هَنيئاً لِسَمعٍ حينَ خاطَبَني صَغا

هَنيئاً لِسَمعٍ حينَ خاطَبَني صَغا

وَيا مَرحباً بِاللغو إِن كانَ قَد لَغا

وَيا مَرحباً بِاللغو إِن كانَ قَد لَغا

Blessed is the ear that listened when he addressed me.

Well done to the ear when it was addressed by a young one,

And welcome to idle talk, if he has spoken idly.

And greetings to eloquence if it has eloqued.

حَبيبٌ لَهُ عَن عاشِقَيهِ شَواغِلٌ

حَبيبٌ لَهُ عَن عاشِقَيهِ شَواغِلٌ

عَلى أَنَّهُ في قالبِ الحُسنِ أُفرِغا

عَلى أَنَّهُ في قالبِ الحُسنِ أُفرِغا

A beloved kept from his two lovers by other cares,

A beloved who is preoccupied with his lovers,

Though he was cast in beauty's mold.

Though he is molded in the form of beauty.

لَهُ عارِضٌ قَد أَسبَغَ اللَهُ ظِلَّهُ

لَهُ عارِضٌ قَد أَسبَغَ اللَهُ ظِلَّهُ

وَما زالَ ذاكَ الوَجهُ بِالحُسنِ مُسبَغا

وَما زالَ ذاكَ الوَجهُ بِالحُسنِ مُسبَغا

He has cheek-down whose shade God has made ample,

He has a cheek on which God has lavished its shade,

And that face has ever been richly clothed in beauty.

And that face has remained drenched in beauty.

وَريقتُهُ كالخَمرِ لَكِنَّها حَلَت

وَريقتُهُ كالخَمرِ لَكِنَّها حَلَت

وَحَلَّت فَكانَت في فَمي مِنهُ أَسوَغا

وَحَلَّت فَكانَت في فَمي مِنهُ أَسوَغا

And his saliva is like wine, but it is sweet,

His saliva is like wine, but it dissolved,

And lawful; so in my mouth it was more palatable than wine.

And dissolved, so it was in my mouth the most delicious.

وَعَن ثَعلَبٍ يَروي دَوامَ رَواغِهِ

وَعَن ثَعلَبٍ يَروي دَوامَ رَواغِهِ

فَلَم أَرَ مِنهُ الدَهرَ أَروى وَأَروَغا

فَلَم أَرَ مِنهُ الدَهرَ أَروى وَأَروَغا

And from Thaʿlab he recounts his ceaseless evasions;

And of a fox telling of the constancy of its burrowing,

In all my days I have seen none more versed in narration or more evasive than he.

I have never seen it throughout time more sated and burrowing.

لَقَد حَمَّلَ المَعشوقُ إِنسانَ ناظِري

لَقَد حَمَّلَ المَعشوقُ إِنسانَ ناظِري

مِنَ الدَمعِ وَالتَسهيدِ ما بهما طَغى

مِنَ الدَمعِ وَالتَسهيدِ ما بهما طَغى

The beloved has indeed burdened the pupil of my eye

Indeed, the beloved has loaded the beholder of my eyes

With tears and sleeplessness until it overflowed with both.

With tears and sighs until they were overwhelmed.

وَبَينَ جُفوني حربُ صِفّينَ وَالكَرى

وَبَينَ جُفوني حربُ صِفّينَ وَالكَرى

وَأَيُّهُما يا لَيتَ شعريَ قَد بَغى

وَأَيُّهُما يا لَيتَ شعريَ قَد بَغى

And between my eyelids and slumber rages the battle of Siffin;

And between my eyelids is the battle of Siffin, and al-Karra,

And which of the two—if only I knew—has transgressed?

And which of them, would that I knew, transgressed.

أَمالِكَ رِقّي شافعي أَدمُعٌ رَوَت

أَمالِكَ رِقّي شافعي أَدمُعٌ رَوَت

بِأَلوانِها عَن أَشهبٍ عِلمَ أَصبَغا

بِأَلوانِها عَن أَشهبٍ عِلمَ أَصبَغا

O master of my bondage, my intercessors are tears that transmit

My tears' witness before witnesses like Shafii, Malek, and Ricki

Through their colors, Asbagh's learning on Ashhab's authority.

Whose colors, from Ashhab, learned to dye.

وَمِثلي قَليلٌ في الأَنامِ لأَنَّني

وَمِثلي قَليلٌ في الأَنامِ لأَنَّني

فَتىً فقتُ في عِشقي وَشِعريَ نُبَّغا

فَتىً فقتُ في عِشقي وَشِعريَ نُبَّغا

And few among mankind are like me, for I am

And the like of me is few among people, for I

A youth who has surpassed the gifted in my love and verse.

Am a young man who became eminent in my love and poetry.

ظَفرتُ بِأَكياسٍ فمن بَينِ فتيةٍ

ظَفرتُ بِأَكياسٍ فمن بَينِ فتيةٍ

صحبتُ وَمِن مالٍ حبانيهِ يَلبُغا

صحبتُ وَمِن مالٍ حبانيهِ يَلبُغا

I have gained clever men and purses: some from among youths

I gained fortunes, so from among the youths

I befriended, and some from wealth Yalbugha bestowed on me.

I accompanied, and from a conferred wealth seeking to excel.

أَميرٌ تَرى للأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ في ثَرى

أَميرٌ تَرى للأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ في ثَرى

مَنازِلهِ لمّا علَونَ تَمرُّغا

مَنازِلهِ لمّا علَونَ تَمرُّغا

An emir: you see the shining stars in the dust

A prince whom you see the stars of flowers in the ground

Of his dwellings, rolling in it when they rise high.

Have positions when they ascended wallowing.

يُنبيكَ بِالأَخبارِ قَبلَ وُقوعِها

يُنبيكَ بِالأَخبارِ قَبلَ وُقوعِها

فَلَم تَرَ مِنهُ قَطُّ أَنبا وَأَنبَغا

فَلَم تَرَ مِنهُ قَطُّ أَنبا وَأَنبَغا

He tells you the news before it comes to pass;

He informs you of news before its occurrence,

So never have you seen one better informed or more gifted than he.

So you have never seen him give news or give information.

وَلَم أَرَ يَوماً في الفَصاحَةِ وَالذَكا

وَلَم أَرَ يَوماً في الفَصاحَةِ وَالذَكا

نَعَم وَإِلى طُرقِ العُلا مِنهُ أَبلَغا

نَعَم وَإِلى طُرقِ العُلا مِنهُ أَبلَغا

And never have I seen, in eloquence and intelligence,

And I have never seen a day in eloquence and intelligence

Indeed, or on the paths to greatness, anyone more accomplished than he.

Yes, and to the ways of glory, more eloquent.

إِذا ما غَزا وَالحَربُ قَد شَهِدَت لَهُ

إِذا ما غَزا وَالحَربُ قَد شَهِدَت لَهُ

تَرى اللَيثَ مِن بأسِ الشُجاعِ مُلدَّغا

تَرى اللَيثَ مِن بأسِ الشُجاعِ مُلدَّغا

When he goes to war—and war has testified on his behalf—

When he wages war, and war bears witness to him,

You see the lion stung by the valiant one's might.

You see the lion, from the evil of courage, biting.

وَإِن جادَ وَالإِفضالُ مُنتَسِبٌ لَهُ

وَإِن جادَ وَالإِفضالُ مُنتَسِبٌ لَهُ

تَرى الغَيثَ من ذاكَ النوال تبلّغا

تَرى الغَيثَ من ذاكَ النوال تبلّغا

And if he gives—and generosity traces its lineage to him—

And if he is generous, and generosity is attributed to him,

You see the rain drawing sustenance from that bounty.

You see the rain, from that bounty, pouring.

تَقاصرتِ الأَفكارُ عَن وَصفِ مَجدِهِ

تَقاصرتِ الأَفكارُ عَن وَصفِ مَجدِهِ

وَحُقَّت لَهُ الأَمداحُ مِن سائِرِ اللُغا

وَحُقَّت لَهُ الأَمداحُ مِن سائِرِ اللُغا

Thoughts fall short of describing his glory;

Thoughts fell short of describing his glory,

And praises in every tongue are his due.

And praises became due to him from all tongues.

فَكَم مِن فَصيحٍ رامَ وَصفَ كَمالِهِ

فَكَم مِن فَصيحٍ رامَ وَصفَ كَمالِهِ

فَأَبصَرتُهُ في السِلمِ وَالحرب أَلثَغا

فَأَبصَرتُهُ في السِلمِ وَالحرب أَلثَغا

For many an eloquent speaker has sought to describe his perfection,

So how many eloquent ones have wished to describe his perfection,

And I found him lisping in peace and war.

But I saw him in peace and war most eloquent.

مَتى ما أَقُل هَذا الفَتى فارِسُ الوَرى

مَتى ما أَقُل هَذا الفَتى فارِسُ الوَرى

يَقولُ نَعَم هَذا الفَتى فارِسُ الوَغى

يَقولُ نَعَم هَذا الفَتى فارِسُ الوَغى

Whenever I say, 'This youth is the knight of mankind,'

Whenever I say this is the knight of the land,

He says, 'Yes, this youth is the knight of battle.'

He says yes, this is the knight of ferocity.

أَمولايَ سيفَ الدينِ هاكَ قَصيدَةً

أَمولايَ سيفَ الدينِ هاكَ قَصيدَةً

لَها مِن قبولِ العُذرِ أَشرفُ مُبتَغى

لَها مِن قبولِ العُذرِ أَشرفُ مُبتَغى

O my lord Sayf al-Din, take this ode,

My Lord Saif al-Din, here is a poem

Whose noblest aim is the acceptance of my excuse.

That has from accepting the excuse the most honorable pursuit.

خَريدَةُ خِدرٍ بِالمَعاني تَزَيَّنَت

خَريدَةُ خِدرٍ بِالمَعاني تَزَيَّنَت

فَريدَةُ فِكرٍ لا تُحِبُّ تَملُّغا

فَريدَةُ فِكرٍ لا تُحِبُّ تَملُّغا

A virgin of the secluded chamber, adorned with meanings,

It is adorned with rare ideas,

A peerless pearl of thought, with no taste for frivolous jesting.

A unique thought that does not like wallowing.

وَدُم هادياً إِمّا لِصَحبِكَ أَنعُماً

وَدُم هادياً إِمّا لِصَحبِكَ أَنعُماً

وَإِمّا إِلى مَعنى النَوالِ مُبَلّغا

وَإِمّا إِلى مَعنى النَوالِ مُبَلّغا

And remain a guide, either bringing blessings to your companions,

And live happily either with your company or

Or leading others toward the meaning of generosity.

Informing of the meaning of grace.

وَلازلتَ في الأَعداءِ سَيفاً مُجرّداً

وَلازلتَ في الأَعداءِ سَيفاً مُجرّداً

وَلازِلتَ ظِلّاً للأَحِبَّةِ مسبغا

وَلازِلتَ ظِلّاً للأَحِبَّةِ مسبغا

And may you ever remain an unsheathed sword against enemies,

And you remain towards the enemies an unsheathed sword,

And may you ever remain a wide-spreading shade for loved ones.

And you remain a shade for the loved ones, coloring.