1. عَرَفَ الدارَ فَحَيّا وَناحا

    بَعدَما كانَ صَحا وَاِستَراحا

    He recognized the dwelling, greeted it, and lamented,

    after he had sobered up and found rest.

  2. ظَلَّ يَلحاهُ العَذولُ وَيَأبى

    في عِنانِ العَذلِ إِلّا جِماحا

    The reproacher kept chiding him, yet he refused

    anything but bolting against reproach's bridle.

  3. عَلِّمونِ كَيفَ أَسلو وَإِلّا

    فَخُذوا عَن مُقلَتَيَّ المِلاحا

    Teach me how to forget my love; otherwise,

    take the beauties away from my eyes.

  4. مَن رَأى بَرقاً يُضيءُ اِلتِماحا

    ثَقَبَ اللَيلَ سَناهُ فَلاحا

    Who has seen lightning shine in fleeting flashes,

    its radiance piercing the night, then gleaming forth?

  5. فَكَأَنَّ البَرقَ مُصحَفُ قارٍ

    فَاِنطِباقاً مَرَّةً وَاِنفِتاحا

    So the lightning seemed a reader's Qur'an,

    now closing, now opening,

  6. في رُكامٍ ضاقَ بِالماءِ ذَرعاً

    حَيثُما مالَت بِهِ الريحُ ساحا

    in a mass of clouds overburdened with water;

    wherever the wind swayed it, it poured.

  7. لَم يَزَل يَلمَعُ بِاللَيلِ حَتّى

    خِلتُهُ نَبَّهَ فيهِ صَباحا

    It kept flashing through the night until

    I thought it had awakened a dawn within the night.

  8. وَكَأَنَّ الرَعدَ فَحلُ لِقاحٍ

    كُلَّما يُعجِبُهُ البَرقُ صاحا

    And the thunder seemed a bull camel among milch camels:

    whenever the lightning pleased it, it bellowed.

  9. لَم يَدَع أَرضاً مِنَ المَحلِ إِلّا

    جادَ أَو مَدَّ عَلَيها جَناحا

    It left no drought-stricken land without

    lavishing rain upon it or spreading a wing over it.

  10. وَسَقى أَطلالَ هِندٍ فَأَضحَت

    يَمرَحُ القَطرُ عَلَيها مِراحا

    And it watered Hind's ruins, which now lay

    with rain frolicking merrily over them:

  11. دِيَماً في كُلِّ يَومٍ وَوَبلاً

    وَاِغتِباقاً لِلنَدى وَاِصطِباحا

    steady rains every day, and downpours,

    and evening draughts of dew, and morning draughts.

  12. كُلُّ مَن يَنأى مِنَ الناسِ عَنها

    فَهوَ يَرتاحُ إِلَيها اِرتِياحا

    Everyone among the people who goes far from it

    feels a deep yearning for it.

  13. لا أَرى مِثلَكِ ما عِشتُ داراً

    رَبوَةً مُخضَرَّةً أَو بِطاحا

    I shall see no dwelling like you as long as I live,

    whether a verdant hill or broad, level plains.

  14. لَو حَلَلنا وَسطَ جَنَّةِ عَدنٍ

    لَاِقتَرَحناكَ عَلَيها اِقتِراحا

    Were we to dwell in the midst of the Garden of Eden,

    we would surely choose you over it.

  15. وَإِذا ما ذَرَّتِ الشَمسُ فيها

    فَتَّحَت أَعيُنَ رَوضٍ مِلاحا

    And whenever the sun rises there,

    it opens wide the meadow's lovely eyes,

  16. في ثَرىً كَالمِسكِ شيبَ بِراحٍ

    كُلَّما أَنبَتَهُ القَطرُ لاحا

    in moist earth like musk mingled with wine;

    whenever the rain makes it grow, it gleams.

  17. جُمِعَ الحَقُّ لَنا في إِمامٍ

    قَتَلَ البُخلَ وَأَحيا السَماحا

    Truth was embodied for us in an imam,

    who slew miserliness and revived generosity.

  18. أَلِفَ الهَيجاءَ طِفلاً وَكَهلاً

    تَحسَبُ السَيفَ عَلَيهِ وِشاحا

    He was accustomed to battle, as a child and as a mature man;

    you would take the sword upon him for a sash.

  19. وَلَهُ مِن رَأيِهِ عَزَماتٌ

    وَصَلَ اللَهُ ضِمنَهُنَّ نَجاحا

    And he has firm resolves born of his judgment,

    within which God has bound success.

  20. يَجعَلُ الجَيشَ إِذا صارَ ذَيلاً

    جُرأَةً فيهِ وَبَأساً صُراحا

    He makes the army, when it becomes a tail,

    an embodiment of courage and unalloyed might.

  21. فَرَجُ الأَعداءِ بِالسِلمِ مِنهُ

    وَهوَ في السِلمِ يُعِدُّ السِلاحا

    The enemies gain respite from him through peace,

    while in peace he readies his weapons.

  22. فَرَّقَت أَيديهِمُ المالَ كُرهاً

    وَلَقَد كانوا عَلَيها شِحاحا

    Their hands distributed wealth unwillingly,

    though they had been miserly with it.

  23. خاطَ أَفواهَهُم وَقَديماً

    مَزَّقوها ضَحِكاً وَمُزاحا

    He sewed their mouths shut, though once

    they had torn them wide with laughter and jest.

  24. وَوَعوا شُكري إِلَيهِ وَكانوا

    مَلَأوا دورَ المُلوكِ نِباحا

    And they took in my thanks to him, though they had

    filled the kings' houses with barking.

  25. أَيقَنوا مِنهُ بِحَربٍ عَوانٍ

    وَرِجالٍ يَخضِبونَ الرِماحا

    They were certain of renewed war from him,

    and men who dye their spears,

  26. وَبَخيلٍ تَأكُلُ الأَرضَ شَدّاً

    مُلجَماتٍ يَبتَدِرنَ الصِياحا

    and horses that devour the earth at a gallop,

    bridled, racing toward the shouts,

  27. قاصِداتٍ كُلَّ شَرقٍ وَغَربٍ

    ناطِقاتٍ بِالصَهيلِ فِصاحا

    bound for every east and west,

    speaking eloquently through their neighing.

  28. حَمَلَت أُسداً مِنَ الناسِ غُلباً

    وَكِباشاً لا تَمَلُّ النِطاحا

    They bore thick-necked lions from among men,

    and rams that never tire of butting.

  29. إِن أَغِب عَنكَ فَما غابَ شُكرٌ

    دَعوَةٌ جاهِدَةٌ وَاِمتِداحا

    If I am absent from you, my gratitude is not absent:

    an earnest prayer and praise.

  30. يا أَمينَ اللَهِ أَيَّدتَ مُلكاً

    كانَ مِن قَبلِكَ نَهباً مُباحا

    O God's trusted one, you have strengthened a kingdom

    that before you was plunder free for the taking.