يا دار عليك سعد المشتري

يا دار عليك سعد المشتري

وجرى عليك زلال نهر الكوثر

وجرى عليك زلال نهر الكوثر

O house, may Jupiter’s auspicious fortune rest upon you,

O house, may Jupiter's good fortune rest upon you,

and may the pure waters of the River Kawthar flow through you.

and may the limpid waters of the river al-Kawthar flow over you.

ولقد جمعت من المحاسن جملة

ولقد جمعت من المحاسن جملة

لم تتفق لمخبر ومعبر

لم تتفق لمخبر ومعبر

Indeed, you have gathered a whole array of beauties

And indeed you have gathered a wealth of beauties,

never matched in experience or report.

such as no reporter or interpreter has ever found together.

وقد كسيت من الرخام غلائلاً

وقد كسيت من الرخام غلائلاً

نسجت ولكن من نقي المرمر

نسجت ولكن من نقي المرمر

Indeed, you have been clothed in tunics of marble,

And you have been clothed in fine robes of marble,

woven—yet woven from pure alabaster.

woven, yet from pure alabaster.

وكأن حسن بياضه وسواده

وكأن حسن بياضه وسواده

ليل تبسم عن صباح مسفر

ليل تبسم عن صباح مسفر

The beauty of its whiteness and its blackness seems

And the beauty of its white and black is like

like night smiling to reveal a radiant dawn:

a night smiling to reveal a radiant dawn.

كمريش الحبرات أو كقلائد

كمريش الحبرات أو كقلائد

كافورهن مفصل بالعنبر

كافورهن مفصل بالعنبر

like the featherwork of striped ḥabara robes, or like necklaces

Like feather-patterned striped robes, or like necklaces

whose camphor-white beads are spaced with ambergris.

whose camphor is interspersed with ambergris.

دارت محاسنه على فسقية

دارت محاسنه على فسقية

تملا فتحكي مقلة من محجر

تملا فتحكي مقلة من محجر

Its beauties encircle a fountain basin

Its beauties encircled a fountain basin,

that fills and comes to resemble an eye within its socket.

which, when filled, resembles an eye in its socket.

وعلى جوانبها بساط خميلة

وعلى جوانبها بساط خميلة

قد فرزوه بالنبات الأخضر

قد فرزوه بالنبات الأخضر

Around its sides lies a carpet of velvet

And along its sides lies a carpet of leafy growth,

embroidered with green foliage.

which they have marked out with green plants.

وعلى دساترها تفور بمائها

وعلى دساترها تفور بمائها

فوراً حكى ذيل السحاب الممطر

فوراً حكى ذيل السحاب الممطر

And over its tiers its water gushes

And over its fountain fittings its water gushes,

in a surge that mimics the train of a rain-bearing cloud.

in a surge like the trailing hem of rain-bearing clouds.

دار كمثل النجم شرف قدرها

دار كمثل النجم شرف قدرها

نجم بن شاش ذو الجبين الأزهر

نجم بن شاش ذو الجبين الأزهر

A house like a star, whose worth was exalted

A house like a star, its standing ennobled

by Najm ibn Shāsh, lord of the radiant brow—

by Najm ibn Shash, of the radiant brow.

ملك إذا عد الملوك ببنصر

ملك إذا عد الملوك ببنصر

قدمته فعددته بالخنصر

قدمته فعددته بالخنصر

a king: were the kings counted from the ring finger,

A king whom, when kings are counted on the ring finger,

I would place him before them, counting him on the little finger.

I put first, counting him on the little finger.

لو رام تعبيساً وحاشا وجهه

لو رام تعبيساً وحاشا وجهه

منعته شيمة وجهه المستبشر

منعته شيمة وجهه المستبشر

Were he to seek to scowl—far be it from his face!—

Were he to attempt a frown—far be that from his face—

the cheerful nature of his countenance would prevent him.

the nature of his cheerful face would prevent him.

متهلل أبداً فإن شهداء الوغى

متهلل أبداً فإن شهداء الوغى

شاهدت بعد اللين قسوة قسور

شاهدت بعد اللين قسوة قسور

Ever beaming—for the witnesses of battle

Always beaming; yet the witnesses of battle

have seen, after his gentleness, a lion’s ferocity.

have seen, after gentleness, the fierceness of a lion.

يا مالكاً أصبحت منسوباً إلى

يا مالكاً أصبحت منسوباً إلى

إحسانه في غيبتي أو محضري

إحسانه في غيبتي أو محضري

O king, I have come to be associated with

O master, I have become associated with

your beneficence, whether absent or present.

his beneficence, whether I am absent or present.

لي عند جودك عادة من كسوة

لي عند جودك عادة من كسوة

يعلو بها قدري ويسمو مفخري

يعلو بها قدري ويسمو مفخري

Through your generosity, I am accustomed to a gift of clothing

Your generosity has accustomed me to a gift of clothing,

by which my station rises and my pride soars.

through which my standing rises and my glory is exalted.

فامنن بها لكن من الخلع التي

فامنن بها لكن من الخلع التي

شرفت بجسمك يا شريف العنصر

شرفت بجسمك يا شريف العنصر

So favor me with it—but let it be one of those robes of honor

So favor me with it—but with one of those robes of honor

ennobled by your body, O noble in lineage:

ennobled by your body, O you of noble lineage.

نسجت بأسماء الملوك فلم تقع

نسجت بأسماء الملوك فلم تقع

للبيع في يد بائع أو مشتري

للبيع في يد بائع أو مشتري

woven with the names of kings, and never offered

Woven with the names of kings, it has never passed

for sale into the hand of seller or buyer;

for sale into the hand of a seller or buyer.

لم يفتحن حمدان وابن مناهب

لم يفتحن حمدان وابن مناهب

أعطاف عطفيها ولم تتكسر

أعطاف عطفيها ولم تتكسر

never unfolded by Ḥamdān or Ibn Manāhib,

Hamdan and Ibn Manahib have not opened

the folds along its two sides never creased.

the folds of its two sides, nor has it been rumpled.