يا متهمي بالسلو مهلا

تظن اني سلوت مه لا

O you who accuse me of forgetting love, gently!

You think I have forgotten? Stop—no!

ما القلب عن حبه بسال

ولو بنار الصدود يقلى

My heart has not forgotten its love for him,

Even if roasted in the fire of rejection.

يا عاذلي ما السلو شأني

لا ام لي ان سمعت عذلا

O my reproacher, forgetting love is not my way.

May I be motherless if I heed reproach!

ان كنت مني قبلت نصحي

فأعطني ذمة والا

If you have accepted my counsel,

Then grant me a pledge of protection; otherwise...

هويته فارغا ولكن

هجري له اليوم صار شغلا

I loved him when carefree, but

My separation from him now keeps me occupied.

بدر منير بديع حسن

من فرقه الصبح قد تجلّى

A radiant full moon of wondrous beauty,

From whose hair's parting the dawn has shone.

والفرع منه كليل هجري

ومثله ما رأيت اصلا

And his locks are like the night of my separation,

And never have I seen his like.

تقى خد غزال رمل

قد ولد الحسن منه شكلا

Pure-cheeked [uncertain reading], a gazelle of the sands,

Beauty has brought forth a likeness from him.

مر الجفا سيف مقلتيه

مهند بالبها محلى

Bitter with cruelty is the sword of his eyes,

An Indian-steel blade adorned with splendor.

الحاظه كم لها اسير

وكم لها في الغرام قتلى

How many captives his glances hold!

And how many they have slain in passionate love!

افديه بالروح غصن بان

له من الفرع مد ظلا

I would ransom him with my soul—a bān-tree bough,

His locks have spread a shade over him.

قد عرش الشعر لي عليه

والصدغ عنقوده تدلى

His hair has formed a trellis for me over him,

And the temple-lock, its grape-cluster, hangs down.

بليت بالسقم في هواه

سبحان من لي بذاك ابلى

I have been afflicted with illness through loving him;

Glory to the One who afflicted me with that!

يعذرني شامتي عليه

يرق لي من جفاه من لا

Even one who gloats over me excuses me for loving him;

His harshness moves even the pitiless to pity me.

وهبته في الغرام روحي

فمال تيها وصد بخلا

I gave him my soul in passionate love,

Then he swayed in pride and turned away in stinginess.

ورحت اثني عليه مدحا

ومدح قاضي القضاة اولى

And I began to extol him in praise,

But praising the chief judge is more fitting.

فهو شهاب العلا المفدى

من صار المكرمات اهلا

For he is Shihab al-ʿUla, whom we would ransom,

Who has become a worthy bearer of noble virtues,

من ساد فضلا وشاد مجدا

وقد سما في العلا محلا

Who has excelled in merit and built up glory,

And has risen to an exalted station.

وفسر المهملات كشفا

واوضح المشكلات حلا

And explained neglected matters, laying them bare,

And clarified difficult matters, resolving them.

روض بدا بل سحاب جود

قد عمنا وابلا وطلا

A garden has appeared—rather, a cloud of generosity,

That has covered us all with downpour and gentle rain.

من اين ماء السماء اندى

من نائل ابن الفرات احلى

How could heaven's water be more bountiful,

Or sweeter, than Ibn al-Furat's bounty?

ولم يشن وعده بمطل

ويتبع القول منه فعلا

And he has never blemished his promise with delay,

And follows his words with action.

ومن اتى قاصدا اليه

في الحال اهلا يرى وسهلا

And whoever comes seeking him

At once finds a warm welcome.

فيا له في الانام مولى

ما قال يوما لسائل لا

Oh, what a patron he is among mankind!

Never has he said 'no' to a petitioner.

من قاس جدوى نداه يوما

بالغيث اخطا وضل جهلا

Whoever has ever compared the benefits of his bounty

To rain has erred and strayed through ignorance.

هذا بماء يجود يوما

وذا بمال يجود بذلا

This one bestows water one day,

And that one freely bestows wealth.

تعلمت كفه العطايا

بمهده حيث كان طفلا

His hand learned how to give

In his cradle, while he was a child.

يا واحدا جود راحتيه

غدّبت طفلا بها وكهلا

O you whose palms are unmatched in generosity,

I was nourished [uncertain reading] by them, as a child and as a mature man.

خذها عروسا اتتك بكرا

تزف من حدرها وتجلى

Take her, a bride who has come to you a virgin,

Led from her bridal chamber [uncertain reading] and unveiled.

تريك من معجز المعاني

آيات مدح عليك تتلى

She shows you, through wondrous meanings,

Verses of praise recited to you.

قلدتها من نداك درّاً

وبالندى درها تحلى

I have adorned her neck with pearls from your bounty,

And with generosity her pearls are adorned.

لا زال هذا الزمان عبدا

ولم تزل للزمان مولى

May this age ever remain a slave,

And may you ever remain the master of the age.

ودمت بالشمل في اجتماع

وزادك الله منه فضلا

And may you endure with your circle united,

And may God grant you more of His bounty.