ومضرَّجِ الاثواب مسكيّ النَفَسِ

ومضرَّجِ الاثواب مسكيّ النَفَسِ

فكأنَّما اشتُقَّت حُلاهُ من الغَلس

فكأنَّما اشتُقَّت حُلاهُ من الغَلس

And one in crimson-dyed robes, with musk-scented breath,

And one with crimson-dyed robes and musky breath,

In robes stained with musk, his breath sweet smelling,

as though its adornments had been fashioned from the twilight gloom.

As though its adornments were drawn from the predawn gloom.

As if his garments were extracted from aloeswood.

شرِك البنفسج في الاديم فَلَونُهُ

شرِك البنفسج في الاديم فَلَونُهُ

مِن لَونه فكأنّهُ منه اختُلس

مِن لَونه فكأنّهُ منه اختُلس

It shares the violet’s complexion, so its color

It shared the violet's skin, so its color

He has dyed his cloak violet, so its hue

comes from the violet’s—as though it had been stolen from it.

Came from the violet's hue, as though stolen from it.

Appears to have been stolen from the flower's own color.

يسري اذا طرَق الظَلام نسيمُهُ

يسري اذا طرَق الظَلام نسيمُهُ

ويظلّ يكمَن بالنهار كذِي دُلَس

ويظلّ يكمَن بالنهار كذِي دُلَس

Its fragrance journeys by night when darkness comes knocking,

Its breeze travels by night when darkness arrives,

When darkness falls, his breeze blows gently,

while all day it lies hidden, like one practicing concealment,

And stays hidden by day, like one practicing deceit,

And by day he lurks concealed like a fox.

مُتَنَكِّراً حتّى المساء وانّما

مُتَنَكِّراً حتّى المساء وانّما

سُلطانُهُ باللَيل فهو من الحَرَس

سُلطانُهُ باللَيل فهو من الحَرَس

disguised until evening; for only

Disguised until evening; only

Disguised until evening comes, his rule

at night does it hold sway, and so it is one of the watch.

At night does it hold sway, for it is one of the guards.

Being at night, for he is one of the guards.

جنسٌ يخالفُ كلَّ جِنسٍ في التَع

جنسٌ يخالفُ كلَّ جِنسٍ في التَع

رّي والتلبُّس والتوحُّش ولأُنس

رّي والتلبُّس والتوحُّش ولأُنس

A species unlike every other in baring itself,

A kind unlike every other kind in stripping

A kind that differs from any other in manners

in clothing itself, in estrangement, and in intimacy.

Itself, clothing itself, shunning company and seeking companionship.

Of dress, disguise, aloofness and intimacy.

فتراهُ طُولَ نهارِهِ مُتَجَرّدا

فتراهُ طُولَ نهارِهِ مُتَجَرّدا

من عَرفهِ ومع الدَياجي مُلتبِس

من عَرفهِ ومع الدَياجي مُلتبِس

You see it throughout the day stripped

So you see it throughout its day stripped bare

You see him naked of his finery all day long,

of its fragrance, yet clothed when the pitch-dark nights arrive.

Of its fragrance, and cloaked in it amid night's darkness.

Dressed in common clothes, mingling with the masses.

وَتَراهُ طُولَ نَهارِهِ مُتَوَحّشاً

وَتَراهُ طُولَ نَهارِهِ مُتَوَحّشاً

فاذا دنا وقتُ الظلامِ لَهُ أَنِس

فاذا دنا وقتُ الظلامِ لَهُ أَنِس

You see it throughout the day withdrawn and unsociable;

And you see it throughout its day aloof,

And you see him aloof all day long,

but when the hour of darkness draws near, it finds companionship—

But when the hour of darkness nears, it grows at ease with it,

But when the darkness nears, he finds intimacy.

أُنسَ المَعالي بابن عامِرٍ الذي

أُنسَ المَعالي بابن عامِرٍ الذي

عَمِرَت بدولَته مَنازِلها الدرُس

عَمِرَت بدولَته مَنازِلها الدرُس

the companionship high honors find in Ibn ʿĀmir, through whose

As lofty honors do with Ibn ʿĀmir, who

The intimacies of Ibn 'Amir, who restored

rule their ruined dwellings were restored.

Through his rule made their ruined dwellings flourish.

The dwellings of grandeur through his governance.

أُحيي الرياسةَ بالسياسَة فَهو مُف

أُحيي الرياسةَ بالسياسَة فَهو مُف

صِحُ لُكنِها بعد الحرس

صِحُ لُكنِها بعد الحرس

Through statecraft, leadership was revived; he gives eloquent

I revive leadership through statesmanship; so he gives

He revived leadership through politics, excelling at both,

expression to its inarticulacy after it had been under guard.

Voice to its stammerers after a long interval.

After the Guard had declined.

وعَلا فلم يَرثِ العُلى والمجدَ عن

وعَلا فلم يَرثِ العُلى والمجدَ عن

جَدٍّ لَهُ نكٍسٍ ولا جدٍّ تَعِس

جَدٍّ لَهُ نكٍسٍ ولا جدٍّ تَعِس

He rose high, inheriting neither high station nor glory from

And he rose; he did not inherit eminence and glory from

He ascended high, not inheriting might and glory

an ignoble forefather, nor from a wretched fortune.

An ignoble grandfather of his, nor an ill-fated one.

From a humbled ancestor or hapless forebear.

نُورٌ تَوقَّدَ فاستَبانَ بِلمحِهِ

نُورٌ تَوقَّدَ فاستَبانَ بِلمحِهِ

ما كان أشكلَ قبل ذلك والتبس

ما كان أشكلَ قبل ذلك والتبس

A light blazed, and by its gleam became clear

A light flared up, and by its flash became clear

A light kindled, revealing by its glow

what until then had been obscure and confused.

What before then had been obscure and confused.

What had been ambiguous and obscure before.