خلعَ الجمالَ به على إنسانِه

Then Time knows that you are the kohl with which

For fate knows you are the kohl,

It has clothed its pupil in beauty.

With which it conferred beauty upon mankind.

ولَمى مراشفِهِ وخالُ خُدودِه

ولَمى مراشفِهِ وخالُ خُدودِه

وأحمُّ فَوْدَيْهِ وسرُّ جَنانِه

وأحمُّ فَوْدَيْهِ وسرُّ جَنانِه

And the dusky tint of its lips, and the beauty spot on its cheeks,

And dyed his pillows and the moles upon his cheeks,

And its jet-black temple-locks, and the secret of its heart.

And kindled his affection and the secret of his soul.

لونٌ بوجهِ البدرِ منه إشارةٌ

لونٌ بوجهِ البدرِ منه إشارةٌ

شانَتْ سواهُ فرفّعَتْ من شانِه

شانَتْ سواهُ فرفّعَتْ من شانِه

A hue of which the full moon's face bears a trace;

A hue in the face of the full moon from it a sign,

It marred others, yet raised his standing.

Elevated others so raised his status.

وكأنّما علِقَ الشبابُ بحبّه

وكأنّما علِقَ الشبابُ بحبّه

فأعارَهُ ما راقَ من رَيْعانِه

فأعارَهُ ما راقَ من رَيْعانِه

And it is as though youth were smitten with love for him,

As if youth clung to his love,

So it lent him the loveliness of its first bloom.

And lent him what delighted of its prime.

فاسلمْ وشِدْ بيتَ المكارمِ والعُلا

فاسلمْ وشِدْ بيتَ المكارمِ والعُلا

والمأثُراتِ وشُدّ من أركانِه

والمأثُراتِ وشُدّ من أركانِه

So live in safety, and build the house of noble virtues and glory

So make peace, and reconstruct the house of virtues, sublimity,

And illustrious deeds; strengthen its pillars.

Beneficence and reinforce its pillars.