1. لي عَدو مُلقب بِالحَبيب

    ماس في قَده النَضير الرَطيب

    I have an enemy dubbed “the Beloved.”

    He swayed in his fresh, tender form.

  2. خجل الصُبح مُذ رَأى مِنهُ فرقاً

    مثل بَرق رَأيته مِن كَثيب

    Dawn blushed when it saw his hair's parting,

    like lightning I saw from a sand dune.

  3. أَطرَقت ريمة الكناس حياء

    إِذ رَنت مقلة الغَزال الرَبيب

    The white gazelle of the covert lowered her head in shyness,

    when the tame gazelle's eye gazed.

  4. وَنَضا جفنه المَريض سُيوفاً

    عَبثت حينَ جردت في القُلوب

    And his languid eyelid unsheathed swords

    that played havoc in hearts when drawn bare.

  5. هَل رَأيتُم مَدى الزَمان خُدوداً

    مِن ورود وَجنة مِن طيب

    Have you ever, through all time, seen cheeks

    of roses, and a paradise of perfume?

  6. عللاني بذكره حَيث إِني

    لَيسَ لي في وصاله مِن نَصيب

    Console me, you two, by mentioning him, for I

    have no share in union with him.

  7. وَانثرا مِن حَديثه كُل مَعنى

    فَخَطيب الغَرام خَير خَطيب

    And scatter every meaning from talk of him;

    for love's orator is the finest orator.

  8. اسمع الصَوت مِن حِماه إِذا ما

    أَطرب الغَير نَغمة العَندليب

    Hear the voice from his sanctuary whenever

    the nightingale's song enchants others.

  9. قَد يَروق السَراب مَن كانَ ظام

    وَيغذي النَسيم أَحشاء ذيب

    A mirage may delight one who is thirsty,

    and the breeze may nourish a wolf's entrails.

  10. كَيفَ أَرجو الوِصال مِن طالِعي ال

    عكس وَدَهر يَسير بِالمَقلوب

    How can I hope for union from my fortune—

    contrary—and an age that moves in reverse?

  11. حَسَناتي في شرعه سَيئاتي

    وَولوعي يعده مِن ذُنوبي

    My good deeds, under his law, are my misdeeds,

    and he counts my infatuation among my sins.

  12. عَجَباً يوسف الجَمال جفاني

    وَأَنا لَست مِن بَني يَعقوب

    How strange! The Joseph of beauty has shunned me,

    though I am not one of Jacob's sons.

  13. ينتج الهَجر مِن قِياس عَقيم

    إِن هَذا مِن الغَريب العَجيب

    Estrangement springs from a barren syllogism;

    indeed, this is strange and wondrous.

  14. أَبَداً يخفض الرَفيع بِجزم

    قَد تَبَدى مِن عامل مَنصوب

    He always lowers the exalted with resolve

    that has emerged from an appointed agent.

  15. بِأَبي ذَلِكَ المَحيا وَأُمي

    كَم بِهِ مِن مُتيم مَسلوب

    May my father and mother be ransom for that face!

    How many a love-struck lover is despoiled by it!

  16. إِذ أَماطَ اللثام فَانفلق الصُب

    حُ وَبانَت مَحاسن المَحجوب

    When he removed the veil, dawn broke,

    and the veiled one's beauties appeared.

  17. رب لَيل قَضيتهُ بِسرور

    أرشف الخَمر مِن ثغير الحَبيب

    Many a night I spent in joy,

    sipping wine from the beloved's little mouth.

  18. قَدحي جفنه وَخَمري لَماه

    وَنَديمي مِن لَفظه المَسكوب

    My cup is his eyelid, and my wine his lips' dusky hue,

    and my drinking companion comes from his outpoured words.

  19. تارة أشتفي بِضَم وَأُخرى

    أقطف الوَرد مِن أَعالي القَضيب

    At times I find relief in an embrace, and at others

    I pluck roses from the branch's upper reaches.

  20. وَحسامي مِن العَدو خَفيري

    وَأَنيسي مِن الحَسود الرَقيب

    And my sword is my guardian against the enemy,

    and my companion against the jealous watcher.

  21. وَجُنود الظَلام يَرقبها النج

    مُ بِطرف مِن فضة مَصبوب

    And the legions of darkness are watched by the star

    with a gaze cast from silver.

  22. وَجهات الوجود قَد بشرتنا

    بِمقام النَجيب نَجل النَجيب

    And the quarters of existence have brought us glad tidings

    of the noble one's presence, the son of a noble one.

  23. فلك المَجد وَالفَخار كَريم ال

    أصل وَالمحتد الحَسيب النَسيب

    The sphere of glory and pride, noble of

    origin and stock, distinguished and well-born.

  24. أَظلمت بعدك الدِيار وَصارَت

    بَعدكم مثل حجرها المَقلوب

    The lands grew dark in your absence and became,

    without you, like their overturned stone.

  25. خَرست حكمة الوجود وَضَلت

    بَعدكم همة الذَكي الأَريب

    The wisdom of existence fell silent, and astray went

    in your absence the resolve of the clever and discerning.

  26. وَبكاكَ النَوال وَالجود حَتّى

    مَلأَ الكَون بِالبُكا وَالنَحيب

    And bounty and generosity wept for you until

    they filled the universe with weeping and wailing.

  27. ناد هَل تَرى يا مُنادي

    غَير في الوَرى مِن مُجيب

    Call out! Do you see, O caller,

    any other who answers among humankind?

  28. ما رَأَينا سِواكَ يا ابنَ المَعالي

    مَن يرجي لكربة المَكروب

    We have seen none but you, O son of high honors,

    to be looked to in the distress of the afflicted.

  29. عد إِلَيهِ بعزة وَأَمان

    أَيُّها العضب في الحسام الرسوب

    Return to it with might and safety,

    O keen blade among deep-cleaving swords!

  30. وَبنعليك دس رِقاب الأَعادي

    وَاقضي بِالعُرف للصَديق الحَبيب

    And with your sandals, trample the enemies' necks,

    and judge with kindness for the beloved friend.

  31. وَقول الأُمور إِذ أَنتَ أَهل

    وَحَقيق بِبَيتِها المَنصوب

    And pronounce on affairs, for you are worthy

    and deserving of their erected house.

  32. لَكَ حكم الأُمور إِرثاً قَديماً

    وَحَديثاً وَما أَنا بِالكَذوب

    Yours is the rule of affairs by inheritance, of old

    and of late—and I am no liar.

  33. قَد أَنارَت بِكَ الدِيار وَتاهَت

    وَتَلافت مِن صَدعها المَشعوب

    The lands have shone through you and grown proud,

    and recovered from their now-mended rift.

  34. فَأديم الرِياض يَرشح مسكا

    فَوقَ ماء عَلى الرِياض حَبيب

    So the gardens' skin exudes musk

    above water dear to the gardens.

  35. أَنتَ فَخر الزَمان في الناس جَزماً

    وَمناه وَغاية المَطلوب

    You are, beyond doubt, the age's pride among humankind,

    and its hopes, and the utmost of all that is sought.