يا علو ما لي بالغرام يد

زاد الأسى وتضاعف الكمدُ

O ‘Alw, I have no power over love.

Sorrow has grown, and grief has doubled.

حزني كحسنك ما لا أمد

يفضي إليه ولا لذا أمدُ

My grief is like your beauty: it has no limit

that it can reach; nor does your beauty have an end.

قد كنت ذا جلد فمذ علقت

عيناك بي لم يبق لي جلدُ

I once had fortitude, but ever since

your eyes fastened on me, no fortitude remains.

خود لها من در مبسمها

عقد وسحر جفزونها عقد

A maiden who has, from the pearls of her smiling mouth,

a necklace; the magic of her [eyelids] ties knots.

تزهو بطرف كحله كحل

فينا وجيد حلبه جيبدُ

She flaunts a gaze whose kohl is a blight

upon us, and a neck [unclear wording].

وتكاد من لين معاطفها

تنخل أحيانا وتنعقدُ

And from the suppleness of her curves, she almost

[comes undone] at times, then knots together.

لي من دموع العين إن هجرت

مدّ ومن جيش الأسلا مددُ

I have, from the eye’s tears if she forsakes me,

a flood, and reinforcements from the army of [sorrow].

ضحكت خلال عتابها فبدا

لك لؤلؤ كالجمر تتقذ

She laughed amid her reproaches, revealing

pearls to you, [glowing] like embers.

وأنت بخمر وجنتها

نارية كالجمر تتقد

And you, with the wine of her cheek—

fiery, blazing like embers.

فالهم مطرود إذا طلعت

كاساتها واللهو مطرد

So sorrow is driven away when

its cups rise, and merriment flows unbroken.

في روضة دمع الحيا خضل

في جوها ونباتها خضدُ

In a garden, the rain’s tears are moist

in its air, and its plants bend low.

وغديرها هادٍ وآونة

عند اصطخاب الرعد يرتعدُ

Its pool is calm, and at times

it trembles at the thunder’s tumult.

يا دهر قصدك كل ذي أدب

حتم عليك فلست مقتصدُ

O Time, your targeting of every man of letters

is binding upon you; you know no moderation.

هو في صفاد الهم معتقل

ولذي الجهالة عندك الصَّفَد

He is held captive in sorrow’s fetters,

but for the ignorant you have gifts.

يرجو البخيل ولا نوال له

والماء زبدة مخضه زبدُ

He hopes in the miser, who has no bounty,

and the butter from churning water is foam.

إن كان ينجده أخو كرم

فابن الدوامي الفتى النّجِدُ

If a generous man comes to his aid,

it is Ibn al-Dawami, the gallant youth.

طود إلى هضباته أبدا

من صولة الحدثان نستبدُ

A mountain, against whose heights we always

[lean for shelter] from the assaults of time.

لا مربع العافي بساحته

جدب ولا ورد الندى بمدُ

Neither the supplicant’s pasture in his courtyard

is barren, nor is bounty’s watering place [a scant pool].

راجيه مجدود ومنهجه

أبدا إلى آماله جدد

Whoever hopes in him is fortunate, and his road

to his hopes is always smooth.

لا ضير مع وجدان راحته

لو أن صوب الغيث مفتقدُ

With his palm at hand, there is no harm

even if the rain’s downpour is missing.

يسدى بغير شفاعة مننا

من بعد تشفعها يد ويدُ

He grants favors without intercession,

then one hand after another adds to them.

السائل الجدوى لسائله

حيث الأكف عن الندى جمدُ

His bounty flows to whoever asks him,

where palms are frozen against generosity.

خلقاه ذا لعداته مقر

صاب وذا لعفاته شهدُ

His two natures: this, to his foes, is bitter

sap; that, to his petitioners, is honey.

بالرأي ذلك من يذلُ له

ويخاف ثعلب رمحه الأسد

By his judgment, he is the one to whom

the lion bows, fearing the ‘fox’ of his spear.

أنقد أبا الفرج الثناء فمن

أدى نقود الشكر ينتقدُ

I pay Abu al-Faraj in praise, for whoever

pays the coins of gratitude receives payment.

حسدوك لما أن علوت وفي

طرف المعالي ينبت الحسدُ

They envied you when you rose, and upon

the summit of glory, envy sprouts.

لولا اعتمادك برنا بنيت

أبيات شعر مالهاعمدُ

Were it not for your resolve to favor us, I would have built

verses of poetry with no pillars.

معنى بلا لفظ يقوم به

وبغير روح يعطب الجسدُ

A meaning without wording to uphold it—

and without a soul, the body perishes.

يا منبتي بندى أنامله

هرف فإن الناس قد حصدوا

O you who make me grow with your fingertips’ dew,

hasten the yield, for people have already harvested.

واسلم وسلم ما وعدت به

فليوم وعدك لا يكون غدُ

And stay safe, and deliver what you promised;

so let the day of your promise have no tomorrow.