حُيِّيتُما مِن مَربَعٍ وَمَصيفِ

حُيِّيتُما مِن مَربَعٍ وَمَصيفِ

كانا مَحَلّى زَينَبٍ وَصَدوفِ

كانا مَحَلّى زَينَبٍ وَصَدوفِ

Greetings to you both, springtime dwelling and summer abode,

Hail to you both, spring abode and summer retreat,

once the home of Zaynab and Saduf.

once the dwellings of Zaynab and Saduf.

وَكُسيتُما زَهرَ الرَبيعِ وَعُشبَهُ

وَكُسيتُما زَهرَ الرَبيعِ وَعُشبَهُ

مُتَآلِفينَ بِأَحسَنِ التَأليفِ

مُتَآلِفينَ بِأَحسَنِ التَأليفِ

May you both be clothed in spring’s blossoms and grass,

And may you both be clothed in spring's blossoms and grass,

harmoniously joined in fairest harmony.

blended together in the loveliest harmony.

فَلَقَد عَهِدتُكُما وَفي مَغناكُما

فَلَقَد عَهِدتُكُما وَفي مَغناكُما

سُؤلُ المُحِبِّ وَحاجَةُ المَشعوفِ

سُؤلُ المُحِبِّ وَحاجَةُ المَشعوفِ

For I knew you both when, within your precincts,

For I knew you both, and within your precincts

lay the lover’s desire and the passion-struck man’s need:

were the lover's desire and the infatuated one's need,

مِن كُلِّ مُرهَفَةٍ يُجيلُ وُشاحَها

مِن كُلِّ مُرهَفَةٍ يُجيلُ وُشاحَها

عِطفا قَضيبٍ في القَوامِ قَضيفِ

عِطفا قَضيبٍ في القَوامِ قَضيفِ

each slender-waisted beauty whose sash set swaying

in every delicate maiden whose sash is swayed

the supple bend of a slim, reed-like form;

by the two flanks of a bough, slender in form.

تَهتَزُّ في هَيَفٍ وَما بَعَثَ الهَوى

تَهتَزُّ في هَيَفٍ وَما بَعَثَ الهَوى

مِنهُنَّ مِثلَ المُرهَفاتِ الهيفِ

مِنهُنَّ مِثلَ المُرهَفاتِ الهيفِ

she trembled in her graceful slenderness—and passion never stirred

She sways, slender-waisted; none has stirred desire

among them blades so slender and keen.

among them like the delicate, slender-waisted women.

بيضٌ مَزَجنَ لي الوَصالَ بِهِجرَةٍ

بيضٌ مَزَجنَ لي الوَصالَ بِهِجرَةٍ

وَوَصَلنَ لي الإِغرامَ بِالتَكليفِ

وَوَصَلنَ لي الإِغرامَ بِالتَكليفِ

Fair ones who mingled union for me with desertion,

Fair-skinned women who mingled union for me with estrangement,

and joined my infatuation to torment,

and coupled my infatuation with hardship.

إِذ لا يُنَهنِهُني العَذولُ وَلا أُرى

إِذ لا يُنَهنِهُني العَذولُ وَلا أُرى

مُتَوَقِّفاً لِلَّومِ وَالتَعنيفِ

مُتَوَقِّفاً لِلَّومِ وَالتَعنيفِ

when no reproving friend could check me, nor was I

when the reprover did not restrain me, nor was I seen

one to halt for blame or rebuke.

holding back before blame and harsh rebuke.

حَتّامَ تُفرِطُ في التَصابي لَوعَتي

حَتّامَ تُفرِطُ في التَصابي لَوعَتي

وَتُفيضُ واكِفَ دَمعِيَ المَذروفِ

وَتُفيضُ واكِفَ دَمعِيَ المَذروفِ

How long will my anguish run to excess in youthful passion,

How long will my burning longing go too far in youthful dalliance

and pour forth my streaming, cascading tears?

and pour forth the stream of my shed tears?

فَلتَعزِفَنَّ عَنِ البَطالَةِ هِمَّتي

فَلتَعزِفَنَّ عَنِ البَطالَةِ هِمَّتي

وَليَقصُرَنَّ عَلى الدِيارِ وُقوفي

وَليَقصُرَنَّ عَلى الدِيارِ وُقوفي

Let my resolve now turn away from idleness,

So let my resolve surely turn away from idleness,

and let my lingering at the dwellings be cut short.

and let my lingering at the dwellings be brief.

وَلَأَشكُرَنَّ أَبا عَلِيَّ إِنَّ مِن

وَلَأَشكُرَنَّ أَبا عَلِيَّ إِنَّ مِن

جَدوى يَدَيهِ تالِدي وَطَريفي

جَدوى يَدَيهِ تالِدي وَطَريفي

Surely I shall thank Abu Ali—for from

And I shall surely thank Abu Ali, for from

the bounty of his hands come both my inherited and newfound wealth.

the bounty of his hands come my inherited wealth and my new gains.

أَعلى مَكاني طَولُهُ فَأَحَلَّني

أَعلى مَكاني طَولُهُ فَأَحَلَّني

في باذِخٍ عِندَ السِماكِ مُنيفِ

في باذِخٍ عِندَ السِماكِ مُنيفِ

His munificence raised my station and lodged me

His bounty raised my station and set me

upon a towering height, lofty as al-Simāk.

on a towering height, lofty beside al-Simak.

صَنَعَ الصَنائِعَ في الرِجالِ وَلَم يَكُن

صَنَعَ الصَنائِعَ في الرِجالِ وَلَم يَكُن

كَمُلَعَّنٍ في البَحثِ وَالتَكشيفِ

كَمُلَعَّنٍ في البَحثِ وَالتَكشيفِ

He bestowed benefactions upon men, and was not

He bestowed favors upon men, and was not

like one accursed in probing and importunity.

like an accursed man in probing and prying.

وَكفى صُروفَ الدَهرِ مُضطَلِعاً بِها

وَكفى صُروفَ الدَهرِ مُضطَلِعاً بِها

وَالدَهرُ تِربُ حَوادِثٍ وَصُروفِ

وَالدَهرُ تِربُ حَوادِثٍ وَصُروفِ

He stood firm enough to shoulder fortune’s vicissitudes,

And he warded off time's reversals, shouldering them,

while Time is the companion of calamities and reversals.

and time is the age-mate of calamities and reversals.

فَمَتى خَشيتَ مِنَ الزَمانِ مُلِمَّةً

فَمَتى خَشيتَ مِنَ الزَمانِ مُلِمَّةً

لاقَيتُها فَدَفَعتُها بِوَصيفِ

لاقَيتُها فَدَفَعتُها بِوَصيفِ

Whenever you fear some calamity from the age,

So whenever you feared a calamity from time,

I meet it and repel it through Wasif—

I faced it and warded it off through Wasif,

بِالأَبيَضِ الوَضاحِ حينَ تَنوبُهُ

بِالأَبيَضِ الوَضاحِ حينَ تَنوبُهُ

حاجاتُنا وَالأَزهَرِ الغِطريفِ

حاجاتُنا وَالأَزهَرِ الغِطريفِ

through the bright, radiant one, whenever visited by

through the fair, radiant man, when there come to him

our needs, the splendid and high-born lord:

our needs, and through the shining, noble lord.

خِرقٌ مِنَ الفِتيانِ بانَ مُبَرِّزاً

خِرقٌ مِنَ الفِتيانِ بانَ مُبَرِّزاً

بِكَمالِهِ وَفَعالِهِ المَوصوفِ

بِكَمالِهِ وَفَعالِهِ المَوصوفِ

a bold youth among men, plainly preeminent,

An accomplished man among the youths, he stood out preeminent

renowned for his perfection and his deeds;

through his perfection and his celebrated deeds.

مَلِكٌ يُضيءُ مِنَ الطَلاقَةِ وَجهُهُ

مَلِكٌ يُضيءُ مِنَ الطَلاقَةِ وَجهُهُ

فَتَخالُهُ بَدرَ السَماءِ الموفي

فَتَخالُهُ بَدرَ السَماءِ الموفي

a king whose face shines with open cheer,

A king whose face shines with cheerfulness,

so that you fancy him the full moon at its zenith.

so you take him for the sky's moon in its fullness.

اللَهُ جارُك حَيثُ كُنتَ مُمَتَّعاً

اللَهُ جارُك حَيثُ كُنتَ مُمَتَّعاً

بِمَواهِبِ الإِعزازِ وَالتَشريفِ

بِمَواهِبِ الإِعزازِ وَالتَشريفِ

May God be your protector wherever you are, enjoying

May God be your protector wherever you are, favored

gifts of honor and ennoblement.

with gifts of exaltation and honor.

إِنّي لَجَأتُ إِلى ذَراكَ مُخَيِّماً

إِنّي لَجَأتُ إِلى ذَراكَ مُخَيِّماً

فيهِ وَعُذتُ بِظِلِّكَ المَألوفِ

فيهِ وَعُذتُ بِظِلِّكَ المَألوفِ

Indeed, I have sought refuge in your protection, pitching my tent

Indeed I sought your shelter, pitching camp

there, and sheltered in your familiar shade.

within it, and sought refuge in your familiar shade.

ما مَوضِعي بِمُذَمَّمٍ عِندي وَلا

ما مَوضِعي بِمُذَمَّمٍ عِندي وَلا

سَبَبي وَقَد أَكَّدتَهُ بِضَعيفِ

سَبَبي وَقَد أَكَّدتَهُ بِضَعيفِ

My standing with you is not blameworthy, nor is

My place gives me no cause for complaint, nor

my bond—whose tie you have made firm—weak.

is my bond weak, since you have strengthened it.

لي حاجَةٌ شَرُفَت وَلَيسَ بِبالِغٍ

لي حاجَةٌ شَرُفَت وَلَيسَ بِبالِغٍ

فيها الَّذي أَمَّلتُ غَيرُ شَريفِ

فيها الَّذي أَمَّلتُ غَيرُ شَريفِ

I have an exalted need, and none who is

I have a noble request, and none can attain

base can attain what I have hoped for in it.

what I have hoped for in it but a noble man.

وَقَدِ اِبتَدَأتَ بِمِثلِها لا مائِلاً

وَقَدِ اِبتَدَأتَ بِمِثلِها لا مائِلاً

فيها إِلى مَطلٍ وَلا تَسويفِ

فيها إِلى مَطلٍ وَلا تَسويفِ

You have already begun with one like it, showing no

And you have already begun with one like it, not inclined

delay in it, nor postponement.

in it toward stalling or delay.

فَلَئِن ثَنَيتَ بِها فَلَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ

فَلَئِن ثَنَيتَ بِها فَلَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ

أَن تُتبِعَ المَعروفَ بِالمَعروفِ

أَن تُتبِعَ المَعروفَ بِالمَعروفِ

If you follow it with another, it is no strange thing

So if you repeat it, it is no surprise

that you should follow one kindness with another.

that you follow kindness with kindness.