هنيئا لمَنْ حثّ الرّكائِبَ في بدْرِ

هنيئا لمَنْ حثّ الرّكائِبَ في بدْرِ

ومهْبَطِ وحْيِ اللهِ في ليْلَةِ القدْرِ

ومهْبَطِ وحْيِ اللهِ في ليْلَةِ القدْرِ

Blessed is the one who urged the mounts onward at Badr,

Joy to the one who urged the riding camels onward at Badr,

and at the place where God’s revelation descended on the Night of Decree.

and at the place where God's revelation descended on the Night of Decree.

لقدْ مُزَجَتْ روحي بروحِكَ في الهَوى

لقدْ مُزَجَتْ روحي بروحِكَ في الهَوى

كَما مُزِجَ الماءُ الزُّلالُ معَ الخَمْرِ

كَما مُزِجَ الماءُ الزُّلالُ معَ الخَمْرِ

I have indeed mingled my soul with yours in love,

Indeed, my soul has been mingled with your soul in love,

as limpid water is mingled with wine.

as limpid water was mingled with wine.

فأنتَ الى قلْبي ألَذُّ منَ المُنى

فأنتَ الى قلْبي ألَذُّ منَ المُنى

وأشْهى الى نفْسي منَ النّهْيِ والأمْرِ

وأشْهى الى نفْسي منَ النّهْيِ والأمْرِ

For you are sweeter to my heart than all its wishes,

For you are sweeter to my heart than cherished wishes,

and more delectable to my soul than prohibition or command.

and more desirable to my soul than prohibition and command.

وقد شفّني وجْدٌ إليْكَ ولوْعَةٌ

وقد شفّني وجْدٌ إليْكَ ولوْعَةٌ

هيَ الجَمْرُ أو أذْكى وَقوداً منَ الجَمْرِ

هيَ الجَمْرُ أو أذْكى وَقوداً منَ الجَمْرِ

Longing for you and burning anguish have wasted me;

And indeed, longing for you and burning anguish have worn me thin;

that anguish is embers—or hotter and more fiercely kindled than embers.

it is live coals, or fiercer-burning fuel than live coals.

فإنْ طرَقَتْني منْ جَنابِكَ نسْمَةٌ

فإنْ طرَقَتْني منْ جَنابِكَ نسْمَةٌ

وضَعْتُ لَها يُمْنى يَدَيَّ على صَدْري

وضَعْتُ لَها يُمْنى يَدَيَّ على صَدْري

If a breath from your precinct visits me by night,

So if a breeze from your presence visits me by night,

I lay my right hand upon my breast for it.

I lay my right hand upon my breast for it.

مَلكْتُ بني الدّنْيا ويمْلِكُني الهَوى

مَلكْتُ بني الدّنْيا ويمْلِكُني الهَوى

ألا فاعْجَبوا باللهِ يا قَوْمُ منْ أمْري

ألا فاعْجَبوا باللهِ يا قَوْمُ منْ أمْري

I rule the people of this world, yet love rules me—

I have ruled the sons of this world, yet love rules me.

so marvel, by God, O people, at my plight!

Ah, then marvel, by God, O people, at my plight!

حَبيبٌ إذا ما حجّبَتْهُ يدُ النّوى

حَبيبٌ إذا ما حجّبَتْهُ يدُ النّوى

فطَيْفٌ لهُ يسْري وذَكْرٌ له يجْري

فطَيْفٌ لهُ يسْري وذَكْرٌ له يجْري

My beloved—whenever separation’s hand veils him—

A beloved—whenever the hand of separation veils him,

a phantom of him travels by night, and his remembrance flows on.

then a vision of him roams by night, and remembrance of him flows.

بنفْسي مَنْ أهْدى إليّ تحيّةً

بنفْسي مَنْ أهْدى إليّ تحيّةً

كَما حمَلَتْ ريحُ الصَّبا نفْحَةَ الزّهْرِ

كَما حمَلَتْ ريحُ الصَّبا نفْحَةَ الزّهْرِ

My soul be the ransom of the one who sent me a greeting,

My life be ransom for the one who offered me a greeting,

just as the east wind bore the fragrance of flowers.

as the east wind carried a waft of the blossoms' fragrance.

يمثِّلُ منْهُ البدْرُ والنّجْمُ والدُّجى

يمثِّلُ منْهُ البدْرُ والنّجْمُ والدُّجى

مِثالاً لعَيْني أو خَيالاً الى فِكْري

مِثالاً لعَيْني أو خَيالاً الى فِكْري

Of him the full moon, the star, and darkness compose

The full moon, the star, and the darkness portray him—

a likeness for my eyes, or an image for my thought.

a likeness for my eye, or an image for my mind.

فإنْ غابَ عنّي وجْهُهُ ودَلالُهُ

فإنْ غابَ عنّي وجْهُهُ ودَلالُهُ

أعَلِّلُ قلْبي بالدُّجُنّةِ والبَدْرِ

أعَلِّلُ قلْبي بالدُّجُنّةِ والبَدْرِ

When his face and coquettish grace are absent from me,

So if his face and his coy grace are absent from me,

I console my heart with darkness and the full moon.

I console my heart with the night's darkness and the full moon.

وإنْ غابَ قُرْطٌ عنْدَهُ ومُقلَّدٌ

وإنْ غابَ قُرْطٌ عنْدَهُ ومُقلَّدٌ

رجَعْتُ الى الجوْزاءِ والأنْجُمِ الزُّهْرِ

رجَعْتُ الى الجوْزاءِ والأنْجُمِ الزُّهْرِ

And when his earring and necklace are hidden from me,

And if his earring and necklace-adorned neck are out of sight,

I turn again to Gemini and the radiant stars.

I return to al-Jawza and the radiant stars.

لَحا اللهُ أجْفانَ الغَواني فإنّها

لَحا اللهُ أجْفانَ الغَواني فإنّها

تسوقُ الهَوى للقَلْبِ منْ حيثُ لا يَدْري

تسوقُ الهَوى للقَلْبِ منْ حيثُ لا يَدْري

May God curse the eyelids of beautiful women, for they

May God curse the eyelids of beauties, for they

drive passion into the heart from where it cannot know.

drive love into the heart from an unsuspected quarter.

لَها فتَكاتٌ في القُلوبِ كأنّها

لَها فتَكاتٌ في القُلوبِ كأنّها

سُيوفُ المُلوكِ الغالِبينَ بَني نَصْرِ

سُيوفُ المُلوكِ الغالِبينَ بَني نَصْرِ

Theirs are death-strokes in hearts, as though they were

They deal deadly blows to hearts, as though they were

the swords of victorious kings—the Banu Nasr:

the swords of the conquering kings, the sons of Nasr.

لُيوثُ الهُدى تحْمي حِمى كُلِّ خائِفٍ

لُيوثُ الهُدى تحْمي حِمى كُلِّ خائِفٍ

غُيوثُ النّدى تهْمي على كلِّ مُضْطَرِّ

غُيوثُ النّدى تهْمي على كلِّ مُضْطَرِّ

lions of guidance, defending the sanctuary of every fearful soul;

Lions of guidance, guarding the refuge of all who fear,

rain clouds of generosity, pouring upon everyone in distress.

rains of bounty, pouring down upon everyone in distress.

أولَئكَ قوْمي دوّنوا المجْدَ والعُلى

أولَئكَ قوْمي دوّنوا المجْدَ والعُلى

فكُنْتُ كباسْمِ اللهِ في أوّلِ السّطْرِ

فكُنْتُ كباسْمِ اللهِ في أوّلِ السّطْرِ

Those are my people: they inscribed glory and exalted rank,

Those are my people; they inscribed glory and eminence,

and so I was like “In the name of God” at the beginning of the line.

so I was like 'In the name of God' at the beginning of the line.

تراءَتْ لعَزْمي همّةٌ يوسُفيّةٌ

تراءَتْ لعَزْمي همّةٌ يوسُفيّةٌ

بِها قَصَرَ اللهُ الكَمالَ على قصْري

بِها قَصَرَ اللهُ الكَمالَ على قصْري

A Joseph-like aspiration disclosed itself to my resolve;

A lofty aspiration of Yusuf's appeared before my resolve,

through it, God confined perfection to my palace.

through which God confined perfection to my palace.