1. أَسيرُ عنكَ بقلبٍ عن هواكَ سلا

    لِمْ لا أَسيرُ وقد صَيَّرْتَني مثلا

    I depart from you with a heart that has forgotten your love.

    Why should I not depart, when you have made me a byword?

  2. فإِن دنوتَ فقلبي عنك مُنْتزِحٌ

    وإِن نشطتَ فحبي فيكَ قد كَسَلا

    If you draw near, my heart is far from you;

    and if you grow eager, my love for you has grown languid.

  3. إِنَّ السُّلُوَّ أَذلَّ الحبُّ عِزَّتَه

    وأَخرجَ القلبَ منه مثلَ ما دخلا

    Indeed, forgetfulness has humbled love's pride,

    and brought the heart out of it just as it entered.

  4. هب أَنَّنِي كنتُ أَهوى جورَه سفهاً

    منِّي أَمَا كان يهوى جَوْرُه الملَلاَ

    Suppose I loved his cruelty out of foolishness

    on my part—did his cruelty not court weariness?

  5. وهبه والصُّدغُ واوٌ فوقَ وجنته

    لا يحسنُ العطفُ أَنَّى يَحسنُ البَدلا

    And suppose that, with his temple-curl a wāw above his cheek,

    he knows no tenderness—how could he know substitution?

  6. هيهات هيهات هذا المنام جرى

    فسَلْ يَقُلْ لك قلبي إِن سأَلتَ بَلَى

    Far from it, far from it! This happened in a dream.

    So ask: my heart will tell you, if you ask, 'Yes.'

  7. أَسْلو وقامةُ ذاكَ الغصنِ ما ذَوِيتْ

    أَصحُو ونَرجِسُ ذاك الطَّرْفِ ما ذَبُلا

    Could I forget, while that branch's figure has not withered?

    Could I grow sober, while the narcissus of those eyes has not wilted?

  8. قد كنتُ سِرتُ ولكن ردَّني رَشَأٌ

    أَسْرَى وأَرسلَ من أَلْحَاظِهِ رُسُلا

    I had indeed departed, but a young gazelle brought me back,

    who traveled by night and sent messengers from his glances.

  9. جَمْرٌ بخدَّيه قَلْبي منه مُشْتَعِلٌ

    وليس ينفكُّ ذاك الجَمرُ مُشتعِلا

    Embers on his cheeks have set my heart ablaze,

    and those embers never cease to burn.

  10. وليس يخجلُ من إِحراقِ وَجنَتهِ

    من ليس يحْتاجُ في توريدِها الخَجلا

    Nor does he feel shame at the burning of his cheek—

    he who needs no shame to make it rosy.

  11. يا لائماً رام نَقْلِي عن محبَّته

    لن يُنْقَلَ الطَّبْعُ حتى يَنْقُل الجبَلا

    O reproacher who sought to turn me from loving him,

    nature will not be shifted until he shifts a mountain.

  12. لم أَنْسَ إِذ رَامني بالحسْنِ مُشْتَمِلاً

    بالسحرِ مكتحلاً بالَّلثْمِ مُشْتَغِلاً

    I have not forgotten when he sought me, clothed in beauty,

    kohled with enchantment, occupied with kissing.

  13. رنَا إِليّ بعينيه فقلتُ طَلاَ

    حتى إِذا كَسَر الأَجفانَ قلتُ طِلاَ

    He gazed at me with his eyes, and I said, 'A fawn!'

    Then, when he lowered his eyelids, I said, 'Wine!'

  14. رأَيت في الرَّاح نشراً منه مُسْترَقاً

    وفي جَنَى النَّحلِ مَعنىً منه منتَحَلاً

    I saw in wine a fragrance stolen from him,

    and in the bees' harvest a quality borrowed from him.

  15. وبتُّ أُبْصر والصهباءُ دائرةً

    بنتَ السرور جَلاها بيننا ابنُ جلا

    I spent the night watching, while the tawny wine went round,

    the daughter of joy, whom Ibn Jala unveiled among us.

  16. وباتَ غيري بلثم الكأْس مُشْتغِلاً

    وبات لثمي بساقِي الكأسِ مُشْتَغِلا

    Others spent the night occupied with kissing the cup,

    while my kisses were occupied with the cupbearer.

  17. كَذاكَ مَدْحِي بِنُور الدِّين محْتَفِلٌ

    وبات غيري بمدحِ الناس محتفِلا

    Likewise my praise is devoted to Nur al-Din,

    while others spend the night absorbed in praising men.

  18. إِذا جرى ذكرُ مولانا فخلِّ له

    ذِكْرَ الغزال وخلِّ اللَّهوَ والغَزلا

    When our lord is mentioned, leave aside for his sake

    the mention of the gazelle, and leave amusement and love verse.

  19. وإِن مدحتَ فلا تمدح سوى ملكٍ

    يُعطي الممالكَ والأَيامَ والدولاَ

    And if you praise, praise none but a king

    who bestows kingdoms, days, and dynasties.

  20. لا تعجبنَّ إِذا أَعطى الملوكَ فما

    أَعطى الملوكَ ولكن خوَّل الخَولا

    Do not marvel when he gives to kings, for he has not

    given to kings, but endowed his servants.

  21. مَلكٌ له البَيْض تِيجَانٌ وما بَرحَت

    له السوابغُ في يَومِ الْوَغَى حُلَلا

    A king whose helmets are crowns, and ever

    full coats of mail are his robes on the day of battle.

  22. ما جرَّد النصلَ لكن جرَّد الأَجَلاَ

    ما أَعمل الرْمحَ لكنَّ أَبْطَلَ البَطَلاَ

    He did not unsheathe the blade; he unsheathed death.

    He did not wield the spear; he laid the champion low.

  23. يخُون كلَّ عدوّ فيه مُنْصُلُهُ

    كأَنَّ في كُلِّ كفٍّ للعِدى شَلَلاً

    Every foe's own blade betrays him against this king,

    as though every enemy hand were paralyzed.

  24. إِذا بنُو الحربِ شبُّوا نارها

    وغَدَتْ بيضُ الصفائح من نيرانِها شُعَلا

    When the sons of war kindle its fire,

    and gleaming sword-blades become flames from its fires,

  25. وأَصبح الموتُ بين القومِ مُحتضِراً

    وأَصبح القتلُ بينَ القومِ مرتجِلا

    and death itself is dying among the warriors,

    and slaughter improvises among the warriors,

  26. والضَّربُ لا يترُكُ الهنديَّ مستوياً

    والطعنُ لا يَدَعُ الخطِّيّ مُعتدِلا

    and blows do not leave the Indian sword straight,

    and thrusts do not leave the Khatti spear upright,

  27. هُناكَ تلقاهُ إِمَّا عَابِساً حَرِجاً

    على الكُماةِ وإِما ضاحِكاً جَذِلاً

    there you find him either frowning and stern

    toward the champions, or laughing and joyful.

  28. إِنِ اتَّهَمْتَ حديثي عن شَجاعتِه

    فاستنجد البيضَ عنه واسْأَل الأَسَلا

    If you doubt my account of his courage,

    then seek the bright swords' testimony about him, and ask the spears.

  29. كالَّليثِ حين غَدا والبدرِ حين بدا

    والغيثِ حين هَمى والنَّجْم حين عَلا

    Like the lion when he sets forth, and the full moon when it appears,

    and the rain when it pours, and the star when it rises.

  30. لو أَنَّه كان في تصميمِ حَمْلتِه

    وجئتَ تطلبُ منه طَرْفَه نَزَلا

    If he were resolutely pressing his charge,

    and you came asking for his steed, he would dismount.

  31. أَو كان لا زال في إِقْبالِ دَوْلَتِه

    وجئتَ تطلبُ منه مُلْكَه اعْتَزَلا

    Or if he were—may he ever remain so—at the height of his reign,

    and you came asking for his kingdom, he would abdicate.

  32. أَسْنَى الملوكِ عَطايا كُلَّما نفِدَت

    وأَشرفُ الخَلْق جوداً كلَّما عَدَلا

    The most splendid of kings in gifts whenever they are spent,

    and the noblest of mankind in generosity whenever he acts justly.

  33. يُعطي وقد جاد جُوداً لا يُجادُ به

    حتى يُقالَ وحاشاه لقد هَزَلاَ

    He gives, though he has already shown a generosity none can match,

    until it is said—far be it from him!—'Surely he was jesting!'

  34. قال الجميلَ لعافِيه وقَاصِدِه

    فكان أَحسنَ مما قال ما فَعَلا

    He spoke graciously to his supplicant and seeker,

    and what he did was finer than what he said.

  35. قَلَّ الملوكُ بعيْني بَعْد رُؤْيتِه

    ومن رأَى البحرَ لا يستكثرُ الوشَلا

    Kings grew small in my eyes after I saw him;

    one who has seen the sea does not think a trickle abundant.

  36. ولم يَرُقْني ولاسْتحسنْتُ مُلكَهُم

    وساكنُ القصرِ لا يستحسِنُ الطَللا

    Their rule did not delight me, nor did I admire it;

    and a palace-dweller does not admire a ruin.

  37. هذا وكم خطبُوا قُرْبِي بُجْهدِهمُ

    فقلت لا حين قالوا بالنَّوالِ أَلاَ

    All this, though they often courted my company with all their might;

    I said 'No' when, with gifts, they said, 'Will you not?'

  38. حسبي عليٌّ ندىً حسبي عليٌّ هُدىً

    حسبي عليُ جَدا حسبي عليٌّ عُلاً

    Ali suffices me in generosity; Ali suffices me in guidance.

    Ali suffices me in bounty; Ali suffices me in eminence.

  39. حسبي أَبو حسنٍ في كل نائبةٍ

    يستفرغُ الحَوْلَ أَو يستنفِذُ الحِيَلاَ

    Abu Hasan suffices me in every calamity;

    he expends all his strength or exhausts every stratagem.

  40. حمدت آخرَ أَيامي بخدمتِه

    ولست أَحمدُ من أَيّاميَ الأُولاَ

    I praised my later days for my service to him,

    but I do not praise the earliest of my days.

  41. ذكرِي به سَارَ حالِي عنده عَظُمَتْ

    قدري بِه جلَّ مِقدارِي لديهِ عَلاَ

    Through him my renown spread; with him my standing grew.

    Through him my worth became great; in his esteem my stature rose.