1. كَيفَ الضَلالُ وَصُبحُ وَجهِكَ مُشرِقُ

    وَشَذاكَ في الأَكوانِ مِسكٌ يَعبِقُ

    How can I stray when the dawn of your face shines,

    and your fragrance is musk wafting through all existence?

  2. يا مَن إِذا سَفَرَت مَحاسِنُ وَجهِهِ

    ظَلَّت بِهِ حَدَقُ الخَلائِقِ تُحدِقُ

    O you, when the beauties of your face are unveiled,

    all creation's eyes remain fixed upon you.

  3. أَوضَحتَ عُذري في هَواكَ بِواضِحٍ

    ماءُ الحَيا بِأَديمِهِ يَتَرَقرَقُ

    You made plain my excuse for loving you with a radiant face,

    on whose skin the dew of modesty shimmers.

  4. فَإِذا العَذولُ رَأى جَمالَك قالَ لي

    عَجَباً لِقَلبِكَ كَيفَ لا يَتمَزَّقُ

    When the reprover sees your beauty, he says to me:

    How astonishing your heart—how does it not tear apart?

  5. أَغَنَيتَني بِالفِكرِ فيكَ عَنِ الكَرى

    يا آسِري فَأَنا الغَنِيُّ المُملِقُ

    Thinking of you has freed me from the need for sleep,

    O my captor: I am rich, yet destitute.

  6. يا آسِراً قَلبَ المُحِبِّ فَدَمعُهُ

    وَالنَومُ مِنهُ مُطلَقٌ وَمُطَلَّقُ

    O captor of the lover's heart, his tears

    are released, and sleep is divorced from him.

  7. لَولاكَ ما نافَقتُ أَهْلَ مَوَدَّتي

    وَظَلَلتُ فيكَ نَفيسَ عُمري أُنفِقُ

    But for you, I would not have dissembled with my friends,

    and I have kept spending my precious life on you.

  8. وَصَحِبتُ قَوماً لَستُ مِن نَظَرائِهِم

    فَكَأَنَّني في الطَرسِ سَطرٌ مُلحَقُ

    I have kept company with people who are not my peers,

    as though I were a line appended to a manuscript.

  9. قَولا لِمَن حَمَلَ السِلاحَ وَخَصرُهُ

    مِن قَدَّ ذابِلِهِ أَدَقُّ وَأَرشَقُ

    Say, you two, to him who bears arms, whose waist

    is finer and more graceful than his slender spear's shaft:

  10. لا توهِ جِسمَكَ بِالسِلاحِ وَثِقلِهِ

    إِنّي عَلَيكَ مِنَ الغِلالَةِ أَشفَقُ

    Do not weaken your body with weapons and their weight;

    I fear for you even from a gauze-thin tunic.

  11. ظَبيٌ مِنَ الأَتراكِ فَوقَ خُدودِهِ

    نارٌ يَخُرُّ لَها الكَليمُ وَيُصعَقُ

    A gazelle among the Turks, upon whose cheeks

    is fire before which Moses falls, struck senseless.

  12. تَلقاهُ وَهوَ مُزَرَّدٌ وَمُدَرَّعٌ

    وَتَراهُ وَهوَ مُقَرَّطٌ وَمُقَرطَقُ

    You meet him clad in mail and armor,

    and see him wearing earrings and a short tunic.

  13. لَم تَترُكِ الأَتراكُ بَعدَ جَمالِها

    حُسناً لِمَخلوقٍ سِواها يُخلَقُ

    The Turks, beyond their own beauty, have left

    no beauty for any other creature yet to be created.

  14. إِن نوزِلوا كانوا أَسودَ عَريكَةٍ

    أَو غوزِلوا كانوا بُدوراً تُشرِقُ

    If challenged in combat, they are lions of fierce mettle;

    if courted, they are shining full moons.

  15. قَومٌ إِذا رَكِبوا الجِيادَ ظَنَنتَهَم

    أُسداً بِأَلحاظِ الجَآذِرِ تَرمُقُ

    A people who, when they ride their steeds, seem to you

    lions gazing with the eyes of wild-ox calves.

  16. قَد خُلِّقَت بِدَمِ القُلوبِ خُدودُهُم

    وَدَروعُهُم بِدَمِ الكُماةِ تُخَلَّقُ

    Their cheeks have been anointed with the blood of hearts,

    and their armor is anointed with the blood of champions.

  17. جَذَبوا القِسِيَّ إِلى قِسِيِّ حَواجِبٍ

    مِن تَحتِها نَبلُ اللَواحِظِ تَرشُقُ

    They drew their bows up to their eyebrows' bows,

    from beneath which the arrows of their glances fly.

  18. نَشَروا الشُعورَ فَكُلُّ قَدٍّ مِنهُمُ

    لَدنٌ عَليهِ مِنَ الذَوائِبِ سَنجَقُ

    They let their hair flow loose, and every figure among them

    is supple, bearing a banner of flowing locks.

  19. لي مِنهُمُ رَشَأٌ إِذا غازَلتُهُ

    كادَت لَواحِظُهُ بِسِحرٍ تَنطِقُ

    Among them I have a fawn who, when I court him,

    has glances that almost speak enchantment.

  20. إِن شاءَ يَلقاني بِخُلقٍ واسِعٍ

    عِندَ السَلامِ نَهاهُ طَرفٌ ضَيِّقُ

    If he wishes to meet me with a generous manner,

    his narrow eye restrains him at the greeting.

  21. لَم أَنسَ لَيلَةَ زارَني وَرَقيبُهُ

    يُبدي الرِضا وَهوَ المَغيظُ المُحنَقُ

    I have not forgotten the night he visited me, while his watcher

    showed approval, though furious and enraged.

  22. وَافى وَقَد أَبدى الحَياءُ بِوَجهِهِ

    ماءً لَهُ في القَلبِ نارٌ تُحرِقُ

    He arrived, and modesty had brought forth upon his face

    a dew whose fire burns within my heart.

  23. أَمسى يُعاطيني المُدامَ وَبَينَنا

    عَتَبٌ أَلَذُّ مِنَ المُدامِ وَأَروَقُ

    That evening he passed me wine, and between us

    lay reproaches sweeter and clearer than the wine.

  24. حَتّى إِذا عَبَثَ الكَرى بِجُفونِهِ

    كانَ الوِسادَةَ ساعِدي وَالمِرفَقُ

    Until, when sleep began to play with his eyelids,

    my forearm and elbow became his pillow.

  25. عانَقتُهُ وَضَمَمتُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ

    مِن ساعِدَيَّ مُطَوَّقٌ وَمُمَنطَقُ

    I embraced him and clasped him, as though he

    were collared and girdled by my forearms.

  26. حَتّى بَدا فَلَقُ الصَباحِ فَراعَهُ

    إِنَّ الصَباحَ هُوَ العَدوُّ الأَزرَقُ

    Until the break of dawn appeared and startled him;

    truly, morning is the blue-eyed enemy.

  27. فَهُناكَ أَومى لِلوَداعِ مُقَبِّلاً

    كَفَّيَّ وَهيَ بِذَيلِهِ تَتَعَلَّقُ

    Then he signaled farewell, kissing

    my hands as they clung to his hem.

  28. يا مَن يُقَبِّلُ لِلوَداعِ أَنامِلي

    إِنّي إِلى تَقبيلِ ثَغرِكَ أَشوَقُ

    O you who kiss my fingers in farewell,

    I long still more to kiss your mouth.

  29. وَلَقَد رَضيتُ عَنِ الصَباحِ وَإِن غَدا

    لِلعاشِقينَ غُرابَ بَينٍ يَنعَقُ

    Yet I have made peace with morning, though it has become

    a croaking raven of separation for lovers.

  30. وَغَفَرتُ ذَنبَ الدَهرِ حينَ بَدَت بِهِ

    مِن طَلعَةِ السُلطانِ شَمسٌ تُشرِقُ

    And I forgave Time's sin when there appeared within it,

    from the sultan's countenance, a shining sun.

  31. المالِكُ المَنصورُ وَالمَلِكُ الَّذي

    مِن خَوفِهِ طَرفُ النَوائِبِ مُطرِقُ

    The sovereign al-Mansur, the king before whom

    calamities lower their gaze in fear.

  32. نَجمٌ لَهُ فَلَكُ السَعادَةِ مَطلَعٌ

    بَدرٌ لَهُ أُفُقُ المَعالي مَشرِقُ

    A star whose rising-place is fortune's sphere,

    a full moon whose rising-place is the horizon of glory.

  33. مِن مَعشَرٍ حازوا الفَخارَ بِسَعيِهِم

    وَبَنى لَهُم فَلَكَ المَعالي أُرتُقُ

    From a clan who won honor through their striving,

    and for whom Artuq built the sphere of glory.

  34. قَومٌ هُمُ الدَهرُ العَبوسُ إِذا سَطوا

    وَإِذا سَخوا فَهُمُ السَحابُ المُغدِقُ

    A people who are scowling Time when they strike,

    but when they give, they are rain-rich clouds.

  35. وَإِذا اِستَغاثَ المُستَغيثُ تَسَرَّعوا

    وَإِذا اِستَجارَ المُستَجيرُ تَرَفَّقوا

    When a supplicant cries for aid, they hasten;

    when a seeker seeks refuge, they show kindness.

  36. مَلِكٌ تَحُفُّ بِهِ المُلوكُ كَأَنَّهُ

    بَدرٌ بِهِ زُهرُ الكَواكِبِ تُحدِقُ

    A king surrounded by kings, as though he

    were a full moon encircled by bright stars.

  37. وَنَبِيُّ عَصرٍ بِالسَماحَةِ مُرسَلٌ

    كُلُّ الأَنامِ بِما أَتاهُ تُصَدِّقُ

    A prophet of his age, sent forth with generosity;

    all mankind believes in what he has brought.

  38. قَد ظَلَّلَتهُ سَحابَةٌ مِن خَيرِهِ

    تَسري وَآيَتُهُ السَماحُ المُطلَقُ

    A cloud of his own goodness has shaded him,

    drifting onward; his sign is unbounded generosity.

  39. وَالقُبَّةُ العَلياءُ وَالطَيرُ الَّذي

    مِن حَولِهِ راياتُ نَصرٍ تَخفُقُ

    And the lofty canopy and the birds

    around him are fluttering banners of victory.

  40. وَالجَيشُ مُمتَدُّ الجَوانِبِ حَولَهُ

    يُفلى بِهِ فَودُ الفَلا وَالمَفرِقُ

    The army spreads its flanks around him;

    with it, the desert's side-lock and parting are combed.

  41. فَلِوَحشِها أَجنادُهُ وَجِيادُهُ

    وَلِطَيرِها بازِيُّهُ وَالزُرَّقُ

    For its wild beasts, he has his troops and steeds,

    and for its birds, his goshawk and small hunting hawks.

  42. مَلِكٌ يَجِلُّ عَنِ العِيانِ فَنَغتَدي

    بِقُلوبِنا لا بِالنَواظِرِ نَرمُقُ

    A king beyond the reach of eyesight, so we come to

    gaze with our hearts, not with our eyes.

  43. فَإِذا تَطَلَّعَ قُلتَ لَيثٌ ناظِرٌ

    وَإِذا تَفَكَّرَ قُلتُ صِلٌّ مُطرِقُ

    When he looks up, you say: A lion watching;

    when he ponders, I say: An asp with lowered gaze.

  44. كَالشَمسِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لا يَختَفي

    وَالبَدرِ إِلّا إِنَّهُ لا يُمحَقُ

    Like the sun, except that he never disappears;

    and the full moon, except that he never wanes;

  45. وَالغَيثِ إِلا أَنَّهُ لا يَنتَهي

    وَاللَيثِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لا يَفرَقُ

    and the rain, except that he never runs out;

    and the lion, except that he never fears;

  46. وَالسَيفِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لا يَنثَني

    وَالسَيلِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لا يُغرِقُ

    and the sword, except that he never bends;

    and the torrent, except that he never drowns anyone;

  47. وَالدَهرِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لا يَعتَدي

    وَالبَحرِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لا يَزهَقُ

    and Time, except that he never transgresses;

    and the sea, except that he never takes life.

  48. تُرجى فَوائِدُهُ وَيُخشى بَأسُهُ

    كَالنارِ تَمنَحُكَ الضِياءُ وَتُحرِقُ

    His gifts are hoped for, and his might is feared,

    like fire, which grants you light and burns.

  49. لَبِقُ الأَنامِلِ بِاليَراعِ وَإِنَّها

    بِالبيضِ في يَومِ الكَريهَةِ أَلبَقُ

    His fingers are deft with the reed pen, and they

    are defter still with bright swords on the day of battle.

  50. كَفٌّ لِما حَفِظَ اليَراعُ مُضيعَةٌ

    وَلِما تُجَمَّعُهُ الصِفاحُ تُفَرِّقُ

    A hand that squanders what the reed pen has preserved,

    and scatters what sword blades gather.

  51. لا يَحتَوي الأَموالَ إِلّا مِثلَما

    يَحوي بِأَطرافِ البَنانِ الزَيبَقُ

    He holds money no more firmly than

    one holds quicksilver with one's fingertips.

  52. جَرَتِ المُلوكُ لِسَبقِ غاياتِ العُلى

    فَمُشَمَّرٌ في جَريِهِ وَمُحَلَّقُ

    Kings raced to reach the goals of high glory,

    some girded up for running, others soaring.

  53. حَتّى إِذا نَكَصَ المُكافِحُ جاءَها

    مُتَهادِياً في خَطوِهِ يَتَرَفَّقُ

    Until, when the contender retreated, he reached those goals,

    walking serenely, unhurried in his steps.

  54. يامَن بِهِ شَرُفَت مَعاقِدُ تاجِهِ

    وَبِها يُشَرَّفُ مِن سِواهُ المَفرِقُ

    O you whose crown's fastenings gain honor through you,

    while they bestow honor on the heads of others:

  55. أَنِسَت بِمَقدَمِكَ العِراقُ وَأَهلُها

    وَاِستَوحَشَت لَكَ حَرزَمٌ وَالجَوسَقُ

    Iraq and its people have rejoiced in your arrival,

    while Harzam and al-Jawsaq are lonely for you.

  56. وَغَدَت عُيونُ الصورِ صوراً وَالحِمى

    أَمسى إِلى إِقبالِكُم يَتَشَوَّقُ

    The springs of al-Sur cast sidelong glances, and the sanctuary

    has come to yearn for your arrival.

  57. أَرضٌ تَحِلُّ بِرَبعِها فَلِباسُنا

    مِن سُندُسٍ وَفِراشُنا الإِستَبرَقُ

    A land in whose dwelling-place you alight: our clothing

    is fine silk, and our bedding is brocade.

  58. فَالناسُ تَستَسقي الغَمامَ وَمَن بِها

    يَدعو الإِلَهَ بِأَنَّهُ لا يَغرَقُ

    While people beg clouds for rain, whoever lives there

    prays to God that he may not drown.

  59. يا مَن يُقايِسُ مارِدينَ بِجُلَّقٍ

    بَعُدَ القِياسُ وَأَينَ مِنهُ جِلَّقُ

    O you who compare Mardin with Jilliq,

    the comparison is far-fetched—where is Jilliq beside it?

  60. لَم تُذكَرِ الشَهباءُ في سَبقِ العُلى

    إِلّا كَبَت شَقراؤُها وَالأَبلَقُ

    Al-Shahba is never mentioned in the race for glory

    without its chestnut mare and the piebald steed stumbling.

  61. كَم مارِدينَ لِمارِدينَ تَواثَبوا

    وَمِنَ المَحالِ طِلابُ ما لا يُلحَقُ

    How many rebels have sprung against Mardin!

    Yet seeking what cannot be reached is impossible.

  62. لَم يَعقِلوا إِلّا وَآجامُ القَنا

    سورٌ لَها وَدَمُ الفَوارِسِ خَندَقُ

    They came to their senses only when thickets of spears

    stood as its wall, and horsemen's blood as its moat.

  63. وَتَجَمَّعوا حَتّى مَدَدتَ لَهُم يَداً

    ذَكَروا بِها أَيدي سَبا فَتَفَرَّقوا

    They massed together until you stretched out a hand to them;

    by it they recalled the hands of Saba, and scattered.

  64. ذَهَلَ الهِياجُ عُقولَهُم فَتَوَهَّموا

    في كُلِّ خافِقَةٍ لِواءٌ يَخفُقُ

    The clash bewildered their minds, so they imagined

    a waving banner in every fluttering thing.

  65. ما أَنتَ يَومَ السَلمِ إِلّا واحِدٌ

    فَرَدٌ وَفي يَومِ الكَريهَةِ فَيلَقُ

    In peace you are but one,

    one alone; on the day of battle, an army.

  66. أَغلَقتَ بابَ العُذرِ مَع تَصحيفِهِ

    وَالجودُ عِندَكَ بابُهُ لا يُغلَقُ

    You have shut the door to excuse—and treachery, its redotted twin;

    but with you generosity's door is never shut.

  67. مَولايَ سَمعاً مِن وَلِيَّكَ مَدحَةً

    عَن صِدقِ وُدّي في عُلاكُم تَنطِقُ

    My lord, give ear to a praise poem from your loyal follower,

    speaking of my sincere affection for your glory.

  68. أَنا عَبدُ أَنعُمِكَ القَديمُ وِدادُهُ

    وَسِوايَ في أَقوالِهِ يَتَمَلَّقُ

    I am the servant of your favors, with longstanding devotion;

    others merely flatter in their words.

  69. عَبدٌ مُقيمٌ بِالعِراقِ وَمَدحُهُ

    فيكُم يُغَرِّبُ تارَةً وَيُشَرِّقُ

    A servant dwelling in Iraq, whose praise

    of you travels now west, now east.

  70. فَلَقَد وَقَفتُ عَلى عُلاكَ بَدائِعاً

    يَعيا بِأَيسَرِها النَصيحُ المُفلِقُ

    For I have dedicated marvels to your glory,

    the least of which baffles the sincere, masterful speaker.

  71. مِن كُلِّ هَيفاءِ الكَلامِ رَشيقَةٍ

    في طَيِّها مَعنىً أَدَقُّ وَأَرشَقُ

    Each a slender-waisted, graceful beauty of speech,

    with a meaning yet finer and more graceful folded within.

  72. حَسَدَت أُهَيلُ دِيارِ بَكرٍ مَنطِقي

    فيها كَما حَسَدَ الهَزارَ اللَقلَقُ

    The petty folk of Diyar Bakr envied my expression

    in them, as the stork envied the nightingale.

  73. أَعيَت أَكابِرَهُم أَصاغِرُ لَفظِها

    وَلَرُبَّما أَعيا الرِخاخَ البَيدَقُ

    My verses' smallest words baffled their greatest men;

    many a time a pawn has confounded the rooks.

  74. جاؤوكَ بِاللَفظِ المُعادِ لِأَنَّني

    غَرَّبتُ في طَلَبِ الغَريبِ وَشَرَّقوا

    They came to you with repeated wording, because I

    went west seeking rarities, while they went east.

  75. لَهُمُ بِذاكَ جِبِلَّةٌ جَبَلِيَّةٌ

    وَلَنا عِراقٌ وَالفَصاحَةُ مُعرِقُ

    They have, in this, a mountain-bred temperament,

    while we have Iraq, where eloquence is deep-rooted.

  76. ما كُنتُ أَرضى بِالقَريضِ فَضيلَةً

    لَكِن رَأَيتُ الفَضلَ عِندَكَ يَنفُقُ

    I was not content to count poetry a distinction,

    but I saw that merit finds favor with you.

  77. قالوا خُلِقتَ مُوَفَّقاً لِمَديحِهِ

    فَأَجَبتُهُم إِنَّ السَعيدَ مُوَفَّقُ

    They said: You were created to succeed in praising him;

    so I answered them: Indeed, the fortunate are granted success.

  78. إِنّي لَيُقنِعُني القَبولُ إِجازَةً

    إِنَّ التَصَدُّقَ بِالوِدادِ تَصَدُّقُ

    Acceptance alone satisfies me as a reward;

    indeed, giving affection is an act of charity.

  79. لازالَ أَمرُكَ بِالسَعادَةِ نافِذاً

    في الأَرضِ تَمنَعُ مَن تَشاءُ وَتَرزُقُ

    May your command ever prevail with good fortune

    throughout the earth, withholding from whom you will and granting sustenance.