أَما لي عَلى الأَحبابُ يا سَعدُ مُسعَدُ

أَما لي عَلى الأَحبابُ يا سَعدُ مُسعَدُ

وَلا مُنجِدٌ لَمّا أَغاروا وَأَنجَدوا

وَلا مُنجِدٌ لَمّا أَغاروا وَأَنجَدوا

Have I no helper against my beloveds, O Sa'd,

Is there no relief for me from those I love, O Sa'd, most fortunate?

Nor a rescuer, when they descended to the lowlands and ascended to the highlands?

No helper when they attack and gain victory?

عَذَرتُ العَذارى في صُدودي وَلَم أَقُل

عَذَرتُ العَذارى في صُدودي وَلَم أَقُل

خَليلَيَّ لِمَ حَظِّيَ مِنَ البيضِ أَسوَدُ

خَليلَيَّ لِمَ حَظِّيَ مِنَ البيضِ أَسوَدُ

I excused the maidens for shunning me, and did not say:

I blamed the virgins for holding back, yet said not

My two dear friends, why is my luck with the fair-skinned women black?

"Why, my darling, is my lot from the whites so dark?"

وَلا عَجَبٌ لِلشَيخِ إِن أَلِفَ القِلى

وَلا عَجَبٌ لِلشَيخِ إِن أَلِفَ القِلى

وَقَد كانَ هَذا رَسمُهُ وَهُوَ أَمرَدُ

وَقَد كانَ هَذا رَسمُهُ وَهُوَ أَمرَدُ

Nor is it strange if an old man has grown used to aversion,

No wonder the old man took to the young,

For this was already his usual lot when he was beardless.

For such was his custom, and he is but mortal.

وَأَسمَرُ كَالخَطِّيِّ لَوناً وَلينَةً

وَأَسمَرُ كَالخَطِّيِّ لَوناً وَلينَةً

يَكادُ يُحَلُّ الخَصرُ مِنهُ وَيُعقَدُ

يَكادُ يُحَلُّ الخَصرُ مِنهُ وَيُعقَدُ

And a dusky youth, like a Khatti spear in color and suppleness—

Dark yet soft-skinned like the gazelle,

His waist can almost be untied and knotted.

His waist so slender it would slip from a bracelet and unwind.

تَقَلَّدَ بِالعَضبِ لِحُسامٍ وَما دَرى

تَقَلَّدَ بِالعَضبِ لِحُسامٍ وَما دَرى

بِأَنَّ دَمي مِن قَلبِهِ يَتَقَلَّدُ

بِأَنَّ دَمي مِن قَلبِهِ يَتَقَلَّدُ

He girded himself with the keen blade of a sword, not knowing

He took up the sword against a warrior, not knowing

That my blood hangs from his heart like a necklace.

That it was my blood, from his heart, he adorned himself with.

وَوَجنَتَهُ وَاللَحظُ وَردٌ وَنَرجِسٌ

وَوَجنَتَهُ وَاللَحظُ وَردٌ وَنَرجِسٌ

وَفي فَمِهِ خَمرٌ وَدُرٌّ مُنَضَّدُ

وَفي فَمِهِ خَمرٌ وَدُرٌّ مُنَضَّدُ

And his cheek and glance are a rose and a narcissus;

His cheeks are rose, his glances basil, his mouth

And in his mouth are wine and pearls set in rows.

Wine and pearls of speech.

وَكَم شاعِرٍ أَودَت ثَعابينُ شَعرِهِ

وَكَم شاعِرٍ أَودَت ثَعابينُ شَعرِهِ

إِذا ما بَدا مِنهُنَّ سَبطٌ وَأَجعَدُ

إِذا ما بَدا مِنهُنَّ سَبطٌ وَأَجعَدُ

And how many a poet the serpents of his hair have slain,

How many poets have had their glory destroyed

When a straight lock and a curled one appeared among them!

When there appeared in their verses bombast and raving?

سَباني كَما يَسبي الأَميرُ عُداتَهُ

سَباني كَما يَسبي الأَميرُ عُداتَهُ

فَتى المَلِكِ المَنصورِ وَالخَيلُ تُرعَدُ

فَتى المَلِكِ المَنصورِ وَالخَيلُ تُرعَدُ

He captured me just as the emir captures his enemies—

He captured me as a prince captures his steeds,

The young champion of King al-Mansur, while the horses tremble.

The brave knight of King al-Mansur, while the horses stampeded.

لِناصِرِ دينِ اللَهِ نَصرٌ عَلى العِدى

لِناصِرِ دينِ اللَهِ نَصرٌ عَلى العِدى

وَعَزمٌ حَكاهُ المَشرِفِيُّ المُهَنَّدُ

وَعَزمٌ حَكاهُ المَشرِفِيُّ المُهَنَّدُ

Nasir Din Allah has victory over his foes,

Support for the religion of God, triumph over enemies,

And a resolve mirrored by the Mashrafi sword of Indian steel.

And resolve - thus did al-Mushrifi, the inspired, describe him.

تَجودُ السَحابُ الغُرُّ قَطراً إِذا هَمَّت

تَجودُ السَحابُ الغُرُّ قَطراً إِذا هَمَّت

وَما جودُهُ إِلّا لُجَينٌ وَعَسجَدُ

وَما جودُهُ إِلّا لُجَينٌ وَعَسجَدُ

The white clouds lavish rain when they will,

The clouds pour forth freely when they intend to rain,

But his bounty is nothing but silver and gold.

And their pouring is but turbulence and cloudburst.

عَلى بَيتِ شِعرٍ بَيتُ مالٍ عَطاؤُهُ

عَلى بَيتِ شِعرٍ بَيتُ مالٍ عَطاؤُهُ

إِلى أَن خَلا مِنهُ طَريفٌ وَمُتلِدُ

إِلى أَن خَلا مِنهُ طَريفٌ وَمُتلِدُ

For a line of poetry, his gift is a treasury,

For a line of verse, a house; for his generosity, property -

Until newly acquired and inherited wealth have left him.

Until he was emptied of estate and means.

هُوَ البَدرُ لِلسارِ بِكُلِّ تَنوفَةٍ

هُوَ البَدرُ لِلسارِ بِكُلِّ تَنوفَةٍ

إِلَيهِ إِذا ما طالَ لَيلٌ وَفَدفَدُ

إِلَيهِ إِذا ما طالَ لَيلٌ وَفَدفَدُ

He is the full moon for the night traveler through every wilderness,

For those who travel by night he is the full moon,

Bound for him when night and the desert plain stretch long.

Whenever the night grows long and dark.

فَصيحٌ إِذا قالَ ابنُ عَبّاسَ عَبدُهُ

فَصيحٌ إِذا قالَ ابنُ عَبّاسَ عَبدُهُ

وَيَبرُدُ مِن عِيٍّ لَدَيهِ المُبَرِّدُ

وَيَبرُدُ مِن عِيٍّ لَدَيهِ المُبَرِّدُ

He is eloquent when he speaks; Ibn Abbas is his servant,

Loud-voiced, when the son of ‘Abbas and his servant speak,

And al-Mubarrid grows cold before him, tongue-tied.

And the cool drink grows cold in the jar from their eloquence.

وَمَلِكٌ لَهُ بَحرانَ عِلمٌ وَنائِلٌ

وَمَلِكٌ لَهُ بَحرانَ عِلمٌ وَنائِلٌ

يَفيضُ بِذا صَدرٌ وَتَهِمّي بِذا يَدُ

يَفيضُ بِذا صَدرٌ وَتَهِمّي بِذا يَدُ

And a king with two seas: knowledge and bounty;

A king with two seas of knowledge, who attains

His breast overflows with one, and his hand rains down the other.

Whatever of this the breast pours forth, of that the hand gives.

وَنارانِ لِلحَربِ العَوانِ وَلِلقِرى

وَنارانِ لِلحَربِ العَوانِ وَلِلقِرى

غَدَت كُلُّ نارٍ مِنهُما تَتَوَقَّدُ

غَدَت كُلُّ نارٍ مِنهُما تَتَوَقَّدُ

And two fires: for renewed war and for hospitality;

And two fires for war when he aids, and for homesteads -

Each of the two fires has come to blaze.

Each fire kindled by him blazes up.

هُوَ القَيلُ وَاِبنُ القَيلِ وَالمَعشَرُ الأولى

هُوَ القَيلُ وَاِبنُ القَيلِ وَالمَعشَرُ الأولى

إِذا غابَ مِنهُم سَيَّدٌ قامَ سَيِّدُ

إِذا غابَ مِنهُم سَيَّدٌ قامَ سَيِّدُ

He is a prince, a prince's son; his people are those

He is the sayl, the son of sayl, and the excellent stock

Among whom, when one chief departs, another chief arises.

When one master among them passes on, another arises.

غُيوثٌ إِذا جادَوا لُيوثٌ إِذا سَطَوا

غُيوثٌ إِذا جادَوا لُيوثٌ إِذا سَطَوا

لَهُم نائِلٌ جَمٌّ وَمَجدٌ مُشَيَّدُ

لَهُم نائِلٌ جَمٌّ وَمَجدٌ مُشَيَّدُ

Downpours when they give, lions when they strike;

Succours when they are generous, lions when they pounce -

They have abundant bounty and glory raised high.

For them there are attainments ever renewed and glory rebuilt.

أَناصِرَ دينِ اللَهِ لازِلتَ ناصِرِ

أَناصِرَ دينِ اللَهِ لازِلتَ ناصِرِ

عَلى زَمَنٍ فِيهِ الأَديبُ مُطَّهَدُ

عَلى زَمَنٍ فِيهِ الأَديبُ مُطَّهَدُ

O Nasir Din Allah, may you ever remain my defender

Supporter of God’s religion, I remain your supporter

Against an age in which the man of letters is oppressed.

In a time when the literary man is suppressed.

لَئِن جَلَّ حَسّانٌ بِمَدحِ مُحَمَّدٍ

لَئِن جَلَّ حَسّانٌ بِمَدحِ مُحَمَّدٍ

فيها أَنا حَسّانٌ وَأَنتَ مُحَمَّدُ

فيها أَنا حَسّانٌ وَأَنتَ مُحَمَّدُ

If Hassan gained greatness by praising Muhammad,

If Hassân was eminent in praise of Muhammad,

In it, I am Hassan, and you are Muhammad.

Among my people I am an honoured poet now disfavoured,

وَإِنّي لَفي قَومي كَريمٌ مُسَوَّدٌ

وَإِنّي لَفي قَومي كَريمٌ مُسَوَّدٌ

وَكُلُّ عَدوٍّ لي لَئيمُ مُسَوِّدُ

وَكُلُّ عَدوٍّ لي لَئيمُ مُسَوِّدُ

And I am indeed noble among my people, acknowledged as a chief,

And each enemy of mine is a vile slanderer.

And every enemy of mine is base, a blackener of reputations.

Pour out your favour upon me, do not say

أَصِخ أَيُّها المَولى إِلَيّا وَلا تَقُل

أَصِخ أَيُّها المَولى إِلَيّا وَلا تَقُل

مَضى ذَلِكَ الفَضلُ الَّذي كانَ يُعهَدُ

مَضى ذَلِكَ الفَضلُ الَّذي كانَ يُعهَدُ

Give ear, O lord, to me, and do not say:

“That bounty which once was given is gone.”

"That excellence once known has passed away."

For had this poetry been composed in the past

فَلَو كانَ هَذا الشِعرُ قِدَماً رَواهُ في

فَلَو كانَ هَذا الشِعرُ قِدَماً رَواهُ في

أُمَيَّةَ حُمادٌ وَغَنّاهُ مَعبَدُ

أُمَيَّةَ حُمادٌ وَغَنّاهُ مَعبَدُ

For had this poetry existed long ago, it would have been recited in

Humâd would have transmitted it in Umayyad times, and Ma‘bad would have sung it,

Umayya's days by Hammad, and sung by Ma'bad.

Since in every land it continues to be sung

عَلى أَنَّهُ مازالَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

عَلى أَنَّهُ مازالَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

يُغَنّى بِهِ عِندَ المُلوكِ وَيُنشَدُ

يُغَنّى بِهِ عِندَ المُلوكِ وَيُنشَدُ

Yet it has not ceased, in every town,

Before kings, and declaimed.

To be sung before kings and recited.

No king is hoped for and feared except you,

فَلا مَلِكٌ يُرجى سِواكَ وَيُتَّقى

فَلا مَلِكٌ يُرجى سِواكَ وَيُتَّقى

وَلا شاعِرٌ يُهوى سِوايَ وَيُحمَدِ

وَلا شاعِرٌ يُهوى سِوايَ وَيُحمَدِ

So no king but you is looked to with hope and feared,

No poet loved and praised except me.

And no poet but me is loved and praised.