سقاني الغرام بعينية صرفا

قوي حكى خصره النضو ضعفا

He gave me undiluted passion to drink through his eyes—

A strong one whose slender waist mirrored weakness.

خلت الجوانح من لوعة

يهز اختيالا من التيه عِطفا

His breast was free of burning anguish;

He sways his flank in proud conceit.

إذا قلت قد خف وجدي به

وشف على قدم النأي شمسا

Whenever I say my passion for him has eased,

And a sun shone through despite the long separation [unclear wording].

أو أصله وهو لي هاجر

وأهوى هواه وإن كان حَتفا

Or I maintain ties with him while he forsakes me,

And I love loving him, even if it is death.

وأخشى العواذل أن يفطنوا

فأخفي من الوجد ما ليس يخفي

And I fear the reproachers will notice,

So I conceal passion that cannot be concealed.

وما ينكرون سوى أنني

عرفت بنجد لنعمان عرفا

They object to nothing except that I

Have known in Najd the fragrance of Nuʿmān.

وفي ذلك السرب مستأسد

وإن كان في مرطح العين خِشفا

And in that herd is one who acts like a lion,

Though, in the eye's [unclear word], he is a gazelle fawn.

حكي ظبية الرمل لما رنا

بتلك اللواحظ والرمل ردفا

He resembled a sand gazelle when he gazed

With those sidelong eyes—and sand dunes in his haunches.

كسفت به الشمس لما كشف

ت راد الضحى عنه رقما وسجفا

I eclipsed the sun with him when I drew back—

At early forenoon—the patterned cloth and curtains from him.

أرى الدار بعدهم قد عفَت

وشوقي برمَّته ما تعفّى

I see the dwelling effaced since they departed,

But my longing, in its entirety, has not faded.

لقد خلفتهم بها النافرا

ت لا وضعت لحيا المزنِ خلفا

Indeed, the shy creatures have taken their place there—

May no substitute be set for the clouds' rain [unclear wording].

ولائمة أصبحت في الغِنى

تعز عليّ من الغيظ كفّا

And a reproaching woman, now amid riches,

Her hand prevails against me in anger [unclear wording].

تعدد عندي ذنوب الزمان

وخرق الحوادث ما ليس يرفا

She recounts to me the sins of time,

And the rents of misfortune that cannot be mended.

وتذكرني ثروة ثروة

تعدت أديبا ولم تعد جِلفا

And reminds me of wealth—wealth

That passed by a man of letters but did not pass by a boor.

تقول إذا حاف فقر فلذ

بمن هو في دفعه عنك أحنى

She says: 'If poverty oppresses you, seek refuge

With the one most tender in warding it off from you.

توكل على جود يحيى الوزير

ولا تطلبن سوى ذاك تكفي

Rely on the generosity of Yaḥyā the vizier,

And seek none other: you will be provided for.'

تجد منبت الجود ضاف عليك

وعيص لسماحة عبصا ألفا

You will find the source of generosity ample for you,

And a thicket for generosity, [unclear word], densely entwined.

صفت لي أخلاقه فاغتدت

أرعن ماء طبعا وأصفى

His character was pure to me, and so became

Rash in disposition; water, and purer [unclear wording].

جزيل المواهب غش الحجى

يغني حياء عن الفحش طرفا

Lavish in gifts, with deceit in judgment [unclear wording];

Out of modesty, he frees his gaze from obscenity.

واقسم لو غير تاج الملو

ك مد إلى المبد كفيه كفا

And I swear: if anyone but the Crown of Kings—

—Stretched his two palms toward [unclear word], he would desist.

يعاف الدنايا وأطماعها

بنفس حر دينها أن تعفا

He disdains base deeds and their temptations,

With a free man's soul, whose creed is chastity.

لقد رحت للدين يا عونه

وللمعتفين ملاذا وكهفا

For the faith, O its helper, you have become

And for seekers of bounty, a refuge and shelter.

ولما قدمت رأيت النّدى

يرف عليك أماما وخلفات

And when you arrived, I saw generosity

Fluttering about you, before and behind.

ونصر الإله وتأييده

بؤم جيوشك صفا فصفّا

And God's victory and His support

Leading your armies, rank upon rank [unclear spelling].

وقد سدت إذ سدت عن قدرة

مطاعا وقدت تأعاديك عنفا

And indeed, you ruled with power when you ruled,

Obeyed, and you drove your enemies harshly.

وصعرت خدا لمن لم يزل

أخا كبريا وأرغت أنفا

And you turned a cheek in disdain toward one who never ceased

To possess arrogance; and you sought a nose [unclear wording].

وكان عتادك يوم الوغى

حساما صقيلا وحصداء رففا

And your equipment on the day of battle was

A polished sword and closely woven mail, [unclear word];

واسمر يرعد لا خيفة

ومتجرداً يسبق الطكرف طرفا

And a brown spear that quivered, not in fear,

And a sleek steed that outstripped the eye.

لقد شفي الشعر من دائه

بعَودك من بعد ما كان أشقى

Poetry has indeed been cured of its sickness

By your return, after it had been most wretched.

حلفت بمنطويات طورين

ما نثر البيد سهلا ونعفا

I swore by the folded-flanked mounts of two mountains [unclear wording],

As they scattered through the deserts, over plains and slopes [unclear wording].

تخف إذا ذكرت مكة

فترمي من السير رساما وخفا

They quicken when Mecca is mentioned,

So, in their travel, they fling forth swift paces and hoofsteps [unclear final word].

إذا بلغت راكبيها منى

بلغن المنى وتلقين زلفى

When they bring their riders to Minā,

They attain their wishes and receive favor.

بأنك أندى الورى راحة

وأكلف بالمجد منهم وأكفا

That yours is the most generous hand among mankind,

And you are more devoted to glory than they, and more capable.

فداؤك ذو سنة كلّ ما

أقول تنبه للجود أنفى

May the drowsy one be your ransom; whenever

I say, 'Wake for generosity,' he [unclear final word].

فخذها تُخال نسيم الصبَا

مع الصبح رى أو النبت رفينا

So take it: you would think it the east wind's breeze,

With dawn, refreshment—or plants [unclear final word].

يكون لها كلما كررت

وكر الزمَان على الشعر صرفا

It will have, whenever it is repeated

And time revisits poetry, a change [unclear wording].