سالَ بالسِّحر منكَ خَيرُ يَراعِ

سالَ بالسِّحر منكَ خَيرُ يَراعِ

أَرعفَتهُ يُمنَاكَ خيرَ رُعَافِ

أَرعفَتهُ يُمنَاكَ خيرَ رُعَافِ

From you the finest reed pen flowed with enchantment;

The charm of your goodness allures me at dawn

Your right hand made it bleed the finest blood.

As your right wing gracefully unfurls

وتَهادَى مِن فوقِ طِرسِه دلا

وتَهادَى مِن فوقِ طِرسِه دلا

كتَهادِي الأطرَافِ والأعطَافِ

كتَهادِي الأطرَافِ والأعطَافِ

And it swayed coquettishly over its parchment,

And your heart flutters down from its perch

Like the graceful swaying of limbs and flanks.

Like the fluttering of hands and limbs

تَارِكا ذَيلُهُ بَديعَ رُسومٍ

تَارِكا ذَيلُهُ بَديعَ رُسومٍ

مِن رسومِ الإخلاص لِلأُلاَّفِ

مِن رسومِ الإخلاص لِلأُلاَّفِ

Its tail leaving exquisite tracings—

Leaving behind a wondrous plumed tail

Marks of devotion to dear companions.

Of loyalty's fine trappings

أسكَرَتنِي ألفاظُهُ إذ أتَاني

أسكَرَتنِي ألفاظُهُ إذ أتَاني

سَائلا شعرِي سَائلا بالسُّلاَفِ

سَائلا شعرِي سَائلا بالسُّلاَفِ

Its words intoxicated me when it came to me,

Your words intoxicated me when you came

Asking for my poetry, flowing with the choicest wine.

Begging my poetry, craving chitchat

غيرَ أنِّي أراكَ رَبَّ عَفَافٍ

غيرَ أنِّي أراكَ رَبَّ عَفَافٍ

باعتزَالٍ سمَّيتَه لا ائِتلاَفِ

باعتزَالٍ سمَّيتَه لا ائِتلاَفِ

Yet I see you as a man of chastity,

Yet I see you, most virtuous lord

Through withdrawal, as you called it—not fellowship.

Withdrawing, naming it non-fraternization

وأديبُ العَفافِ خَيرُ أدِيبٍ

وأديبُ العَفافِ خَيرُ أدِيبٍ

وعَفافُ الأدِيبِ خَيرُ عفَافِ

وعَفافُ الأدِيبِ خَيرُ عفَافِ

And a chaste writer is the finest writer,

The literatus of chastity is the best literatus

And a writer's chastity is the finest chastity.

And the chastity of the literatus is the best chastity

قد عَهِدناكَ شَاعراً أشعَرِيا

قد عَهِدناكَ شَاعراً أشعَرِيا

فإذا تَعتَزِل فعَن أَجلاَفِ

فإذا تَعتَزِل فعَن أَجلاَفِ

We have indeed known you as an Ash'ari poet;

We knew you as the most eloquent poet

So if you withdraw, it is from boors.

So if you withdraw, it is out of decency

والعِدى مَن هُمُ وأصلهُمُ إل

والعِدى مَن هُمُ وأصلهُمُ إل

لا رُعافٌ مِن مُنتِنِ الأجيَافِ

لا رُعافٌ مِن مُنتِنِ الأجيَافِ

And the foes—who are they? Their origin is nothing

And the transgressors, who are they and their ilk

But a flow of blood from putrid corpses.

Nothing but stench from rotting carrion

أنصِفُوهُم فإنهُم في عَذَابٍ

أنصِفُوهُم فإنهُم في عَذَابٍ

واتقُوا اللهَ يا أُولي الإنصَافِ

واتقُوا اللهَ يا أُولي الإنصَافِ

Treat them justly, for they are in torment,

Judge them fairly, they suffer torment

And fear God, O you who uphold fairness.

And fear Allah, O people of equity

وإليكُم عوَاطِفي وسَلاَمي

وإليكُم عوَاطِفي وسَلاَمي

وقَصِيدِ معَ الصَّديق المُصَافي

وقَصِيدِ معَ الصَّديق المُصَافي

And to you, my affections and my greetings,

To you my affections and greetings

And my verse, with the true-hearted friend.

And ode with the congenial friend

ثُم بالعُذرِ أسعِفُوه سَقِيما

ثُم بالعُذرِ أسعِفُوه سَقِيما

وأخو السُّقمِ واجبُ الإسعَافِ

وأخو السُّقمِ واجبُ الإسعَافِ

Then aid him with indulgence, sick as he is;

Then excuse him while ill

And one afflicted with sickness is owed aid.

A brother in illness deserves care

وإلى الله سل شِفَا وعَفَاءً

وإلى الله سل شِفَا وعَفَاءً

إنه وحدَه المُشافِي المُعَافِي

إنه وحدَه المُشافِي المُعَافِي

And ask God for healing and well-being;

And pray to Allah for health and wellness

Indeed, He alone is the Healer, the Restorer of health.

For He alone is the Healer, the Grantor of wellness