في شَكل أُمّ طَلا وَأُمّ غَواني

في شَكل أُمّ طَلا وَأُمّ غَواني

وَلِحاط جُؤذر رَملَةٍ وَسنانِ

وَلِحاط جُؤذر رَملَةٍ وَسنانِ

In the guise of a doe and a peahen,

With the shape of a tall palm tree and slender bamboo,

With the gaze of a drowsy oryx calf of the dunes,

And cheeks like golden sand dunes and teeth like pearls,

وَمَعاطف الرَشأ الأَغنِّ لِحُسنِهِ

وَمَعاطف الرَشأ الأَغنِّ لِحُسنِهِ

الفَتّان أَلحاظ الحِسان رَواني

الفَتّان أَلحاظ الحِسان رَواني

And the curves of a soft-voiced fawn, at whose beauty,

And the most elegant dress that matches her beauty,

So bewitching, the eyes of lovely women gaze,

Her charming glances are tempting and delightful.

عَطَفت عَلَيَّ وَفي مَعاطف أَزرِها

عَطَفت عَلَيَّ وَفي مَعاطف أَزرِها

رَيثُ الأَناةِ وَخِفَّةُ النَشوانِ

رَيثُ الأَناةِ وَخِفَّةُ النَشوانِ

She turned toward me; within the folds of her wraps

She inclined towards me, in the folds of her dress,

Were composure's languor and a tipsy one's lightness.

Gentleness of gait and lightness of step.

هَيفاءُ قامَتُها الرَشيقَةُ ما لَها

هَيفاءُ قامَتُها الرَشيقَةُ ما لَها

في هَيفِ أَغصان النَقا مِن ثاني

في هَيفِ أَغصان النَقا مِن ثاني

Slender-waisted, her graceful figure has no

Slender is her graceful stature, nothing equals it

Equal in slenderness among the boughs of the dunes.

Among the tender branches of the palm trees.

فَطَفِقتُ أَعصِرُ بانَةً مِن قَدِّها

فَطَفِقتُ أَعصِرُ بانَةً مِن قَدِّها

وَنعمتُ مِن فيها بِأَصهبَ عاني

وَنعمتُ مِن فيها بِأَصهبَ عاني

So I began to clasp her bān-tree form,

So I started gathering strands of her hair,

And savored from her mouth a tawny, long-kept wine.

And enjoyed the wine of her mouth sips at a time.

تَدنو فَيَرغَب طامِعٌ في وَصلِها

تَدنو فَيَرغَب طامِعٌ في وَصلِها

سَفَهاً وَقَد حَلَّت رَفيعَ مَكانِ

سَفَهاً وَقَد حَلَّت رَفيعَ مَكانِ

She draws near, and a hopeful man longs for union with her,

One who aspires for her company comes closer,

Foolishly, though she occupies a lofty station.

Foolishly, though she is at a high station.

كَالشَمس في كَبدِ السَماء وَضوؤها

كَالشَمس في كَبدِ السَماء وَضوؤها

فَوقَ البَسيطة لِلنواظرِ داني

فَوقَ البَسيطة لِلنواظرِ داني

Like the sun in the heart of the sky, whose light

Like the sun at the zenith of the sky, her brilliance

Above the earth is close to gazing eyes.

Is apparent to all beholders from afar.

نَظمت فَريداً في فَريدٍ فَاِلتَقى

نَظمت فَريداً في فَريدٍ فَاِلتَقى

سَعدانِ قَد نُظِما بِحُسنِ قِرانِ

سَعدانِ قَد نُظِما بِحُسنِ قِرانِ

I composed a peerless poem for a peerless one; thus met

A unique being was composed in another unique one,

Two auspicious stars, joined in a lovely conjunction.

Both fortunate, composed in beauty and harmony.

مَدّ الإِلَهُ عَلى الخَليقةِ ظِلَّهُ

مَدّ الإِلَهُ عَلى الخَليقةِ ظِلَّهُ

وَأَمَدَّهُ بِرَوائِعِ الإِحسانِ

وَأَمَدَّهُ بِرَوائِعِ الإِحسانِ

May God extend his shade over creation,

God extended His shade over the creation,

And sustain him with wondrous favors;

And favoured it with the finest of favours.

وَجَرت لَهُ الأَقدارُ طَوعَ مرادِهِ

وَجَرت لَهُ الأَقدارُ طَوعَ مرادِهِ

في دَولةِ السُلطانِ ذي السُلطانِ

في دَولةِ السُلطانِ ذي السُلطانِ

And may fate's decrees run for him as he wishes,

Destinies submitted to His will,

In the reign of the sultan endowed with sovereign power.

In the reign of the Sultan of authority.

أَعني مرادَ اللَهِ مُظهِرَ فَيضه ال

أَعني مرادَ اللَهِ مُظهِرَ فَيضه ال

أَسمى وَمَصدرَ فِعلِهِ ذي الشانِ

أَسمى وَمَصدرَ فِعلِهِ ذي الشانِ

I mean God's Murad, revealer of His bounty, the

I mean the will of God, manifester of His grace,

Most exalted, and source of His majestic action.

The most Sublime, and source of His glorious acts.

أَبقاهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ ناصرَ دينِهِ

أَبقاهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ ناصرَ دينِهِ

ما قَرَّظَت مَدحاً رُقُوم بَنانِ

ما قَرَّظَت مَدحاً رُقُوم بَنانِ

May the Lord of the Throne preserve him as defender of His faith,

May the Lord of the Throne maintain him as defender of His faith,

As long as fingertips' tracings offer praise.

As long as star clusters continue to rise in praise.