1. سَطْوَةُ الحبيبِ

    أحلى مِنْ جَنى النّحْلِ

    The beloved's tyranny

    Is sweeter than the bees' harvest.

  2. وعلى اللبيبِ

    أن يخضعَ للذلِّ

    And the wise must

    Submit to humiliation.

  3. أنا في حروبِ

    مع الأعين النُّجلِ

    I am at war

    With wide eyes.

  4. ليس لي يدانِ

    بأحورَ فتَّانِ

    I have no strength

    Against a bewitching, dark-eyed one.

  5. من رأى جفونَه

    فقد أفْسَدَتْ دينَهْ

    Whoever has seen his eyelids

    Has had his faith corrupted by them.

  6. يَنْبَغي التجّني

    لمثلكَ في الأنْسِ

    Unjust reproach is fitting

    For one like you in intimacy.

  7. لو قبلتَ منّي

    لتهتُ على الشمسِ

    If you accepted what I offer,

    I would boast over the sun.

  8. يا مُنَى التمنّي

    هلمَّ إلى الأنْس

    O fulfillment of longing,

    Come to the joy of companionship.

  9. أنتَ مهرجاني

    وَخدُّكَ بُسْتاني

    You are my festival,

    And your cheek is my garden.

  10. غَطِّ ياسمِينَهْ

    إنَّ الناسَ يجنونَه

    Cover its jasmine,

    For people pluck it.

  11. خلِّ كلَّ مَيْنِ

    أَتى الحقُّ منقادا

    Cast aside every falsehood;

    Truth has come, submissive.

  12. من رأى بعينِ

    في ذا الخلقِ مَنْ سادا

    Who has seen with his own eyes

    Among these people anyone as eminent

  13. كأبي الحسين

    ويفديه إن جادا

    As Abu al-Husayn?

    And, if he gives, he is ransomed

  14. كلُّ ذي امتنانِ

    لا بلْ كلُّ هتّانِ

    By every bestower of favors—

    No, rather, by every pouring rain-cloud

  15. رامَ أنْ يكونَهْ

    جوداً فأنى دونَهْ

    That sought to be his equal

    In generosity—but how could it, beneath him as it is?

  16. خَطّطَ الوزيرُ

    بخطَّةِ إيثارِ

    The minister devised

    A policy of selfless giving;

  17. فانتهى السُّرورُ

    إلى غيرِ مقدارِ

    And joy reached

    Beyond all measure.

  18. رُدَّتِ الأمورُ

    إلى أسدٍ ضارِ

    Affairs were returned

    To a ferocious lion,

  19. ثابتِ الجنانِ

    صفوحٍ عن الجاني

    Steadfast of heart,

    Ever forgiving the offender.

  20. قد حَمَى عرينَهْ

    بالزُّرْقِ المسنونَه

    He has guarded his den

    With sharpened, blue-tipped spears.

  21. أظْهَرَ المُقامُ

    في الغربةِ حرْمانا

    My sojourn has revealed

    Deprivation far from home;

  22. فأنا أُلامُ

    إسراراً وإعلانا

    So I am blamed

    In secret and in public.

  23. قلتُ والكلامُ

    يَصرُحُ أحياناً

    I said—and speech

    Is forthright at times—

  24. فزتُ بالأماني

    لو كان من إخواني

    I would attain my wishes

    If among my brethren were

  25. صاحبُ المدينة

    أعلى الله تَمكينَهْ

    The lord of the city—

    May God exalt his authority!