بشراك هنّيت يا ذا المجد والظفرِ

بشراك هنّيت يا ذا المجد والظفرِ

ولا بَرحتَ بإقبالٍ مدى العُمُرِ

ولا بَرحتَ بإقبالٍ مدى العُمُرِ

Glad tidings! May joy attend you, O man of glory and victory;

Glad tidings to you—may joy be yours, O possessor of glory and victory!

I congratulate you, O one of glory and victory,

and may prosperity never leave you all your life.

And may you never cease to enjoy good fortune throughout your life.

Who has not ceased to be blessed throughout life,

بشراك هُنّيت فالأيام مقبلة

بشراك هُنّيت فالأيام مقبلة

والدهر وافاك طوعاً غير ذي عذرِ

والدهر وافاك طوعاً غير ذي عذرِ

Glad tidings! May joy attend you—for the days advance smiling,

Glad tidings to you—may joy be yours, for the days are favorable.

I congratulate you, for the days are auspicious,

and time itself comes willingly to you, offering no excuse.

And Time has come to meet you willingly, without excuse.

And time itself has willingly come to you without excuse,

وعندليب الهنا غَنى لنيل منى

وعندليب الهنا غَنى لنيل منى

على غصون من الأفراح والبِشَرِ

على غصون من الأفراح والبِشَرِ

The nightingale of happiness sang at wishes fulfilled,

And joy's nightingale sang for the fulfillment of wishes,

The nightingale of bliss has sung to attain wishes,

upon branches laden with joys and delight.

upon boughs of happiness and gladness.

On branches of joy and good tidings,

وطالع النصر معقود منصَّتُه

وطالع النصر معقود منصَّتُه

فوقَ المجَّرة مرفوع بلا نُكُرِ

فوقَ المجَّرة مرفوع بلا نُكُرِ

The ascendant of victory has raised its dais

And victory's rising star has its dais erected,

The star of victory has its pedestal knotted,

high above the Milky Way, exalted beyond denial.

above the Milky Way, raised beyond dispute.

Raised above the galaxy without denial,

بشراك قد نلت في ذا الشأن مكرمة

بشراك قد نلت في ذا الشأن مكرمة

مضبوطة الفضل من بادٍ ومن حضرِ

مضبوطة الفضل من بادٍ ومن حضرِ

Glad tidings! In this affair you have attained an honor

Glad tidings—you have gained in this affair an honor

I congratulate you for attaining in this matter an honored grace,

whose excellence is attested by absent and present alike.

whose excellence is acknowledged by desert-dwellers and townsfolk.

Whose virtue is verified from absent and present,

سبَقتَ أقرانك الغرّ الكرام وقد

سبَقتَ أقرانك الغرّ الكرام وقد

خطبتَ بالمجد شمس الفخر فأفتخر

خطبتَ بالمجد شمس الفخر فأفتخر

You have outstripped your noble, illustrious peers, and

You have surpassed your illustrious, noble peers, and indeed

You preceded your peers, the honorable and generous,

through glory you courted the sun of pride—so take pride!

you have wooed, with glory, the sun of pride—so take pride!

And you sought glory, the sun of pride, so I take pride,

واختارك الليث صهراً حيث كنت له

واختارك الليث صهراً حيث كنت له

دون الورى في محلّ الناب والظُفُر

دون الورى في محلّ الناب والظُفُر

The Lion chose you as his son-in-law, for to him you stood,

And the lion chose you as his son-in-law, since you stood for him,

The lion chose you as a son-in-law, where you were to him,

above all mankind, in the station of fang and claw.

above all others, in the place of fang and claw.

Beyond all creation, in the position of sharpness and victory,

وُصِلتَ بالشرف العالي وصرت على

وُصِلتَ بالشرف العالي وصرت على

متن المكارم مخدوماً بكلّ سَري

متن المكارم مخدوماً بكلّ سَري

You were joined to exalted honor and came to ride

You have been joined to lofty honor, and now, upon

You were connected to the highest honor and became

upon glory’s back, served by every noble lord.

the back of noble virtues, you are served by every nobleman.

Served on the ship of favors with all mystery,

أكرِم بها لُحمَةً منسوجة بيد ال

أكرِم بها لُحمَةً منسوجة بيد ال

إقبال موصولةً بالعزّ والظَّفَر

إقبال موصولةً بالعزّ والظَّفَر

How noble this bond, woven by the hand of

How noble this bond of kinship, woven by the hand of

Be honored with a bond woven by the hand of

prosperity and joined to might and victory!

good fortune, linked to might and victory!

Fate, joined with might and victory,

واغنم بعرسٍ عظيم جلّ موقعه

واغنم بعرسٍ عظيم جلّ موقعه

أبان عن حِكمةٍ عظمى لمفتكر

أبان عن حِكمةٍ عظمى لمفتكر

Rejoice in a magnificent wedding, sublime in import,

And enjoy a magnificent wedding, great in its significance,

And profit from a great wedding, all of its position,

revealing profound wisdom to anyone who reflects.

which revealed supreme wisdom to one who reflects.

Indicates supreme wisdom of the thoughtful,

قد زَيَّنَ الكون فازداد الورى فرحاً

قد زَيَّنَ الكون فازداد الورى فرحاً

وعَمَّمَ البشرُ منه جملة البَشَرِ

وعَمَّمَ البشرُ منه جملة البَشَرِ

It has adorned the universe, and all creation has grown more joyful;

It has adorned the universe, and humankind grew more joyful;

It adorned the universe so the world rejoiced more,

the gladness it brought has encompassed all humankind.

and gladness from it encompassed all humankind.

And people shared in it, all of mankind,

أمسَت به بلدة الزوراء فائقة

أمسَت به بلدة الزوراء فائقة

على المدائن في كِبرٍ وفي فَخر

على المدائن في كِبرٍ وفي فَخر

Through it, Baghdad, city of al-Zawra, has come to surpass

Through it, the city of al-Zawra became preeminent

The city of Zorra became supreme over all cities

all cities in grandeur and in pride.

among cities in grandeur and pride.

In greatness and in pride,

كأنَّ غبراءَها الخضراءُ إذ نُقِشَت

كأنَّ غبراءَها الخضراءُ إذ نُقِشَت

بأحسن الشكل من تبرٍ ومن دُرَرَ

بأحسن الشكل من تبرٍ ومن دُرَرَ

It is as though her dusty earth turned verdant when adorned

As though its dust-gray earth were the green sky, when embellished

As if its green ruins, when embroidered

in loveliest form with gold and pearls.

with the loveliest designs of gold and pearls.

With the best pattern of gold and pearls,

يا طيبَ عُرسٍ به الأرجاء نيَّرةٌ

يا طيبَ عُرسٍ به الأرجاء نيَّرةٌ

لم يتفّق مثله في سالفِ العُصُرِ

لم يتفّق مثله في سالفِ العُصُرِ

How delightful a wedding, by which every quarter shines!

What a delightful wedding, through which every quarter shines!

O good wedding, with which horizons are illuminated,

Its like has never occurred in ages past.

Its like has never occurred in ages past.

The like of it did not occur in eras past,

سُرَّت به السبعة الأفلاك فانبَعثت

سُرَّت به السبعة الأفلاك فانبَعثت

عليه دائرةً في أحسن الدورِ

عليه دائرةً في أحسن الدورِ

The seven celestial spheres rejoiced in it and began

The seven celestial spheres rejoiced in it, then sprang into motion,

The seven spheres rejoiced at it and revolved around it

to circle round it in the fairest revolution.

circling above it in the loveliest revolutions.

In the best cycles,

والسعد يرقص تحت النجم في طرب

والسعد يرقص تحت النجم في طرب

والقطب إذ ذاك ساهي الطرق في سَهَرِ

والقطب إذ ذاك ساهي الطرق في سَهَرِ

Good fortune dances beneath the star in rapture,

And Fortune dances beneath the star in rapture,

And good fortune dances under the stars in rapture

while the Pole, then heedless of the pathways, keeps its vigil.

and the Pole Star then keeps vigil, heedless of the paths.

While the celestial pole forgot paths in vigil,

والمشتري قال للمريخ حين راى ال

والمشتري قال للمريخ حين راى ال

شعرى العَبورَ مع العّيوقِ في سَمَر

شعرى العَبورَ مع العّيوقِ في سَمَر

And Jupiter said to Mars, when he saw

And Jupiter said to Mars, when he saw

And Jupiter said to Mars when he saw

Sirius the Crosser conversing by night with Capella:

Sirius, the Crossing One, with Capella in nighttime conversation:

Hair passing with the loose strands in gathering,

إذهب فلست رفيقي إنّني جذلَ

إذهب فلست رفيقي إنّني جذلَ

ولم أجد مثل ذي الأفراح في عمري

ولم أجد مثل ذي الأفراح في عمري

“Go! You are no companion of mine, for I am exultant,

“Go—you are not my companion; I am jubilant,

“Go away, you are not my companion, I am chaste

and never in my life have I known joys like these.”

and never in my life have I found joys like these.”

And I have not found the like of one having joys in my life,”

فسار تحت السُّهى يرجو القران به

فسار تحت السُّهى يرجو القران به

فاصطاده النسر بين السبعة الزُهُر

فاصطاده النسر بين السبعة الزُهُر

So Mars passed beneath Alcor, hoping to conjoin with it,

So he went beneath al-Suha, hoping for conjunction with it,

So he went under the Pleiades hoping for marriage with it

but the Eagle seized him among the seven radiant stars.

then the Eagle snared him among the seven bright stars.

And the eagle snatched him between the flowers,

وسائر النجم أمسى وهو في شغلٍ

وسائر النجم أمسى وهو في شغلٍ

من المسّرة لم يُبق ولم يَذَرِ

من المسّرة لم يُبق ولم يَذَرِ

All the other stars spent the evening wholly occupied

And all the remaining stars became engrossed

And the rest of the stars spent the night busy

with such delight that it spared nothing and left nothing untouched.

in delight, sparing nothing and leaving nothing.

From gladness, neither leaving anything nor keeping anything,

فيا لَها ليلةً جاد الزمان بها

فيا لَها ليلةً جاد الزمان بها

كانت من العمر بل من أحسن العُمرِ

كانت من العمر بل من أحسن العُمرِ

Oh, what a night—the gift of a bountiful age!

Ah, what a night Time bestowed so generously!

O what a night the times brought,

It was part of life—indeed, among the finest of all its years—

It was part of life—nay, one of life's finest nights!

It was of life, nay of the best of life,

إذ كان ما حار فيه ذو النهى ولقد

إذ كان ما حار فيه ذو النهى ولقد

أرَّخت روم ازدواج الشمس في القمر

أرَّخت روم ازدواج الشمس في القمر

when there occurred what left the wise bewildered; and I gave its date:

When there occurred what bewildered those endowed with reason; and indeed

When the forbidden was confused in it, and days

“Seek the union of the sun within the moon.”

I recorded its date: “Seeking the sun's marriage with the moon.”

Were recorded of the sun eclipsed in the moon,