إَنَّ الشَّمَائِلَ أَزْهَارٌ وَأَنْوَارُ

إَنَّ الشَّمَائِلَ أَزْهَارٌ وَأَنْوَارُ

أَرِيجُهَا فِي أُنُوفِ الذَّوْقِ مِعْطَارُ

أَرِيجُهَا فِي أُنُوفِ الذَّوْقِ مِعْطَارُ

Indeed, the Shamāʾil are blossoms and lights;

The sublime qualities are flowers and lights,

Indeed, the Prophet's noble traits are blooming flowers and radiant lights,

their fragrance richly perfumes the nostrils of taste.

Their fragrance delights the nose of discernment.

Their fragrance heavily perfumes the noses of refined taste,

إِذَا تَهُبُّ شَمَالاَتُ الْعُقُولِ بِهَا

إِذَا تَهُبُّ شَمَالاَتُ الْعُقُولِ بِهَا

يَضُوعُ مِنْهَا بِرَوْضِ الدَّرْسِ أَسْرَارُ

يَضُوعُ مِنْهَا بِرَوْضِ الدَّرْسِ أَسْرَارُ

When the north winds of intellect blow through them,

When the winds of intellect blow upon them,

When the northern winds of the intellect blow through them,

secrets waft from them through the garden of study.

Secrets pour forth in the garden of learning.

Secrets diffuse from them within the garden of study.

فَمَا جِنَانُ الرُّبَى هَبَّتْ عَلَيْهَا صَبَا

فَمَا جِنَانُ الرُّبَى هَبَّتْ عَلَيْهَا صَبَا

مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ عَلَّهَا بِالرَّيِّ مِدْرَارُ

مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ عَلَّهَا بِالرَّيِّ مِدْرَارُ

For neither hilltop gardens swept by an east wind,

No garden of bliss was ever breathed upon by the morning breeze

For neither the gardens of the hills when the east wind blows upon them,

after a pouring raincloud had quenched them anew,

After being watered by a flowing stream,

After pouring rain has quenched them with a copious downpour,

وَأَيْقَظَتْ نَائِمَ النّوَُّارِ نَشْوَتُهُ

وَأَيْقَظَتْ نَائِمَ النّوَُّارِ نَشْوَتُهُ

بِالطَّلِّ إِذْ بَشَّرَتْ بِالصُّبْحِ أَطْيَارُ

بِالطَّلِّ إِذْ بَشَّرَتْ بِالصُّبْحِ أَطْيَارُ

and its rapture awakened the sleeping blossoms

And awakened the slumber of the fire of yearning

And its intoxicating moisture has awakened the slumbering blossoms,

with dew, when birds heralded the dawn;

With the dew, when at dawn birds gave glad tidings,

With morning dew, as the birds herald the coming of dawn;

أَوْ فَارَةٌ مِنْ أَحَمِّ الْمِسْكِ شَقَّقَهَا

أَوْ فَارَةٌ مِنْ أَحَمِّ الْمِسْكِ شَقَّقَهَا

عِنْدَ مَهَبِّ الصَّبَا الْمِعْطَارِ عَطَّارُ

عِنْدَ مَهَبِّ الصَّبَا الْمِعْطَارِ عَطَّارُ

nor a pod of jet-black musk, split open

Or a piece of ambergris, cleft asunder

Nor a pod of the darkest, richest musk, split open

by a perfumer where the fragrant east wind blows;

By the fragrant breath of the east wind, the perfumer,

By a perfumer as the fragrant east wind blows;

أَوْ مُنْتَقَى قُسْطِ أَظْفَارٍ وَقَدْ عَلِقَتْ

أَوْ مُنْتَقَى قُسْطِ أَظْفَارٍ وَقَدْ عَلِقَتْ

بِهِ مِنَ الْجَمْرِ أَنْيَابٌ وَأَظْفَارُ

بِهِ مِنَ الْجَمْرِ أَنْيَابٌ وَأَظْفَارُ

nor choice costus and onycha, to which have clung

Or a choice handful of claws that caught

Nor the finest selected costus and cloves, when there clings

the embers’ fangs and claws;

Upon them bits of live coals and claws,

To them the piercing fangs and claws of burning embers;

أَوْ عَرْفُ نَارِ عَدِيٍّ بَاتَ يَرْقُبُهَا

أَوْ عَرْفُ نَارِ عَدِيٍّ بَاتَ يَرْقُبُهَا

وَفِي نَوِاجِذِهَا الْهِنْدِيُّ وَالْغَارُ

وَفِي نَوِاجِذِهَا الْهِنْدِيُّ وَالْغَارُ

nor the fragrance of ʿAdī’s fire, which he watched all night,

Or the fragrance of a fire kept overnight

Nor the scent of the hospitable fire of 'Adi, which he spent the night watching,

with Indian aloeswood and laurel in its molars—

By a Bedouin, with embers and ashes in its hearth,

While Indian aloe-wood and laurel burn within its biting flames;

أَذْكَى وَأَلْطَفُ مِنْ نَشْرِ الشَّمَائِلِ إِذْ

أَذْكَى وَأَلْطَفُ مِنْ نَشْرِ الشَّمَائِلِ إِذْ

هَبَّتْ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الأَفْهَامِ إِعْصَارُ

هَبَّتْ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الأَفْهَامِ إِعْصَارُ

are more fragrant and more delicate than the scent of the Shamāʾil, when

More delightful and gentler than the diffusion of sublime qualities

Are more fragrant and delicate than the diffused scent of the Shama'il, when

a whirlwind of understanding has swept over them.

When the winds of perception blow upon them.

A whirlwind of deep understanding sweeps across them.

أَقْرَأَنَاهَا بِتَحْقِيقٍ أَخُو ثِقَةٍ

أَقْرَأَنَاهَا بِتَحْقِيقٍ أَخُو ثِقَةٍ

فِي وَجْهِهِ مِنْ سُطُوعِ الْبِشْرِ أَنْوَارُ

فِي وَجْهِهِ مِنْ سُطُوعِ الْبِشْرِ أَنْوَارُ

A trustworthy man taught us to read them with precision;

He recited them to us with care, a trusted brother

A trustworthy brother read it to us with meticulous verification,

his face bears lights from the radiance of gladness.

Upon whose face shine the lights of good news.

Upon whose face the lights of radiant joy shine bright.

سَمِيُّ خَيْرِ الَْوَرَى وَالْفَتْحُ لَيْسَ بِهِ

سَمِيُّ خَيْرِ الَْوَرَى وَالْفَتْحُ لَيْسَ بِهِ

فِي الْمِيمِ باَسٌ بِفَاسٍ لاَ وَلاَ عَارُ

فِي الْمِيمِ باَسٌ بِفَاسٍ لاَ وَلاَ عَارُ

A namesake of the best of mankind; a short a-vowel

Master of the best of creation, the Conquest is no blemish on him,

Namesake of the best of creation, and of Al-Fath, there is no

on the mīm is no fault in Fez—no, nor any disgrace.

No, nor disgrace, neither Fes nor anything else.

Harm or shame in its 'Mim' within the city of Fez.

هِلاَلُ فَاسٍ لِذَا حَازَتْهُ نِسْبَتُهُ

هِلاَلُ فَاسٍ لِذَا حَازَتْهُ نِسْبَتُهُ

لَهَا كَمَا عَلَمٌ فِي رَأْسِهِ نَارُ

لَهَا كَمَا عَلَمٌ فِي رَأْسِهِ نَارُ

Fez’s crescent moon—thus his affiliation has claimed him

The crescent moon of Fes - since genealogy brought it to him

He is the crescent moon of Fez, thus his lineage has claimed it

for her, like a mountain with fire on its summit.

It is as a sign for him, a star flaming on his head.

For itself, renowned as a mountain peak topped with a blazing fire.

فَإِنَّ فِي ذَاكَ إِشْعَاراً بِأَنَّ لَهُ

فَإِنَّ فِي ذَاكَ إِشْعَاراً بِأَنَّ لَهُ

فَضْلاً عِلَى كُلِّ مَنْ لَهُ بِهَا دَارُ

فَضْلاً عِلَى كُلِّ مَنْ لَهُ بِهَا دَارُ

For in that is a sign that he possesses

For in that there is an indication that he has merit

For in that is a clear indication that he holds

preeminence over everyone who has a home in her,

Above all others who live there, home or abroad,

Superiority over everyone who has a dwelling within it.

وَأَنَّهُ جِدُّ وَالِيهَا وَسَيِّدِهَا

وَأَنَّهُ جِدُّ وَالِيهَا وَسَيِّدِهَا

وَأَنَّهُ لِلِقَاحِ الْخَطْبِ نَحَّارُ

وَأَنَّهُ لِلِقَاحِ الْخَطْبِ نَحَّارُ

and that he is truly her governor and her master,

And that he is truly its patron and master,

And that he is the forefather of its governor and master,

and that he is a mighty slaughterer of calamity’s milch camels.

And that for wedding speeches he is a ready matchmaker.

And that he is the slaughterer of the pregnant camels of calamity.

رَوَى الْعُلاَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ الْمُورِثِ الحَمْدِ عَبْ

رَوَى الْعُلاَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ الْمُورِثِ الحَمْدِ عَبْ

دِ القَادِرِ الحَبْرِ مَنْ رَبَّتْهُ أَحْبَارُ

دِ القَادِرِ الحَبْرِ مَنْ رَبَّتْهُ أَحْبَارُ

He transmitted eminence from his father, the bequeather of praise, ʿAb-

Al-'Ulā reported from his father the inheritor of praise

He inherited greatness from his father, who bequeathed him praise, 'Abd-

d al-Qādir, the scholar whom scholars nurtured.

'Abd al-Qādir the scholarly imam reared by the learned,

-al-Qadir, the great scholar, who was raised by great scholars.

إِذْ فَاسُ لَيْسَتْ تُبَالِي إِذْ يُجَاوِرُهَا

إِذْ فَاسُ لَيْسَتْ تُبَالِي إِذْ يُجَاوِرُهَا

أَلَّا يُجَاوِرَهَا إِلَّاهُ دَيَّارُ

أَلَّا يُجَاوِرَهَا إِلَّاهُ دَيَّارُ

For Fez, when he dwells beside her, does not care

That Fes does not care if none should dwell in it

For Fez does not care, as long as he is its neighbor,

if no inhabitant but he dwells beside her.

Save he who has homesteads fit for its stature.

If no one else in the world were to dwell beside her.

أَثْكَلَهَا الدَّهْرُ فِيهِ جَنَّةٌ أَرِجَتْ

أَثْكَلَهَا الدَّهْرُ فِيهِ جَنَّةٌ أَرِجَتْ

فِيَهَا الْعَجِيبَانِ أشْجَارٌ وَأَنْهَارُ

فِيَهَا الْعَجِيبَانِ أشْجَارٌ وَأَنْهَارُ

Time bereaved her of him—a garden exhaling fragrance,

Age has burdened it - therein is a garden that gave forth

Time has bereaved her of him; a fragrant garden in which

within which are the two marvels: trees and rivers.

Wondrous plants and rivers beyond compare.

Exist two wonders: towering trees and flowing rivers.

عَلَيْهِ أَزْكَى سَلاَمٍ لاَ يُنَافِحُهُ

عَلَيْهِ أَزْكَى سَلاَمٍ لاَ يُنَافِحُهُ

إِلاَّ اللَّطِيفَانِ نِسْرِينٌ وَنُوَّارُ

إِلاَّ اللَّطِيفَانِ نِسْرِينٌ وَنُوَّارُ

Upon him be the purest peace; none rivals its fragrance

Upon it the most fragrant greeting that none contend with

Upon him be the purest peace, its fragrance matched only

but the two delicate beauties: wild rose and blossoms.

Save the two subtle beings: the basil plant and stocks.

By two delicate things: the white rose and the blossom.

وَلاَ يَزَالُ مَدَى الدُّنْيَا يُؤَنِّبُهُ

وَلاَ يَزَالُ مَدَى الدُّنْيَا يُؤَنِّبُهُ

مِنْهَا النَّضِيرَان ِ أَسْجَاعٌ وَأَشْعَارُ

مِنْهَا النَّضِيرَان ِ أَسْجَاعٌ وَأَشْعَارُ

And throughout the world’s span, he will ever be reproached

And as long as the world lasts, two things will reproach him:

And may he never cease, as long as the world lasts, to be eulogized

by her two fresh beauties: rhymed prose and poems.

The two melodious ones, poetry and song.

By two fresh and brilliant things: rhymed prose and poetry.

وَبَارَكَ اللهُ فِي ذَا النَّجْلِ إِنَّ لَهَا

وَبَارَكَ اللهُ فِي ذَا النَّجْلِ إِنَّ لَهَا

بِهِ لَدَى الْفَخْرِ إِيرَادٌ وَإِصْدَارُ

بِهِ لَدَى الْفَخْرِ إِيرَادٌ وَإِصْدَارُ

And may God bless this son; indeed, she has

And may God bless this offspring, for through him

And may God bless this progeny, for indeed, the city has

through him, full command in boasting—leading in and leading out.

Honor has revenue and issue.

Through him, in matters of glory, a glorious source and return.