مَولاي شَرَّفتَ الرُبوعَ وَطالَ ما

مَولاي شَرَّفتَ الرُبوعَ وَطالَ ما

زهَتِ الدِيارُ بِكُم ربىً وَمَعالِما

زهَتِ الدِيارُ بِكُم ربىً وَمَعالِما

My lord, you have ennobled these haunts—and how often

My lord, you have honored these abodes; long have

the dwellings, through you, have flourished as hills and landmarks.

The dwellings shone through you, their hills and landmarks.

وَبَعَثتَ مِن أَبكارِ فِكرِكَ غادَةً

وَبَعَثتَ مِن أَبكارِ فِكرِكَ غادَةً

نَحوي فَرُحتُ بِها مُعَنّى هائِما

نَحوي فَرُحتُ بِها مُعَنّى هائِما

You sent forth from the virgin fruits of your thought a maiden

And from the virgin creations of your thought you sent a maiden

toward me, and I rejoiced in her, love-tormented and wandering:

Toward me, and through her I became love-tormented and enthralled.

عَذراءَ ساجٍ طَرفُها مَهما رَنَت

عَذراءَ ساجٍ طَرفُها مَهما رَنَت

سَلّت عَلَيكَ مِن اللِحاظ صَوراما

سَلّت عَلَيكَ مِن اللِحاظ صَوراما

a virgin with languid eyes; whenever she gazed,

A virgin whose gaze is tranquil; whenever she looks,

she unsheathed against you keen swords of glances.

She draws against you keen swords from her glances.

وَإِذا اِنثَنَت تَختالُ مِن مَرَحِ الصِبا

وَإِذا اِنثَنَت تَختالُ مِن مَرَحِ الصِبا

أَزرَت بِخُوطِيِّ الأَراكة ناعِما

أَزرَت بِخُوطِيِّ الأَراكة ناعِما

And when she swayed, strutting with the exuberance of youth,

And when she sways, strutting with youth's exuberance,

she put the tender bough of the arak tree to shame—

She puts the arak tree's supple shoot to shame.

كَالرَوضِ في رَأدِ الأَصيلِ شَدت عَلى

كَالرَوضِ في رَأدِ الأَصيلِ شَدت عَلى

أَغصانِهِ وُرقُ الحَمامِ رَوائِما

أَغصانِهِ وُرقُ الحَمامِ رَوائِما

like a garden in the early evening, upon whose

Like a garden at evening's onset, where sang upon

boughs dusky doves sang longingly.

Its branches the gray doves, full of tender affection.

قَد طَرَّزتهُ يَدُ الجَنوبِ بِعارِضٍ

قَد طَرَّزتهُ يَدُ الجَنوبِ بِعارِضٍ

أَحوى وَعَرفُ شَذاهُ أَضحى فاغِما

أَحوى وَعَرفُ شَذاهُ أَضحى فاغِما

The south wind’s hand had embroidered it with a bank of cloud,

The south wind's hand has embroidered it with a cloud,

dark-hued, while the breath of its fragrance spread richly.

Dark-hued, while the aroma of its perfume now fills the air.

أَهدَت تَحيّةَ مَن تَسامى قَدرُهُ

أَهدَت تَحيّةَ مَن تَسامى قَدرُهُ

فَغَدا عَلى نَجم المَجَرَّةِ ناجِما

فَغَدا عَلى نَجم المَجَرَّةِ ناجِما

She brought the greeting of one whose rank rose high,

She brought the greeting of one whose stature rose high,

until he became a star rising above the Milky Way’s star:

And now he rises above the star of the Milky Way.

مَولىً حَوى جِنسَ الفَضائل كُلِّها

مَولىً حَوى جِنسَ الفَضائل كُلِّها

وَغَدا بِفَصلٍ في بَنيها حاكِما

وَغَدا بِفَصلٍ في بَنيها حاكِما

a lord encompassing every kind of virtue,

A lord who encompasses every kind of virtue,

who, through your excellence, became an arbiter among her sons.

And with decisive judgment now rules among their sons.

قَد حُمِّلَت في طَيِّها مِن نَشرِهِ

قَد حُمِّلَت في طَيِّها مِن نَشرِهِ

أَرَجاً يَفوقُ مِنَ العَبيرِ لَطائِما

أَرَجاً يَفوقُ مِنَ العَبيرِ لَطائِما

Within her folds she had carried some of his fragrance—

She was laden within her folds with his fragrance—

a scent surpassing caravans laden with ambergris.

An aroma surpassing caravans laden with perfume.

فَورَت زِنادَ الشَوقِ بَينَ جَوانحي

فَورَت زِنادَ الشَوقِ بَينَ جَوانحي

إِذ لَم أَكُن وَقَت الزِيارَةِ عالِما

إِذ لَم أَكُن وَقَت الزِيارَةِ عالِما

She struck longing’s firesteel to sparks within my breast,

So she kindled longing's fire-sticks between my ribs,

for I had not known the appointed time of the visit.

For I had not known the time of the visit.

لَكِنَّني لَما فَضَضتُ ختامها

لَكِنَّني لَما فَضَضتُ ختامها

وَلَثَمتُ مِنها الثَغرَ أَشنَب باسِما

وَلَثَمتُ مِنها الثَغرَ أَشنَب باسِما

But when I broke open her seal

But when I broke her seal

and kissed from her a smiling mouth of gleaming teeth,

And kissed her smiling mouth, cool and sweet,

بادَرتُ أَنحُو ما أَتَت مِن أَجلِهِ

بادَرتُ أَنحُو ما أَتَت مِن أَجلِهِ

وَأَرى المَصيرَ إِلَيهِ حَتماً لازِما

وَأَرى المَصيرَ إِلَيهِ حَتماً لازِما

I hastened toward the purpose for which she had come,

I hastened to pursue what she had come for,

deeming the journey there inevitable and binding.

And deem pursuing it a binding obligation.

وَإِذا الخَليلُ أَمَتّ يَوماً خِلَّهُ

وَإِذا الخَليلُ أَمَتّ يَوماً خِلَّهُ

بِالقَولِ كانَ لَدَيَّ فِعلاً جازِما

بِالقَولِ كانَ لَدَيَّ فِعلاً جازِما

And when a friend one day addresses his friend

And if a friend one day appeals to his friend,

with a word, I count that word a decisive deed.

In words, his appeal is to me a decisive deed.

أَيَجوزُ في دينِ الوَفاءِ بِأَن يُرى

أَيَجوزُ في دينِ الوَفاءِ بِأَن يُرى

غَيري بِهَذا الأَمرِ يَوماً قائِما

غَيري بِهَذا الأَمرِ يَوماً قائِما

Can the creed of loyalty permit that there be seen

Is it permitted in the creed of loyalty that one should see

anyone but me undertaking this charge, even for a day?

Someone other than me ever undertaking this task?

كَلا إِذاً لا سَرَت قطُّ وَلا سَعَت

كَلا إِذاً لا سَرَت قطُّ وَلا سَعَت

قَدَمي لإِدراك الأُمورِ عَظائِما

قَدَمي لإِدراك الأُمورِ عَظائِما

No! Then may I never journey at all, nor may

No! Then may it never travel, nor ever strive—

my foot strive to attain momentous affairs.

My foot—to achieve great deeds.

مَولاي يا خِدنَ الصَفاءِ وَمَن غَدَت

مَولاي يا خِدنَ الصَفاءِ وَمَن غَدَت

أَخلاقُهُ مِثلُ الرِياضِ نَواسِما

أَخلاقُهُ مِثلُ الرِياضِ نَواسِما

My lord, O companion of pure friendship, whose

My lord, friend of sincerity, whose

character is like gardens breathing fragrant breezes—

Character has grown fragrant like gardens,

دَع ذِكرَ مَن ضَيّعت عُمرَكَ مُطرياً

دَع ذِكرَ مَن ضَيّعت عُمرَكَ مُطرياً

في مَدحِهِ بَينَ العَساكِرِ دائِما

في مَدحِهِ بَينَ العَساكِرِ دائِما

speak no more of him praising whom you squandered your life,

Leave off mentioning the man you wasted your life extolling,

forever extolling him before the armies,

Forever singing his praises among the armies,

حَتّى دَعتكَ إِلَيهِ يَوماً حاجَةٌ

حَتّى دَعتكَ إِلَيهِ يَوماً حاجَةٌ

أَلفَيتُهُ فيها مُريباً خائِما

أَلفَيتُهُ فيها مُريباً خائِما

until one day a need summoned you to him

Until one day a need summoned you to him.

and in that need you found him suspect and craven.

I found him dubious and fainthearted in that matter.

وَلَقد سَبرتُ بَني الزَمان فَلَم أَجِد

وَلَقد سَبرتُ بَني الزَمان فَلَم أَجِد

فيهِم سِوى نِكسٍ يُسمّى حازِما

فيهِم سِوى نِكسٍ يُسمّى حازِما

I have indeed tested the men of this age and found

And I have indeed tested the sons of this age, but have found

among them nothing but a weakling styled “resolute.”

Among them only a weakling who is called resolute.

فَاِتركهُم تَركَ الرئال تَريكةً

فَاِتركهُم تَركَ الرئال تَريكةً

في مَهمَهٍ عافي المَسالك قاتِما

في مَهمَهٍ عافي المَسالك قاتِما

So abandon them as ostrich chicks abandon a forsaken egg

So leave them as ostrich chicks leave an egg behind,

in a trackless wilderness, desolate and dark.

In a dark wilderness with obliterated trails.

وَاِهجُر سِوى خِدنِ الوَفاء وَلا ترى

وَاِهجُر سِوى خِدنِ الوَفاء وَلا ترى

أَبَداً لِأَبناءِ الزَمان مُسالِما

أَبَداً لِأَبناءِ الزَمان مُسالِما

Shun all but loyalty’s companion, and never show yourself

And shun all but a companion of loyalty; never be seen

at peace with the sons of Time.

Ever at peace with the sons of this age.

لا زِلتَ رَوضاً بِالفَضائل ناضِراً

لا زِلتَ رَوضاً بِالفَضائل ناضِراً

تُهدِي لَنا زُهرَ المَعاني باسِما

تُهدِي لَنا زُهرَ المَعاني باسِما

May you remain a garden fresh with virtues,

May you remain a garden verdant with virtues,

offering us the smiling blossoms of meaning,

Smiling as you offer us the blossoms of meaning,

ما غَرَّدَت قَمريّةٌ في أَيَكةٍ

ما غَرَّدَت قَمريّةٌ في أَيَكةٍ

وَغَدا اليَراعُ لِخَدِّ طرسٍ راقِما

وَغَدا اليَراعُ لِخَدِّ طرسٍ راقِما

as long as a turtledove warbles in a grove

As long as a turtledove sings in a thicket,

and the reed pen inscribes the cheek of a page.

And the reed pen goes on inscribing a page's cheek.