1. رِياض عَلَيها جَوهر الطل ينثر

    تَبث أَحاديث الغَرام وَتنشر

    Gardens upon which the jewels of dew are scattered,

    telling and spreading tales of passion.

  2. إِذا ما ثَنى ريح الشَمال غُصونها

    تَوهمتها قامات غيد تكسر

    Whenever the north wind bends their branches,

    I imagine them as graceful maidens’ swaying forms.

  3. وَإِن نامَ فيها النَرجس الغض خلته

    عُيوناً يرام الفَتح مِنها فَتكسر

    And if the tender narcissus sleeps among them, I take it for

    eyes one hopes will open, yet they droop half-shut.

  4. وَما الوَرد إِلا وجنة عندمية

    يَروق بِها خَد مِن القان أَحمَر

    And the rose is but a crimson cheek,

    with which a crimson-red cheek looks lovely.

  5. وَما أُكر الرُمان في أَصله سوى

    نُهود عَلَيها حالك الشعر ينثر

    And pomegranate globes upon their stock are nothing but

    breasts over which jet-black hair is scattered.

  6. تَيقنت أن الخَمر مِن ماء كرمها

    رضاب بِهِ يَصحو الفُؤاد وَيسكر

    I knew for certain that wine from the juice of their vines

    is sweet saliva by which the heart sobers and grows drunk.

  7. وَما الطلع إِلا عقد در بخاتم

    وَلَكن ذا نبت وَذَلِكَ جَوهر

    And the palm blossom is but a necklace of pearls with a ring,

    yet this is a plant, and that a jewel.

  8. وَما العارِض الوَسمي مُذ زارَها سوى

    عَطايا حُسين كُلَما شئت تمطر

    And the autumn raincloud, since it visited them, is nothing but

    Husayn’s gifts, raining down whenever you wish.

  9. سَليل كِرام إِن جَرى البَحر زاخِراً

    فَبحر أَياديهم أَجل وَأَكثر

    A scion of noble men: if the sea flows surging,

    then the sea of their generosity is grander and more abundant.

  10. غَطارف ضَرابون هبراً عَلى الطلى

    إِذا ما اِشمَأز المارِد المُتَجبر

    Noble chiefs, striking cleaving blows upon necks

    whenever the arrogant rebel recoils in disdain.

  11. نَشا بَينهم تَغذوه طيب عَناصر

    فَأَصبَح غُصناً لِلنَدى وَهوَ مثمر

    He grew up among them, nourished by the goodness of his lineage,

    and became a branch of generosity, bearing fruit.

  12. تَهَذب مِن قبل الفِطام وَقَد زَكَت

    خَلائفه للعرض مسك وَعَنبر

    He was refined before weaning, and already pure were

    his traits—musk and ambergris for his honor.

  13. إِذا ما رَأَيناه رَأَينا جُدوده

    وَإِن سلَفوا وَالشَيء بِالشَيء يُذكر

    Whenever we see him, we see his forefathers,

    though they have gone before; one thing recalls another.

  14. وَإن شاقنا مِنهُ زيارة والد

    لَهُ يكفنا مِنهُ اجتماع وَمحضر

    And if, through him, we yearn to visit a father

    of his, a meeting with him and his presence suffice us.

  15. أَبوه أَبى أَن يَلحق اللؤم عرضه

    فَما هُوَ إِلا سَيف مجد مجوهر

    His father refused to let baseness touch his honor;

    thus he is nothing but a jeweled sword of glory.

  16. لَهُ عزمات يعلم الدَهر أَنَّها

    مَواضي قَضاء حَدها لَيسَ يكسر

    He has firm resolves that Time knows to be

    keen blades of fate, whose edge cannot be broken.

  17. وَكف تكف الحادِثات إِذ دَحَت

    وَيَهلك فيها البخل وَالجود ينصر

    And a hand that wards off calamities when they spread,

    where miserliness perishes and generosity is upheld.

  18. أَقام بِدار الخشخشية صارِماً

    بِهِ اللَه يَقضي ما يَشاء وَيقدر

    He dwelt in the abode of al-Khashkhashiyya as a keen sword,

    with which God executes and decrees whatever He wills.

  19. فَخذ يا حسين الشَهم مني خَريدة

    تزف إِلى أَبوابكم وَتعطر

    So take from me, O gallant Husayn, a maiden,

    escorted as a bride to your gates and perfumed.

  20. فَعش سالِماً وَاشرب سلافة ثَغرها

    فَإِن لماها للمحبين كَوثر

    So live in safety, and drink the purest wine of her lips,

    for her dusky lips are a Kawthar for lovers.