واهاً لِموقفنا بِبرقة تَهمدِ

واهاً لِموقفنا بِبرقة تَهمدِ

بَينَ النَواهد وَالحسان الخُردِ

بَينَ النَواهد وَالحسان الخُردِ

Ah, for our meeting at Burqat Tahmad,

Alas for our stance in Barqa as it dims

Among budding-breasted maidens and beautiful, bashful virgins,

Between warnings and petty goodness

مِن كُل مخطفة الحَشا رَعبوبة

مِن كُل مخطفة الحَشا رَعبوبة

تَزري بِخوط البانة المتاوّد

تَزري بِخوط البانة المتاوّد

Each a slender-waisted, delicate beauty,

From every unsettled wilderness

Who puts the swaying shoot of the bān tree to shame.

Running with the lines of separation extended

طارَحتَها العُتبى وَقَد خاطَ الكَرى

طارَحتَها العُتبى وَقَد خاطَ الكَرى

جفنَ الحَوادث وَالزَمان الأَنكَدِ

جفنَ الحَوادث وَالزَمان الأَنكَدِ

You exchanged words of reconciliation with her, while sleep had sewn shut

Blame cast it aside and time has sewn shut

The eyelid of calamities and of wretched time.

The eyelids of events and the most sorrowful era

وَاللَيل قَد رَقَت حَواشي بَردهُ

وَاللَيل قَد رَقَت حَواشي بَردهُ

وَالوَقت صافي العَيش عَذب المورد

وَالوَقت صافي العَيش عَذب المورد

And the fringes of night's mantle had grown fine,

And the night, its edges have softened in its cold

And life in that hour was unclouded, its wellspring sweet,

And time, life is clear, its springs sweet

وَالزَهر في أُفق السَماءِ كَأَنَّها

وَالزَهر في أُفق السَماءِ كَأَنَّها

عقد تَبَدد في فِراش زَبَرجَد

عقد تَبَدد في فِراش زَبَرجَد

And the bright stars on heaven's horizon seemed

And the flowers on the horizon of the sky as though

A necklace scattered upon a bed of chrysolite.

A necklace scattering on an emerald carpet

حَتّى اِنجَلى فَلق الصَباح وَراعَها

حَتّى اِنجَلى فَلق الصَباح وَراعَها

نَظر الوشاة تَزَحزحت عَن مَرقَد

نَظر الوشاة تَزَحزحت عَن مَرقَد

Until morning's first light appeared, and she was alarmed by

Until the dawn broke through and startled it

The tale-bearers' gaze; she withdrew from her resting-place.

The look of the slanderers moved from its bed

فَطفقت أَسفح لِلتَنائي عبرة

فَطفقت أَسفح لِلتَنائي عبرة

كَالغَيث بَل كَنوال راحة أَسعَد

كَالغَيث بَل كَنوال راحة أَسعَد

So I began to pour out a tear at our separation,

So I began pouring tears of separation

Like rain—rather, like the bounty of As'ad's palm.

Like rain, no, like the most joyful lament

هُوَ بَهجة الدُنيا وَفَرقَدَها الَّذي

هُوَ بَهجة الدُنيا وَفَرقَدَها الَّذي

بِسَناهُ أَرباب البَصائر تَهتَدي

بِسَناهُ أَرباب البَصائر تَهتَدي

He is the world's delight and its Farqad star, by whose

He is the delight of the world and its nap whom

Radiance the discerning find their way.

The possessors of insight are guided by his years

بِوجودِهِ شادَ المُهَيمن شَرعُهُ

بِوجودِهِ شادَ المُهَيمن شَرعُهُ

وَبِهِ أَعَزَ اللَهُ دين مُحَمَد

وَبِهِ أَعَزَ اللَهُ دين مُحَمَد

Through his presence, the All-Guardian raised His law,

By his existence, the Sovereign fortified His law

And through him God made Muhammad's faith mighty.

And through him God strengthened Muhammad's religion

لِلّهِ مِنكَ مَملَك فرع العُلا

لِلّهِ مِنكَ مَملَك فرع العُلا

فَاِنحَطَ عَن علياهُ كُل مسود

فَاِنحَطَ عَن علياهُ كُل مسود

God be praised for you, a sovereign who has scaled the heights,

To God a kingdom from you, a branch of the sublime

So every lord fell below his exalted station.

So everything gloomy fell from its heights

مُتفرد في العالَمين بِهمة

مُتفرد في العالَمين بِهمة

عُلوية آثارَها لَم تَجحد

عُلوية آثارَها لَم تَجحد

Unrivaled in all the worlds in his resolve,

Unparalleled in the two worlds in resolve

Lofty, its effects never denied,

Whose supreme traces are undeniable

وَبَداهة بِفَراسة عمريةٍ

وَبَداهة بِفَراسة عمريةٍ

حَتّى يَكاد يَقول عَمّا في غَد

حَتّى يَكاد يَقول عَمّا في غَد

And in ready wit, with Umar-like discernment,

And in perceptiveness by princely insight

So that he almost speaks of what tomorrow holds.

It is as though he speaks of what will come tomorrow

في بَعض أَيرذَرَّةٍ مِن مَجدِهِ

في بَعض أَيرذَرَّةٍ مِن مَجدِهِ

يَومَ المَفاخر رَغمُ أَنف الحَسَد

يَومَ المَفاخر رَغمُ أَنف الحَسَد

In some [unclear word] of his glory,

In some hints of his glory

On the day of boasting, envy's nose is rubbed in dust.

On the day of boasting despite the envious

وَكَأَنَّما الأَفلاك طوع يَمينهِ

وَكَأَنَّما الأَفلاك طوع يَمينهِ

كَالعيد ممتثِلاً لِأَمر السَيد

كَالعيد ممتثِلاً لِأَمر السَيد

And it is as though the celestial spheres obey his right hand,

As though the celestial spheres are subservient to his right hand

Like a festival, complying with the master's command.

Like the feast carrying out the order of the Master

فَنحوس أَنجمها نَصيب عداتِهِ

فَنحوس أَنجمها نَصيب عداتِهِ

وَسُعودِها أَبَداً لَهُ مُلك اليَد

وَسُعودِها أَبَداً لَهُ مُلك اليَد

So the ill omens of their stars are his enemies' share,

So their inauspicious stars are the lot of his enemies

And their good fortune is forever in his hand.

And their fortunes forever are in his grasp

يا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي لِجَنابِهِ

يا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي لِجَنابِهِ

جابَت أُولو الأَلباب عَرض الفَرقَد

جابَت أُولو الأَلباب عَرض الفَرقَد

O lord, to whose court

O You my Master whom

The wise have traversed the breadth of Farqad,

The wise of heart have answered to His tomb

عَمَت فَوائضك البَرية فَاِنثَنَت

عَمَت فَوائضك البَرية فَاِنثَنَت

طَوع العنان لَرائح وَلَمُغتَدي

طَوع العنان لَرائح وَلَمُغتَدي

Your overflowing gifts embraced creation, then yielded,

Your abundant grace has spread through the land so it yielded

Docile to the rein, to evening and morning travelers.

To the bridle whether returning or setting forth

لِي مِن مَنيع حِماك أَمضى صَعدة

لِي مِن مَنيع حِماك أَمضى صَعدة

وَأَتَم سابغة وَخَير مُهَنَد

وَأَتَم سابغة وَخَير مُهَنَد

From your impregnable sanctuary I have the keenest lance,

From Your inaccessible protection I have the firmest ascent

And the fullest coat of mail and the finest Indian blade.

And most perfect lavishment and the best gift

لا تَنسَ عَبداً قَد رَماهُ دَهرَهُ

لا تَنسَ عَبداً قَد رَماهُ دَهرَهُ

بِحَوادث لا تَنقَضي بِتَعَدُد

بِحَوادث لا تَنقَضي بِتَعَدُد

Do not forget a servant whom his time has assailed

Do not forget a slave whom his time has cast

With calamities endless in their multitude.

With unending tribulations in multitude

وَأَنا الَّذي أَلقا بِبابك رحلهُ

وَأَنا الَّذي أَلقا بِبابك رحلهُ

يَبغي النَجاح وَأَنتَ أَعظَم مَقصَد

يَبغي النَجاح وَأَنتَ أَعظَم مَقصَد

And I am he who laid his baggage at your door,

And I, who have reached Your door with his luggage

Seeking success—and you are the greatest goal—

Seeking success, and You are the greatest aim

وَأَجادَ فيكَ الشعر يَقطر حُسنَهُ

وَأَجادَ فيكَ الشعر يَقطر حُسنَهُ

مِن كُل عقد بِالنُجوم منضد

مِن كُل عقد بِالنُجوم منضد

And crafted fine verse in your praise, its beauty dripping

And whose poetry flows with its beauty

From every necklace arrayed with stars.

From every string with the stars aligned

مالي سِوى دَعوات قَلبٍ خاشع

مالي سِوى دَعوات قَلبٍ خاشع

وَبَليغ شعر بِالثَناءِ مشيد

وَبَليغ شعر بِالثَناءِ مشيد

I have nothing but the prayers of a humble heart,

I have nothing but the prayers of a humble heart

And eloquent verse raised high in praise.

And eloquent poetry praising with construction