لاعبُ شطرنجٍ بفصل الشتا

لاعبُ شطرنجٍ بفصل الشتا

عشقته ويلاهُ من بُهْتِه

عشقته ويلاهُ من بُهْتِه

A chess player in wintertime—

A chess player in the winter season—

I fell in love with him—alas, how he humiliated me!

I fell in love with him—alas for his deceit!

قلبي بكانون على ناره

قلبي بكانون على ناره

وسيدي يلعب في دَسْته

وسيدي يلعب في دَسْته

My heart, in Kānūn, is held over his fire,

My heart is in a brazier, upon his fire,

while my lord plays with his chess set.

While my master plays on his chessboard.

دع غزلاً وامدحْ وزير التقى

دع غزلاً وامدحْ وزير التقى

في فضله الأوفى وفي نعته

في فضله الأوفى وفي نعته

Leave love poetry, and praise the vizier of piety

Leave love poetry aside, and praise the vizier of piety

for his consummate excellence and his qualities.

For his consummate excellence and his qualities.

وليهنَ مغنى الشام من حظه

وليهنَ مغنى الشام من حظه

قدوم مولانا ومن تخته

قدوم مولانا ومن تخته

And may Syria’s abode, blessed by its good fortune, be gladdened

May the abode of al-Shām rejoice in its good fortune

by the arrival of our lord and those beneath him.

At our lord’s arrival from his throne.

أوحشه الغيث الذي قد نأى

أوحشه الغيث الذي قد نأى

وجاءه واللهِ في وقته

وجاءه واللهِ في وقته

The rain that had withdrawn left it desolate;

The rain that had gone far away left it desolate;

then came to it, by God, in its proper time.

And, by God, it came to it in due season.

وليهنَ مولانا بحيث انتحى

وليهنَ مولانا بحيث انتحى

قدر سما الكواكب في سمته

قدر سما الكواكب في سمته

Wherever he turns, may our lord rejoice

And may our lord, wherever he has headed, be blessed with

in a rank whose loftiness soars beyond the stars.

A rank that has risen above the stars in its course.

من فوقه أنت بمقدار ما

من فوقه أنت بمقدار ما

تطيفك الأبصار من تحته

تطيفك الأبصار من تحته

Above even that rank you stand, by as much

You stand as far above it as

as the eyes beneath it encircle you.

The eyes that circle you stand beneath it.