1. أَدارَ عَليَّ طَرفك ما أَدارا

    فَأَسكَرَني وَلَم أَشرَب عقارا

    Your glance poured for me what it poured,

    And made me drunk, though I had drunk no wine.

  2. وَعَلَمَني البُكا مِنكَ التَنائي

    وَسَيَرَني الهَوى مَثَلاً فَسارا

    And separation from you taught me weeping,

    And passion made me a byword, and it spread.

  3. وَلَولا أَنتَ ما سَلمت قَلبي

    إِلى الأَشواق تَذكي فيهِ نارا

    But for you, I would not have surrendered my heart

    To longings that kindle a fire within it.

  4. وَلا شَدَّت لِيَ الأَيّام سَرجاً

    وَلا قَطَعَت بِيَ العَيس القَفارا

    Nor would the days have fastened a saddle for me,

    Nor would the pale camels have carried me across the wastes.

  5. إِلى م أَبيت طَوعك وَالتَصابي

    فَتَدنيني وَتُبعِدُني مِرارا

    How long shall I spend my nights in thrall to you and youthful dalliance,

    As you draw me near and send me far, time and again?

  6. أَبثك بَعض ما عِندي فَتَقضي

    وَتَعلَم سرَّ ما أَخفي جِهارا

    I confide some of what I harbor to you, and you judge,

    And openly learn the secret of what I conceal.

  7. وَلَستُ بِسامع شَكوى شَجي

    وَلَو مَلأَ الزَمان لَكَ اِعتِذارا

    And I am not one to heed a grieving soul’s complaint,

    Even if he filled all time with excuses for you.

  8. قَدرت وَصلت بِالأَلحاظ حَتّى

    عَلى مَن لَيسَ يَمتَلك اِقتِدارا

    You wielded power and charged with your glances, even

    Against one who possesses no power.

  9. كانّا وَالنُجوم إِذا عَلقنا

    بِحُبك نَقطَع الظُلما نَهارا

    It is as though we and the stars, when enthralled

    By love for you, traverse the darkness in daylight.

  10. لَقَد كَتَبت يَد الرَحمَن سَطراً

    بِصدغك ظَنهُ الظُلما نَهارا

    Indeed, the hand of the All-Merciful has written a line

    At your temple; darkness took it for daylight.

  11. لَقَد كَتَبَت يَد الرَحمَن سَطراً

    بَصدغك ظَنَهُ الواشي عذارا

    Indeed, the hand of the All-Merciful has written a line

    At your temple; the slanderer took it for down on your cheek.

  12. تَقابلك الشُموس وَلا حَياءٌ

    وَكُل رَشا يُلاحظكَ اِزوِرارا

    The suns face you without shame,

    And every young gazelle glances at you askance.

  13. أَخا القَمَرين ما أَبصَرت غُصناً

    يَقل اللَيل قَبلَك وَالنَهارا

    O brother of the sun and moon, I have never seen a bough

    That bore both night and day before you,

  14. وَلا مَولى كَأَكمَل ذي الأَيادي

    يَفوق بِفَيض جَدواهُ البِحارا

    Nor a patron like Akmal, the bestower of favors,

    Whose overflowing bounty surpasses the seas.

  15. فَتى لِلفَضل قَد أَضحى يَميناً

    وَباقي الناس كُلَهُم يَسارا

    A young man who has become the right hand of excellence,

    While all the rest of mankind are its left.

  16. غَمام لَو أَصابَ الصَخرَ مِنهُ

    رُذاذ راحَ يُبتهُ بهارا

    A raincloud—if the rock received from him

    A drizzle, it would bloom with narcissi.

  17. إِذا ما زُرتَهُ زُرت المَعالي

    وَصادَفت السَكينة وَالوَقارا

    When you visit him, you visit the heights of honor,

    And encounter tranquility and dignity.

  18. لَهُ في المَجد سَبق لا يُجارى

    كَريميٌّ أَعَز الناس جارا

    In glory he has a lead that none can rival:

    A Karimi, the mightiest protector among men,

  19. وَأَكمَلَهُم وَأَرفَعَهُم جَناباً

    وَأَفضَلَهُم وَأَزكاهُم نَجارا

    Their most accomplished, and highest in standing,

    Their best, and purest in lineage.

  20. كَثير البَشر لَو لاحَت لَحظي

    أَشعة وَجهِهِ يَوماً أَنارا

    Full of cheer—if before my gaze there shone

    The rays of his face one day, my sight would glow.

  21. تَوَد كَواكب الجَوزاء لَما

    أُنمق بَعض ما فيهِ اِختِصارا

    The stars of al-Jawza long, whenever

    I briefly set down some of his qualities,

  22. تَقبل راحَتي قَلَمي وَطرسي

    وَتَجعَل عقدها الزاهي نثارا

    To kiss the palms of my pen and my page,

    And scatter their gleaming necklace as offerings.