ألمّ به طيفُ الخيال مسلِّما

ألمّ به طيفُ الخيال مسلِّما

فأذكَرَهُ من لوعةٍ ما تقدّما

فأذكَرَهُ من لوعةٍ ما تقدّما

A phantom of fancy visited him in greeting,

The specter of imagination afflicted me, surrendering,

and reminded him of the anguish that had gone before.

And so I recalled him in intense longing unabated,

ألمّ به والصبحُ قد لاحَ جيشُه

ألمّ به والصبحُ قد لاحَ جيشُه

وهمّتْ جيوشُ الليلأن تتصرّما

وهمّتْ جيوشُ الليلأن تتصرّما

It visited him when dawn's army had appeared,

It afflicted me as the dawn revealed its army,

and the armies of night were about to disperse.

And the armies of night prepared to retreat and withdraw.

فأرّقه بعدَ المنامِ مزارُه

فأرّقه بعدَ المنامِ مزارُه

وطيرٌ بأعلى غُصنِ بانٍ ترنّما

وطيرٌ بأعلى غُصنِ بانٍ ترنّما

Its visit kept him awake after slumber,

So after sleep, thoughts of him kept me awake,

while a bird sang atop a branch of a ban tree.

While a bird on the highest branch of a lofty tree sang melodiously.

رعى الله ركب المستقلّين سحرة

رعى الله ركب المستقلّين سحرة

بعيسِهمُ قصداً الى أبرَقِ الحِمى

بعيسِهمُ قصداً الى أبرَقِ الحِمى

May God protect the riders setting out before dawn,

May God watch over the independent riders at dawn,

on their pale camels, bound for Abraq al-Hima.

As they headed with their stallions towards brilliant encampments.

فما باتَ للأحباب ضامنُ لوعةٍ

فما باتَ للأحباب ضامنُ لوعةٍ

لفقدهمُ إلا امرؤٌ بات مُغرَما

لفقدهمُ إلا امرؤٌ بات مُغرَما

No one spent the night bearing anguish for loved ones

For lovers, no guarantor remains for their burning passions

at their loss, except a man who spent it love-stricken.

In their absence, except one enamored who passed the night sleepless.

وفي الكِلّةِ الحمراءِ ظبيُ صريعةٍ

وفي الكِلّةِ الحمراءِ ظبيُ صريعةٍ

سقاني غداةَ البينِ بالبينِ علقَما

سقاني غداةَ البينِ بالبينِ علقَما

And in the red canopy was a gazelle of Ṣarīʿah,

In the red sand dune a slain gazelle lies,

who, on parting's morning, made me drink parting's bitter colocynth.

Quenching my thirst when we meet, with its spilled blood.

ضمنت فلم أذكر هواه وأنطق ال

ضمنت فلم أذكر هواه وأنطق ال

جوى دمع عيني بالهوى فتكلما

جوى دمع عيني بالهوى فتكلما

I grew love-sick but did not mention my love for him; and voice was given by the

I intended to forget his love, but my eyes' tears

anguish to my eye's tears, so they spoke of love.

Spoke, against my will, of passion and declared it openly.

وداويّةٍ داومتها بعرامِسٍ

وداويّةٍ داومتها بعرامِسٍ

إذا سِرْنَ يُنسِينَ الجديلَ وشَدْقَما

إذا سِرْنَ يُنسِينَ الجديلَ وشَدْقَما

And many a desert I traversed unceasingly on sturdy she-camels,

And of a chronic malady I treated with remedies,

which, when they travel, make one forget al-Jadil and Shadqam.

Which when potent, make me forget my shackles and fetters.

تذرّعْتُ في الليلِ الظلامَ وفي الضُحى

تذرّعْتُ في الليلِ الظلامَ وفي الضُحى

غباراً أثارَتْهُ المناسِمُ أقْتَما

غباراً أثارَتْهُ المناسِمُ أقْتَما

At night I clothed myself in darkness, and in the forenoon

I donned the cloak of darkness in the night, and at dawn,

in dusky dust stirred up by the camels' footpads.

Dust stirred up by the blowing wind obscuring all in gloom.

وقلتُ لغيثٍ طبّقَ الأرضُ ماؤهُ

وقلتُ لغيثٍ طبّقَ الأرضُ ماؤهُ

فأزّر بالنورِ الرّوابي وعمّما

فأزّر بالنورِ الرّوابي وعمّما

And I said to a raincloud whose water covered the earth,

And I said to pouring rain whose water flooded the land,

girdling the hills with blossoms and wrapping them in turbans:

"Bedeck yourself with light, and spread far and wide."

يد الصّالحِ المنظورِ أعظمُ نائلاً

يد الصّالحِ المنظورِ أعظمُ نائلاً

وأجزلُ إعطاءً وأوفرُ مَغنَما

وأجزلُ إعطاءً وأوفرُ مَغنَما

The hand of al-Salih, to whom all look, is greater in bounty,

The hand of the righteous servant is mightiest when beseeched,

more lavish in giving, and more abundant in gain.

Most generous in giving and amplest in gains.

مليكٌ أضاءَ الليلَ من نورِ وجهِه

مليكٌ أضاءَ الليلَ من نورِ وجهِه

وأفعالِه الحسنى وقد كان مُظلِما

وأفعالِه الحسنى وقد كان مُظلِما

A king who lit the night with the radiance of his face

A king whose face's light illuminated the night,

and his noble deeds, when it had been dark.

And whose fair deeds, when it had been utterly dark.

سجيّتُه بذلُ النّوالِ فلن ترى

سجيّتُه بذلُ النّوالِ فلن ترى

بأرضٍ ثوى فيها من الناس مُعْدِما

بأرضٍ ثوى فيها من الناس مُعْدِما

His nature is to lavish bounty; you will never see

His nature is to grant favors, so you'll never see,

an impoverished person in any land where he has dwelt.

In a land where he dwells, a single person deprived.

يُريك إذا سالَمْتَه البدرَ طالعاً

يُريك إذا سالَمْتَه البدرَ طالعاً

تماماً وإن حاربْتَه الليثَ مُقْدِما

تماماً وإن حاربْتَه الليثَ مُقْدِما

If you make peace with him, he shows you the full moon rising

When you greet him, you'll see the full moon rising,

in its fullness; if you fight him, a lion advancing.

And if you fight him, a lion pouncing forth.

أجِدّكَ ما تنفكّ تعطى لسائر ال

أجِدّكَ ما تنفكّ تعطى لسائر ال

مُعادين بُوسى والموالين أنعُما

مُعادين بُوسى والموالين أنعُما

Truly, you never cease to give to all the

I find you never cease to bestow favors upon all enemies and friends alike,

enemies misery, and to the loyal allies blessings.

So how many battles where you showed yourself noble,

فكم معركٍ فيه تبدّيت سافراً

فكم معركٍ فيه تبدّيت سافراً

فغادرتَ بالسّيفِ العدوّ ملثّما

فغادرتَ بالسّيفِ العدوّ ملثّما

How many a battlefield saw you appear unveiled,

Then left the foe masked in his blood.

then leave the enemy veiled by your sword!

You turned daylight to night with spears' darkness,

ردَدْتَ الضُحى ليلاً من النُقْعِ مظلماً

ردَدْتَ الضُحى ليلاً من النُقْعِ مظلماً

وأطلعْتَ فيه بالأسنّة أنجُما

وأطلعْتَ فيه بالأسنّة أنجُما

You turned forenoon into a night dark with battle-dust,

And in it, with swords you made stars shine.

and raised stars within it with your spearheads.

You remained in it, scattering decorative prose,

وظلْتَ لنظم الهام فيه منثِّراً

وظلْتَ لنظم الهام فيه منثِّراً

وبتَّ لنثرِ الطّعنِ فيه منظّما

وبتَّ لنثرِ الطّعنِ فيه منظّما

All day you scattered the ordered ranks of heads there,

And you passed the night arranging piercing verse.

and all night you put the scattered spear-thrusts in order.

You stripped the foe of their raiment and lives,

سلبْتَ العِدى أثوابَها ونُفوسَها

سلبْتَ العِدى أثوابَها ونُفوسَها

وألبسْتَها ثوباً صفيقاً من الدِّما

وألبسْتَها ثوباً صفيقاً من الدِّما

You stripped the foes of their garments and their lives,

Dressing them in a smooth garment of blood.

and clothed them in a thick garment of blood.

You ascended to a place where the stars fall below you,

علوْتَ محلاً أصبح النجمُ دونَه

علوْتَ محلاً أصبح النجمُ دونَه

وأدنيتَ ما تحوي يداك تكرّما

وأدنيتَ ما تحوي يداك تكرّما

You rose to a station below which the star now stands,

And brought down to your hands whatever they contain of bounty.

yet generously brought what your hands hold within reach.

Thus the light of the sun draws near from every spot on earth,

كذلك نورُ الشمسِ من كل موضعٍ

كذلك نورُ الشمسِ من كل موضعٍ

من الأرض يدنو وهْي في كبدِ السّما

من الأرض يدنو وهْي في كبدِ السّما

So too the sunlight: from every place

While it is in the middle of the sky.

on earth it draws near, though the sun is in the heart of the sky.

By your resolve, justice took flight east and west,

بعزمِك طار العدل شرقاً ومغرباً

بعزمِك طار العدل شرقاً ومغرباً

وأنجدَ في أعلى البلاد وأتهَما

وأنجدَ في أعلى البلاد وأتهَما

By your resolve, justice flew east and west,

And became eminent in the highest parts of the land.

and reached Najd in the land's heights, and Tihamah.

You opened for divine inspirations when you shunned worldly vanities,

فتحتَ اللّها لما تبرعت باللُهى

فتحتَ اللّها لما تبرعت باللُهى

فأعربَ بالشكرِ الذي كان أعجما

فأعربَ بالشكرِ الذي كان أعجما

You opened mouths when you freely bestowed gifts,

So the Divine expressed thanks for what had been incomprehensible.

and one who had been inarticulate spoke eloquently in thanks.

And you erected in Alexandria a structure,

وشيّدْتَ بالإسكندرية بِنيةً

وشيّدْتَ بالإسكندرية بِنيةً

بها أصبحَ الثغرُ المباركُ مُعلَما

بها أصبحَ الثغرُ المباركُ مُعلَما

And in Alexandria you erected a building

By which that blessed place became a clear sign.

through which the blessed frontier-port became distinguished.

Within it you brought together the pride of imams,

حبوْتَ بها فخرَ الأئمّة فاغتدى

حبوْتَ بها فخرَ الأئمّة فاغتدى

بجمعِهما شملُ المعالي مُلأما

بجمعِهما شملُ المعالي مُلأما

You bestowed it on the Pride of the Imams, and thus

So by their assembly the glory of the sublime became complete.

with the two united, the company of noble qualities was knit together.

By teaching lessons therein, the foundation is demolished

بتدريسه فيها الدروسَ أساسُ ما

بتدريسه فيها الدروسَ أساسُ ما

يقيمونه الكفارُ أضحى مهدّما

يقيمونه الكفارُ أضحى مهدّما

Through his teaching lessons there, the foundation of what

Of what the unbelievers establish.

the unbelievers erect became demolished.

Through it and through you, God left no unbeliever,

به وبها لم يترُكِ الله كافراً

به وبها لم يترُكِ الله كافراً

الى أن غدا فضلاً من الله مُسلِما

الى أن غدا فضلاً من الله مُسلِما

Through him and it, God left no unbeliever

Until they became, through God's grace, Muslim.

until he had become, by God's grace, a Muslim.

O you, the preserver of knowledge, who climbed

ألا أيُّهذا الحافظُ العلَمُ الذي

ألا أيُّهذا الحافظُ العلَمُ الذي

سما سابقاً نحو العلى فتقدّما

سما سابقاً نحو العلى فتقدّما

Behold, O Hafiz, eminent scholar who

High towards the Divine in bygone times.

soared ahead toward the heights and took the lead!

Is not the full moon but yourself on its night of perfection?

هل البدرُ إلا أنت ليلةَ تِمّه

هل البدرُ إلا أنت ليلةَ تِمّه

هلِ البحرُ إلا أنت ساعةَ أن طَما

هلِ البحرُ إلا أنت ساعةَ أن طَما

Is the full moon anyone but you on the night of its fullness?

Is not the sea but yourself at the hour its waves surge?

Is the sea anyone but you at the hour when it surges?

The silent month welcomed you eagerly,

بك استبشرَ الشهرُ الأصمّ تشوقاً

بك استبشرَ الشهرُ الأصمّ تشوقاً

للُقياكَ حتى كاد أن يتكلّما

للُقياكَ حتى كاد أن يتكلّما

In you the Deaf Month rejoiced, longing

Almost speaking, so keen was it to meet you.

to meet you, until it almost spoke.

From my thoughts, I will carry to you poems

سأحمِلُ من فكري إليك قصائداً

سأحمِلُ من فكري إليك قصائداً

تُريكَ من الألفاظِ درّاً منظّما

تُريكَ من الألفاظِ درّاً منظّما

I shall carry to you poems from my thought,

That show you from words a glistening bracelet.

showing you pearls of words strung in order.

They surpass, as time passes, what is new in their novelty,

تزيدُ على مرِّ الجديدَن جدّةً

تزيدُ على مرِّ الجديدَن جدّةً

وتنشرُ وشْياً للعيون مُنَمْنَما

وتنشرُ وشْياً للعيون مُنَمْنَما

They grow ever fresher as day and night pass,

Diffusing for eyes a radiance, glittering and shimmering.

and unfold finely patterned brocade before the eyes.

For you remain in the glory and loftiness of the eminent ones,

فلا زِلتَ في عزِّ عليٍّ ورفعةٍ

فلا زِلتَ في عزِّ عليٍّ ورفعةٍ

فما العيشُ إلا أن تعيشَ وتسلَما

فما العيشُ إلا أن تعيشَ وتسلَما

May you ever remain in lofty honor and eminence,

Wherein life is but to live blameless and safe.

for there is no life unless you live and remain safe.