مولاي وافدة الثناء تأرَّجَتْ

مولاي وافدة الثناء تأرَّجَتْ

منها بذكرك روضةٌ مِعْطَارُ

منها بذكرك روضةٌ مِعْطَارُ

My lord, the envoy of praise—there has grown fragrant

My master, praise has arrived perfumed,

from her, at your mention, a richly scented garden.

From it, by your mention, a fragrant garden flourished,

وشَدَتْ بلطفكَ في حدائق شُكْرها

وشَدَتْ بلطفكَ في حدائق شُكْرها

أيكيّة من لفظها وهَزارُ

أيكيّة من لفظها وهَزارُ

And of your kindness, in the gardens of her gratitude, sang

And it has been refreshed in the gardens of gratitude by your kindness,

a woodland dove and a nightingale, born of her words.

Bearing elegant and witty compositions,

وأتت بنَشْر تحيةٍ مسكيّةٍ

وأتت بنَشْر تحيةٍ مسكيّةٍ

تَندَى بمُسْبَل ذَيْلها الأسحارُ

تَندَى بمُسْبَل ذَيْلها الأسحارُ

And she came bearing the fragrance of a musk-scented greeting;

And it brought a musky greeting,

the predawn hours grow dewy from her trailing hem.

Dewy with the trailing hem of its garment at dawn,

أنْفَذتها بقصيدة المولى الذي

أنْفَذتها بقصيدة المولى الذي

شَرُفَتْ بوسف كماله الأفكارُ

شَرُفَتْ بوسف كماله الأفكارُ

I sent her with an ode to the lord whose

I sent it with a poem to the Master whose

perfection, when described, ennobled thoughts:

Thoughts were ennobled by the perfection of Joseph,

قاضي دمشقَ ومن قضى بجميله

قاضي دمشقَ ومن قضى بجميله

أن تسترقّ لفضله الأحرار

أن تسترقّ لفضله الأحرار

the judge of Damascus, and he who by his kindness decreed

The judge of Damascus, and the one who judged with his favor

that free men be enslaved to his bounty.

That the noble may steal for his excellence,

فاحلُلْ قراطقها لديك ممتعاً

فاحلُلْ قراطقها لديك ممتعاً

بصفاءِ عَيْشٍ كلّه أوطار

بصفاءِ عَيْشٍ كلّه أوطار

So unfasten her tunics before you, blessed

So unpack its parchments joyfully with you

with a tranquil life made wholly of fulfilled desires,

In the clarity of a life wholly restored,

وذكاء فَهم لا يشقُّ له إِذا

وذكاء فَهم لا يشقُّ له إِذا

ما حول المعني الخفيَّ غبار

ما حول المعني الخفيَّ غبار

and keen understanding—none can cleave, when

And the acumen of an understanding that finds no trouble

it transforms the hidden meaning, the dust in its wake.

When the hidden meaning is obscured.