كحلت بالسحر وبالدعج

كحلت بالسحر وبالدعج

أسماء لتفتك بالمهج

أسماء لتفتك بالمهج

She was kohled with magic and deep darkness—

She lined her eyes with magic and coquetry,

Asma, that she might slay souls.

Names, to captivate souls,

ورمت عن قوس حواجبها

ورمت عن قوس حواجبها

نبلا فأصابت كل شجي

نبلا فأصابت كل شجي

And from the bow of her eyebrows she shot

And shot from the bow of her eyebrows,

arrows, striking every sorrowing lover.

Arrows that struck every ardent lover.

غراء بغرتها تغني

غراء بغرتها تغني

بظلام الفرع عن السرج

بظلام الفرع عن السرج

Radiant, she makes her shining brow suffice

The brightness of her face sings,

amid her tresses' darkness, in place of lamps.

In the darkness of the branch, without a lamp.

قسما بمشارق طلعتها

قسما بمشارق طلعتها

وجميل محياها البهج

وجميل محياها البهج

I swear by the dawns of her countenance,

I swear by the dawns of her rising,

and the beauty of her radiant face,

And the beautiful smile of her radiant cheek,

وبفرق لاح بذي جعد

وبفرق لاح بذي جعد

كالصبح بليل مندرج

كالصبح بليل مندرج

and by a parting that gleams among curls,

And by the separation that appeared

like dawn enfolded in the night;

Like dawn in enclosed night,

فبها وبشدّة طرّتها

فبها وبشدّة طرّتها

وبلام الخدّ المزدوج

وبلام الخدّ المزدوج

by her, then, and the tightness of her forelock,

By her and the intensity of her turning away

and the twin lām-shaped curves of her cheeks,

And the beauty of her double soft cheek,

وبألعس ثغر ذي ظلم

وبألعس ثغر ذي ظلم

كالشهد براح ممتزج

كالشهد براح ممتزج

and a dusky-lipped mouth whose moisture

And by the sweetness of her mouth’s darkness

is like honey mingled with wine;

Like honey mixed with pure wine,

وبلين قوام معتدل

وبلين قوام معتدل

قد جلّ بعطف عن عوج

قد جلّ بعطف عن عوج

and the suppleness of a well-proportioned figure

And by the softness of her slender upright figure

whose graceful bend is far above crookedness—

That leaned to the side like a bough,

لا زال القلب بهيج لها

لا زال القلب بهيج لها

وبغير هواها لم يهج

وبغير هواها لم يهج

may my heart never cease rejoicing in her;

The heart continues ardent for her,

and nothing but love for her has stirred it.

And without her love it would not stir,

اشتاق الريح عساه أتى

اشتاق الريح عساه أتى

من نشر رباها بالأرج

من نشر رباها بالأرج

I long for the wind: perhaps it has come

The wind longed in hopes it would come

from her hills' fragrance, bearing perfume.

From the place her tent was pitched on the meadow,

ما طار فوادي من ولهٍ

ما طار فوادي من ولهٍ

إلّا لمرابعها الضرج

إلّا لمرابعها الضرج

My heart has never flown in passionate longing

My heart has not flown with passion

except toward her crimson-tinted haunts.

Except to her dwellings on the hillside,

فسقى الهتان معالمها

فسقى الهتان معالمها

وصحاريها ذات الرهج

وصحاريها ذات الرهج

So may the pouring rain water her landmarks

So it watered the landmarks of her features

and her dust-laden deserts.

And her plains glowing with flowers,

ملكت رق المشتاق كما

ملكت رق المشتاق كما

ملك العليا ابن أبي الفرج

ملك العليا ابن أبي الفرج

She holds the longing lover in thrall, just as

She possessed the soul of the ardent lover

the son of Abu al-Faraj has mastered the heights—

As the High One possessed Ibn Abi al-Faraj,

القاسم رب الفضل ومن

القاسم رب الفضل ومن

فاضت كفاه كما اللجج

فاضت كفاه كما اللجج

al-Qasim, lord of bounty, and the one whose

Al-Qasim, Lord of Virtue, he who overflowed

two palms have overflowed like the ocean's depths.

His palms like floods,

للَه سجاياه اللاتي

للَه سجاياه اللاتي

فيها غزلي وبها لهجي

فيها غزلي وبها لهجي

How wondrous are his virtues, which

To God his qualities which

are my love-song's theme and my constant refrain.

Are my love poems and by which I am inspired,

شهمٌ قد حاز من العليا

شهمٌ قد حاز من العليا

بمحامده أعلى الدرج

بمحامده أعلى الدرج

A magnanimous man who has won, among the heights,

A hero who gained from the High One

through his merits, the highest ranks.

The highest rank by his praises,

وسحائب كفيه تحكي

وسحائب كفيه تحكي

سحبان الديمة حين تجي

سحبان الديمة حين تجي

And the clouds of his two palms emulate

And the clouds of his palms tell of

Sahban of the steady rain when it comes.

The clouds of fertile rain when it comes,

أسدٌ إن جال بموكبه

أسدٌ إن جال بموكبه

بات الأعداء على وهج

بات الأعداء على وهج

A lion: when he moves with his retinue,

A lion, if he advanced with his procession

his enemies pass the night in burning heat.

The enemies spent the night fearful and watchful,

أو سل لحرب باتره

أو سل لحرب باتره

حدث ما شئت بلا حرج

حدث ما شئت بلا حرج

Or, if he draws his cleaving blade for war,

Or if he was called to war, his sharp sword

say what you will, without restraint.

Did whatever you wished without hindrance,

ومواضي همته ظهرت

ومواضي همته ظهرت

من حزم تشرق كالبلج

من حزم تشرق كالبلج

And the sharp blades of his resolve have emerged

And the horizons of his ambition emerged

from steadfastness, shining like dawn.

With wisdom shining like lightning,

اللَه أميرٌ قد وردت

اللَه أميرٌ قد وردت

بنباهته أوفى الحجج

بنباهته أوفى الحجج

God! A prince—there have come

My Lord has come to full excellence

the fullest proofs of his distinction.

With proofs most abundant,

مولى لأبيه الفضل لجا

مولى لأبيه الفضل لجا

ولغير أبيه لم يعج

ولغير أبيه لم يعج

A lord: excellence sought refuge with his father,

A master to his father Al-Fadl he inclined

and turned toward none but his father.

And to other than his father he did not incline,

ولجت في طاعته العليا

ولجت في طاعته العليا

وبغير رضاه لم تلج

وبغير رضاه لم تلج

The heights of glory entered into obedience to him,

And the High One submitted to obeying him

and never entered without his consent.

And without his approval did not incline,

ليث من كان بطاعته

ليث من كان بطاعته

لم يخش الدهر من الحرج

لم يخش الدهر من الحرج

A lion: whoever lived in obedience to him

A lion, whoever was under his command

never feared the hardship that time might bring.

Feared no hardship from fate,

وكذاك القاسم مقتدياً

وكذاك القاسم مقتدياً

بصفات أبيه وبالنهج

بصفات أبيه وبالنهج

And likewise al-Qasim, following

And so Al-Qasim followed his example

his father's qualities and his path,

In his father's qualities and method,

وضاح الفطنة مقتبس

وضاح الفطنة مقتبس

من نور شهاب مبتهج

من نور شهاب مبتهج

is brilliant in discernment, drawing

Quick of mind, kindled with

joyfully from Shihab's meteor-bright light.

The light of a sparkling celestial orb,

لا زال هماما مقترنا

لا زال هماما مقترنا

بمديد العمر مدى الحجج

بمديد العمر مدى الحجج

May he ever remain a noble hero, accompanied

They both continue ambitious, paired

by long life throughout the years.

With enduring life for countless years,

مولاي لفلك قد وافت

مولاي لفلك قد وافت

هيفاء المدح على هدج

هيفاء المدح على هدج

My lord, to a heavenly sphere there has come

My Master has reached the zenith

the slender maiden of praise, with faltering steps.

Of sublime praise at its utmost,

خذها بالعفو على خبب

خذها بالعفو على خبب

وافت تتردد بالهزج

وافت تتردد بالهزج

Accept her with indulgence: at a trot

Take it with pardon for my stumbling,

she has come, resounding with lilting song.

As it comes hesitantly with trembling,

تهديك دعاء مع غزل

تهديك دعاء مع غزل

بمديح صفاتك منتسج

بمديح صفاتك منتسج

She offers you a prayer with a love-song,

I send you prayers with love poems

woven with praise of your qualities;

And praise woven with your attributes,

وبحسن ثنائك مقلتها

وبحسن ثنائك مقلتها

كحلت بالسحر وبالدعج

كحلت بالسحر وبالدعج

and with the beauty of praising you, her eye

And with the beauty of glorifying you I lined them

was kohled with magic and deep darkness.

With magic and coquetry.