1. ردّي جفونَك عن حشاي قليلا

    فلقد حشته صوارماً ونصولا

    Turn your eyelids away from my heart a little;

    for they have filled it with keen swords and blades.

  2. وتذكري تلك العهود فإِنني

    أمسيت مشغوفاً بها مشغولا

    And remember those pledges, for I

    have become enthralled by them, wholly preoccupied.

  3. لا تحسبي طول التباعد زادني

    إِلاّ اشتياقا نحوكم وذهولا

    Do not think that the long separation has increased in me

    anything but longing for you and bewilderment.

  4. والله ما عرض السلو بخاطري

    ولقد هممت فما وجدت سبيلا

    By God, forgetting you has never crossed my mind;

    yet I did attempt it, but found no way.

  5. يا ليت شعري هل آتتك تحية

    منى بعثت بها النسيم رسولا

    Would that I knew: has a greeting reached you

    from me, borne by the breeze I sent as messenger?

  6. أنا من عرفت بعهد ودك حافظٌ

    لا ابتغي عوجاً ولا تبديلا

    I am the one you knew, faithful to the pledge of your love;

    I seek neither deviation nor change.

  7. لا تنكري جزعي بودك فالهوى

    لم يبق لي جلداً ولا معقولا

    Do not deny my anguish over your love, for passion

    has left me neither endurance nor reason.

  8. أفدي مودعتي التي ما راعها

    إِلاّ قيامي للوداعِ عجولا

    I would ransom the woman bidding me farewell, whom nothing alarmed

    but my rising hurriedly to take my leave.

  9. وتقول وهي إِذاً على حرف النوى

    يا ليتني لم اتخَذَكَ خَليلا

    And she says, then on the brink of separation,

    'Would that I had never taken you as my beloved!'

  10. تذري الدموع وكلّما رشت بها

    وردَ الخدودِ محوتها تقبيلا

    She sheds tears, and whenever she sprinkles them

    on the roses of her cheeks, I wipe them away with kisses.

  11. فنهضت عنها وهي تجذب ميزري

    وتقول لي هل لا وقفت قليلا

    Then I rose to leave her, while she tugged at my waist-cloth,

    saying to me, 'Will you not stay a little?'

  12. فوقفت ملتمساً أروض جماحها

    وأطيل في استعطافها التطفيلا

    So I stayed, seeking to tame her unruliness,

    and prolonged my importunity in seeking her tenderness.

  13. وبقت تعاطيني حديث ذللت

    في مسمعي قطوفه تذليلا

    She went on offering me speech whose fruit-clusters were lowered

    to my hearing, made easy to gather.

  14. حتى إِذا راحت ولان قيادها

    ليد النوى تطرق إِلي وصولا

    Until, when she departed and her reins grew yielding

    to separation's hand, she lowered her eyes toward me, still loving.

  15. فرمت بتفتير اللواحظ مهجتي

    وأستنصرت منها غلي قبيلا

    She shot at my heart with the languor of her glances,

    and summoned a host of them to aid her against me.

  16. فهناك أرخصت الدموع محاجري

    وحملت حملاً في الغرام ثقيلا

    Then my eyes spent their tears freely,

    and I bore a heavy burden of passion.

  17. وحللت عند كريمتي حتى إِذا

    قالوا على قد أخذت رحيلا

    I lodged with my noble lady until, when

    they said, 'ʿAlī [uncertain reading], you have begun your departure,'

  18. أصرمت عن ذكر الغرامِ وأهلهِ

    صفحاً وايقظت المنى والسولا

    I cut myself off from thoughts of passion and its people,

    turning aside, and awakened my hopes and desires.

  19. وقصدت ساحته الكريمةَ سائلاً

    إِحسانَه فاعادني مسئولا

    I sought his noble court, asking

    for his bounty, and he made me one whom others petition.

  20. فاحلني في رتبةِ لو شئت أَن

    أضحى لعزته العزيز ذليلا

    He placed me in a rank where, if I wished, I could

    make the mighty humble before his might:

  21. من لاتنا سبه الرجال شهامة

    وسماحة وأرومة وأصولا

    a man whom other men cannot match in valor,

    generosity, lineage, or ancestry.

  22. الأبلجُ الطلقُ الذي قد نزلت

    آيات حكم سعوده تنزيلا

    The radiant, open-faced one, for whom there have descended

    verses of his good fortune's decree, as revelation.

  23. تضحي وقائعهن في أعدائه

    تتلى عليه بكرةً وأصيلا

    Their battles against his enemies come to be

    recited to him morning and evening.

  24. يجري القضا المحتوم طوع مرادِه

    لا يبتغي عن قصدِه تحويلا

    Inevitable fate runs obedient to his will,

    seeking no departure from his purpose.

  25. في صحن غرته السعود طوالعٌ

    في كل يوم لا يخاف أُفولا

    On the expanse of his brow, auspicious stars rise

    each day; he has no fear of their setting.

  26. نذر قرانا في صحائف خدهِ

    لما بدا لا تظلمونَ فتيلا

    He pledged us hospitality upon the pages of his cheek,

    when he appeared: 'You shall not be wronged even a thread.'

  27. انظر إليه إذا استوى في دسته

    واخفض جناحك إن اردت مثولا

    Look at him when he settles into his seat,

    and lower your wing if you wish to stand before him.

  28. فهناك ما يثنى النواظر خشعاً

    ويرد حد الطرف منك كليلا

    For there is that which bends gazes low in reverence

    and blunts the keen edge of your gaze.

  29. طلقُ المحيَّا نشره لعقائدٍ

    قد قام عنه الثناءِ كفيلا

    Cheerful of face, his fragrant repute is bound to pledges

    for which praise has stood as guarantor on his behalf.

  30. أُعطى الورى حتى حسبنا أَنه

    لله في رزق العبادِ وكيلا

    He gave to humankind until we thought him

    God's steward in providing His servants' sustenance.

  31. كملت محاسنُه وزاد كمالُه

    فكسا الكمالَ فما بقى تكميلا

    His virtues were complete, and his perfection grew,

    so he clothed perfection itself, leaving nothing to perfect.

  32. من يلق منهم يلق بحراً زاخراً

    يوم الفخارِ وصارَ ما مصقولا

    Whoever meets one of them meets a surging sea

    on the day of glory, and a polished sword.

  33. قد صان منطقه فلم ينطق بلا

    مذ كان إِلا أن نوى تهليلا

    He has guarded his speech, and never uttered 'no'

    in all his life, save when intending to proclaim God's oneness.

  34. لبني معيبد منزلٌ بعليهم

    لا يرتجي أحدٌ إِليه وصولا

    Through their ʿAlī, the sons of Muʿaybid have a station

    which no one can hope to reach.

  35. متناسبون فضائلاً وتواصلاً

    متشابهون ضراغماً وشبولا

    Matched in virtues and mutual bonds,

    alike as mighty lions and as lion-cubs,

  36. فضحوا البدور سناً وازروا بالحيا

    جودا وفاقوا العالمين عقولا

    they put full moons to shame in brilliance, and outdid the rain

    in bounty, surpassing all humankind in intellect.

  37. يا سيدَ الوزرا إليك زففتُها

    تحكي الأماني لذةً وقبولا

    O master of ministers, I have brought her to you as a bride;

    she mirrors wishes in delight and welcome.

  38. عذراء غير لا يقوم بمهرها

    فاكثر بها الترحيبَ والتأهيلا

    A virgin whose dower no other can afford—

    so lavish welcome and hospitality upon her.

  39. البس نظام جواهر قد فصّلت

    مدحاً عليك عقودها تفصيلا

    Wear a strand of jewels; I have fashioned

    its necklaces in praise of you, with care.

  40. شِعر أقمتَ على صفاءِ مودتي

    منه شهودا لا تردُّ عذولا

    Poetry: you have established, to attest my love's purity,

    witnesses from it that no reprover can refute.

  41. لا استحقَ به عليك إِجازةً

    الشعرُ فيك يهزّني إِن قيلا

    I deserve no reward from you for it;

    poetry about you stirs me whenever it is spoken.

  42. إِن كان ما نفحت فيك من الثنا

    جزلا فإنك قد أثبت جزيلا

    If the praise I have bestowed on you

    is abundant, you have rewarded me abundantly.

  43. أكسيْتَني جاهاً غنيتُ بفضلهِ

    ومهدت لي في ساحتيْك مقيلا

    You clothed me in prestige, whose bounty freed me from want,

    and prepared a midday resting place for me in your two courts.

  44. ورفعتني فوطيت هامات العدى

    متبخترا فيها اجر ذيولا

    You raised me up, so I trod on my enemies' heads,

    strutting over them, trailing my garment-hems.

  45. فإذا مدحتكَ كنتَ حبرا شاكراً

    متبتلاً لك بالثنا تبتيلا

    So when I praise you, I am a grateful scholar,

    wholly devoted to praising you.

  46. وعلى الحقيقةِ طولكم لم يبق لي

    حمداً ولا مدحاً يعد طويلا

    And in truth, your bounty has left me no

    thanks or praise that could be called lengthy.

  47. والله يمدد عليك بفضلهِ

    من سترهِ ظلاَ عليك ظليلا

    And may God, through His grace, extend over you

    from His protection a deep, sheltering shade above you.