1. حيتكَ سارقةُ اللحاظ من الظِبا

    تجلو المدامَ فحيّ ناعمةَ الصِبا

    She greeted you, the thief of gazelles’ glances,

    displaying the wine; greet her, tender in her youth.

  2. جاءتكَ تَبسمُ والبنان نقابُها

    فأرتكَ بدراً بالهلال تنقّبا

    She came to you smiling, her fingertips her veil,

    and showed you a full moon veiled by a crescent.

  3. وكأَنَّها هي حين زَفَّت كأسها

    شمسٌ تزفُّ من المدامةِ كوكبا

    It was as though she, when she bore her cup,

    were a sun escorting a star of wine.

  4. عقدت على الوسط النطاقَ مفوَّقاً

    ولوت على الخصر الوشاحَ مذهّبا

    She fastened a finely worked girdle around her middle,

    and wound a gilded sash around her waist.

  5. أحبب إليك بها عشيقةَ مُغرمٍ

    راض العواذلُ شوقَه فتعصّبا

    How dear she is to you, the sweetheart of a lovesick man!

    The reproaching women schooled his longing, but he grew defiant.

  6. هي تلك لاعبةُ العشاء ومن لها

    ألفت بناتُ الشوقِ قلبك ملعبا

    She is that evening’s playful one, and she for whom

    the daughters of yearning have made your heart their playground.

  7. أمسيتَ منها ناعماً بغريزةٍ

    بنسيم ريَّاها تعطَّرت الصَبا

    You passed the evening enjoying her disposition,

    whose fragrant breeze perfumed the east wind.

  8. ونديمةٍ لك لو تغنَّى باسمها

    حجر لرقَّصه غناها مطربا

    And a drinking companion of yours—were her name sung

    by a stone, her song would set it dancing in rapture.

  9. سكبت بكأس حديثها من لفظها

    راحاً ألذَّ من المدام وأعذبا

    Into the cup of her conversation she poured from her words

    a wine more delicious and sweeter than wine itself.

  10. وترنَّمت هزجاً فأطربَ لحنُها

    قُمريَّ مائسةَ الأراكِ فطرّبا

    She sang liltingly, and her melody enraptured

    the turtledove in the swaying arak, which warbled joyfully.

  11. فكأَنَّما علمت بعرس المصطفى

    فشدت غناً لابن الأراكةِ أطربا

    It was as though she knew of al-Mustafa’s wedding,

    and sang a more enchanting song to the arak tree’s son.

  12. في ليلةٍ طابت فساعةُ أُنسها

    لم تلقَ عمرَ الدهر منها أَطيبا

    On a delightful night; its hour of companionship—

    in all time, you had never found a sweeter one.

  13. وَفَدَ السرورُ بها لمغنى أصيدٍ

    كرماً يحيي الوافدينَ مُرحّبا

    Joy arrived that night at the abode of a proud noble,

    who generously greets arrivals with welcome.

  14. شملت مسرَّته البريَّة كلَّها

    إذ كان في كلِّ النفوس محبّبا

    His happiness embraced all creation,

    for he was beloved in every soul.

  15. فكأَنَّ عُرس المصطفى فيه الورى

    كلّ محمدُ صالحٍ أَن يطربا

    It was as though, at al-Mustafa’s wedding, mankind

    were all Muhammad Salih in their rejoicing.

  16. قد عاد مغربُها يهنِّي شرقَها

    فيه ومشرقُها يهنِّي المغربا

    Its west began congratulating its east

    on it, and its east congratulating the west.

  17. فرحوا وحقَّ لهم به أن يفرحوا

    من حيثُ أنَّ الدهر فيه أغربا

    They rejoiced, and rightly did they rejoice in it,

    for Time had wrought a marvel in it.

  18. في الشيب جاء به سروراً لم يجئ

    في مثله مُذ كان مقتبلُ الصِبا

    In old age, it brought through him a joy it had never brought

    the like of since its earliest youth.

  19. هو في الأنام صنيعةٌ مشكورة

    للدهر ما صحبوا لِساناً معربا

    This is a gift among mankind for which thanks are owed

    to Time, as long as they possess an articulate tongue.

  20. للكرخ ناعمةَ الهبوب تحمّلي

    منّي سلاماً من نسيمك أطيبا

    O softly blowing breeze, bear to al-Karkh

    a greeting from me more fragrant than your breeze.

  21. وصلي إلى بيت قد انتجع الورى

    منه جناباً بالمكارم مُعشبا

    And reach a house; mankind has sought

    there a haven lush with noble deeds.

  22. بيت على الزوراء يقطر نعمةً

    فكأَنَّه بالغيث كان مطنَّبا

    A house raining bounty upon al-Zawra’,

    as though it were pitched with ropes of rain.

  23. قولي إذا حييتِ فيه بالرضا

    فسواكِ منه هيبةً لن يقرُبا

    Say, when you are welcomed there with favor—

    for awe of him keeps all but you from drawing near:

  24. بشراكَ بسَّام العشيّ بفرحةٍ

    ضحكت بها الدنيا إليك تطرُّبا

    Glad tidings, O smiling one at evening, of a joy

    through which the world smiled at you in delight.

  25. وجلا عليك اليمنَ فيها طلعةً

    غرَّاء ساطع سعدها لن يغربا

    Good fortune unveiled before you in it a countenance

    radiant, whose shining felicity will never set.

  26. فاسعد بقرّة ناظريك فقد غدا

    في عُرسه المجدُ المؤثّلُ معجبا

    Rejoice, then, in the delight of your eyes, for now

    at his wedding, deep-rooted glory stands amazed.

  27. أمقيلَ مَن لبس الهجير تغرُّباً

    ومعرّسَ السارين تنزِعُ لغّبا

    O midday refuge of those clothed in scorching heat while wandering,

    and resting place for night travelers pressing onward, exhausted!

  28. عجباً لهذا الدهر يصحب بُخلَه

    ولجود كفّك ليس يبرح مُصحَبا

    How strange this Time, which keeps to its stinginess,

    yet remains ever compliant with your hand’s generosity.

  29. ويرى جبينك كيفَ يُشرقُ لِلندى

    كرماً ويغدو الوجه منه مقطَّبا

    It sees how your brow beams at giving,

    in generosity, while its own face grows furrowed.

  30. أرحبتَ للأضياف دارةَ جفنةٍ

    من دارة القمر الوسيعة أرحبا

    For guests you widened the circle of a serving bowl

    beyond the spacious circle of the moon.

  31. وحملت عبء بني الزمان ولو به

    يُعنى أبوهم لاستقالك مُتعبا

    You bore the burden of the children of Time; were it

    their father’s charge, he would beg you to release him, exhausted.

  32. وأما ومجدك خلفةً لو لم يكن

    للعالمين سجالُ جودك مشربا

    Indeed, by your glory—I swear—were there not

    for mankind a draught from your generosity’s overflowing buckets,

  33. نَزفَ اغترافُهم البحارَ وبعدها

    ترك اعتصارهمُ الغمائمَ خُلّبا

    their drawing would have drained the seas, and afterward

    their squeezing would have left the clouds rainless.

  34. فمتى تقوم بحارُها وقطارُها

    لهم مقامك ما جرت وتصبَّبا

    When could its seas and its falling rains

    take your place for them, however long they flowed and poured?

  35. يفدي أناملكَ الرطيبة مُعجبٌ

    في يبس أنملةٍ بعذلك أسهبا

    May your moist fingers be ransomed by that man so proud

    of his fingertip’s dryness, who has reproached you at length.

  36. لو مسَّ وجه الأرض يبسُ بنانه

    لرأيته حتَّى القيامة مُجدبا

    If the dryness of his fingers touched the face of the earth,

    you would see it barren until the Resurrection.

  37. عذبت مذاقة لا بفيه لبخله

    وبفيك طعمُ نعم غدا مستعذبا

    The taste of ‘no’ grew sweet in his mouth through his stinginess,

    while in yours the taste of ‘yes’ became delicious.

  38. فازدادَ حتَّى في مَعيشة نفسهِ

    ضيقاً وللوفّاد زدتَ ترحّبا

    So he grew, even in his own livelihood,

    more straitened, while you grew more welcoming to visitors.

  39. تسع الزمانَ بجود كفّك باسماً

    ويضيق صَدر الدهر منك مقطَّبا

    Smiling, you embrace all Time with your hand’s generosity,

    while Time’s breast tightens at you, scowling.

  40. لورعتَ مُهجة نفسه وَزحمته

    لفطرتها وَحطمتَ منه المنكبا

    Were you to frighten its very soul and press against it,

    you would split it and shatter its shoulder.

  41. وَلقد جريتَ إلى العَلاء بهمَّةٍ

    لم ترضَ عالية المجرَّة مركبا

    You have indeed raced toward the heights with an ambition

    that would not accept the Milky Way’s summit as a mount.

  42. حلَّقت حيث الطرفُ عنك مقصرٌ

    فصعدت حيث النجم عنك تصوَّبا

    You soared where the eye could no longer reach you,

    and rose where the stars sank beneath you.

  43. شهدت قناة المجد أنَّك صدرُها

    وَعدا أخيك غدا الأماجدُ أكعبا

    Glory’s spear attests that you are its foremost point,

    and, save your brother, the noble are its shaft’s joints.

  44. ما قمت يوم الفخر وحدك موكباً

    إلاَّ وقامَ به مثالُك موكبا

    Never, on the day of pride, did you alone stand as a procession

    without your counterpart also standing as a procession that day.

  45. أصبحت منتسباً لغرِّ أماجدٍ

    ودَّت لهم شهب السما أن تُنسبا

    You trace your lineage to illustrious nobles,

    to whom the bright stars of heaven wished to be related.

  46. هم أيكة الشرف التي منها الورى

    ثمرُ السماحة ما اجتنوه مرجّبا

    They are the grove of honor from which mankind

    gathers generosity’s fruit without propping it up.

  47. طابت أرُومتها العريقة في العُلى

    وسقت مكارمُها ثراها الطيّبا

    Its deep-rooted stock flourished in exalted rank,

    and its noble deeds watered its good soil.

  48. وكفى بجودك وهو أعدلُ شاهدٍ

    يصف الذي من جودها قد غيبا

    Your generosity suffices—and it is the fairest witness—

    to tell what of its generosity has been hidden.

  49. ولقد تحقَّقتُ اسمَ غادية الحيا

    فوجدت معناه نداك الصيّبا

    I examined the name of the rain-bearing morning cloud,

    and found its meaning in your pouring bounty.

  50. وأجلت فكري في اسم أنفاس الصَبا

    فإذا به خلق الرضا قد لقّبا

    I pondered the name of the east wind’s breaths,

    and found that al-Rida’s character had been given that name.

  51. سيماءُ عزِّك في أسرَّة وجهه

    لله أنت فهكذا مَن أنجبا

    The mark of your dignity lies in the lines of his face.

    God bless you—this is how one begets a noble son!

  52. زيّنت أُفق الفخر منك بكوكبٍ

    ما كان أزهره بفخرك كوكبا

    You adorned the horizon of pride with a star of your own;

    how radiant a star it was with your glory!

  53. فالشمس قد ودَّت وإن هي أعقبت

    قمرَ السماءِ نظيره أن تُعقبا

    The sun has wished, though she gave birth to

    heaven’s moon, to give birth to his equal.

  54. قد غاض فيضُ ابن الفرات لجوده

    إذ كان أغزر من نداه وأعذبا

    The overflowing bounty of Ibn al-Furat ebbed before his generosity,

    for his bounty was more copious and sweeter than the other’s.

  55. لا تطر كعباً واطوِ حاتم طيء

    وانشر مكارمَه تجدها أغربا

    Do not extol Ka‘b; fold away Hatim of Tayy,

    and unfold his noble deeds—you will find them more extraordinary.

  56. واترك له معناً على ما فيه من

    كرمٍ فمعنٌ لو رآه تعجَّبا

    Set Ma‘n aside before him, despite all his

    generosity; Ma‘n, had he seen him, would have marveled.

  57. ودع الخصيب فلو تملَّك ملكه

    الهادي لجاد به لفرد أتربا

    And set al-Khasib aside: had his wealth been possessed by

    al-Hadi, he would have given it to a single impoverished man.

  58. الجامع الحَمد الذي لم يجتمع

    والواهبُ الرفدَ الذي لن يُوهبا

    He gathers praise never before united,

    and bestows bounty no one else will ever bestow.

  59. خلقتَ أدرَّ من السحائب كفُّه

    بل أُنشأت منها أعمَّ وأخصبا

    His hand was created to pour more freely than the clouds;

    indeed, it was fashioned more all-embracing and fertile than they.

  60. هو خير من ضمَّت معاقدُ حبوةٍ

    وأخوه فخراً خير من عَقد الحُبا

    He is the best of those enclosed by the knots of a knee-wrap,

    and his brother, in glory, the best of those who fasten such wraps.

  61. طلعا طلوعَ النيرين فما رأى

    أُفق المكارم مُذ أنارا غيهبا

    They rose as the two luminaries rise; never has

    the horizon of noble deeds seen darkness since they shone.

  62. فعُلاهما في المجد أبعدُ مرتقًى

    ونداهما للوفد أقربُ مطلبا

    Their elevation in glory is the farthest height to climb,

    yet their bounty is the nearest prize for visitors.

  63. أبقيَّةَ الكرم الذين سواهم

    لم يتَّخذ نهجُ المكارم مذهبا

    O remnant of generosity, all who stand apart from you

    have not adopted the path of noble deeds as their way.

  64. لا زلتم في نعمةٍ ومسرَّةٍ

    ما دام ظهر الأرض يحمل كبكُبا

    May you ever remain in blessing and joy,

    as long as the earth’s back bears Kabkab.