سلامٌ حَكى في حُسنِه لُؤلؤَ العِقدِ

سلامٌ حَكى في حُسنِه لُؤلؤَ العِقدِ

وضُمِّخَ منه الجَيبُ بالعنبرِ الوَرْدِ

وضُمِّخَ منه الجَيبُ بالعنبرِ الوَرْدِ

A greeting whose beauty resembled the pearls of a necklace,

Greetings that told of his beauty like pearls on a necklace

and from it the robe's bosom was perfumed with rose-hued ambergris;

And scented the pocket with reddish ambergris

وأروى تحيّاتٍ تغنّى بروضِها

وأروى تحيّاتٍ تغنّى بروضِها

حَمامُ الثّنا شُكراً على فنَنِ الوُدِّ

حَمامُ الثّنا شُكراً على فنَنِ الوُدِّ

and the most thirst-quenching salutations, in whose garden sang

And I send greetings that sing of its meadows

the doves of praise, in gratitude, upon affection's bough;

The doves cooing thanks for the arts of affection

وخير دُعاءٍ قد أصابَ إجابةً

وخير دُعاءٍ قد أصابَ إجابةً

بسهمِ خُشوعٍ فوّقَتْهُ يدُ المجدِ

بسهمِ خُشوعٍ فوّقَتْهُ يدُ المجدِ

and the best of prayers, which has found an answer,

And the best prayer that found ready acceptance

with an arrow of reverence nocked by glory's hand,

With an arrow of humility guided by the hand of glory

منَ المخلِصِ المَملوكِ يُهدي كرامةً

منَ المخلِصِ المَملوكِ يُهدي كرامةً

إلى السيّدِ المعروفِ بالفضلِ والوَفْدِ

إلى السيّدِ المعروفِ بالفضلِ والوَفْدِ

from the devoted bondservant, who offers a tribute

From the sincere slave belonging to the one known

to the lord renowned for bounty and receiving delegations,

For generosity and hospitality, the master

إلى اِبنِ الكِرامِ الفاخرينَ ذوي العُلا

إلى اِبنِ الكِرامِ الفاخرينَ ذوي العُلا

حليفِ النّدى المولى الحُسينِ أخي الرُشْدِ

حليفِ النّدى المولى الحُسينِ أخي الرُشْدِ

to the son of proud nobles, men of lofty rank,

To the son of the noble and eminent people

generosity's ally, Lord al-Husayn, brother of right guidance.

The ally of dew, my master Hussein the rightly guided

سَحابٌ إذا اِستَسقى العُفاةُ نوالَهُ

سَحابٌ إذا اِستَسقى العُفاةُ نوالَهُ

يَجودُ بِلا وعدٍ ويَهمي بلا رَعْدِ

يَجودُ بِلا وعدٍ ويَهمي بلا رَعْدِ

A cloud: when petitioners seek the rain of his bounty,

A cloud that when the destitute seek its rain

he gives without a promise and pours down without thunder.

Gives freely without promise and pours without thunder

كريمٌ إذا هبّ السّؤالُ بسَمْعِه

كريمٌ إذا هبّ السّؤالُ بسَمْعِه

يُنبّهُ عن أخلاقهِ حدقَ الوَردِ

يُنبّهُ عن أخلاقهِ حدقَ الوَردِ

A generous man: when a plea wafts to his ear,

A generous one who when asked lends his ear

he awakens the roses' eyes to his character.

Alerting of his character the eyelids of roses

بمولدِه طابَ الزّمانُ وأهلُه

بمولدِه طابَ الزّمانُ وأهلُه

وشبّ وقرّتْ مُقلةُ العدلِ والمجدِ

وشبّ وقرّتْ مُقلةُ العدلِ والمجدِ

With his birth, the age and its people grew glad,

With his birth the world and its people prospered

and he grew to manhood, and the eye of justice and glory rejoiced.

And the young blade of justice and glory grew sharp

يرقُّ إذا رقّ النسيمُ لدى النّدى

يرقُّ إذا رقّ النسيمُ لدى النّدى

ويَقسو لدى الهيجاءِ كالحجَرِ الصّلْدِ

ويَقسو لدى الهيجاءِ كالحجَرِ الصّلْدِ

In generosity, he grows gentle when the breeze is gentle,

Who softens when the breeze blows gently by the dew

and in battle he hardens like unyielding stone.

And hardens against the raging as solid rock

تكوّن من بأسٍ وجودٍ وبأسُه

تكوّن من بأسٍ وجودٍ وبأسُه

بأعضائِهِ يوري وراحاتُه تُندي

بأعضائِهِ يوري وراحاتُه تُندي

He was fashioned of valor and generosity, and his valor

Formed of valor, generosity and his valor

kindles fire in his limbs, while his palms shed dew.

With his limbs attacks and his palms call to battle

إذا جادَ يوماً من بني المُزنِ خِلتَهُ

إذا جادَ يوماً من بني المُزنِ خِلتَهُ

وإنْ هزّ سيفاً خِلتَهُ من بَني الأُسْدِ

وإنْ هزّ سيفاً خِلتَهُ من بَني الأُسْدِ

If one day he gives, you would deem him a son of the rain clouds,

Whenever the clan of Muzain gives their alliance

and if he brandishes a sword, you would deem him a son of lions.

Or he brandishes a sword, their alliance with the lions

تكمّل في وجهِ السّعادةِ وجهُه

تكمّل في وجهِ السّعادةِ وجهُه

فأشرقَ في إكليلِه قمرُ السّعْدِ

فأشرقَ في إكليلِه قمرُ السّعْدِ

His face attained perfection in the face of happiness,

Your face is perfected by fortune's face

so in his crown the moon of good fortune shone.

So the moon of bliss shone in your crown

ألا فاِحمِلي يا ريحُ منّي أمانةً

ألا فاِحمِلي يا ريحُ منّي أمانةً

تحدِّثُ عن حِفظِ العُهودِ له عِندي

تحدِّثُ عن حِفظِ العُهودِ له عِندي

Behold, then carry a trust from me, O wind,

Bear from me, o breeze, a trust

that tells how I keep my pledges to him:

Speaking of how I preserve covenants with him

رسالةَ مُشتاقٍ إليه كأنّما

رسالةَ مُشتاقٍ إليه كأنّما

تنفّسَ منها الصُّبحُ عن عبَقِ النّدِّ

تنفّسَ منها الصُّبحُ عن عبَقِ النّدِّ

a letter from one who longs for him, as though

A message of one longing for him as though

dawn breathed from it the fragrance of blended perfume.

The dawn breathed from it the scent of affection

وعنّيَ قبِّل يا رسولُ يمينَهُ

وعنّيَ قبِّل يا رسولُ يمينَهُ

وبُثَّ لديه ما أُجِنُّ من الوَجْدِ

وبُثَّ لديه ما أُجِنُّ من الوَجْدِ

And on my behalf, O messenger, kiss his right hand,

Convey from me, o messenger, a kiss on his hand

and pour out before him the yearning I conceal.

And share with him what I hide of passion

وبلّغْهُ تسليمي عليه فعلّه

وبلّغْهُ تسليمي عليه فعلّه

يُجيبُك في ردِّ السّلامِ على البُعدِ

يُجيبُك في ردِّ السّلامِ على البُعدِ

And convey my greeting to him, for perhaps he

And convey to him my greetings, for his reply

will answer you with a greeting in return, despite the distance.

In returning the greeting from afar would gladden me

فذلك مَنٌّ منهُ كالمَنّ طعمُه

فذلك مَنٌّ منهُ كالمَنّ طعمُه

يلَذُّ به سَمعي ويَشفى به كبدي

يلَذُّ به سَمعي ويَشفى به كبدي

For that is a favor from him, its taste like manna;

For that is a favor from him like the taste

my hearing delights in it, and through it my liver is healed.

That delights my hearing and heals my liver

وإنّي لمَمنونٌ لديكَ بقصدِه

وإنّي لمَمنونٌ لديكَ بقصدِه

ولو كنتَ مجرى كالدُموعِ على خدّي

ولو كنتَ مجرى كالدُموعِ على خدّي

And I am truly beholden to you for going to him,

And I am obliged to you for visiting him

even if you flowed like tears upon my cheek.

As if you were tears flowing down my cheek

ويا لَيتَها نعلٌ برجلَيْكَ شُرِّفا

ويا لَيتَها نعلٌ برجلَيْكَ شُرِّفا

بتُربةِ وادِيه المقدّسِ من جِلدي

بتُربةِ وادِيه المقدّسِ من جِلدي

And oh, would that the footwear on your two feet—both ennobled

Oh if only you were a sandal on his feet

by the soil of his sacred valley—were made from my skin!

Honored by the sacred valley's dust from my hide

عليهِ سلامُ اللّهِ ما حنّ شيّقٌ

عليهِ سلامُ اللّهِ ما حنّ شيّقٌ

وأوْرَتْ صَباباتُ الغرامِ صَبا نجْدِ

وأوْرَتْ صَباباتُ الغرامِ صَبا نجْدِ

God's peace be upon him as long as a yearning lover sighs,

Upon him be the peace of God while passionate love

and love's ardors set the east wind of Najd aflame.

And the specters of desire roam the valley of Nejd