حيا حيا المزن الدساكر

وسقى المطيرة كل ماطر

May the rain of the clouds revive the villages,

and every rain cloud water al-Mutayra,

حيث الرياض أريضة

وغصونها خضر نواضر

where the gardens are lush,

and their boughs are green and fresh.

وعيون نرجسها المرا

ض إلى بنفسجها نواظر

And the languid eyes of their narcissi

gaze toward their violets.

والغدر ترقمها الصبا

والسرو منشور الغدائر

And the pools are embroidered by the east wind,

and the cypresses' tresses hang loose.

والبرق تبريّ السنا

والجو فضيّ المعاجر

And the lightning is golden in radiance,

and the sky is silver-veiled.

والشمس من ظلل الغما

ئم حين تبدو في ستائرِ

And the sun, beneath the clouds' canopies,

is behind curtains when it appears.

والطل منثور على

زهر من المنثور زاهر

And dew lies scattered over

radiant blossoms of stock.

والورق يغني بالغنا

عن المعازف والمزاهرِ

And the doves, through song, dispense

with instruments and lutes.

واللهو أعدل عادل

فينا وساقي الراح جائز

And pleasure is the fairest judge

among us, while the wine-pourer passes round.

ومعذر أضحى العذو

ل عليه لي في الحب حاذر

And a downy-cheeked youth—the reprover has grown

wary of me for loving him.

صبح منير في دجى

شعر ودعى في مآزر

A radiant dawn amid the darkness

of hair, and a sand dune in waist-wraps [reading uncertain].

أضحت تفتر سلوتي

الحاظ عينيه الفواتر

Now my resolve to forget is weakened

by the languid glances of his eyes.

يلتذ بالنوم الهني

فديته وأبت ساهر

He delights in pleasant sleep—

may I be his ransom—while I lie awake.

ماضره مع حسنه

إن البدور له ضرائر

What harm can it do him, with his beauty,

if the full moons are his rivals?

لم أنسه يسعى بنج

م طالع والنجم غائر

I have not forgotten him hurrying with a star,

rising while the star above was setting,

بمدامةِ صفراء لم

تترك ببيت الهم صافر

bearing golden wine that left

not a single whistler in the house of care.

صرف إذا مزجت رأي

ت حبابها كالدر دائر

Undiluted wine: when mixed, you see

its bubbles circling like pearls.

ترمي السقاة إذا علا

ها الماء منه بالشرائر

It pelts the cupbearers, when water rises

over it, with sparks from that water.

شمس تربت في المعا

صر بين شماس وعاصر

A sun reared in winepresses,

between a deacon and a wine-presser.

ذخرت قديما للأكا

سر مفتناة والقياصر

Stored long ago for the Chosroes,

a treasured possession, and for the Caesars.

طالت لنا عمرا فأي

يام السرور بها قصائر

Its life has stretched long for us; yet

the days of joy with it are short.

لولا كبار كؤوسها

ما كنت من أهل الكبائر

But for the great size of its cups,

I would not be guilty of the great sins.

لكن عفو الله أع

زم أن يكاثره مكاثر

But God's pardon is too mighty

for any rival to match its abundance.

وعلاء مجد الدين أك

بر أن يفاخره ماخر

And Majd al-Din's eminence is too great

for any boaster to rival him in glory [reading uncertain].

ملك على إحسانه

دون الورى تثنى الخناصر

A king whose beneficence

is counted first among mankind, on bent little fingers.

في كل أنمة له

بحر من المعروف زاخر

In every fingertip of his

surges a sea of kindness.

أسد له البيض الحدا

د إذا دجى خطب أظافر

A lion whose sharp white swords,

when calamity darkens, are claws.

مفني العشار بسيفه

وبسببه مغني العشائر

He slays the pregnant she-camels with his sword,

and through it enriches the tribes.

كلف بأخذ الثأر من

أعدائه والنقع ثائر

Passionately intent on taking vengeance upon

his enemies, while the battle-dust rises.

ذاكي شهاب المجد مو

فور الحجى زاكي العناصر

A blazing meteor of glory, richly

endowed with wisdom, pure in lineage.

متوقد العزمات وال

ىراء يقظان الخواطر

Fiery in his resolves and

counsels, wakeful in his thoughts.

مغمود سيف الحقد مح

مود الموارد والمصادر

His sword of rancor sheathed, praised

in all his comings and goings.

ما زال يصفح عند تج

ريد الصفائح وهو قادر

He never ceases to pardon at the drawing

of swords, though he has the power.

ورث السيادة كابرا

عن كابر فمن المكابر

He inherited lordship, great one

from great one—who can dispute it?

يا من إذا امتدت سا

ء النقع من وقع الحوافر

O you, when the canopy

of dust spread from the pounding of hooves,

وغدت وجوه الموت بع

د تخفر فيها سوافر

and the faces of death, after

coy concealment, stood unveiled within it,

ورأيت بحر حديدها

قد ماج بالجرد الضوامر

and you saw its sea of iron

surging with sleek, lean steeds,

وتسعرت نار الوغى

ما بين جنتها المساعر

and the fire of battle blazed

amid its fire-kindling shields,

فرأيت آساد الشرى

من فوق عقبن كواسر

and you saw the lions of al-Shara

mounted upon swooping eagles,

كنت المفرق جمعها

بالسمر والبيض الباتر

you were the one who scattered their hosts

with tawny lances and keen white blades.

دارت على أعداء مل

كك يا أبا الفضل الدوائر

May misfortunes circle the enemies

of your kingdom, O Abu al-Fadl!

يا خير خرق منعم

يعطي على المداح الذخائر

O best of noble, bountiful men,

who gives treasures to the panegyrists,

يا جابر العِظم الكسي

ر وكاسرا بأس الجبابر

O mender of the broken bone,

and breaker of tyrants' might,

أيدت بالعدل الذي

أحيا لنا عدل الأكاسر

may you be upheld by the justice that

revived for us the justice of the Chosroes.

وغدا سماحك حاضرا

باد لباد بل لحاضر

And your bounty has become ever-present,

plain to nomad—indeed, to townsman too.

يا من راتب جوده

أنِصت أمانيّ النوافر

O you whose steady generosity

has quieted my skittish hopes,

الله يعلم من ضمي

رى وهو أعلم بالضمائر

God knows from my inmost heart—

and He knows hearts best—

إني أحبك وهو يش

هد حب سمع لي وناظر

that I love you, and He bears witness

to the love of my hearing and my sight.

وأسرّ أن تبقى إلى

يوم به تبلى السرائر

And I rejoice that you should live until

the day when hidden secrets are tried.

فتبل أعمار السرو

ر فبيت من والاك عامر

So may you outlast the lifetimes of joy;

for the house of whoever is loyal to you flourishes.

واخلد لتكمد حاسدا

وتسؤ ذا حنق مكاشر

Live forever, to grieve the envious

and vex the snarling man of rancor,

مستقبل الإقبال مق

هور العدا جم المآثر

welcoming good fortune, with your enemies

subdued, rich in noble deeds,

في دولة مقرونة

بالعز تابتة الأواصر

in a reign united

with might, its bonds secure.