1. قالتْ سُليمى ابشر فموعدنا الغدُ

    فظللتَ من فرحي أقومُ وأقعدُ

    Sulayma said, 'Rejoice: our rendezvous is tomorrow.'

    So, in my joy, I kept rising and sitting down.

  2. حتى رأَيتُ غداً وقربَ مكانهِ

    لا شئَ منه لفرط شوقي أبعدُ

    Until I saw tomorrow, though its place was near,

    as farther away than anything, so intense was my longing.

  3. قد حالَ بين غدٍ وبيني ليلةٌ

    تبلى الزمانَ وعمرُها يتجدّدُ

    A night has come between tomorrow and me,

    wearing out time while its own lifespan is renewed.

  4. لو زارني فيها محا الصبح الدجا

    عجلاً كما يمحو خطا الخطِّ اليدُ

    Had dawn visited me that night, it would have erased the darkness

    in haste, as a hand erases an error in writing.

  5. ليل النوى باق وليلات اللقا

    تمضي كلمحِ رنى ثناه أرمدُ

    The night of separation lingers, while nights of meeting

    pass like a glance cut short by someone with sore eyes.

  6. قد زرتُها ليلاً فلما أسفرت

    أبصرتُ شمساً نورُها يتصعّدُ

    I visited her by night; when she unveiled her face,

    I saw a sun whose light rose ever higher.

  7. فقررت لما ابيّضَ حولي الدجا

    خوفَ الوشاةِ وليل غيري أسودُ

    So I resolved to leave when the darkness around me whitened,

    for fear of talebearers, while others' night remained black.

  8. وعضضتُ كفّى نادماً من مخرجي

    والليل باقٍ والكواكبُ ركَّدُ

    I bit my hand, regretting my departure,

    while the night still lingered and the stars stood still.

  9. فاستنكرتْ أمري وقالت مالَهُ

    قبلَ السلام بدا مغيراً يجهدُ

    She found my conduct strange and said, 'What ails him?

    Before a greeting, he was already rushing off with all his might!'

  10. أسفرت لي شمساً فخلت بأنه

    منها قد استولَى على الليل الغدُّ

    She unveiled herself to me as a sun, and I imagined that

    through her, tomorrow had already conquered the night.

  11. ما كنتَ أَحسبُ أَنَّ طلعةَ وجهها

    كالشمسِ تذهبُ بالظلام وتطردُ

    I had not thought that the radiance of her face

    would, like the sun, carry darkness away and banish it.

  12. ظنّت فراري باختياري فهي من

    حنو متى أذكر لها تتنهّدُ

    She thought my flight was my own choice; so, out of

    tenderness, whenever I am mentioned to her, she sighs.

  13. بعثتْ تلوم فلا تسلْ عما جرى

    ضقن المصادر بي وضاقَ الموردُ

    She sent a reproach—do not ask what happened:

    my ways out grew narrow, and so did the way in.

  14. فشرحتُ ما فعلتهُ بي أَنوارها

    فعفَتْ وقالت حجةٌ لا تجحدُ

    So I explained what her radiance had done to me.

    She pardoned me and said, 'That argument cannot be denied.'

  15. فالآن قد قامت بعذري حجتي

    معها فيبرق من يشاء ويرعدُ

    Now my argument has established my excuse

    with her; let whoever wishes flash and thunder.

  16. فغدا يعيش المستهامُ بحبها

    وغداً يموت إذا التقينا الحسَّدُ

    So tomorrow the man enthralled by love for her will live,

    and tomorrow, when we meet, the envious will die.

  17. ما كان قطُّ ولا يكون كمثلها

    في هذه الدنيا جمالٌ يوجدُ

    Never has there been, nor will there be, her like

    in beauty found anywhere in this world.

  18. فجمالَ يوسفَ ليس فوق جمالها

    لكنَّه قد كان بادٍ يشهدُ

    Yusuf's beauty is not above her beauty,

    but his was visible for all to witness.

  19. وجمالُ هذِى لا يريه حجابها

    أَحدا فيثني وصفه ويعدّدُ

    Her veil lets no one see this woman's beauty,

    to praise and enumerate its qualities.

  20. نجلاءُ قد غنيت بأكحل طرِفها

    عن أن تمر بناظريها الإِثمدُ

    Wide-eyed, she is content with her naturally dark-rimmed eyes,

    without antimony kohl passing over them.

  21. كغنى سخا يحيى وجود يِمينه

    عن أن يُذكَر بالوعود وينشدُ

    As Yahya's generosity and his right hand's bounty need no

    mention through promises or celebration in verse.

  22. إذ ليس يحفظ غير ما هو حافظٌ

    أَبداً ولا ينسى سوى ما يرقدُ

    For he memorizes only what he retains

    forever, and forgets only while he sleeps.

  23. الطاهِرَ بن الاشرفِ بن الفاضل بن

    علي المليك ولا تملوا فاعددوا

    Al-Tahir, son of al-Ashraf, son of al-Fadil, son of

    Ali the king—do not tire; go on counting

  24. ملكا فملكاً أو توافوا آدما

    فلكلهم يحيى أمامٌ سيّدُ

    king after king, until you reach Adam.

    For Yahya is foremost among them all, a lord.

  25. ملك سخي كل منبت شعرة

    منه بها للجود بحر مزبدُ

    A generous king: at the root of every hair

    of his is a foaming sea of bounty.

  26. وإذا غز الأعدا فأَكل سُيوفهِ

    تلك اللحومِ ومن دِماها الموردُ

    When he raids the enemies, the food of his swords

    is their flesh, and from their blood comes the drink.

  27. وإِذا نزلتَ بهم فساء صباحُهم

    لا الوالدون بقوا ولا من أَولدوا

    When you descend upon them, evil is their morning:

    neither the fathers survive nor those they begot.

  28. حكمت في أَبناء سيف جدهم

    والسيفُ لا يحنوا على ابنٍ يفسدُ

    You made their grandsire, the sword, judge the sons of Sayf;

    and the sword has no pity for a son who wreaks corruption.

  29. خرجوا لإِفساد فلاقوا مصلحاً

    يفنى الفساد به ويفني المفسدَ

    They came out to corrupt, but met one who sets things right,

    through whom corruption perishes, and who destroys the corrupter.

  30. قطعوا الطريقَ فقطعت أَعمارهم

    فهم طرائق في الطريق تقدّدُ

    They cut off the road, so you cut short their lives;

    now they lie in strips, torn apart along the road.

  31. أَبناء سيفٍ حدكم قد خانكم

    إِنَّ السيوف بها الخيانةُ تعهدُ

    Sons of Sayf, your cutting edge has betrayed you;

    betrayal is a known trait of swords.

  32. فتبدلوا حداً عن السيفِ العصا

    فبنوا العصا تقتيلهم لا يقصدُ

    So replace the sword's edge with a staff:

    for the sons of the staff are not marked for slaughter.

  33. سفرٌ غنمتَ به وعدتَ مسلماً

    والسيفُ راوٍ عن سطاك ومسندُ

    A journey in which you won spoils and returned unharmed,

    while the sword recounts your might and authenticates the account.

  34. أهلاً وسهلاً مقدم ماء الندى

    يجرى ونار الشرِ منه تخمدُ

    Welcome, welcome at your coming: the water of bounty

    flows, and through it the fire of evil is quenched.

  35. جاءَ البشيرُ فلم يَنم عن فرجةٍ

    طرفٌ ولا بخلتَ بما ملكتْ يدُ

    The bearer of glad news came; no eye slept through the rejoicing,

    nor did you withhold what your hand possessed.

  36. حتى رأوك فكان هذا باسطاً

    يدعو ذا شكراً لربك يسجدُ

    When at last they saw you, one stretched out his hands

    in prayer; another prostrated in thanks to your Lord.

  37. فقدوكَ لما غبتَ عن أَبصارهم

    والمحسنون متى يغيبوا يُفقدوا

    They missed you when you vanished from their sight,

    for benefactors are missed whenever they are away.

  38. لولا بشائرُكنَّ تاتي عنكمُ

    أَفراحها يلهين لم يتخلدوا

    Were it not for your glad tidings coming from you,

    whose joys distracted them, they would not have endured.

  39. فرحوا بقربكِ واستهلوا للقا

    فرح العقيمِ الهم بابنٍ يولدُ

    They rejoiced at your nearness and cried out at the meeting,

    with an aged, childless man's joy at a newborn son.

  40. فتراهمُ سكرى لقربك منهم

    سكراً المدامة أزيدُ

    You see them drunk because you are close to them,

    with a drunkenness greater than wine's.

  41. ذهبت بأسلاف العقولِ مسرةٌ

    خفَّ الحليم بها وضل المرشدُ

    Joy swept away the forebears of reason;

    it made the level-headed man giddy and led the guide astray.

  42. فاستقبلِ الدارَ الذي عنوانه

    نصرٌ من الباري وفْتحٌ سَرمدُ

    So welcome the abode whose motto is

    victory from the Creator and everlasting conquest.

  43. أَخذت زخارفها لكم وازيّنت

    فحكت عروساً بالحليِّ تقلدُ

    It took on its adornments for you and decked itself out,

    so it resembled a bride garlanded with jewels.

  44. ولقد سمعت بأن بعض عداتكم

    غرته احلام حكاها المرقدُ

    I have heard that one of your enemies

    was beguiled by dreams recounted by his bed.

  45. فوعدنهُ عنكَ المنى بمواعد

    ما قد وفي منها لديه موعدَ

    So hopes made him promises concerning you,

    not one of which was fulfilled for him.

  46. ظنَّ الجهولُ بأن في حركاته

    للقاك في حرب عواقب تحمدُ

    The fool thought that his maneuvers

    to meet you in war would have praiseworthy outcomes.

  47. فسخى وأنفق ماله متوقعاً

    ما لا يحصّلهُ كما هو يعهدُ

    So he gave freely and spent his wealth, expecting

    what he would not obtain, as was his habit.

  48. فخرجتَ تلقاه بجيشٍ كالدبا

    وظبي تسلُّ من الرقابِ وتغمدُ

    You marched out to meet him with an army like a swarm of young locusts,

    and blades drawn from necks and sheathed again.

  49. ورأى الجيوش إِليه تترى منكمُ

    في كلِّ يوم والجنودُ تجردَّ

    He saw armies from you coming toward him in succession,

    day after day, as troops were sent forth.

  50. ودرى بأنك لا يخاشنك امرؤ

    إِلاّ لقى بك ما يسوء ويضهدُ

    He knew that no man could oppose you

    without meeting at your hands what distresses and subjugates him.

  51. ورأى الطريق إل النجا مسدودةً

    إن لم تمنَّ بها عليه لكم يدُ

    He saw the road to deliverance barred,

    unless a hand of yours bestowed it upon him.

  52. فثنى إلى من يصطفيه طرفه

    هل فيكم من للنوائب يرصدُ

    He turned his gaze toward those he favored:

    'Is there anyone among you standing ready for calamities?'

  53. قالوا له ارجع إن ثم إلى النجا

    نهجاً فخذه ولو يشقُّ ويبعدُ

    They said to him, 'Retreat! If there is a road to safety,

    take it, even if it is hard and far.'

  54. فثنى العنانَ وقال كل مشقةٍ

    تعطى السلامة مغنمٌ متجددُ

    He turned the reins and said, 'Every hardship

    that grants safety is an ever-renewed gain.'

  55. لا تأسفنَّ فما يفوت وسعدَكم

    سعدٌ له جندُ السعودِ تجنّدُ

    Do not grieve: nothing eludes you, for your fortune

    is a fortune for which the hosts of auspicious stars are mustered.

  56. ياتي بما يهواه من أقصى المدى

    ويبيد ما لا تشتهيه وينفدُ

    It brings what it desires from the farthest reaches,

    and annihilates and exhausts what you do not desire.

  57. ولّى فعدتَ وعاد أنسٌ وانجلت

    ظلمٌ وعاش هوى وماتت حسَّدُ

    He fled; you returned, gladness returned, and dispersed

    were the shadows; love lived, and the envious died.

  58. بلدٌ به طيبٌ وربٌّ غافرٌ

    ومواهبٌ جلّت وعيشٌ أرغدُ

    A land with goodness in it, and a forgiving Lord,

    magnificent gifts, and a more abundant life.

  59. فاسكنهُ لا خوفٌ ولا حزنٌ به

    ورضى المهيمنِ دائمٌ يتجدّدُ

    Dwell there: no fear or grief is there,

    and the Guardian's favor abides, ever renewed.