أفي كل يوم لوعة وحنين

ومن كل فج للفراق كمين

Is every day anguish and longing?

And from every pass an ambush of parting?

وكل طريق هكذا عنك موعر

فلي طرق كانت إليك تهون

And is every road away from you so rugged?

Yet I have paths that once grew easy toward you.

تقضت عهود باللوى وتصرمت

وعود وخابت يا بثين ظنون

The old days at al-Liwā passed, and broken were

the promises; hopes, O Buthayn, came to nothing.

وولت لذا ذات عهدت وأسفرت

نوى غربة لا تقضى وشطون

The pleasures I knew departed, and there appeared

exile's separation, unending, and remoteness.

كأن لم تدر تلك المناجاة بيننا

ولا هصرت ذاك القوام يمين

As though those whispered confidences had never passed between us,

nor a right hand ever bent that graceful form,

ولا اخضلت تلك المعاهد بعدنا

ولا هطلت فيها سحائب جون

nor those familiar haunts grown verdant after we left,

nor dark clouds ever poured their rain there.

عليّ لهذا الخطب أيقاظ همة

يضج لها صلد الصفا ويلين

For this calamity I must awaken a resolve

at which hard rock cries out and softens,

ووجناء مر قال ينكث بأسها

قوي البؤس تدري العزم كيف يكون

and a sturdy, swift-paced she-camel whose strength unravels

the forces of hardship; she knows how resolve should be.

فإن فؤادي بين جنبي حشوه

أمان ولي عند الزمان ديون

For my heart, between my sides, is filled

with wishes; and Time owes me debts.

وسائلة عتبي أعني من النوى

غنى وعتاب الغانيات فنون

A woman asks reproachfully; through departure I seek

wealth—and fair women's reproaches take many forms.

أجل من تقاضى المجد يا لبسة مالك

تولى شمال شمله ويمين

Yes, whoever claims glory, O Mālik's robe,

his companions turn away to left and right.

فلا تعتبيني واعلمي انما العلا

أسير على وخد القلاص رهين

So do not reproach me, and know that lofty honor is

a captive, held hostage to the swift stride of young she-camels.

تلك المطايا البزل أم سفن طغى

بها الآل تخفى تارة وتبين

Are those mature riding-camels, or ships over which surges

the mirage, as they vanish at times and reappear?

تمور لرجع الحدو حتى كأنما

عراها بأصوات الحداة جنون

They sway to the echo of the camel-song, until it seems

the drivers' voices have sent them mad.

إذا لمحت برق العواصم لم تكد

مناسمها تقوى بهن حزون

When they glimpse the lightning over al-ʿAwāṣim, scarcely

can rugged ground withstand their footpads.

تلفت تلقاء الشآم كأنما

تخلى لها بالرقمتين جنين

They turn toward al-Shām, as though

a calf had been left behind for them at al-Raqmatayn.

إذا أبصر الخالي بها قال علقت

مشافرها بالغوطتين يمين

When a carefree onlooker sees them, he says: 'Bound are

their lips to the two Ghūṭas by a right hand.'

وصلنا السرى بالسير حتى شكا لنا

من الوخد أخفاف لها ومتون

We joined night journeys to marching, until complaints reached us

from their footpads and backs about the swift pace.

فلذنا بها أوداج كل مطوق

من السحب ممنوع الفناء حصين

With them we cut the jugulars of every encircled height,

wreathed in clouds, its precinct inaccessible and fortified.

حبال تمطت العلا لو رأيتها

لقلت لها بين النجوم ديون

Ridges stretched toward the heights—had you seen them,

you would have said they had debts owing among the stars.

شابت أواصبها الثلوج فما رقت

لها بعد فقدان الشباب عيون

Snow grayed their locks [reading uncertain], yet no pity was felt

for them by any eyes after their youth was lost.

ويا رب ليل ضل فيه دليلنا

فأهداه من نجل الحسام جبين

Oh, how many a night our guide lost his way,

and the brow of al-Ḥusām's son guided him.

فتى لا ضلال بعد رؤية وجهه

ولا بارق الأفضال منه يمين

A youth whose face, once seen, leaves none astray,

whose lightning-flash of favor never proves false.

علاه رقى نسر السما بجناحه

وعرض بعيد الغايتين مصون

The eagle of heaven has climbed to his heights on its wing,

and his honor, far-reaching at either limit, is protected.

ورقة خلق راح يحسدها الصبا

فأضحى عليلا يعتريه أنين

And a gentleness of character the east wind came to envy,

until it grew ailing, overtaken by sighs;

وبذل تذوب السحب منه خجالة

وبأس به يسطو القضا ويدين

and a bounty before which clouds melt in shame,

and might by which Fate strikes and to which it submits;

وعلم لو ان الناس قامت ببعضه

وهي الجهل حتى لا يكاد يبين

and knowledge—if people acted on even some of it,

ignorance would weaken until it scarcely showed.

من القوم شادوا ذروة المجد والندى

ليوث لهم قضب اليراع عرين

He is of those who raised the summit of glory and generosity,

lions whose lair is made of reed-pen shafts.

هنيئاً حسام الدين يا خير ماجد

به شيدت المكرمات حصون

Congratulations, Ḥusām al-Dīn, O finest of noble men,

through whom the fortresses of noble deeds are raised,

بمقدم مولى قد هدت بقدومه

قلوب وقرت للكرام عيون

on the arrival of a lord whose coming has shaken

hearts and gladdened the eyes of the noble.

أناخ بأرض الروم أكرم قادم

له السعد خدن والفلاح قرين

The noblest newcomer has alighted in the land of Rūm;

good fortune is his friend, and success his companion.

وقد وفدت أخباره الغر قبله

تطوق أعناق العلى وتزين

His shining tidings had already come before him,

encircling the necks of lofty honor and adorning them.

ألا هكذا في اللَه من يك سعيه

تدين له أيامه وتلين

Thus it is: whoever strives for God,

his days obey him and grow gentle.

فيا آل عثمان تهنوا بماجد

يذب لكم عن عرضكم ويصون

O House of ʿUthmān, rejoice in a noble man

who defends your honor for you and keeps it safe.

رغمتم به أنف العدو وإنما

الزمان به عن غيركم لضنين

Through him you have rubbed the enemy's nose in dust; indeed,

Time grudges him to anyone but you.

أطلاب مسعاة هلموا أدلكم

عليه فإني في المقال أمين

O seekers of noble achievement, come: I shall guide you

to him, for I am trustworthy in what I say.

ضعوا يدكم في جنح عنقاء مغرب

وأرجلكم في الريح فهو متين

Place your hand within the wing of the far-flying phoenix,

and your feet in the wind, for it is firm.

وهام السها فارقوا إذا حلقت بكم

إليه فما رمتم هناك يكون

And leave the crowns of al-Suhā behind when it soars with you

toward him; whatever you seek will be there.

أجاذب ضبعي إذ قواي ضئيلة

ومؤمن روعي والزمان خؤون

O you who draw me up by the arm when my strength is slight,

and calm my fear while Time is treacherous,

أما إنه لولاك ما فتقت بنا

إلى الروم رتق الراسيات ظعون

indeed, but for you, no caravan would have torn open for us

the closed seam of the steadfast mountains toward Rūm.

ولا كنت أدري كيف يكتسب العلى

ولا كيف صعب الحادثات يهون

Nor would I have known how high honor is won,

or how the hardship of calamities grows easy.

أقلت عثار الحال مني إذ هما

علي سحاب من نداك هتون

You righted my stumbling fortunes when there poured

upon me a cloud of your bounty, raining copiously.

وإني لأدري أن فضلك كافل

لبانات طلاب الكمال ضمين

And I certainly know your favor guarantees

the wishes of seekers of perfection, standing surety for them.

وما لي بعد اللَه غيرك مسعد

من الناس في نيل المراد معين

After God, I have no benefactor but you

among mankind, no helper in attaining what I desire.

وفي بابكم حطت رحال مطامعي

وما تم لي إلا إليه سكون

At your gate my hopes have set down their saddlebags,

and only toward it can I find full repose.

وحاشاك أن ينتاشني برح غلة

ووردك صاف لا يغيض معين

Far be it from you to let burning thirst's torment seize me,

while your watering-place is clear, an undiminishing, flowing spring.

وأنك أدرى من فؤادي بحاجتي

وحسبي بهذا كاشف ومبين

You know my need better than my own heart,

and this is enough to disclose and make it plain.