إِلى حُسَينٍ حاكِمِ القَنالِ

إِلى حُسَينٍ حاكِمِ القَنالِ

مِثالِ حُسنِ الخُلقِ في الرِجالِ

مِثالِ حُسنِ الخُلقِ في الرِجالِ

To Hussein, governor of the Canal,

To Hussein, ruler of Al Qanat

a model of fine character among men,

An example of good manners among men

أُهدي سَلاماً طَيِّباً كَخُلقِهِ

أُهدي سَلاماً طَيِّباً كَخُلقِهِ

مَع اِحتِرامٍ هُوَ بَعضُ حَقِّهِ

مَع اِحتِرامٍ هُوَ بَعضُ حَقِّهِ

I offer a greeting as gracious as his character,

I send sincere greetings as sincere as his manners

with respect that is but part of his due.

With respect that is but a fraction of what he deserves

وَأَحفَظُ العَهدَ لَهُ عَلى النَوى

وَأَحفَظُ العَهدَ لَهُ عَلى النَوى

وَالصِدقَ في الوُدِّ لَهُ وَفي الهَوى

وَالصِدقَ في الوُدِّ لَهُ وَفي الهَوى

And I keep my pledge to him despite the distance,

I will keep my promise to him with resolve

and remain true in my affection and love for him.

And honesty in affection for him and in passion as well

وَبَعدُ فَالمَعروفُ بَينَ الصَحبِ

وَبَعدُ فَالمَعروفُ بَينَ الصَحبِ

أَنَّ التَهادي مِن دَواعي الحُبِّ

أَنَّ التَهادي مِن دَواعي الحُبِّ

Now, it is well known among friends

It is known amongst companions

that exchanging gifts is a spur to love.

That gift-giving stirs up love

وَعِندَكَ الزَهرُ وَعِندي الشِعرُ

وَعِندَكَ الزَهرُ وَعِندي الشِعرُ

كِلاهُما فيما يُقالُ نَدرُ

كِلاهُما فيما يُقالُ نَدرُ

You have flowers, and I have poetry;

You have flowers and I have poetry

both, they say, are rare.

Both are rare in what is told

وَقَد سَمِعتُ عَنكَ مِن ثِقاتِ

وَقَد سَمِعتُ عَنكَ مِن ثِقاتِ

أَنَّكَ أَنتَ مَلِكُ النَباتِ

أَنَّكَ أَنتَ مَلِكُ النَباتِ

And I have heard about you from trustworthy people

I have heard from trusted sources

that you yourself are the king of plants.

That you are king of all plants

زَهرُكَ لَيسَ لِلزُهورِ رَونَقُهُ

زَهرُكَ لَيسَ لِلزُهورِ رَونَقُهُ

تَكادُ مِن فَرطِ اِعتِناءٍ تَخلُقُهُ

تَكادُ مِن فَرطِ اِعتِناءٍ تَخلُقُهُ

Your flowers have a splendor no other flowers possess;

Your flowers have a splendor unlike any other

with such devoted care, you almost create them.

You almost seem to create them out of attentive care

ما نَظَرَت مِثلَكَ عَينُ النَرجِسِ

ما نَظَرَت مِثلَكَ عَينُ النَرجِسِ

بَعدَ مُلوكِ الظُرفِ في الأَندَلُسِ

بَعدَ مُلوكِ الظُرفِ في الأَندَلُسِ

The narcissus's eye has seen no one like you

The narcissus’ eye has not seen your equal

since the kings of refinement in al-Andalus.

After the refined kings of Andalusia

وَلي مِنَ الحَدائِقِ الغَنّاءِ

وَلي مِنَ الحَدائِقِ الغَنّاءِ

رَوضٌ عَلى المَطَرِيَّةِ الفَيحاءِ

رَوضٌ عَلى المَطَرِيَّةِ الفَيحاءِ

And I have, among the luxuriant gardens,

I have in my melodious gardens

a garden in spacious al-Matariyya.

A meadow above the fragrant plain

أَتَيتُ أَستَهدي لَها وَأَسأَلُ

أَتَيتُ أَستَهدي لَها وَأَسأَلُ

وَأَرتَضي النَزرُ وَلا أُثَقِّلُ

وَأَرتَضي النَزرُ وَلا أُثَقِّلُ

I have come to seek gifts for it and ask—

I came to request and ask

content with little, and imposing no burden—

I will be content with a handful and not overburden

عَشرَ شُجَيراتٍ مِنَ الغَوالي

عَشرَ شُجَيراتٍ مِنَ الغَوالي

تَندُرُ إِلّا في رِياضِ الوالي

تَندُرُ إِلّا في رِياضِ الوالي

for ten little shrubs of the prized varieties,

Ten flower bushes of unmatched rarity

rare except in the governor's gardens,

That only bloom in the governor’s gardens

تَزكو وَتَزهو في الشِتا وَالصَيفِ

تَزكو وَتَزهو في الشِتا وَالصَيفِ

وَتَجمَعُ الأَلوانَ مِثلَ الطَيفِ

وَتَجمَعُ الأَلوانَ مِثلَ الطَيفِ

thriving and blooming in winter and summer,

Thriving and blossoming in winter and summer

and combining colors like the spectrum.

And gathering colors like a rainbow’s arc

تُرسِلُها مُؤَمِّناً عَلَيها

تُرسِلُها مُؤَمِّناً عَلَيها

إِن هَلَكَت لِيَ الحَقُّ في مِثلَيها

إِن هَلَكَت لِيَ الحَقُّ في مِثلَيها

Send them insured;

Send them entrusted to my care

if they perish, I am entitled to twice as many.

If they perish I have the right to their equivalent

وَالحَقُّ في الخُرطومِ أَيضاً حَقّي

وَالحَقُّ في الخُرطومِ أَيضاً حَقّي

وَالدَرسُ لِلخادِمِ كَيفَ يَسقي

وَالدَرسُ لِلخادِمِ كَيفَ يَسقي

And I am also entitled to the hose,

The right to the watering can as well is mine

and a lesson for the servant in how to water them.

And instruction for the servant on how to water

وَبَعدَ هَذا لي عَلَيكَ زَورَه

وَبَعدَ هَذا لي عَلَيكَ زَورَه

لِكَي تَدورَ حَولَ رَوضِيَ دَورَه

لِكَي تَدورَ حَولَ رَوضِيَ دَورَه

And after this, you owe me a visit,

After this I will visit you

so you may take a turn around my garden.

So you can tour around my meadow

فَإِن فَعَلتَ فَالقَوافي تَفعَلُ

فَإِن فَعَلتَ فَالقَوافي تَفعَلُ

ما هُوَ مِن فِعلِ الزُهورِ أَجمَلُ

ما هُوَ مِن فِعلِ الزُهورِ أَجمَلُ

For if you do, the rhymes will do

If you oblige, rhymes will do

something lovelier than what flowers do.

What is more beautiful than flowers’ deeds

فَما رَأَيتُ في حَياتي أَزيَنا

فَما رَأَيتُ في حَياتي أَزيَنا

لِلمَرءِ بَينَ الناسِ مِن حُسنِ الثَنا

لِلمَرءِ بَينَ الناسِ مِن حُسنِ الثَنا

For I have seen nothing in my life more becoming

For I have never seen in my life

to a man among people than fine praise.

Anything adorn a man among people like praise