خُذها كَما غَنى الحَمام مُطَوقاً

خُذها كَما غَنى الحَمام مُطَوقاً

وَالغُصن صادفه الرَبيع فَأَورَقا

وَالغُصن صادفه الرَبيع فَأَورَقا

Take it, as the ring-necked dove sings,

Take it as the pigeon cooed encircled,

and spring has met the branch, which has put forth leaves.

And the branch met spring, so it leafed,

زارَتكَ في ظُلم البعاد مُنيرة

زارَتكَ في ظُلم البعاد مُنيرة

وَسرت إِلَيك تلهفاً وَتَشَوقا

وَسرت إِلَيك تلهفاً وَتَشَوقا

It visited you, radiant in the darkness of separation,

It visited you in the gloom of distances shining,

and traveled by night to you in yearning and longing.

And crept to you yearning and longing,

حَتّى إِذا حَلت بِربعك غدوة

حَتّى إِذا حَلت بِربعك غدوة

أَبدَت عَن الإخلاص وَجهاً مُشرِقا

أَبدَت عَن الإخلاص وَجهاً مُشرِقا

Until, when it settled at your abode one morning,

Until when it settled in your abode one morning,

it revealed a radiant face of sincerity.

It showed sincerity and a shining face,

فاشرب سلافتها عقاراً قرقفاً

فاشرب سلافتها عقاراً قرقفاً

وَاستجلها بكراً وَحُباً شَيقا

وَاستجلها بكراً وَحُباً شَيقا

So drink its choicest vintage, a wine that makes you shiver,

So drink its first drink a round draught,

and unveil it—a virgin and a love full of yearning.

And receive it fresh and a passionate love,

ما راعَها إِلا عَروس أَقبَلَت

ما راعَها إِلا عَروس أَقبَلَت

مِن لعلع تهدي إِلى خبت النقا

مِن لعلع تهدي إِلى خبت النقا

Nothing awed it but a bride who came

Nothing cared for it except a bride who came,

from Laʿlaʿ, guiding the way to Khabt al-Naqā.

From soft radiance giving to the experienced beloved.

شَرقية الأَعطان لَما أَن بَدَت

شَرقية الأَعطان لَما أَن بَدَت

مال الوُجود مغرباً وَمشرقا

مال الوُجود مغرباً وَمشرقا

From eastern abodes—when she appeared,

When the one of generous gifts appeared,

all creation swayed, westward and eastward.

Existence leaned westward and eastward,

للّه درك أَي در مثمن

للّه درك أَي در مثمن

قلدتها فسمت وتاهت رونقا

قلدتها فسمت وتاهت رونقا

God bless you! What precious pearls

God give you success, O rare pearl,

you hung about her neck; she rose high and gloried in splendor.

She strung it so it became scattered and lost its color.

ضمنها زهر النجوم كأنما

ضمنها زهر النجوم كأنما

أَعدَدت للقباء أَصعب مُرتَقى

أَعدَدت للقباء أَصعب مُرتَقى

You set within it the radiant stars, as though

It included the flowers of the stars as though

you had prepared the hardest ascent for the qabāʾ robe [wording uncertain].

It prepared for meeting the most difficult ascent,

لَم يَرض ذهنك أَن يَغوص بِأَبحر

لَم يَرض ذهنك أَن يَغوص بِأَبحر

حَتّى بِأَسباب السماء تعلقا

حَتّى بِأَسباب السماء تعلقا

Your mind was not content to dive into seas

Your mind was not satisfied to dive into seas,

until it clung to the cords of heaven.

Until with the causes of heaven you clung,

فَنظمتها وَاللَيل يَحنق غيرة

فَنظمتها وَاللَيل يَحنق غيرة

عقداً عَلى جيد الزَمان معلقا

عقداً عَلى جيد الزَمان معلقا

So you strung it, while night raged with jealousy,

So you strung them while night boiled with jealousy,

a necklace hanging upon Time's neck.

A necklace upon the neck of time suspended,

سَطَعت مِن الفَيحاء حَتّى نورت

سَطَعت مِن الفَيحاء حَتّى نورت

بشموسها أَرض العِراق وَجلقا

بشموسها أَرض العِراق وَجلقا

It shone forth from al-Fayḥāʾ until it lit,

It shone from splendor until it illuminated

with its suns, the land of Iraq and Jilliq.

With its suns the land of Iraq and beyond,

طالَعت مِنها غرة عَربية

طالَعت مِنها غرة عَربية

وَرَشقت مِنها بَحر فَضل مغدقا

وَرَشقت مِنها بَحر فَضل مغدقا

I beheld in it a radiant Arab brow,

An Arabian charm emerged from it,

and from it I struck a sea of overflowing excellence [wording uncertain].

And it sprinkled from it a sea of abundant favor,

حكم الزَمان بِأَن تروح مُهجَتي

حكم الزَمان بِأَن تروح مُهجَتي

فيها وَمُهجة حاسِدي أَن تزهقا

فيها وَمُهجة حاسِدي أَن تزهقا

Time decreed that my soul should find repose

Time ruled that my passion in it departs,

in it, and that my envier's soul should perish.

And the passion of my envious enemy vanishes,

طَوقتني مِنها بِأَفضل نعمة

طَوقتني مِنها بِأَفضل نعمة

ومَلكتني رقاً وَلَست مرققا

ومَلكتني رقاً وَلَست مرققا

Through it you encircled my neck with the finest favor,

It adorned me with the best blessing,

and made me yours in bondage, though I was not enslaved.

And possessed me gently and I am not shaken,

تاللَه لا تذوى رِياض مَدائِحي

تاللَه لا تذوى رِياض مَدائِحي

حَتّى أشيم نَضير غصنك مورِقا

حَتّى أشيم نَضير غصنك مورِقا

By God, the gardens of my praises shall not wither

By God, the meadows of my praises will not fade,

until I behold your fresh bough in leaf.

Until I smell the scent of your leafed branch,

يا سَيداً مِن عُنصر حلف العُلى

يا سَيداً مِن عُنصر حلف العُلى

أن لا يَزال بحبله مُستوثقا

أن لا يَزال بحبله مُستوثقا

O master from a lineage that swore to high glory

O master from the lineage of the covenant of highness,

never to cease holding fast to its cord.

That it always remains bound to its rope,

يا ابن الَّذي انفلقت سَواطع فَجره

يا ابن الَّذي انفلقت سَواطع فَجره

فَمَحا الظَلام عَموده وَتَمَزقا

فَمَحا الظَلام عَموده وَتَمَزقا

O son of him whose dawn's bright rays burst forth,

O son of him whose dawn’s lights split,

its shaft erased the darkness, and the darkness was torn apart.

So it erased darkness its pillar and ripped,

يا ابن الَّذي خَدم الأَمين رِكابه

يا ابن الَّذي خَدم الأَمين رِكابه

وَالعرض تاه بِنعله لَما رَقى

وَالعرض تاه بِنعله لَما رَقى

O son of him whose stirrup the Trustworthy One attended,

O son of him who the trusted one served his throne,

and honor gloried in his sandal when he ascended [wording uncertain].

And honor was lost to his slipper when he ascended,

يا سادة سادوا الوَرى بِفعالهم

يا سادة سادوا الوَرى بِفعالهم

مُذ أَسموا شَرف السِيادة بِالتُقى

مُذ أَسموا شَرف السِيادة بِالتُقى

O lords who ruled humankind through their deeds,

O masters who ruled creation with their deeds,

since they exalted the honor of lordship through piety.

Since they named the honor of mastery with piety,

أَبرَزت در خَزانة لَكنه

أَبرَزت در خَزانة لَكنه

لَما تَبَدى صارَ دُراً مُنتَقى

لَما تَبَدى صارَ دُراً مُنتَقى

You brought forth a treasury's pearl; yet,

You brought out a treasure but when it appeared

when it appeared, it became a choice pearl.

It became a select pearl extracted,

وَأَبنت مِن منهاج فَضلك منهَجاً

وَأَبنت مِن منهاج فَضلك منهَجاً

أَضحى لَهُ صدر الشريعة مُشرِقا

أَضحى لَهُ صدر الشريعة مُشرِقا

And from the course of your excellence you revealed a path

And you built from the approach of your favor an approach,

for which the breast of sacred law became radiant.

Which became for the breast of Shariah shining,

وَغَدَوت عمدة من نَحا رَوض الهُدى

وَغَدَوت عمدة من نَحا رَوض الهُدى

وَنِهاية المَأمول عِندَ المُلتَقى

وَنِهاية المَأمول عِندَ المُلتَقى

And you became the mainstay of whoever seeks guidance's garden,

And you became the pillar of guidance’ garden,

and the ultimate hope at the meeting.

And the hope’s endpoint for those headed there,

يا تُحفة الإِخوان يا حاوي الندى

يا تُحفة الإِخوان يا حاوي الندى

يا مَن زَكا أَهلاً وَأبدع مَنطقا

يا مَن زَكا أَهلاً وَأبدع مَنطقا

O treasure of the brethren, O possessor of bounty,

O jewel of the brothers, O container of dew,

O you of noble lineage and marvelous speech,

O you whose people purified and speech created,

شَيدت أبنية العُلوم بِفطنة

شَيدت أبنية العُلوم بِفطنة

مِن نورها ضوء الذكاء تَأَلقا

مِن نورها ضوء الذكاء تَأَلقا

you raised the edifices of learning with insight,

You built the structures of knowledge with insight,

from whose light the glow of intelligence sparkled.

From its light the light of intellect sparkled,

وَسَبقت شاء السابِقين بِهمة

وَسَبقت شاء السابِقين بِهمة

تَقضي عَلى فرس الصبا أَن يلحَقا

تَقضي عَلى فرس الصبا أَن يلحَقا

And you outstripped the forerunners' sheep [wording uncertain], with a resolve

And you preceded the forerunners with ambition,

that obliges the east wind's steed to catch up.

To defeat the horse of youth to overtake,

وَوَرثت عَن آبائك الغُر العلى

وَوَرثت عَن آبائك الغُر العلى

مسك العُلوم مفتقاً وَمفرقا

مسك العُلوم مفتقاً وَمفرقا

And from your illustrious, exalted forefathers you inherited

And you inherited from your noble fathers,

the musk of learning, unsealed and scattered abroad.

The musk of knowledge extracted and separated,

فَغَدوت ياسين السَعادة لِلعلى

فَغَدوت ياسين السَعادة لِلعلى

تاجاً وَعالية المجرة مفرقا

تاجاً وَعالية المجرة مفرقا

So, Yāsīn of felicity, you became for high glory

So you became, O Jasmine of happiness for the most high,

a crown, with the Milky Way's heights at the parting of your hair.

A crown and prominence of Aquarius separated,

مني إِلَيك سَلام خل عاشق

مني إِلَيك سَلام خل عاشق

مَولى يحق لمثله أَن يعشَقا

مَولى يحق لمثله أَن يعشَقا

From me to you, the greeting of a friend who loves

From me to you, greetings of a passionate lover,

a master whose like deserves to be loved.

My master whom is befitting to be loved,

يَهوى شَمائلك الحِسان عَلى النَوى

يَهوى شَمائلك الحِسان عَلى النَوى

وَالسمع يعشق قَبل آن المُلتَقى

وَالسمع يعشق قَبل آن المُلتَقى

He loves your beautiful qualities despite the distance,

Who adores your beautiful traits in wishes,

and the ear falls in love before the hour of meeting.

And hearing loves before the time of meeting,

كَم حامد لَكَ شاكر لَو رامَ أَن

كَم حامد لَكَ شاكر لَو رامَ أَن

يخفي علاك لرام نَهجاً ضَيقا

يخفي علاك لرام نَهجاً ضَيقا

How many a grateful praiser of you, if he tried to

How many praising you thankful, if he wished,

conceal your eminence, would be attempting a narrow path.

To hide your virtues he would wish a narrow path,

وَلرب مَقروح الفُؤاد مِن الجَوى

وَلرب مَقروح الفُؤاد مِن الجَوى

أَدمَيت قرحته وَأَصبح موثقا

أَدمَيت قرحته وَأَصبح موثقا

And many a one whose heart was wounded by anguish—

And for many a broken hearted from passion,

you made his wound bleed, and he became fettered.

You soothed his wound and it became bound,

فانزل ذرى الفَخر الرَفيع مكرماً

فانزل ذرى الفَخر الرَفيع مكرماً

وَاصدع عداك بِهِ خطيباً مفلقا

وَاصدع عداك بِهِ خطيباً مفلقا

So dwell, honored, on the summits of lofty glory,

So bestow the scattering of noble pride generously,

and shatter your foes with it as a brilliant orator.

And address others with it as an eloquent sermon,

وَاجمع وَحز غرر الفَضائل كُلها

وَاجمع وَحز غرر الفَضائل كُلها

وَاضرب عَلَيها مِن كَمالك خندقا

وَاضرب عَلَيها مِن كَمالك خندقا

And gather and possess all the choicest virtues,

And gather and reap all the gems of virtues,

and build around them a moat of your perfection.

And strike your perfection upon it as a barrier,

لا زلت تَسرح في حَدائق نعمة

لا زلت تَسرح في حَدائق نعمة

تَهوي إِلَيك مسدداً وَموفقا

تَهوي إِلَيك مسدداً وَموفقا

May you ever roam in gardens of grace

You still roam in the gardens of blessing,

that hastens toward you, while you are guided aright and granted success.

Inclining to you prosperous and successful,