يا أسعدَ اللّهُ المساءَ وأنعَما

يا أسعدَ اللّهُ المساءَ وأنعَما

وحباكَ بالعَيشِ الرغيدِ مُخيّما

وحباكَ بالعَيشِ الرغيدِ مُخيّما

O, may God make the evening happy and pleasant,

O you whom God has blessed with a happy evening and bestowed favor,

And grant you a life of ease as you dwell.

And granted you a life of ease and comfort encompassing,

هذا وقد لبّت نِداكَ خريدةٌ

هذا وقد لبّت نِداكَ خريدةٌ

قد يممتْ منك الأعزَّ الأكرما

قد يممتْ منك الأعزَّ الأكرما

Now, a fair maiden has already answered your call,

This while your friend has responded to your call, a precious one,

Having sought in you the most honored, the most generous.

The most honorable and noble has come seeking you.

شَرُفَتْ بلطفِكَ قبلها فأعرتَها

شَرُفَتْ بلطفِكَ قبلها فأعرتَها

لحظَ القبول تفضّلاً وتكرُّما

لحظَ القبول تفضّلاً وتكرُّما

She was honored by your kindness before this, and you lent her

With your kindness you have honored her before, so she recognized you

A glance of acceptance, out of grace and generosity.

By the look of acceptance, graciously and generously.

فَغَدتْ لها الجوزاءُ عند مسيرها

فَغَدتْ لها الجوزاءُ عند مسيرها

تلواً ونجمُ الأفقِ أصبحَ مِرْزَما

تلواً ونجمُ الأفقِ أصبحَ مِرْزَما

Thus Orion, as she journeyed, became

Thus for her the Gemini when she traveled became

Her follower, and the horizon’s star became Mirzam.

A rising dune and the star of the horizon scattered lights.

فإِليكَ نسخة ما سترتَ قصورها

فإِليكَ نسخة ما سترتَ قصورها

فَضْلاً ورحت بمدحها مترنّما

فَضْلاً ورحت بمدحها مترنّما

Here, then, is a copy of that whose shortcomings you concealed,

To you a copy of what her mansions concealed,

Out of kindness, and you went about singing its praises.

Graciously, and I went praising her chanting.

لا زلتَ للآدابِ رَوْضاً يانعاً

لا زلتَ للآدابِ رَوْضاً يانعاً

يفترُّ عن مثلِ الجُمانِ منظّما

يفترُّ عن مثلِ الجُمانِ منظّما

May you ever remain a flourishing garden for letters,

You remain for literature a blooming meadow,

Smiling to reveal the like of pearls, strung together,

More glamorous than a garden of jasmine well-arranged.

ما صاحَ قُمريُّ الرياضِ مُغرِّدا

ما صاحَ قُمريُّ الرياضِ مُغرِّدا

أوْ راحَ عن سرِّ الغرامِ مُتَرْجِما

أوْ راحَ عن سرِّ الغرامِ مُتَرْجِما

As long as the gardens’ turtledove cries out in song,

Neither has the moon of the garden warbled

Or goes forth voicing the secret of passionate love.

Nor the secret of passion been interpreted.