سقى دار سعدى باللوى وسعاد

عِهاد من الوسمي بعد عِهادِ

May Sa'da's home at al-Liwa, and Su'ad's, be watered

by early autumn rains, shower after shower,

وروض مغناها الأريض ولا ونت

تراوحه ريح الصبا وتغادي

and her home's lush meadow too; may it never weary—

the east wind, visiting it at evening and at dawn.

وأخصب من جوِ جواي بأرضه

وطاب مرادا في حماه مرادي

And may he flourish whose land holds the vale of my longing,

and may my desire be a pleasing goal within his sanctuary.

وقاضية بالظلم لولا اعتدالها

وجور هواها ما أقضى وسادي

And an unjust judge—were it not for her graceful form

and the tyranny of her love, my pillow would not deny me rest.

خلية قلب من غرامي ولوعتي

وراقدة عن عبرتي وسهادي

Her heart is free of my passion and anguish,

and she sleeps, heedless of my tears and sleeplessness.

ممنعة تاهت بميض مبسم

ومسوّد فود شاب منه فؤادي

Unapproachable, she glories in the gleam of her smile,

and in a jet-black temple-lock that has made my heart grow gray.

لها مقلة كحلاء أودت بمغرم

له مقلة لم تكتحل برقادِ

She has a kohl-dark eye that has destroyed a lover

whose eye has known no kohl of sleep.

أصافي عليها عليا ذرى وأوده

واخصم فيها عاذلي وأعادي

For her sake I befriend and cherish a man of lofty summits,

and over her I dispute with my reprover and oppose him.

فيا ظمء قلبي والمناهل جمة

إلى عذب ماء بالعذيب برادِ

How thirsty my heart is, though watering places abound,

for sweet, cooling water at al-'Udhayb!

أبيت عليه حائما متلدّدا

وأصبح حران الجوانح صادي

I spend the night hovering around it, turning anxiously about,

and wake burning within my ribs, parched with thirst.

أصعد أنفاسا حرارا كأنما

لهن على الأحشاء وخز صعادِ

I send up hot breaths, as though

they pierced my entrails with the sting of spears.

تحرمه دوني إذا رمت ورده

بوارق بيض بالدماء ورادِ

It is barred to me whenever I seek its watering place

by flashing white swords that come to drink blood.

وما ذاك خوف من توعَّد قومها

وإني لجلد عن كل جلادِ

That is not from fear of her people's threats;

indeed, I can withstand every clash of swords.

ولكن إذا استعبدت في الحب لم تهب

ولو كنت قرن الحارث بن عبادِ

But when you are enslaved by love, none fears you,

even if you were a match for al-Harith ibn 'Abbad.

سألفى مضيعا من أضاع مودتي

واحفظ حرا حافظا لودادي

I shall deem neglectful whoever neglects my affection,

and cherish a noble man who safeguards my love.

منيع الحمى والجار يطرف مادحا

بما اعتدّه من طارق وتلادِ

His domain and his neighbor are secure; he gives his praiser choice gifts

from what he has laid by, newly acquired wealth and inherited wealth.

علت يده ما اسود جنح من الدجى

فما خلقت إلا لبيض أيادي

May his hand be exalted as long as night's wing turns black,

for it was created only for bright deeds of kindness.

ومن كسماح ابن الدوامي إن غدا

وراح لرفد مبدأ ومعادِ

Who matches Ibn al-Dawami's generosity, when he goes forth at dawn

and returns at evening, beginning his bounty and renewing it?

أب يالفرج الفراج بالبذل للهى

كروبا عن الصافين جد شدادِ

Abu al-Faraj, who, through lavish gifts, lifts

the gravest troubles from those standing in line.

لقد غمرتنا من أياديه أنعم

نيسنا بها معنا وكعب أيادِ

Blessings from his generous deeds have indeed overwhelmed us,

making us forget Ma'n and Ka'b of Iyad.

أجدت مديحي فيه لما رأيته

جواج عريق المجد نجل جوادِ

I perfected my praise of him when I found him

generous, deep-rooted in glory, the son of a generous man.

يروع ويغدو منعشي بعوارف

كصوب سوار حفل وغوادي

He inspires awe and revives me with benefactions,

like the downpour of laden night-clouds and morning clouds.

وما زال سباقا إلى كل غاية

مداها على طلابها متمادي

He has always led the race toward every goal

whose reach stretches far before those who seek it.

فحاضر جدوى راحتيه لحاضر

وبادى نداه المستماح لبادي

The ready bounty of his two palms is for the townsman,

and his open, sought-for generosity is for the desert-dweller.

وفي بعهد الخل أضحت خلاله

كزُهر سماء أو كزَهرة وادي

Faithful to his friend's pledge, his virtues have become

like the bright stars of heaven or the blossom of a valley.

عتاد لمن يأوي إليه وعدة

فشكرا له من عدة وعتادِ

A resource and support for whoever seeks refuge in him—

so thanks to him, a support and a resource!

يحب ادخار الحمد علما بأنه

أجل ادخار للكريم وزادِ

He loves to store up praise, knowing that it is

the noblest treasure and provision for a generous man.

تحمل أعباء المكارم والعلى

وساد برأي محكم وسدادِ

He has borne the burdens of noble deeds and eminence,

and become preeminent through firm judgment and rectitude.

وغر مساع كالنجوم منيرة

تضيء وليلات الخطوب دادي

And radiant deeds, luminous as the stars,

shine while the nights of calamity are pitch-dark.

إذا ذمت الأنواء قالت عفاته

حماد لنوء في يديه حمادِ

When the rain-stars are blamed, his petitioners say:

“Praise to the rain-star in his hands—praise!”

ساهدى إليه ما بقيت قصائدا

إذا انشدوها بأن نقص زيادِ

I shall offer him poems as long as I live;

when they recite them, Ziyad's shortcomings become clear.

مهذبة الألفاظ من نسج خاطري

يغنّي بها حاد ويطرب شادي

Polished in wording, woven by my imagination,

a camel-driver sings them, and a singer delights with them.

علت عن بني الأشعار قدرا ولن ترى

ربى أرض واد تستوي بوهادِ

They rise in worth above the offspring of verse; you will never see

the hills of a valley's land stand level with its hollows.

وما الليل كالصبح المنير ضياؤه

ولا ماء بحر غامر كثمادِ

Night is not like dawn, radiant in its light,

nor the water of a deep sea like scant pools.

فدام رهيف الحد ما لمع الضحى

وما لبس إلا ظلام ثوب حدادِ

May he remain keen-edged as long as morning light shines,

and may nothing but darkness wear a robe of mourning.