1. يا قادماً وافي بكل نجاح

    أبشِر بما تلقاه من أفراح

    O newcomer, arriving with every success,

    Rejoice in the joys you will encounter.

  2. راحَتْ تُذكِّرُني كُؤوسَ الرّاحِ

    والقُرْبُ يخْفِضُ للجُنوحِ جَناحي

    She began reminding me of cups of wine,

    and nearness lowers my wing in submission.

  3. وسَرَتْ تَدُلُّ علَى القَبولِ كمِثْلِ ما

    دَلّ النّسيمُ على انْبِلاجِ صَباحِ

    And she journeyed by night, signaling acceptance, just as

    the breeze heralded the breaking of dawn.

  4. حَسْناءُ قدْ غَنِيَتْ بحُسْنِ صِفاتِها

    عنْ دُمْلُجٍ وقِلادَةٍ ووِشاحِ

    A beauty whose lovely qualities have freed her from need

    of an armlet, a necklace, and a sash.

  5. أمْسَتْ تَحُضُّ على اللِّياذِ بمَنْ جَرَتْ

    بسُعودِهِ الأقْلامُ في الألْواحِ

    She came to urge refuge with him for whom ran

    the pens upon the tablets, inscribing his good fortune:

  6. بخَليفَةِ اللهِ المؤيَّدِ فارِسٍ

    قَمَرِ المَعالي الأزْهَرِ الوضّاحِ

    with God's caliph, the divinely aided Faris,

    the radiant, resplendent moon of lofty glories.

  7. ما شِئْتَ منْ هِمَمٍ ومنْ شِيَمٍ غَدَتْ

    كالرّوْضِ أو كالزّهْرِ في الأدْواحِ

    All the high resolves and virtues you could wish for have become

    like a garden, or like blossoms among spreading trees.

  8. فَضَلَ المُلوكَ فليْسَ يُدْرَكُ شأوُهُ

    أنّى يُقاسُ الغَمْرُ بالضَّحْضاحِ

    He surpassed the kings, so his reach cannot be attained.

    How can deep waters be compared with the shallows?

  9. أنْسَى بَني عبّاسِهِمْ بلِوائِه ال

    مَنْصورِ أو بحُسامِهِ السّفّاحِ

    He eclipsed the sons of their Abbas with his banner—

    victorious—or with his blood-shedding sword.

  10. وغَدَتْ مَغانِي المُلْكِ لمّا حَلّها

    تُزْهَى ببَدْرِ هُدىً وبَحْرِ سَماحِ

    And the abodes of kingship, when he dwelt in them, grew

    proud of a full moon of guidance and a sea of generosity.

  11. وحَياةِ منْ أهْداكَ تُحْفَةَ قادِمٍ

    في العَرْفِ منْها راحَةُ الأرْواحِ

    By the life of him who gave you a newcomer's gift,

    in whose fragrance lies repose for souls,

  12. مازِلْتُ أجْعَلُ ذِكْرَهُ وثَناءَهُ

    رَوْحِي ورَيْحانِي الأريجَ ورَاحي

    I have always made remembrance and praise of him

    my repose, my fragrant basil, and my wine.

  13. ولقدْ تَمازَجَ حُبُّهُ بجَوارِحي

    كَتَمازُجِ الأجْسامِ في الأرْواحِ

    And love for him has indeed mingled with my limbs,

    as bodies mingle within souls.

  14. ولوَ انّني أبْصَرْتُ يوماً في يَدي

    أمْري لطِرْتُ إليْهِ دونَ جَناحي

    And had I one day seen within my grasp

    my affairs, I would have flown to him without my wing.

  15. فالآنَ ساعَدَني الزّمانُ وأيْقَنتْ

    منْ قُرْبِهِ نَفْسي بفَوْزِ قِداحي

    So now time has favored me, and certain is

    my soul, through his nearness, of my lot-drawing arrows' success.

  16. إيهٍ أبا عَبْدِ الإلهِ وإنّهُ

    لَنِداءُ وُدٍّ في عُلاكَ صُراحِ

    Go on, Abu Abd al-Ilah; this is indeed

    a call of pure affection in praise of your eminence.

  17. أمّا إذا اسْتَنْجَدْتَني منْ بَعْدِ ما

    رَكَدَتْ لِما جَنَتِ الخُطوبُ رِياحي

    But if you seek my aid, after

    my winds have stilled from what calamities wrought,

  18. فإلَيْكَها مَهْزولَةً وأنا الذي

    قرّرْتُ عَجْزي واطّرَحْتُ سِلاحي

    then here she is for you, emaciated; and I am the one

    who acknowledged my incapacity and cast aside my weapon.