1. ما صالحت داعي الهوى مقلتي

    يومئذ إلا على محنتي

    My eye made peace with passion's caller

    that day only at the price of my torment.

  2. لا تظلموا أسياف ألحاظها

    فلحظ عيني الخصم في مهجتي

    Do not wrong the swords of her glances,

    for my own eye's gaze is the enemy within my heart.

  3. قالوا فهلا قنعت وجهها

    فقلت لم أوتى من البغتة

    They said, 'Why, then, did you not veil her face?'

    I said, 'I was not undone by surprise.'

  4. ما النظرة الأولى أراقت دمي

    إراقة عودي إِلى النظرة

    The first glance did not shed my blood

    as did my returning for another look.

  5. وهل على الحسناء ذنب إذا

    ما ركبت في هذه الصورة

    And is the beautiful woman at fault, when

    she has been fashioned in this form?

  6. قدٌّ كغصن نابت في نقى

    أثمر بدراً كامل الطلعة

    A figure like a branch growing in a sand dune,

    bearing a full moon of flawless countenance.

  7. يكاد ما في الوجه من مائه

    يطفي ما في الخد من جذوة

    The watery sheen in her face almost

    quenches the glowing ember in her cheek.

  8. تأخذ أسلاب عقول الورى

    بمنطق يسكر كالقهوة

    She takes human minds as her spoils

    with speech that intoxicates like wine,

  9. ويقتل النفس ولكنها

    تقتل بالشهوة واللذة

    and kills the soul; yet she

    kills through desire and delight.

  10. فكيف يقتص بمقتولها

    وقتلها ضرب من النعمة

    How, then, can retribution be exacted for her victim,

    when her killing is a kind of blessing?

  11. يعجبني الرشق بالحاظها

    وإن غدت أمضى من الشفرة

    The volley of her glances delights me,

    even if they have grown sharper than a blade.

  12. شلت يدا صب رمت نحره

    ولم يقل اصميه لا شلت

    May the hands of a lover wither when she shoots at his throat

    and he fails to say, 'Kill him outright—may your hand never wither!'

  13. دمي لها حل فما تختشى

    في سفكه شيئاً على الذمة

    My blood is lawful for her, so she fears

    no liability in shedding it,

  14. ولا على النفس ولا سيما

    والعدل سيما هذه الدولة

    nor danger to herself—especially

    when justice is the hallmark of this reign.

  15. ماملك الدينا ولا أهلها

    أعدل من أحمد في الأمة

    The world and its people have had no ruler

    more just than Ahmad among the community:

  16. الملك الناصر دين الهدى

    ابن المليك الاشرف الهمة

    King al-Nasir, champion of the faith of guidance,

    son of the sovereign al-Ashraf, noblest in aspiration.

  17. من للعلى في كل يوم به

    أعجوبة تتلى بأعجوبة

    He through whom lofty glory has, each day,

    a marvel followed by another marvel.

  18. تبارك الله فكم آية

    في المجد يلقيها على آية

    Blessed be God! How many a sign

    of glory he heaps upon another sign!

  19. ما ظنت العلياء أن امرءا

    ينيلها من هذه الرتبة

    Lofty glory never imagined that a man

    would bring her to such a rank.

  20. ولا درت أن الذي فاتها

    تدركه في هذه المدة

    Nor did she know that what had eluded her

    she would attain within this span.

  21. هان عليها كلما ابصرت

    قبلك من ملك ومن سيرة

    All she had seen became insignificant to her—

    kings and ways of rule before you.

  22. فالحمد لله على فضله

    فكم له عندك من منة

    So praise be to God for His bounty,

    for how many favors He has bestowed upon you!

  23. صادفت النعمة منك امرءا

    في اللين يرضيها وفي الشدة

    Blessing has found in you a man

    who pleases her in gentleness and in severity.

  24. لاقت بعطفيك ولاقى بها

    كالعنق للحسناء في الحلية

    She suited your shoulders, and you suited her,

    like a beautiful woman's neck adorned with jewels.

  25. جاوزتها بالشكر حفظاً لها

    والشكر مثل القيد للنعمة

    You surpassed her with gratitude, to preserve her,

    and gratitude is like a fetter for blessing.

  26. مذ سكنت في سوحك استبدلت

    بغضا بما تهوى من النقلة

    Since she settled in your courtyards, she has exchanged

    her love of moving elsewhere for hatred of it.

  27. يوم لها عندك خير لها

    من ألف شهر من القرون التي

    A day she spends with you is better for her

    than a thousand months of the ages that...

  28. كم عثرة للدهر انهضتها

    فقام مأخوذا من العثرة

    How many a stumble of Time you have set right,

    so he rose, dazed by the stumble.

  29. وليت بالأقبال تدبيره

    حتى نجى من ظلمة الحيرة

    You took charge of his course with good fortune,

    until he escaped the darkness of bewilderment.

  30. كفيته ما نابه فهولا

    ينقض ما أبرمت من فعلة

    You spared him what afflicted him, so he does not

    undo any deed you have made firm.

  31. ولو تشا ما بت في أسره

    ملقى على مفترش الذلة

    And if you wished, I would not spend the night in his captivity,

    cast upon the bed of humiliation.

  32. خذ بيدي حتى أنال الرضى

    بفضل ما أوتيت من قوة

    Take me by the hand until I attain contentment,

    by virtue of the strength you have been given.

  33. لا برحت كفك اخاذة

    للأمر بالعزم والقدرة

    May your hand never cease to take hold

    of affairs with resolve and power.