1. في خَدِّ مَن أَهواهُ خَيرُ طِرازِ

    طَرفي بِهِ زانٍ وَقَلبِيَ نازي

    On the cheek of the one I love is the finest embroidery.

    My gaze sins upon it, and my heart leaps.

  2. ذاكَ الَّذي سُبحانَ راقِمِهِ فَما

    ظَفِرَت بِمُشبِهِهِ يَدا بَزّازِ

    That design—glory be to its embroiderer!—never

    Have a draper's hands found its like.

  3. عَن قَوسِ حاجِبِهِ رَمى لَمّا رَنا

    فَأَصابَني بِسِهامِ زاهٍ هازي

    From the bow of his eyebrow he shot when he gazed,

    And struck me with the arrows of a proud, mocking one.

  4. ميعادُهُ بِالوَصلِ بَرقٌ خُلَّبٌ

    وَوَعيدُهُ بِالهَجرِ ذو إِنجازِ

    His promise of union is rainless lightning,

    And his threat of abandonment comes true.

  5. فَكَأَنَّ حاجِبَهُ الَّذي مِنهُ رَمى

    قَوسٌ بَرَتهُ يَدُ المُجاهِدِ غازي

    So it is as though his eyebrow, from which he shot,

    Were a bow shaped by the hand of the warrior Ghazi.

  6. ذاكَ الَّذي هو في الصُدورِ مُقَدَّمٌ

    وَسِواهُ مَدفوعٌ إِلى الأَعجازِ

    He is the one given precedence at the forefront,

    And everyone else is pushed to the rear.

  7. فَقِسِيّه بِشَباتِها قَد أَشبَهَت

    قَوسَ السَماءِ بِفَضلِها المُمتازِ

    Thus his bows, with their pointed tips, have resembled

    The rainbow in their outstanding excellence.

  8. لا قَوسَ إِلّا ما بَرَتهُ يَمينُهُ

    شَتّانَ بَينَ السَيفِ وَالعُكّازِ

    There is no bow but what his right hand has fashioned;

    How far apart are the sword and the walking stick!

  9. فَهُوَ الحَقيقَةُ في الصِناعَةِ وَحدَهُ

    وَسِواهُ يَرفُلُ في ثِيابِ مَخازي

    For he alone is the true master of the craft,

    And everyone else struts in garments of disgrace.

  10. يَقِظٌ هُوَ الأُستاذُ غَيرُ مُدافع

    عَن مَجدِهِ بِمُوازِنٍ وَمُوازِ

    Vigilant, he is the master, never displaced

    From his glory by any peer or equal.

  11. بِالنَزعِ تَركُضُ في الصُدورِ سِهامُهُ

    كَالطِرفِ حينَ يُهَزُّ بِالمِهمازِ

    With the bow's draw, his arrows gallop into chests,

    Like a steed roused by the spur.

  12. شَرُفَت خَلائِقُهُ الكِرمُ فَلَيسَ بِال

    غَمّازِ حاشاهُ وَلا اللَمّازِ

    His noble traits are exalted; he is no

    Slanderer—far be it from him!—nor a fault-finder.

  13. أَقنى وَأَفنى ما لَهُ لِعُفاتِهِ

    وَسِواهُ رَبُّ مَخازِنٍ وَمَخازي

    He amassed wealth and spent all he had on his petitioners,

    While others are lords of storehouses and shame.

  14. ما المالُ إِلّا ما كَسَبتَ بِهِ العُلى

    مِن مُطرَفٍ أَو مُتلَدٍ وَرِكازِ

    Wealth is only that with which you gain lofty honor,

    Be it newly acquired, inherited, or buried treasure.

  15. وَهُوَ الَّذي قَد عاقَبَ الصُنّاعَ بِال

    إِزعاجِ لَمّا جاءَ بِالإِعجازِ

    And he is the one who punished the craftsmen with

    Dismay when he produced a marvel.

  16. مازالَ في كَسبِ العُلى مُتَيَقِّظاً

    فَكَأَنَّهُ بازٍ عَلى قُفّازِ

    He has remained vigilant in pursuing lofty honor,

    So he is like a hawk upon a glove.

  17. عَن شُربِ ساري يا إِلَهي جازِهِ

    خَيرَ الجَزاءِ فَأَنتَ خَيرُ مُجازي

    For a night traveler's drink, O my God, reward him

    With the finest reward, for You are the finest rewarder.

  18. إِنَّ الفُتُوَّةَ مِنهُ باجِحَةٌ لَدى ال

    هَيجا بِسَيفٍ كَالقَضاءِ جُرازِ

    Indeed, chivalry takes pride in him amid

    Battle, with a cleaving sword like fate.

  19. وَالكَأسُ في يُمناهُ يَحكي مَركَباً

    في مَوجِ بَحرٍ زاخِرٍ هَزهازِ

    And the cup in his right hand resembles a boat

    Amid the waves of a surging, heaving sea.