يا ربع كَم لَكَ مِن شَجيّ هالك

يا ربع كَم لَكَ مِن شَجيّ هالك

مغرى بِجؤذرك المَصون الهاتك

مغرى بِجؤذرك المَصون الهاتك

O dwelling, how many a grief-stricken soul is perishing for you,

O my beloved, how much grief you've suffered

Enamored of your guarded fawn, the ravisher.

Allured by your hidden, protected charms

لَستَ المُلول وَإِن رَددت مَآربي

لَستَ المُلول وَإِن رَددت مَآربي

مَمنوعة وَهَواك لَيسَ بِتارِكي

مَمنوعة وَهَواك لَيسَ بِتارِكي

You are not one to tire, though you have turned my wishes back

You are not to blame, though you've thwarted my wishes

Denied; and love of you will not forsake me.

Forbidden is your love, it does not forsake me

أَوقفت دَمعي في عراصك بَعدَ ما

أَوقفت دَمعي في عراصك بَعدَ ما

سَدّ الجَوى إِلّا إِلَيك مَسالِكي

سَدّ الجَوى إِلّا إِلَيك مَسالِكي

I confined my tears to your courtyards, after

I've stopped my tears in your dwellings, after

Love's anguish barred all my paths except those leading to you.

All paths were blocked, except those leading to you

عَهدي وَشَمل السَعد فيكَ منفداً

عَهدي وَشَمل السَعد فيكَ منفداً

وَالعَيش يَبسم عَن ثَنايا ضاحك

وَالعَيش يَبسم عَن ثَنايا ضاحك

I recall fortune's fellowship within you, depleted,

My pact and good fortune's shadow in you exhausted

And life smiling, revealing a laugher's front teeth.

And life smiles from between laughing lips

وَعَلَيك مِن وَجه الأَمير بَشاشة

وَعَلَيك مِن وَجه الأَمير بَشاشة

أَفديهِ مِن وَجه أَغَر مُبارَك

أَفديهِ مِن وَجه أَغَر مُبارَك

And upon you shone the cheerfulness of the prince's face.

And upon you, from the Emir's face is gladness

I would ransom him—what a radiant, blessed face!

I ransom it from a face most blessed

مَلك جَناحاً خَيلَهُ وَرِماحَهُ

مَلك جَناحاً خَيلَهُ وَرِماحَهُ

يَوم الوَغى مِن فتية وَملائك

يَوم الوَغى مِن فتية وَملائك

A king: the wings of his horses and spears

A king whose horses and spears on the day of battle

On battle day are young warriors and angels.

Are valiant youths and angels

تَمشي الفَوارس تَحتَ طَي رِكابِهِ

تَمشي الفَوارس تَحتَ طَي رِكابِهِ

طَوع القياد فَيا لَهُ مِن مالك

طَوع القياد فَيا لَهُ مِن مالك

The horsemen move beneath the fold of his stirrups,

The horsemen march under reigns by his command

Obedient to the reins—what a master he is!

Obedient to the lead - what a protector!

وَأَقل عَبد مِن شراءٍ هباتِهِ

وَأَقل عَبد مِن شراءٍ هباتِهِ

مَأوى الطَريد وَمَقعد لِلسالك

مَأوى الطَريد وَمَقعد لِلسالك

And the humblest slave purchased by his gifts

The humblest servant, from buying his gifts

Is a haven for the fugitive and a resting place for the wayfarer.

A refuge for the outcast, a seat for the traveler

في جودِهِ اِشتَرَكَ الأَنام وَأَنَّهُ

في جودِهِ اِشتَرَكَ الأَنام وَأَنَّهُ

لا يَرتَضي في مَجدِهِ بِمُشارك

لا يَرتَضي في مَجدِهِ بِمُشارك

In his generosity all mankind shares, yet he

In his generosity, people share, and he

Accepts no partner in his glory.

Does not wish to share his glory with any

يا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي قَد دَبَرَت

يا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي قَد دَبَرَت

آراؤُهُ الدُنيا بِحُسن تَدارك

آراؤُهُ الدُنيا بِحُسن تَدارك

O lord, whose counsels have governed

O Master who has arranged the world's affairs

The world through skillful, timely redress.

With excellent deliberation

قَلدت أَعناق العِداة مَكارِماً

قَلدت أَعناق العِداة مَكارِماً

بِحُسامك الحَق الجَلي الباتك

بِحُسامك الحَق الجَلي الباتك

You garlanded your enemies' necks with noble favors

You've collared the enemies' necks with virtues

With your sword—the manifest, cleaving truth.

With your sword, the clear, decisive, conclusive truth

وَمَحَوت مِن صُحُف الحَياة نُفوسَهُم

وَمَحَوت مِن صُحُف الحَياة نُفوسَهُم

مَحو الصَباح ظَلامَ لَيلٍ حالك

مَحو الصَباح ظَلامَ لَيلٍ حالك

And you erased their souls from the pages of life,

And erased their souls from life's pages

As morning erases the darkness of a pitch-black night.

Like the dawn's erasure of a dreadful night's darkness

وَشَفقت حَتّى كادَ سَيفَك راحِماً

وَشَفقت حَتّى كادَ سَيفَك راحِماً

يَبكيهم وَيَذُم فعل الفاتك

يَبكيهم وَيَذُم فعل الفاتك

And you felt such pity that your compassionate sword almost

And you showed mercy, until almost your sword

Wept for them and condemned the slayer's deed.

Wept for them, blaming the act of the executioner

تَخذوا سِهامك في الجُسوم إِمارة

تَخذوا سِهامك في الجُسوم إِمارة

فَنَجوا بِيمن جِهادِها مِن مالك

فَنَجوا بِيمن جِهادِها مِن مالك

They took your arrows in their bodies as a token;

They took your arrows as symbols in their chests

So, through the blessing of the arrows' warfare, they escaped Mālik.

And through its auspices, escaped the angel of death

لَم يَكفروا نَعماكَ لَكن ساقَهُم

لَم يَكفروا نَعماكَ لَكن ساقَهُم

قَدر الإِلَه لِوَرطة وَمَهالك

قَدر الإِلَه لِوَرطة وَمَهالك

They were not ungrateful for your favors, but they were driven

They did not reject your blessings, but destiny led them

By God's decree into a plight and deadly perils.

To adversity and annihilation