1. هَذا الحِمى وَرَندُهُ وَبانُهُ

    وَشِيحُهُ فاوَحَهُ حَوذانُهُ

    Here is the sanctuary, its laurel and its moringa,

    and its wormwood, whose fragrance its buttercups rival.

  2. وَالرَوضُ وَالنَسيمُ قَد جَمَّشَهُ

    فَهَبَّ مِن نَورٍ عُبَيثَرانُهُ

    And the meadow—the breeze has caressed it,

    so its southernwood stirred amid the blossoms.

  3. وَالنَّرجِسُ الغَضُّ رَنَت أَحداقُهُ

    وَاِفتَرَّ بِالعُذَيبِ أُقحُوانُهُ

    And the tender narcissus's eyes gazed,

    and its daisies smiled at al-ʿUdhayb.

  4. يا صاحِ جُز سَلعاً وَسَل عَن عَيشِنا ال

    ماضي بِها يا حَبَّذا زَمانُهُ

    O friend, pass through Salʿ and ask about our life

    of old there—oh, how lovely were its days!

  5. لِلَّهِ نَعمانُ الأَراكِ مَنزِلاً

    ضَمَّ بِنُعمٍ شَملَنا نُعمانُهُ

    God be praised for Nuʿmān of the arak trees as a dwelling!

    Its Nuʿmān brought us together with Nuʿm.

  6. وَالشَمسُ في رَأدِ الضُحى وَعِندَها

    يُفَيِّئُ الأَصيلَ زَعفَرانُهُ

    And the sun is in early forenoon, while beside it

    its saffron brings back late afternoon.

  7. وَالدَوحُ مَنظومٌ عَلى أَوراقِهِ

    غِبَّ الحَيا مِن طَلِّهِ جُمانُهُ

    And upon the spreading trees' leaves are strung,

    after the rain, their pearls of dew.

  8. مَه لا يَلُمني لائِمٌ عَلى البُكا

    عِندِيَ كُلَّ ساعَةٍ إِبّانُهُ

    Enough! Let no censurer blame me for weeping;

    for me, every hour is its season.

  9. وَهاتِ يا مُطرِبَنا غَنِّ لَنا

    فَأَنتَ مَن تُطرِبُنا أَلحانُهُ

    And let us hear, O our minstrel—sing for us,

    for you are the one whose melodies delight us.

  10. بِكُلِّ بَيتٍ عَرَبِيٍّ كُلُّ حُر

    رٍ فارسيٍّ فاضِلٍ سَلمانُهُ

    In every Arab household, every noble

    and virtuous Persian is its Salmān.

  11. خَيرُ القَريضِ مَدحُ خَيرِ مَن مَشى

    وَخَيرِ مَن عَدا بِهِ حِصانُهُ

    The best of poetry is praise of the best who walked,

    and the best whom his steed bore at a gallop:

  12. مُحَمَّدِ النَبِيِّ ذي الإِحسانِ وَال

    لَذي أَجادَ مَدحَهُ حَسّانُهُ

    Muhammad, the Prophet of benevolence, and the one

    whom his Ḥassān praised so well.

  13. خاطَبَهُ رَبُّ السَماواتِ العُلا

    إِذ جَبرَئيلُ الوَحيِ تَرجُمانُهُ

    The Lord of the lofty heavens addressed him,

    when Gabriel was His interpreter of revelation.

  14. سَفينَةُ النَجاةِ أَهلُ بَيتِهِ

    في مَوقِفٍ يَغشى الوَرى طوفانُهُ

    His household are the ship of salvation

    at a station whose flood engulfs mankind.

  15. لا فارَقَت صِحابَهُ وَآلَهُ

    صَلاتُهُ يَوماً وَلا رِضوانُهُ

    May his companions and his family never be parted

    from His blessing on any day, nor from His favor.

  16. يا راكِباً شِمِلَّةً تَطوي الفَلا

    مَزؤودَةً مِن طَيِّها ظِلمانُهُ

    O rider of a swift she-camel that folds up the wastelands,

    their male ostriches terrified by her passage,

  17. أَبلِغ وَبُلِّغتَ المُنى مَألُكَةً

    مَلكاً عَلا بَينَ المُلوكِ شانُهُ

    deliver—may you be granted your wishes—a message

    to a king whose stature rises high among kings:

  18. المَلِكُ الأَشرَفُ شاه اَرمَنَ لا

    زالَ قَوِيّاً ثابِتاً سُلطانُهُ

    King al-Ashraf, Shah of Arman—may

    his sovereignty ever remain strong and steadfast.

  19. يا مَن بِهِ فَخرُ المُلوكِ إِذ كَذا

    كَ بِالنَبِيِّ اِفتَخَرَت عَدنانُهُ

    O you in whom lies the pride of kings, for likewise

    his ʿAdnān took pride in the Prophet.

  20. يَنتَجِعُ العُفاةُ حِصناً مِنكَ يا

    ماءَ السَماءِ أُفعِمَت غُدرانُهُ

    Seekers of bounty seek a stronghold in you, O

    water of heaven, whose pools are filled to the brim.

  21. تَأوي إِلَيكَ العُلَماءُ مِثلَ ما

    تَأوي إِلى بَحرٍ طَما حيتانُهُ

    The learned take refuge in you, just as

    in a swelling sea its fish take refuge.

  22. يُمناكَ بَحرٌ وَالعِدا القَصباءُ وَال

    سَيفُ بِها مُضرَمَةٌ نيرانُهُ

    Your right hand is a sea, your foes a reed-bed, and the

    sword's fires are kindled within it.

  23. ثَعلَبُ عسّالِكَ في يَومِ الوَغى

    يولِغُهُ دَمَ العِدا سِنانُهُ

    The fox of your quivering spear, on battle's day—

    its spearhead makes it lap the blood of foes.

  24. وَصفُكَ ما يُدرِكُ يَوماً كُنهَهُ

    قُسُّ المَقالِ لا وَلا سَحبانُهُ

    The full depth of your description can never be grasped

    by the Quss of speech—no, nor its Saḥbān.

  25. عِندي حَديثٌ مِن عُلاكَ سائِرٌ

    سَيرَ نَسيمٍ عَبِقٍ رَيحانُهُ

    I have a tale of your greatness, spreading abroad

    like a breeze scented with its basil.

  26. يا مَن جِيادُ الخَيلِ وَالرِماحُ وَال

    صِفاحُ في يَومِ الوَغى بُستانُهُ

    O you whose noble horses, spears, and

    sword-blades are a garden on battle's day:

  27. ما أَسَدٌ يَحمي الخَميسَ باسُهُ

    فَتَنثَني ناكِصَةً فُرسانُهُ

    No lion whose might holds an army at bay,

    making its horsemen turn back in retreat,

  28. يَوماً بِأَقوى مِنكَ بَأساً في الوَغى

    فَلَيثُهُ لَدَيكَ ثُعلُبانُهُ

    is ever mightier than you in battle;

    for its lion, beside you, is no more than its fox.

  29. ولا الغَمامُ رائِعاً بِرَعدِهِ

    وبَرقِهِ مُنبَجِساً تَهتانُهُ

    Nor is the cloud, fearsome with its thunder

    and lightning, its downpour gushing forth,

  30. يَوماً بِأَندى مِن يَدَيكَ فائِضاً

    يا مَن يَفيضُ بِالمُنى بَنانُهُ

    ever more bounteous in its flow than your hands,

    O you whose fingertips flow with all one desires.

  31. ما ماءُ وَردٍ مِن نَصيبينَ وَلا

    نَشرُ اليَلَنجوجِ سَما دُخانُهُ

    No rosewater from Naṣībīn, nor

    the scent of aloeswood whose smoke rises high,

  32. يَوماً كَذِكراكَ وَلا المِسكُ الريا

    حِيُّ غَلَت فَأَوغَلَت أَثمانُهُ

    can ever match your remembrance, nor Riyāḥī musk,

    whose prices have risen, then soared ever higher.

  33. عِش ما سَرى في الفَلَكِ المُحييط بَه

    رامُ وَما عَلا بِهِ كيوانُهُ

    Live as long as Bahrām journeys through the encircling sphere,

    and as long as its Kaywān rises within it.