نَظَمْتُ عَلَى الْمُبْدِي

نَظَمْتُ عَلَى الْمُبْدِي

جَمِيلَ الصِّفَاتْ

جَمِيلَ الصِّفَاتْ

I composed verse on the one who displays

I have composed praise

I composed verses for the one who manifests

Beautiful qualities.

Of the noble traits

Beautiful traits,

فَجَاءَتْ كَمَا الْعِقْدِ

فَجَاءَتْ كَمَا الْعِقْدِ

بِجِيدِ الْمَهَاةْ

بِجِيدِ الْمَهَاةْ

And it emerged like a necklace

Of the auspicious one,

And they emerged like a necklace

Around the neck of a she-oryx.

Like a necklace of fine pearls

Upon the neck of a white oryx.

فِي يَدِ الْمُنَى مَنْظُومْ

فِي يَدِ الْمُنَى مَنْظُومْ

بِفَضْلِ الأَمِيرْ

بِفَضْلِ الأَمِيرْ

In the hand of hopes, strung

In the hand of fulfillment -

Strung together in the hand of hope,

By the prince’s bounty.

Through the grace of the Prince,

By the grace of the prince.

أَمِيرٌ بِهِ مَوْسُومْ

أَمِيرٌ بِهِ مَوْسُومْ

جَنَاحُ الْكَسِيرْ

جَنَاحُ الْكَسِيرْ

A prince whose mark is on

A Prince marked with virtue,

A prince whose mark is borne

The broken one’s wing.

Wing of the feeble,

By the wing of the broken;

يَلُوذُ بِهِ الْمَظْلُومْ

يَلُوذُ بِهِ الْمَظْلُومْ

فَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرْ

فَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرْ

The oppressed seek refuge in him:

Refuge of the wronged,

The oppressed takes refuge in him,

And what an excellent protector!

What an excellent helper!

And what an excellent supporter he is!

لَهُ هَجْمَةُ الأُسْدِ

لَهُ هَجْمَةُ الأُسْدِ

وَفَتْكُ الْبُزَاةْ

وَفَتْكُ الْبُزَاةْ

His is the charge of lions

He has the lion's charge

He possesses the charge of lions,

And the deadly assault of hawks.

And the panther's pounce;

And the lethal strike of falcons.

وَفِيهِ حَيَا الْخَوْدِ

وَفِيهِ حَيَا الْخَوْدِ

وَحِلْمُ الثِّقَاتْ

وَحِلْمُ الثِّقَاتْ

And in him is a maiden’s modesty

In him is the shy gazelle

Yet in him is the modesty of a young maiden,

And the forbearance of the trustworthy,

And the wiseman's patience;

And the forbearance of the trustworthy.

وَعِفَّةُ ذِي النُّسْكِ

وَعِفَّةُ ذِي النُّسْكِ

وَنَفْعُ الْمَطَرْ

وَنَفْعُ الْمَطَرْ

And the self-restraint of the devout,

The chaste one's modesty

The chastity of a devoted ascetic,

And the benefit of rain,

And the rain's benefit;

The usefulness of the rain,

وَرَائِحَةُ الْمِسْكِ

وَرَائِحَةُ الْمِسْكِ

وَحُسْنُ الْقَمَرْ

وَحُسْنُ الْقَمَرْ

And the fragrance of musk,

The musk's fragrance

The fragrance of musk,

And the beauty of the moon.

And the moon's beauty.

And the beauty of the moon.

بَقِيتَ سَنَا الْمُلْكِ

بَقِيتَ سَنَا الْمُلْكِ

مُنِيرَ الْغُرَرْ

مُنِيرَ الْغُرَرْ

May you remain the radiance of kingship,

May you endure, pride of kingship,

May you remain the radiance of the kingdom,

Illuminating bright brows.

Radiance of gems!

Illuminating its noble marks.

تَعُلُّ ذَوِي الْوُدِّ

تَعُلُّ ذَوِي الْوُدِّ

بِكَأْسِ الْهِبَاتْ

بِكَأْسِ الْهِبَاتْ

You give the affectionate another draught

You exalt loving friends

You deeply quench the thirst of loving friends

From the cup of gifts.

With a cup of gifts.

With the cup of bounties.

أَيَا كَوْكَبَ السَّعْدِ

أَيَا كَوْكَبَ السَّعْدِ

وَعَيْنَ الْحَيَاةْ

وَعَيْنَ الْحَيَاةْ

O star of good fortune,

O star of fortune

O star of good fortune,

And fountain of life,

And life's delight!

And spring of life!

أَمَوْلاَي إِسْمَاعِيلْ

أَمَوْلاَي إِسْمَاعِيلْ

أَشَمْسَ الْمُلُوكْ

أَشَمْسَ الْمُلُوكْ

O my lord Ismail,

My Lord Isma'il -

O my lord Isma'il,

O sun of kings!

Sun of kings!

O sun among kings!

بِمَدْحِكَ صَارَ الْقِيلْ

بِمَدْحِكَ صَارَ الْقِيلْ

كَدُرِّ السُّلُوكْ

كَدُرِّ السُّلُوكْ

Through praising you, speech became

In praising you, prose

Through praising you, speech has become

Like pearls upon strings.

Became like poetry's pearls,

Like pearls upon a string.

وَكَادَ مِنَ التَّسْهِيلْ

وَكَادَ مِنَ التَّسْهِيلْ

عَلَى مَنْ يَحُوكْ

عَلَى مَنْ يَحُوكْ

And it almost, through its ease

And one speaking it nearly

And it almost, out of ease,

For whoever weaves it,

Facilitates for the conveyor -

For the one who weaves it,

يَنَالُ بِلاَ قَصْدِ

يَنَالُ بِلاَ قَصْدِ

رَقِيقَ السِّمَاتْ

رَقِيقَ السِّمَاتْ

Attains without intent

He effortlessly attains

Attains without intention

Delicate traits.

Subtle elegance,

Delicate attributes.

كَمَا فَاحَ مِنْ نَِجْدِ

كَمَا فَاحَ مِنْ نَِجْدِ

لَطِيفُ النَّبَاتْ

لَطِيفُ النَّبَاتْ

As from Najd wafts

As the delicate plants wafted

Just as there wafts from Najd

The fragrance of tender plants.

From the gardens of Nejd.

The scent of gentle plants,

يَزِيدُ بِهِ ذَوْقَا

يَزِيدُ بِهِ ذَوْقَا

عَرَارُ اللَّبِيبْ

عَرَارُ اللَّبِيبْ

Grows richer in savor through it

It adds more taste

Increasing in delight through it

The discerning man’s ʿarār.

For the sensitive soul,

Is the 'arar flower of the discerning mind,

وَيَنْعَمُ مَنْ يَشْقَى

وَيَنْعَمُ مَنْ يَشْقَى

بِهَجْرِ الْحَبِيبْ

بِهَجْرِ الْحَبِيبْ

And he finds joy who suffers

And delights the anguished

And the one who suffers finds bliss

From the beloved’s estrangement.

From the beloved's estrangement.

Despite the abandonment of the beloved.

وَرَاقِمُهُ يَرْقَى

وَرَاقِمُهُ يَرْقَى

عَلَى ابْنِ الْخَطِيبْ

عَلَى ابْنِ الْخَطِيبْ

And its writer rises

Its sequences ascend

And its writer ascends

Above Ibn al-Khatib.

Above Ibn al-Khatib's work!

Above Ibn al-Khatib.

فَخُذْهُ كَمَا الشَّهْدِ

فَخُذْهُ كَمَا الشَّهْدِ

مَعَ الرَّشَفَاتْ

مَعَ الرَّشَفَاتْ

So take it like honey

Take it like honey

So take it like honey,

With little sips.

With sips.

Sip by sip.

حَكَى جَارَ عَنْ قَصْدِي

حَكَى جَارَ عَنْ قَصْدِي

هَوَى الْغَانِجَاتْ

هَوَى الْغَانِجَاتْ

It echoed—straying from my purpose—

My love spoke truly

It mimics—though straying from my intent—

Love for coquettish women.

Of my intention.

The passion for coquettish maidens.