باليُمْنِ ما رفعَ الأميرُ وشيَّدا

باليُمْنِ ما رفعَ الأميرُ وشيَّدا

وبِجَدِّه النعماءُ ما قد جدَّدا

وبِجَدِّه النعماءُ ما قد جدَّدا

By auspicious fortune the prince raised it and built it,

Blessed be what the prince has raised and built,

and by his fortune bounty renewed all it had renewed.

and, through his good fortune, the blessings he has renewed.

قصرٌ أنافَ على القصورِ بحُلَّةٍ

قصرٌ أنافَ على القصورِ بحُلَّةٍ

مَلِكٌ أنافَ على المُلوكِ مؤيَّدا

مَلِكٌ أنافَ على المُلوكِ مؤيَّدا

A palace towering over palaces in its splendid robe;

A palace, robed, towering above palaces;

a king towering over kings, confirmed in power.

a king, upheld, towering above kings.

قُلنا وقد أعلاه جَدٌّ صاعِدٌ

قُلنا وقد أعلاه جَدٌّ صاعِدٌ

في الجوِّ حتى ما يُصادِفُ مَصْعَدا

في الجوِّ حتى ما يُصادِفُ مَصْعَدا

We said, when an ascending fortune raised it high:

We said, when soaring fortune had raised it

into the sky—until it found no further height to climb.

into the sky, until it found no further ascent:

أبنيَّةٌ ببنائِها فُضِحَ البِنَا

أبنيَّةٌ ببنائِها فُضِحَ البِنَا

أم فَرقَدٌ بسَناه شانَ الفَرقَدا

أم فَرقَدٌ بسَناه شانَ الفَرقَدا

Is it a building whose construction has put all building to shame,

Is it an edifice whose construction shames all buildings,

or a Pole Star whose brilliance has shamed the Pole Star?

or a Farqad star whose radiance shames Farqad?

غُرَفٌ تَألَّقُ في الظَّلامِ فلو سرَى

غُرَفٌ تَألَّقُ في الظَّلامِ فلو سرَى

بضِيائِها ساري الدُّجُنَّةِ لاهتدَى

بضِيائِها ساري الدُّجُنَّةِ لاهتدَى

Chambers gleam in darkness; were one to journey,

Chambers gleam in darkness; should he travel

a traveler through murky night would find his way by their light.

by their light, the traveler through night's gloom would find his way.

عُنِيَ الرَّبيعُ بها فَنشَّرَ حولَها

عُنِيَ الرَّبيعُ بها فَنشَّرَ حولَها

حُللاً تُدَبِّجُ وَشْيَها أيدي النَّدى

حُللاً تُدَبِّجُ وَشْيَها أيدي النَّدى

Spring took pains over it, spreading all around

Spring cared for them and spread around them

robes whose embroidery the hands of dew brocade.

robes whose brocade the hands of dew embroider.

فكأنَّما تُزجي السَّحائبُ فوقَها

فكأنَّما تُزجي السَّحائبُ فوقَها

جَيْشاً يهُزُّ البَرقُ فيه مِطْرَدا

جَيْشاً يهُزُّ البَرقُ فيه مِطْرَدا

As though the clouds above it were driving

As though the clouds were driving above them

an army in which lightning brandished a spear;

an army in which lightning brandishes a lance.

وكأنَّما نَشَرَ الهواءُ بجوِّها

وكأنَّما نَشَرَ الهواءُ بجوِّها

في كلِّ ناحيةٍ رِداءً مُجسَدا

في كلِّ ناحيةٍ رِداءً مُجسَدا

as though the air throughout its sky had spread

And as though the air had spread through their sky,

in every quarter a palpable mantle;

in every direction, a saffron-dyed cloak.

وكأنَّ ظِلَّ النَّخلِ حولَ قِبابِها

وكأنَّ ظِلَّ النَّخلِ حولَ قِبابِها

ظِلُّ الغَمامِ إذا الهجيرُ تَوقَّدا

ظِلُّ الغَمامِ إذا الهجيرُ تَوقَّدا

and as though the palms’ shade around its domes were

And as though the palms' shade around their domes

the shade of clouds when the noonday blaze is kindled.

were cloud-shade when the midday heat blazes.

من كلِّ خَضراءِ الذَّوائبِ زُيِّنَتْ

من كلِّ خَضراءِ الذَّوائبِ زُيِّنَتْ

بِثمارِها جيداً لها ومُقَلَّدا

بِثمارِها جيداً لها ومُقَلَّدا

It was adorned with every green and tress-bearing tree,

From every green-tressed palm, adorned

its fruits becoming both a neck for it and a necklace.

with its fruits about its throat and collar.

خرَقَتْ أسافُلهنَّ رَيَّانَ الثَّرى

خرَقَتْ أسافُلهنَّ رَيَّانَ الثَّرى

حتى اتَّخَذْنَ البحرَ فيه مَورِدا

حتى اتَّخَذْنَ البحرَ فيه مَورِدا

Their roots pierced the water-sated earth

Their roots pierced the water-rich soil,

until they made the sea beneath their watering place.

until they took the sea within it as their watering-place.

شَجَرٌ إذا ما الصُّبحُ أسفرَ لم يِنُحْ

شَجَرٌ إذا ما الصُّبحُ أسفرَ لم يِنُحْ

للأمنِ طائرُه ولكن غَرَّدا

للأمنِ طائرُه ولكن غَرَّدا

Trees whose birds, when morning unveiled itself, did not lament;

Trees where, when dawn brightens, no lament is heard

secure, they sang instead.

from their birds, safe; instead they sing.

غَنِيَتْ مَغانيها الحِسانُ عنِ الحَيا

غَنِيَتْ مَغانيها الحِسانُ عنِ الحَيا

ما راحَ في عَرَصاتِهنَّ وما اغتدَى

ما راحَ في عَرَصاتِهنَّ وما اغتدَى

Its lovely precincts had no need of rain:

Its lovely grounds have no need of rain,

morning and evening, through their courts there went

so long as he passes through their courts at dusk and dawn,

بمُشَمِّرٍ في السَّيْر إلا أنَّه

بمُشَمِّرٍ في السَّيْر إلا أنَّه

يَسري فيمنَعُه السُّرى أن يَبعُدا

يَسري فيمنَعُه السُّرى أن يَبعُدا

a traveler with his skirts tucked up for speed—except that

thanks to this traveler eager on the road—except that

he flowed by night, and that night-flow kept him from going far.

he journeys by night, and his journey keeps him from going far.

وَصَلَ الحَنينَ بِعْبَرةٍ مَسفوحَةٍ

وَصَلَ الحَنينَ بِعْبَرةٍ مَسفوحَةٍ

حتى حَسبِنْاه مَشُوقاً مُكْمَدا

حتى حَسبِنْاه مَشُوقاً مُكْمَدا

He joined his yearning to a streaming tear,

He joined his longing cry to a shed tear,

until we took him for a love-struck, grief-choked lover:

until we thought him yearning and grief-stricken:

مُستَرْفِدٌ أمواجَ دِجلةَ رافدٌ

مُستَرْفِدٌ أمواجَ دِجلةَ رافدٌ

وجهَ الثَّرى أَكْرِمْ بهِ مُستَرْفِدا

وجهَ الثَّرى أَكْرِمْ بهِ مُستَرْفِدا

a tributary begging bounty from the Tigris’ waves,

seeking bounty from the Tigris's waves, giving bounty to

yet watering the face of earth—how noble a beggar!

the face of earth—how noble a seeker of bounty he is!

ينفي الصدى عن جنة نفحاتها

ينفي الصدى عن جنة نفحاتها

أرج وبرد يشفيان من الصدى

أرج وبرد يشفيان من الصدى

It banishes thirst from a garden whose fragrant breaths

He banishes thirst from a garden whose breezes

are perfume and coolness, both curing thirst.

are fragrance and coolness, both curing thirst.

كملت محاسنها فنشر يرتضى

كملت محاسنها فنشر يرتضى

وفواكه تجنى وظل يرتدى

وفواكه تجنى وظل يرتدى

Its beauties are complete: fragrance to delight in,

Its beauties are complete: a pleasing fragrance,

fruit to be plucked, and shade to be worn;

fruit to gather, and shade to wear,

وبساط ريحان كماء زبرجد

وبساط ريحان كماء زبرجد

عبثت بفصحته الجنوب فأرعدا

عبثت بفصحته الجنوب فأرعدا

and a carpet of basil like emerald water—

and a carpet of sweet herbs like liquid chrysolite,

the south wind played across its surface, and it thundered.

whose surface the south wind played over, making it tremble.

يشتاقه الشسرب الكرام فكلما

يشتاقه الشسرب الكرام فكلما

مرض النسيم سعوا إليه عودا

مرض النسيم سعوا إليه عودا

Noble drinkers yearn for it; whenever

Noble drinking companions long for it; whenever

the breeze falls ill, they hasten there as visitors.

the breeze grows sick, they hasten to it as visitors to the sick.

يغشون زاهرة النبات كأنما

يغشون زاهرة النبات كأنما

حملت لجينا في الغصون وعسجدا

حملت لجينا في الغصون وعسجدا

They enter among the flowering plants as though those plants

They frequent a garden bright with plants, as though it

bore silver upon branches of gold.

bore silver and gold upon its branches.

ومعرجا كالأين ما ونت الصبا

ومعرجا كالأين ما ونت الصبا

فإذا علته أرتك منه مبردا

فإذا علته أرتك منه مبردا

Its winding course is like a serpent while the east wind lies faint;

And a winding watercourse, snake-like, where the east wind never tires;

but when the wind mounts it, it shows you a serrated file.

when it passes over it, it reveals it to you as a file.

وقواطنا في الماء تحسب أنها

وقواطنا في الماء تحسب أنها

شم الهشاب لبسن ليلا أربدا

شم الهشاب لبسن ليلا أربدا

And forms abiding in the water—you would think them

And dwellers in the water, which you would take

lofty hills clad in a soot-black night,

for lofty hills clothed in a dark-gray night,

مثل الإماء السود خاف إباقها

مثل الإماء السود خاف إباقها

مولى فشد وثاقها وتشددا

مولى فشد وثاقها وتشددا

like black bondwomen whose master feared their flight

like black slave women whose escape was feared

and bound their fetters, drawing them tight.

by a master who tightened their bonds and grew strict.

نصبت حيازيما لها مشعوفة

نصبت حيازيما لها مشعوفة

بالماء تمنحه عناقا سرمدا

بالماء تمنحه عناقا سرمدا

Girdles were raised for them, enamored

They thrust out their chests, enamored

of the water and granting it an everlasting embrace.

of water, giving it an everlasting embrace.

لم تخل من زور يصادف معركا

لم تخل من زور يصادف معركا

ذا قسطل فيشيب فيه أمردا

ذا قسطل فيشيب فيه أمردا

Nor was it ever without a visitor encountering a battlefield

They never lack visitors who encounter a battlefield

whose dust-cloud would turn a beardless youth gray.

thick with dust, which turns a beardless youth gray.

بدع إذا ما الفكر حاول وصفها

بدع إذا ما الفكر حاول وصفها

يوما تحير دونها وتبلدا

يوما تحير دونها وتبلدا

A wonder: whenever thought attempts to describe it,

Marvels: should thought attempt to describe them

it halts before it, bewildered and dull.

one day, it would be bewildered before them and grow numb.

لو عاينت أملاك فارس حسنها

لو عاينت أملاك فارس حسنها

خرت لها أملاك فارس سجدا

خرت لها أملاك فارس سجدا

Had the kings of Persia beheld its beauty,

Had the kings of Persia beheld their beauty,

the kings of Persia would have fallen prostrate before it.

the kings of Persia would have fallen prostrate before them.

وعلا إذا لحظ الزمان شعاعها

وعلا إذا لحظ الزمان شعاعها

ولى حسير الطرف عنها أرمدا

ولى حسير الطرف عنها أرمدا

It rose sublime; when Time glanced at its radiance,

And lofty glories: when Time glimpses their radiance,

Time turned away, its gaze exhausted and inflamed.

it turns from them, weary of gaze and sore-eyed.

فاسعد أبا حسن بمؤنق حسنها

فاسعد أبا حسن بمؤنق حسنها

والق الزمان بما تحاول مسعدا

والق الزمان بما تحاول مسعدا

Rejoice, Abu Hasan, in its enchanting beauty,

So rejoice, Abu Hasan, in its enchanting beauty,

and meet Time, in all you seek, as one granted success—

and face Time favored in what you seek,

حتى تمد أبا الوفاء بعرفه

حتى تمد أبا الوفاء بعرفه

كفا ومذكورا بسطوته يدا

كفا ومذكورا بسطوته يدا

until, Abu al-Wafa, you stretch out through generosity

until you extend to Abu al-Wafa, for his kindness,

a palm—and, renowned for its force, a hand;

a palm, and to one renowned for his might, a hand.

فيكون ذا غيث الولي بجرده

فيكون ذا غيث الولي بجرده

ويكون ذاك ببأسه سم العدا

ويكون ذاك ببأسه سم العدا

so that this, through its bounty, is rain to the friend,

Then this one, with his sleek steeds, will be rain for the ally,

and that, through its might, is poison to foes.

and that one, with his valor, poison for the foes.

والبس مدائحنا التي ألبستها

والبس مدائحنا التي ألبستها

شرفا بذكراك لا يبيد وسوددا

شرفا بذكراك لا يبيد وسوددا

Wear our praises, which you yourself have clothed

And wear our praises, which you have clothed

in honor through your remembrance—and in imperishable glory.

through mention of you in undying honor and nobility.

من كل خالدة المحاسن ما حوت

من كل خالدة المحاسن ما حوت

ذكر امرىء إلا وراح مخلدا

ذكر امرىء إلا وراح مخلدا

For no deathless poem of lovely qualities contains

Each with undying beauty: none ever held

mention of the emirate without being made still more immortal.

a man's remembrance without his becoming immortal.

أصبحت محسودا وهل يضحي الفتى

أصبحت محسودا وهل يضحي الفتى

إلا على كرم الفعال محسدا

إلا على كرم الفعال محسدا

You have become envied—and when is a young man

You have become envied; and does a man become

ever envied, except for nobility of deeds?

envied except for noble deeds?