عذار خدّيه راقَ مرآها

عذار خدّيه راقَ مرآها

فحبَّذا ماؤها ومرْعاها

فحبَّذا ماؤها ومرْعاها

The down on his cheeks delighted her gaze;

Her cheek’s flush enhanced her beauty’s sheen,

How lovely, then, its water and its pasture!

So excellent her water and her pasture green.

أخضر نفس الفتى به ألفتْ

أخضر نفس الفتى به ألفتْ

والنفس خضراء قد عرفناها

والنفس خضراء قد عرفناها

Green—the young man's soul has grown fond of it,

The youth found pleasure in its verdant hue,

And the soul is green, as we well know.

For green’s the colour that delights us, as we’ve seen.

أجني بها الحسن من تفضُّل محي الد

أجني بها الحسن من تفضُّل محي الد

ين أنشى العلا وأحياها

ين أنشى العلا وأحياها

Through it I harvest beauty from the bounty of Muhyi al-

My praise brought forth in her a wealth of grace,

Din, who established glory and revived it.

As Massih breathed life into clay, making it keen.

ذو البيت علياه خير شاهدةٍ

ذو البيت علياه خير شاهدةٍ

أفلح من بالمديحِ زكَّاها

أفلح من بالمديحِ زكَّاها

Lord of the house—its eminence is the best witness:

This house’s lord is witness without peer

He prospers who extols it through praise.

To blessings showered on those who him esteem.

آخر أمجاده كأوَّلهم

آخر أمجاده كأوَّلهم

كحلقةٍ بدؤها كعقباها

كحلقةٍ بدؤها كعقباها

The last of its noble men is like their first,

His glory’s end resembled its beginning,

Like a ring whose beginning is like its end.

A bracelet clasped, resembling its end ring.

شكراً لجدواه إنها سحبٌ

شكراً لجدواه إنها سحبٌ

أحيت نبات الرجا بسقياها

أحيت نبات الرجا بسقياها

Thanks for his bounty: it is rainclouds

Thanks be for his endeavor! It revived

That revived the shoots of hope with their rain.

The plants of hope, watered from its stream.

إذا وصفنا مذاق أنعمه

إذا وصفنا مذاق أنعمه

حلّته أمداحنا وحلاَّها

حلّته أمداحنا وحلاَّها

When we describe the taste of his favors,

If we describe the savor of his gifts,

Our praises adorn it, and it sweetens them.

Our praises are the sweetmeats, it’s the cream.