أنسيم عرفك أم شميم عرار

أنسيم عرفك أم شميم عرار

وسقيم طرفك أم صفيح غرار

وسقيم طرفك أم صفيح غرار

Is this the breeze of your fragrance, or the scent of ʿarār blossoms?

Is it the scent of your breeze, or the fragrance of meadows,

And is this your languid gaze, or the blade of a keen sword?

Or the illness of your glance, or the flash of lightning?

جادت محلك بالغميم غمامة

جادت محلك بالغميم غمامة

لما دعا والشعر فيه شعاري

لما دعا والشعر فيه شعاري

A cloud lavished rain upon your dwelling at al-Ghamim,

The clouds poured down where you reside,

when he called, and verse about him was my watchword.

When he called and poetry within is my vocation.

لبيك من داع أتيت ملبياً

لبيك من داع أتيت ملبياً

لما دعا والشعر فيه شعاري

لما دعا والشعر فيه شعاري

At your service, O summoner! I came answering your call,

When he called and poetry within is my vocation.

when he called, and verse about him was my watchword.

I received his orders and since he commanded me,

وردت أوامره علي فمذ أتا

وردت أوامره علي فمذ أتا

ني أمره لم يستقر قراري

ني أمره لم يستقر قراري

His commands reached me; as soon as there came

My resolve did not settle or find peace.

to me his command, I could find no rest.

I left, seeking your abode, a noble sanctuary,

فارقت في قصدي لبابك حضرة

فارقت في قصدي لبابك حضرة

شرفت بها مصر على الأمصار

شرفت بها مصر على الأمصار

I left, in seeking your gate, a court

Honoring Egypt over all lands.

through which Egypt was exalted above other cities,

Certain that in seeking you I was never absent

متيقناً أني بقصدك لم أغب

متيقناً أني بقصدك لم أغب

عنها ولا عن مجلس السفار

عنها ولا عن مجلس السفار

certain that, in seeking you, I was not absent

From it or from the council of ambassadors.

from it, nor from the envoys’ council.

For you, from your blessed family, is a house whose destinies

لك من بني رزيك بيت حلقت

لك من بني رزيك بيت حلقت

أقداره بقوادم الأقدار

أقداره بقوادم الأقدار

Yours is a house among the sons of Ruzzik; high have soared

Are bound to the forelocks of fate.

its honors on the leading wing-feathers of destiny.

If they support you and are supported by you, their king,

إن أيدوك وأيدوا بك ملكهم

إن أيدوك وأيدوا بك ملكهم

فلكم يمين أيدت بيسار

فلكم يمين أيدت بيسار

If they strengthened you, and through you strengthened their kingdom,

Then for you is a right hand aided by the left.

how often has a right hand been strengthened by a left!

Since you went to the Abul Muhannad as their

لما غدوت أبا المهند عندهم

لما غدوت أبا المهند عندهم

سر الضمير وفارس المضمار

سر الضمير وفارس المضمار

When, Abu al-Muhannad, you became in their eyes

Confidante and outstanding horseman of the racetrack.

the heart’s secret and the knight of the racecourse,

They contracted with you the belts of trust, which

عقدوا عليك خناصر الثقة التي

عقدوا عليك خناصر الثقة التي

نزهت صافيها عن الأكدار

نزهت صافيها عن الأكدار

they knotted their little fingers in trust in you—a trust

You have purified of all murkiness.

whose purity you kept free of all murk.

When you assumed governorship of the lakes, you became

لما وليت على البحيرة أصبحت

لما وليت على البحيرة أصبحت

حرماً رخيص الأمن والأسعار

حرماً رخيص الأمن والأسعار

When you took charge of al-Buhayra, it became

A sanctuary, safe and inexpensive.

a sanctuary where safety came cheaply and prices were low.

You secured it until its inhabitants thought

أمنتها حتى توهم أهلها

أمنتها حتى توهم أهلها

أن لا يروع ليلهم بنهار

أن لا يروع ليلهم بنهار

You made it so safe that its people imagined

No night startled them like daylight.

that their night would not be frightened by day.

And you protected its coasts, so its land

وحميت قطريها فليس بجوها

وحميت قطريها فليس بجوها

ريح تهب ولا خيال سار

ريح تهب ولا خيال سار

And you guarded its two sides, so in its air there is

Has no winds blowing or ghosts wandering.

no wind that blows, nor any phantom roaming by night.

I have heard the boasters say that I

من مبلغ العواذل أنني

من مبلغ العواذل أنني

ضيف لرحب الباع رحب الدار

ضيف لرحب الباع رحب الدار

Who will tell the reproachful women that I

Am a guest whose breadth matches his house.

am the guest of one broad of reach and spacious of home?

A king, though if blamed, it’s for

ملك إذا ما عيب عيب أنه

ملك إذا ما عيب عيب أنه

عاري المناكب من ثياب العار

عاري المناكب من ثياب العار

A king who, if ever faulted, is faulted because

Baring his shoulders of the clothes of shame.

his shoulders are bare of the garments of shame.

I came to him out of sincere praise, poems

قصدته من حسن الثناء قصائد

قصدته من حسن الثناء قصائد

ركبت إلى التيار في التيار

ركبت إلى التيار في التيار

Poems of fine praise sought him out,

Riding the currents amidst the currents.

riding to the Torrent upon the torrent.

I said, when they spoke, I found his praise

قد قلت إذ قالوا أجدت مديحه

قد قلت إذ قالوا أجدت مديحه

شكر الرياض يقل للأمطار

شكر الرياض يقل للأمطار

I said, when they said, ‘You have praised him well,’

Was like the meadows’ gratitude for rain.

‘The meadows’ thanks are scant repayment for the rains.’

The chosen Qais gained the choice of praise;

مختار قيس حاز مختار الثنا

مختار قيس حاز مختار الثنا

ما أحسن المختار في المختار

ما أحسن المختار في المختار

Mukhtar of Qays has won the choicest praise;

How excellent the chosen is for the chosen!

how fine is the choicest praise of al-Mukhtar!