خليليَّ بانَ البان وازدهر الزهْرُ

خليليَّ بانَ البان وازدهر الزهْرُ

فعوجا على روض به اغدودق النَّهْرُ

فعوجا على روض به اغدودق النَّهْرُ

My two companions, the bān trees have come into view, and the blossoms have flourished.

My two friends, the bān trees stand revealed and the flowers bloom.

So turn aside toward a meadow where the river flows in abundance.

So turn aside, you two, to a garden where the river flows abundantly.

وجر الصَّبا فوقَ الخمائل ذيلَه

وجر الصَّبا فوقَ الخمائل ذيلَه

فعاجَتْ كنشوانٍ بواسِقُه الخضْرُ

فعاجَتْ كنشوانٍ بواسِقُه الخضْرُ

The east wind trails its hem over the leafy thickets,

And the east wind dragged its hem over the leafy groves,

making their lofty green boughs sway like a drunken man.

So its tall green trees swayed like a drunken man.

وغرَّد من فوق الشمائل بُلبلٌ

وغرَّد من فوق الشمائل بُلبلٌ

وغنَّتْ على الأفنان وِرْقٌ لها هذر

وغنَّتْ على الأفنان وِرْقٌ لها هذر

From high in the treetops, a nightingale warbles,

And a nightingale warbled above the north winds,

and on the branches a ring-dove sings, full of chatter.

And gray doves sang upon the boughs, chattering away.

وفتَّحتْ الأنداءُ نوّار دَوْحةٍ

وفتَّحتْ الأنداءُ نوّار دَوْحةٍ

ووافت جيوشُ الزَّهر من دونها الزهر

ووافت جيوشُ الزَّهر من دونها الزهر

The dewdrops have opened the blossoms of a spreading tree,

And the dews opened the blossoms of a spreading tree,

and hosts of radiant flowers have arrived beneath it:

And armies of flowers arrived, the bright stars beneath them:

فمن نَرجِسٍ غضٍّ ووردٍ وسوْسَنٍ

فمن نَرجِسٍ غضٍّ ووردٍ وسوْسَنٍ

وآسٍ ونَسْرين يفوحُ لنا النَشْرُ

وآسٍ ونَسْرين يفوحُ لنا النَشْرُ

fresh narcissus, roses, and lilies,

Among them: fresh narcissus, roses, and irises,

myrtle and eglantine, wafting their fragrance toward us.

And myrtle and wild roses, their fragrance wafting to us.

فحيّهِلَنْ نبغي المراحَ ونَطّرحْ

فحيّهِلَنْ نبغي المراحَ ونَطّرحْ

وساوسَ أفْكَار يجيش بها الصَّدْر

وساوسَ أفْكَار يجيش بها الصَّدْر

So welcome them! We seek merriment and cast aside

So come! Let us seek merriment and cast aside

the whispering thoughts that make the breast seethe.

The anxious thoughts with which the breast seethes.

فَنَحْسُو سُلاف الراحِ من كفِّ أغْيَدٍ

فَنَحْسُو سُلاف الراحِ من كفِّ أغْيَدٍ

يَطوفُ بها شَمْساً وطلعتُه البَدْرُ

يَطوفُ بها شَمْساً وطلعتُه البَدْرُ

Then let us sip the choicest wine from the hand of a graceful youth,

So let us sip the choicest wine from a graceful youth's palm,

served round by a deacon whose countenance is the full moon.

He carries it round—a sun—while his face is the full moon.

إِذا فرغ الإبريق من خَنْدَريسنا

إِذا فرغ الإبريق من خَنْدَريسنا

تكفّل منه بالرَّحيق لنا الثغْرُ

تكفّل منه بالرَّحيق لنا الثغْرُ

When the pitcher runs dry of our potent aged wine,

When the ewer is emptied of our aged wine,

his mouth undertakes to give us nectar in its stead.

His lips undertake to supply us with nectar.

وإِن حثَّ كأسَيْ مقلتيه وكفّهِ

وإِن حثَّ كأسَيْ مقلتيه وكفّهِ

سَكرْنا ولم نشعر بأيّهِما السُكْرُ

سَكرْنا ولم نشعر بأيّهِما السُكْرُ

And if he presses upon us his two cups—his eyes and his palm—

And if he plies us with the two cups of his eyes and his hand,

we grow drunk, unable to tell from which of the two intoxication comes.

We grow drunk, not knowing which of the two intoxicates us.

ونرفل في ذيْل التهاني كما غَدَتْ

ونرفل في ذيْل التهاني كما غَدَتْ

دمشقُ لها بالسيّد السَنَدِ البِشْرُ

دمشقُ لها بالسيّد السَنَدِ البِشْرُ

We sweep proudly in the train of felicitations, just as

And we strut in joy's trailing robe, just as now

Damascus, through the lord who is her mainstay, has come into joy:

Damascus rejoices in the lord who is her mainstay.

حليف العلى شَهْم أليف مكارم

حليف العلى شَهْم أليف مكارم

يقصر عن أوصافها النظم والنثر

يقصر عن أوصافها النظم والنثر

an ally of lofty glory, stouthearted and at home among noble virtues,

Glory's ally, noble-hearted, a companion of virtues,

virtues that verse and prose alike fall short of describing;

Verse and prose fall short of describing them.

كفيل بحلِّ المشكلات إِذا دَجَتْ

كفيل بحلِّ المشكلات إِذا دَجَتْ

تكنّفها في كلّ عسر له يُسْرُ

تكنّفها في كلّ عسر له يُسْرُ

certain to solve difficulties when they grow dark—

He guarantees to solve difficulties when they grow dark;

in every hardship, an ease of his encompasses them.

His ease encompasses them in every hardship.

تولَّى دمشقَ الشام فانهلّ غيثها

تولَّى دمشقَ الشام فانهلّ غيثها

وأخصَب ريّاها وكانَ لها الفخر

وأخصَب ريّاها وكانَ لها الفخر

He assumed the rule of Damascus of Syria, and her life-giving rain poured down;

He took charge of Damascus in al-Shām, and her rain poured down,

her well-watered lands grew fertile, and pride was hers.

And her fragrance flourished, and hers was the glory.

فلا غَرْوَ أن تبدي القوافي مدائحاً

فلا غَرْوَ أن تبدي القوافي مدائحاً

له حَسْبَ علياهُ وخادمه الفكر

له حَسْبَ علياهُ وخادمه الفكر

No wonder, then, that rhymed verses offer praises

So no wonder that rhymes should offer praises

to him: his exalted rank suffices him, and thought itself is his servant.

For him, befitting his eminence, with thought his servant.

إِليك بها عذراء زفت لخدرها

إِليك بها عذراء زفت لخدرها

Here she is for you: a virgin poem led as a bride to her chamber.

Here she is for you: a virgin escorted to her bridal chamber.