1. اِخطُب فَمُلكُكَ يَفقِدُ الإِملاكا

    وَاِطلُب فَسَعدُكَ يَضمَنُ الإِدراكا

    Seek a bride, for your kingship lacks wedlock;

    and seek, for your good fortune guarantees success.

  2. وَصِلِ النُجومَ بِحَظِّ مَن لَو رامَها

    هَجَرَت إِلَيهِ زُهرُها الأَفلاكا

    Reach the stars with the fortune of one who, were he to seek them,

    their bright ones would abandon the spheres for him.

  3. وَاِستَهدِ مِن أَحمى مَراتِعَها المَها

    فَالصَعبُ يَسمَحُ في عِنانِ هَواكا

    And ask for oryxes as gifts from their best-guarded pastures;

    for the untamed yields to the rein of your desire.

  4. يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي تَدبيرُهُ

    أَضحى لِمَملَكَةِ الزَمانِ مِلاكا

    O king, whose governance

    has become the mainstay of Time's kingdom.

  5. هَذي اللَيالي بِالأَماني سَمحَةٌ

    فَمَتى تَقُل هاتي تَقُل لَكَ هاكا

    These nights are generous with wishes;

    so whenever you say, 'Bring it,' they say to you, 'Here, take it.'

  6. فَاِعقِل شَوارِدَها إِزاءَ عَقيلَةٍ

    وافَت مُبَشِّرَةً بِنَيلِ مُناكا

    So tether their strays beside a noble lady

    who has come heralding the fulfillment of your wishes.

  7. أَهدى الزَمانُ إِلَيكَ مِنها تُحفَةً

    لَم تَعدُ أَن قَرَّت بِها عَيناكا

    Time has bestowed on you, in her, a precious gift

    that has done nothing but delight your eyes.

  8. شَمسٌ تَوارَت في ظَلامِ مَضيعَةٍ

    ثُمَّ اِستَطارَ لَها السَنا بِسَناكا

    A sun concealed in the darkness of neglect,

    then her radiance spread abroad through yours.

  9. قُرِنَت بِبَدرِ التَمِّ كافِلَةً لَهُ

    أَن سَوفَ تُتبَعُ فَرقَدَينِ سِماكا

    She was paired with the full moon, pledging to him

    that two Farqad stars would be followed by a Simak.

  10. هِيَ وَالفَقيدَةُ كَالأَديمِ اِختَرتَهُ

    فَقَدَدتَ إِذ خَلُقَ الشِراكُ شِراكا

    She and the departed lady are like the hide you chose,

    so, when the sandal-strap wore out, you cut another strap.

  11. فَاِصفَح عَنِ الرُزءِ المُعاوِدِ ذِكرُهُ

    وَاِستَأنِفِ النُعمى فَذاكَ بِذاكا

    So turn away from the bereavement whose memory keeps returning,

    and renew your bliss—this makes up for that.

  12. لَم يَبقَ عُذرٌ في تَقَسُّمِ خاطِرٍ

    إِلّا الصُبابَةُ مِن دِماءِ عِداكا

    No excuse remains for a divided mind,

    except the last drops of your enemies' blood.

  13. كُفّارُ أَنعُمِكَ الأُلى حَلَّيتَهُم

    أَطواقَهُم سَيُطَوَّقونَ ظُباكا

    The ingrates toward your favors, whom you adorned

    with their necklaces, will be collared with your sword-edges.

  14. أَعرِض عَنِ الخَطَراتِ إِنَّكَ إِن تَشَأ

    تَكُنِ النُجومُ أَسِنَّةً لِقَناكا

    Dismiss passing thoughts; for if you wish,

    the stars will become spearheads for your lances.

  15. هُصِرَ النَعيمُ بِعَطفِ دَهرِكَ فَاِنثَنى

    وَجَرى الفِرِندُ بِصَفحَتَي دُنياكا

    Bliss was bent down by your age's kindness, and bowed,

    and the sheen of watered steel flowed over both faces of your world.

  16. وَبَدا زَمانَكَ لابِساً ديباجَةً

    تَجلو لِعَينِ المُجتَلي سيماكا

    And your age appeared clad in brocade

    that reveals your features to the beholder's eye.

  17. دُنيا لِزَهرَتِها شُعاعٌ مُذهَبٌ

    لَو كانَ وَصفاً كانَ بَعضَ حُلاكا

    A world whose bloom has a golden radiance,

    which, were it an attribute, would be part of your adornments.

  18. فَتَمَلَّ في فُرشِ الكَرامَةِ ناعِماً

    وَاِعقِد بِمَرتَبَةِ السُرورِ حُباكا

    So revel at ease upon the couches of honor,

    and tie your cloak about your knees on the seat of joy.

  19. وَأَطِل إِلى شَدوِ القِيانِ إِصاخَةً

    وَتَلَقَّ مُترَعَةَ الكُؤوسِ دِراكا

    And listen long to the singing-girls' songs,

    and receive brimming cups in succession.

  20. تَحتَثُّها مَثنى مَثاني غادَةٍ

    شَفَعَت بِحَثِّ غِنائِها الإِمساكا

    A graceful maiden's strings urge them on, two by two;

    she coupled restraint with the urging of her song.

  21. ما العَيشُ إِلّا في الصَبوحِ بِسُحرَةٍ

    قَد جاسَدَت أَنوارُها الأَحلاكا

    Life lies only in a morning draught at early dawn,

    whose lights have already mingled with the deep darkness.

  22. لَكَ أَريَحِيَّةُ ماجِدٍ إِن تَعتَرِض

    في لَهوِ راحِكَ تَستَهِلَّ لُهاكا

    Yours is a noble man's generosity; if it stirs

    amid the delights of your wine, your gifts pour forth.

  23. مَن كانَ يَعلَقُ في خِلالِ نِدامِهِ

    ذَمٌّ بِبَعضِ خِلالِهِ فَخَلاكا

    If anyone, among his drinking companions, ever draws

    blame for some trait of his, you are exempt.

  24. أُسبوعُ أُنسٍ مُحدِثٌ لي وَحشَةً

    عِلماً بِأَنّي فيهِ لَستُ أَراكا

    A week of conviviality brings me loneliness,

    knowing that during it I do not see you.

  25. فَأَنا المُعَذَّبُ غَيرَ أَنّي مُشعَرٌ

    ثِقَةً بِأَنَّكَ ناعِمٌ فَهَناكا

    So I am tormented, yet I am filled

    with confidence that you are at ease—joy to you!

  26. إِنّي أَقومُ بِشُكرِ طَولِكَ بَعدَما

    مَلَأَت مِنَ الدُنيا يَدَيَّ يَداكا

    I offer thanks for your bounty, now that

    your hands have filled mine with the world's riches.

  27. بَرَدَت ظِلالُ ذُراكَ وَاِحلَولى جَنى

    نُعماكَ لي وَصَفَت جِمامُ نَداكا

    The shades of your shelter cooled, and sweet grew the fruit

    of your favors for me; the pools of your bounty grew clear.

  28. وَأَمِنتُ عادِيَةَ العِدا الأَقتالِ مُذ

    أُعصَمتُ في أَعلى يَفاعِ حِماكا

    And I have been safe from the onslaught of mortal enemies since

    I was sheltered on the loftiest heights of your sanctuary.

  29. جَهدَ المُقِلُّ نَصيحَةً مَمحوضَةً

    أَفرَدتَ مُهديها فَلا إِشراكا

    The man of little means has striven to offer unalloyed devotion—

    you singled out its giver, with none to share—

  30. وَثَناءَ مُحتَفِلٍ كَأَنَّ ثَناءَهُ

    مِسكٌ بِأَردانِ المَحافِلِ صاكا

    and a zealous man's praise, as though his praise

    were musk clinging to the sleeves of gatherings.

  31. وَلِتَدعُني وَعَدُوَّكَ الشاني فَإِن

    يَرُمِ القِراعَ يَجِد سِلاحِيَ شاكا

    And leave me with your spiteful enemy; for if he

    seeks a clash of arms, he will find my weapon sharp.

  32. لا تَعدَمَنَّ الحَظَّ غَرساً مُطلِعاً

    ثَمَرَ الفَوائِدِ دانِياً لِجَناكا

    May you never lack fortune, a tree that brings forth

    the fruit of benefits, within reach for your picking;

  33. وَالنَصرَ جاراً لا يُحاوِلُ نُقلَةً

    وَالصُنعَ رَهناً لا يُريدُ فِكاكا

    and victory as a neighbor who never seeks to move,

    and favor as a pledge that seeks no release.

  34. وَإِذا غَمامُ السَعدِ أَصبَحَ صَوبُهُ

    دَركَ المَطالِبِ فَليَصِل سُقياكا

    And when the rain of good fortune's cloud becomes

    the fulfillment of desires, may it keep watering you.

  35. فَالدَهرُ مُعتَرِفٌ بِأَنّا لَم نَكُن

    لِنُسَرَّ مِنهُ بِساعَةٍ لَولاكا

    For Time admits that we would never

    have known an hour's joy from it, had it not been for you.