1. أَمن رَوضة غَناء باكرها القطر

    تَحركَت وَالأَفراح أَكثرها نزر

    Was it by a lush garden, visited early by rain,

    That you were moved, though most joys are scant?

  2. رَنا نحوك المَنثور مِنها فَأَصبَحَت

    دُموعك مِن فرط الغَرام لَها نَثر

    Its stock flowers gazed toward you, and so

    Your tears, from love's excess, became scattered drops upon it.

  3. وَمال عَليك الآس مِنها كَأَنَّهُ

    مَليح عَلى أَغصانِهِ حلل خضر

    And its myrtle leaned over you, as though it were

    A beauty with green robes upon its branches.

  4. وَوافتكَ أَقلام الرياحين في الضُحى

    عَلى صَفحات الماء من ظلِها سطر

    And the pens of fragrant herbs came to you at midmorning,

    Upon the water's pages, a line of their shade.

  5. وَأَضحى البشام اللون مُذ هَبت الصبا

    بِأَول فَصل المهرَجان لَهُ عطر

    And the balsam's hue, since the east wind blew,

    At the opening of Mihragan's season, took on fragrance.

  6. وَنمَّ لَكَ النَّمام سراً مكتماً

    عَن الجلنار الرَطب لَيسَ لَهُ نَشر

    And the nammam herb confided to you a hidden secret

    About the fresh pomegranate blossom, which has no diffusing scent.

  7. وَشاقَكَ مِنها لازورد كَأَنَّهُ

    عَلى أَصلِهِ ياقوتة ضَمها بَدر

    And its lapis-blue bloom stirred your longing, as though it were

    A ruby upon its stem, embraced by a full moon.

  8. وَصالَت جُيوش الوَرد حَتّى تَشبثت

    مَخالبها بِالشيح إِذ نَزَل النَصر

    And the rose armies charged, until

    Their claws clung to wormwood as victory descended.

  9. وَرد كَسيراً إِذ تَصَدى لنرجس

    فَعاجله مِن جفنه النَظر الشزر

    And it was driven back, broken, when it faced a narcissus;

    A hostile sidelong glance from its eyelid struck it at once.

  10. وَوَرقاء غَنت وَالعَنادل حَولها

    فَشاقك من ترديدها المد وَالقصر

    And a gray dove sang, with nightingales around her;

    Her repeated long and short notes stirred your longing.

  11. وَراق صَفير العَندَليب وَهَمزه

    عَلى عذبات الرند إِذ نَزَل القطر

    And the nightingale's whistling and chirping were lovely

    Upon the laurel's branch-tips, as rain fell.

  12. أَم التفتت هَيفاء مَهضومة الحشا

    يرنحها دل وَيثقلها كبر

    Or did a slender beauty turn, slim of waist,

    Her coquetry swaying her, her pride weighing her down?

  13. بجيد كإبريق المدام يَزينه

    مِن العَين سمط قَد تخلله در

    With a neck like a wine ewer, adorned

    By a necklace of gold threaded with pearls;

  14. ووَجه حبته الشَمس صورة وَجهها

    وَمن كَلَف البَدر التَمام بِهِ صفر

    And a face the sun endowed with the likeness of her own,

    For love of which the moon at its fullest grew pale;

  15. وَحَوراء تَرنو للعباد بِناظر

    رَقيق الحَواشي بَعض أَخلاقه الكسر

    And a wide, dark-eyed beauty gazing at mortals with an eye

    Delicate at the edges, with a languid droop among its traits.

  16. نَضا مُرهفاً لوسل في حَومة الوَغى

    عَلى جَيش كِسرى في وَقايعه فروا

    It drew a keen blade: had it been unsheathed in battle's thick

    Against Kisra's army in his battles, they would have fled.

  17. إِذا نشرت لَيل الذَوائب في الضُحى

    تَأَلق مِن أَقصى غَدائرها فَجر

    When she unfurls the night of her tresses at midmorning,

    A dawn shines from the farthest ends of her braids.

  18. فَلا تُنكِروا إِن غابَ في الشعر وَجهها

    وَفي اللَيلة الظَلماء يفتقد البَدر

    So do not be surprised if her face vanishes in her hair:

    It is on a dark night that the full moon is missed.

  19. لَقَد حارَت الأَفكار في وَصفها كَما

    بِأَوصاف عَبد اللَه قَد حير الفكر

    Indeed, thoughts were bewildered in describing her, just as

    Thought was bewildered by Abd Allah's qualities.

  20. سَليل العُلى جبريل خادم جده

    عَلى قَلبه القُرآن أنزل وَالذكر

    A scion of greatness—Gabriel was his forefather's servant;

    Upon his heart the Quran and the Remembrance were revealed.

  21. وَكُرسي عَرش المَجد لَولاه أَصبَحَت

    طِباق العُلى وَالفَضل لَيسَ لَها ذكر

    And the seat of glory's throne—without him,

    The tiers of greatness and excellence would have no renown.

  22. عَلا شَرفاً فالشامِخات بِأَسرها

    تقدر رَفيع القَدر لَيسَ لَها قدر

    He rose in honor; all the towering heights

    Esteem his lofty worth, yet have no worth of their own.

  23. وَأشرق ضوء الشَمس مِن نور وَجهه

    فَما النيرات السَبع وَالأَنجُم الزهر

    And the light of the sun shone from the radiance of his face:

    What, then, are the seven luminaries and the radiant stars?

  24. هُوَ الحبر فَالعرفان مِن عَين قَلبه

    تَفجر حَتّى تاهَ في وَصفِها الخضر

    He is the sage: gnosis from the spring of his heart

    Burst forth, until al-Khidr was bewildered in describing it.

  25. هُوَ البَحر وَالإكسير لو ذر بَعضه

    لأَصبَح شَمساً ذَلِكَ الجَبل الصفر

    He is the sea and the elixir: were a little of it sprinkled,

    That mountain of brass would become a sun.

  26. هُوَ الآية الكُبرى فَلَو تليت عَلى

    طلاسم سحر ذابَ مِن أَجلِها السحر

    He is the supreme sign: were it recited over

    Magic talismans, the magic would melt away because of it.

  27. هُوَ الدُرة البَيضاء مِن كنز حيدر

    خَباها لَنا ذخراً فَكانَ هُوَ الذخر

    He is the white pearl from Haydar's treasure;

    He hid it for us as a treasure; he himself became that treasure.

  28. لَئِن بدئ الأَمر الخَطير بجده

    فَبالحبر عَبد اللَه قَد ختم الأَمر

    If the momentous affair began with his forefather,

    With the sage Abd Allah the affair was brought to its close.

  29. فَهُم علة الكَونين قَد جاءَ نَصها

    وَوافقه الإِيماء في ذاكَ وَالسير

    For they are the cause of the two worlds, as the explicit text declares;

    Allusion and the biographies concur with it in this.

  30. فَلا الحُكم عَنها في الوَرى مُتخلفاً

    وَلا القَلب يَعروها وَلا النَقض وَالكسر

    So its effect never fails to follow among mankind,

    Nor does reversal assail it, nor refutation nor breach.

  31. أَلَم تَرَ أَن الكَون أَصبَح مُشرِقاً

    بِطَلعته والست حركها البشر

    Have you not seen how the cosmos became radiant

    At his appearance, while joy stirred the six directions?

  32. تهنيه بِالأَعياد جَهلاً وَإِنَّما

    تهنى بِهِ الأَعياد لَو أنصف الدَهر

    You ignorantly congratulate him on the feasts, when in fact

    The feasts would be congratulated on him, if time were just.

  33. فَلا عيد إِلا مِن أَسارير وَجهه

    وَلا يسر إِلا أَن يَكون بِهِ اليُسر

    So no feast comes except from his face's radiance,

    And no ease, unless that ease comes through him.

  34. تَقَدم من ذا الشَهر تسع أَعدها

    وَبِالسَيد المفاضل قَد تَمت العشر

    Nine of this month have passed—I count them—

    And with the distinguished lord, the ten are complete.

  35. فيا بَهجة الدُنيا وَيا نور عَينها

    وَيا سرها المَكتوم إِن ظَهر السر

    So O joy of the world, O light of its eye,

    And O its hidden secret, should the secret be revealed;

  36. وَيا شَمسها إِن حَل في الحُوت شَمسها

    وَيا بَدرها الوَضاح إِن كسف البَدر

    And O its sun, if its sun enters Pisces,

    And O its radiant full moon, if the full moon is eclipsed,

  37. وَيا وابل العافين إِن ذكر النَدى

    وَيا فَخر هَذا العَصر إِن ذكر الفَخر

    And O downpour upon those seeking bounty, when generosity is named,

    And O pride of this age, when pride is named!

  38. أَتَتكَ مِن النظم البَديع فَريدة

    تَميس وَمِن أَردانِها يعبق العطر

    A peerless pearl of wondrous verse has come to you,

    Swaying, while perfume wafts from her sleeves.

  39. وَما قَصدها إِلا القبول لأَنَّها

    طَوَت كُل بَحر دونَ ذياك يا بَحر

    And she seeks nothing but acceptance, for she

    Has crossed every sea to reach it, O sea.

  40. وَجاءَت تهني العيد فيك لأَنَّها

    رَأَت أنك العيد الَّذي ضَمهُ العَصر

    And she came to congratulate the feast on you, for she

    Saw that you are the feast embraced by this age.

  41. وَإِني أَرى ما قَد رَأَتهُ عَقيدة

    فَوجهك قَد أَضحى وَمَدحك لي قطر

    And I hold what she has seen as my conviction:

    So your face has brightened into day, and praising you is rain for me.

  42. وَبَعد طَوافي فيكَ سَبعاً مُلَبياً

    وَسَعيي وَإحرامي وَقد ثبت الأَجر

    And after my seven circuits around you, chanting the pilgrim's response,

    And my ritual striving and consecration, with the reward secured,

  43. حَلَقت بِك الأَعداء ثُم نحرتهم

    وَلا شَك أَن الحلق يَعقبه النَّحر

    I shaved away the enemies through you, then slaughtered them;

    And no doubt shaving is followed by slaughter.

  44. فَدم بِالهَنا يا غايَة القَصد وَالمُنى

    يَدوم لَك الإقبال في الكَون وَالنَّصر

    So remain in bliss, O goal of striving and desire;

    May prosperity and victory endure for you in the cosmos,

  45. مَدى الدَهر ما غنت عَلى الدَّوح هتف

    وَما طارَ في أَعلى نَواحي العُلى نسر

    Throughout time, as long as calling birds sing in the great trees,

    And a vulture flies in the loftiest reaches on high.