1. لو لم تنل من لماها الراح أنعاما

    ما صار راووقها كالدر إن عاما

    Had wine not gained a favor from her dusky lips,

    its clarified liquor would not resemble pearls when afloat.

  2. فعاطنيها على ورد الخدود طلاً

    كالورد عاطاه كافور النعامى ما

    Then pass it to me as dew upon the roses of cheeks,

    like a rose offered water by the south wind's camphor,

  3. من كف غانية تركيةٍ تركت

    ألحاظها العرَب العرباء أعجاما

    from the hand of a Turkish beauty, whose

    glances have made pure-blooded Arabs tongue-tied foreigners.

  4. لا يفقهون حديثاً حين تسألهم

    عنها فتحسبهم في الحي أنعاما

    They understand no speech when you ask them

    about her, so you take them for cattle in the camp.

  5. باتت تنولني من كان عانسةٍ

    في الدن جاماً ومن عذب اللَمى جاما

    All night she offered me, from a maiden grown old

    in the wine-jar, a cup, and from sweet dusky lips another cup.

  6. فخلتها بين كاسات الطلا قمراً

    يستعرض الشهب أفراداً وإتآما

    I fancied her a moon among the cups of wine,

    reviewing the stars, singly and in pairs,

  7. في روضةٍ من رياض الشام يانعةٍ

    يعمها الزهر وضاحاً وبساما

    in a flourishing garden among the gardens of al-Sham,

    where flowers fill it, radiant and smiling.

  8. كأنه في رباها جيش ملحمةٍ

    مدت عليه غصون الدوح أعلاما

    As though, upon its slopes, it were an army in battle,

    over which the branches of great trees unfurled banners,

  9. أو فتيةٌ حول ماء النهر تنظر في

    صحائف ملأتها الريح أرقاما

    or youths beside the river's water, gazing into

    pages the wind had filled with markings.

  10. تلك التي لامني شيخي وعنفني

    فيها وحين رآها لام من لاما

    She is the one my sheikh blamed and rebuked me

    for; when he saw her, he blamed whoever had blamed.

  11. فيا لها فُنُقاً دُرْماً مرافقها

    يحظى مُرافِقُها منها بما راما

    What a pampered beauty, her elbows smooth and rounded!

    Her companion wins from her whatever he desires.

  12. أعطى الجمال لها من لين قامتها

    رمحاً ومن لحظها الوسنان صمصاما

    Beauty gave her, from her supple stature,

    a spear, and from her drowsy glance a keen sword.

  13. لولا انتظام ثناياها ورقتها

    ما رق شعري ولا أصبحت نظّاما

    Without the orderly arrangement and delicacy of her front teeth,

    my verse would not be delicate, nor would I have become a poet.

  14. ولا أراني الهوى لولا لواحظها

    سيفاً لأفئدة السلوان جرّاما

    Nor, but for her glances, would love have shown me

    a sword that cleaves the hearts of forgetfulness.

  15. ما حيلتي فيه والأجفان قائمةٌ

    مقامه إن صحا للفتك أو ناما

    What recourse have I against it, when the eyelids stand

    in its place, whether it wakes to slaughter or sleeps?

  16. أعطى لأهدابها الباري مآربها

    فخلتها لفؤاد الملك أقلاما

    The Creator granted her lashes their desires,

    so I imagined them as pens for the king's heart.

  17. ليثٌ يهاب فؤاد الدهر صولته

    فيوسع الناس إعزازاً وإكراما

    A lion whose onslaught the heart of Time fears,

    he lavishes esteem and honor upon the people.

  18. بضُّ الطوية لو طاءت ركائبه

    على وجوه اليالي صرن أياما

    Pure of heart—were his mounts to tread

    upon the faces of nights, they would turn into days.

  19. لا يتقي اللوم في شوط السماحة وال

    تقوى ولو صارت الأملاك لوّاما

    He fears no blame in the race of generosity and

    piety, even if the angels became reproachers.

  20. أعرى المشاكل بالرأي السديد من ال

    إبهام فانقلب الإبهام إعلاما

    With sound judgment he stripped problems of

    obscurity, and obscurity turned into clarity.

  21. فيا له بطلاً دكَّ الريا وبنى

    للعدل والفضل أسواراً وأعلاما

    What a hero: he demolished hypocrisy and built

    walls and banners for justice and excellence.

  22. من سادةٍ طهر الرحمن فطرتهم

    واختارهم لجميع الناس حكّاما

    From noble lords whose nature the All-Merciful purified

    and whom He chose as rulers over all people.

  23. ما ساق حبُّ الحنا للشر ذا قدمٍ

    إلّا وأفرد عنه الساق والهاما

    No love of henna ever led a man with feet toward evil

    without his severing that man's leg and head.

  24. بالأمس كنّا ضحايا جارنا فغدا

    بئس الضحية لما مهد الشاما

    Yesterday we were our neighbor's victims; then he became

    a wretched victim once al-Sham had been pacified.

  25. هذا بذاك وعدنا للوداد وإن

    عادوا فصارمه ما زال صرّاما

    This for that: we returned to friendship, but if

    they return, his sharp sword remains a relentless cutter.

  26. يا جوهر الشرف التام الذي انقسمت

    أعداؤه بسيوف الروع أقساما

    O jewel of perfect honor, whose

    enemies were split by the swords of terror into pieces!

  27. الملك دائرةٌ تقسيمها عسرٌ

    ما دمت فيها لهامِ الغي قسّاما

    The realm is a circle, difficult to divide,

    as long as you remain within it, cleaving the heads of wickedness.

  28. أعملت رأيك فانجاب الفساد وأن

    قذت البلاد وأبقيت الصفا تاما

    You applied your judgment: corruption dispersed, and

    you rescued the land and kept its purity complete.

  29. ولو دعا غيرك المولى المجيد لها

    صارت لخنصر نابليون خاتاما

    Had the glorious lord summoned anyone but you to it,

    it would have become a ring for Napoleon's little finger.

  30. فلا برحت سديد الرأي ذا هممٍ

    تغادر الشوس يوم الروع أغناما

    May you ever remain sound in judgment, with lofty aims

    that leave fierce warriors as sheep on the day of terror.

  31. ودمت برّاً ترى الدنيا محبته

    فرضاً ومدحته وحياً وإلهاما

    And may you remain a righteous man, love for whom the world deems

    a duty, and praise of whom revelation and inspiration.