حلفتُ بثغر قد حمى ريقهُ العذبا

حلفتُ بثغر قد حمى ريقهُ العذبا

وسل عليه من لواحظه عَضُبا

وسل عليه من لواحظه عَضُبا

I swore by a mouth whose sweet saliva was guarded,

I swore by a mouth whose sweet saliva was inflamed,

and over which a keen sword was drawn from the beloved's glances;

And over which bitterness flowed from his complaints,

وفَرحةِ لقيا أذهبت ترحة النوى

وفَرحةِ لقيا أذهبت ترحة النوى

وعُتبى حبيبِ هاجر أعقبت عَتبا

وعُتبى حبيبِ هاجر أعقبت عَتبا

and by the joy of meeting that dispelled separation's sorrow,

The joy of seeing him took away the sadness of yearning,

and by reconciliation with an estranged beloved after reproach:

And my beloved's reproach was followed by affection,

لقد هز عِطفي بالقريض ابن جوشن

لقد هز عِطفي بالقريض ابن جوشن

سروراً كما هزت صبا غصناً رطبا

سروراً كما هزت صبا غصناً رطبا

Indeed, Ibn Jawshan set me swaying with his verse,

He shook my side with the belt of Ibn Jawshan,

in joy, as the east wind sways a supple branch.

With joy as the morning breeze shook a moist branch,

كساني ارتياحَ الراح حتى حسبتني

كساني ارتياحَ الراح حتى حسبتني

حَليفَ بِعاد نال من حُبه قربا

حَليفَ بِعاد نال من حُبه قربا

He clothed me in wine's exhilaration, until I thought myself

He made me feel the comfort of tranquility, until I thought

one bound to separation who had won nearness to his beloved.

I was an ally who had attained intimate nearness through his love,

وأطربني حتى دعاني الورى فتىً

وأطربني حتى دعاني الورى فتىً

وقالوا كبير بعد كَبرتِه شَبّا

وقالوا كبير بعد كَبرتِه شَبّا

And he so delighted me that people called me a youth,

And he made me so joyful that people called me a youth,

and said, "An old man has grown young after his old age!"

And said that after his advanced age he had become youthful again,

كأن المثاني والمثالثَ هيجت

كأن المثاني والمثالثَ هيجت

سروري ولم أسمع غِناء ولا ضربا

سروري ولم أسمع غِناء ولا ضربا

It was as though the lute's second and third strings had stirred

As if singing and beating drums excited my joy,

my joy, though I heard neither singing nor instrumental playing.

And I heard no singing or beating,

فيا مُزمِع الترحال قل لابنِ جوشن

فيا مُزمِع الترحال قل لابنِ جوشن

مقال محب لم يشب جدُّه لِعاب

مقال محب لم يشب جدُّه لِعاب

So, you who intend to depart, say to Ibn Jawshan

So O you who intend to travel, say to Ibn Jawshan,

the words of a lover whose earnestness no jest had tainted:

The words of a lover whose saliva did not dry up,

أمهدي سجاياه إلي وناظما

أمهدي سجاياه إلي وناظما

لي الشهب عِقداً راقني نظمه عُجبا

لي الشهب عِقداً راقني نظمه عُجبا

O you who give me your virtues and string

Make comfortable his bed for me and compose for me,

the stars into a necklace for me, whose arrangement delighted me wondrously:

Poems whose composition delighted me,

وما خِلتُ إهداء الشمائل ممكناً

وما خِلتُ إهداء الشمائل ممكناً

لمهد وإن الدهرَ ينتظمُ الشهبا

لمهد وإن الدهرَ ينتظمُ الشهبا

And I had not thought the gifting of character possible

I did not refrain from bestowing favors whenever possible,

for any giver, even though Time strings the stars.

On a bed, though time composes the gray hair,

فهل نال عبدُ اللَه من سحر بابل

فهل نال عبدُ اللَه من سحر بابل

نًصيبا فأربى أو حوى الدهي والأربا

نًصيبا فأربى أو حوى الدهي والأربا

Has Abd Allah, then, gained from Babylon's magic

Did Abdullah attain from the magic of Babylon,

a share and surpassed it—or acquired cunning and skill?

Some share, so he nurtured or embraced this world and money?

لِيَنِك فضل حُزت من خَصلهِ المَدى

لِيَنِك فضل حُزت من خَصلهِ المَدى

ونظم بديع قد غدوتُ له ربّا

ونظم بديع قد غدوتُ له ربّا

May you rejoice in excellence, in whose contest you attained the goal,

To let him know the superiority I gained through his generosity,

and in wondrous verse, of which I have become the possessor.

And the excellent poetry whose teacher I had become for him,

وهاك سلاماً صادراً عن مودةٍ

وهاك سلاماً صادراً عن مودةٍ

عَمَرتُ به منّي الجوانح والقلبا

عَمَرتُ به منّي الجوانح والقلبا

And accept a greeting springing from affection,

And here is a greeting emanating from affection,

with which I have filled my breast and heart.

With which I filled my chest and heart,