طلَبْتَ عظيمَ المجدِ بالهِمّةِ الكُبرى

طلَبْتَ عظيمَ المجدِ بالهِمّةِ الكُبرى

فأدرَكْتَ في ضربِ الطُّلا الدّولةَ الغَرّا

فأدرَكْتَ في ضربِ الطُّلا الدّولةَ الغَرّا

You sought great glory with the highest ambition,

You sought great glory with strong determination,

And by striking necks you attained resplendent rule.

And so attained the shining state when still young.

وسِرْتَ على شوكِ العَوالي إلى العُلا

وسِرْتَ على شوكِ العَوالي إلى العُلا

ومَنْ رامَ إدراكَ العُلا يركَبِ الوَعْرا

ومَنْ رامَ إدراكَ العُلا يركَبِ الوَعْرا

You trod the thorns of lofty spears toward the heights,

You climbed the thorns of difficulties to the heights,

And whoever seeks to reach the heights must ride rough ground.

And he who seeks the heights must ride the rugged.

لِكَسْبِ الثّنا خُضْتَ الحُتوفَ وإنّما

لِكَسْبِ الثّنا خُضْتَ الحُتوفَ وإنّما

يخوضُ عُبابَ البحرِ مَنْ يطلُب الدُّرّا

يخوضُ عُبابَ البحرِ مَنْ يطلُب الدُّرّا

To gain praise you plunged into mortal perils, and only

To gain praise you plunged into battles, for

He who seeks pearls plunges into the sea's surging depths.

Only he who dares the sea's depths finds pearls.

إذا عرَضَتْ دونَ المُنى لكَ لجّةٌ

إذا عرَضَتْ دونَ المُنى لكَ لجّةٌ

منَ الحتفِ صيّرْتَ الحديدَ لها جِسْرا

منَ الحتفِ صيّرْتَ الحديدَ لها جِسْرا

If a gulf confronted you, barring your desires,

If a barrier loomed before your goal,

A gulf of death—you made iron a bridge across it.

You made iron into a bridge to cross it.

وإنْ غشِيَتْ نورَ البصائِرِ ظُلمةٌ

وإنْ غشِيَتْ نورَ البصائِرِ ظُلمةٌ

جلَبْتَ من الرّأيِ السّديدِ بها فجْرا

جلَبْتَ من الرّأيِ السّديدِ بها فجْرا

And if darkness veiled the light of inner vision,

And if darkness veiled the light of vision,

You brought a dawn into it through sound judgment.

You lit the way with wise opinion's dawn.

درَى المُلكُ يا يَحْيى بأنّك قلبُه

درَى المُلكُ يا يَحْيى بأنّك قلبُه

فضمّكَ حتّى منهُ أسكنَكَ الصّدْرا

فضمّكَ حتّى منهُ أسكنَكَ الصّدْرا

Sovereignty knew, O Yahya, that you were its heart,

The king saw, O Yahya, that you were his heart,

So it embraced you until it lodged you in its breast.

So he embraced you until he lodged you in his breast.

جلَسْتَ على كُرسيّهِ فأزَنْتَهُ

جلَسْتَ على كُرسيّهِ فأزَنْتَهُ

فأصبحْتَ كالتّوريدِ في وجنةِ العَذْرا

فأصبحْتَ كالتّوريدِ في وجنةِ العَذْرا

You sat upon its throne and adorned it,

You sat upon his throne and balanced it,

Becoming like the rosy blush upon a virgin's cheek.

Becoming like a bride in her maidenhood.

خلَتْ منه إحدى راحتَيْكَ فحُزْتَهُ

خلَتْ منه إحدى راحتَيْكَ فحُزْتَهُ

بسعيِك بعد الفوْتِ بالرّاحةِ الأخرى

بسعيِك بعد الفوْتِ بالرّاحةِ الأخرى

One of your palms was emptied of it, so you regained it

When one of your hands was gone from it you sought

Through your striving, after its loss, with the other palm.

To replace the loss after the chance had passed.

فخاتَمُهُ لم ينتزع من يَمينِه

فخاتَمُهُ لم ينتزع من يَمينِه

سوىً كان بالكفِّ اليَمين أو اليُسرى

سوىً كان بالكفِّ اليَمين أو اليُسرى

So its signet-ring was never wrested from its right hand,

His ring was not torn from his right hand,

Whether it lay in the right palm or the left—it was all the same.

Whether the right or left hand held the seal.

فما البصرةُ الفيحاءُ إلّا قِلادةٌ

فما البصرةُ الفيحاءُ إلّا قِلادةٌ

ونحرُك من دونِ النّحورِ بها أحرى

ونحرُك من دونِ النّحورِ بها أحرى

Spacious Basra is nothing but a necklace,

Fair Basra is but a necklace,

And your neck, above all other necks, is most worthy of it.

And we, beside its pearls, yet more precious.

وما هي إلّا ذاتُ حُسْنٍ تعجّبَتْ

وما هي إلّا ذاتُ حُسْنٍ تعجّبَتْ

قد اِتّخذَتْ جيشَ الأُسودِ لها خِدرا

قد اِتّخذَتْ جيشَ الأُسودِ لها خِدرا

She is but a beauty struck with wonder,

It is but beauty incarnate, so wondrous

Having made an army of lions her secluded chamber.

That it has made the black lions its chamberlains.

حَصانٌ بِهالاتِ الحُصونِ تسوّرَتْ

حَصانٌ بِهالاتِ الحُصونِ تسوّرَتْ

مُخدِّمةً تستخدمُ البيضَ والسُّمرا

مُخدِّمةً تستخدمُ البيضَ والسُّمرا

Chaste, she ringed herself with halos of fortresses,

A steed girt with the halo of castles,

With attendants, employing bright swords and brown spears.

Served by the white and the dusky brown.

تَمادى زَماناً وعدُها فتمنّعَتْ

تَمادى زَماناً وعدُها فتمنّعَتْ

وجادَتْ بوصلٍ بعدَما مطلَتْ دَهْرا

وجادَتْ بوصلٍ بعدَما مطلَتْ دَهْرا

Her promise dragged on awhile, and she withheld herself,

Long it promised, then drew back,

Then granted union after delaying for an age.

Then yielded union after prolonging estrangement.

ولَجْتَ قُلوبَ البيضِ كالسّرِّ نحوَها

ولَجْتَ قُلوبَ البيضِ كالسّرِّ نحوَها

وخُضْتَ بلِمّاتِ الملمّاتِ كالمِدْرا

وخُضْتَ بلِمّاتِ الملمّاتِ كالمِدْرا

You slipped like a secret through the hearts of bright blades toward her,

You stole the hearts of the whites towards it

And plunged through calamities' tresses like a combing pin.

And plunged into the surging fray like a torrent.

تزوّجْتَها من بعدِ ما فاتَها الصِّبا

تزوّجْتَها من بعدِ ما فاتَها الصِّبا

فأمْسَتْ لديكَ الآنَ ثيّبُها بِكرا

فأمْسَتْ لديكَ الآنَ ثيّبُها بِكرا

You married her after youth had passed her by,

You wed it after it had lost its youth,

And now, with you, her once-wed self has become a virgin.

So with you now the widow seems a virgin.

نسجْتَ لها حُمرَ الملابِسِ بالوغى

نسجْتَ لها حُمرَ الملابِسِ بالوغى

وألبَسْتَها في سِلمِك الحُلَلَ الخَضْرا

وألبَسْتَها في سِلمِك الحُلَلَ الخَضْرا

You wove red garments for her in battle,

You wove its red garments amidst the fray,

And clothed her in green robes during your peace.

And clothed it in your safekeeping with green robes.

جعلتَ رؤوسَ المُعتدينَ نِثارَها

جعلتَ رؤوسَ المُعتدينَ نِثارَها

وأنقَذْتَ من بيضِ الحديدِ لها المَهْرا

وأنقَذْتَ من بيضِ الحديدِ لها المَهْرا

You made aggressors' heads the gifts strewn at her wedding,

You made the heads of the transgressors its sacrifice,

And rescued her dowry from bright iron blades.

And saved its bride-price from the steel.

دخلتَ عليها بعدما اِنكشفَ الغِطا

دخلتَ عليها بعدما اِنكشفَ الغِطا

فكُنتَ لعوراتِ الزّمانِ لها سِترا

فكُنتَ لعوراتِ الزّمانِ لها سِترا

You went in to her after the veil was lifted,

You entered it when the veil was lifted,

And became her covering against the vulnerabilities of time.

Becoming, for the age's shame, its cloak.

رجَعْتَ إليها بالولايةِ بعدَما

رجَعْتَ إليها بالولايةِ بعدَما

عرَجْتَ عُروجَ الرّوحِ في ليلةِ الإسْرا

عرَجْتَ عُروجَ الرّوحِ في ليلةِ الإسْرا

You returned to her with the governorship, after

You returned to it as governor after

Ascending as the spirit ascended on the night of the Night Journey.

You had voyaged the spirit's night journey.

ترحّلْتَ عنها كالهِلالِ ولم تزَلْ

ترحّلْتَ عنها كالهِلالِ ولم تزَلْ

تنقّلُ حتّى عُدْتَ في أفْقِها بَدْرا

تنقّلُ حتّى عُدْتَ في أفْقِها بَدْرا

You departed from her like a crescent, and kept

You journeyed from it like the new moon, but

Journeying until you returned as a full moon on her horizon.

Kept coming and going till full moon in its sky.

وفارقَها محروقةَ القلبِ ثاكِلاً

وفارقَها محروقةَ القلبِ ثاكِلاً

وأُبْتَ فأبدَتْ من مسرّتِها البِشْرا

وأُبْتَ فأبدَتْ من مسرّتِها البِشْرا

And he parted from her, her heart scorched, himself bereaved,

It parted from you, its heart on fire,

And you returned; she showed the cheer of her delight.

Yet you were blithe - this, in itself, was secret.

لئِنْ منحَتْكَ اليومَ جهراً وصالَها

لئِنْ منحَتْكَ اليومَ جهراً وصالَها

لقد كان هذا الأمرُ في نفسِها سِرّا

لقد كان هذا الأمرُ في نفسِها سِرّا

If today she has openly granted you her union,

For years she hid her longing for you

This affair had surely been a secret within her soul.

And passed her nights sleepless with vigil.

فكم مرّ عامٌ وهي تُخفي حنينَها

فكم مرّ عامٌ وهي تُخفي حنينَها

إليكَ وتُحيي ليلَها كلَّه سَهْرا

إليكَ وتُحيي ليلَها كلَّه سَهْرا

How many a year passed while she concealed her longing

For some reason she would deny

For you, and kept her whole night alive in sleeplessness.

Whenever union with you came due, finding no excuse.

لأمرٍ عَدا كانت تصدُّ إذا رأتْ

لأمرٍ عَدا كانت تصدُّ إذا رأتْ

لوصلِك وقتاً لم تجِدْ دونَه عُذرا

لوصلِك وقتاً لم تجِدْ دونَه عُذرا

Because of a matter now past, she would turn away whenever she saw

You smote its cheek's rose with your arrows white,

A time for union with you, finding no excuse apart from that.

And played upon its mouth with your mouth's music.

بسُمْر القَنا ورّدْتَ في الطّعنِ خدّها

بسُمْر القَنا ورّدْتَ في الطّعنِ خدّها

وبالبيضِ قد رتّلْتَ من ثغرِها الثّغرا

وبالبيضِ قد رتّلْتَ من ثغرِها الثّغرا

With brown spear-shafts you made her cheek rosy with thrusts,

After blindness it saw through you its sight,

And with bright blades you fashioned from her frontier a mouth of even teeth.

Your coming brought magic to its eyes.

لقد أبصرَتْ بعد العَمى فيكَ عينُها

لقد أبصرَتْ بعد العَمى فيكَ عينُها

وأحدثَ في أجفانِها فتحُك السِّحرا

وأحدثَ في أجفانِها فتحُك السِّحرا

Through you, her eye has truly gained sight after blindness,

About its neck you hung the necklace of glory,

And your conquest brought enchantment to her eyelids.

And from it, in your works, bound up the waist.

وقلّدْتَ في عقدِ المكارِمِ جيدَها

وقلّدْتَ في عقدِ المكارِمِ جيدَها

ووشّحْتَ منها في صنائِعِكَ الخَصْرا

ووشّحْتَ منها في صنائِعِكَ الخَصْرا

You hung a necklace of noble deeds about her neck,

You made it laugh after weeping with bright blades -

And girded her waist with your benefactions.

Whenever it smiled in spirit it laughed victory.

وأضحَكْتَها بعدَ البُكا في صوارمٍ

وأضحَكْتَها بعدَ البُكا في صوارمٍ

متى اِبتسمت في الروعِ تستضحكُ النّصرا

متى اِبتسمت في الروعِ تستضحكُ النّصرا

You made her laugh after weeping, with keen swords

You pelted it till the dust became its perfume,

That, whenever they smile amid terror, make victory laugh.

Without you it would have turned to barren wastes.

ورشّقْتُها حتّى حكى التِبْر تُربها

ورشّقْتُها حتّى حكى التِبْر تُربها

ولو لم تكنْ في أرضِها أصبحتْ قَفْرا

ولو لم تكنْ في أرضِها أصبحتْ قَفْرا

And I made her graceful, until raw gold resembled her soil,

When you came to its throne an equal,

And had you not been in her land, she would have become a wasteland.

Like Joseph when his lord gave him Egypt.

فكُنتَ لها لمّا اِستويتَ بعرشِها

فكُنتَ لها لمّا اِستويتَ بعرشِها

كيوسُفَ إذ ولّاهُ سيّدُه مِصْرا

كيوسُفَ إذ ولّاهُ سيّدُه مِصْرا

For her, when you settled upon her throne, you were

Never did the cunning achieve by their cunning,

Like Yusuf when his master appointed him over Egypt.

Nor did you dissemble treason against the traitorous.

فلم تجزِ أهلَ الكَيْدِ يوماً بكَيدِهم

فلم تجزِ أهلَ الكَيْدِ يوماً بكَيدِهم

ولم تصطَنِعْ غَدْراً بمَن صنَع الغَدْرا

ولم تصطَنِعْ غَدْراً بمَن صنَع الغَدْرا

You never repaid schemers with their own scheming,

You granted safety to all sinners' souls,

Nor practiced treachery against those who had practiced it.

Excusing abundantly, weighing down with thanks.

وهبْتَ جميعَ المُذنبينَ نُفوسَهم

وهبْتَ جميعَ المُذنبينَ نُفوسَهم

فأوسَعْتَهُم عُذراً وأثقلتَهُم شُكرا

فأوسَعْتَهُم عُذراً وأثقلتَهُم شُكرا

You granted all the guilty their lives,

Your presence here delights the faithful,

Giving them ample pardon and burdening them with gratitude.

For you are the full moon and it the flower garden.

وجودُك فيها للعبادِ مسرّةٌ

وجودُك فيها للعبادِ مسرّةٌ

لأنّك بدرٌ وهيَ بالشّرفِ الزّهرا

لأنّك بدرٌ وهيَ بالشّرفِ الزّهرا

Your presence within her is a joy to the people,

You encompassed glory, valor, resolve and reproof,

For you are a full moon, and she is Venus in exaltation.

Earning blessing, pardon, patience and calm.

حوَيْتَ الثّنا والبأسَ والحزْمَ والنُهى

حوَيْتَ الثّنا والبأسَ والحزْمَ والنُهى

وحُزْتَ النّدى والعفوَ والحِلمَ والصّبْرا

وحُزْتَ النّدى والعفوَ والحِلمَ والصّبْرا

You gathered praise, valor, resolve, and understanding,

You rebuilt the broken houses of glory,

And gained generosity, pardon, forbearance, and patience.

Restoring, O Yahya, life to their lifeless ruins.

عمَرْتَ بُيوتَ المجدِ بعدَ خرابِها

عمَرْتَ بُيوتَ المجدِ بعدَ خرابِها

فجدّدْتَ يا يَحيى لأمواتِها عُمْرا

فجدّدْتَ يا يَحيى لأمواتِها عُمْرا

You rebuilt the houses of glory after their ruin,

With your slipper the iron shoe walks -

And renewed, O Yahya, the lives of their dead.

It surpasses Chosroes' bejeweled crown.

بخُفّيكَ يَمشي النعلُ وهوَ حديدةٌ

بخُفّيكَ يَمشي النعلُ وهوَ حديدةٌ

يَفوقُ على تاجِ النُّضارِ على كسْرى

يَفوقُ على تاجِ النُّضارِ على كسْرى

The sole walks with your boots, though it is a piece of iron,

And when you trod the dust of Basra,

Rising above the crown of pure gold upon Kisra.

It grew sublime, nearing the glittering stars.

وفيكَ ثرى الفيحاءِ لمّا حلَلْتَها

وفيكَ ثرى الفيحاءِ لمّا حلَلْتَها

تشرّفَ حتّى شارفَ الأنجُمَ الزُّهْرا

تشرّفَ حتّى شارفَ الأنجُمَ الزُّهْرا

And through you, the soil of the spacious city, when you settled there,

It flirted with you in joy, and gave its face,

Gained honor until it approached the radiant stars.

Laughing, to the kisses of the shining moon.

تَهَنَّ بها مُستَمْتِعاً واِلْقَ وجهَها

تَهَنَّ بها مُستَمْتِعاً واِلْقَ وجهَها

ببِشرٍ يسرّي الهمّ عن مُهجةِ الغَرّا

ببِشرٍ يسرّي الهمّ عن مُهجةِ الغَرّا

Enjoy her with delight, and meet her face

The hands of fate and youth never left

With cheer that dispels sorrow from the radiant one's heart.

Its cheeks, gathering there dew and embers.

فلا برِحَتْ أيدي المَلاحةِ والصِّبا

فلا برِحَتْ أيدي المَلاحةِ والصِّبا

على وجنتَيْها تجمَعُ الماءَ والجَمْرا

على وجنتَيْها تجمَعُ الماءَ والجَمْرا

May the hands of beauty and youth never cease

Choice wine was drunk to the rose of its cheek -

To gather water and embers upon her cheeks.

Wine's drinking's sweetest to the ruddy cheek.

وزُفَّ الطّلا واِشرَب على وردِ خدِّها

وزُفَّ الطّلا واِشرَب على وردِ خدِّها

فشُرْبُ الطِلا يحلو على الوجنةِ الحَمرا

فشُرْبُ الطِلا يحلو على الوجنةِ الحَمرا

Escort the wine as a bride, and drink beside the roses of her cheek,

Nor did the limpid breeze blow healthily,

For drinking wine is sweet beside a rosy cheek.

Nor in your era were its languid eyes cleared.

ولا صحّ مُعتلُّ النّسيمِ ولا صحَتْ

ولا صحّ مُعتلُّ النّسيمِ ولا صحَتْ

بعصرِكَ فيها أعيُنُ الخرّدِ السّكْرى

بعصرِكَ فيها أعيُنُ الخرّدِ السّكْرى

May the ailing breeze never recover, nor may

You remain a pouring rain while it's a meadow

The bashful maidens' drunken eyes grow sober within her in your time.

That reaps from its beautiful ones flowers forever.

ولا زِلْتَ غيثاً هامياً وهي روضةٌ

ولا زِلْتَ غيثاً هامياً وهي روضةٌ

مدى الدّهرِ تَجني من خَمائِلِها الزّهْرا

مدى الدّهرِ تَجني من خَمائِلِها الزّهْرا

And may you ever be pouring rain, while she is a garden,

Throughout time, gathering flowers from her leafy groves.