رُبَّmany a لَيْلٍnight ظَفِرْتُI won بالبَدْرِthe full moon
رُبَّ لَيْلٍ ظَفِرْتُ بالبَدْرِ
ونُجومُand the stars السّماءِof heaven لمْdid not تدْرِknow
ونُجومُ السّماءِ لمْ تدْرِ
Many a night I won the full moon,
Many a night I gained the full moon,
and the stars of heaven did not know.
While the stars in the sky remained unaware.
حفِظَmay preserve اللهُGod لَيلَناour night ورَعَىand guard
حفِظَ اللهُ لَيلَنا ورَعَى
أيَّwhat a شمْلٍunion منَof الهَوىlove جمَعاbrought together
أيَّ شمْلٍ منَ الهَوى جمَعا
May God preserve our night and guard it—
May God preserve our night and watch over,
what a union of love it brought about!
The union of love He allowed us to share.
غَفَلَwas heedless الدّهْرُtime والرّقيبُand the watcher مَعاtogether
غَفَلَ الدّهْرُ والرّقيبُ مَعا
ليْتَwould that نهْرَthe river of النّهارِday لمْhad not يجْرِflowed
ليْتَ نهْرَ النّهارِ لمْ يجْرِ
Time and the watcher alike were heedless.
Oblivious were fate and the watchman,
Would that the river of day had not flowed!
If only the river of day would not flow!
حكَمَmay rule اللهGod ليin my favor علَىagainst الفَجْرِthe dawn
حكَمَ الله لي علَى الفَجْرِ
علِّلِsoothe النّفْسَthe soul ياO أخَاbrother of العَرَبِthe Arabs
علِّلِ النّفْسَ يا أخَا العَرَبِ
May God rule in my favor against the dawn!
God decreed the dawn for me,
Soothe the soul, O brother of the Arabs,
Appease your soul, O friend of Arabs,
بحَديثٍwith a tale أحْلَىsweeter منَthan الضّرَبِwhite honey
بحَديثٍ أحْلَى منَ الضّرَبِ
فيin هَوَىlove مَنْthe one وِصالُهُunion with him أرَبيmy desire
في هَوَى مَنْ وِصالُهُ أرَبي
with a tale sweeter than white honey,
With a sweeter discourse than poetry,
of love for one whose union I desire.
In the love of the one whose union brings me bliss,
كلّماwhenever مرّpassed ذِكْرُmention of مَنْthe one أدْريI know
كلّما مرّ ذِكْرُ مَنْ أدْري
قُلْتُI said ياoh بَرْدَهُits coolness علَىupon صدْرِيmy breast
قُلْتُ يا بَرْدَهُ علَى صدْرِي
Whenever the one I know is mentioned,
Whenever the memory of the one I know passes,
I say, 'How cool it is upon my breast!'
I say, “O coolness upon my chest!”
صاحِfriend لاdo not تهْتَمِمْworry بأمْرِabout the matter of غَدِtomorrow
صاحِ لا تهْتَمِمْ بأمْرِ غَدِ
وأجِزْand pass around صِرْفَهاits unmixed wine يَداًhand بيَدِto hand
وأجِزْ صِرْفَها يَداً بيَدِ
Friend, do not worry about tomorrow,
Do not worry for tomorrow’s affairs,
and pass it unmixed from hand to hand,
And allow them to unfold before you,
بيْنَbetween نهْرِa river وبُلْبُلٍand a nightingale غَرِدِsinging
بيْنَ نهْرِ وبُلْبُلٍ غَرِدِ
وغُصونٌand branches تَميلُsway منْfrom سُكْرِdrunkenness
وغُصونٌ تَميلُ منْ سُكْرِ
between a river and a singing nightingale.
Between a river and a singing nightingale,
And branches, swaying with drunkenness,
And branches swaying from intoxication.
أعْلَنَتْproclaimed للغَمامِto the clouds بالشُّكْرِwith gratitude
أعْلَنَتْ للغَمامِ بالشُّكْرِ
ياO مُرادِيmy desire ومُنْتَهىand the utmost of أمَليmy hope
يا مُرادِي ومُنْتَهى أمَلي
have proclaimed their gratitude to the clouds.
They declared gratitude to the clouds openly,
O my desire and the utmost of my hope,
O object of my desire and hope’s end,
هاتِهاbring it عسْجَدِيّةَgolden الحُلَلِthe robes
هاتِها عسْجَدِيّةَ الحُلَلِ
حلّتِentered الشّمْسُthe sun منْزِلَthe mansion of الحَمَلِAries
حلّتِ الشّمْسُ منْزِلَ الحَمَلِ
bring it, arrayed in robes of gold.
Bring me the Yemeni garment,
The sun has entered the mansion of Aries,
For the sun resides in Aries,
وبُرودُand the mantles of الرّبيعِspring فيin نشْرِunfurling
وبُرودُ الرّبيعِ في نشْرِ
والصَّباand the east wind عَنْبَريّةُambergris-like النّشْرِthe fragrance
والصَّبا عَنْبَريّةُ النّشْرِ
and spring's mantles are unfurled,
And the breeze of spring blows gently,
and the east wind is ambergris-scented.
The morning dew glistened clearly,
غُرّةُthe radiant brow of الصُّبْحِdawn هذِهِthis وضَحَتْshone clearly
غُرّةُ الصُّبْحِ هذِهِ وضَحَتْ
وقِيانُand the songstresses of الغُصونِthe branches قدْhave صدَحَتْsung aloud
وقِيانُ الغُصونِ قدْ صدَحَتْ
This radiant brow of dawn has shone clear,
And the croaking of branches rang out,
and the songstresses of the branches have sung aloud.
As if the breeze, when it blows,
وكأنّand as though الصَّباthe east wind إذاwhen نفَحَتْwafted
وكأنّ الصَّبا إذا نفَحَتْ
وسَماand rose طِيبُهاits fragrance عنِbeyond الحَصْرِmeasure
وسَما طِيبُها عنِ الحَصْرِ
And it is as though the east wind, when it wafts
With its scent beyond measure,
and its fragrance rises beyond measure,
Sings praises of the Most High’s family,
مِدْحَةًa song of praise فيin عُلاthe glory of بَنيthe sons of نصْرِNasr
مِدْحَةً في عُلا بَني نصْرِ
هُمْthey مُلوكُthe kings of الوَرىhumankind بِلاwithout ثُنْياexception
هُمْ مُلوكُ الوَرى بِلا ثُنْيا
were a paean to the glory of Banu Nasr.
They are kings of all people without doubt,
They are the kings of humankind, without exception;
Who paved the path of faith and adorned the world,
مَهّدواthey established الدّينَthe faith زيّنُواthey adorned الدُّنْياthe world
مَهّدوا الدّينَ زيّنُوا الدُّنْيا
وحَمَىand guarded اللهُGod منْهُمُfrom among them العُلْياthe heights
وحَمَى اللهُ منْهُمُ العُلْيا
they established the faith and adorned the world,
And God protected the Most High through them,
and God guarded the heights through one of them,
With the exalted, eminent Imam,
بالإمامِthrough the imam المُرَفَّعِexalted الخَطْرِrank
بالإمامِ المُرَفَّعِ الخَطْرِ
والغَمامِand the cloud المُبارَكِblessed القَطْرِrainfall
والغَمامِ المُبارَكِ القَطْرِ
through the imam of exalted rank,
And the blessed, pouring raincloud.
and the cloud of blessed rainfall.
Verily, Yusuf is the Imam of guidance,
إنّماindeed يوسُفُYusuf إمامُan imam of هُدَىguidance
إنّما يوسُفُ إمامُ هُدَى
جازَsurpassed فيin المَعْلُواتِlofty achievements كلَّevery مَدَىlimit
جازَ في المَعْلُواتِ كلَّ مَدَى
Yusuf is indeed an imam of guidance;
He surpassed all boundaries of glory,
he has surpassed every limit in lofty achievements.
Say to the days of his rule, “Be forever blessed!”
قُلْsay لدَهْرٍto an age بمُلْكِهِthrough his reign سعِداgrew happy
قُلْ لدَهْرٍ بمُلْكِهِ سعِدا
افْتَخِرْtake pride جُمْلَةًaltogether علَىover الدّهْرِtime
افْتَخِرْ جُمْلَةً علَى الدّهْرِ
Say to an age made happy by his reign:
Boast over all other eras,
'Boast over the whole of time,
Like the boasting of spring over flowers.
كافْتِخارِlike the pride of الرّبيعِspring بالزّهْرِin the blossoms
كافْتِخارِ الرّبيعِ بالزّهْرِ
ياO عِمادَpillar of العَلاءِeminence والمَجْدِand glory
يا عِمادَ العَلاءِ والمَجْدِ
as spring takes pride in blossoms.'
O pillar of glory and honor,
O pillar of eminence and glory,
The feast has risen with the ascendant of fortune,
أطْلَعَmade rise العِيدُthe festival طالِعَthe ascendant of السّعْدِgood fortune
أطْلَعَ العِيدُ طالِعَ السّعْدِ
ووَفَىand fulfilled الفَتْحُvictory فيهِduring it بالوَعْدِthe promise
ووَفَى الفَتْحُ فيهِ بالوَعْدِ
the festival has made good fortune's ascendant rise,
And victory therein fulfilled its promise,
and victory has fulfilled the promise during it,
In it, glimpses of the preludes of triumph appeared in the palace,
وتجلّتْand shone forth فيهِduring it علَىupon القَصْرِthe palace
وتجلّتْ فيهِ علَى القَصْرِ
غُرَرٌradiant signs منْfrom طَلائِعِthe vanguard of النّصْرِvictory
غُرَرٌ منْ طَلائِعِ النّصْرِ
and upon the palace, during it, shone
So delight in its splendid beauty,
radiant signs from the vanguard of victory.
With the joy of souls and passions,
فتهنّأْso rejoice منْfrom حُسْنِهِits beauty البَهِجِdelightful
فتهنّأْ منْ حُسْنِهِ البَهِجِ
بحَياةِin the life of النّفوسِsouls والمُهَجِand hearts
بحَياةِ النّفوسِ والمُهَجِ
So rejoice in its delightful beauty,
And listen to it, and leave the words of the morose,
in the life of souls and hearts,
I swear by the love of the honorable,
واسْتَمِعْهاand listen to it ودَعْand leave aside مَقالَthe words of شَجيone in sorrow
واسْتَمِعْها ودَعْ مَقالَ شَجي
قَسَماًan oath بالهَوىby love لِذيfor one endowed with حِجْرِreason
قَسَماً بالهَوى لِذي حِجْرِ
and listen to it, and leave aside the words of one in sorrow:
The longing night has no dawn.
'An oath by love, for one endowed with reason:
ماnot للَيْلِfor the night of المَشوقِthe yearning lover منْany فجْرِdawn
ما للَيْلِ المَشوقِ منْ فجْرِ
the yearning lover's night has no dawn.'
Partial English translation: 45 of 47 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1