1. خطرت تفتر عن الجوهر

    هيفاء بمقلتها تسحر

    She glided past, her smile revealing jewels.

    Slender-waisted, she enchants with her gaze.

  2. سلبت الباب ذوي الألبا

    ب بكوكب مطلعها الأنور

    She stole the minds of men of understanding

    with the star of her most radiant rising.

  3. وشمول التيه يجاذبها

    فتميس بقد كالأسمر

    The wine of pride tugs at her,

    so she sways with a figure like a dark-shafted spear.

  4. وبليل الطرة لي قلق

    لصباح الغرة كم أسهر

    In the night of her forelock I am restless;

    how often I keep vigil for the dawn of her brow!

  5. تغزو العشاق بذي حور

    كم صال بهم ولكم كبّر

    She assails lovers with an eye of striking black and white;

    how often it has charged them, and how often cried, 'God is great!'

  6. عضب يهتز إذا نظرت

    يصمي الأحشاء ولا يظهر

    A keen sword quivers when she looks;

    it pierces the entrails fatally, yet remains unseen.

  7. وختام الثغر عقيقته

    ضمّت بلجين لا يحسر

    And the seal of her mouth is its agate,

    set in silver that is never laid bare.

  8. كتب الرحمن على فمها

    انّا أعطيناك الكوثر

    The Merciful has written upon her mouth:

    'Indeed, We have given you al-Kawthar.'

  9. وكذا النهدان كجوهرتي

    ن بلوح تحتهما مرمر

    And likewise, her two breasts are like two jewels

    upon a tablet, with marble beneath them.

  10. صدّت أسماء بلا سبب

    هجرت ناديت فما أهجر

    Asma turned away for no reason;

    she deserted me; I called out, speaking no folly:

  11. إني بصبابة قيس يا

    ليلى ومحياك الأقمر

    Indeed, by the passion of Qays, O

    Layla, and by your moon-bright face,

  12. ما همت بغيرك لا وفتى

    ليث الهيجاء بطل قسور

    I have loved none but you—no, by the young man,

    the lion of battle, a fierce hero,

  13. الماجد اسعد نعم أمير

    حلّ ذرى العليا وأمر

    the noble As'ad—what an excellent emir!

    Who dwells on glory's summits and rules;

  14. من جاء بحظ كاسم نجل

    محمد المولى الأكبر

    he whose fortune matches his name, the son of

    Muhammad, the greatest lord.

  15. نجم قد لاح لدى العليا

    بسماحته قمرا أبدر

    A star that has shone in the heights of glory,

    through his generosity, a moon grown full.

  16. وبمتن جواد لاح كما

    الضرغام لخصم ما عنتر

    And on a charger's back he appears like

    a lion against a foe—not Antar.

  17. شهم يهتز اللدن له

    شوقا ويصاحبه الأبتر

    A gallant man, for whom the supple spear quivers

    in longing, and the cleaving sword accompanies him.

  18. وعلى الأعداء فكم يعدو

    بجنيب طود لاح أغر

    And how often he charges against his enemies

    on a led steed, looming like a mountain, white-blazed.

  19. وإذا الهيجاء علت وغلت

    وتقاعس قسطلها الأغبر

    And when battle rises and seethes,

    and its gray dust-cloud hangs back,

  20. فهناك تراه مبتسما

    لبكا الهندي دمعا أحمر

    there you see him smiling

    at the Indian blade weeping red tears.

  21. ويرى قطرات دم الأعداء

    على برديه كما العنبر

    And he sees drops of his enemies' blood

    upon his two cloaks, like ambergris.

  22. ما سلّ حساما من غمد

    إلا الهامات به تنثر

    He never draws a sword from its sheath

    without heads being scattered by it.

  23. أو جاد ببذل تحسب ان

    براحته مزنٌ يحدر

    Or, when he gives lavishly, you imagine that

    in his palm a rain-cloud pours down.

  24. يعطي الألاف ولا حرج

    حدث يا صاح وقل أكثر

    He gives thousands without constraint;

    tell of it, O friend, and say more!

  25. ما خاب مومله كلا

    بل آب بجود لا يحصر

    No one who hopes in him is disappointed—certainly not!

    Rather, he returns with bounty beyond measure.

  26. فهو الموصوف بكل جدى

    وهو المعروف فلا ينكر

    For he is famed for every kind of bounty,

    and he is well known, beyond denial.

  27. ورث العليا عن خير أب

    سامي الأفضال لدى المخبر

    He inherited glory from the best of fathers,

    lofty in virtues upon closer acquaintance.

  28. وتوشح فضلا عن عمّ

    قد شاد به الفضل الأوفر

    And he girded himself with merit from an uncle

    whom the amplest merit has extolled.

  29. يا بدر المجد لقد وافت

    عذراء لمربعك الأزهر

    O full moon of glory, there has indeed come

    a virgin maiden to your radiant abode;

  30. بكر بثناك حلت نظما

    وبمدحك قد جاءت تفخر

    a virgin, made sweet in verse by your praises,

    and she has come, glorying in her praise of you.

  31. تهديك دعاء منتظما

    بمقامك قد أضحى ينشر

    She offers you a prayer in ordered verse,

    now proclaimed at your court.

  32. خذها تزهو بمحاسنها

    خطرت تفتر عن الجوهر

    Take her, glowing proudly with her charms:

    She glided past, her smile revealing jewels.