بي من فتور المقلةِ الكحلاءِ

بي من فتور المقلةِ الكحلاءِ

ما أَولع اللحظاتِ بالاعضاءِ

ما أَولع اللحظاتِ بالاعضاءِ

Within me, from the languor of the kohl-dark eye,

In me from the languor of kohl-dark eyes

is that which makes glances avid for the limbs.

What passion moments have for limbs

نفسٌ تنافسَ في النفيسِ وهمةٌ

نفسٌ تنافسَ في النفيسِ وهمةٌ

تبني منازلها على الجوزاء

تبني منازلها على الجوزاء

A soul that vied for precious things, and an ambition

A soul competing in the exquisite, and an aspiration

that builds its dwellings upon Orion.

Building its abodes upon Al Jawza

نهضتْ وقد قعدَ الزمانُ بأهله

نهضتْ وقد قعدَ الزمانُ بأهله

ترمي مقاصدَها بسهمِ الرائي

ترمي مقاصدَها بسهمِ الرائي

It rose, while Time sat idle with its people,

It rose though time had settled with its people

aiming at its goals with the beholder's arrow.

Casting its purposes with the arrow of the beholder

واستوضحت نهجَ الرجاء فاعتقتْ

واستوضحت نهجَ الرجاء فاعتقتْ

بي أوصل الإِدلاجِ بالإِسراء

بي أوصل الإِدلاجِ بالإِسراء

It discerned the path of hope, then sped on,

And elucidated the path of hope, so it was delivered

with me, as I joined early-night travel to journeys through the night.

To me the darkest dark with the brightest bright

حتى وصلت وشقَّ ظني بالوفا

حتى وصلت وشقَّ ظني بالوفا

شق الصباح عجاجة الظلماءِ

شق الصباح عجاجة الظلماءِ

Until I arrived, and my trust in fulfillment broke through

Until it arrived and my notion of loyalty was split

as morning cleaves the dust-cloud of darkness.

As the dawn splits the gloom of darkness

فنضبتُ راياتي وجردت المدى

فنضبتُ راياتي وجردت المدى

ودمغتُ قسراً هامةَ الأعداءِ

ودمغتُ قسراً هامةَ الأعداءِ

Then I raised my banners and unsheathed the blades,

So I furled my banners and bared the expanse

and forcibly crushed the heads of the enemies.

And stamped on the brow of enemies perforce

واشبتُ ناصيةَ الزمانِ ورعته

واشبتُ ناصيةَ الزمانِ ورعته

بغرائبِ العزماتِ والآراءِ

بغرائبِ العزماتِ والآراءِ

And I made Time's forelock gray and terrified it

And pulled on the forelock of time, taming it

with extraordinary resolves and designs.

With the wonders of resolves and opinions

وركبتُ حتى فوق أنفاس العدى

وركبتُ حتى فوق أنفاس العدى

وزحمت حتى منكب الخضراءَ

وزحمت حتى منكب الخضراءَ

And I rode even above the breaths of my foes,

And rode atop the breaths of foes

and pressed against even the shoulder of the green sky.

And barged the shoulder of verdance

وعلوت أطواق النجومِ فقلن لي

وعلوت أطواق النجومِ فقلن لي

قف حيث شئت فقلت كنَّ ورَائي

قف حيث شئت فقلت كنَّ ورَائي

And I rose above the stars' circlets, and they said to me:

And ascended beyond the sphere of stars, so they told me

'Stop wherever you wish.' I said, 'Remain behind me.'

Stop wherever you wish, and I said, behind me!

فأَنا الذي لو شاءَ نزه طرفه

فأَنا الذي لو شاءَ نزه طرفه

في روض مجلس سيّد الوزراءِ

في روض مجلس سيّد الوزراءِ

For I am one who, if he wished, could delight his gaze

For I am one whom, had he wished, could indulge

in the garden of the council of the lord of ministers.

In the garden council of the minister supreme

لله همتهُ التي من شأنها

لله همتهُ التي من شأنها

أن تردف النعماء بالنعماءِ

أن تردف النعماء بالنعماءِ

To God be praise for his ambition, whose nature is

To God his resolve, which is apt

to follow bounty with bounty.

To follow boons with boons

تعدو مكارمهُ على آمالنَا

تعدو مكارمهُ على آمالنَا

بدوى يصيبُ به مكان الداءِ

بدوى يصيبُ به مكان الداءِ

His noble deeds rush upon our hopes

His virtues outrun our hopes

with a remedy by which he strikes the seat of illness.

With an echo that strikes the place of illness

حتى إِذا غمرت أياديه الرجا

حتى إِذا غمرت أياديه الرجا

وأتاك يبغي العذر بالإِغراءَ

وأتاك يبغي العذر بالإِغراءَ

Until, when his favors flooded hope,

Until, when his hands were soaked in grace

and he came to you seeking pardon by coaxing,

And he came seeking pardon with temptation

بعثوا لطاعتهِ القلوب بملئها

بعثوا لطاعتهِ القلوب بملئها

خوفاً يشاب صريحه برجاء

خوفاً يشاب صريحه برجاء

they sent their hearts, filled to the brim, to obey him,

Hearts were roused to obey him in their fullness

with fear whose pure essence is mingled with hope.

Fear interwoven with hope in his address

وعزائم قد أَرعدت نهضاتُها

وعزائم قد أَرعدت نهضاتُها

بالرعبِ قلب الصخرةِ الصّماءَ

بالرعبِ قلب الصخرةِ الصّماءَ

And resolves whose surges have made tremble

And resolves that thundered in their rising

with terror the heart of the solid rock,

Struck the heart of the deaf rock with dread

وطوت بياضَ العيش عمن فوقَه

وطوت بياضَ العيش عمن فوقَه

نشرت سوادِ الغارةِ الشعواءَ

نشرت سوادِ الغارةِ الشعواءَ

and folded away life's whiteness from those over whom

And folded the whiteness of life from atop him

they spread the blackness of the ruthless raid.

Who unfurled the blackness of raging assault

واستسلبتْ منهنَّ أيام العدى

واستسلبتْ منهنَّ أيام العدى

لما رمينَ بعمره الهيجاءِ

لما رمينَ بعمره الهيجاءِ

And the days of the foes donned mourning because of them,

And wrested from them the days of enmity

when they cast his life into battle.

When they cast at his life's spring a piercing wail

غاضت مياه محامدي السّخابهِ

غاضت مياه محامدي السّخابهِ

حتى رميتَ الحمد بالإِلغاءَ

حتى رميتَ الحمد بالإِلغاءَ

The clamorous waters of my praises receded,

The waters of my forbearance were roiled

until you cast praise aside.

Until you cast praise into cancellation

ودفعت إِذا جازى ثنائي جوده

ودفعت إِذا جازى ثنائي جوده

لينال منه ولاتَ حينً جزاءِ

لينال منه ولاتَ حينً جزاءِ

And I was rebuffed when my praise tried to requite his generosity,

And if you requited my praise of your munificence

to gain from him—but it was no time for recompense.

To gain from him, for a time, recompense

تسمو إلى مرمي الفخار همومه

تسمو إلى مرمي الفخار همومه

فهو البعيد مطارح الآلاءِ

فهو البعيد مطارح الآلاءِ

His aspirations rise toward the target of glory;

His concerns rise to the horizon of glory

for far afield are the places where his bounties fall.

He whose benevolence casts boons afar

نصر السماح على النضار فكم له

نصر السماح على النضار فكم له

بيد العفاة اليومَ من إسراءِ

بيد العفاة اليومَ من إسراءِ

He made generosity triumph over gold; how many he has

Victory of clemency over sharpness - how much

as captives today in petitioners' hands!

In the hand of pardon today of advancement!

عجلٌ إِلى المعروف تحسبَ أنه

عجلٌ إِلى المعروف تحسبَ أنه

خاشٍ على المعروف كيدَ عِداء

خاشٍ على المعروف كيدَ عِداء

So hasty toward kindness, you would think he was

A steed to kindness you'd think

afraid of enemies' plots against kindness.

Fearful for kindness like a scheming foe

يستعذبُ الإِحسان شرباً اذنه

يستعذبُ الإِحسان شرباً اذنه

يسقي عروقَ الدوحةِ العلياءِ

يسقي عروقَ الدوحةِ العلياءِ

He savors beneficence as a drink, since it

The ear of benevolence finds sweet

waters the roots of the lofty tree.

Watering the veins of the sublime council

بلت أياديه مغارسَ مجده

بلت أياديه مغارسَ مجده

بالبذَل منه وهنَّ غير ظماءِ

بالبذَل منه وهنَّ غير ظماءِ

His favors moistened the planting beds of his glory

His hands reached the saplings of his glory

with his giving, though they were not thirsty.

In his open-handedness, though hands were parched

وسطا ومازج بأسه بسخائهِ

وسطا ومازج بأسه بسخائهِ

فلديهِ كم من شدةٍ ورخاءِ

فلديهِ كم من شدةٍ ورخاءِ

And he struck mightily and mingled his might with his generosity;

Balanced and blending his might with generosity

how much severity and ease he commands!

For in him lies much severity and ease

ياناصبَ العلياءِ أني لمنتهي

ياناصبَ العلياءِ أني لمنتهي

جزتَ الوفا ووفيتَ كَلَّ وفاءِ

جزتَ الوفا ووفيتَ كَلَّ وفاءِ

O builder of lofty glory, I am surely at my limit:

O pillar of sublime ones! I am an extremist

you surpassed fidelity and fulfilled every pledge.

Requiting loyalty and fulfilling all troth

وجلوتها للناظرين مبينةً

وجلوتها للناظرين مبينةً

كالشمس لا ترتاب عينَ الرائي

كالشمس لا ترتاب عينَ الرائي

And you revealed it plainly to beholders,

And elucidating it for beholders

like the sun, leaving the beholder's eye no doubt.

Like the sun - no eye doubts its seer

أَفديك مما لا تحب وكل شخصٍ

أَفديك مما لا تحب وكل شخصٍ

لا يحب من الأنام فدائي

لا يحب من الأنام فدائي

I would ransom you from all you dislike; and every person

I sacrifice you from what you do not love, and every person

unloved among humankind is the ransom I offer.

Who does not love the people - my sacrifice!