للَّهِ غانية حظيت بها فما

للَّهِ غانية حظيت بها فما

أحلى مراشفها وأطيبها فما

أحلى مراشفها وأطيبها فما

God be praised for the beauty I was blessed with—how

For Allah, I have a songbird I was blessed with

sweet her lips, and how delightful her mouth!

How sweet are her pillows and how fragrant her mouth

سفرت وكوكب خدها من فضةٍ

سفرت وكوكب خدها من فضةٍ

فلثمته حتى تلثم عندما

فلثمته حتى تلثم عندما

She unveiled, and her cheek's star was silver;

She traveled and the planet of her cheek is silver

so I kissed it until it wore a veil of crimson dye.

So I kissed it until it kissed back when

وكتمت سر وصالها فأذاعه

وكتمت سر وصالها فأذاعه

آثارُ ذاك اللثم لما علَّما

آثارُ ذاك اللثم لما علَّما

And I kept our union secret, but it was betrayed

And I kept the secret of being with her so it spread

by the traces of that kissing, when it left its marks.

The traces of that kiss taught when they educated

فاليوم لا وجدي بضامرة الحشى

فاليوم لا وجدي بضامرة الحشى

خافٍ ولا شوقي لباردة اللمى

خافٍ ولا شوقي لباردة اللمى

So today my passion for the slender-waisted woman is not

Today my heart is not weary in the worn out chest

hidden, nor my longing for the woman with cool, dusky lips.

Fearful, nor is my longing for the cold beloved

ويل الفراق فما أراق مدامعاً

ويل الفراق فما أراق مدامعاً

لكن أراق دماً وأرَّق ضيغما

لكن أراق دماً وأرَّق ضيغما

Woe to separation! It shed no tears,

Woe to parting, it did not shed tears

but shed blood and kept a lion sleepless.

But shed blood and deprived tranquil sleep

ماذا علي ولست أول شاعرٍ

ماذا علي ولست أول شاعرٍ

يهوى الجناس إذا وهبت دمي الدُمَى

يهوى الجناس إذا وهبت دمي الدُمَى

What blame is mine—and I am not the first poet

What is upon me when I am not the first poet

to love wordplay—if I give my blood to doll-like beauties?

Who loved rhyming when my blood was gifted wine

وقصرت تشبيبي على حدق المهى

وقصرت تشبيبي على حدق المهى

وقصدت بالمدح الإمامَ الأعظما

وقصدت بالمدح الإمامَ الأعظما

And I confined my love verse to the eyes of oryxes,

And my youth was limited to the pupils of temptation

and directed my praise to the greatest imam:

And I sought with praise the greatest Imam

علم الشريعة عزة الدين الذي

علم الشريعة عزة الدين الذي

صارت دمشق به جناناً معلما

صارت دمشق به جناناً معلما

the standard of sacred law, the glory of the faith, through whom

The master of Sharia, the might of the religion whom

Damascus became a renowned paradise.

Damascus through him became gardens with landmarks

حكمٌ براه اللَه يكرم صالحاً

حكمٌ براه اللَه يكرم صالحاً

ويبرُّ محتاجاً ويحرم مجرما

ويبرُّ محتاجاً ويحرم مجرما

A judge whom God fashioned, who honors the righteous,

A just ruler whom Allah made righteous

and aids the needy, while depriving the criminal.

And shows mercy to the needy and forbids the sinner

وله يدٌ طولى تصب إذا سطا

وله يدٌ طولى تصب إذا سطا

علقاً ويوم السلم تمطر أنعما

علقاً ويوم السلم تمطر أنعما

And he has a far-reaching hand that, when he strikes, pours out

He has a long hand that pours when extended

gore; in times of peace, it rains down favors.

Pearls and on days of peace it rains blessings

وفطانةٌ لو كنتُ ممن آمنوا

وفطانةٌ لو كنتُ ممن آمنوا

بخرافة التنجيم قلتُ منجما

بخرافة التنجيم قلتُ منجما

And such discernment that, were I among those who believe

And a brilliance that if I was one who believed

in the superstition of astrology, I would call him an astrologer.

In the myth of astrology I would have said an astrologer

يا خير من أعطى وأفصح من روى

يا خير من أعطى وأفصح من روى

وأشد من شد المطهم وانتمى

وأشد من شد المطهم وانتمى

O best of givers and most eloquent of narrators,

O best of those who gave and most eloquent of those who narrated

and mightiest of those who saddle a fine steed and proclaim their lineage!

And firmest of those who pulled the rope and belonged

ما أحمد القلعي إلّا فاسقٌ

ما أحمد القلعي إلّا فاسقٌ

خرب البلاد بظلمه وتظلما

خرب البلاد بظلمه وتظلما

Ahmad al-Qal‘i is nothing but a sinner:

I do not praise al-Qal'i except as a sinner

he ruined the land with his oppression, yet complained of being wronged.

Who corrupted the country with his oppression and injustice

يفتي بلا علمٍ ويغسل بالطلا

يفتي بلا علمٍ ويغسل بالطلا

يده إذا صلى ويكذب مُحْرِما

يده إذا صلى ويكذب مُحْرِما

He issues fatwas without knowledge, and with wine he washes

Issuing fatwas without knowledge and washing

his hand when he prays, and lies while consecrated for pilgrimage.

His hands with soil when he prays and lying while sacred

ويقول قول اللَه مخلوقٌ ولا

ويقول قول اللَه مخلوقٌ ولا

يرضى بمن جعل الزناء محرما

يرضى بمن جعل الزناء محرما

And he says God's word is created, and does not

And says the word of Allah is created and does not

approve of whoever made fornication forbidden.

Accept one who made adultery forbidden

ولديه من أصحاب لوطٍ عصابةٌ

ولديه من أصحاب لوطٍ عصابةٌ

فتكت به فتك النواصب بالدمى

فتكت به فتك النواصب بالدمى

And with him is a band of Lot's companions,

And with him is a gang of the people of Lot

who ravaged him as the Nawasib ravage dolls.

Who destroyed him with the destruction of the blood-shedders

ويقوم مع هذي الكبائر كلها

ويقوم مع هذي الكبائر كلها

متبختراً متكبراً متعظما

متبختراً متكبراً متعظما

Yet despite all these grave sins, he stands

And with all these major sins he stands

swaggering, arrogant, puffed up with pride.

Haughtily, arrogantly, boastfully

أبمثل ذا نرضى وللشمس الرضى

أبمثل ذا نرضى وللشمس الرضى

من عاهل الدنيا وجبار السما

من عاهل الدنيا وجبار السما

Shall we accept one like this, while the Sun enjoys favor

Should we be satisfied with the likes of this and the sun's satisfaction

from the world's sovereign and the Almighty of heaven?

From the ruler of the world and sovereign of the sky

طوح به عنا للعنة ربه

طوح به عنا للعنة ربه

فلمثله خلق الإله جهنما

فلمثله خلق الإله جهنما

Hurl him away from us into his Lord's curse,

Cast him away from us to the curse of his Lord

for it was for his like that God created Hell.

For the likes of him Allah created hell

واسلم ودم حكماً كريماً فاضلاً

واسلم ودم حكماً كريماً فاضلاً

لا يترك الفظ اللئيم مُحكَّما

لا يترك الفظ اللئيم مُحكَّما

And be safe, and remain a generous, virtuous judge,

And surrender the rule to a noble, virtuous, excellent judge

who does not leave the coarse, vile man empowered to judge.

Who does not leave the despicable ignoramus empowered